History, on Tap, and On the Plate
The Alexander Film Company building, finished in 1928, was once home to the largest film advertisement company in the world. A piece of Colorado Springs history that most residents have either forgotten or never learned. The Public House at The Alexander occupies the ground floor of the repurposed building on North Nevada Avenue, and the renovation has been careful with the bones. Original brick, restored wood floors, tall industrial windows, and a long bar that runs the length of the room. The effect is the rare new restaurant in Colorado Springs that feels older than it is, because the building actually is.
This is the second location of a concept that opened in 2013 in southern Colorado Springs, and it is the grown-up version. Where the original is a neighbourhood pub, The Public House at The Alexander is a gastropub that takes both the food and the drinks seriously. Thirty taps. Rotating local craft beer, Colorado-heavy, with a smart curation that favours breweries the average diner has not yet memorised. On-site BlackHat distillery spirits made in the building. A wine list that is intentionally shorter than it could be, but unusually well-chosen.
What to Order
The Mountain Burger is the flagship. A Colorado beef patty, properly cooked to order, with green chili, pepper jack, and smoked bacon on a toasted brioche. It is the kind of burger that makes the case for a gastropub as a legitimate dining category rather than an apology for not being a dining room. The fish and chips use Alaskan cod and a house beer batter. The braised short rib, served over polenta, comes out of a kitchen that understands slow cooking. The wings, the pretzels, and the house chili are all better than they need to be at the price point.
The drinks list is where the restaurant opens up. The BlackHat distillery produces whiskey, gin, and vodka on site; the cocktail program leans into these house spirits without insisting on it. Ask the bartender what is pouring best from the whiskey line, and expect an honest answer. The draft list moves faster than the menu, so a brief conversation with the staff is always worth the minute.
The Atmosphere
The room works across settings. A long communal table down the centre absorbs the solo diner arriving after work with a laptop and a pint. Smaller booths along the walls hold couples and small groups. The private event space upstairs has hosted birthdays, wedding rehearsals, and corporate dinners that did not want either the steakhouse register or the chain-restaurant compromise. Multiple televisions are present but not dominant; live music nights are frequent without ever tipping the space into a bar. It is a restaurant that understands the full week. A weeknight burger, a Saturday band night, a Sunday brunch. And covers all of them without losing focus.
For a Colorado Springs team dinner that has rotated through every downtown option and wants a change of scenery, or for a solo diner staying at one of the nearby hotels, The Public House at The Alexander is a clean answer. The building alone is worth the visit, and the kitchen and bar programs earn the repeat.