shuga's

regret regret. disappointment. visiting my son for labor day weekend and saw all the great reviews and decided to give it a try. the menu looked great and very interesting. we were kinda happy the restaurant was not at all that busy. well sadly arrived at 2:45 - we ordered our food by 3:10 -i think they forgot about us. was not checked on again. no cold water which was tap water. we waited and waited - my husband fell asleep. i ordered an appetizer which was one bruschetta ..arrived -at the table 3:50. i made a comment to the waiter about being hungry and she replied with “me too”. then came back with one plate and mentioned “not all of them will come out together we’re still working on them”. we were a party of 5. the other 4 saw and watched while my son ate. the rest of the food arrived by 4:00. very disappointed. my husbands plate was cold and my cup of spicyshrimpsoup only had one smallshrimpfor $4 and my husbands bowl had 3shrimpfor $9. i don’t understand for being a sandwich place why did it take soooo long. the food was mediocre and the menu was deceitful- why charge premium. i rather eat at jason’s deli and pay their prices at least service and quality is what you expect. avoid this place. quality is low and very expensive. if you’re hungry try somewhere else. you’ll wait for your food forever! again food was mediocre.

we snagged a table outside. lovely! all the food was delicious, but especially liked the gazpacho, the coconutshrimpsoup, and the fantastic almond dessert cake. we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. nice waiter.

always get the northwest pita and the spicyshrimpsoup and lavender lemonade...my favorite place to eat in the springs!

i really liked it!. don't come here if you are looking for a quick dining stop. the service can be slow and sometimes you have to try to wave a waitstaff member down but the food is really really good! the olive tapenade that comes on the mediterrean fare appetizer plate is downright freaking delicious! the pita pieces went fast and we had to ask for more to finish up the spreads. i had the cuban sandwich which did not disappoint. thanks for all the reviews on it from other people that is what i wanted to try and it was so good. also had a cup of that famous brazilian coconutshrimpsoup. it could have been warmer but it was too hard to track down a server so i ate it lukewarm it still was fantastic! i would come back here just for this soup. it's one of a kind. i definitely had more than enough to eat. i still took half my sandwich home to drink i can't remember the name but it was some type of colada and it was good. so good i had two!! i will be going back in the future.

finally made it back. nice little quaint place with some original tasting food. i had theshrimpsoup., and the pabst blue ribbon beer. no discounts. a long way away from where i live, so i don't feel anything tugging at me to go back, but if i was in that part of town i might drop in--it was o.k. but barely in bounds for the $ rating given by urbanspoon.


-----12 may, 2013-----

closed in the middle of the afternoon. you buy drnks, but food not available midafternoon. too bad.

soup's on. as many of the other reviews have mentioned, the brazilian coconutshrimpsoup is deeeeelicious! i went for lunch one day and did the soup and sandwich combo. i paired the coconut soup with the brick chicken sandwich (or is it a pizza?). unfortunately, i cannot rave about the sandwich. perhaps my expectations were just too high, but i didn't dig it. i would definitely go to shuga's again though, as the soup is worth the return trip and i look forward to trying one of the other sandwiches.

as for the service, i have nothing positive or negative to say really. i was helped in a timely manner and the food was delivered fairly quickly. at the end of the meal though, i was out of water and had to flag someone down to get it refilled. not a deal breaker for me. i'll go back for sure!

great food and experience. great ambiance in a converted older home just on the outskirts of downtown. i have been to shuga's twice and have had great experiences both times. the menu is simple, but they use quality ingredients in every item i have ordered. the brazilian spicy coconutshrimpsoup is such a unique flavor - a must try. the sandwiches are large and use top ingredients. the bruchettas are large and great (i have had the brie and green apple). mojitos are also great. a great date night spot or afternoon lunch place. good service too despite other reviews. very laid back and relaxing atmosphere. can't wait to go back and try the desserts.

very versatile restaurant, a normal person would never find this place. ...and i thought barney's diner was a difficult place to find, at least it wasn't disguised like the houses that were all around it!

a friend of mine invited me to lunch the other day and we both agreed on shuga's as the destination. upon arriving, you find you literally have to park on the street/dirt area right off of the street. walking up to what looks like a house, with a really neat little outside dining area out back, i opened the door to a very quaint and artistic inside. i'm not sure why they use a name that makes one assume this place has creole/cajun fare, but it works. if anything, this place is a bistro with a somewhat international menu.

the wait staff are somewhat friendly and incredibly efficient. we went during the heat of lunch hour on a thursday, but did not have to wait at all to get a table. the menu is very straightforward breaking it down into soups, sandwiches, salads, drinks, main dishes, etc. daily specials are wrote up on the wall on a chalkboard.

my friend ordered their daily pasta which had a marinara sauce. i ordered a half sandwich/half soup combo. i chose the brick chicken sandwich with a cup of their supposedly famous soup, the brazillian spicy coconutshrimpsoup. the sandwich came out on what would appear to be baked pita bread, because it was not soft and pillowy, but it was more substantial to act as bread. i could not figure out how to eat this thing because i could not fold it like a flatbread sandwich, nor could i eat it like a taco. i had to eat some insides out of it and then attempt to fold it. then the pita began to tear apart in an inconvenient way, dropping the innards down on the plate. it turned out to be more messy than i assumed it would be, but the flavor and freshness was excellent. i'm always a fan of blue cheese and it was almost like eating a salad with the pita bread as your plate.

the soup was extremely odd, but not in a bad way. i literally took 3 spoonfulls and still could not determine what it was i was tasting. i literally had to focus my taste buds to center in on the coconut milk, and that is what i determined to be throwing off the flavor. once again, this is not bad soup, it's just got so much going on in it. i highly encourage you to try it. for reference as to what this would come close to, i'd say a seafood bisque.

my friend enjoyed his pasta dish and wolfed down every bite. i wish i could tell you what was in it, but since it was a daily special, i cannot recall the ingredients that were listed.

overall, shuga's has a very pleasing atmosphere and it is a place i'd like to go to again to try more of their unique dishes.

don't judge the food by the name or building!. recommended by friends, my wife and i took our time to go there as the name sounded cajun (not a big fan of cajun). the outside appearance of the joint didn't dissuade that notion. the interior looked to be decorated by the first 80 items visible in a thrift store.
the important issues are food and service, and in those areas shuga's excels. unless you are allergic to shellfish, you must try the soup. the brazillian spicy coconutshrimpsoup, that is. goes very well with the croque madame, or even better with the roast beef sandwich.
my only regret of the evening was when i arrived home, and realized that i forgot the leftover box at the restaurant.

coconutshrimpsoup is excellent as is the lavender lemonade

cafe done right. note to reader: this was written based on four visits to shuga's over the course of three weeks.

tucked away on a quiet street corner lies shuga's. a warmly lit cafe with a comfortable artsy vibe. feeling social? grab a seat at one of the hand painted tables, tune in and out of conversation, or whatever eclectic mix of music the staff is feeling partial to that day. need a bit of alone time? no problem, post up on either the front or back patio. i love coming here with a book in the afternoon, or with friends in the evening. i even like bringing my computer and getting a bit of work done.
for some reason, among certain crowds shuga's is the place that people love to hate. as far as i've been able to ascertain it boils down to something like, "they try too hard to be hipster/artsy/indie." that is to say, disingenuous, an impostor, a poseur, and just plain pretentious. i get the sense that the proprietors designed a place where they would like to hang out. it has that comfortable, chill vibe that you just do not get in corporate chain. it has personality. that authenticity is reflected in the satisfying cafe fare, coffee, and drinks that have brought me back again.
to begin with, i really, really like their coffee. in the midst of a sea of mediocrity there are two coffee places that truly stand out in colorado springs: agia sophia, and shuga's. to be fair, i find the drip coffee at shuga's to be slightly above average but, i'm an americano guy, get that right and i'm happy. shuga's vivace espresso has a deep, refined flavor with a lovely frothy crema that truly gratifies the senses and prompts you to savor the rich repast. but good espresso is not just about the product, the barista has a lot to do with it. unfortunately, you will get the occasional bad cup from an inexperienced barista.
the spicy brazilian coconutshrimpsoup is standout. i rarely order the same thing repeatedly, but i am yet to be bored with this soup. it is a complex coconut milk based soup, spiced perfectly with ginger, jalapeno. the cilantro and lime flavors are delightfully understated, and serve to cut the richness of the coconut milk. my favorite thing about the soup is the perfect amount of heat that lingers just right after each bite. it rounds out a very balanced dish. the butterfliedshrimpare overcooked, though not reprehensibly so, and i forgive them this because it is a four dollar bowl of soup and you can't expect it to be prepared a la me nude. the toasted sesame seed garnish adds a slight textural contrast and a note of color.
the tuscan chicken & artichoke soup with shitake mushrooms, baked chicken, wine, tomato, and artichoke heart was good, but not on par with the coconut shrimp. it tasted something like a play on minestrone-sans beans-with shitake mushrooms replacing the noodles and chicken instead of ham. the artichoke hearts would have been clever addition, but unfortunately they consisted of a few minuscule particles that were rendered tasteless in the tangy tomato base. the chicken was very overcooked and dry, braising it might have been a better approach.
the cuban mojo (roasted pork, ham, pickle, swiss cheese, mustard, and mojo sauce on rustic bread) was a satisfying sandwich. however, some of the components in the description that initially attracted me were lost among a cacophony of bold flavors. i'm an unabashed pork lover and a big fan of cuban pork. sadly i only really tasted the ham which was of the average store bought variety. i cannot comment on the mojo sauce because either, the mustard and pickle drowned it out completely, or they forgot to put it on the sandwich. despite these shortcomings i really enjoyed the toasted rustic bread. it is reminiscent of focaccia, but denser, crispier (it was grilled), and more robust. perfect soup-dipping bread.
the montreal (brie, pear, ham, scallion butter grilled on rustic bread) had loads of potential but didn't quite deliver. the flaws were in the ingredients: the pear was not ripe and that grocery store ham was a bit off-putting. i enjoyed the sandwich overall. it just wanted the pears to be sauteed briefly in some butter, salt and pepper, and "homemade" ham to make it something special. conceptually, it is a wonderful idea, the rich, creamy, and salty brie along with the sweet, fruity pear and savory ham ought to create a successful sandwich but shortcuts and low quality ingredients do not allow for excellence.
shuga's has that intangible warm cafe vibe that i feel is sadly lacking amongst the shiny, plastic, efficient and ergonomic, coffee houses that currently dominate the landscape of colorado springs. the service is nonchalant and i like that. it is a welcome break from the rehearsed, rushed, and in your face corporate coffee pitch. this place is unique, an homage to true cafe culture. check it out.
overall: 7.5/10

you have to try shuga's!. i am kind of surprised that no one has reviewed shuga's yet. for an out of the way location they are unique and the food is truly great.

there are three of us that usually decide to head out for lunch periodically. shuga's is one of the favorites. one friend is hung up on the coconutshrimpsoup and swears by it. i am not ashrimpeater but i take her word for it. myself and the other guy are fans of the meatball tapa. the bruscetta is terrific. we usually go for the brie & apple but have carmelized onion added.

if you haven't tried this place do. coffee is terrific and the latte worth trying.