Entry No. 55 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: art
The Rabbit Hole
A gothic Alice-in-Wonderland speakeasy and restaurant built inside Colorado Springs' former city morgue and crematorium, serving theatrical flaming cocktails amid murals, vintage clocks, and morgue-era brickwork.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but the brickwork supporting your table used to hold the city's dead. Long before owner Joe Campana opened this subterranean space in 2011, the basement beneath the corner of Tejon and Kiowa served as Colorado Springs' official city morgue and crematorium. After a brief period as a restaurant named The Metropolitan, the underground vault was overhauled into a gothic speakeasy, leaving original morgue-era brick intact beneath crimson lamps.
The decor approaches Lewis Carroll through a conspiratorial, dark lens. Local artists Phil Lear and Douglas Rouse wrapped the walls in surreal murals of Alice in Wonderland characters, set against playing cards and vintage clocks. The kitchen leans into the literary gimmick with 'Eat Me' and 'Drink Me' menu sections, serving dishes like bacon-wrapped rabbit meatloaf and fried bunny bites alongside a White Rabbit martini topped with a flaming marshmallow.
What it's like
Look for a glass subway-style entry structure on Kiowa Street glowing with red neon, rather than searching on Tejon. Head down the narrow stairwell into a basement dining room where low ceilings, heavy dark brick, and intimate alcoves set the tone. Tables routinely book out two weeks in advance and the room gets loud during peak hours, but walk-ins can often snag unreserved seating at the bar if you show up near the 4 PM opening.
The move: Book the underground dining room, order a flaming cocktail each, and ask your server to point out the original morgue features while you trade theories about the building's history.
📍 Before you go Don't look for a door on Tejon — the entrance is around the corner on Kiowa Street, where a glass subway-style entry leads you down a narrow staircase to the basement-level dining room. There's a parking garage directly across Kiowa, the easiest bet on the downtown grid. This isn't a walk-in speakeasy: tables fill fast, the house advises booking about two weeks out, and groups larger than four have to call to reserve. You're on the corner of the Tejon Street strip in the heart of downtown, so it pairs naturally with a pre-dinner wander past the blocks of bars and shops above.
- 📍 Downtown Colorado Springs
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 101 North Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Novis Mortem Collective (classes by The Terrorium Shop) — Double down on macabre history with a workshop on taxidermy or insect pinning at this oddities gallery on Tejon Street.
- Shrunken Head Tiki Bar — Keep your night beneath street level by grabbing drinks at downtown's only hidden subterranean tiki bar.
- Pikes Peak Phantom Ghost Tour — Follow up a meal inside a former city morgue with an after-dark walking tour through downtown's reputedly haunted corridors.
- District Eleven — Follow up one speakeasy with another by slipping through the vault door hidden inside a nearby taco shop.
Good to know
Where is the physical entrance located?
Although the address lists 101 North Tejon Street, the entrance sits around the corner on Kiowa Street inside a glass subway-style entry structure that leads down a narrow stairwell.
How far in advance do I need to make a reservation?
The restaurant advises booking approximately two weeks out for tables. Parties larger than four must call directly to reserve.
Was this building actually a real morgue?
Yes, before its conversion into a restaurant space, the subterranean basement operated as the city morgue and crematorium for Colorado Springs.
Where is the best place to park nearby?
A public parking garage sits directly across Kiowa Street from the glass entry booth, making it the easiest parking option on the downtown grid.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · denvergazette.com · Yelp · 303magazine.com
last checked: 2026-06-09