Owners Jared and Diedre Hammond have had a hit on their hands since they opened the Chuckwagon 719 food truck in 2023. About a year later, the couple moved their barbecue restaurant into a brick and mortar in 2024, where they continue to sell out of their smoked meats on most days. So what comes next? A pair of new restaurant concepts, of course.
We talked about Hammond’s Pastrami & Smoked Deli and the Seared Steer Steakhouse back in our People’s Choice Best Barbecue in Colorado Springs article, which, of course, included the Chuckwagon. Now both of the new restaurants are open.
Both share space inside Trail’s End Taproom in Old Colorado City. Trail’s End provides the wide range of pour-your-own craft beers. Hammond’s and the Steer provide the meats.
Hammond’s Pastrami & Smoked Deli opened in early January and serves daytime lunch hours. All the meats are smoked and carved or slice to order, and the sandwiches are seriously large. With pastrami in the name, you know it’s a menu star. But other sliced-to-order meats and sandwiches include roast beef and smoked turkey. Similar to its sister restaurant, the Chuckwagon, Hammond’s Pastrami & Smoked Deli is also prone to selling out. I guess that’s why their hours are 11 a.m. to sellout.
Since early February, the Seared Steer Steakhouse is open for dinner on Saturdays. Reservations are required, and those are filling up quickly. In keeping with the family of restaurants, the Steer serves smoked steaks that are finished over a live wood-fired grill. Other entrees include prime rib and chicken fried bison. That Colorado-raised bison is fried in beef tallow. So are all of the other fried items and appetizers. Watch for the menu and the open days to expand in the coming months. In the meantime, plan early to get a reservation.
2925 W. Colorado Ave.
