Located just north of Colorado Springs, the Black Forest is known for its tall trees, views, horse property and lovely real estate. Its more than 13,000 residents, however, can’t survive on scenery alone, and so to meet their edible needs, a small culinary culture has popped up in the town’s historic downtown. Rather that just serving the locals, it’s now a culture tasty enough to lure non-locals — like me — into the pines.

The growing restaurant scene is not always aiming for upper-crust dining, but the hot and homey eats I found in there were delicious — from pizzas and barbecue to excellent café fare that, for me, was worth the drive.

Black Forest Pies and Grinders

12470 Black Forest Road, Black Forest495-8555, blackforestpiesandgrinders.com

As a food explorer scouring the area for new and new-to-me restaurants, it’s prize trophies like Black Forest Pies and Grinders that make the hunt worthwhile. This gem of a pizzeria bursts with delicious smells of garlic and fresh bread and homemade marinara sauce. I would have orderedthe pert and chunky breadsticks ($2.99) to serve just as a vehicle for that sauce, but the bread, too, was delicious and crusted with Parmesan.

And hot. Wow. The garlic bread, my Artichoke Spinach Specialty Pizza ($14.99) and the Sausage Grinder ($7.99) were flaming hot and crisp, as if there was a fire-breathing volcano of an oven back in the kitchen. The grinder’s sizzling sausage and peppers in a hefty, soft bun were a finger-singeing bundle of East Coast flavor.

Perhaps the volcano sits next to a kitchen garden? The chunks of artichokes and spinach on the pizza, spread on a base of a rich but not overly heavy Alfredo sauce, were all at the peak of freshness and delivered on the staff’s promise that everything was made to order daily.  

Currently, Black Forest Pies offers delivery and take-out only, which is a shame, because hungry diners outside the five-mile delivery radius should enjoy this excellent, straightforward pizza. Thankfully, the owners are hard at work renovating the storefront next door into a dining room, where they hope to offer wine and beer to enjoy with pizza and sports on the TV.

When that happens, I’ll be back to raise a glass of beer to Black Forest Pies and Grinders, which is hands-down my favorite recent food find.

Firehouse on the Run BBQ

12480 Black Forest Road, Black Forest

495-8453, coloradospringsbbqcatering.com

There is something quaint about Firehouse on the Run BBQ that sums up the rustic, relaxed spirit of the Black Forest. Firehouse on the Run is an offshoot of Firehouse Southern Style BBQ in Old Colorado City, but this shoot is growing out of a gas station and convenience store, its 30-seat dining room located in the rear of the store. It’s a cute, picnicky atmosphere with long tables and concession-style menu board.

Fill up your car’s tank, and fill your stomach while you’re at it. It’s actually rather brilliant.

The high point is naturally the three house sauces: a sweet and tangy, the “Wildside” and the “Bab E Nero,” which is advertised as ideal for people “who like some kick in their food.” There’s truth in that advertising. I tried all three with a half-rack of baby back ribs ($12.99), which were a little singed but overall enjoyable.

The sides were mostly secondary in the experience. You can’t go wrong with green beans spiked with bacon or traditional baked beans, but a kick of creativity wouldn’t hurt. Other the other hand, the traditional pulled pork sandwich ($7.99) was slow-cooked and tender, and if it’s only modest barbecue fare, Firehouse shows that modest can be belly-satisfying and tasty.

Firehouse on the Run also caters, and with summer barbecue season approaching, their brisket and smoked chickens would certainly please party guests. For a more everyday option, go with the Family Pack Special, a bargain with two pounds of meat, two family sides and two liters of soda for $29.99.

R and R Coffee Café

11425 Black Forest Road

494-8300, rnrcoffeecafe.com‎

I describe the Black Forest’s restaurant culture as homey, and R and R Coffee Café might be the heart of that home. Sharing a building with the town’s post office, it’s a natural gathering place for meals and meet-ups for all sorts of Black Forest characters, from the mountain bikers to the Harley bikers.   

Perhaps above all else, though, customers are here for the coffee. R and R roasts its own beans, and all coffees sold in the store are guaranteed to be less than 10 days old. Adding in the loose-leaf teas and smoothies, it’s a beverage paradise.

Serving breakfast and lunch menus all day, the food is also impressive. A simple sandwich like the Gobbler ($6.75, with smoked turkey, sprouts, tomato and Swiss cheese) sings thanks to the house-baked honey oat wheat bread, which has a lovely edge of sweetness when toasted. Sourdough bread, on the other hand, pairs great with the thick, applewood-smoked Callicrate bacon in the B.L.T. ($5.50).

In addition to café staples like sandwiches and omelets, there are also signs of culinary flair in the daily soup and entrée specials. A recent special of huevos rancheros ($7.50) has a great kick of chiles and moist scrambled eggs.

Family-owned and operated — most of the family are involved in the café’s day-to-day operations — the service is friendly and genuine, but also casual, heightening the idea that the café is meant to be a home away from home. I know that bathing in the afternoon sun on the café’s patio, I was honestly reluctant to leave.

A sizzling sausage grinder from Black Forest Pies and Grinders Photo by Kate Jonuska

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Firehouse on the Run BBQ offers three house sauces. Photo by Kate Jonuska.