Vehicle repairs and maintenance has become an interesting world with the plethora of DIY articles, videos, and walkthroughs on the internet. If you have a working knowledge of vehicles, there’s no reason you can’t handle things like an oil change or a quick fix on your own. If you have extensive knowledge of the mechanics of vehicles, there’s no reason you can’t handle a little more on your own. But there are some things that, invariably, should be left to the professionals. Every time. We’ve talked about some of these briefly in the past, but today we’re diving into one in particular – painting. Car painting and refinishing is definitely something not to risk on your DIY skills.
Color Matching Is No Joke
If you’ve ever tried to do a paint repair on your own, you probably already know this. If you haven’t, let us save you some time, trouble, and major disappointment. When it comes to matching the color of your vehicle, there is no wiggle room. Something “close, but not quite” won’t cut it and will be immediately obvious. The shade of candy apple red that your manufacturer uses is likely copyrighted and unavailable anywhere else. If you want your vehicle to look like it did when you first got it, leave the paint matching to the pros.
Paint Curing Is for Pros
Paint application and curing is another process that is incredibly difficult to get right. Ensuring a smooth application, one that can go unnoticed by even a well-trained eye requires expertise that is nearly impossible to find outside of professional circles. Paint curing is another important part of the process that’s easy to mess up if you’re not careful. Often, when you take your vehicle in for repairs, you’ll receive advice on how to keep the paint from prematurely fading while the paint finishes curing. Before those instructions are given to you, a lot of work has already been done to make sure the paint job will last.
Is it Sealed?
There is so much more that goes into a vehicle paint job than meets the eye. When done expertly, it looks simple, but like most things that look easy, it’s actually complex and multi-leveled. It’s not enough to just slap a coat of paint on and call it a day. Just like your vehicle’s original paint job is sealed and coated to withstand the elements, the new paint must be treated the same as well. Some of those compounds will be present in the manufacturer’s paint as it is applied, but knowing what needs to be sealed and how to seal it is the kind of insider knowledge that’s not quite so easy to Google and call it a day.
There are a number of things about regular vehicle maintenance and minor repairs that can be handled on your own, with the necessary knowledge and proper tools, but there are some things that will always be better left to the experts. Rather than facing the disappointment that comes with a paint job that is obviously mismatched, or one that fades after two days of driving in the sun, or that chips the second it meets a rainstorm, leave your vehicle in the hands of a trusted team when paint is required.
We get it. It is NEVER fun selecting an auto body shop for your collision repair. But, you always, even with insurance, have a choice when it comes to handling your repairs. So, what key things should you look for when choosing an auto body shop?
Look Before You Need One
We know this seems a little odd, but you really do want to have an idea of what body shop you would use before you have an accident. This will help take some of the pressure off during this stressful time. After all, just having one less thing to worry about is a good thing.
Check Better Business Bureau
If you are just starting your research, one of the best resources everyone has access to is the Better Business Bureau. Here you can see what their overall rating is, as well as how long the business has been accredited. You can see if they have responded to complaints as well as read any posted reviews from customers.
Read Reviews
Take some time to read Google reviews, the good ones and the bad ones. No shop will be immune to bad reviews, but it is easy to see people who may just have an axe to grind. Even with the bad review, it is important to see if the business responded and how it was handled, as that can speak volumes to their professional standards. In the good ones, look at common themes – how the repairs were completed, customer service, communication, and follow up.
Look for Certifications
Ensure that your auto body shop has factory certifications. Usually, this means their team is continually keeping up with manufacture repair stands and keeping them current. So, you will want to look for things like ProFirst, I-CAR Classification, and other factory trained programs.
Insurance
Insurance can have some influence on your choice of shop. You may just want to call a few shops and simply inquire about how they would (or if) they work with your insurance company. You may also want to shop for an auto body shop that has policies in place if you are thinking about repairs without insurance.
Get Estimates
Any body shop worth its salt will provide no-obligation estimates, and even help arrange for towing to their facility if needed. When getting an estimate, however, be wary of just going with the lowest estimate. Oftentimes, assessing the damage is difficult with a simple walk around of the vehicle. Make sure they really take time to uncover other areas of potential damage and explain it to you. Sometimes the cheap estimates end up with the costliest “gotcha” repairs.
Friends and Family
Without a doubt, the best thing to do when choosing an auto body shop is to just ask friends or family. They will give it to you straight. After all, the best option is going to be the one that puts you most at ease, and if trusted friends have a good experience, you will likely have one too.
Again, please take some time before you need auto body repair to do a little research. Know where you would want your vehicle to go, should you need it. If you have any questions about auto body repair, please give us a call at 303-344-2212.
We’ve already experienced a few dangerous days this winter in Colorado, but as we head into the heavy snow-and-ice season that February and March so often brings in the Front Range, it’s a good time to brush up on how to handle one of the season’s most dangerous hazards with some black ice driving tips. After all, as your Denver auto body shop, we do want you to be safe out there on the ice-covered road.
What Is Black Ice
Despite it’s name, black ice is actually clear, but is named as such because it’s so thin and so clear that it’s often unidentifiable on the road. Most frequently, this slippery substance forms when the air is at or below 32 degrees at the surface of the road. These conditions cause the precipitation to freeze on contact, creating the dangerous, nearly invisible stuff.
Take Extra Precautions
There isn’t anything you can really do to prevent black ice from existing, but you can take extra precautions as a driver to make sure that you don’t fall victim to its sneakiness and find yourself in an accident or a ditch. While not foolproof, the thermometer in your vehicle can help you keep an eye on how cold the roads might be, and whether or not you need to ensure you’re keeping your eyes peeled for black ice on your commute. Some newer models even have indicators that will warn you when the roads might be icy.
Give yourself extra time when winter weather arises, to get where you need to be, and drive defensively. Stay alert. If the roads are mostly dry, but you see patches that look dark and glossy, there’s a good chance that could be black ice – proceed with caution!
When Does it Form?
Since it can be tricky to know where black ice might be, a helpful precaution is to know more about where and when it forms. The ideal time for black ice to freeze is between sunset and sunrise when temperatures are typically at their lowest, and there is no influence of the sun to melt things away. Shaded areas, as well as bridges and overpasses, are prime areas for black ice to form, so driving with extra caution in these areas during the winter is advised.
Don’t Brake
This is probably our most important of all our black ice driving tips. If you find yourself on a patch of black ice and feel your vehicle sliding, resist the urge to brake. Chances are this will only cause you to spin further out of control and cause skidding. Instead, keep your wheel steady and straight, and try to get through the icy patch safely.
Be Careful of Overcorrection
When your vehicle begins sliding on ice, be wary of overcorrecting. Like we’ve suggested in our winter driving tips article, steering into the skid is often the safest choice, but do so carefully.
Black ice can be extremely dangerous for vehicles on the road, but with a little preparation, you can handle a run-in with the slippery stuff fairly successfully. Ideally, your city does a good enough job of salting that it’s rarely an issue, but when the winter weather rages, it’s good to know you have the knowledge to cover any salting gaps that might exist.
Automotive technology is evolving quickly, and there are no signs of it slowing down. Some of the advancements may be flashes in the pan, while others are bound to stick around for the foreseeable future. Tech that makes a driver’s life easier and safer is almost always a sure bet, and one more recent development from Toyota promises to do just that – but what’s really the deal behind this kinda-crazy-cool piece of tech? Let’s look a little closer and see how it can help you avoid auto body repair.
What the Heck is a Bird’s Eye View Camera?
The car bird’s eye view camera was created to give drivers a seamless, high-def, panoramic view of the surroundings of the vehicle. It can do this in both overhead and moving views, providing a new level of vehicle-camera integration. The panoramic images are created using four cameras – one in the front, one on each side mirror, and one on the rear (this is the one drivers are probably most familiar with, as it’s been employed in backup cameras for years now). What the display shows vary based on what you have the car shifted into. In park, it displays a 360 overhead view as well as can show you the 360 “see-through” view. When in reverse, it continues to show the overhead view while also showing the traditional backup camera view. It also offers different displays and features for when you’re in drive and neutral as well.
How Can it Help Drivers?
Bird’s eye view cameras have the opportunity to give drivers a better perspective of the space around them. This is likely to come in most handy when navigating tight spaces and uncertain turns. Sometimes, the rearview mirrors and looking at your surroundings just doesn’t give you the full picture of your space and your vehicle. Especially in tight spaces, it can be difficult for drivers to maneuver, and collisions with retaining walls, tight corners, and unexpected objects happen regularly. This technology offers the potential to lessen those collisions greatly.
Do You Need One?
As with most more advanced vehicle technology, the answer here is no. You don’t strictly NEED this tech in order to drive safely. However, if you’re a driver who struggles with spatial awareness and has found yourself with vehicle damage thanks to a tight space in the past, it might be worth considering investing in a vehicle with the tech. We’re always a fan of automotive technology that keeps drivers safer on the roads and in tough driving situations.
New technology usually has some glitches to work through, and though each piece of tech is thoroughly tested before it’s released to the masses, it’s hard to learn what needs to be fixed until it’s been used on the roads by a large number of people. It’s fair to have a small amount of reservation, as the bird’s eye view is created by compiling images from 4 different cameras seamlessly, and not by a little drone following you around from above your vehicle everywhere you go (thank goodness!) That means there’s math involved in creating the composite image you see on your screen, and anywhere this is the case, there’s a chance that things can go wonky. Think about the panoramic photo setting on your phone camera. If something moves while you’re taking the picture, it can look completely wrong in the finished product. We don’t anticipate issues of that level with this tech, but it’s always a good idea to trust your vehicle’s technology with a grain of salt. No number of cameras are an adequate substitute for proper training and practice driving a vehicle in all types of situations.
What do you think of this interesting advancement in vehicle tech? Would you purchase a vehicle featuring the bird’s eye view camera?
Part of owning a vehicle is knowing how to be prepared. As your auto body shop about preparing yourself for different scenarios, but today we want to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Rather than getting prepared for a specific situation, have you done a year-round check on your automotive preparedness recently? If you don’t know what you’re dealing with, consider the following things to make sure you and your vehicle are ready for whatever is thrown your way, no matter what season it might be.
Have Winter Tires
All-season tires won’t do the trick when it comes to all season automotive preparedness. Especially in the Front Range where the winters can get a little hairy, and if you plan on heading to the mountains at all, it’s important to have tires specifically designed to handle not only cold weather, but ice and snow as well. All-season tires can handle a mild winter, but it’s safer (and better) to swap out those regular or all-season tires for winter ones around Thanksgiving when the weather is starting to turn for the colder/snowier for the season.
Keep up With Regular Maintenance
This is one of the biggest, most important things we can recommend to any vehicle owner. Keeping up with regular maintenance (tire rotations, oil changes, etc) will not only extend the life of your vehicle, but it will allow you to catch anything that might be wrong before you find out the hard way.
Watch the Gas Tank
This applies year round, but it becomes more relevant as the temperatures cool and you find yourself facing frost in the mornings more often than not. With colder temperatures, you run the risk of your fuel freezing or gelling more easily, not to mention the dangers of running out of gas in the middle of nowhere or when you aren’t near a gas station if the temps are below freezing. We always recommend keeping your gas tank above 1/2 full, but that recommendation becomes more of a requirement when winter rolls around. Trust us, you can thank us later.
Emergency Kit
We know we’ve talked about this one before, but there really aren’t enough times to really drive home how important it is to have an emergency kit fully stocked in your vehicle at all times. What you need might differ from season to season, but we always think it’s best to keep a season-proof version available, so no matter when something goes wrong, you are fully prepared to handle it. It doesn’t hurt to test the things in the kit now and then, too, to make sure they are still working like you’d need them to in case of an emergency. Jumper cables, a tire jack, flashlights, a tool kit, food, clothes, blankets, a crank radio, and spare tires are all good choice to have stocked.
Don’t Neglect Registration
This almost goes along with regular maintenance, but few things hurt worse than getting pulled over only to realize you waited too long to get your vehicle’s registration renewed. Keep a recurring event on your calendar to remind you annually when this needs to be done (maybe put it in there a few times in case you forget) and make sure to renew it before your grace period ends. Most of the time, you can order it online and receive it in the mail without having to bother with the DMV, but if you need to make a trip there, be sure to allow yourself enough time. We all know how it goes at the DMV.
With these tips in mind, you can feel confident as the proud owner of your vehicle that you are prepared to handle anything the seasons might throw at you. What are your must-haves to keep your car/truck/van/SUV prepared year round?
Auto insurance is such a tricky world – especially if you’re navigating it for the first time on your own. Even for some seasoned insurance veterans, it can be confusing to navigation auto insurance savings on your premiums, and what can (unexpectedly or otherwise) cause your rates to go up. Signing on for one rate does not, unfortunately, mean you’re going to be paying that for the rest of the time you carry that policy. There are many things that can impact your premium, and sometimes you can’t even see it coming. Here are some of our guideposts to help you save, even if it surprises you!
Pay Upfront
Believe it or not, if you’re able to pay your insurance all in one go rather than those traditional monthly payments, you might save big. In fact, you can enjoy auto insurance savings of up to 5% by asking for this discount and paying your premium all at once. If you’re worried about budgeting for this, consider setting the monthly amount aside every month so when the next big premium bill rolls around in 6 months, you know you’ll be ready!
Don’t Text and Drive
Insurance agencies are punishing drivers who are caught texting and driving. Policyholders who get caught on this offense see an average of 16% hikes in their insurance premiums – compared to 22% for running a red light, it’s pretty obvious that insurance agencies are cracking down on this behavior and taking it very seriously. Luckily, there’s a pretty easy way to avoid this hike in prices (while avoiding auto body repair, or worse) and keep that money in your pockets – put the phone down when you’re behind the wheel!
Driving Less Might Not Matter Much
There’s an interesting belief that driving more means your insurance rates will be higher, but that isn’t necessarily the case. This rule will vary state by state (for example, in California, it’s a primary factor in determining rates) but if it’s not a priority in your state’s insurance formula, you might not be saving much by hitting the road less.
Watch Out for Extreme Weather
As Coloradans know well, extreme weather can have a negative impact on your insurance. It doesn’t really seem fair, after all, it’s not YOUR fault that hail storm hit while you were out running errands – but it’s been shown that in areas were extreme weather hits, rates tend to rise as a result. Hail damage = increase in claims being made to undo the damage, and an increase in claims = an increase in rates. If you live in an area where hail damage is likely, it might be worth prioritizing covered parking on your list of “wants” and “needs” when it comes to housing decisions.
Non-Driving Factors
We know it’s kind of shocking, but there are factors that have nothing to do with your actions behind the wheel that might contribute to your insurance rate being higher or lower than anticipated. Though there have been legal moves made in some states (like New York) to not allow education or occupation as factors for pricing auto insurance, this isn’t the case in every state. It is possible that your level of education (GED vs. PhD) or your occupation (public servant vs. medical doctor) could impact your rates.
At the end of the day, there are a number of things that can impact your rates, and knowing which ones might save you big, while understanding which ones can cost you huge if you’re not careful can help when you’re making those insurance decisions, and can make justifying the switch a little easier if you’re ever on the fence.
Parents, you know how much driving can change when you have a little one in the car. What is normally a simple, easygoing drive can suddenly become much more hazardous with the distractions and more anxiety-inducing with the potential dangers posed to your kids. So how do you deal with your children while driving without putting you, them, or anyone else on the road in danger? Here are a few key tips for dealing with kids while driving (and avoid auto body repair).
Minimize Distractions
Distracted driving is dangerous 100% of the time, but the number of distractions increases when you have kids in the car. Besides the fact that kids themselves can be a distraction, you might have mirrors on the back of your seat that allow you to see the kiddos at all times, or they may have a favorite album they just HAVE to listen to at full blast, or toys that go flying halfway through the trip, resulting in a temper tantrum, or even little televisions on the back of the seats playing their favorite shows that would normally be off if they weren’t in the car. The list goes on, so minimizing your own distractions as much as possible is imperative to keeping you and your family safe on the road. Keep your phone out of sight and out of reach, and if your phone is connected to your car, make sure you aren’t spending a lot of time messing with the touchscreen on your dashboard. Get as many of the variable settings for your trip set and ready before you start driving. If you can minimize potential distractions from your children as well, do so. The less distracted you are, the better driver you’ll be.
Remember Your Training
We know, we know, driver’s ed was a long time ago. But what you learned there, or in subsequent driver’s tests you may have taken, is worth remembering. You know how they always told you to pull over if you were feeling sleepy or weather got too bad? The same thing applies for distracted driving, especially if your little one is causing a fuss and you’re tempted to turn around in the driver’s seat or take your hands off the wheel to deal with it. It’s better to find a safe space to pull over, deal with the situation, get back on the road safely, and arrive a few minutes late, than put yourself at the risk of a serious crash that will do more than just make you run a little behind for the day. We live in a world where it’s go go go all the time, so we understand wanting to save time, but it’s not worth it if multi-tasking behind the wheel comes at the risk of your family’s safety.
Get to Know Your Safety Seats
If your kids are young enough to still be in car seats or safety seats, it’s important to know the ins and outs of how to properly put these in your vehicle as well as how to properly strap your child into them. Get familiar with manufacturer instructions as well as expert opinions on things that will keep your child safest in the seat (i.e. most experts recommend leaving third-party attachments, covers, and clip-on toys off because they increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash). Most people know far less about the safety seats in their car and how they are intended to work than they need to ensure a safe ride for everyone in the vehicle. Pick up those pamphlets and manufacturer booklets – it’s time to freshen up your knowledge!
Keep Food Out of the Car
Letting your kids eat in the car might seem like a good way to pacify even the grumpiest of kiddos, but when you’re presenting them with a choking hazard and no adult is immediately available to address the situation if they do start choking, you’re allowing space for some very scary (and very dangerous) circumstances. Unless there’s another adult passenger there to supervise the eating, it’s best to just keep food out of the hands of your kids until you get home.
If driving safely with your children is a concern for you, these tips should help you breathe a little easier when you’re on the road with the whole family in tow. What have you done that helps you drive easier and safer with kids in the vehicle?
Back-to-school season marks the end of road trip season for many, but just because those days of letting the miles rack up with your windows rolled down and your music blaring loudly enough to drown out any missed notes from your belted rendition are coming to an end, doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a few more before winter hits and the desire to be on the road for longer than necessary slips away. However, with back-to-school season often comes back-to-school expenses, making those road trips a little harder to fit into the budget. If you’re looking to get away for a weekend, but don’t know if you can handle the cost, here are a few of our best tips to save some money and see the sights while you’re at it.
Pay Attention to Mileage
If you’ve got an option between vehicles, and one has better gas mileage – go with that vehicle. You’ll find yourself filling up at the pump less often, and with gas prices these days, we all know how seriously that can save you cash. Keep this in mind when planning your routes, too. Taking the highway at a non-peak time, when you’ll be able to zoom on through without all the stopping and starting associated with in-town or rush hour driving will help you make the most of that tank of gas, and thus the dollars in your pocket.
Pre-Make Snacks
Gas station munchies are great, don’t get us wrong, but if you’re looking to spend less cash, packing up some stuff you already have in your house before you hit the road will save you big time in the long run. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to pack up some more nutrient-dense options like veggie packs or Babybel cheese wheels that keep you full longer and help you avoid classic travel belly.
Be Open to Lodging
Don’t feel tied to the traditional hotel experience. Sometimes, this may be the cheapest option, but sometimes, you might find something for a great price on Airbnb, VRBO, or similar sites, and get to experience your desired destination from a whole new perspective. Being open to alternative lodging options can save you big money and level up your experience, depending on what you’re looking for, where, and when.
While we’re on the thought train of alternative lodging options, if you’re traveling around Colorado this fall, and you’re a fan of the outdoors, pack yourself a tent! There are plenty of free camping options in the state, and countless more you can stay in for a fraction of the cost of a hotel or Airbnb/similar rental option. Just beware of wildlife activity and be sure to follow the rules of any and all campsites you decide to bunk up in.
Watch Those Speed Limits
Nothing sets you back a pretty penny quite like getting a speeding ticket in the middle of what was supposed to be a fun, carefree adventure. Keep an eye on speed limits, and be sure to adhere to them whatever they may be. They’re there for a reason, to keep you and those around you safe. While you’re in road sign vigilance mode, we’d also suggest paying attention to all signage on the road, especially if you’re getting into the mountains. It’s there to keep you aware of what you may be dealing with on the road ahead, and anything that helps you avoid a costly crash is a big plus when you’re penny-pinching your way through a road trip.
Just because you’re taking a couple of days to explore the world around you via your vehicle doesn’t mean it needs to cost you an arm and a leg. Using these tips should keep you safe, keep your costs low, and keep your road trip fun at an all-time high. What are your favorite ways to make your road trips a little more affordable?
In the world of automobile technology advancements, self-driving technology has been on the lips of, well, just about everyone for awhile now. Even though the tech is promising and theoretically could make the roads a safer place make for less auto body repair when all the kinks are worked out, there’s a long way to go before the concept is problem-free. And in the meantime? Well, some bad stuff is capable of happening.
Self-Driving Cars – All the Rage
It’s the hottest trend in automotive tech right now, and for good reason. It has the ability to keep roads safer, help account for human error faster and more accurately than a human could, and see things that would normally be considered in a driver’s “blind spot.” There’s a lot of good that can come from a finely tuned self-driving system, but as with most hot topics, there’s a darker side, too.
When Self-Driving Goes Wrong
As was evidenced by the recent self-driving Uber crash that took the life of a cyclist in Arizona, self-driving vehicles are not foolproof, and still require the “backup driver” or human to be paying attention. It makes sense – technology fails about as often as people, do, really. Even if a particular bit of technology is reliable most of the time, it still has a margin for error. In many cases, these errors don’t put human life at risk, but in the case of self-driving vehicles, with so many vehicles (and humans inside of them) on the road every day, the risk is much higher, and the consequences much greater.
Consequences
The worst happened in Arizona – and while the investigation is ongoing, there seems to be a consensus that the human driver could have stopped the crash from happening had they been paying more acute attention to the road when the self-driving technology failed. The thing about self-driving tech is that it’s customizable – so though there are features for automatic braking when unexpected hazards arrive, but those features can also be turned off. And even when they aren’t, self-driving technology is not an excuse for drivers to be more distracted on the road or ignore their surroundings completely. After all, as we’ve discussed, the technology is capable of failure, and human intervention is still often needed in certain situations.
What’s Next?
At the end of the day, humans have been behind the wheel much longer than technology. The recent deadly crash in Arizona is just a reminder that this particular technology has a ways to go, and it may never fully replace the watchful eye of a human driver. As a result of the crash, Uber has pulled their self-driving vehicles and is re-examining their strategy around the emerging tech. Even if your vehicle has self-driving capabilities, this is a solid reminder that your attention on the road and the vehicles around you is still very much needed. How do you feel about self-driving vehicles?
What’s summer without goodies fresh off the grill? The search for an amazing burger is a staple to many road trips and city explorations all year round, but there’s something extra special about discovering a particularly delicious patty after a long hike in the Rocky Mountains or simply sitting under the summer sun and getting your indulge on. There are so many good burger places to choose from around the Front Range, and each offers its own take on a true classic, so where do you go? While we encourage trying your hand at as many spots as possible to form your own opinions, here are some of our all-time favorites in Colorado.
The Cherry Cricket
A Denver staple, and for very, very good reason, The Cherry Cricket is the epitome of delicious, greasy bar food. All of their burgers are excellent and are fairly customizable to suit your individual tastes. If you’re looking for a pro tip, splurging for the bison burger is a next level move here – your tastebuds can thank us later.
Skirted Heifer
Right smack-dab in the middle of downtown Colorado Springs, the Skirted Heifer is second to none. What makes this burger so delicious, you ask? Well, they pile on the cheese and cook the burger in such a way that it literally melts down and creates a toasted-cheese “skirt” around the bottom of the burger. It’s simple, it’s freaking amazing, and it will change the way you view cheeseburgers forever. Their classic custard is pretty good, too. Chow down here after tackling the intense Manitou Incline and you’ll swear a burger has never tasted so good.
Blackbelly
In true Boulder fashion, this market and the burger you’ll get inside is all about local. From a Real Dill pickle on the side to the infamous thick-cut bacon from their very own butcher shop (if you’ve lived here for awhile and like to sample the culinary offerings the Denver/Boulder area is brimming with, you’ve likely seen this brand on menus around the city before – yeah, it’s THAT bacon, fresher than anywhere else). It’s hard to beat the commitment to local, sustainable, and fresh food that you’ll get at this burger joint, so if that kind of community awareness and support is your shtick, we highly recommend giving this spot a shot.
Grind
Along the same lines as Blackbelly, Grind in Glenwood Springs offers a local, sustainable approach to the classic burger. They go so far as to say that they grind each burger they serve themselves (hence the name!) to ensure your health and quality flavor is at the forefront of your dining experience. They also offer a delicious vegetarian option in their “Mayan” burger, a house-made black bean patty that packs a flavorful punch without any of the, you know, meat. Grind aims to be the kind of place you can hang around for hours with your friends, so if you’re looking to try them out, make sure to book out some time to get the full experience.
We know, we know, we’ve barely grazed (excuse the pun) the surface when it comes to the burger offerings available in Colorado and the front range, but armed with these hot spots, you can build a solid burger foundation from which you can go, expand, and make your own decisions. Look, we’d have mentioned Shake Shack, but the East Coast staple isn’t quite as Coloradan, and honestly, we’re just waiting for In N Out to make it’s proper debut before we even touch that particular burger battle. Happy burger exploring, everyone!
