Pass Key Restaurant

Haven't Done a Review since moving to Colorado as the Customer Service and Quality is severely Lacking. This is Definitely not the case with this Restaurant. This Restaurant is warm and inviting with excellent Customer Service. The staff was very attentive and courteous (a breath of fresh air). Not only was the service excellent but the food was great quality as well. The mushrooms are moist and aren't chewy at all unlike other restaurants. The portion of bacon on the burger is perfect and definitely not skimpy!!! Adding an additional patty doesn't break the bank and is definitely worth the cost. The green chili is delicious and has a great flavor with a little heat. Overall the visit was great and the cost is very reasonable excluding the fountain drinks as they are quite pricey. Definitely will be returning to sample more of the menu and hope to see quality service like this in other establishments as well 😊

If you’re in Pueblo and you don’t eat a Pass Key special, I’m convinced your trip doesn’t legally count. This isn’t just a sandwich — it’s a rite of passage, a regional flex, a meat-forward love letter to Southern Colorado. The Pass Key sausage grinder is gloriously simple and absolutely unhinged in the best way. No frills, no fuss — just perfectly seasoned sausage that tastes like it was handcrafted by someone’s Italian uncle who doesn’t measure anything and judges you silently while you eat. The bread soaks up every bit of savory goodness like it knows its purpose in life 🥖✨ Now listen closely, because this part matters: Order the Pass Key Special with DOUBLE MEAT. This is not the time for moderation or self-reflection. Add green chilies — not because it’s trendy, but because Pueblo green chilies are a sacred obligation 🌶️🔥 They bring just enough heat to remind you you’re alive and enough flavor to make you question every sandwich you’ve ever loved before this one. This sandwich doesn’t just fight hunger — it wins. It hugs your soul, humbles your appetite, and connects you to a Pueblo tradition that’s been quietly outperforming the rest of the country for decades. You’ll leave full, slightly smug, and possibly plotting when you can come back for another. Five stars. Ten napkins. Zero regrets.

Haven't had Passkey in quite some time and it did not disappoint! Fries were good and fresh just needed a little salt and my Passkey Special was soooo good! I also got a piece of the Pumpkin Cheesecake which made me want another piece!!?

Pueblo's classic sausage sandwich stop, Pass Key, is always a five star event. Our waitress, Allie, was perfect. She stopped by frequently but unobtrusively and kept us well supplied. All our orders arrived as asked. She had great nails and complimented my wife. The sandwiches never dissapoint. A simple classic hand made thin sausage patty in a nice bun with mustard, lettuce, and cheese... perfection. I got the triple cheese with it's three flavors, and most of us got fries. Reasonable price. Busy but not crowded. A young man held the door for us as we left.

Visiting Pueblo for the first time and was told Passkey was a go to local restaurant. Ordered the Super Special Passkey Sandwich. It was not a disappointment. The sausage is flat so it’s like eating a sub. It was very juicy and adding the chili strip is a must. Fries were perfectly crisp and the service was great even with every table being filled we still got good service. Will go back to try the chili fries!

Everyone was really friendly and the service was great. The chili burger and the Passkey Special tasted like mediocre fast food, but the price reflected that. The chili is bland and tastes like it came from a can. The restaurant was very clean. I probably won't come here again but If ypu want fast food with a nice atmosphere this place isn't bad.

We usually come to this place when we are in Pueblo. My husband has been going there for 50+ years. Usually is great, unfortunately, this visit was not good. We got the smothered fries for extra $4.50, and it was a tiny portion with very bland chile verde. The sausage sandwich was good, but also very small. I understand inflation, but it's not like potatoes are expensive.

The service was very quick and attentive, and the food was cooked to perfection. It is not a very large place, and it did get quite noisy since there are not any dividing walls present. Bob's Big Cheese Burger with grilled onions was fabulous, and the fries were nice and crispy. The Mozzarella Sticks were so good that we had to order more. This was my first time eating at the Pass Key, and I will definitely return for more. Good stuff.

Fast and friendly service. Clean and homey dining area. Simple, but tasty and satisfying meal. It hit the spot.

I tried to explain to the manager that my salad had red all over the lettuce and she acted like she didn't understand. I said "it's just not fresh" She said they would "see what she could do about getting me a refund for the salad" What the hell happened to my hometown?

Food was not worth it. Flavorless and basic. I paid 50 bucks for sandwiches I could have bought at Walmart deli. Not to mention all my kids got tummy aches. Sorry People of Pueblo but if you think this is good you've never tasted good food.

They have the best grinder around, the special with 3 kinds of cheese, them double the meat. Amazing.

We are new to the area and wanted to find a place with variety. Pass Key was the answer! My husband loves pasta and it's not my favorite. When we arrived, the restaurant was full and surprisingly quiet. I ordered their homemade sausage sandwich - their signature dish. Hubby ordered pasta. He cleaned his plate and I came close!!! The sausage was not in a casing, but formed to fit the large roll. It was AMAZING!!! The fries were very good, too. They have pasta, sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, etc. perfect for any appetite! We definitely recommend Pass Key!

This Pass Key has yummy Grinders! I like this one more for it's ambience too! It has a nice view of the mountains too

Love this place!!!! Green chili and a Pueblo pepper on the passkey special is the best!

It was ok. The traffic of people is good. But service was ok, had to get up for my own mayo and seemed like cause I was alone that they wasn't expecting a tip sap shoved me on the back burner. But they were nice when approached. The food is what's it. Nothing fancy or spectacular. The fries were plain. I think the best part of the sandwich was the bread. Which definitely shouldn't be the star of it.

The Pass Key special was a fantastic sandwich (or hoagie, sub...). Nice fresh, crispy edge sausage patty on soft fluffy bread with several cheeses, lettuce, mustard. Does not get any better! Stopped in on recommendations from the locals during a family reunion weekend. I got a 'shocked' expression from our host when he learned that this was my first time there. With pride in his voice he immediately suggested the Pass Key Special, which he guaranteed I'd love. It was nice to see employees who are proud of their menu and establishment. It's not common to see anymore. A nice friendly atmosphere with great hospitality from the wait staff to the manager. The restaurant was clean and well taken care of. Next time I'm out visiting family from the Buffalo, NY area I'll be sure to stop by again. A must-go to restaurant while in Pueblo.

Its been several years since ive had a passkey in Pueblo, co. This trip it sounded good. I was surprised how aweful they were! August 27, 2024 my brothers birthday. I wanted to treat him. Super thin meat and it looked like they brushed the lettuce on. Terrible . I have photo.

This restaurant s really good in my opinion. Fast service more importantly great food.

Still an absolute favorite. The Pass Key Special might be my favorite sandwich of all time. The bread is so soft. The sausage has an amazing flavor and love the crisp edges. If I am within 30 miles of this place I must stop!

Always enjoy one of these great sausage grinder when I am in Pueblo. I have fond memories growing up in Pueblo and remember my first Passkey at the original restaurant/drive in on Abriendo. Passkey special with provolone cheese and add green chili strips is the best. The family run business is great and people are always great.

The Pass Key sandwich is pretty delicious for what it is. The Italian sausage and the bread are terrific. I wouldn't stray too far off the menu from that as it appears this item is their signature and other items on the menu seem fairly generic and not Pueblo centric. The people that I interacted with were very welcoming and friendly. The atmosphere is a cross between fast food and a diner circa 1970s. It is clean and lovingly well maintained. Surprisingly, there is a drive thru. I didn't ask but I suspect that orders need to be called in for using the drive thru as there wasn't a menu board outside that I saw. The wait for my sandwich was about 15 minutes or so and I was dining in. Note that this is a full service restaurant. I would stop back in when in the area for sure. This is a very simple stop off of I-25 and a great piece of Pueblo dining history.

Stopped in for a pass key special and a hoagie. This place is a staple in Pueblo I've been going here since I was a little kid.

Now I see why this place is a staple of Pueblo. The food was really good! I got the super pass key special with green chile which is one of the better sandwiches of Pueblo. In addition I got the larger portion and it was definitely enough to bring home leftovers. I also got the cheese curds appetizer which has to be one of the best curds I've ever had. They were also served with marinara sauce. They were awesome either way! I will definitely come here again.

After some of the reviews I expected a bit more. In general the food was decent. Ordered chili burgers, one green and one red. The portion was pretty ample as we asked for chili on the side to prevent to go soggy. It wasn't outstanding but it was good. Onion rings..homemade..real onion..impressive.. but an upcharged order consisted of 5. Would I drive out of my way...probably not but overall it was an okay meal.

I absolutely love coming back here. Every time I come to my hometown in Colorado. I wish I could learn to make these back in California... Or I could franchise Pass Key here! So yummy!!!

It is sad they closed down the best one, but the one on hwy 50 I will recommend, good service asks they are fast, the food is warm and the passkey with 3 cheeses is the best! The chili is good and not to hot (spicy) the restaurant is clean but bathrooms need to be remodeled thank you passkey for being so good with all around service and bing here for years in pueblo

Sorry. I really wanted to like this place. The food is just not good at all. The employees were really nice though, that's why the two stars. I just can't return.

Grew up on pass keys! This location is close to my work! Always good place to go! Plus it's a family owned business not a big chain! Waitstaff is friendly!

Got the super pass key special , homemade sausage on a tool covered in cheese with fries and fresh peppers on the side. All good will return definitely better than any fast food joint. Service very quick, not overwhelming and efficient.

Stopped in for lunch. Our server was friendly and efficient. She was pleasant and helpful. We had the passkey special with a bowl of chili. And the meal did not disappoint. Definitely be back soon.

Asking in public Colorado is just amazing my grandparents know the owner personally and everytime the service the food is absolutely amazing. Everything is fresh and out of the oven. Words can't describe how good this is. We just get the paskey special and boom there's a perfect lunch for you. They have multiple sides the sandwiches are good. It's never stale it's always always always fresh. This is just amazing.

Bathrooms smell and I know that sometime bathrooms don't have them but in this case it was a little odd not to have a urinal in the men's room. The burger was awesome and the fries were just right, but the service was rushed and pushy. I guess if you can get past the service and the bathrooms you can get a great burger

What a wonderful surprise after a long day of driving, and right next to the hotel. We enjoyed a flavorful meal and friendly service. I had the half sausage sandwich with a cup of the green chili and my husband had the spaghetti with sausage and meatball. Both were yummy, had good sized portions, and were served right on time, even with all their take-out orders and limited seating. Thanks for a great meal!

Pueblo staple... Passkey , italian sausage sandwiches are great. Slopper has a good little kick.. house salad is just a bowl of iceberg lettuce,no cheese, no croutons, no veggies. So get the house made soup. Daughter enjoys the spaghetti and meatballs. The sausage on sandwiches os the same at all location ,but each one is own by a cousin or family members. So expect a little variation from one location to the next..

These are good sausage sandwiches- a Pueblo staple. Get the super it's nice and cheesy

Do as the Puebloans so and don't miss out on a Passkey Italian Sausage sandwich, and be sure to add on the delicious and always the best Pueblo Green Chile strips! This place has consistency and is always thriving with locals. You will leave feelin' like your uncle Sal hooked you up!!

Great pleasure eating here. The owner tells me this Almost a 100 years old and he's owned it over 50% that's outstanding. Thank you for the Italian sausage sandwich. It'll get me thr

This the most tasty restaurant for a Italian Sausage sandwich in Pueblo. Great service and Food.

Hell yea why doesn't Pass Key's move way out west? California needs a good hearty sausage grinder like the one in Pueblo Co. No vegan crap. This is Man food! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pass-key-50-west-pueblo?select=N0JRt-hoCYL_91dzXx0B1A#mLwPPS5cKVz2vabv3QFLvA I visited Pass Key's West off Interstate 50 ( I used to ditch school and eat there when it was Godfathers Pizza for some 420 satisfaction when I was in HIGH school) while in P-town last summer and treated my two Pass Key's virgin daughters to the finest sausage grinder on the planet! Hey I could make a mint in Cali selling these baby's, to all the displaced anti vegetarian meat consumers. My gramps used to call this BoJon food when I was a kid.(slang for the many Pollock's, Italians, and Eastern Europeans who worked at the CF&I Steel mill back in the day) I figured Bojon's knew how to eat very early on in life eating after eating many a time at the original Pass Keys! Hey this is no frills food. Get a beer http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pass-key-50-west-pueblo?select=N0JRt-hoCYL_91dzXx0B1A#Op9EZeCW42hYWAwpR2m7LA DON'T fool around, get a double sausage grinder and some chips http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pass-key-50-west-pueblo?select=N0JRt-hoCYL_91dzXx0B1A#N0JRt-hoCYL_91dzXx0B1A and your set! You'll be in Italian sausage grinder heaven. My girls loved it! I love it. You need to try it and you will love it too! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pass-key-50-west-pueblo?select=N0JRt-hoCYL_91dzXx0B1A#ROpSowm95vyLGYntk3TXAg I'll be back next time I'm in town!

Really good food. Adding the chili strips to a burger was a hit. The fried chicken sandwich and grilled cheese also were awesome.Hope to return someday.

Great Italian sausage sandwiches. Love the house made banana peppers. A Pueblo tradition.

I love this restaurant, I grew up eating the delicious food, customer service is always great as well.

Imagine your favorite childhood memories rolled into a restaurant and here you have it. Pass Key is a time honored tradition in Pueblo-a unique experience not found outside of this culturally unique, proud town. This is the place where I went with my family and visited at the State Fair to get one of their spicy, delicious, homemade grinders. This trip, to share with my fiancé who is not native to Colorado was no disappointment. We loved the little pieces of history sprinkled throughout the restaurant from the original owner-Mr. Pagano to the artifacts of the Steel City. We shared a Super which is thick with spicy Italian sausage, creamy, melty cheese, perfect bread to meat ratio and tangy mustard. The fries that come with this masterpiece were no slouch either. Service was great and even on a Saturday evening, these folks have the art of service down to a science. We were in hungry, and out full in the blink of an eye. We will be back to experience my childhood again and again.

We love the food at PassKey. It's a must whenever we are in town. The Super PassKey special is awesome! If you try it with the Green Chile strips, it's even better!

This restaurant is a good size for a sit down with your co workers or friends. A great lunch place if your tired of fast food places. First time here based on other reviews. Pros: Our server was awesome in allowing us to take our time figuring out the simple easy to read menu. It's a seat yourself which makes it a nice choice. They serve Pepsi products. We ordered the munchers as an appetizer and for 12 for the price of less than $5, you honestly can't argue. These will be our go to when coming down for the day. We both ordered the green chili slopper, mine with onions. Husband got fries with his. Cons: Even though the fries are cut thick, they were far from crispy dunked twice or thrice into the fryer. When the slopper came I was umm surprised. What came out was a hamburger with a pink/gray gravy like substance. I'm pretty sure it was a vegetarian green chili. Tasted decently, wouldn't order again. Recommended? Yea, but not to order the green chili. May try their "special sausage" next time. See if the rating can improve.

I got my wisdom teeth out a week ago and was dying for something that wasn't just mashed potatoes. got their spaghetti and it slapped

The passkey special, a decent enough sausage sandwich but it's loaded with terrible cheese and sodium. The side of fries is just too much carbs for one sitting. The onion rings have a ton of breading and are served with ranch. This meal is a unhealthy option for anyone BUT it's pretty tasty for a yearly escape. Would I eat here regularly? Hell no. It's diner food. But locals will defend it to their deaths, which may come sooner than later if they keep ordering & eating this sandwich :) Side note: Have staff clean the areas where people are eating AFTER they leave, not during the meal. Pretty nasty and invasive.

I really like Pass Key's food, but when I went to dine in the restaurant I accidentally left my mask in the car. I was rudely told to put my mask on as soon as I walked in. I asked if I could put my shirt over my face to walk the 7 steps to our table. She "allowed" it only after rolling her eyes at me. I understand that it is mandated by the state to wear a mask as you walk through a restaurant until you get to your table, but I really don't understand being rude to customers, especially when I was more than willing to cover my face. We decided to leave after the same lady kept giving me the stink eye from across the restaurant. Too bad for the nice waitress, my husband is a HUGE tipper!!!

I have been coming here for more than 30 years. I can't get past ordering the super Italian sandwich. A sausage sandwich with three cheese's mustard. It's my addiction!

Food is good but everytime we have gotten food to go, stingy with the fries. For the prices expect to have more than 10 fries. Overall like the food.

Great food and great service with an equally as great atmosphere. The super pass key special is a must have if you're a sandwich person! Go here! The prices are cheap and the servers make sure they take care of you. Don't miss out.

There's only one thing I ever order here. The Super Special. It's a greasy, hot sausage sandwich covered in three types of cheese. The bun is greased/buttered and grilled. There's a bit of lettuce and mustard on the sandwich. It comes with fries. It must be the most delicious (and unhealthy) sandwich in the world. I can't comment on the rest of the food here. I can't remember the last time I even looked at a menu. If you like Italian sausage, get this sandwich. If you don't like Italian sausage, why would you go to Pass Key?

This is a Pueblo favorite!!! If you are/were from pueblo- you KNOW what I'm talking about!! I have friends who have moved all over the country & they get SO jealous when I say I'm having a super special at passkeys! (sometimes I'll even send them a pic to rub it in! Hehehe) If you love Italian sausage or grinders, you have to try a Pueblo favorite!!! But in the rare case you don't have a palate for this Italian pleasure...they have a wide variety on their menu!!! Enjoy!!

A locals place clearly. From the staff, to the customers, and the casual atmosphere it is clear that the place sells nostalgia. Nothing else The food? Almost all include meet and always salty. I'm a vegetarian and found it hard to choose between the grilled cheese and fried egg sandwich(/sarcasm). I got the fried egg sandwich, it was soggy, salty, and came with healthy serving of salty greasy fries. The service? Absent minded, kind, and family. My waitress was sweet but seemed startled by the idea of serving someone new! The party I was stuck out like a sore thumb. My waitress failed to grab a plate for me after asking three times! You locals can enjoy your nostalgia. The people running it seemed nice, but are incompetent

We had heard good things on Yelp, so my father and I cruised over while in town for a car event. The food and service were just fine. The food was not amazing, but good. I ordered the Super Special and my father went with the Special. I made the right call, because the cheese added some flavor to the sandwich. It was like a grilled cheese with sausage. It seems that the Pass Key is a Pueblo institution where people go because they have always gone there. It is like going to Tito's or Philippe's in Los Angeles. The food is good, but you are mainly going for the experience.

Full disclosure, Colorado Springs is a dead town for foodies. As a New Yorker in exile, I have to work hard to find a great spot. So... I head south to Pueblo. Growing up in Buffalo, a blue collar factory town, I felt a common bond with Pueblo. I have mad respect for traditional, multi-generational restaurants so off we went to Passkey, which proudly states "The best Italian sausage sandwich in the world." Clearly, they don't travel much because I could name 30 places from Boston, NY and Philly that actually could live up to that title. As a local spot, fine for the locals that don't get out much. Enjoy childhood memories and the nostalgia of yester-year. I had the Super Passkey special that was so salty I burped it up for hours. Sandwich was ok if you like a four inch high sandwich with wafer thin meat. French fries were unseasoned, bland and tasted like they came out of a Walmart frozen food section. Thumbs up for tradition and local memories. Thumbs down for reality. I won't be back.