As is typical for Colorado Springs restaurants, you can find Coal Mine Dragon in a strip mall a few blocks off the highway. Located right next to King Soopers, their $10.95 lunch plate special beckons every day except Sundays, including days when you were planning to review a different restaurant that was closed (stay tuned for next week). Stepping inside, the space is warm and comfortable, with booth seating and a big round table for the very popular (us!).
Service was quick, but choosing our orders from the list of around 50 lunch specials was a little intimidating under the time constraints. Too many inexpensive options is hardly something to complain about, though. We settled on a Pu pu platter for two, as well as the twice-cooked pork plate and the lo mein. All lunch platters come with a complimentary soup (wonton, egg drop or hot and sour) all of which we tried and all of which left us wanting more. The egg drop soup in particular was mystifyingly viscous, but in a devilishly appealing way.
Following the soups came the Pu pu platter – a lazy susan filled with fried delights. The standouts were the fantail shrimp, the chicken wings, both of which were relatively plain but exceptionally crispy and the no-notes cheese rangoons, though the egg rolls and mystery meat mash left much to be desired.
After the fried preamble was suitably put to rest, our entrees came quickly. Each lunch special came with yet another cheese rangoon and egg roll, as well as your choice of steamed or fried rice (who would ever pick steamed rice?). The twice-cooked pork had some strengths, but was somewhat homogeneous and felt a little too slop-forward. Mini corn had clearly just come out of a can and the whole gloopy plate was tough to finish once you’d picked through for the meat, which was tender and delicious.
The fried rice was good and filling, but unexceptional and bland. The lo mein noodles were nothing to write home about. In the lo mein, the beef pieces were a little too chewy and bland for our tastes and the veggies were solid but couldn’t elevate the flavor profile. We found the meal was improved by combining the fried rice and the noodles and adding a healthy pour of soy sauce.
Overall, it’s hard to complain about food at this price point, but we were left wanting for a better overall dining experience. If you find yourself craving Chinese food on a tight budget, Coal Mine Dragon is for you, but otherwise, think about one of the other local eateries that deliver a better product.
Price: Lunch plate: $10.95
Accessibility: 3.5/5: technically walkable and certainly SafeRidable, but not that accessible without a car or bravery.
Taste: 2.5/5.
Value: 4.5/5.