The atmosphere is fun and the restaurant is interesting. It is designed to look like an Old West saloon. The restaurant is decorated in ranch-style decor, with cowboy art, steer head and bison head mounts, and ranching implements on the wall. There are plants such as cacti that are commonly associated with western environments. The bathrooms are listed as Cowboys and Cowgirls with hand-painted signs. There are televisions scattered around the dining room for those wishing to watch TV while awaiting their food order. Some of the televisions in the restaurant were set to college basketball on ESPN and the rest to country music videos, so you could have your choice of what to watch.

In keeping with the Old West saloon atmosphere, the host or hostess starts the meal with a bucket of peanuts roasted in the shell bought to your table when you are seated. Guests can enjoy their peanuts while they wait to order and then wait for their meal. Shells are thrown on the floor, so I would hate to be on the cleanup crew.

The food was delicious and the service was good. Our waitress was attentive and kept our drinks and fresh roll basket filled. I ordered sirloin steak, and it was cooked as I ordered it and so good that I didn’t need or use steak sauce. The fried okra side and garden salad were both also very good. My wife ordered a half slab of barbecued ribs that she said were delicious. There is a kid’s menu with burgers, chicken strips, and smaller-sized portions for children.

Overall, I would rate this visit very highly. We got good food and were served in a fun environment, with good service for a reasonable price. This is why Colton’s is one of our favorite places to go for steak and/or barbecue in Springfield.