Here is a rundown of what I can think of offhand.

Fine Dining: Cliff House Restaurant.. (Pretty pricey)
Mexican: The Loop (biggest margaritas you've ever seen!)
Adams Cafe: limited menu of foody things mostly, but a lot of people love it
Mona Lisas: A variety of fondue dishes. (heavy on cheese)
The Keg Lounge: A bar with good food. Steaks, burgers, veggie burgers, chicken, etc.
StageCoach: Glorified steak and burger place
Swirl: Mainly a wine place with a few good flatbreads and esoteric dishes.
Hell's Kitchen: pretty mediocre pizza (supposed to be New York style)
New Jerusalem Cafe: Pitas and things like that.. might only be open for lunch, but people love it.

I hope this helps.. let me know what you decide on

While you are there.. seek out one of the mineral water fountains. I suggest the one on Ruxton Ave. Mantiou has the only naturally carbonated mineral water in the US. a little like Perrier or Peligrino, but straight from the mountain and FREE!

the loop and the keg lounge both look like what i'm looking for (casual and not pricey). how's the chili verde at the loop?

i'll definitely hunt down one of those water fountains.

For example, the Cliff House is one of the best restaurants in town, but it appears to be closing around 10:30 pm and they have a dress code of at least business casual. Other fancy places may also have these issues. The dinner theatre in town (the Iron Springs Chateau) starts serving food around 6:30, which is probably too early for you. However, there are about 20 other places in town, plus more to the east in the old Colorado City area parallel to Rt. 24. Just use the Internet to find a place with food you might like (and to make sure it's IN Manitou Springs if that's a priority).

Recent comments have blamed the Stagecoach for cold food and poor service, so you may want to skip it.

just looking for something laid back and affordable