The CSU orbit along West Elizabeth and Laurel: cheap international kitchens, halal shawarma, late-night pizza and coffee until midnight.
Cafe de Bangkok cooks khao soi, drunken noodles and Massaman curry on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with a deep vegetarian and vegan list.
Signature: Khao soi, Drunken noodles
Order: Khao soi, medium heat, with a Thai iced tea
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and the kitchen breaks between lunch and dinner; parking sits right out front in the Campus West strip.
Pizza Casbah has hand-tossed New York slices a block from CSU in Fort Collins since 1999, stone-baked, with a 30-inch challenge pie for the brave.
Signature: New York slices, 30-inch challenge pizza
Order: Two slices, one plain, one loaded, straight off the stone
Tip: Friday and Saturday it serves until 02:30, the definitive post-bar slice; happy hour pours 3-dollar Odell and New Belgium drafts.
Cheba Hut toasts its counterculture subs on Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins until 02:00 on weekends, with billiards, a full bar and Kool-Aid on tap.
Signature: White Widow sub, Goo Ball
Order: A toasted White Widow with a Kool-Aid cottonmouth cure
Tip: The chain's headquarters sits in Fort Collins; the westside hut adds billiards and stays open latest. Order a White Widow toasted.
JAWS Sushi rolls student-friendly maki and pours hot sake on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with an 11:00-13:00 happy hour on rolls.
Signature: Specialty rolls, Hot sake
Order: Two happy-hour rolls and a tokkuri of hot sake
Tip: Closed Mondays. The 11:00-13:00 happy hour is one of the cheapest sushi lunches in the city.
Petra Grill carves certified halal shawarma and grills kabobs on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, a family room that feeds the CSU crowd.
Signature: Chicken shawarma, Mixed kabob platter
Order: Chicken shawarma wrap with a side of hummus
Tip: Everything on the menu is certified halal and there is no alcohol; the falafel-hummus sandwich is the vegetarian sleeper.
Rainbow Restaurant has cooked breakfast and lunch across from CSU in Fort Collins since 1976, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free boards.
Signature: Veggie benedicts, Buttermilk pancakes
Order: A veggie benedict with a short stack on the side
Tip: Daily to 14:00 only; the vegetarian and gluten-free menus are full menus rather than afterthoughts, rare for a diner.
Cafe de Bangkok cooks khao soi, drunken noodles and Massaman curry on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with a deep vegetarian and vegan list.
Signature: Khao soi, Drunken noodles
Order: Khao soi, medium heat, with a Thai iced tea
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and the kitchen breaks between lunch and dinner; parking sits right out front in the Campus West strip.
Waltzing Kangaroo bakes Australian meat pies in Campus West, from steak and gravy to a Guinness steak and mushroom, all in five-inch handmade pastry shells.
Signature: Lamb and rosemary pie, Sausage roll
Order: Lamb and rosemary pie with a sausage roll on the side
Tip: Every pie is also sold frozen to take home; the lamb and rosemary is the sleeper order.
Alleycat Coffee House keeps its second-floor room by CSU in Fort Collins open until midnight daily, running on its Famous House Chai and focaccia.
Signature drink: Famous House Chai
Tip: The house chai outsells the coffee; Tuesdays it is a dollar off. The stairs are easy to miss, look for the door on Laurel.
Petra Grill carves certified halal shawarma and grills kabobs on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, a family room that feeds the CSU crowd.
Try: Halal shawarma and kabobs
Tip: Everything on the menu is certified halal and there is no alcohol; the falafel-hummus sandwich is the vegetarian sleeper.
Cheba Hut toasts its counterculture subs on Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins until 02:00 on weekends, with billiards, a full bar and Kool-Aid on tap.
Try: Toasted subs till late
Tip: The chain's headquarters sits in Fort Collins; the westside hut adds billiards and stays open latest. Order a White Widow toasted.
Pizza Casbah has hand-tossed New York slices a block from CSU in Fort Collins since 1999, stone-baked, with a 30-inch challenge pie for the brave.
Try: New York-style slices
Tip: Friday and Saturday it serves until 02:30, the definitive post-bar slice; happy hour pours 3-dollar Odell and New Belgium drafts.
JAWS Sushi rolls student-friendly maki and pours hot sake on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with an 11:00-13:00 happy hour on rolls.
Try: Happy-hour sushi rolls
Tip: Closed Mondays. The 11:00-13:00 happy hour is one of the cheapest sushi lunches in the city.
Rainbow Restaurant has cooked breakfast and lunch across from CSU in Fort Collins since 1976, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free boards.
Tip: Daily to 14:00 only; the vegetarian and gluten-free menus are full menus rather than afterthoughts, rare for a diner.
Petra Grill carves certified halal shawarma and grills kabobs on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, a family room that feeds the CSU crowd.
Try: Halal shawarma and kabobs
Tip: Everything on the menu is certified halal and there is no alcohol; the falafel-hummus sandwich is the vegetarian sleeper.
Waltzing Kangaroo sells five-inch Australian meat pies in Campus West, a handheld meal in handmade pastry that undercuts most sit-down lunches nearby.
Try: Australian meat pies
Tip: Every pie is also sold frozen to take home; the lamb and rosemary is the sleeper order.
Rainbow Restaurant has cooked breakfast and lunch across from CSU in Fort Collins since 1976, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free boards.
Order: A veggie benedict and buttermilk pancakes
Tip: Daily to 14:00 only; the vegetarian and gluten-free menus are full menus rather than afterthoughts, rare for a diner.
Pizza Casbah has hand-tossed New York slices a block from CSU in Fort Collins since 1999, stone-baked, with a 30-inch challenge pie for the brave.
Try: New York-style slices
Tip: Friday and Saturday it serves until 02:30, the definitive post-bar slice; happy hour pours 3-dollar Odell and New Belgium drafts.
Cheba Hut toasts its counterculture subs on Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins until 02:00 on weekends, with billiards, a full bar and Kool-Aid on tap.
Try: Toasted subs till late
Tip: The chain's headquarters sits in Fort Collins; the westside hut adds billiards and stays open latest. Order a White Widow toasted.
Alleycat Coffee House keeps its second-floor room by CSU in Fort Collins open until midnight daily, running on its Famous House Chai and focaccia.
Tip: The house chai outsells the coffee; Tuesdays it is a dollar off. The stairs are easy to miss, look for the door on Laurel.