The craft-beer capital that learned to cook
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Fort Collins eats the way a college town brews: seriously, but without ceremony. This is the city that gave America Fat Tire and 90 Shilling, and the breweries still set the rhythm, with more than a dozen taprooms from the New Belgium and Odell campuses down to one-room outfits in converted bungalows. Around them, Old Town's restored Victorian blocks hold the restaurant core: dry-aged steaks at RARE Italian, oysters at Jax, French plates at Bistro Nautile, and the Silver Grill, which has been frying breakfast and icing giant cinnamon rolls since 1933. CSU keeps the west side cheap and international, from halal shawarma to Vietnamese standbys, while the River District's Feed and Grain building at Ginger and Baker shows where the city is heading: pie counter below, steakhouse above, teaching kitchen in the middle. Come thirsty, order the cinnamon roll grilled, and use a bike.
3 hours
ATV rentals in Estes Park just minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park! Experience the magic of Colorado with views around every corner! An unforgettable off road adventure!
4 hours
Intro to outdoor rock climbing with a guide in Colorado. Choose from locations Fort Collins, Estes Park, Boulder, Loveland, and Golden. Enjoy the thrill of rock climbi...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Discover Fort Collins on a comfortable e-bike! Ride scenic riverside trails, explore downtown, parks, breweries, and college-town landmarks, fun, effortless, and led b...
The plates that define eating in Fort Collins.
Colorado's pork-and-chile stew doubles as a sauce in Fort Collins, ladled over burritos and burgers; ask for anything smothered and this is what arrives.
Where Big City Burrito, Illegal Pete's, Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon
Where to eat Colorado green chile in Fort Collins →Fort Collins' contribution to burrito science: seasoned potatoes standing in for rice, wrapped with cheese and beans, then smothered in green chile at the counter.
Where Big City Burrito
Where to eat Potato burrito in Fort Collins →The Front Range's default morning meal: eggs, potatoes, cheese and often green chile in a flour tortilla, sold from 07:00 across Fort Collins counters.
Where Big City Burrito, Butterfly Cafe, Illegal Pete's
Where to eat Breakfast burrito in Fort Collins →Colorado's infamous ranch-country dare: bull calf testicles, sliced, breaded and fried, served with cocktail sauce and a straight face in Fort Collins bars.
Where The Colorado Room
Where to eat Rocky Mountain oysters in Fort Collins →Fort Collins' brunch crossover: Nashville-style fried chicken over waffles, run at weekend service with heat levels from Southern mild to Flammable Solid.
Where Music City Hot Chicken
Where to eat Hot chicken and waffles in Fort Collins →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Fort Collins.
RARE Italian dry-ages its steaks in-house at College and Mountain in Fort Collins, pairing them with handmade pasta and a farm-fed seasonal menu.
OrderA dry-aged cut with handmade pasta on the side
The Still Whiskey Steaks pours over 100 whiskies with elk steak and risotto on North College Avenue in Fort Collins, log-cabin room, flannel-clad staff.
OrderElk steak with a Colorado whiskey alongside
The Regional runs a from-scratch American kitchen on Mason Street in Fort Collins: half-shell oysters, lamb merguez meatballs and gluten-free fried chicken.
OrderThe Wednesday gluten-free fried chicken with house hot sauce
The Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market serves brasserie plates and bison short ribs inside Fort Collins' Elizabeth Hotel, with a retail wine wall to browse.
OrderBison short ribs with a bottle pulled from the wine market shelves
Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar shucks a rotating oyster list on North College Avenue in Fort Collins, with chargrilled oysters and jumbo lump crab cakes.
OrderA dozen oysters split raw and chargrilled
The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm plates chef Michael Gillam's modern farm fare in a restored farmstead at Jessup Farm Artisan Village in Fort Collins.
OrderWhatever comfort-food special the farm kitchen is running
Restored Victorian blocks around Old Town Square holding the restaurant core, the cocktail cellars and the first brewpub in the city.
Best for: Steakhouses, Oysters, Cocktails, Breakfast
Linden and Willow Streets by the Poudre River: New Belgium's campus, Ginger and Baker's Feed and Grain building and the newest maker energy.
Best for: Breweries, Pie, Coffee, Wine
The CSU orbit along West Elizabeth and Laurel: cheap international kitchens, halal shawarma, late-night pizza and coffee until midnight.
Best for: Cheap eats, Thai, Halal, Late-night pizza
The College Avenue and Mason Street miles south of campus, where strip-mall fronts hide German lagers, barrel sours and long-running family rooms.
Best for: Breweries, Vietnamese, Indian, Wine bars
The Harmony corridor and Front Range Village: family restaurants, a Sunday farmers market and brewhouses built for the suburbs.
Best for: Family dinners, Sushi, Nepali, Farmers market
Also: harmony
Laporte Avenue and the residential streets towards the foothills, where a zero-waste roastery, a food co-op and garden taprooms hide in plain sight.
Best for: Coffee, Neighbourhood taprooms, Groceries
Colorado green chile
Colorado's pork-and-chile stew doubles as a sauce in Fort Collins, ladled over burritos and burgers; ask for anything smothered and this is what arrives
Potato burrito
Fort Collins' contribution to burrito science: seasoned potatoes standing in for rice, wrapped with cheese and beans, then smothered in green chile at the counter
Breakfast burrito
The Front Range's default morning meal: eggs, potatoes, cheese and often green chile in a flour tortilla, sold from 07:00 across Fort Collins counters
Rocky Mountain oysters
Colorado's infamous ranch-country dare: bull calf testicles, sliced, breaded and fried, served with cocktail sauce and a straight face in Fort Collins bars
Hot chicken and waffles
Fort Collins' brunch crossover: Nashville-style fried chicken over waffles, run at weekend service with heat levels from Southern mild to Flammable Solid
Old Town
Restored Victorian blocks around Old Town Square holding the restaurant core, the cocktail cellars and the first brewpub in the city
A sample of Fort Collins hotels from our booking partner, who list 7,865 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Days Inn by Wyndham Fort Collins
Located in Fort Collins, Days Inn by Wyndham Fort Collins is a 4-minute drive from Fort Fun and 5 minutes f...
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Super 8 by Wyndham Fort Collins
Located in Fort Collins, Super 8 by Wyndham Fort Collins is a 4-minute drive from Fort Fun and 6 minutes fr...
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Baymont by Wyndham Fort Collins
A stay at Baymont by Wyndham Fort Collins places you in the heart of Fort Collins, a 3-minute drive from Fo...
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Comfort Inn Fort Collins North
When you stay at Comfort Inn Fort Collins North in Fort Collins, you'll be in the business district, within...
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Courtyard by Marriott Fort Collins
Located in Fort Collins, Courtyard by Marriott Fort Collins is a 5-minute drive from Foothills Mall and 9 m...
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Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Collins South
Located in Fort Collins, Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Collins South is within a 15-minute drive of Colorado ...
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Candlewood Suites Fort Collins, an IHG Hotel
Located in Fort Collins, Candlewood Suites Fort Collins, an IHG Hotel is in a shopping district, within a 5...
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Residence Inn By Marriott Fort Collins
Located in Fort Collins, Residence Inn By Marriott Fort Collins is in the business district, within a 5-min...
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Fort Collins Marriott
Located in Fort Collins, Fort Collins Marriott is in the business district, within a 5-minute drive of Foot...
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Also compare: Holidu in Fort Collins from USD 69/night · LateRooms in Fort Collins · Expedia in Fort Collins
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Fort Collins, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: May to October, when farmers' markets, patios and the Tuesday food truck rally all run. Late June brings Beer Week; September stacks Taste of Fort Collins and the session-beer festivals.
Local dining hours: Breakfast from 07:00, lunch 11:00-14:00, dinner 17:00-21:00. Kitchens close early; after 22:00 the options narrow to pizza windows, sub shops and bar kitchens.
Tipping: Standard US tipping: 18-20% at table service, a dollar or two per pint at taprooms, 10% at counters is appreciated.
Fort Collins's signature dishes include Giant cinnamon roll, Colorado amber ale, Colorado green chile, Potato burrito, Breakfast burrito. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Fort Collins by district. Old Town, River District, Campus West, Midtown are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Fort Collins include The Cache at Ginger and Baker, RARE Italian, The Still Whiskey Steaks, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Fort Collins, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Fort Collins dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.