Giant cinnamon roll
Fort Collins' most famous plate is a breakfast pastry: a plate-sized cinnamon roll, iced generously and best ordered grilled in butter so the cut faces caramelise.
Where: Silver Grill Cafe, Bindle Coffee
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.
Eat your way through Fort Collins
Map of Fort Collins
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Fort Collins, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Where to eat in Fort Collins: editor-picked starting points
5 institutional venues to anchor a Fort Collins food trip
- RARE Italian - Italian steakhouse
- The Cache at Ginger and Baker - Steakhouse
- The Still Whiskey Steaks - Steakhouse
- The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm - Modern American, chef Michael Gillam
- The Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market - Brasserie
Signature Fort Collins dishes
- Giant cinnamon roll - Fort Collins' most famous plate is a breakfast pastry: a plate-sized cinnamon roll, iced generously and best ordered grilled in butter so the cut faces caramelise
- Colorado amber ale - The amber ale is Fort Collins in a glass: toasty caramel malt, restrained hops and a clean finish, the style New Belgium's Fat Tire and Odell's 90 Shilling made famous
- 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
Best Fort Collins neighborhoods for food
- Old Town - Restored Victorian blocks around Old Town Square holding the restaurant core, the cocktail cellars and the first brewpub in the city
- River District - 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
- Campus West - The CSU orbit along West Elizabeth and Laurel: cheap international kitchens, halal shawarma, late-night pizza and coffee until midnight
- Midtown - The College Avenue and Mason Street miles south of campus, where strip-mall fronts hide German lagers, barrel sours and long-running family rooms
Signature dishes in Fort Collins
The plates that define eating in Fort Collins.
Colorado amber ale
The amber ale is Fort Collins in a glass: toasty caramel malt, restrained hops and a clean finish, the style New Belgium's Fat Tire and Odell's 90 Shilling made famous.
Where: New Belgium Brewing, Odell Brewing Co, CooperSmith's Pub and Brewing
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.
Where: Big City Burrito, Illegal Pete's, Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon
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.
Where: Big City Burrito
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.
Where: Big City Burrito, Butterfly Cafe, Illegal Pete's
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.
Where: The Colorado Room
Elk steak
Rocky Mountain elk runs leaner and sweeter than beef, and Fort Collins treats it as an occasion cut, seared rare with Colorado whiskey close at hand.
Where: The Still Whiskey Steaks
Colorado bison
Bison appears across Fort Collins menus as short ribs, burgers and roasts, the state's heritage protein cooked with more sweetness and less fat than beef.
Where: The Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market, Austin's American Grill
Palisade peach pie
August in Colorado means Palisade peaches, and Fort Collins folds them into pies, festival plates and even its famous cinnamon rolls while the season lasts.
Where: Buttermilk Bakery and Pie Shop, Ginger and Baker
Wood-aged sour ale
Fort Collins is one of America's sour-beer capitals: tart, barrel-aged ales built in oak foeders at New Belgium and in Peter Bouckaert's tiny Purpose cellar.
Where: New Belgium Brewing, Purpose Brewing and Cellars
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.
Where: Music City Hot Chicken
Boozy milkshake
Fort Collins updates the soda-fountain tradition with spiked shakes: hand-scooped ice cream, a shot of something, and a burger alongside on Jefferson Street.
Where: Union Bar and Soda Fountain
Restaurants to know in Fort Collins
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Fort Collins.
RARE Italian
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.
Signature: Dry-aged steak, Handmade pasta
The Still Whiskey Steaks
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.
Signature: Elk steak, Risotto
The Regional
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.
Signature: Gluten-free fried chicken, Oysters on the half shell
The Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market
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.
Signature: Bison short ribs, Fresh fish
Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar
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.
Signature: Chargrilled oysters, Crab cakes
The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm
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.
Signature: Modern farm fare, Comfort food classics
Where to eat by neighborhood
Old Town
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
River District
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
Campus West
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
Midtown
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
Harmony and South Fort Collins
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
West Side
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
When to come hungry in Fort Collins
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 food, FAQ
What food is Fort Collins known for?
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.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Fort Collins?
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.
Where should I eat fine dining in Fort Collins?
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.
Are there food tours in Fort Collins?
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Fort Collins, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Fort Collins have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Fort Collins dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.