Japanese$$campus-westTue-Sun 11:00-20:45; closed Mon
JAWS Sushi rolls student-friendly maki and pours hot sake on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, with an 11:00-13:00 happy hour on rolls.
Signature: Specialty rolls, Hot sake
Order: Two happy-hour rolls and a tokkuri of hot sake
Tip: Closed Mondays. The 11:00-13:00 happy hour is one of the cheapest sushi lunches in the city.
Mexican$old-townMon-Thu 07:00-20:00; Fri 07:00-22:00; Sat 08:00-22:00; Sun 08:00-21:00
Vatos Tacos + Tequila grills street tacos from a shipping container at The Exchange in Fort Collins, open from 07:00 with margaritas on the plaza.
Signature: Street tacos, Frozen margaritas
Order: Three street tacos with guacamole and unlimited chips
Tip: It opens at 07:00 for breakfast service, unusual for a taqueria; gluten-free items are flagged on the menu board.
Italian$old-townMon-Tue 12:00-21:00; Wed-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 12:00-21:00
La Piadina griddles Emilia-Romagna flatbread sandwiches from a container kitchen at The Exchange in Fort Collins, with Italian wine and local beer.
Signature: Piadina flatbreads
Order: A prosciutto and squacquerone piadina, hot off the griddle
Tip: A piadina crisped to order plus a glass of Italian wine on the plaza is one of the city's best cheap dates.
Mediterranean$campus-westMon-Tue, Thu 11:00-21:45; Wed 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:15; Sun 11:00-20:45
Petra Grill carves certified halal shawarma and grills kabobs on West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins, a family room that feeds the CSU crowd.
Signature: Chicken shawarma, Mixed kabob platter
Order: Chicken shawarma wrap with a side of hummus
Tip: Everything on the menu is certified halal and there is no alcohol; the falafel-hummus sandwich is the vegetarian sleeper.
Breakfast$$campus-westDaily 08:00-14:00
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.
American$$old-townMon-Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00
Union Bar and Soda Fountain crosses a mid-century soda counter with craft cocktails on Jefferson Street in Fort Collins: burgers, floats and boozy shakes.
Signature: Boozy milkshakes, Smash burgers
Order: A burger with a boozy shake or a housemade soda
Tip: Housemade sodas and boozy milkshakes are the point; vegan and gluten-free menus are marked. Happy hour weekdays 15:00-18:00.