Fort Collins Food Guide

Fort Collins has been building its beer culture since the late 1980s. Anheuser-Busch opened a brewery here in 1988, CooperSmith's became the first local brewpub in November 1989, and Odell followed that December. New Belgium started in 1991, and its Fat Tire amber ale grew out of a co-founder's bike trip through Belgium. The city has been called the Napa Valley of beer, and Visit Fort Collins counts more than 20 craft breweries. That history shows up in our directory: according to our listings, 39 of the 605 places are breweries and distilleries, and 58 listings mention craft beer.

The broader picture is more everyday than that. Bakery and dessert shops lead the directory at 70 listings, ahead of fast food at 63, Mexican at 50, and cafes and coffee at 42. Bars and nightlife account for 38, pizza for 37, and 30 are listed simply as restaurants. About 64 percent of places are independent. Delivery and food trucks are easy to find: 145 listings offer delivery and 10 are food trucks. Another 73 serve breakfast. Tacos come up in 37 listings, barbecue in 26, green chile in 20, and breakfast burritos in 12. Coffee is mentioned in 64. If you want to sit down, 60 places have outdoor seating and 68 run a happy hour.

Where you eat often follows the neighborhood. Old Town is the downtown core, where Visit Fort Collins points to dining patios, local shops and public art, and where brewing is centered. Midtown runs along College Avenue and the MAX bus line. South Fort Collins, including the Harmony Corridor, is known for family-friendly dining along Harmony Road and newer restaurants in Front Range Village and Villagio. Campus West sits beside Colorado State University and has a pie shop in the Campus West Shops and a taco shop directly across from campus. One practical note on planning: only 148 of our 605 listings include posted hours, though 524 link to a website and 255 to a menu. A quick check before you go is still smart.

The calendar gives you reasons to explore. The Downtown Development Authority hosts the Foodie Walk on the third Friday of each month, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Old Town. Great Plates of Downtown runs each March, with special menus at downtown restaurants and proceeds going to the Food Bank for Larimer County. Taste of Fort Collins is held each September at Washington Park. In August, the Rotary Clubs' Peach Festival serves peach pie, ice cream and Palisade peaches at Civic Center Park.

605places listed
64%independent
60with outdoor seating
68with happy hour
5neighborhood guides

Figures from the Local Food Reviews directory, October 2026.

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The Fort Collins dining scene

Fort Collins dining mixes everyday stops with a strong drinking culture. The kinds of places listed most often on our site include bakeries and dessert shops, fast food, Mexican restaurants, and cafes and coffee shops. Close behind are breweries and distilleries, bars, pizza places, bar-and-grills, breakfast and brunch spots, and sushi and Japanese restaurants. The brewing culture is centered in Downtown/Old Town, where restaurants, bars and craft beverage venues cluster, and Visit Fort Collins notes dining patios there for strolling days.

What we list, by kind of place

Bakery & Desserts70Fast Food63Mexican50Cafes & Coffee42Brewery & Distillery39Bars & Nightlife38Pizza37Restaurant30
Illustration of Fort Collins: Horsetooth Rock and brewery country
Fort Collins is known for
  • Craft breweries
  • Sours and saisons
  • Peaches
Horsetooth Rock and brewery country

Fort Collins neighborhoods, one by one

Every neighborhood we cover in Fort Collins, with what to expect and how many places we list there.

Places to try in Fort Collins
Good Times Burgers and Frozen CustardBurgers · All-natural Angus burgersSpoonsFast Food · Savory soupsHalf Fast SubsFast Food · Over 100 sub sandwichesBig City BurritoMexican · Potato burritos

Old Town Fort Collins

140 places · led by Bars & Nightlife

Old Town Fort Collins is the walkable historic heart of the city, with 140 listings within half a mile of Old Town Square, and eating here leans toward bars, sweets and casual sit-down meals. Bars and nightlife lead with 21 places, including The Mainline Ale House for local craft beer and handcrafted cocktails and Social for Prohibition-era cocktails, followed by 16 bakeries and dessert spots like Edison's Ice Cream, known for gluten-free and dairy-free options and ice cream sandwiches. For a heartier meal, Tap and Handle serves smash burgers and fried Wisconsin cheese curds, and The Still Whiskey Steaks cooks whiskey-marinated steaks, elk tenderloin and bison hanger steak. About 78 percent of listings are independently run, so most are locally owned.

Places to try
High Point BarBars & Nightlife · Local craft beersVatos Tacos and TequilaMexican · Street tacosJimmy John’sFast Food · Unwich lettuce-wrapped sandwiches

Midtown Fort Collins

112 places · led by Bakery & Desserts

Midtown Fort Collins is a commercial stretch along College Avenue, so eating here is built around convenience and variety rather than a walkable stroll. Of its 112 listings, bakeries and desserts lead with 18, followed by 13 Mexican restaurants, with plenty of quick, casual options and a nearly even split between chains and independents. Listed places include Grimaldi's Pizzeria for coal-fired brick-oven pizza, The Moot House for rotating craft beers and weekend prime rib, and Yampa Sandwich Company South for sandwiches like the Pastrami Reuben. Since the area is spread out along a busy avenue, plan on driving or ride-sharing between stops, or take advantage of the 32 places that offer delivery.

Places to try
Super-Natural EatsSalads & Health Food · Fresh from-scratch cateringLa Creperie and French BakeryBreakfast & Brunch · Breton galettesNoodles & Company – HorsetoothAsian (Other & Fusion) · Pad Thai

Harmony Corridor

100 places · led by Fast Food

Harmony Corridor is a practical, drive-up stretch of eating along one of Fort Collins' major east-west roads, where restaurants share the strip with shopping centers and offices rather than forming a walkable district. Our database lists 100 places here, led by 18 fast food spots, with 10 bakeries and dessert shops and 9 each of pizza and breakfast spots close behind. Chains make up the majority, though 38 percent of listings are independents, and you'll find Neapolitan pizza at MidiCi and Otto Pint, apple pancakes at Original Pancake House, and house-smoked peppercorn sirloin at Texas Land & Cattle. Delivery shows up on 35 listings, and online ordering, takeout and catering are common too, which suits quick lunches and group orders.

Places to try
Estes Park, ColoradoBakery & Desserts · Small-batch toffeeSubwayFast Food · Hot Honey Signature Swicy CollectionTwisted TendersChicken · 24-hour buttermilk-soaked tenders

Campus West (CSU)

40 places · led by Pizza

Campus West, centered on West Elizabeth Street beside Colorado State University, is a casual, quick-bite neighborhood built around students, faculty and campus visitors. Of its 40 listings, pizza and bakery and dessert spots lead with 5 each, and independents make up 72 percent of the places listed. Panhandler's Pizza is known for pan-style slices and Waltzing Kangaroo for Australian meat pies, while Butters Breakfast & Lunch draws people in with Oreo pancakes and Cap'n Crunch French toast. Most places lean toward takeout and online ordering, which makes grabbing something between classes easy.

Places to try
Maya EmpanadaLatin American · Cochinita pork empanadasMr. Yo’s DonutBakery & Desserts · Raised and cake donutsJim’s WingsChicken · Buffalo-style chicken wings

North College

17 places · led by Mexican

North College follows North College Avenue north from Old Town, and the eating here is casual and everyday, with independent restaurants sharing the corridor with national brands. Our database lists 17 places, led by 5 Mexican spots, with 3 fast-food counters next in line. La campechana mexican food is known for smothered burritos and tripe and cow tongue tacos, while Nieves y Botanas Del Bajio, a bakery and dessert spot, makes its own aguas frescas and fresas con crema. Online ordering and catering are the most common features, and takeout and delivery show up at many places, so you can often order ahead.

Places to try
SubwayFast Food · Fresh Fit sandwichesZiggi’s CoffeeCafes & Coffee · Dirty SodasMusic City Hot Chicken – NorthChicken · Nashville hot fried chicken

Regional dishes and drinks to try

New Belgium Brewing and Fat Tire

Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch founded New Belgium in Fort Collins in 1991. Its flagship Fat Tire amber ale grew out of a co-founder's bike trip through Belgium, and the brewery is at 500 Linden St.

58Fort Collins listings mention craft beer
Find it on our map →

Odell Brewing (90 Shilling)

Odell opened in 1989 as the first packaging craft brewery in Fort Collins. Its first two recipes were 90 Shilling and Easy Street Wheat.

58Fort Collins listings mention craft beer
Find it on our map →

Fort Collins brewery scene

Anheuser-Busch opened its Fort Collins brewery in 1988, CooperSmith's launched as the first local brewpub in November 1989, and Odell followed that December. The city has been called the Napa Valley of beer and ranked ninth in breweries per 100,000 residents in one tally.

58Fort Collins listings mention craft beer
Find it on our map →

Belgian-style saisons and sours (Funkwerks)

Funkwerks specializes in Belgian-inspired beers. It won a Great American Beer Festival gold medal for its Raspberry Provincial.

Find it on our map →

Colorado peaches (Peach Festival)

The annual Fort Collins Peach Festival serves peach pie, ice cream and Palisade peaches alongside craft beer and food trucks. The Rotary Clubs of Fort Collins run it as a charity fundraiser.

3Fort Collins listings mention peaches
Find it on our map →

Food and drink events in Fort Collins

  • Great Plates of Downtown · Usually March; check the organizer's site for the next dates · Downtown Fort Collins restaurants
    Downtown restaurants offer special menus in this Downtown Development Authority promotion, which benefits Food Bank for Larimer County.
  • Fort Collins Foodie Walk · Monthly, third Friday, 5-8 p.m. · Old Town / Downtown Fort Collins
    The Downtown Development Authority hosts this monthly evening food walk through Old Town.
  • Fort Collins Beer Week · Usually June; check the organizer's site to confirm whether it is running · Participating Fort Collins breweries
    About 20 local breweries took part when the week returned in June 2025 after a hiatus, and a 2026 edition was not confirmed.
  • Fort Collins Peach Festival · Usually August; check the organizer's site for the date · Civic Center Park, Fort Collins
    The Rotary Clubs of Fort Collins put on this charity festival of peach treats, craft beer and food trucks.
  • Taste of Fort Collins · Previously held in June; the 2026 edition was listed for September 26-27 (dates have changed before, so check the organizer's site) · Washington Park, Fort Collins
    This food event with live music and family activities moved from June in 2025 to late September in 2026.

Dates change from year to year. Check each organizer's site before you go.

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Fort Collins food FAQs

What was Fort Collins' first brewpub?

CooperSmith's launched in November 1989 as the first local brewpub. Odell opened that December, and New Belgium started in 1991.

How many breweries are in Fort Collins?

Visit Fort Collins says the city has more than 20 craft breweries.

Where are the Fort Collins farmers markets?

For 2026, the Larimer County Farmers Market is at 200 W. Oak St. on Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 16-Oct 31. The Fort Collins Farmers Market is at 1001 E. Harmony Rd., Sundays May 3-Nov 8 and Wednesdays June 3-Sept 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Hours and seasons can change, so confirm with the market before you go.

What is the best restaurant in Fort Collins?

We don't rank restaurants, because the right place depends on what you want. To narrow it down, search our Fort Collins listings by cuisine, such as Mexican, sushi, pizza, breakfast or brewery, or browse our neighborhood pages: Old Town Fort Collins, Midtown Fort Collins, Harmony Corridor, Campus West (CSU) and North College.

Part of our Colorado Food Guide. Browse every Fort Collins restaurant.