Fort Collins patio guide: Here are some of the best spots for outdoor dining, drinking
Fort Collins patios are enjoying their day in the sun.
With dozens to choose from, each offers something a little different — Tiki bar vibes, golf course views, live music, a tranquil happy hour spot.
In honor of patio season, we rounded up some of Fort Collins' most popular alfresco dining and drinking spots (with one Laporte and one Bellvue location in the mix).
Avogadro's Number, 605 S. Mason St.
Tucked off of Mason Street, Avogadro's Number offers respite from the hustle and bustle of Colorado State University's nearby campus. Its charming patio is decked with sunshades, an outdoor stage, gazebo and treehouse, offering a lot of space for alfresco dining — all with a comfortable, lived-in feel.
Back Door Grill, 130 W. Laurel St.
Rooftop patios are few and far between in Fort Collins, which is why you'll find all three on this list, starting with Back Door Grill. The burger place overlooks Laurel Street, offering campus-area views and campus-worthy happy hour and weekly specials on its rooftop Tiki bar.
Cafe Vino, 1200 S. College Ave.
Are you after some "Secret Garden" vibes? Look no further than Cafe Vino. The cozy wine bar and restaurant has an even cozier front patio, with fountains, fire pits, lush planters and comfy nooks and crannies lined with seating.
C.B. & Potts, 1441 E. Horsetooth Road
Fort Collins' final Potts holdout is a great place to get that country club feel without the country club fees. With greens as far as the eye can see, C.B. & Potts' outdoor patio overlooks the city-run Collindale Golf Course, making it a proper stop for a summertime burger and beer — regardless of if you played a round or not.
The Colorado Room, 642 S. College Ave.
If you grew up reading CosmoGirl in the early- to mid-2000s, you were conditioned to think a lot about outfits that would transition from day to night. While that didn't end up being a huge concern for many of us, The Colorado Room has mastered that versatility. The unfussy space has an open-air section where you can catch some sun during the day while also offering a large, covered area complete with heaters in the winter and a stage for occasional evening concerts.
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The Exchange, 200 N. College Ave.
It's food and drinks as far as the eye can see at The Exchange. The Old Town plaza opened in 2017, offering an open-air space to enjoy its restaurants, beer and wine taprooms, distillery, ice cream shop and more. Back in 2019, it was licensed as a common consumption area, meaning Exchange patrons cn enjoy a glass of wine, beer or cocktail from its various tenants in its sprawling outdoor common area.
The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm, 1957 Jessup Drive
Step back in time to when Jessup Farm was, well, a farm. The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm has been an anchor eatery of the Jessup Farm Artisan Village since in opened in 2015. Appropriately, it's operated out of the Jessup family's old farmhouse, which — alongside the farm's old loafing shed, garage, saddle shop and barn — was renovated as part of the artisan village's redevelopment. It serves up rustic farm fare for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Sit on its front patio, near its quaint front porch, or pop out back for dinner with a garden view.
The Forge Publick House, 255 Old Firehouse Alley
Old Firehouse Alley is Fort Collins' Diagon Alley as far as I'm concerned, and it's all thanks to The Forge. The quaint craft beer bar — located behind Old Firehouse Books — gives off distinct old English pub and, yes, Harry Potter vibes. While its cozy atmosphere and crackling fireplace make it a winter winner, its vine-lined outdoor patio is the star of Old Town summer nights.
Illegal Pete's, 320 Walnut St.
Grab an Illegal Pete's margarita and move on up to its rooftop patio. The airy space, which overlooks Walnut Street and parts of Old Town Square, is a popular downtown hangout with ample seating and a covered second-story to run to if weather gets hairy.
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The Lyric, 1209 N. College Ave.
If you happen to follow any frantic white rabbits around Fort Collins, don't be alarmed if you turn up at The Lyric — a wackily whimsical movie theater that feels straight out of the "Alice in Wonderland" rabbit hole. The quirky independent theater doesn't just do movies. Its bar and lobby space open to a sprawling back patio and green space, where you can enjoy a beer, lunch, occasional live music or outdoor movies and The Lyric's eccentric array of sculptures.
Odell Brewing Co., 800 E. Lincoln Ave.
Can I officially knight Odell's patio as Fort Collins' front yard? The homegrown brewery's sweeping patio is a local favorite for many reasons — its stage for live music, lots of seating, fire pit, food trucks. Most recently, it was connected to its neighboring OBC Wine Project, giving visitors a chance to pick between Odell's beers and OBC Wine Project's wines.
Mishawaka Amphitheatre, 13714 Poudre Canyon Road, Bellvue
Take in the great outdoors without leaving the comfort of the Mishawaka patio. The Poudre Canyon music venue and restaurant sits alongside the rushing Poudre River, allowing you to take in the sights and sounds of the canyon, the history of the long-lived "Mish" and, of course, a cheeseburger.
Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, 143 W. Mountain Ave.
Dinner with a view, anyone? After a kitchen fire in 2020, The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant closed its longtime Mountain Avenue home for repairs and a major renovation. Its back patio was part of that facelift, seeing both the addition of its outdoor bar and an expansion that nearly doubled its former footprint. Cozy and string-light-strewn, the patio is anchored by the Rio's large fountain and feels tucked away from the rest of Old Town.
Paddler's Pub, 1329 N. U.S. Highway 287
Whether you're a rafter or not, Paddler's Pub is a worthy summer stop. The tented bar and patio is set up seasonally at the Mountain Whitewater rafting company, where rafting customers can often be found enjoying post-trip beers. It's also open to non-rafters, offering a spot for sand volleyball, live music and views of the foothills.
Silver Grill Cafe, 218 Walnut St.
Looking for an early morning alfresco dining spot? Head to Old Town's Silver Grill Cafe, which boasts lived-in charm, famous cinnamon rolls and a partially-covered back patio that abuts Old Firehouse Alley. Silver Grill's patio is probably one of the most seasonally versatile in Old Town, with heaters for cold days and a roof and two brick walls to provide coverage from the elements.
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Stodgy Brewing, 1802 Laporte Ave.
Stretch your legs at Stodgy. The west Fort Collins brewery is home to an expansive front patio space, with a deck full of seating and picnic tables and chairs sprinkling its rolling lawn. While Stodgy Brewing is just three years old, it's located in the longtime former home of Fort Collins' Friendly Fire fireplace business, which operated for years out of Stodgy's network of log-cabin-like buildings.
Sunset Lounge, 111 Chestnut St.
Looking for rooftop views and vibes that are a little different from Back Door or Illegal Pete's? Meet our last rooftop patio: Sunset Lounge. Sitting atop Old Town's swanky hotel, The Elizabeth, this higher-end spot offers bird's-eye Old Town views, high tea by day and cocktails and live jazz piano by night.
Tap and Handle, 307 S. College Ave.
Perfectly situated on the edge of Old Town, Tap and Handle is adjacent to Fort Collins' buzzing downtown without being in the thick of it. Its patio spans the north side of the beer-centric bar, offering a fire pit on chilly nights and plenty of pergola or roof cover when it rains.
Ten Bears Winery, 5114 N. County Road 23E, Laporte
When thinking about Northern Colorado, your mind might go to craft beer before wine. Our area's growing conditions aren't ideal for grapes — hence why the Western Slope takes the title of Colorado's wine country instead. But that hasn't stopped a handful of Northern Colorado-grown wineries, including Ten Bears. The Laporte winery is a destination in its own right, and that's even before taking its outdoor patio into consideration. With ample seating and a view overlooking its lush vineyard, put this one on your list of patios to hit before summer ends — or its grapes are harvested, whichever comes first.
Union Bar & Soda Fountain, 250 Jefferson St.
While many other Old Town patios are squeezed for space, Union has seemingly endless real estate at the corner of Jefferson and Linden Streets. The diner-like eatery, which dishes up comfort food, egg creams and boozy milkshakes, opens up to an expansive patio lined with umbrella-topped tables and string-light-strewn pergola.
Honorable mention
Backporch Cafe, 1101 E. Lincoln Ave.
Blendings at The Hillside Vineyard, 3924 Bingham Hill Road
Blue Agave Grill, 201 S. College Ave.
Crown Pub, 134 S. College Ave.
Equinox Brewing, 133 Remington St.
High Point Bar, 146 N. College Ave.
Horse & Dragon Brewing, 124 Racquette Drive
Intersect Brewing, 2160 W. Drake Road
Little on Mountain, 1046 W. Mountain Ave.
Magic Rat, 111 Chestnut St.
Maxline Brewing, 2724 McClelland Drive
Moot House, 2626 S. College Ave.
New Belgium Brewing, 500 Linden St.
Otto Pint, 1100 Oakridge Drive
Rainbow Restaurant, 212 W. Laurel St.
Restaurant 415, 415 S. Mason St.
Swing Station, 3311 County Road 54G, Laporte
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Outdoor dining in Fort Collins: Try these 20 patios in the area
