Great Plates Fort Collins: Here are 5 of the promotion's best value meal deals in 2024

Erin Udell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·5 min read

Editor's note: The 2024 edition of Great Plates of Downtown raised $105,661 for Food Bank for Larimer County, according to the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority.

Looking for a great deal on some great plates in Old Town Fort Collins?

Great Plates of Downtown — an annual two-week Old Town dining promotion that benefits Food Bank for Larimer County — is kicking back up with dozens of meal and dessert deals planned at 45 downtown eateries from March 1 through 14.

This year is a bit different, with Great Plates bucking its previous $25 set price point in favor of a larger price range from under $15 and up to $45. Still, there are some good deals to be had. Below are five of the promotion's best values in 2024.

Don't forget, your food bank donation isn't included in the prices below. After your meal, you'll have a chance to leave a donation for Food Bank for Larimer County.

LuLu Asian Bistro, 117 S. College Ave.

While most participating restaurants tweaked their deals to fit the promotion's new price points this year, LuLu Asian Bistro stuck with the same $25 two-course dinner-for-two deal it's become known for. It's a ton of food, offering diners their choice between a spring roll or edamame appetizer and three entrees or three special sushi rolls from its special Great Plates menu.

The deal:

Two-course dinner for two for $25 (dine-in only):

  • Course 1: Spring roll or edamame.

  • Course 2: Three entrees or three special sushi rolls. Entree choices include sesame chicken; Koko chicken; panang tofu or beef; chicken pad thai; chicken drunken noodles; LuLu’s chicken; or peanut chicken. Special roll choices include Las Vegas, Rainbow, Green Dragon, Peachy, Kamikaze, Rocky Mountain or Mexico Maki

'Where should I eat in Fort Collins?': Here are our food reporter's top 15 recommendations

Rodizio Grill, 200 Jefferson St.

Along with Lulu Asian Bistro, this is the only other restaurant that made my list of best-value Great Plates deals both this year and last year. Why? While Rodizio Grill technically advertises a three-course dinner for one, it is the only Great Plates meal special that is essentially all-you-can-eat. For $35, you can enjoy endless trips to the restaurant's salad and sides bar as well as unlimited meats carved tableside (that's an estimated savings of $15 per person). For an additional $10, you can also get dessert — if you have room, that is.

The deals:

Three-course dinner for one for $35 (dine-in only):

  • Enjoy endless trips to the gourmet salad and hot sides bar, unlimited hot Brazilian appetizers and Rodizio's unlimited variety of rotisserie grilled meats carved tableside, including tri-tip steak, bacon-wrapped chicken, sweet and spicy chicken, brown sugar glazed ham and glazed pineapple.

Four-course dinner for one for $45 (dine-in only):

  • Enjoy endless trips to the gourmet salad and hot sides bar, unlimited hot Brazilian appetizers as well as Rodizio's unlimited variety of rotisserie grilled meats carved tableside, including tri-tip steak, bacon-wrapped chicken, sweet and spicy chicken, brown sugar glazed ham and glazed pineapple. Plus, gourmet dessert.

Illegal Pete's, 320 Walnut St.

Casual date night, anyone? Pop on over to Illegal Pete's for one of the few $25 two-course dinners for two on this year's Great Plates menu. With a shareable chips and queso, your choice of two entrees and two fountain drinks, this one serves up a savings of at least more than $10.

The deal:

Two-course dinner for two plus two fountain drinks for $25:

  • Course 1: Large chips and queso to share.

  • Course 2: Choose any two entrees, including a burrito, bowl, tacos, taquitos or quesadilla.

Coopersmith's Pub & Brewing, 5 Old Town Square

This Old Town Square classic is serving up two pretty good deals on this year's Great Plates menu, including a $25 one-course dinner for two that offers a potential savings of up to $19 and a New York strip steak meal for two for $35 that could save you roughly $17 compared to non-Great Plates prices. The first deal also serves up a fair bit of variety, giving diners the choice between six very different entrees.

The deals:

One-course dinner for two for $25 (dine-in only):

  • Choose two of the following: Shepherd's pie, pork schnitzel, Greek chicken pasta bowl, bangers and mash, fish and chips, or a black bean burger.

One-course dinner for two for $35 (dine-in only):

  • New York strip steak with blue butter, mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Social, 1 Old Town Square, Unit 7

While there are plenty of classic, sit-down meals to pick from this Great Plates season, Social also offers a pretty good deal on some of its quicker bites and sips. The Old Town speakeasy bar is serving up a cheese and charcuterie board plus your choice of two featured cocktails for $35 — roughly $13 in savings. Like at Social sister restaurant Union, the bar also offers a Great Plates gift card deal. For every $10 you donate to the Food Bank for Larimer County at Social during Great Plates, you also get a $10 Social gift card. One $10 gift card can be used per visit.

The deal:

Charcuterie and cocktails for two for $35 (dine-in only):

  • Two featured cocktails and a premium cheese and charcuterie board to share.

Speaking of speakeasies: If you're in the market for one (century-old Mountain Avenue bungalow attached), check this out

Want more Great Plates options?

Check out our full list of 2024 Great Plates menu specials as well as a rundown of exactly how the promotion works and how it benefits the Food Bank for Larimer County.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Great Plates Fort Collins: 5 of the best value meal deals of 2024