The Fort

We frequented the Fort after my fiancé’s master’s degree graduation and we were not disappointed. The game meats are what peaked our interest so we each had the platter with buffalo, elk & quail, each of which was good. Also had the rocky mountain oysters. The service was very very good– top notch. A tip we have is to perhaps not go too late so that you are able to enjoy the great views. We recommend it.

This place is pretty yummy! I will say it’s fairly pricey, sooooo… probly not gonna go back much. Did you know they even have a wine available that is $ 5000? Who buys that?! The portions are actually perfect (not the oversized stuff we’re used to), but the price is way inflated. Why is it that the reasonable restaurants give you portions for two, but the cost is low, and vice versa? This is a problem. I digress… the Fort is pretty cool because they have a little place in between the entrance and the restaurant that has a gift shop of sorts (didn’t get a chance to peek in), a fire, and a teepee you can look into (nothing in there, though). The view isn’t as fantastic as I’d been led to believe… just the houses on the side of the hill at the crossing of ²⁸⁵⁄₄₇₀. Nothing spectacular, but nice enough.
You know, I can’t even remember what I had to eat. That’s probably doesn’t bode well for a good review, but I remember liking it. I DO remember dessert though (priorities being what they are). The blondie brownie, and that WAS worth it:)

We returned with a work group for dinner and I continue to be underwhelmed at the experience.
The atmosphere of the Fort is authentic old west, but the food is ridiculous. Our large party was the most impressed by the peanut butter filled jalapeños, but everything else was just mediocre. I requested a few items to be gluten free due to celiac disease, and while they accommodated the choices were somewhat limited.
I ordered duck at the suggestion of our server. It arrived in two sections along with rice and snap peas. Unfortunately, the entire dish was drenched in a sticky, sweet «glaze» that made the duck taste like it had been covered in syrup. The only thing I can compare it to is the movie «Elf» when buddy puts syrup on spaghetti noodles. A friend had the Game Plate, which I understand is usually one of the best entrees– unfortunately for him the meal was over-​cooked and rubbery in texture, especially the quail.
The waitress did come check on us prior to eating and I wasn’t willing to wait another hour for another entrée. We paid an enormous amount and left.

Great service, great food. Love the feel of the restaurant. So beautiful. We came with a party of 17! They took very good care of us and the food was fabulous.

Great restaurant to try «exotic» food. Its a bit pricy, but the food is good. It’s kind of a fancy place, but really good. We tried the Rocky Mountain oysters for the first time & they were good. They tasted like calamari & wasn’t able to tell the difference. The only think I didn’t care for was the sauce they gave, it tastes like
Ketchup & I think it should have been some other sauce. We also got the sampler plate of meat that had elk, buffalo, quail & lamb, which came with salad, bread & vegetables on the side. The food was excellent & was just enough for us to share. The view is really nice & the whole outside of the restaurant looks fun.

NEVER AGAIN‼
Water issue still with ICE
Raw steak. Waiter (Nonchalant) said He would come back and send it back. Never came back till Check Time
Quail, over cooked.
Table to our side had same experience with Server.
Left 3 phone messages over a weeks time.
No return call. DISAPPOINTED & DiSGUSTED
Again…NEVER AGAIN ‼

We had visited The Fort after hiking and realized how many steaks they had to offer. We had the Buffalo Steak, which was exquisite and had a soft tender chewy taste; it was made medium well so it had a nice balance to it. The creamy pasta was more than genius because it carried a variety of vegetables and it was pretty saucy. You can add shrimp into it and potatoes. The red wine was awesome and it made us crave it more.
I loved the restaurant view and it is sort of in the foot hills of the mountains so you can see literally everything from there. It is exactly shaped like a fort and it provides an excellent view of the city too. This restaurant was built in the 60’s which was fairly nice. It has some history playing into it. The amount of fancy it has is only recommended as a tourist stop, or a romantic dinner. I don’t recommend being cheap here. It’s really moderate and sometimes pricey, depending on the steak you get. They even have Latin dishes and lots of jalapeños to go around.
The dessert was fantastic and drizzled in chocolate and soft molded cake. I would love to bring my hubby again next time.

The Fort is a nice place to go. The food is pretty good and the scenery is beautiful. Last time we were there hubby had the bison ribs, they were really good. I had the steak which was tasty. We’ve only been here a couple times and they were both for special occaisons. It’s rustic and cozy and a little touristy. We had a great time.

A very cool atmosphere and an amazing view. This would be a great spot for a date night meal. Stopped in after a day of exploring and was likely underdressed but no one on the staff seemed to care.
I ordered the Rocky Mountain oysters, and the game plate. The buffalo steak was the best I have had anywhere! If I find myself here again if just order the buffalo steak, rest was good but this was awesome.
One other thing that I found impressive was the blue cheese dressing at least seems like it is fresh made in house!
4 stars instead of 5 based simply on being slightly over priced. After spending $ 75 on dinner for just me myself and I, I expected a bit more then I got all around.

I have been here a few times, service is good, decent atmosphere. I feel like its over priced. I like stopping by and grabbing a drink on the patio. Trade Whiskey and hailstorms are the way to go.

Had the lamb chops, which had excellent flavor, but very fatty, and so had a total of 5 – 6 bites of lamb after removing the obvious fat. The rest of the meal was just above average, perhaps it was an off night for the kitchen.
Service was excellent, waitstaff very nice, very attentive. Atmosphere was nice if a bit of a tourist trap.
Prices were, in my estimation, outlandishly expensive for the quality of food I received. I have no problem paying money for a top notch meal, but I felt the prices were excessively high.

Sure, it strikes you as tourist trap, but as a local, I like eating here a couple times a year even when I don’t have an out-​of-​towner in tow. The setting couldn’t be better, and the building patterned on Bent’s Old Fort on the eastern plains was done really well: it has a certain authentic feel on its own merits, it doesn’t seem like it should be dropped in Disney.
The food & cocktails are good, modern takes on frontier food — the bison egg being my favorite expression of this balance. Pretty sure you wouldn’t encounter anything like that 150 years ago, but it sure is good. I wouldn’t recommend this place to a vegetarian, as the entrees are almost exclusively solidly-​prepared cuts of meat.

I have tried this restaurant several times this year hoping The Fort would prove me wrong. Unfortunately something has gone way down hill at The Fort. Steaks are tough and flavorless. The rolls are hard and the prices are hard to pay when you get food that lackluster.
Eight years ago I took several family members here over several trips. It was really good; food and experiences were such my family would bring it up with fond words. Unfortunately now when guests come to town we no longer consider The Fort as a «must do» but a «not worth the money».
Hopefully The Fort will redeem themselves and do their history and beautiful location the respect they deserve.

This iconic establishment of fine food and excellent service just made a wonderful change for the benefit of all. I am pleased to say The Fort will be using biodegradable to-​go containers based on my recent email request. The response from a Partner with The Fort stated, in part: «…that because you brought this matter to our attention, The Fort has sourced and ordered recyclable to-​go containers. That we did not have them in the first place was an oversight, and we sincerely appreciate your reaching out so we could correct it.»
Kudos to the management of The Fort!

Went to The Fort for a company Christmas party. It was a great experience. The staff was attentive, the bar was great, and the food was wonderful. The Fort has a huge menu with many favorites. We had plates with buffalo, elk, and quail that were fantastic (the elk was my favorite). For dessert we had bourbon chocolate cake that was wonderful. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a unique experience with beautiful views if you are looking to impress.

This place was fabulous. My boyfriend and I are both in the food industry and were wanting to try something adventurous, and we found it here. But the meats were prepared in such a refined and delectable way that everything felt familiar just elevated. We had the Historians plate which was an appetizer sampler of Rocky Mountain oysters, bison tongue, peanut butter stuffed jalapeños and chips & guac. The oysters were so flavorful and such a perfect consistency, and the tongue was served on toast and simply tasted like a tender jersey. We also had the roasted bone marrow which was rich, decadent and buttery. For dinner we split the game sampler which included the buffalo tenderloin, elk chop & a roasted quail. All were cooked to perfection and all were so amazing in flavor. The only thing that topped off our experience was the service, which was top notch. Our waitress was knowledgable, friendly and professional and the atmosphere was warm, elegant and fit the name.

By far our favorite place to take friends and out-​of-​state visitors. Great food and phenomenal atmosphere. We love the peanut butter stuffed jalapeño and prickly pear cooler! Amust if your a local or a tourist.

Bad from the start. Slow service, prime rib ran out, steaks came out extremely undercooked. After sending the steaks back for more time on the grill they came out tough… Not exactly what you want when your drop $ 60+ a plate. The food was underwhelming and the steaks. Man! I could fry up a more flavorful steak on my stovetop at home. It was a one star experience between the food, service with an attitude and the creepy old tribe leader sneaking up behind us every now and then. But I’m giving them the extra star because the general manager tried his best to rescue our experience with new steaks and a discount. Overall. Not worth the drive or the money.

My dad’s favorite restaurant. I’m not a big game eater, but the ambiance and service is always excellent. The view at night is excellent. A little pricey, but always a great time. Fun place to take out of town guests.

Love this place or I did…
But it has changed big time. I feel like they phone in the service. It’s sad because this was my favorite place.
We got the the restaurant early and tired to order drinks. I was asked if we were dinning with them. I said yes then without taking my order the waiter waked away…
We had a reversion with a view and that didn’t happen.
The we asked for separate checks and that didn’t happen.
We had a late revision and I think that’s why they wanted to push us out.
It’s too bad because was my favorite place and now it’s a place I won’t go back…

My boyfriend took me here for Valentine’s Day and I was very impressed! The location is beautiful, their décor choices are super cute but the building itself is quite small. They had Native American flute players playing music while you eat, and a low lit romantic environment. Very fitting for the occasion. We ordered the bison fillet with green chili mashed potatoes and they brought out a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and a cute heart shaped chocolate cake for dessert. Nothing on their menu disappointed me. They also have the best sangria I’ve ever had. A definite must!
I will say there were some cons to this place. One being the price. I didn’t see the tab, but the prices shown on the menu were more than enough to guess it was an over $ 200 tab. It’s also awkwardly quiet in there, too quiet I’d say. They don’t have music aside from the flute players and once they stop playing, you can hear each other’s conversations and almost have to whisper. The portions are also super small. But with all this in mind, we are definitely coming back in the future.

Not impressed! Super slow service, not a classy place and your food may as well come out on paper plates.
We drove 40 min to get this place which was our first mistake. We came with a group of 10 and the best thing we had was the guacamole. All of our main courses were not cooked right and very little flavor compared to what they advertise. When I arrived I realized that I’d been to this place 8 years ago for another sales meeting I attended. I thought it was pretty bad back then so you can only imagine when we pulled up I thought… Oh no! I’ve been here and it wasn’t good. The place definitely hasn’t changed. The history behind it is cool so clean up the food!

Wooo! Let me tell you gentleman– if you’re looking for a nice place to take a lady on a date, look no further!
My boyfriend and I went to The Fort because we were in the area and we were hungry, we were so surprised with how nice and beautiful the whole place was.
Great atmosphere and ambiance.
But the best part? The food.
We had the qual eggs wrapped in buffalo for our appetizer and it was one of the best appetizers I have ever had at a restaurant! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
We then shared a salad, with their chipotle honey dressing. So good.
We shared the trio entrée and I enjoyed all three meats– qual, elk and buffalo.
By far the Buffalo was my favorite– I would recommend that!
We shared a bottle of wine, amazing wine list for you Wine-O’s!
The service was great!
We will totally be going back

One of the best restaurants in town, probably the country.
Insanely unique, odd, and weird foods, all of which are excellent.
Steaks are great, poultry is great, drinks are great.
Pricey, yes, but totally worth it for special events and occasions.

I have to admit, I was surprised by the mixed reviews. The Fort, as the name suggests, is designed to look like a large fort overlooking a beautiful scenic view of the mountains. There is plenty of outdoor seating for those looking to enjoy the view, while the inside attempts to create a comfortably rustic, western feel.
The service was great, with our waiter providing some fantastic recommendations for drinks, appetizers, and entrees. The food can border on the bold with some of the «finest rocky mountain oysters that you can find in the salt lakes of Colorado», braised tongue, jalapenos covered with peanut butter, and of course, steak galore.
If you have a group of adventurous eaters, than the sampler is welll worth it, as you get a little of some of their best, and most eclectic appetizers. The steak and lamp chops were very good and the lamb chops in particular were very well-​seasoned. The food borders on the pricey side (entrees ranging from $ 35−50+ and cocktails in the $ 10 – 15 range), but we all left feeling full and happy with out meal.

I must admit, I booked the Fort for a special occasion, then read all the mixed Unilocal reviews. However, I am glad to report, that I had a wonderful experience!
Things to know about the Fort? Well, this isn’t a cheap place to eat. Think $ 50+ steaks. I tell you this because not 1, but 2 tables next to us where shocked at the prices and one even left. It also isn’t a cheesy themed restaurant. Yes, it is a replicated version of Bent’s Fort and they do their best to make it a authentic experience, complete with the trapper to great you (if you come at opening they will ring the bell and he will welcome you in). Other than that, go and enjoy. The service was top notch. The guacamole was to die for and the prickly pear margaritas were yummy. I opted for a green chile stuffed steak and it was excellent.
Plus if you go on an occasion (like a birthday), you get a free dessert and they give you a few huzzahs while you wear a big bison hat! I love it and would go back in a second. The price is a bit daunting, so it is a special occasion thing for us and the parking can be a pain if you have reservations later, but they are small things. It is a must!

Truly enjoyed my first experience at the Fort. Everyone here was super nice and very helpful. The ambiance was perfect.
My steak was cooked perfectly and exactly how I wanted it. The mashed potatoes and the salad were exquisite.
I’ll definitely be back.

We had our rehearsal dinner here last July and the place is so cool and the atmosphere is great! I didn’t like the food-​too heavy but my husband loved it and that’s what was important since he was SO excited to have our dinner there. The peanut butter escabeche was one thing I did like.

I’m not sure if they’re just striking out temporarily, or if they should be going a different direction.
After receiving several good recommendations from friends, my wife and I decided to eat here for our anniversary dinner. I did some extra research and thought it would be fun. It should’ve had great atmosphere and food; I thought it was a great choice.
I regretted that decision in the first five minutes. We were there on 6÷21÷15 right at the opening bell. They sat us in a semi-​decorated section of the restaurant with two other couples. It felt a little cold; not temperature cold. It was so quiet that every couple could hear everything the others were saying. I didn’t want to hear about the Triple Crown on top of our personal conversation, but I didn’t have a choice. I asked if they could play some ambient music. The waitress said they’d have a flutist in the room shortly. That didn’t happen for another 30 minutes or so. Strike one.
Our waitress seemed nice but was a little slow. Our whole service time was about 85 minutes. The first drink order was strange. My wife got a pear drink with lemon and lime; I got a pomegranate drink with rum. We both received brightly colored drinks. Mine was purple; hers was pink. We’re not sure how pear, lime, or lemon turns pink… but we tried them. We tried them again. We mixed them up as much as we could, but neither of our drinks had any flavor — just coloring and soda water. We sent them back and both ordered root beers instead. Strike two.
I hoped it would get better with the appetizer. We ordered the duck quesadilla. It was supposed to have a coffee bbq sauce, but I didn’t taste that at all. Their online menu says that it comes with a mango-​chipotle salsa. That probably would’ve fixed my issues with it. We didn’t get the mango-​chipotle salsa; we just got an ice cream scoop of terrible, chunky guacamole. Pip-​sized onions do not make a good guacamole. You cannot balance the flavors of a good guacamole with chunks that large. Without the garnish, the quesadilla was just too bland. I definitely missed the mango-​chipotle salsa. Strike three.
At this point, they’re out, but we still had three more courses. My salad was fine. The ranch was a little runny, but the flavor was still good. My wife got the soup. It was supposed to be something of a pork stew, but it ended up being soupy corn: a few tiny bits of pork and lots of corn. The complimentary bread and pumpkin muffins were the best thing we received. The tiny dollop of butter wasn’t enough for us though. Strike four.
When we received our main dishes, they looked great from the outside. They were cooked medium rare like we asked. My wife got the t-​bone special, and I had the «Incorrect» New York strip. Incorrect means smothered in a sauce and a sunny side up egg on top. Unfortunately, that egg was the best part of my meal. The sauce was bland and the steak had very little flavor. Did they season it at all? Some table salt and pepper helped… but not enough to warrant the $ 56 for my steak, salad, and a couple pieces of bread. My wife’s t-​bone was just as bland as mine. We both enjoyed our asparagus. At least that’s something. Strike five.
At this point, it had been about 70 minutes and we hadn’t seen the waitress in at least fifteen minutes. She was waiting on other tables, but didn’t check in with us for a while. We finally waved down her assistant and told him that we needed to get moving but that we still had a dessert coming. They got that and the check to us in the final 15 minutes, but speed didn’t help the taste of the dessert.
It was just a hot fudge sundae. But the hot fudge was just your average hershey’s chocolate syrup (maybe even a knock-​off). I grew up on the stuff. I can’t stand the taste at this point, but it’s forever burned into my mind (thanks, mom). Strike six.
Our total bill was about $ 160. I wish I could just get that money back at this point. Heck, I’d even take the difference between what we paid and what we should’ve paid for the lack of quality food. I’d equate that meal to a $ 40 dinner at Chili’s. Actually, Chili’s is probably better. I couldn’t have been more disappointed in my choice for an anniversary meal. Thankfully, the rest of the night was great.
The Fort isn’t something I would recommend to anyone in its current state. They should just pivot to a family-​centered entertainment restaurant. The food’s already on-​par with that concept; they need to bring the price down to match.

Sad to write this, but be warned. The Fort is off its game, so to speak.
We have taken out of town people here for years. The view is amazing; the atmosphere is cool; servers would put the food in context. You’d know you were getting a a taste of the old west (literally) with a gourmet twist — game and fixings from the prairie, a bit of history, and delicious. No more.
The Fort can’t decide what it wants to be: steak house? mini tourist-​attraction? gourmet restaurant? It would be fine if it succeeded at any of them. But the food was not outstanding; and our service was iffy at best.
We went last night for a friend’s birthday. I’ve had a few expensive dinners in my time; and while I maybe didn’t love the price, I felt like I’d had an amazing experience… food artistry, lovely service, no quibbles. We had a $ 300+ bill for four people — cocktails but no wine, a couple of appetizers and desserts to share.
There was lots to quibble about. The game plate is $ 49 for a sampler — small elk chop, one smallish buffalo filet, and one tiny quail, plus a small serving of mashed potatoes and a side of asparagus. $ 47 for a buffalo filet mignon with the same fixings. That’s six ounces of meat.
And forget not eating red meat. They used to have trout on the menu (Rocky Mountain Rainbow); now it’s Scottish Salmon for $ 40 — which Argyll and others do better for half that; and a vegetarian entrée for $ 30. Even knowing that you are in a shrine to meat, you expect execution and care for $ 30. Their vegetarian entrée was soggy and unseasoned — an Amy’s frozen dinner comes close and might taste better.
We arrived close to on-​time (traffic, ya know). The server greeted us but didn’t tell us any of the history of the place (which is pretty interesting and *should* enhance the meal). Cocktails were good, apps were okay, desserts were terrific. I think the birthday girl enjoyed her game plate, but like many of us, she once worked in a restaurant and thought the service and delivery was puzzlingly off at best. It wasn’t as good as the best steakhouses, and yet as a taste of the old west it didn’t deliver either.
We used to love the Fort. But I’m not sure we’ll ever go back.

Come here for the game meat and leave with a smile on. Their quail eggs are superb and so are their cocktails. I’d advise to start it off right. Whiskey old fahioned. Oh. and dont order like you’re at a chilis. reading some of these poor reviews I’d be surprised if the people have ever experienced fine dining.
Enjoy the experience… and who cares if it’s just a little corny. Smile for once in your life.

I came here for restaurant week because I heard it was a restaurant former president Bill Clinton came to eat. If the President, who could eat anywhere in the United States chose this restaurant, I knew there had to be a good reason. Another reason I came here was because some restaurants offer a separate menu during restaurant week, and The Fort did not do that. They offered dinner options that were from their regular menu so I was able to taste what their regular menu had to offer.
Upon arriving, the parking lot was up on a hill, so you only see the restaurant sign when driving by. I came dressed up and in heels and I WOULD NOT recommend wearing heels. You had to walk down a steep hill from the parking lot to the restaurant which was not easy in heels. Then, there was a cute teepee in the middle of a rock bed and stone path to the restaurant. Again, not an easy area to walk around in heels. Once we got to the restaurant, it was easy to walk around because it was flat ground with carpet. The style of the restaurant had a western feel with their decorations such as the wood furniture and animal heads hanging on the wall. It had a warm and cozy, but casual feel which I loved. On the wall, they had a wall of pictures from many famous people and former presidents who have came to this restaurant.
Even though we had reservations, there was still a wait for us to be seated because the restaurant was so packed, so we sat by the bar and ordered our appetizers and got a couple drinks. For appetizers, I got the roasted bison marrow bones, which took time, so ordering them ahead of time worked out perfectly because they were ready by the time our table was ready. For dinner, I ordered the buffalo sirloin and quail, which came with a side of corn and potatoes. The appetizers and main course was absolutely delicious! The meats and bison marrow did not taste gamey; they were perfectly cooked and seasoned. I could not have asked for it to be any better. Since it was restaurant week, our dinners came with a dessert, which was a chocolate mousse served in an edible chocolate tulip.
I would highly recommend this place to anyone who was interested in trying this restaurant. Everyone dressed casually and the women wore either jeans or skirts with boots or sandals and I would recommend not wearing heels so you could walk around and explore. I have told many of my friends about my recommendations here and I would definitely come back.

Are experience here was very interesting the one thing that we didn’t like at all is they did not let us choose our veggies, chefs choice really sounds more like laziness to me. On a positive note great presentation and the manager was very friendly and wonderful she did give us chocolate cake comped and that was great. The Buffalo medallions were absolutely fantastic. And definitely be prepared to pay a little fortune.

All hype, no substance.
Once upon a time, I had a reservation to dine here with my family and ultimately had to cancel. I was fortunate enough to be invited for a work function, so I got to see what we missed for free.
I say fortunate, because the only opportunity I missed was to spend an exorbitant amount of money on bad food. From a group of 50+ executives, the amount of leftovers was astounding. We had various appetizers along with quail, salmon, and bison with sides of asparagus and potatoes, and it all fell into the «meh» or «no, thanks» buckets.
Considering each entrée goes for $ 40 – 50 here, the food should be spectacular. If nothing else, a good experience can compensate for poor food. Unfortunately for The Fort, neither is to be found.