Tony's Bar - Fort Collins

Tony's Bar 
224 S. College
Fort Collins, CO 80524

(970)484-6973

Monday-Friday:   11:00 am to 2:00 am

Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 am to 2:00 am

Tony’s Bar is still a dive but was due for a re-evaluation since they have made some changes -for the better.  This is usually the spot we start at on a night out because of its south- side- of -old -town location and the cheap drinks. There is much people watching to be had here. You may see anything from stumbling old locals ogling stumbling young girls to frat guys being thrown out by security for being unruly. Do go with a group of friends.  Don’t go alone looking to make friends.

Atmosphere:  Now when entering the bar downstairs the aroma of urine and vomit are no more. It is still dark inside, but the floor is no longer dirty and speckled with old gum. It appears the floors have been resurfaced and replaced with hard wood. There seems to always be music blasting from the touch-tunes jukebox and the downstairs bar is usually lined with unsavory older men. If you make it to the upstairs bar, it’s a little more uplifting. The rooftop patio bar is covered and well heated.  It has ample seating around the bar and plenty of high top tables where the smokers tend to congregate. By day the bar is populated with the older crowd mentioned above.  At night there seems to be an unstable mix of some of Fort Collins shiftier residents and the lower end of the fraternity gene pool. Regardless, it's always a good time.

Service:  The service is average and you’re ordering will done at the bars, unless seated at one of the high top tables on the patio. 

Drinks:  You will find an average selection of beers on tap with your local breweries, featured in front of a few imports and domestics. They now tout having the coldest beer in town thanks to the ice taps beer is poured from. They did also add a new selection of wines displayed nicely in small wine barrels behind the bar.   The upstairs bar has a slushy machine on hand that is a dangerous concoction of vodka and Monster energy drink.  The bar staff always has a tasty shot in the repertoire that they are more then happy to shoot with you.  Do your self a favor and stay away from “The Jimmy Shot”.  Named after the charismatic owner, it’s an awful combination of vodka and diet coke. The flatness and flavor does not do “Jimmy” any justice. 

Food:  Apparently there is a menu but we have yet to dare try it. We did see a platter of fried food being delivered that actually looked edible and over heard people raving about the fried mushrooms.

Amenities:  Touch tunes jukebox, large covered patio upstairs, pool tables, shuffle board, TV’s, dart boards, bathrooms both upstairs and downstairs, skee ball games.

Parking:  You will have to find a place to park somewhere on the street. There is a parking lot behind Tony’s but you will have to walk around to the front to get in.

The Buzz:  Daily food specials,$2 anything on tap 8 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays, bean bag toss on Tuesdays,  Happy Hour from 3 to 7 pm M-F.

West End Pub - Fort Collins

West End Pub

1119 W Drake Rd

 Fort Collins, CO 80526

(970) 377-0039

Monday – Sunday 11 am to close

We were lucky enough to stumble upon this place one night while out with friends. This is the perfect place to just chill out, have a beer and play darts or pool while listening to the jukebox.  The patrons posted up where of a mixed variety and all very friendly. 

Atmosphere:  This place is everything you expect from a typical dive bar , yet very clean. It is set up in a strip mall and has a store front entry. Once inside the long bar is on the northern wall with the south side of the bar is filled with pool tables, video game machines and darts. There are recliner couches along the front of the bar, directly under the windows and also towards the back, for those who want to lounge around. There is a jukebox on the back wall that played a lot of country music but offered some rock classics. There is ample seating at the bar and the few high top tables throughout the place.The crowd was very diverse with a few college guys, couples and old guys watching the TV;s around the bar and playing pool. The walls and ceilings are painted in dark colors and decorated with typical beer signs and plaques.

Service:  We only noticed one person working behind the bar and she seemed to have it covered. She was friendly, engaging and knew her liquor.

Drinks:  West End Pub has an average selection of domestics and craft beers.  There is a dry erase board behind the bar listing specials mostly some shots and concoctions we had never heard of, although they sounded good.  We didn't try any of the specialty shots because the bottle of Black Velvet behind the bar was just too enticing and comical. we had to keep it real and toss one back only to then see the bottle of Yukon Jack.  The bar is stocked with  all the usual liquors nothing super high end. 

Food:  There is a small selection of typical bar food here. There did not appear to be menus so we had to ask , but they do carry items such as poppers, burgers, pizza, fries and a few other less healthy options that go perfectly with your beer.

Amenities:  Jukebox , cork dart boards, electronic dart boards, Pool table, HD TV’s, pinball machine, video game machines, mega touch machine, ATM, skeeball, recliners.

Parking:  There is ample parking in the lot where the bar is located.

The Buzz:  Live music on Friday and Saturday  nights, dart tournaments, Wednesday night karaoke, daily drink specials , Monday through Friday Happy Hour .

Pitchers Sports Restaurant - Fort Collins

Pitchers Sports Restaurant

1100 W Drake Rd
Fort Collins, CO 80526

(970) 493-5374

Mon – Sun 11:00 am to 1:30 am – Last call

Pitchers is nestled in a shopping center in the middle of Fort Collins.  Its right next to Rolland Moore Park, where the city recreational league games are played, making it a great place to celebrate or nurse your wounds after the game. 

Atmosphere:  Pitchers is a SPORTS BAR.  It screams it the minute you walk in the door. The bar is surrounded with TV’s and at every angle. Basically the interior is simple allowing neon beer signs, in windows and televisions to provide the décor. The place seems clean and the bathrooms are well maintained. Sports lovers are predominant in this bar and not just local team fan types, it gets its mix. So even if you’re half- the- country away from your favorite team you’re sure to find a fellow fan here.

Service:  The bartenders are attentive and friendly.  Table service is a mixed bag here.  It ranges from great and super friendly to “I wonder if that girl has ever been a waitress before?” If you don’t have a group of friends or your team with you, sit at the bar. 

Drinks:  All the big domestic players are on tap at the bar, with the two big local craft breweries giving a strong showing as well.  The only complaint about the draft beers is the plastic pint glasses they’re served in, a few have seen better days. The $7 domestic pitchers make it easy to ignore the beat up barware. If beer is not your drink of choice they also have a fully stocked bar.

Food:  Pitchers does have a nice large menu with a combination of finger food appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, Mexican food and even some salads.  People are always munching down, but our hands are usually full with pint glasses.

Amenities:  A bunch of pool tables you can pay for by the hour, several electronic dart boards, a foosball table, karaoke, TV trivia, party room, and a patio.

Parking:  There is ample parking in the lot surrounding the bar.

The Buzz:  Karaoke on Tuesday and Saturday nights, pool leagues, dart leagues.

Duke of Windsor Sports Bar & Grill - Windsor

Duke of Windsor Sports Bar & Grill

522 Main St

Windsor, CO 80550

(970)686-5775

Mon-Sat 11am-close

Sun 11am-8pm

The Duke of Windsor is one of those neighborhood bars that have been around for well over 20 years. We discovered this place one night when we went there to see a cover band that wasn’t half bad. If you are not confused by the store front building upon entering, then you will be when you see this place on a Friday night. It was packed before 10 pm with more people than I have ever even seen in Windsor.  We did get the feeling of being outsiders and that everyone in the place knew each other.

Atmosphere:  The outside does not look like a bar at all and when you walk through the front door you continue down a long hallway area to the back. This store front area has been converted into a video game room but no one is ever in it. Once through there you find yourself in a huge dark room with music blaring and local team banners hanging from the ceiling. There are tables throughout the center of this place, ample seating around the bar and high top tables with TV’s at the end. There is an area called kids’ corner with video games and a separate pool room. The crowd was very mixed and interesting enough to satisfy the needs of any experienced people watcher.

Service:  The service at our table was just OK  At one point we gave up waiting and went to the bar for a pitcher of beer.  With the time the wait staff spent with their other tables we got the impression if you were a more frequent patron you would get better service. When we sat at the bar we got much speedier service. Although the bar staff are not the friendliest, they do take care of their customers at the bar.

Drinks:  An average selection of domestic beers and a couple of crafts you don’t normally see on tap.  A fully stocked bar with different nightly specials.  They offer nothing in the way of a cocktail menu.  This is obviously a beer and whiskey sort of place. The happy hour special advertises $2 domestic drafts and $2.25 wells and wines.

Food:  There is a food menu with everything you would assume a dive bar would carry, like burgers, appetizers, sandwiches and even Mexican food all for under $10. There is even a kids menu and advertised daily specials, which is what we opted to try. We had the sliders and the cheese steak sandwich with fries and our only complaint was the small portion of fries served. The food was actually good.

Amenities:  Pool tables, large stage, dance floor area, dart boards, TV’s at tables and bar, video games, touch tunes jukebox, gum balls machines, kids’ corner area.

Parking:  Parking on Main Street maybe tricky but there is a residential neighborhood behind the bar.

The Buzz:  Live music on Friday nights, karaoke on Saturday nights, Texas hold’em Friday through Sunday at 7pm, free shuttle home on weekends, happy hour Monday through Friday 4 to 6 pm.