Sanford’s Grub and Pub - Fort Collins

Sanford’s Grub and Pub

1526 Oak Ridge Dr.  

Fort Collins, CO 80525

(970) 206-0400

http://thegrubandpub.com

Mon - Sat:  11:00 am- 10:00 pm

Sun:  11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Some may call it artery clogging food but for us it’s pub food with a twist. And what goes best with cheap beer and tacky décor, reminiscent of an old hillbilly junk yard? Our answer - Sanford’s and even more beer!

Atmosphere:  Sanford’s is situated on the southern side of Fort Collins on Harmony. The first thing we noticed about the outside is the large outside patio. Once inside, we were transported to a hillbilly cluttered paradise, packed with people. The décor is a cross between a Hollywood and a Vegas junkyard with items and signs strewn all over the walls and ceilings. There were also cartoon like hillbilly drawings on the walls and menus, as well as unique lead pipe stands holding paper towels near the tables. The bar itself is large and surrounded by HD TV’s and country music could be heard at conversation worthy levels. There is high top tables available in the bar area as well as booths and regular tables in the restaurant side.  Sanford's clientele seemed drawn in, in large part, by the kitschy cocktails (Hillbilly Martini’s) and cheap beer, but mostly cheap beer.

Service:  We tried to find a seat at the bar to no avail. The bar was packed, but we were fortunate enough to find a table towards the entrance to the bar area. Service in the bar was attentive and fast, even with $1 beers, our glasses never sat empty.

Drinks:  Have we mentioned they have $1 beers? Oh, and they have $1 beers.  But besides that they have $1 beers. Oh and some other happy hour specials (wine & wells) and fun drink names like coconut cream pie and fuzzy mint. But we went for $1 beers.

 Food:  Sanford’s menu is extensive. There are more than 20 appetizers, 18 salads and countless combo creations. They feature the usual BBQ staples, smokehouse ribs, pulled pork sandwich, barbecued chicken,  as well as broiled steaks, sandwiches, fried chicken, wings, burgers and some Southern influenced touches such as; chicken & biscuits, jambalaya, Cajun shrimp fajitas, Andouille sausage penne. We opted for burgers on this visit, having the Pants on Fire and the Easy Cheesy. Our sides of choice were the Sweet Georgia Browns (fried sweet potatoes) and Cajun Fries – both delicious. The portions were large and our complaints only came from our aching bellies after the damage was done. Overall our food was fresh, flavorful and very fattening.

Amenities:  Large patio, HD TV’s, video games, sauces and Sanford’s merchandise for sale.

Parking:  There is plenty of parking in Sanford’s parking lot.

The Buzz: $1 PBR’s all day every day, live music on Tuesdays and Saturday nights, Sunday and Tuesdays kids eat free, Monday through Friday  from 3pm - 6pm, daily drink specials.

Old Chicago - Fort Collins

Old Chicago – Old Town Location
147 S. College
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 482-8599
http://www.oldchicago.com
11am to 2am Daily

Old Chicago has been serving up pizza for 30 years now, but don’t be confused about this restaurants tie to Chicago; it is a Colorado based chain. Although there are locations in several states now, including Illinois, there is no Old Chicago in the city of Chicago. Regardless, it’s a decent place to grab a beer and pizza.

Atmosphere:  There are several dining areas inside the restaurant including in the bar side. The front dining area was small and lined with wooden tables and chairs and has windows that open up for a more patio feel in summer months. The bar, which serves as a center piece in the restaurant, offers raised booths around several pool tables and bar seating. There is an entire back dining area lined with booths and tables as well, which has a more open feel. The walls are mostly brick  with wood trim, warm painted walls and Chicago themed memorabilia. Music played from the jukebox at medium levels and groups of people played pool while waiting for their pizza to arrive. The crowd was everything from families to college kids. All in all, this place had a warm and cozy feel to it whether there to eat or drink.

 Service:  Service is hit or miss here. We have sat at the bar and received excellent service and other times in a booth near the bar and were ignored. We recommend the bar of course.

Drinks: Old Chicago has a fully stocked bar and its big draw is the 110 beers they carry. If you can’t decide what beer you want, they do offer flights with craft, import or custom samples. Not a beer lover? They have a cocktail menu with variations of classic libations as well.

Food:  The menu consists of everything you would expect from a pizza place and more. The appetizers have an Italian influence with items like mozzarella cheese sticks, Italian nachos and Sicilian pepperoni rolls. There are several pasta dishes to choose from, as well as cal-zones, sandwiches and burgers – all under the $10 range. They do offer three styles of pizza – New York , Artisan and of course Chicago. Pizzas are available in four sizes,starting at individual up to 18 inches and you may build your own or choose one of their specialty pizzas.

Amenities:  Dance floor (when pool tables are moved), touch tunes jukebox, pool tables, HD TV’s, video game machines, change machine, open/outside seating up front, kids menu.

Parking:  You will have to find parking in old town.

The Buzz:  Happy Hour twice a day, 7 days a week from 4pm-6pm and 10 pm-12 am, Kids eat for 99 cents on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm.