Slider’s Sports Bar & Grill – Fort Collins

Slider’s Sports Bar & Grill
1006 Spring Creek Lane
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 493-8408
http://www.slidersbg.com/
Monday-Friday 3:00pm -2:00am
Saturday & Sunday Noon -2:00 am

We have driven past Slider’s Sports Bar & Grill plenty of times thinking it was just another little bar in a shopping center, but looks can be deceiving. We are kicking ourselves for missing out on this not-so-little jewel that’s wrapped up in a blue collar kind of feel.

Atmosphere:  The front room is inviting with a long bar on the northern side, lots of high top tables in the middle and a few arcade games around the outer walls. Just past the bar is another large room with a few tables, ski ball machines and dart boards. And as if that wasn’t enough, there is yet another room with pool tables. The décor is mostly made up of beer and sports memorabilia but we expected nothing less with a name like “sliders”. The clientele was mostly groups of 20 to 30 something’s, gathered at tables with pitchers of beer and burgers. The laughter and buzz took over the rooms, while karaoke acts entertained at levels in which conversations could be held. This is a low lights kind of place that is relaxing, even while the bartenders hustled.

Service:  Service at the bar was quick and friendly. The bartender did a shot with us, which in our opinion is always a bonus!

Drinks:  With twenty tap handles, Sliders has a well-rounded selection of miro-brews and domestics. They have a fully stocked bar that’s put to good use, which was evident while watching the bartender sling out a bounty of shots to the thirsty patrons.

Food:  The menu is comprised mostly of pub and grub style bar food like burgers and fries, sandwiches, wings, and chicken nuggets. They also have a selection of south of the border items like nachos, burritos, and tacos, if you’re feeling a little adventurous. All menu items are under $10, except one. It should be noted that the one item is – The Triple Bypass ($11.99) and is a juicy ½ pound burger grilled to perfection sandwiched between two famous grilled cheese sandwiches grilled on garlic toast. Wow.

Amenities: Touch tunes jukebox, free Wi-Fi, video/arcade games, HD TV’s, gumball machines, ski ball, darts, pool tables, air hockey tables, claw game.

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

The Buzz:  Monday through Friday happy hour from 3 to 7 pm, live trivia Monday nights at 8pm, Saturday night open mic, karaoke on Wednesday nights at 9 pm, Thursday night’s live trivia at 8 pm, Friday karaoke at 9 pm, $2 pints on Saturdays on drafts from 7 pm to close, daily drink specials.

Buffalo Wild Wings – Fort Collins

Buffalo Wild Wings
150 E. Harmony Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-266-9464
http://www.buffalowildwings.com
Sun: 11am to 12am
Mon-Sat: 11am to 1am

We are usually turned off by the restaurant chains around town, but sometimes it’s hard to resist a 2 pm happy hour with a side of March Madness! Buffalo Wild Wings is more than just a sports hang out, they have some good food and of course buffalo wings.

Atmosphere:  This place is large, wide open and chock full of TV’s blaring sports from every angle. Once inside we were staring straight at the bar which occupies the entire west end of the building. There are tables throughout the center of the place and booths lining the south facing wall. There is a large service patio, with seating and fans for warmer months. The walls inside are painted in reds and browns, giving the place a masculine feel and decorated with sports memorabilia – of course. Overall the place is very clean and …. corporate. The crowd was mostly groups watching sports and enjoying happy hour specials. The place was loud due to TV’s playing something different every few feet and because some idiot continuously pumped money into the jukebox, only to have their songs drowned out.

Service:  Service was decent and our food came very fast. Service at the bar was quick and friendly.

Drinks:  They have a well-stocked bar here, but they could use a few more premium liquor choices.  The beer selection is sufficient with a wide range of domestics, (local) micros, and imports.  The prices are very reasonable, especially for a large chain and even better during happy hour.

Food:  The menu consists of wraps, salads, burgers, ribs and of course wings. They offer 16 different sauces to put on your wings, ranging from the sweet stuff up to a flavor called “blazin”. They also offer a children’s menu and on Monday’s kids eat for $1.99. During our visit we had the juicy steak burger and the chicken buffalito, which were both quite satisfying.

Amenities:  Projector TV, HD TV’s, jukebox, touch tunes play ports, claw game, patio, free Wi-Fi, high chairs, take out.

Parking:  There is a large parking lot in the shopping center surrounding the place.

The Buzz:  Happy-hour Monday – Friday from 2 to 7p.m, Kid’s eat for $1.99 on Monday’s,45 cent wings on Tuesdays, 60 cent boneless wings on Thursdays.

Ryan’s Sports Grill - Fort Collins

Ryan’s Sports Grill
925 E. Harmony Road
Fort Collins, CO
(970) 229-0017
www.rsportsgrill.com
Tuesday   11:00 am to 2 am
Thurs & Fri 11:00 am to 2 am
Sat – Mon 11:00 am to 12 am

Not so long ago we wrote a review for this establishment when it was under another name and a corporate umbrella.  For reasons unknown to us, the owners broke away from the Jackson’s franchise and started Ryan’s. Fearful that it may have changed, we went in and were relieved to find it didn’t. Although the menu is a tad bit different, it still is the laid back sports bar we enjoyed.

Atmosphere: There is no real noticeable change to the building except for the sign out front that reads “Ryan’s” in green. There are large flat screens everywhere in this dim, but airy joint. There are rows of tables, both high and low, booths through-out the middle, and a long bar on the southern side. There is a “game” area filled with pool tables, video games and a jukebox as well as a basketball game. Its dark colors and modest sports décor give this place a relaxed and cozy feel. The bathrooms do have LCD screens on the sinks now displaying local advertisements and commercials, which was just strange. Over all Ryan’s a big space that is jammed packed when game time rolls around. The crowd is very mixed but have one thing in common – sports.

Service:  Service has always been decent here, new name or old. There are plenty of bartenders behind the bar and plenty of cocktail waitress’ ensuring that even on the busiest game days, our glasses rarely go empty.

Drinks:  They have 10 micros and domestics on tap.  Nothing in the way of an actual drink menu but the bartenders know their stuff and a have a fully stocked bar to back them up. There is a nice selection of wines and malted alternative/girly drinks like Mike’s Hard Lemonade . There are also daily drink specials.

Food:  The new menu still provides your standard “sports bar food” with some healthy choices. The menu features are salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, wings, wraps and even breakfast. The specialty section has items like steak, shrimp, fajitas, ribs and pasta. We tried the Tao’s chicken wrap and the buffalo chicken sandwich which were both pretty good. We also had a side of cheese curds and …wow!

Amenities:  Patio  on west side , pool tables, video games, basketball hoop game, 38 HD TV’s, dart boards, touch tunes juke box, ATM, free Wi-Fi, trivia, claw game, change machine.

Parking:  There is plenty of parking surrounding the bar in the shopping center where it is located.

The Buzz:  Private party rooms, catering, Wednesday night Trivia, Happy Hour Monday through Friday from  3-6 PM and 10 PM-Close, comedy night on the second Friday of every month, Military and senior discounts, kids eat free Sundays and Tuesdays after 5pm.

Mulligans Pub & Sports Club - Fort Collins

Mulligans Pub & Sports Club
2439 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO
(970) 482-2584
www.mulliganspubfc.com
Monday – Friday 11 am to close
Saturday – Sunday 9 am to close


Mulligans Pub & Sports Club is located in a shopping center just south of Old Town. They advertise as being “voted best pub and best pub food in Fort Collins”. This is the place we go when we need a change from the monotony of the Old Town scene.

Atmosphere:  Upon entering you will notice a lot of wood walls, bar and booths. The place is split into two sides, both have bars, but one is the more “sporty” side with pool tables, darts and a jukebox. The sporty side is a little dimmer with lots of HD-TV’s above the bar and high top tables.The brighter side has a more restaurant feel with booths that have small TV’s in them. Either side gives you the laid back feeling of being in an Irish pub. The crowd is mixed in age range, but Mulligans is definitely not the average college haunt.

Service:  Full service on the restaurant side with servers and a no fluff “seat yourself” attitude.  The sporty side is primarily bar service with the bartenders doubling as cocktail servers. Overall service was above average and our food orders came very quick.

Drinks:  The typical domestics brews are here as well as four- each from the two larger local craft brewers.  The sporty side has a nice ice bin under their draft towers, so you know your always going to get a perfectly chilled pint. We opted for the $3 O’dells during their “thirsty Thursday” happy hour. The selection of scotch and Irish whisky was a little on the small side for an Irish pub.

Food:  The menu features typical pub style food like sandwich’s, burgers, soups salads, and a few Mexican and Asian inspired dishes stuck in between.  With nothing over $11 you should have enough cash left over for dessert. The entrée dinner selection may cost you a few more dollars but the portions are large and worth it. They have an impressive appetizer section with items like hot wings, mussels, jalapeno poppers and brie. During our last visit we had the Reuben sandwich and French dip as recommended by the bartender. Both were delicious and very filling. Or, maybe it was the beers?

Amenities:  Touch tunes jukebox, patio in front, pool tables, shuffle board, TV’s, dart boards,fire pit outside, banquet rooms, interactive Wii room, free wifi, trivia, small TV’s in booths.

Parking:  There is plenty of parking surrounding the bar in the shopping center where it is located.

The Buzz:  Live acoustic music on Thursday, breakfast served on weekends,Happy hour every day, weekend bloody Mary bar, Irish music lessons on Wednesdays, Irish pub band first Fridays, Monday night football bingo, free live UFC, Late night happy hour Monday-Sunday 11 p.m.-close, lunch specials, prime rib dinner on Saturdays, ATM machine.

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.

Sports Station – Loveland

Sports Station
409 N Railroad Avenue
Loveland, CO 80537
(970) 461-8825
http://www.sportsstationco.com
Monday-Friday     11am – Midnight
Saturday-Sunday   10am-Midnight

The Sports Station was not our initial destination but we couldn't resist exploring this transformed train station (hence the name). After a little research, we discovered this historic train station was originally built in 1902 and turned into Sports Station in 2006. Much of the original benches were kept and are currently used for seating. The building itself retains the charm of a previous era while providing sports lovers a place to stay on top of their game.

Atmosphere: We entered the bar through the side door and initially assumed we had stumbled upon another dive bar. The bar itself is a little dim and crammed with a low- key kind of crowd, but  felt cozy at the same time. Flat screens can be seen while sitting at the bar or the outer high top tables along the bar walls. There is also a front door inviting customers in for some casual dining. Between the bar and dining room area is an open game room with video games, shuffle board and other games to keep your children occupied while you enjoy a cold beer or warm meal. The dining area is done simple while the majority of sports memorabilia modestly occupies the bar walls.

Service: This place has a full service restaurant side with servers and separate bar side, with its own entrance.  The bar was fairly busy but the bartenders made it a point to make time to talk to all their guests.

Drinks: Sports Station has a fully stocked bar with nothing much out of the ordinary. The regular domestic light beers are on tap, as well as a few local micros you don’t see anywhere else.  With micros being priced at $3 and a couple of rotating handles, it makes this a great spot to stop in and try something new.

Food:  There are lots of food perks going on here – like; build your own burger, a nightly Prime rib special, 6.95 lunch specials and on Mondays .99 cent tacos!  The menu itself covers it all the American food classics as well as some healthy options like salads and wraps. We couldn’t find anything on the menu over $10. There is a kids menu as well as a small  dessert section.

Amenities: Game room, Touch tunes jukebox, trivia, large patio in front, pool tables, shuffle board, 10 HD TV’s, projection TV, shuffle board, ATM, Toy grab machine, foosball, pinball machine.

Parking:  Parking is available in downtown Loveland.

The Buzz:  Breakfast served on weekends, happy hour 3PM to 6 PM Monday through Friday, Atomic hot wing challenge, Late night happy hour Monday-Friday 9 PM to 11 PM, free food delivery downtown, Uniformed teams receive  $10 domestic pitchers, catering, private parties, patio rental.

Match Up's Pool Hall - Fort Collins

Match Up's Pool Hall

625 S Mason St  

Fort Collins, CO 80524

 (970) 482-2337

www.matchupspoolhall.com

Mon - Thu:         10:30 am -2:00 am

Fri - Sun:             7:00 am  -2:00 am

When out drinking we always love shooting pool. Sometimes the tables are taken, or crooked, or covered in stains, or the cue ball is missing, or we don’t have any quarters, or….. Oh you get the picture.  Match Up’s is the perfect solution and having plenty of pool tables, we never have a hard time with any of the above grievances.

Atmosphere: This is a large space filled with regular full sized and smaller bar size pool tables. There are rows of darts and poker tables towards the back, but as usual we went straight to the large bar located in the center, because who plays pool without a cold one close by. There is a large chalk board near the bar displaying the daily drink specials as well as tournament information. Music played at tolerable levels via the jukebox, while groups of people all ages played pool in several sections of the place. There is plenty of TV’s lining the walls so you can watch games and play them too.

 Service:  Service would be our one complaint here. We sat at the bar briefly and sat with empty beer glasses for over 10 minutes while the bartender caught up with his friends. Also, there was only one server working the entire place on a Saturday night and apparently smoke breaks are more important then tips.

Drinks: This bar is fully stocked as liquor goes. While they are a little bit lacking in the draft beer department they make up for it with a decent selection of ice cold bottled beers- that are actually sitting in giant ice tubs. They do offer daily specials on all vodka drinks, rum drinks and martinis.

Food: There is a menu offering typical bar style food. The appetizer sections offers items like mini corn dogs, poppers, wings and nachos- to mention a few. The rest of the menu consists of burgers, sandwiches, entrees (steaks, fajitas, fish n chips) and even a few salads for those health conscious pool players.

Amenities:  HD TV’s all over, Pool tables , darts , poker tables, touch tunes juke box, mega touch video games, patio, free Wi-Fi, change machine, ATM.

Parking:  parking available on the south side of the building or street parking where you can find it.

The Buzz: Free tacos every Friday from 4pm-6pm, late night happy hour on Sunday - Thursday 11 pm – 1 am with: $1 domestics, daily drink specials, pool leagues available, free Texas Hold'em poker tournaments every night from 6:30 pm and Sundays at 6pm, $1 hot dogs daily

Taps Sports Bar and Grill - Fort Collins

Taps Sports Bar and Grill
165 Boardwalk Drive
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
970-449-4462
http://www.tapsftc.com
Mon – Sun  11:00 am-2:00 am

We have been to Tap’s several times since it opened last March but felt it wasn’t ready to be reviewed until now. It has taken them a while to work out all the kinks, but everything seems to be flowing smoothly now. Although it’s location isn't  ideal for a bar (or much else), they seem to be doing a great job marketing to get customers in the door. And with the ever changing selection of beers on tap, we are always willing to stop in and try something new.

Atmosphere:  The first thing you will notice when approaching Taps Sports Bar and Grill is the large inviting patio out front.  Inside you will find an abundance of  HD TV’s at good viewing angles. With a large wrap around bar and an a lot of tables (high & low) and booths, you should always be able to find a place to watch your team. There are two fireplaces you can cozy up at and watch sports as well as a video game area in the back. The decor is modern, warm and nicely done in reds and browns. There is minimal sports decor on the walls keeping the place on a classier scale where “sports bars” are concerned.

 Service:  Service was a little rocky when they first opened, but that is to be expected. The staff seems to have done a 180 in the quality of their service and attitude. We always receive friendly prompt service at the bar and management is always hands on. Even during slower times there appears to be plenty of waitresses

Drinks: Taps has over 40 beers on tap ranging from domestics to micros and those are always changing.  Most of the micros are from Colorado and none of the tap beers are imports. They do carry everyone’s Mexican favorite in bottle, but that’s about it for imports. The bar is fully stocked, but the lack of a specialty drink menu usually steers us towards there name sake. The do offer a bloody mary bar on Sundays with a pretty decent mix and fixings for $3.

Food:  We have eaten here several times and the food is OK. Let’s keep it real, we come for the beer. The menu is comprised of appetizers, pizza, salads, sandwiches and burgers for the most part and most under $10. A few of the menu items use beer as an ingredient, including sides like fries and onion rings. They do offer a very basic breakfast menu on weekends with biscuits and gravy that we highly recommend.

Amenities:  Touch tune jukebox, ATM, two fireplaces, video games, pool tables, projection TV, HD TV’s, patio.

Parking:  There is a large parking lot surrounding the place.

The Buzz:  Happy Hour from 3 to 6 pm and 10 pm to 12 am daily, Pints on Tuesday starting at 6 pm-  $1 Domestic Pints & $2 Micro Brew Pints, Wednesday trivia & karaoke at 7 pm, Thursdays burger and beer – Buy 1 Burger and get the 2nd Burger 1/2 OFF  and $3 Monster Mugs of Domestics, Friday is ladies night $1 Well Cocktails and Select New Belgium Beers, $5.99  daily lunch specials 7 days a week, Friday nights live music.

Shorty's Sports Grill - Evans

Shorty’s Sports Grill
3313 35th Ave
Evans, CO, 80634
970-301-4938
http://shortyssportsgrill.com
Mon – Sun:  11:00 am-2:00 am

Shorty’s Sports Grill is a neighborhood watering hole in Evans just west of Greeley. This place is positively a dive bar with a local’s only kind of feel.  Located in what looks like an abandoned strip mall, you would drive right past the place if you didn't know it was there, and we did.

Atmosphere:  This is a no frills kind of place. It is divided into two sections, one being the bar side and the other is where the entertainment happens. There is also a small bar in the entertainment side, while the bar side has pool tables, darts, jukebox and a bar in the back. There are booths located on the outer wall and tables throughout the center of the place. We would have sat at the bar, but it was packed during happy hour. We grabbed a booth towards the front and quickly realized we would need to order at the bar. There was music playing from a poorly tuned in radio station in between songs on the jukebox and tv’s airing the news on mute. The crowd was mostly men, but felt like an after work kind of crowd that was just stopping in for a few drinks.

Service:  The service was sketchy at the bar.  The bartender’s lack of skill on the register resulted in a lot of empty glasses and thirsty looking people. We did get the impression that there was a cocktail staff who possibly worked later in the evening, since one was sitting at the bar chatting with customers . Or maybe she was on a break?

Drinks:  Nothing special here just a couple of micros and domestics on tap with an average selection of liquors. It’s clearly a place for basic fun and basic cheap drinks. During Happy Hour we enjoyed Coors light for $2 and had no complaints.

Food:  The menu is what you would expect at a neighborhood dive bar. They have appetizers, which include wings, mozzarella sticks; quesadilla’s and even fried mushrooms. The rest of the menu offers burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads all in the $7 range unless you go for the double patty burgers which will cost you a little more.

Amenities:  Jukebox, 2 pool tables, a few old school and flat screen televisions (the flat screens have HD), darts, ATM, video games, dance floor and stage area, claw machine.

Parking:  There is plenty of parking in the lot surrounding the bar.

The Buzz: Trivia on Tuesdays at 8 pm, happy hour Wednesdays from 11 am to 11 pm, karaoke Thursdays at 8:30 pm and Saturdays at 9 pm, open mic night Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays bloody marys and mimosas for $2.50, all you can eat wings Sunday 12-5 and Monday nights from 6-9 (during football season), live music Friday nights at  9 pm, daily food specials and happy hour from 4 pm to 7 pm.