Restaurants in Fort Collins That Deserve A Comeback

I've lived in Fort Collins my entire life, which means I've seen lots of restaurants come and go. Openings and then before you know it, closings. But I can't help but think about some places that should totally come back in 2026.

Just a few Fort Collins restaurants that deserve a comeback

I'm fully aware that any type of cafeteria could seem classless. But I'm a classless type of gal because I, for one, miss Furrs Cafeteria like you wouldn't believe. From the brown trays to the all-you-can-eat soup station, Furrs Cafeteria was a treasure and would kill it in 2026.

Here's one that really hurt. Bennigans. There are still some menu items that I just can't shake. The Monte Cristo, for one. A ham-and-cheese sandwich, deep-fried, with raspberry jelly for dipping sauce. Why did we decide to deprive ourselves of such joy?

How about Golden Corral? I know that there are still locations in Northern Colorado, but the one in Fort Collins was just perfect. Located right across from Kohl's, I still remember watching my grandma fold up food in napkins to stuff in her purse and take home.

If I say the words fast Mexican food you'll probably assume I'm talking about Taco Bell. Nope. I look back fondly on a restaurant located in Fort Collins, off of Riverside, called Amigos. Amigos was one up from Taco Bell and one below The Rio. It was a mid-level Mexican food joint, and I miss it to this day.

One more for the memories. It was called the Hamburger Stand, and you could feed a family of six, like mine, for five dollars. I am not even exaggerating. Who knew what was in the meat? We poor folk just knew that on Tuesdays, you could get a hamburger for a dime.

Here's my final thought

I'm sure I'll wake up tonight in a cold sweat and remember a shut-down Fort Collins restaurant that I missed, but that just means I'll have to write up another heavy on the nostalgia article.