Colorado has some pretty unique dining experiences. You can enjoy a gourmet prix-fixe dinner 6,000 feet up a mountain (Flagstaff House), sip tea in a hand-carved decorated building from Tajikistan (Boulder Teahouse), or have Mexican food in an institution owned by the creators of South Park (Casa Bonita). You can even eat at a historic fort — or a full-size replica of one at least.
The Fort Restaurant was built in Morrison in 1963 to look and feel like Bent’s Fort in La Junta, which was a peaceful trading site along the Santa Fe Trail in the 1840s. It was founded by amateur historians the late Sam Arnold and his wife Elizabeth, who wanted to raise their children in an adobe-style home in the countryside. They decided to model it off Bent’s Fort after Elizabeth saw a drawing of it in a book.
They opted to open a business in the home during planning, settling on a restaurant that served a fusion of cuisine that the pioneers, tribes, and mountain men ate along the Santa Fe Trail. The staples have remained the same since The Fort opened: Buffalo, elk, quail, and other types of game meat. The menu also continues to highlight the Mexican and Spanish influence on the original Bent’s Fort.
What you’ll find at The Fort restaurant
The Fort is located on a vast red rock property with sweeping views of downtown Denver and the foothills of the Rockies. All of the furniture, gates, doors and chairs were hand carved by artists from Taos, New Mexico in 1830s style, and the bar’s signature cocktail is The Hailstorm, which was the first Colorado cocktail served at Bent’s Fort. There’s live music too, and a living history interpreter who shares his knowledge of the fur trade with customers.
The property is now run by Sam and Elizabeth’s daughter Holly, who grew up above the restaurant and began managing it in 1999. Despite some additions like an extensive wine list, Holly has stayed true to the roots of The Fort, offering a quirky menu filled with items like pickled quail eggs, buffalo tongue crostini, and bone-in elk chops. There are options for seafood lovers and vegetarians too, like empanadas filled with homemade cowboy caviar and spaghetti squash puttanesca.
If you don’t feel like trying bison marrow (which was Julia Child’s favorite item on a visit!), you can always just take a tour of The Fort, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The property has a heritage program with cultural events like lectures and workshops, too, and the team hosts themed-parties like murder mystery dinners. Just make sure to ask about Sissy Bear when you’re visiting. Yes, a real bear lived at The Fort for 19 years – we told you it was unique.
