Restaurant Reviews

The Fort

Morrison, Colorado

Anyone who has lived in Denver for any length of time has heard of the Fort restaurant. It has been around for 43 years in a replica of an old frontier fort in Morrison on the way to Red Rocks. Here you will step back in time and dine on some of the finest western cuisine anywhere.      I had occasion to take my wife and a couple of my kids to the Fort to celebrate a few birthdays. My daughter wanted to go somewhere unique. After I showed her the Fort's web site and she saw the pictures and the menu, our decision was made. For a great special occasion or for entertaining out of town guests, or just for a change of pace from the chain restaurants, The Fort is the place to go.
We started with a plate of Rocky Mountain Oysters as we had never tried them before and wanted to be able to say "of course I've tried them, haven't you?" They were served with their own special dipping sauce that was delicious. (I really have to go back because they had a special appetizer of rattlesnake that sounded wonderful, but I try never to overdo it on the hors d'oeuvres so it had to wait until next time.)
	My daughter had this fabulous chicken and garbanzo bean soup with cheese to start that was really delightful. The flavor was quite unique and was truly a great soup. The rest of us had salads that were a cornucopia of greens and wonderful house dressings. I generally pass on dinner salads because I find them rather boring, however these salads were great.
I am quite fond of lamb chops and will generally try them wherever I find them on the menu. They were cooked perfect to my order and were served with a light mint pesto that was just enough to add a delicate mint flavor to the lamb. The potatoes and greens that were served under the chops were a great side to accent the dish.       My wife is generally afraid of having too large a meal so she tends to get a little creative. She decided to have an appetizer, the BBQ'D Duck Quesadilla - Smoked duck in a coffee barbeque sauce with aged Mexican cheeses in a flour tortilla and a small lobster tail on the side which was an added item to the menu this evening. Our server was most accomodating. The quesadilla was truly unique and delectable while the lobster tail actually tasted like lobster (so many lobster tails these days actually have no flavor outside of the butter it is dipped in) She loved them both, as did the rest of us.
My daughter chose the Sugar Cured Smoke House Duck Breast. An apple wood smoked duck breast served with braised baby spinach, maple-whipped sweet potatoes and huckleberry-balsamic reduction. The sauces at the Fort are never overpowering but are perfectly suited to delicately add to the natural flavor of each entree. The duck was delicious.       My son like to try a variety of items and the Fort has just the entree for him. The Fort's Game Plate offers an elk chop, a buffalo filet, and grilled teriyaki quail. All were tender and very flavorful. My son was very pleased.
For dessert we had the Chocolate Chile Bourbon Cake, An ancient Aztec combination of a rich, dark chocolate and New Mexican red chile cake topped with chocolate and bourbon frosting. You will never taste a dessert quite like it. A nice finish to a fabulous dining experience.       Everyone at the Fort was very friendly and gracious from the hostesses, servers, even to the gentleman in the trading post in the court yard. Everyone there made our dining experience unforgettable and one we will have to do again. No matter what the occasion, you have to visit the Fort. You will never regret it. Dan Hammes (your Internet restaurant critic)
The Fort Restaurant 19192 Highway 8 Morrison, CO 80465 Phone: (303) 697-4771 Email: fortmail@thefort.com Web: The Fort