Address: | 104 W Olive St, Fort Collins, CO 80524, USA |
Phone: | +1 970-490-2489 |
Site: | choicecitybutcher.com |
Rating: | 4.5 |
Working: | 7AM–6PM 7AM–6PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–6PM |
BY
Byron Laws
DO go here if you want to stand in a long line, order off a somewhat vague list of menu items and consume at least three beers while you wait for your food... DO NOT go here if you want to eat quickly or at the same time as those in the rest of your party. We went on Sat 2/2/13 around 1 pm. The wait for food was long (nearly an hour) and our colorado buffalo pastrami sandwich and plain all-beef hot dog came out about 15 minutes apart, forcing us to share both or eat separately. Strangely, the hot dog came last! The food was quite good (though the zesty potato salad was really balsamic-y and fairly bland) and the ingredients high quality, but unless you can order take-out and go get it all at the same time, its pointless to go in and share a meal. There was a table of four just next to us and their food all came out separately as well, over the course of about 30 minutes. The worst thing about this is that each time a new item comes up, customers have to run back up to the order station and pick it up, which is hugely inefficient and chaotic, with people getting up, sitting down, walking into each other etc. Various staff members are also just wandering the place, not seeming to do a great deal of anything productive, other than roll up utensils, which I took to mean they actually have table service for dinner. This place operates as if management doesnt care how much business it loses due to bad processes and poor service. If they would run this thing like a Pei-wei or McAllisters with table numbers and food runners and have somebody assembling full orders to take out to tables, 75% of the problem would be fixed. And yes, I realize that kitschy places are what Old Town FTC is all about, but if they could keep all the good and just manage out the bad, it seems it would suit everyone, esp the ownership who could be making far more $$ out of this place. PS: the food is GOOD, so if you can stand the difficulty of getting it, you should try this place.
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A Private User
If youre going to Choice City for a sandwich or meat or something, then its a perfectly decent choice. But for breakfast, or anything that requires table service, then I advise you to think twice. The last time we went to Choice City, the whole ordeal was over two and a half hours long... We arrived to a half empty restaurant on a Monday morning only to be told it would be a 30-45 minute wait. After finally getting a table (they put us in a table that had been open the whole time we were waiting), it took another 5 minutes for someone to bring us menus. Then another 10 minutes to get water. When our waitress finally surfaced from standing around behind the counter, we ordered 5 coffees. She brought 4, then took our order. Our food arrived 40 minutes after we ordered. Half of it was cold and one order was completely wrong. And, as per usual at Choice City, we werent given silverware until after our food arrived. The problem is that this place does have good food, but they obviously have no concept of how to run a restaurant. I can only hope that the managers make some changes. In the meantime, I recommend that you all go to Luciles, Cafe Bluebird or McCoys if youre looking for an enjoyable breakfast that wont leave you feeling like you just gave money to an establishment where you were blatantly ignored. You may wait for a table at some of those places too, but I guarantee youll never wait 40 minutes at your table for cold food.
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Rob Doyle
Ill start by saying this is an excellent sandwich shop. Unfortunately, they advertise themselves as a butcher shop, as well. I make my own bacon, prosciutto and other charcuterie. Being the only local butcher shop in Fort Collins, I dont have a lot of choices unless I want to go to Whole Foods or Loveland. I have kids, and a busy schedule, so I try to call ahead and order what I want. The last time, I called 5 times over a couple hours and no one answered. The website said they were open, so I went over to the store. There were only 3 full tables in the restaurant, and multiple employees standing about chatting. I thought maybe I had the wrong number, so I called it from my cell again. The phone rang and rang and everyone just ignored it. I bought what I came for, and mentioned it to the cashier, who mumbled an apology. Today, I called ahead for 20 pounds of pork belly. I was told "they have a lot", but were busy and couldnt see how much. I packaged up my daughter and fought the St Paddys day crowds, car seat in tow, to go in and pick up my order. The person behind the counter informed me that they confused pork butt for pork belly and only had 2 pounds. Honest mistake, but just another of several disappointments at Choice City (Ive had others similar to this). Ill still stop in occasionally for a sandwich, but I wont be going there anymore for meats.
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Josh Polito
So I tried to get sausages from this place. When I came in, the place was empty except for two guys at the bar who were taking their time tasting a bunch of different beers on tap. Only one barista was up front, while two other guys worked in the back and probably didnt have register training or something, so I figured I would wait. I look at their selection of sausages in the meantime. Awesome, kangaroo sausage, maybe Ill buy that for tonight. Fifteen minutes into me standing around, the two original guys at the bar have gone outside after ordering their food and two couples have since entered the shop. Their husbands sat down at the bar, and instead of engaging me (the person who has obviously been standing 2-3 feet from her, as close to the register as physically possible), the barista starts talking to the two new guys at the bar. I finally left after it became clear that she would never break her conversation and people started piling up in line behind me. TL;DR - Stood at the counter for 15 minutes, intending to buy sausages. All three employees failed to acknowledge my existence, even though the store was almost completely empty. I left when the barista started talking to a group that was standing in line behind me. If I could give you zero stars, I would. Cant give you a decent rating if you wont let me buy anything from you.
CO
Colan Scheidenhelm
I go here about once every two weeks with a friend who is a regular, and I cant be happier that he introduced me to this local Fort Collins hangout thats been around for a while! The sandwiches are awesome, from the Turkey sandwiches to the incredible selection of Phillys, and theres always a daily special that is to die for. The lunches are great, but the breakfast might be better. The corned beef hash is the real deal, the omelette selection is plentiful, the Bloody Mary is better than 99% Ive had, and the Mimosa comes in an oversized wine glass! But the beer selection might be the best part of the menu here. Theres so many local, and non-local craft brews that you can sample before you buy, and theres always something for everyones beer palate. We went to a party there a few weeks back, where they had Delirium Tremens on tap! The best is the staff. Russ, the owner, is always present and talking to the customers, the cashiers, waitstaff and bartenders are friendly, and do it all, and the deli cooks are awesome. Id recommend Choice City Butcher to anyone looking for a killer meal with a great vibe.