"Bring your fork and find out what we really have going on here." That's how Gii Astorga, business engagement and event coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority, described the event to the Greeley Tribune when it was still a month away.
Fork Around and Find Out started Monday, Oct. 19. It runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, so this weekend and next are the only two left. Each participating restaurant offers a $15 special, a $25 special, or both. The biggest cluster of participants sits a few blocks from where the City of Greeley is rebuilding downtown's pipes, streets and sidewalks. That work is phased through 2028. Restaurant week lands right in the middle of it.
Why Greeley Got a Restaurant Week This Year
According to the Tribune, the idea came together after several long-running local restaurants closed. The paper named Fat Albert's, Kenny's Steakhouse and the Original Roma Restaurant. Fat Albert's closed Aug. 31, 2024, after 42 years, BizWest reported. Kenny's planned to close Oct. 12, 2024, after nearly 30 years. In BizWest's coverage, its co-owner pointed to rising food, supply, insurance and utility costs.
Matt Estrin owns 477 Distilling and Oak and Maple. He and City Councilman Ryan Roth brought the idea back to Astorga after she had done some early planning the year before. Estrin told the Tribune that "there has been a feeling of angst in the restaurant community. Numbers are dipping, and you're seeing lots of restaurants starting to close."
Each business paid a $350 entry fee, and Astorga said all of it goes to marketing. Organizers hoped for about 50 participants. The Visit Greeley event directory now lists roughly three dozen. That's short of the goal, but it's a real lineup for a city running this event for the first time.
The Specials Sit Where the Street Work Is
The directory sorts participants by area. Downtown accounts for about half the list, by far the largest share of any area. The tightest group is on one short stretch of 9th Street, according to the addresses in the official specials sheet:
- The Cow Saloon and Eatery, 800 9th Street
- Spotlight Cafe & Creamery and Stella's Pinball Arcade & Lounge, both at 802 9th Street
- Tres Amigos Mexican Restaurant, 806 9th Street
- Smokin' Dave's BBQ, 819 9th Street
- 477 Distilling and The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, both at 825 9th Street
That's seven participants on one block. Ellie's Corner at 920 9th Avenue, Kress Cinema and Lounge at 817 8th Avenue and Aunt Helen's Coffee House at 800 8th Avenue are all within a short walk.
This same area is where the City's Downtown Infrastructure Improvements Project is replacing utilities, roads, sidewalks and streetscapes across nearly 20 blocks in phases. Crews began with utility work on 7th Avenue between 9th and 10th streets the week of July 30. The City held a groundbreaking celebration in early August.
Construction and parking aren't abstract concerns for downtown restaurants. When the Original Roma announced its final service for Dec. 30, 2025, KDVR reported that the restaurant cited construction and parking problems among its reasons. BizWest reported in March 2026 that the downtown Roma was reopening. Roma, at 728 16th Street, is on this year's restaurant week list.
What's Actually on the Table
The specials sheet says restrictions may apply and to check with each restaurant for details. Here's a sample of offers across town, grouped by area so you can plan around where you'll already be.
| Area | Restaurant | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Aunt Helen's Coffee House, 800 8th Ave | $15 choice of Mediterranean Eggs Benedict, a French Dip with pasta salad, or a five-pastry fall bakery box. $25 for ten pastries to go, or any two $15 specials |
| Downtown | Austin's American Grill, 1100 8th Ave | $15 chicken pot pie, Buffalo Joe on ground bison, or Cobb salad. $25 three-course menu with rotisserie chicken, half-rack pork ribs, or rotisserie tri tip from 3 p.m. |
| Downtown | The Cow Saloon and Eatery, 800 9th St | $15 prime rib quesadilla. $25 Cow Favorites Duo, half Prime Rib Dip and half Chicken Pesto sandwich |
| Downtown | 477 Distilling, 825 9th St Unit B | Two classic cocktails |
| Downtown | The Rio Grande, 825 9th St | Taste of Rio, a choice of burrito or enchiladas |
| Downtown | Pinocchios PRIME, 804 8th St | Surf and turf with an 8 oz. sirloin and five sautéed shrimp |
| University District | The Atlas, 709 16th St | Two small signature drinks with a breakfast item, or two signature cocktails |
| University District | The Original Roma, 728 16th St | 10-inch two-topping pizza, salad and soda |
| West | Coyote's Southwestern Grill, 5250 W 9th Street Dr. | $15 Ranchero Cream Pasta or Chicken Tinga Rolled Tacos. $25 Lunch for Two, weekdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| West | Crabtree Brewing, 2961 W 29th St | $15 for four half-pints. $25 for two pints plus a four-pack to go |
| West | Big City Roadhouse, 1923 59th Ave | Mushroom and potato casserole, or a 16-inch Philly cheesesteak pizza |
| West | Out Of The Blue, 4111 Centerplace Dr. Ste D | Two entrées and two coffees or sodas |
Some of the best offers aren't dinner plates. Aunt Helen's bakery boxes and Crabtree's take-home four-pack are made to leave with you. Ellie's Corner is serving pies and cinnamon rolls. Wiley Roots Brewing is pouring beer, and 477 Distilling and Syntax Spirits are mixing cocktails, the Tribune noted. Hours vary widely. Out Of The Blue serves 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Crabtree is closed Mondays. The Cow serves only until 3 p.m. on Mondays and is closed Sundays. Check hours before you head out.
Getting Downtown While the Street Work Is Underway
The City's last published text schedule is from Sept. 16, so take these dates as forecasts. That release said 9th Avenue between 11th and 12th streets would close for several months starting as soon as Sept. 21. It also expected the 8th Avenue and 10th Street intersection to stay closed through late October. On a downtown map, 9th Street and 9th Avenue are different streets. The 9th Avenue closure is several blocks south of the 800 block of 9th Street, where most of the restaurant week cluster sits.
Here's a simple order of operations for a downtown night out:
- Check the live map first. The City's project dashboard posts current detours and an updated parking map. It was last updated Oct. 12.
- Expect to walk the last block. The City says businesses, sidewalks and pedestrian access stay open, though some street parking near work zones may not be available. Parking lots near the 8th Avenue and 10th Street work stay open.
- Go after 5 p.m. or on a weekend. The DDA's parking guidance lists more than 2,000 free two-hour spaces downtown. Parking is free after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. If you stay past two hours on a weekday, it's $2 per extra hour, up to $10 a day, through the Passport app. Saturday, Oct. 24, and the event's final weekend, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, all fall in the free window.
Making a Night of It
A few of the participants are also places to spend the evening, so you don't have to drive between dinner and the activity. Stella's Pinball Arcade & Lounge has a special on the 800 block of 9th Street. Kress Cinema and Lounge, an independent theater that serves food and drinks, is around the corner on 8th Avenue. Both appear in Visit Greeley's restaurant week itinerary. The same guide suggests the Colorado Model Railroad Museum, open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. It also suggests a walk around Glenmere Park between meals.
The 800 block of 9th Street lets you pair a $15 special with an evening of pinball or a movie, and parking there is free after 5 p.m.
Is there a spot from restaurant week you'll keep going back to after Nov. 1? Our Arvada team would love to hear about it. Call or email House2Home Real Estate to share your favorite Greeley find, and let's make your house a home.
