Friendly Nick's Butcher — Local services in Fort Collins

I'll start this review by saying: if you want good, quality, FRIENDLY, and beyond stellar service, you will never find a better place than Nick's. I've cooked Recipes with 1-to-1 Ingredients with and without Nick's Selection and let me tell you: Nick's makes the difference every time, and I've walked in there so many times and just threw a recipe at 'em, any of their staff, and they have suggested Cuts that knocked it out of the park no matter what. Now this next part is personal, and I'd never expect him to do it for everybody, but it is a personal anecdote and one I think tells more about Nick's Character than anything else I could post, and why Nick's has a customer in me for life: My wife and I on 9/9/25 had the worst day of our lives, because we were putting down my Baby Heidi, an 11 Year Old Pit Mix who was nothing short of an Angel. We had taken the day for her and we were giving her a proper send off, and we went to Nick's to get a good Quality Steak for my Baby so she could go out with the first Full Stomach in Days. We walked in, Eyes Puffy as you can imagine from crying for 2 days straight and all morning, and we told him we were looking for a Steak and a Pig Ear for our Angel and that it was her last day. He commiserated that he put down his Cat the day before. Now... we picked out our selection, and Nick picked the Sirloin that looked like a Heart for her, and we selected some Bacon as well as the Pig Ear (Bacon for us, and lemme tell you this man cannot make Bad Bacon, trust me, it makes a difference), and I headed back to the car to be with my Baby while my Wife Checked Out. She got back to the car with Fresh Tears in her eyes, My Man Nick, that Jolly Old Saint, that Angel on Earth of a Man, Paid for our Baby's last Steak out of his own pocket, no cost to us one bit. For that I will be forever grateful beyond words, and Nick, if you read this, my Baby ate up that steak cooked and selected special for her, cut into a heart, with 2 runny eggs and it was the most eager I'd seen her eat since she had her Surgery Months ago. She went Painlessly, with a Full Belly of Good, Quality Steak, and you have a Customer in me for the rest of my Life. I know to you it was just a cut of meat that you picked out on a Bad Day for us, and a Favor to a Fellow Member of the Community, but to us that small act of Kindness... between that and the free Coffee we had gotten earlier, you truly made it feel as if the Town itself gave our Baby one last Hug, and I will never, ever forget your Kindness on the worst day of our lives. TLDR: go to Nick's for your meat, there is no way In Heaven, on Earth, or anywhere else you could manage to look that would...

**7/9/25: Nick, Thanks for your response. I understand it may be hard to verify without specific details, so let me clarify what happened. I made this purchase day of 7/3/2025 and went to prepare evening of to have for our family 4th of July festivities.

I purchased several items, and there were serious issues with product quality. The ground beef packets were not properly sealed—both had air inside. This led to noticeable discoloration, a slimy texture, and a sour smell—clear signs of spoilage. The spareribs were another disappointment. The spareribs were extremely lean on the back, with hardly any meat beyond what was between the bones—frankly, not worth the price. Most concerning was the bone-in pork shoulder, which had a bone that was visibly rotting and had started to affect the surrounding meat. Completely spoiled our holiday.

I did reach out at the time via phone and spoke with a manager named Tory. Unfortunately, the conversation was unpleasant and unproductive, and we couldn’t come to a resolution. That added even more frustration to the situation.

I appreciate your willingness now to make it right, but I want to be clear that this experience left a bad impression, both in terms of product quality and the initial lack of compassion with your responses. I’m not looking to argue—just to hold your business accountable for a mistake that shouldn’t have happened.

Best, John **

7/3/25 :I hate leaving bad reviews, but I feel obligated to warn others. I recently purchased meat from this butcher shop, and it was clearly spoiled — foul smell, discolored, and absolutely not safe to eat. It’s extremely disappointing and unacceptable, especially when you trust a butcher to provide fresh, quality products.

When I reached out to address the issue, there was no apology or effort to make it right. I expect better from a place that handles perishable food and serves the community. I won’t be coming back, and I strongly suggest others check their products carefully — or shop...

We LOVE Nicks! Everything we get from the amazing steaks, pork chops, yummy bacon (with incredible seasonings), delicious brats & homemade jerky to the prepped food like soup broths and pulled pork…EVERYTHING is top notch.

And beyond the incomparable food, Nick and his employees care about our city and all of the wonderful small businesses that make Fort Collins awesome. In the peak of the pandemic they supported other FOCO small businesses by giving a discount if you showed another locally owned gift card. They have done partnerships with local breweries. They did a fundraiser for the Marshall fire victims. Nick and his wonderful staff are clearly doing their very best to keep FOCO thriving.

Also - the IG posts are always...