The Emporium: An American Brasserie — Restaurant in Fort Collins

During our stay at The Elizabeth, we dined at their restaurant - The Emporium: An American Brasserie - twice (once for dinner & once for brunch). We were very impressed with the food quality and level of service on both visits. It was so nice to be able to stay onsite at the hotel, relax, unwind and have creative dishes & stellar hospitality at our fingertips when it came to dining.

For dinner at The Emporium, we were seated in the main dining room. The aesthetic of the restaurant was cozy (yet elevated) & inviting with wood tones & warm, ambient lighting. Our server, Emily, had stellar recommendations and ensured we had everything we needed while we dined.

We started off our meal with cocktails. Ross had the Mr. Vida made with del maguey Vida mezcal, amaro nardini, mr. black coffee liqueur, fee brothers aztec bitters, regans' orange bitters. This cocktail was very coffee forward with a nice nose of citrus.

I had the Harvest Moon made with epsolón blanco tequila, solerno blood orange liqueur, orange, lime, agave, & a black salt rim.

For Small Plates we had the Bison Tartare, Moules Mariniere, & the Brussels Sprouts - all of these small plates were fabulous, and we'd order each one again. It was a strong start to the meal.

The Bison Tartare was made with smoked red pepper coulis, roasted garlic aioli, shoestring shallot, shaved egg yolk, cilantro, sea salt & vinegar potato chips. The tartare was beautiful and gamey; the roasted garlic aioli gave great zing to the meat.

The Moules Mariniere were made with pei mussels, chablis, sweet cream butter, shallot & garlic, herbs, & served with toast points. The mussels came in a lovely, savory broth - they had a soft texture which went well on the crisp buttered toast.

The Brussels Sprouts were made with orange jalapeno infused honey, toasted pistachio, & sea salt. The hot honey was mouthwatering & made the brussels sprouts sticky & spicy.

For Large Plates we had the Salmon En Croute and the Scallops Noir.

The Salmon En Croute was made with verlasso salmon, gremolata, puff pastry, shaved fennel & citrus salad. We loved the unique presentation of the salmon; the buttery puff pastry enveloped the mild fish and really upgraded its flavor profile.

The Scallops Noir were made with pan seared sea scallops, squid ink bucatini, cauliflower puree, & charred broccolini. The scallops were bouncy in texture and delicate in flavor.

For dessert we had Baileys Cheesecake which was a special for the weekend.

We headed back to The Emporium for brunch the next morning and we were seated at the bar. Mixologist Rolland took exceptional care of us - his wit & humor made our dining experience & he took charge creating off menu cocktails that were amazing. Manager Will also checked in & ensured our brunch went off without a hitch.

Rolland called my first cocktail The Barbie. The Barbie was made with raspberry, mint, limeade, elderberry liquor, & sparkling grapefruit. This cocktail was effervescent with sweet, juicy raspberries rushing onto the palate; a refreshing way to say hello to spring.

My second cocktail was made with cantaloupe, lime juice, warm spices, mint, & Tito's. The combo of sweet melon and mint were delicious.

For food, we started off sweet with Beignets & a Pancake. The beignets were hot, doughy pillows coated generously in powdered sugar. They had a thin, crisp, golden exterior that gave way to chewy, sweet dough. Dipping these bad boys in the chocolate sauce made for sinfully delicious bites.

The Pancake was large and decorated in chocolate chips & blueberries. The chocolate chips dominated each bite in their thick, melty-ness while the citrus of the blueberries, and fluffy pancake, cut through the chocolate nicely.

For savory brunch dishes, we had the Hatch Green Chili Breakfast Burrito and the Biscuits & Gravy. The Burrito was made with chorizo, pepper trio, onion, potato, jack cheese, green chili, & cotija.

The biscuits had a blanket of savory gravy &...

Mixed feelings about our most recent experience here, we’ve eaten here at least 4 times a year since they opened and in spite of some ups and downs it was always good enough to return or recommend.

It’s been almost 6 months since our last visit, which was for brunch - where we got off to a slow start, but overall it was a good experience with some unique brunch options. Donuts with a crème anglaise were a standout.

As locals who dine out way too often, we’ve always respected how the the emporium was a solid option in old town. especially when it could easily be a typical ‘hotel restaurant’ that is good enough for a captive audience on an expense account. The decor, the bar, and the cocktails, and the small seasonal menu always drew us in.

However, after our visit tonight, I’m confident we reached that ‘hotel restaurant’ tipping point, where we would not return again.

This updated review focuses on a Tuesday night visit well past happy hour. By 7pm it filled up quickly with a noticeable number of single diners, and other hotel guests. The service was slow and uneven. We were there a full hour before the second round of drinks arrived, which was well after the cheeseboard was done and cleared. Slow can be forgivable when it’s unexpectedly busy, but on this visit, the food was not good at all. It’s a small menu here, so it’s important that the choices all hit the spot.

Normally this would be the end of the review, but this is the point where things escalated.

We complained about one item which was sent back uneaten. The mushroom rigatoni. At this point, they knew we were disappointed in the slow service, and they made an honest but misguided attempt at service recovery.

The manager needed to know exactly why we didn’t like the pasta, pointing out that other diners haven’t complained, which from our perspective was no surprise given the one and done hotel clientele surrounding us. It was awkward. And at that point, I wished we’d just asked for a box, paid the bill, and binned the pasta before we got to the car. I’d rather pay than defend matters of taste.

After some more awkward back and forth, the manager very generously went far above the beyond to make it right for us - asking us to give them another chance in return. It was astonishing, way too much, and entirely unexpected because we would have paid for everything we consumed.

I’m not sure when we will return, but after some time I’m sure we will, probably for brunch. I will update the...

Last Friday night, my husband and I had dinner at the Emporium for the first time. We had reservations and arrived on time, watching the hostess turn away a family of four who didn’t. We were seated at a small table for two and waited quite a while before anyone greeted us—longer still for the drinks we ordered. Oddly, our appetizer of Brussels sprouts arrived before the drinks did. The dish itself was delicious, but we noticed the table across from us had the same item, and their portion was noticeably smaller. A sign of kitchen inconsistency, perhaps.

For my entrée, I ordered the pea risotto. It was bland and underwhelming—especially for $28. The portion was so small I was hungry after I ate it all - to order a protein was a $14 upcharge.. My husband had the shrimp and grits, which featured large shrimp and a flavorful sauce, but the carrots were undercooked. Again, the kitchen’s inconsistency was evident: the man at the table across from us had the same dish, but his serving wasn’t swimming in sauce like my husband’s.

Dessert was the entremet—a dense overly sweet dark chocolate with toffee ice cream. It lacked nuance and felt like a one-note sugar bomb.

But what stood out most—more than the uneven food—was the service. The couple at the table across from us had the same waitress, yet their experience was markedly different. Their glasses were refilled promptly, empty plates cleared without delay, and even their wobbly table was adjusted by the manager. Meanwhile, our plates sat untouched until we stacked them ourselves to make room. When we were ready to leave, our waitress disappeared for so long we considered tabbing out at the bar to avoid being late for our next reservation.

We couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast in treatment. Why they received VIP service and we didn’t remains unclear, but it left a sour taste. Add to that the deafening noise level—we had to raise our voices just to hear each other—and the evening felt more exhausting than enjoyable.

In short: overpriced, small portions, loud, and discriminating service based on who knows what. Not an experience we will...