Katie and I went to the Farmhouse at Jessup Farm in Fort Collins for breakfast this morning and it was such an amazing experience I felt compelled to give a full review! First off, full disclosure, I happen to be on friendly terms with owner of this restaurant, but that in no way impacts this review. We’ve been wanting to go since they opened, and this morning seemed like a great chance to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in a cozy farmhouse.
Walking up to the Farmhouse, the first thing you notice is the building itself. It really is a restored farmhouse, and they’ve done an amazing job keeping the original feel, but updating it to meet their needs as a restaurant.
The inside is beautiful, exposed brick and lots of little nooks to sit in. I’m disappointed I only had my iPhone with me for pictures. This place would photograph so well with my DSLR. Next time!
The table setups are simple and clean. It feels honest and resonates with the brand image they’ve created.
We each ordered coffee, which is excellent. Definitely not your typical bland breakfast coffee. This was rich and full flavored. My only gripe is that the mugs just didn’t keep it hot enough (it was a cold morning).
For breakfast, Katie and I usually order one savory dish and one sweet dish, and share. So we ordered the Ranch Hand Skillet (Bacon, Green Chile, Roasted Potato, Cheese, Spinach, Cilantro and a Sunny Side Egg) and the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.
I can say without hesitation, this was the best breakfast I’ve had in Fort Collins. The skillet was incredibly fresh, all the ingredients melded together beautifully. The serving size is perfect; to me breakfast portions are usually way to big and in my opinion, breakfast doesn’t make great leftovers. This was exactly the right size to fill me up without feeling like I overate. The green chile added some nice heat, there was a ton of bacon and the fresh spinach in particular was inspired in this dish. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this every time. The pancakes were light and the ricotta gives them a great texture and flavor. Next time I would order the syrup on the side, but that’s only because I don’t like a lot of syrup on my pancakes (butter is way better, and they give you a big dollop of whipped butter).
The service was spot on – the perfect balance between attentive, friendly, and non-intrusive. The downstairs dining room is small, yet they had more than enough staff to ensure everything went smoothly and no one was sitting around waiting for their coffee to get re-filled.
Overall our experience was incredibly positive and I’m sure we will be back to try lunch and dinner soon. Chef Joel Navejas is known for his use of fresh ingredients and my understanding is that the menu is going to be very seasonal, changing up frequently depending on what ingredients are available. If this ends up being the case, then the Farmhouse is going to find a place near the top of our list for go-to restaurants in Fort Collins. This approach to food, service and atmosphere is a great addition to our community.