Pickle Barrel (Fort Collins, CO)

This post was originally published on November 11, 2015.

I went to the Pickle Barrel with M last weekend, as it is one of our favorite places to have brunch in Fort Collins. The Pickle Barrel is known for their delicious sandwiches, but M and I always get the breakfast potato dishes with eggs on top (quite similar to a skillet– meat, veggies, and cheese all mixed together with some potatoes and toast on the side!). I also like PB because they have a bar and TVs inside. The drinks are cheap too 🙂 Pickle Barrel obviously serves up some great pickles– hence the name– and they have a normal and spicy variety. Lucky for me, the PB Bloody Marys are garnished with a big ol’ pickle on top. PB has an outdoor dining area for those warm autumn days, with a table featuring all of your favorite cartoons from childhood until now (even Mr. Eric Cartman from Colorado’s own South Park). I would recommend stopping by the establishment if you’re in the area– it’s modestly priced and the Bloodys are tasty. You can read more details about the Bloody below.

AT A GLANCE 17/20

Pickle Barrel’s Bloody Mary looked really nice when the bartender delivered it to me. It was short and bright red, with many spices floating throughout and a delicious-looking pickle on top (drizzled in Worcestershire of course!).

GARNISH 15/20

The garnish was very enticing– it was solely a pickle, but a.) it’s the Pickle Barrel and b.) the Bloody was only $4! Can’t really beat that. The pickle did have a nice helping of Woosta (Worcestershire) sauce on top, adding points for both attractiveness and creativity. It was simple, but inviting. Plus the pickle was a big boy.

SPICE 17/20

The Bloody at Pickle Barrel was quite spicy and each sip had a bite to it. The mix was obviously homemade and had large chunks of spices– horseradish, different types of pepper, and hot sauce.

TEXTURE AND ACIDITY 17/20

The texture of the Bloody was pretty thick and filling, while it was not very acidic. There was a kick to it, though, and the spices lingered in my throat. Although it was small, it took me awhile to drink because of the thickness!

UNIQUENESS 16/20

As you know from other Bloody Mary reviews on my site, I like Bloodys that are cheap, but tasty. I pride restaurants and bars for being able to create delicious cocktails that won’t break the bank. Therefore, the $4 price tag on Pickle Barrel’s Bloody made it somewhat unique, while the garnish presentation of the pickle drizzled in Woosta did as well.

FINAL SCORE 82/100

If you are interested in all-day breakfast, cheap cocktails, and a variety of sandwiches, check out Pickle Barrel’s here. Pickle Barrel is located at:

122 West Laurel Street, Fort Collins, CO, 80524

As a side note, I may be referring to Worcestershire sauce as “Woosta” sauce from now on because my favorite band Phish has played some epic shows in Worcester, Mass. AKA WOOSTAAAA! Thanks, guys.