There is nothing like years of bad experiences to make an unexpected surprise even better. That pretty sums up our feeling about the revamped (in terms of menu and service; fortunately, not in term of the great classic décor) Drifter's Cookhouse in Gould, Northern Colorado: We love it!
My family has ranched in Colorado's North Park since the 1960's, and what was then known simply as "The Cookhouse" was, like Rand's "Yacht Club"/"Liar's Lair," truly a local institution. Regrettably, over the past 20 or so years many of the follow-on incarnations of today's Drifter's Cookhouse were poorly run, offered sub-par food, and consequently worked their way out of business with considerable speed; and then the next owner took the ill-fated helm. The years of notably negative travelers' reviews are a testament to this unfortunate cycle.
Stated simply, for decades good - let alone outstanding - food has been hard to come by in this remote part of Jackson County. So my wife Kate and I did not exactly have high hopes when we stopped by Drifter's under its new management.
But this time the experience was drastically different.
In term of the big picture, we were both extremely impressed by the service, solid beer list, and superb food! I particularly liked the reasonably-priced (and super-sized) meatloaf special with house-made mashed potatoes, as well as the pulled pork tacos with Drifter's own mango-infused salsa. We both are big fans of the home-cut fries, and Kate loved the homemade ice cream. Our server, Missy, was very knowledgeable of the menu and offered great suggestions. She could not have provided better or friendlier service.
Another real plus, from our perspective, is that the menu features locally-raised elk and buffalo (though currently unfortunately only in the form of burgers) - this was a welcome surprise. Given the chef's clear talent and creativity, it undoubtedly will only be good for business if Drifters continues to expand its locally grown/raised food options (trout, for example, immediately comes to mind), and also considers diversifying its menu by adding a section for our vegetarian friends (like my wife).
Indicating that our early experience was not a one-off, we have returned fairly regularly, as have ranch guests and friends visiting the area, and nobody we heard from has been disappointed. This is saying a lot, given some of the finely-tuned gastronomic sensibilities of our big city pals.
It has taken decades to happen, and is long overdue, but an excellent restaurant has finally taken up residence in this part of Jackson County. Drifter's is a good choice by any standard, and it certainly is well worth slowing down and stopping for when you are on Highway 14 coming from, or going to, Fort Collins.
Now let's just hope the folks running the place keep up their high standards and friendly attitudes, and further expand on their talents by beefing up their menu with a few additional innovative vegetarian and local items. read more
