American Burgers, Irish Beer & Friendly Staff: All Found at Lucky Joe’s in Fort Collins
Joe Vader and Dan Kerig opened Lucky Joe’s Sidewalk Saloon on Aug. 3, 1995 and brought a mixture of an Irish pub and an Old West Saloon to Fort Collins. There are many elements to this bar, from the variety of food and drinks to the live performers’ music, so it can be difficult to put the pub/saloon in a category. I sat down with co-owner Joe to get some insight into why and how Lucky Joe’s operates. He didn’t too elaborate too much, but one thing he made clear was Lucky Joe’s is not a country bar.
How did the idea of Irish pub and western saloon come together?
Joe said he and Dan had an idea to bring an American Saloon to Fort Collins, because of the history behind the Irish and Chinese immigrants that built the railroads. He wanted a place where all backgrounds could come together. The idea of it mostly being an Irish pub was customer driven, because they assumed it was only a pub.
Do you play country music?
No, sometimes live performers will play a country song, but there are never entire nights of country. Saloon is in the name, but Joe’s idea of a saloon is doors swinging open for people. He said it isn’t categorized as country, because their crowd is a mix and it depends on the time of day. As the day turns into night, the crowd gets younger.
What events do you have?
There is live music Wednesday through Saturday and Sunday is for open mic. They also bring St. Patrick’s Day celebration to Fort Collins. On March 12th the Lucky Joe’s St. Patrick’s Parade will roll through downtown.
What makes Lucky Joe’s different, besides the Irish/Western combo?
The product will typically taste the same everywhere. Whether someone is drinking a Coors light at Lucky Joe’s, another bar or at home, it will taste the same. Joe wants his customers to remember the friendly service and genuinely nice people that work at Lucky Joe’s. He said he can identify a phony server very quickly and he doesn’t want his customers to feel that.
Your website says your ingredients are fresh, is anything grown locally?
They don’t do any farm-to-table, but pretty much everything made in the kitchen is from scratch, besides a few appetizers. Food Services of America provides their ingredients.
What is the most popular menu item & drink?
The John Wayne Burger [an 8 ounce burger blackened and topped with bacon, caramelized onions, gorgonzola cheese and a Coca-Cola reduction BBQ sauce] and of course Guinness. He said lately, Irish Coffee has been the go-to for customers, because the bar manager came up with a new recipe that has been a big hit.
