A Review of My Experience at Fargo's, a Restaurant in Colorado Springs

During the summer of 2012 I went to a restaurant in Colorado Springs called Fargo’s. It is a family run restaurant that has been in the Springs since the 1940’s and has gained quite a following. Fargo’s has been a top spot to take tourists, or just to take the family for a nice dinner. In this review I am going to express the pros and cons and my personal view on the famous Colorado Springs restaurant.

From the outside of the restaurant Fargo’s looks like a very classy restaurant that would be very expensive. However, this might be the case because the restaurant is in a terrible location. Surrounded by a lot of unflattering one bedroom houses, one has to take in consideration how good the restaurant looks compared to the houses. Once you walk into the lobby of the restaurant, you are instantly taken back by the amazing wall designs, and luxurious couches all while walking on red carpet to get to the seating. The restaurant has two stories of seating and could easily fit around 300 people. Something different about this particular restaurant, is that you order your food from a window inside and you seat yourself. All of the waitresses are dressed up in old feathery dresses that remind you of the 1940’s as does the overall atmosphere of the restaurant. There are luxurious stairways that look like they belong in an older mansion style house. Once you sit down, you notice that there are mirrors all throughout the restaurant with numbers on them. When you’re food is ready then they will post your number on the mirror for you to come grab it. This is an awesome idea except Fargo’s is a pizza place that sells pretty large pizzas. The pizzas come out on pretty hot pans that can burn your hand while taking the food back to your seat. Also, the pizza can easily spill when going up the huge stairs if one was to trip on one step. I would much rather trust a waitress over myself carrying a lot of food. The main food at Fargo’s is pizza and salad. They are most known for their huge salad buffet consisting of tons of choices to choose from, along with their plastic bowls that you get your salad from.

Their food is average at best. The pizza lacks cheese and especially lacks pizza sauce. The crust is pretty dry and the pizza sauce reminds me of the cheap one dollar pizzas that I buy from Safeway. In other words, I have certainly had better pizzas in my day. All of the slices are cut small so having six or seven slices at one sitting is really not that far-fetched. The one bonus about their pizza is the awkward pepperonis on them that are shaped just like a bowl which gives the slice a much needed enhancement. However, those pepperoni “bowls” often contain all of the grease from the pizza which certainly skews one’s appetite. Their salad buffet is, well, a buffet. The lettuce tastes like it has been sitting out for a very long time and is lacking the normal green color that one would think lettuce has. The toppings for the salad are alright, but are certainly lacking flavor and variety. If you aren’t in a salad mood, there are other options like pudding and cottage cheese. The pudding and cottage cheese are far from tasting homemade and are actually probably bought from Safeway. Other than pizza and salad, there isn’t really anything else to eat from Fargo’s, except for some spaghetti that isn’t too special either. With all that being said, you don’t go to Fargo’s for the food, you go for the awesome atmosphere.

The atmosphere at Fargo’s has a certain positive feel that keeps customers coming back. Since their food is not good, but still edible, the customers can put that behind them and focus on the atmosphere. It certainly is a cool, fun, and exciting family atmosphere. There is a piano playing up-tempo songs the whole time, followed by crazy outfits and topped off with an awesome arcade room. Since I am no longer seven years old the arcade room was not as cool as it would have been if I was young again. It is filled with old and new style arcade games that are cheap and surprisingly easy to win at. Despite every kid that goes to Fargo’s being in the arcade room, there are so many games that waiting for your turn is never a problem. This is the highlight of the restaurant for families coming in to eat. While the parents eat, the kids go and play as many arcade games as their quarters can buy. While the kids are busy eating, the parents get a break from the kids and they get to take in the atmosphere while not having to worry about their kid acting up. Along with the arcade, the numbers on the mirrors is the coolest part of Fargo’s. The mirrors idea is by far the most unique way of telling somebody that their food is ready that I have ever seen. Now that technology is increasing and there are probably a lot better ideas surfacing, Fargo’s has had this idea since the mid 80’s back when the mirrors lighting up was considered magic.

Fargo’s has been in Colorado Springs for a very long time and has a very storied history. It is probably the most popular restaurant to take a family or tourists in the Springs. The food is alright, followed by an awesome atmosphere. If you are a college student looking for good food, a fun and crazy night, then Fargo’s is one hundred percent not for you. However, if you drive a mini-van with children in the back and the out of town in-laws in town, the Fargo’s is the place to be. Colorado Springs does not have too many historic restaurants, so the ‘Springers’ value Fargo’s as one of the best restaurants to go to.