The Gold Leaf Collective

Reviews

• Rachael H.

  star star star star star 15 September 2026

  At the Gold Leaf Collective, vegans can experience that rare torment of having an entire menu to choose from.
  
  Every single thing on the menu is vegan. I was so distracted I didn't know where to start. Brunch or Lunch? Do I want smothered fries, or regular fries, or should I be healthy and try their beet salad? While perusing the menu I noticed a distinctly local focus - the beer, mushrooms, and vegetables all seem to come from Fort Collins. Gold Leaf even makes their own cheese. In their own creamery. So local.
  
  I finally decided on the Lion's Mane Po'Boy with a side of hand-cut fries. I cannot resist hand-cut fries. Or fancy mushrooms. The fries could have used a bit of salt, but that's my only criticism. Everything was damn tasty, and portions were huge. We ended up taking the unfinished halves of our sandwiches to go. They tasted even better toasted over the campfire for dinner later that evening.
  
  Honestly, that was the best vegan sandwich I've had in a while. Next time I want to try the four-cheese grilled cheese with soup of the day and those smothered fries. Here's hoping I make it up to Fort Collins again in the near future...

• Britt C.

  star star star star star 14 September 2026

  I don't want to be the typical "If I could give more than five stars, I would." review... but really....
  If. I. Could. Give. More. Than. 5. Stars. I. Would.
  
  Food: Amazing
  Service: Amazing.
  
  We showed up Saturday morning for brunch and it was absolutely perfect. Super cute rustic decor. The server was so friendly and sweet. Our food came out quickly and filled us up.
  
  We planned on going back the same night for dinner but something came up. Will definitely make this restaurant a definite spot whenever we are in Fort Collins!

• Jaime O.

  star star star star star 9 September 2026

  Wow, yummmm.......ummm...why didn't I know of this place? My fairly-new-to-Colorado coworker told me about it (I live an hour away) and this is bomb. My friend and I did takeout and we were expecting alot by the reviews and were not disappointed.
  
  I did want to try the Thai Broccoli but it wasn't on the menu at the time. But I did try a bunch of things and also got poke. Yum. The lions mane mushrooms were so delicious...(swoon) as was the fried seitan.
  
  I love vegan food done well (I'm vegetarian/aspiring vegan) that blows the meat eaters away. This is a gorgeous spot that has some tasty food and they can't argue they are missing something. :)
  
  I'm fat and happy now and that is all that matters. Tasty. Healthy. Ethical (even down to takeout materials)... definitely try this!

• M F.

  star star star star star 4 September 2026

  I love this place with all my heart! This is one of the tastiest most creative restaurants I've ever visited, vegan or otherwise. Where to begin? The Mac & Shew is one of the most comforting things I've eaten since becoming vegan, with it's fun mix of pasta elbows, bowties, and penne, swimming in creamy soul-warming mac sauce. Speaking of their mac sauce, their smothered fries use it as a topping along with tomatoes and scallions, transforming common spuds into something transcendent. I LOVE their house potatoes too, which are so crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, paired perfectly with their their sour cream or house-made ketchup. If you've never tried fried brussel sprouts then Gold Leaf is your perfect chance since they are done so well here.
  
  For breakfast the High Country Benedict is beyond decadence but incredibly satisfying with all the delicious cashew hollandaise, tofu scramble, and crispy seitan totally hiding the english muffin underneath. The English Muffin Melt is also a fantastic option for breakfast with it's perfectly balanced mix of tofu, crispy seitan, creamy house-made mozzarella, and a fresh mix of red onion, tomato, and greens.
  
  All the sandwiches I've tried have been wonderful, but I enjoy the ones on their delicious focaccia the most. I'm partial to the Preamble and S.L.T. Panini, however the Buffalo Lions Mane Wrap is great too with a perfect blend of crunchy decadent fried mushrooms, tangy buffalo sauce, creamy house-made ranch, and fresh greens, tomato, and onion. Perfection. Then there's the Seitan Philly, which is one of the most beautiful mouth-watering sandwiches EVER. It's big and overflowing with yummy seitan, colorful red and green peppers with onions, and creamy house-made mozzarella.
  
  Thirsty? You haven't lived until you've tried their colorful tart and sweet lemonade. They also serve locally made Turtle Mountain kombucha which is great!
  
  Vegan or not, this is a restaurant you've gotta try if you are in Fort Collins. I highly recommend it!

• Stephanie B.

  star star star star star 26 August 2026

  The Gold Leaf was perfect. We were in Fort Collins for 4 days, and we came here twice! This is a rarity when I'm out of town!
  
  We came to the Gold Leaf originally because: a. it's all vegan! b. we had the FoCo passport for buy one get one kombuchamosas. We returned because we had such an amazing experience with both food and service.
  
  Gold Leaf is right off of College, in a super popular, well restaurant-heavy, part of town. Even before turning off College, while sitting at the light, I looked over towards where we were going, and saw an area with a lot of cafe lights outside, and knew that was our destination.  We found parking easily, and made our way in.  Inside, it has a completely adorable, cozy, and rustic set up, with books, a wall fountain, and tree branches adorning the walls. The color theme is apparent: different shades of golden amber.
  
  We sat inside near the bathroom, and decided on our foods. When I go to a place that allows every food item to be friendly for my eating, I have a tough time deciding on what I'm getting. After my normal deliberation, I went with the Lion's Mane Po-Boy (I'll come back to this), and my sister went with the S.L.T - seitan, lettuce, tomato. Each sandie comes with a selection for a side: house potatoes, fries, fried brussels, salad, beet salad etc. We ordered a separate side of fries to share, and for our entree side, went with the salads.
  
  Their Kombuchamosas, first off, are excellent. We had a pear flavored one, and it was exactly what we needed. Second, when you come here, get the Lions Mane!! Oh my god, it was amazing. Lions Mane is a type of mushroom that takes on the taste and texture of chicken. This po-boy had fried Lion's Mane on it, and I couldn't get enough of it. There was also a pickle aioli which was so extremely unique, and just as tasty! My sister loved her S.L.T., which was more panini style. The fries came with homemade ketchup and hot sauce, and those were also... absolutely perfect.  We LOVED our dining experience here. The food and the service, and the adorable set up was amazing. This is why we returned again before we left town.
  
  Our second visit we ordered an appetizer: Buffalo Cauliflower. I went with the Artichoke Panini and my sister did the Seitan Philly. We both got the beet salad as a side. The beets were gorgeous. They were multicolored, and extremely flavorful. The Buffalo Cauliflower was life changing. Serious. And whatever olive oil/balsamic The Gold Leaf uses... is perfect.
  
  I enjoyed the Panini, but definitely preferred the Lions Mane. It's nice that they have a variety of different sandies: wraps, paninis, subs,.  They also have breakfast options and bowl options so there's something for everyone.
  
  The Gold Leaf is a necessary stop when in town. It's. So. Damn. Good. I'm. In. Love. And. Will. Never. Forget. That. Damn. Delicious. Lions. Mane. I. Will. Drive. 7. Hours. Just. For. That.