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When was the last time you ate at White Fence Farm? Five years ago? Ten? Back when you were a kid? If it’s been a while, you should give it another try.
The idyllic White Fence Farm ranch and restaurant on Jewell Avenue in Lakewood was a working farm when Charles Wilson purchased it in 1973. Over the following decades, Wilson turned it into an iconic comfort food eatery. The family-friendly restaurant is famous for its ultra-crispy fried chicken (the sign out front claims that its dispensed 5 million servings) and homestyle sides including cottage cheese, pickled beets, and sweet corn fritters.
While the pressure-cooked, flash-fried chicken recipe hasn’t changed over the years, other elements have recently been revamped. When restaurateur Craig Caldwell purchased the property two years ago, he began making subtle improvements. He added a couple of health-conscious entrées (filet of salmon and grilled chicken tenders) to the menu. Caldwell also updated the buildings on the property, turning the former Granny’s General Store gift shop into the Americana Barn, which boasts a beetle-kill pine stage and nightly live music. Professor Goodbellows Old Time Photo Studio, a staple attraction at the now-closed Heritage Square theme park, found a new home on the Americana Barn’s second floor.
Caldwell also turned his attention to the lackluster bar program. Case in point: The only brew on the former menu was Coors Banquet, and the wines options were “red” or “white.” Caldwell and general manager Whitney Carloss have now added 16 wines by the glass, six beer taps, and 10 bottles (including selections from New Belgium Brewing Company), as well as cocktails. The new holiday drink menu includes warming sippers such as the Kiss (peppermint schnapps and hot cocoa), spiked cider (rum and hot apple cider) and a hot toddy (bourbon, honey, hot water and lemon).
If you can’t make it to Lakewood to try out the farm’s new offerings, you can still get your hands on some of that famous fried bird. White Fence Farm now has three take out-only locations in Green Valley Ranch, Wesminster, and as of this month, Capitol Hill (with more to come). And thanks to the satellite location at the Pepsi Center, you can even enjoy that fried chicken while cheering on the Nuggets.
6263 W. Jewel Avenue, Lakewood, 303-935-5945