What great restaurants did Loveland used to have?

Cities and towns across Colorado have seen beloved restaurants have to close their doors, even as people loved them. Loveland is no stranger to restaurants closing down; I thought I'd take a look back at a few that were once in the Sweetheart City, but are now just memories.

The Widow McCoy

Chicken Fried Steak — Khaled Mohamed on Unsplash

The Widow McCoy (The Widow) was on Eisenhower Boulevard, right across from where the Sam's Club parking lot is today. It opened in 1974 and was open for almost 40 years, closing for good in 2013. I remember going with a friend and his grandmother; she introduced me to clam chowder there. I loved it.

The building became home to a Hakkaido Buffet for a few years, but that restaurant also closed in 2020. Now, the spot is an eyesore on one of Loveland's most-traveled boulevards.

The Summit Restaurant

Steak dinner — NHATHUY DUONG on Unsplash

The Summit Restaurant (The Summit) was on Eisenhower, like The Widow, except it was on the (at the time) far west side of town. The Reporter-Herald notes that it opened around 1976 and closed in the late 1990s. I worked at Sirloin Stockade in the 80s; co-workers would talk about trying to get a job at the "nice place," The Summit.

Today, at 3214 West Eisenhower, just a bit west of Dairy Delite, you'll find dental offices that have a great view of the Big Thompson River Valley.

ADELITA'S

Adelita's closed in the summer of 2017, after 26 years of operating at 414 East 6th Street in Downtown. Where today, you'll find A.K.A. Kitchen/Rock Coast Brewery, once stood one of Loveland's best Mexican restaurants. Great food, great margs, great people; it was very sad when Adelita closed her doors.