Our grandchildren love to frolic on the beautifully landscaped grounds and pet the farm animals in the OK Corral as they come up to the fence. Plus they can climb on make-believe bronzed animals, sit on old-time farm machinery or watch the peacocks proudly strutting in their fenced aviary. For laughs, there is even a rickety old wooden outside toilet, nailed shut and marked “out of order.”
In addition to providing old-fashioned fun, White Fence Farm serves up tasty home-style food at a reasonable price for the grandparents, parents and children. The Lakewood restaurant bills itself as having “the world’s greatest fried chicken,” which is first pressure cooked and then flash fried for only a few minutes. The restaurant is also known for its delicious corn fritters.
For one price, the wait staff keeps bringing back freshly-filled bowls of pickled beets, kidney bean salad, cottage cheese, corn fritters and coleslaw before serving your entree. Pieces of their famous crispy-fried chicken are heaped family style on big platters. The chicken gravy is especially tasty on their homemade mashed potatoes and also the baked potatoes. Other entrees include steaks, roasted turkey, pork chops and seafood (I especially like the broiled white fish). A children’s menu and senior versions of the adult meals are available. It’s hard to pass up their desserts, which include pies, cobblers, cheesecakes, sundaes and brandy parfaits.
A two-story Americana barn adjoins the lobby, displaying antique carriages in a special room. My grandchildren love the “pig chute,” a two-story slide that whisks them from the second to the first floor of the barn’s open area. This is a great place to sip beverages before or after dinner. Live entertainment is staged here most evenings.
An old wooden crank telephone like those used in yesteryear hangs on the wall. Other rooms include a nostalgic Country Store with old-time candies and goodies, and a Colorado Christmas store where it’s holiday time all year long.
For guests 80 or older and celebrating their birthday, the restaurant will use their age as a percentage off their meal. For couples celebrating anniversaries of 40 years or more, the restaurant will discount their meal using their anniversary number.
The meal doesn’t have to end after paying the bill. A stroll around the grounds or a ride in the horse-drawn carriage is a nice way to finish the evening. In nice weather, I enjoy sitting in the redwood gazebo and watching the children frolic on the adjoining playground.
If You Go
White Fence Farm
6263 W. Jewell Ave.
Lakewood, Colorado 80232
303-935-5945
www.whitefencefarm-co.com
Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and for lunch and dinner on Sundays. It is closed every January for maintenance. No reservations except for groups of 15 or more. On the west side of the building, the restaurant offers carry-out at reasonable prices.
Margaret Malsam, a Colorado freelancer, has authored two books and written for numerous national magazines and newspapers.