Entry No. 1 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: oddities
Antlers Cafe and Bar
“Watch newcomers squint at the catfish and try to decide if it is real.”
During Prohibition this 1903 saloon just swapped its sign for pool hall and kept pouring; the National Register paperwork politely calls the booze reputed. The walls are the real con job: among genuine antler mounts hangs the Colorado mountain catfish, a mountain lion head grafted onto a fish body, and a mule deer that is literally a mule wearing deer antlers. Order the trout, then watch newcomers squint at the catfish and try to decide if it is real.
The story
In 1903, this wood-frame saloon opened where Main Street dead-ends at Moffat Avenue in Yampa. When federal Prohibition shut down Colorado's taverns in the 1920s, the owners didn't close up shop; they swapped their sign for a pool hall banner and kept pouring booze out of sight. The official National Register of Historic Places paperwork diplomatically notes the establishment's "reputed liquor sales" during those dry years, but the locals knew better. You don't need a password to get a drink here now, but the building hasn't lost its appetite for a good con.
The real deceit is mounted right on the walls. Set among genuine elk racks and deer heads are two pieces of classic western prank taxidermy. The first is the legendary "Colorado mountain catfish"—a taxidermied mountain lion head surgically stitched onto the body of a oversized fish. A few feet away hangs the bar's version of a "mule deer," which takes the name with absolute literalness: it is an actual domesticated mule head wearing a rack of deer antlers.
It is the kind of rural tavern trick designed entirely to confuse city dwellers while the regulars at the bar watch from over their beer bottles. Over a century after it opened, the room still serves its original purpose: feeding people off the dirt roads with fried Rocky Mountain trout, cold drinks, and a few good lies.
What it's like
You'll find the place where Main Street hits Moffat Avenue, with easy street parking right outside. Inside, it's pure Routt County drinking den—wood paneling, dark corners, and neon beer signs illuminating the taxidermy. Grab a table under the catfish mount, order the trout, and watch newcomers squint at the feline-fish hybrid trying to figure out if Colorado wildlife biology works differently up here. Because the venue historically operates on a seasonal schedule with winter closures and dinner-leaning service, confirm they are open before you make the trip.
The move: Drive CO-131 into Yampa, order Rocky Mountain trout under the fake catfish, and quiz each other on which wall mounts are real.
📍 Before you go Yampa is about 45 minutes south of Steamboat Springs on CO-131, and the cafe sits where Main Street dead-ends at Moffat Avenue, with easy street parking out front. It has historically run seasonally with winter closures and dinner-leaning service, so confirm it is open before making the drive. Pair the trip with the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway, which begins in town.
- 📍 Yampa
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 40 Moffat Ave., Yampa, CO 80483
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Oak Creek Tavern — Drive nine miles north on CO-131 to Oak Creek for another early-1900s mining saloon that survived Prohibition under alias names.
- Sulphur Cave at Howelsen Hill — Pair your meal under fake taxidermy with a trip north to see a toxic underground cave that exhales deadly gases.
- Carpenter Ranch (The Nature Conservancy) — Combine your stop in Yampa with a visit to this working cattle ranch and Nature Conservancy preserve further down the valley in Hayden.
Good to know
Where is Antlers Cafe and Bar located?
It sits at 40 Moffat Ave in Yampa, Colorado, at the point where Main Street dead-ends into Moffat Avenue, about 45 minutes south of Steamboat Springs on CO-131.
What are the fake taxidermy mounts on the wall?
The key hoaxes are the "Colorado mountain catfish" (a mountain lion head grafted onto a fish body) and a "mule deer" (a taxidermied mule wearing deer antlers).
Is Antlers Cafe open year-round?
No, it historically runs seasonally with winter closures and focuses primarily on dinner service, so you should verify current hours before making the drive.
What scenic drive is right next to Yampa?
The town sits at the edge of the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway, making the bar a convenient endpoint or kickoff for that scenic drive.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · steamboatpilot.com · historycolorado.org
last checked: 2026-06-11