Where can you find reindeer dogs, tart margs, crispy empanadas, and cheesy pizza all within a few blocks? In the Denver Ballpark area near Coors Field!

Marcos Coal Fired Pizza

Marcos Coal Fired is the only VPN certified pizzeria in Colorado, using Antico Molino Caputo ‘00’ flour, tomatoes from San Marzano, cheeses from the Italian countryside, and fresh produce from Colorado. In 2019, they earned OpenTable’s tastemaker and diner’s choice awards, and Westword’s best thin crust pizza award. The owners spent years in Naples learning how to make authentic pizza, and even had a water filtration system installed that mimics Naples water to use in their dough.

Try their sweet-tart limoncello with a slice of Margherita Bufala Mozzarella (Campania) pizza. The tender and light crust holds a hint of smoke from the coal and hickory wood used in their ovens, and the lightly salted tomato sauce blends seamlessly with the cheeses and fragrant basil. Even better, take it out to the patio and soak up the Colorado sunshine!

Lazo Empanadas

Lazo’s imports dough from Argentina to get that perfect flakiness, but all the fillings are made in Colorado. Try the spicy ground beef empanadas. Tiny raisins add a delicate sweetness while the homemade chimichurri sauce has the right blend of parsley and garlic, and pairs well with a slightly chilled Malbec. Or buy a box to take home and impress everyone at your next party.

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs

On a Rockies day, the lines here are out the door. Biker Jim’s dogs have won numerous national awards (Forbes, Food & Wine, Yelp), and are routinely named the best hot dog in Denver. They offer dogs made of reindeer, wild boar, rattlesnake, pheasant, elk, antelope, jack-a-lope and buffalo. They even have a vegan dog.

Try the homage to his home state- a reindeer dog with cream cheese served out of a caulking gun and onions simmered in cola, all nestled in a soft-as-a-cloud bun. The reindeer smells slightly smoky before you bite into a surprisingly lean and tender dog with a lightly crispy casing. Yas, Prancer.

Kachina Cantina

Kachina anchors the new Dairy Block with a fusion of Mexican and Southwestern flavors. Try perfect margaritas made with white tequila, agave, and fresh-squeezed lime with Navajo fry bread tacos. The bread is deliciously puffy, chewy and a little sweet like a sopapilla, and topped with lean (yep, no gristle!) tender carne asada, onions, and asadero cheese. Best. Ever.

If you don’t have time to nosh in the bright and airy main restaurant, check out Kachina’s vintage Airstream that serves cocktails and to-go foods in the cheerful hotel lobby of The Maven right next door. You can even grab a marg and hang out on the comfy couch under a 10-foot-long, 500-pound, giant hand sculpted from reclaimed wood by Colorado Springs artist Andrew Ramiro Tirado.

After you take your Instagram-worthy photos of that big ole paw, be sure to check out the retro selfie spot between the bathrooms. A perfect ending to your gastronomic tour.

Ready to explore this area? Try the DOWNTOWN FOOD TOUR with Delicious Denver Food Tours.

Read more HERE at DENVER DWELLER about how I noshed and learned fun tidbits about Denver one sunny afternoon with Delicious Denver Food Tours.