Denver, Colorado, is known for its unique and diverse food scene, with many dishes that are specific to the region and held dear by locals. While some classic Denver dishes are recognizable around the globe, such as the Denver omelet and green chile, there are also many lesser-known plates that deserve a moment in the spotlight. From the ordinary-but-tasty to the outright bizarre, here are eight iconic Denver dishes that you need to try on your next visit.
Denver Omelet
The Denver omelet is perhaps the most recognizable "classic Denver" dish. This breakfast staple consists of eggs, cheese, diced ham, green peppers for crunch, onions, and mushrooms. While its origin is a bit murky, some believe it was invented by a crafty pioneer woman who received a wagon shipment of rotten eggs and attempted to disguise the taste and smell with cheese, ham, and diced veggies. However, historians have put the kibosh on this legend, arguing that it's unlikely that green peppers were available in Colorado during this period.
The most plausible postulation is that the Denver omelet was inspired by Chinese cuisine. The Gold Rush and subsequent Colorado Silver Boom led to an unprecedented population explosion in the Centennial State and drew many underprivileged groups, including loads of Chinese migrants, to the area. Egg foo young, an omelet made with eggs, ham, chopped protein, and greens, was a popular meal for these workers. It's speculated that over the years, egg foo young evolved into the Denver omelet.
Rocky Mountain Oysters
Rocky Mountain oysters, also known as prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, lamb fries, and a host of other names, are not native to Denver, but they've definitely become a signature Denver dish. These deep-fried bull testicles may sound disgusting at worst and kitschy at best, but they've been a part of the local cuisine for years. While not exactly common, Rocky Mountain oysters are easy to find in the area, particularly at restaurants such as The Fort and Buckhorn Exchange.
Mountain Pie (Colorado-style Pizza)
Colorado-style pizza is unique in a number of ways. Its dough is made with honey rather than sugar, the edges are rolled by hand for a unique, plait-like crust, and drizzling the pizza and dunking the crusts in honey is basically a requirement. While a handful of restaurants around Colorado serve pizza in a similar style, Beau Jo's trademarked the term "Colorado-style pizza" in 2004. If you crave the true mountain pie experience, Beau Jo's is a no-brainer.
Green Chile
Colorado green chile may be eaten as a sort of soup or stew right from the bowl, but the same stuff is often served as a dipping sauce for sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and more. Hearty, spicy, and earthy green in color, Colorado green chile can be found on everything from breakfast cafe menus to high-end restaurants in Denver. If you dig spicy, brothy soups, be sure to seek out green chile the next time you find yourself in Denver.
Mexican Hamburger
Denver is home to a reasonably large Latino population, so it should come as no surprise that Mexican and other Central and South American foods are abundant. Most well-loved classics like enchiladas, chile rellenos, and pozole have roots south of the border, but there's one Mile High menu item that's uniquely Denver: the Mexican hamburger. This Frankensteinic mixtape consists of a grilled hamburger patty enveloped in a large, burrito-sized tortilla, the inside of which is spread with refried beans before the whole kit and caboodle is slathered with copious quantities of green chile and cheese.
Fried Tacos
Speaking of Den-Mex, we can't talk about iconic Denver dishes without mentioning fried tacos, and the cream of the deep-fried crop can be found at one of the best Mexican restaurants in Colorado: Mexico City Restaurant and Lounge. The family-owned restaurant has occupied prime real estate on downtown Denver's storied Larimer Street since the 1960s and is, by all accounts, the home of the fried taco. By "fried tacos," we're not just talking about a crispy shell. Mexico City's famous fried tacos are built with a white corn tortilla, stuffed to the bursting point with cheese, loaded up with protein of choice, and finished with lettuce and tomatoes before being fried to the crispiest of crisps.
Sugar Steak
Bastien's Restaurant, a family-owned steakhouse in Denver, is known for its sugar steak. Most people prefer to save their sweets for after a nice, big steak dinner, but why not both? Bastien's founders asked that very question, and by God, it paid off. Preparing a steak with a sugar rub turns out to be both mouthwatering and scientifically effective. While on the grill, the sugars in the rub begin to melt, and with the help of the fat from the steak, this results in a mind-blowing caramelized effect on the crust.
Fool's Gold Loaf
Elvis Presley, may he rest in peace, had an impressive appetite, one of which was for a gargantuan sandwich cobbled together with an entire loaf of bread, a full pound of bacon, two tablespoons of margarine, and one whole jar each of peanut butter and Dickinson's blueberry jelly. The Brobdingnagian hoagie — officially christened the Fool's Gold Loaf— was suggested to the singer by a teenage cook at the long-closed Colorado Mine Company in the Denver suburb of Glendale. Recommending a peanut butter, jelly, butter, and bacon sandwich to a high-profile VIP is decidedly gutsy, but the gamble paid off— Elvis loved it so much that he flew his private jet to Denver and back in one night just to get the real-deal Fool's Gold Loaf for his daughter Lisa Marie's birthday.
