Downtown Denver Food Tour

Denver’s best food story may be told one neighborhood bite at a time. This three-hour walk links Neapolitan pizza, Argentine empanadas, Colorado green chili, and a Native American fry bread taco, with stops at Coors Field, Dairy Block, the Oxford Hotel, and Union Station.

I like two things right away. First, the five tastings are genuinely varied, not five versions of the same snack. Second, the route gives you useful bearings for the rest of your stay, including places to eat near LoDo and Union Station. Guides such as Austin, Barry, Dan, Michael, and Zach are often praised for mixing local facts with humor and practical restaurant advice.

The main consideration is pace. You will walk downtown for roughly three hours, rain or shine, and the food adds up quickly. It is a full afternoon meal, not a light nibble between lunch and dinner.

Key points

• Five distinct tastings: Pizza, an empanada, pork green chili, a carnitas taco on fry bread, and a Portuguese custard tart.
• A compact downtown route: Walk from Marco’s Coal Fired near Coors Field to Union Station, passing LoDo, McGregor Square, Dairy Block, and the Oxford Hotel.
• A small-group format: The maximum group size is 16, which gives the guide room to answer questions and keep the group together.
• Useful local orientation: You finish at Union Station and receive suggestions for restaurants and places to visit during the rest of your stay.
• Dietary planning is possible: Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free tastings are available with advance notice.
• Optional drink pairing: Three alcoholic drinks can be added for $30, with a minimum drinking age of 21.

Why this Denver food walk works so well

At $85 per person, this tour sits above the price of a casual lunch but includes five prepared tastings, a guide, and a three-hour walk through several of downtown’s most useful districts. I see the value in it if you plan to use the restaurant suggestions afterward.

You are not paying only for food. You are also paying to understand how Denver fits together. Coors Field, LoDo, Dairy Block, and Union Station can feel like separate stops when you explore alone. Here, the guide connects them through food, sports, railroads, redevelopment, and Denver’s old frontier character.

The group limit of 16 matters. It is large enough to meet people from different places, yet small enough for a guide to keep the afternoon personal. Several guides receive especially warm praise for their humor, friendly manner, and restaurant advice. Dan is known for offering suggestions based on your favorite foods, while Austin, Barry, Michael, Zach, Alan, Jess, and Jessica are also named as strong hosts.

Marco’s Coal Fired begins the afternoon with smoke and crust

The first stop is Marco’s Coal Fired Pizzeria Ballpark at 2129 Larimer Street, a short walk from Coors Field. It is a smart opening stop because the pizza arrives early, when your appetite is ready and your palate has not yet been filled with other flavors.

The tasting features Neapolitan pizza with buffalo mozzarella. Marco’s is Denver’s only AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizzeria, a designation tied to traditional pizza standards from Naples. Its coal-fired ovens reach more than 1,000 degrees, producing a blistered edge, smoky aroma, and chewy center.

This is one of the tour’s most distinctive food stops. You get a taste of Italian technique in a Colorado setting, then learn how the restaurant earned its certification. If you care about pizza, this alone may make the tour worthwhile.

Ballpark District and Coors Field add a local sense of place

The short walk through the Ballpark District helps explain why this part of Denver feels so active. Old brick buildings, former warehouses, restaurants, patios, and street art sit around the baseball stadium. The district’s current dining scene grew from an area once tied to rail yards and storage buildings.

Coors Field is another quick pause. The stadium opened in 1995 and helped change the neighborhood around it. You will not take a stadium tour or attend a game, but the stop gives you a look at one of Denver’s most recognizable buildings and its role in the city’s growth.

The stop is brief, about five minutes, so keep your expectations in check. This is a photo and orientation point, not a full baseball experience. Its value comes from the guide’s context and from seeing how close the restaurants are to the stadium.

Lazo Empanadas brings Argentina to Larimer Street

At Lazo Empanadas, the food shifts from Italy to Argentina. The tasting is a ground beef empanada with housemade chimichurri, a compact pastry filled with seasoned meat and served with a bright, herby sauce.

Lazo is family-owned, and the empanadas are made from scratch using family recipes. That detail gives this stop a more personal feel than a standard restaurant sample. You get a simple explanation of how these filled pastries became such a common and adaptable food.

The empanada is also practical tour food. It is warm, savory, and easy to eat without a formal meal. If you prefer meatless food, ask about the available options when booking, since vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free tastings require advance notice.

Cherry Cricket serves a taste of Denver comfort food

The next tasting is Colorado pork green chili at The Cherry Cricket Ballpark. The restaurant dates to 1945 and is known for build-your-own burgers, but the green chili is the more useful introduction for someone trying to understand Denver food.

Here, green chili is more than a sauce on the side. It is a local staple that appears on menus across the city. The Cherry Cricket version is served as a substantial, spicy comfort food with pork and a deep savory flavor.

This is a good example of the tour’s strength. You are not just sampling something popular. You are learning why it matters locally and how a familiar dish can express a city’s identity.

The possible drawback is fullness. Pizza, empanada, and green chili arrive before the tour is halfway done. Pace yourself and use the water available at the stops.

LoDo, McGregor Square, and Dairy Block show modern Denver

The walk through LoDo, short for Lower Downtown, is one of the more useful parts of the afternoon. Preserved brick buildings and older warehouse structures now house restaurants, bars, shops, and breweries. The area reflects Denver’s shift from railroad center to dining and entertainment district.

McGregor Square, opened in 2021, adds a newer urban gathering space near Coors Field. It includes a large outdoor screen, restaurants, shops, and a hotel. The square shows how Denver continues to add new public spaces beside older districts.

Dairy Block offers a different look. Built on the former Windsor Dairy site, it combines restaurants, cocktail bars, coffee shops, boutiques, art, and a food hall around an alley. The tour does not stop at every business, but walking through the area gives you a useful list of places to return to later.

I like these pauses because they break up the eating. You get time to walk, listen, and decide which spots deserve another visit. The trade-off is that some of the stops are brief, so the quality of the guide’s storytelling matters a lot.

Kachina Cantina adds the tour’s boldest bite

Kachina Cantina serves a blood orange tequila braised pork carnitas taco on Native American fry bread. The fry bread is light and puffy with a crisp edge, acting as both base and tortilla for the meat, beans, vegetables, and sauces.

This is probably the most unusual tasting on the route. The dish draws on Southwestern food traditions while using a modern restaurant approach. It also gives the guide a chance to discuss how Native American foodways have shaped the region.

The flavor profile is different from the earlier stops, which keeps the tour from feeling repetitive. The portion is substantial, so by this stage you will appreciate the walk between restaurants.

Wynkoop and the Oxford Hotel connect food with old Denver

Wynkoop Brewing Company is Denver’s first craft brewery, founded in 1988 by a group that included future Colorado governor John Hickenlooper. The stop lasts about 10 minutes and focuses on the brewery’s role in Colorado’s beer culture.

The tour does not include an alcoholic drink unless you purchase the optional three-drink pairing for $30. If you add it, the minimum drinking age is 21. You can also enjoy the food tour without alcohol, which is useful if you are driving, avoiding beer, or simply full by this point.

Near Union Station, the Oxford Hotel offers a short look at Denver’s older side. Built in 1891, it is the city’s oldest operating hotel. The lobby has polished wood, antique lighting, and a connection to the city’s railroad era. The Cruise Room, its art-deco cocktail lounge, opened just after Prohibition ended.

You only spend about five minutes at the Oxford, so this is an exterior or brief interior glimpse rather than a long hotel visit. Still, it adds character before the final food stop.

Union Station finishes with a small Portuguese pastry

The tour ends inside Denver Union Station, where you receive a pastel de nata from Ultreia. This Portuguese egg custard tart has flaky pastry, a creamy filling, and a caramelized top.

It is a smart finale. After several savory tastings, the small pastry feels light but still special. Ultreia’s location inside Union Station also gives you a chance to look around one of Denver’s most important public buildings.

Union Station first opened in 1881 and was renovated in 2014. Today it combines rail service with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and a hotel. Since the tour ends at 1701 Wynkoop Street, you can stay for another drink or meal, catch public transportation, or ask the guide for directions.

Walking, timing, and food limits

The tour lasts about three hours and runs in rain, snow, or sunshine, unless poor conditions force a cancellation. Wear shoes suited to city sidewalks and check the forecast before leaving. The walk is described as manageable rather than punishing, but it is still an active afternoon with several stops.

Arrive five to 10 minutes early at Marco’s Coal Fired. You make your own way to the start, and the mobile ticket is available in English. The tour is near public transportation, and most people can take part.

The five included tastings are:

• Neapolitan pizza with buffalo mozzarella
• Ground beef empanada with housemade chimichurri
• Colorado pork green chili
• Pork carnitas taco on Native American fry bread
• Portuguese egg custard tart

You should treat these as a full meal spread, not samples that leave you hungry. If you have dietary restrictions, give advance notice. The tour can provide vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free tastings, but you should not wait until the meeting point to ask.

Is $85 a fair price?

For $85, you receive five food tastings, a guide for about three hours, neighborhood orientation, restaurant suggestions, and access to a small group capped at 16. Compared with buying five separate dishes in downtown Denver, the price can make sense, especially when you value the stories and the convenience of a planned route.

It is less appealing if you only want a cheap lunch or already know LoDo well. You may also find the food too filling if you have a large breakfast or plan a major dinner soon afterward.

The optional drink pairing costs another $30. I would add it only if you want the beer or cocktail side of Denver’s food culture. The food alone creates a complete experience.

Who should book this downtown Denver food tour?

I would choose this tour for a first visit to Denver, especially if you are staying near downtown, LoDo, or Union Station. It gives you a useful map of the area and several restaurants you can revisit later.

It also suits solo visitors and couples who like meeting a small group, families with older children, and anyone who wants history without committing to a formal museum tour. The food variety works well for curious eaters.

I would think twice if you dislike walking, need a very quiet afternoon, or prefer to choose every dish yourself. The route is easy to follow, but the tasting order and stops are set in advance.

Cancellation and booking details

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes made within 24 hours are not accepted, and the payment is not refunded.

The tour may be canceled if the weather is poor or if too few people book. In those cases, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Yes, if you want a practical introduction to downtown Denver through food rather than a list of landmarks. The best reasons to book are the wide mix of dishes, the compact route, and the guides’ strong reputation for humor, local facts, and useful dining suggestions.

Book it early if your schedule is fixed. It is commonly reserved about 24 days ahead, and the small group size limits last-minute space. Arrive hungry but not starving, wear weather-ready shoes, and save your final evening meal for something modest.

FAQ

Where does the Downtown Denver Food Tour start?

It starts at Marco’s Coal Fired Pizzeria Ballpark, 2129 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado 80205.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends with dessert inside Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202.

How long does the tour take?

The tour lasts approximately three hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $85 per person.

What food is included?

You receive Neapolitan pizza with buffalo mozzarella, a ground beef empanada with housemade chimichurri, Colorado pork green chili, a pork carnitas taco on Native American fry bread, and a Portuguese egg custard tart.

Are drinks included?

Alcoholic drinks are not included in the base price. You can purchase a three-drink pairing for $30 on site.

What is the minimum age for the drink pairing?

The minimum drinking age is 21.

Can dietary restrictions be accommodated?

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free tastings are available with advance notice.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 16 participants.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The tour runs rain or shine, but it may be canceled due to poor weather. You will then be offered a different date or a full refund.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.