13 Uniquely Colorado Foods

Colorado has it all. Wide, open prairies, towering mountains, lush valleys, hot deserts, snow-capped peaks, ice-cold rivers — you name it!

With so much gorgeous land and centuries of people passing through, it’s no wonder that the state has started to take on its own unique personality. A personality that, as most do, features a love of very specific foods!

Here are some of the foods that people in Colorado have grown to love and, of course, which Colorado does better than anyone!

13 uniquely Colorado foods

Colorado lamb

Lamb isn’t as popular in the United States as it is in other countries, but if you want to find it then look no further than Colorado’s state borders. 

Colorado style green chili

Chili verde is a big deal here in Colorado, and the regional pork-dominated dish is served over everything from enchiladas to rice to burritos, stews tacos and just about anything you want. 

Colorado style pizza

Also known as mountain pie, the Colorado style pizza came from the Gold Rush town of Idaho Springs at a restaurant called Beau Jo's. 

Denver omelet

The words “Denver omelet” and “Western omelet” are often used interchangeably to refer to the style of hearty omelet that contains mushrooms, ham, green pepper, onion and cheese. The dish emerged during the railroad-building days of the late 1800s and early 1900s when Chinese railroad workers would cook up meals similar to that of egg foo young.

Denver steak

Two interesting things to note about this particular food:

One, Denver steak refers to a cut of steak, rather than a cooked meal. The Denver beef cut comes from just below the shoulder of the cow and is also referred-to as a boneless short rib. The cut itself is marbled with muscle and fat and makes for a great chuck steak.

Two, the cut doesn't have anything to do with the city of Denver itself. The name emerged in the 2000s when the Cattleman's Beef Checkoff Program started a project to look for new cuts of chuck steak to market. One of the three “discovered” cuts was the Denver cut which was named arbitrarily. 

It’s safe to say that the best place to get a Denver steak is right here in Denver though!

Fool’s Gold Loaf

This is none other than the peanut-butter monstrosity that Elvis flew to Denver for on February 1, 1976.  

This is no mere sandwich, folks. You need an entire loaf of sourdough bread sliced in half lengthwise and each slice hollowed out. Fill the slices with an entire jar of peanut butter, a jar of blueberry jam and top it with a pound of bacon. Close the sandwich, get 911 on standby and enjoy (at your peril). 

The inventor of the sandwich is still unclear, but most of the accounts point to it coming from the kitchens of the Colorado Mine Company.

Mexican burger

A Mexican burger takes several of Colorado’s finest foods and blends it into one mouth-watering meal — a Colorado beef patty surrounded by refried beans and slathered in Colorado pork green chili within a fresh flour tortilla. 

It doesn’t get better than that!

Olathe sweet corn

We don’t often meander out to the Uncompahgre Valley in western Colorado, but when we do it’s to go to the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival. The variety of sweet corn grown in this region is speckled with yellow and white kernels, making it perfect for savory dishes, breads and sweet desserts.  

Palisade peaches

The west-side town of Palisade has just the right amount of sunshine elevation and cool nights to craft the juiciest peaches around. If you make it out to Grand Junction or Palisade, then be sure to swing by a farmers market or the Palisade Peach Festival to grab a bushel full before they’re sold out!

Pikes Peak cobblers

Pikes Peak cobbler is popular in the Colorado Springs area of the state and is typically made with fresh peaches, a crumb topping and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Pueblo chiles

These chilis are grown in, you guessed it, the southern Colorado town of Pueblo. They’ve become popular all over the United States, but here in Colorado they’re a celebrated piece of the state’s agricultural footprint. You can even visit Pueblo’s annual Chile & Frijoles Festival that celebrates the spicy, sweet pepper!

Rocky Mountain trout

Trout were introduced to Colorado’s rivers, lakes and streams in the early 1800s in an effort to enhance sport fishing. It was only in 1871 that the U.S. Fish Commission was established and more attention was placed on the ecological impacts of invasive species and overfishing and, as a result, certain lakes were stocked with fish to reduce overfishing in more sensitive environments. 

All that to say that trout fishing in Colorado has been going on a long, long time, and the fresh waters and clean mountain lakes have bred some astoundingly delicious fish. Eating some Rocky Mountain trout is a must-do for anyone in the state!

Rocky Mountain oysters

Prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, meat balls — there are plenty of names for this Colorado delicacy that emerged during the expansion era of the late 1800s. 

Eat ‘em baked, broiled, grilled or sautéed, but if you’re having it for the first time it’s probably best to enjoy them fried with a generous topping of, well, pretty much anything alongside it. 

You can Google the ingredients yourself if you’re still unsure.

If you live in or near any of our luxury Denver apartments, then you can probably get one of these delightful dishes at one of the many top-rated restaurants around you. Give them a go and see how you like them!

Bon appetit!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/EvermoreSolutions