Denver's 8 Most Popular Food Halls
Denver is known for its food halls, but these communal dining spaces are a complicated and often controversial topic. On one hand, a food hall can be a useful proving ground for creative culinary minds — an accessible way for aspiring restaurateurs to get a foot in the door. However, food halls can also become flashpoints for a neighborhood's gentrification problems. Restaurant development is a common sign of gentrification, and may even actively spur it. Yet the promise of a food hall — when it works — is a model that can uplift its surrounding community.
Unfortunately, that model has struggled in recent years. In 2023, Axios reported that food halls were facing an uphill battle for success in the post-pandemic landscape. Ownership of the spaces has frequently changed hands, with some locations facing closure. Still, many of Denver's stalwart food halls remain open and continue to function as important culinary and cultural hubs within their neighborhoods. That's more than enough reason to seek out the iconic food halls of Denver, a city that has arguably helped pioneer the concept in America.
Denver Central Market
Denver Central Market is a premier destination in one of the city's most artistic neighborhoods, which is called River North and better known by its abbreviation, "RiNo." The 14,000-square-foot market opened in 2016 with 11 founding vendors, many of whom still operate there nearly a decade later. In fact, the market saw no vendor turnover until 2021, when current vendor, Lunchboxxx, replaced SK Provisions. That level of consistency has helped Denver Central Market build a strong reputation, and the shops continue to offer a wide variety of food, beverages, and retail goods that make it a popular spot to visit whether you're a local Denverite or curious tourist.
If you're shopping for groceries, Denver Central Market has a robust meat offering from Butchers at RiNo, seafood sold by Tammen Market (which also supplies nearby Sushi-Rama), fresh produce from GreenSeed, and an Izzo Artisanal bakery outpost. Crema, a bodega run by a local café of the same name, sells outstanding coffee alongside a range of convenience items. Other vendors include Call Your Mother Deli, Curio Cocktail Bar, and Vero Italian — a great spot for imported European goods, wood-fired pizza, and freshly made pasta.
2669 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205
Avanti Food & Beverage
Denver's Lower Highlands neighborhood (LoHi) is a small subsection of one of the city's trendiest areas. The big draw here is that the area is highly walkable and boasts a thick tapestry of lush gardens, independently owned businesses, and an aesthetically pleasing contrast between modern architecture and Victorian-era homes. LoHi is also home to many of Denver's most innovative restaurant concepts, including Avanti Food & Beverage.
The multifloor Avanti opened in 2015, and its success has since warranted the opening of additional locations in Boulder and Vail. Denver's original site features three different bar concepts (including a seasonal Christmas tiki bar), seven restaurant stalls, and two patios that provide excellent views of the city skyline and the Platte River below.
Show up to Avanti hungry. For comfort food, there's The Pizza Bandit, Biker Jim's gourmet hot dogs, and Knockabout – a craft burger shop slinging fat patties and smash burgers alike. Quiero Arepas is also available if you're looking for handheld fare, but if you'd prefer a sit-down meal, try Farang Thai. One of the best reasons to visit this popular Denver food hall is Berliner Haus, a German Döner kebab shop offering beef and lamb combo wraps, chicken döner, döner-loaded fries, and plates of bite-sized falafel.
When evening rolls around, the bar is the place to settle in. The menu is flush with sophisticated cocktails and high-end specialty spirits — like High West's cask strength bourbon and Don Julio 1942 – as well as plenty of non-alcoholic options. For a lighter tab, happy hour runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and all day Sunday.
3200 Pecos St, Denver, CO 80211
(720) 269-4778
Edgewater Public Market
With so many dining options close to Denver's city center, Edgewater Public Market can feel like a bit of a trek just for a food hall. But if you're out for a waterfront walk around Sloan Lake, or you're on the hunt for a food hall with impressive diversity, Edgewater is worth the visit. There are four separate buildings under one roof, each serving a different purpose: a food hall, a retail hub, a wellness center, and an event space.
It would take all day to list every restaurant concept housed within Edgewater Public Market, so we'll stick to the highlights. First up is Konjo Ethiopian Food, where the dishes are known to pack a fair bit of spice, but are also intensely nourishing and notably free of common allergens like soy, nuts, and dairy. The gluten-free injera bread really ties everything together. Alternatively, you could slurp it up among the happy diners at Saigon Noodle House or Mugi Ramen. Another standout spot is Barbed Wire Reef, a multi-concept eatery focusing on wild game and seafood."
One stall that continually bolsters the reputation of Edgewater Public Market is Black Box Bakery. Known for its high-end, technically masterful pastries – including square croissants and stuffed baguettes – Black Box is more than just an anchor tenant. It's widely considered one of Denver's best bakeries.
5505 W 20th Ave, Edgewater, CO 80214
(720) 749-2239
Stanley Marketplace
Once a 140,000-square-foot aeronautical manufacturing facility, Stanley Marketplace is a behemoth of a food hall and community center. Though technically located in Aurora, not Denver, shoppers come for the chic boutiques — like Aktiv, a Scandinavian activewear retailer, and Recovering Hipster, a thrift-store-influenced emporium — alongside the handy services, which include a dental office, psychology center, children's makerspace, and several salons. That said, there are also plenty of coffee spots, restaurants, and bars to suit any time of day.
Barbecue, bagels, or biscuits? Crêpes or dim sum? Do you hit the chocolatier, or one of the several cafes? The hardest part about visiting Stanley Marketplace is deciding where to go. The bar concepts alone are plentiful. There's Mr. B's, Create, and Traveling Mercies — from James Beard winner, Caroline Glover — as well as Stanley Beer Hall and Cheluna Brewing Co., a Great American Beer Fest champion. Stanley Marketplace is also well known for offering unique experiences, such as The Local Drive, an indoor golf facility and cocktail bar boasting a notably generous all-day happy hour on Monday and Tuesday.
Some of the best — and most unpretentious — sushi in the Denver area can be found at Misaki, while the handmade pastries at Maria Empanada can be downright habit-forming. Chef Caroline Glover's other Stanley concept, Annette, warms up the market with creative, wood-fired American dishes. Think roasted half chicken, grilled skate wing, and pork tenderloin tournedos.
2501 Dallas St, Aurora, CO 80010
(720) 990-6743
Dairy Block
One of Denver's oldest settlements, the LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood has seen major investment and development since the late 1980s. People know it as a historic yet active urban center, with both new and established concepts around every corner. Take, for example, Dairy Block: a micro-district that occupies an entire city block between 18th and 19th streets on one side, and Wazee and Blake streets on the other. The building once operated as a dairy facility, but now it's home to both the Dairy Block food hall and Denver Milk Market, with an outdoor venue called The Alley sandwiched in between.
A beautiful, large-scale wooden hand sculpture beckons you into the Dairy Block entrance, and it also marks access to the boutique Maven Hotel. Drinks are the main focus here; Deviation Distilling and Blanchard Family Wines both have tasting rooms, or you can wet your whistle at Seven Grand Whiskey Bar, Run for the Roses cocktail lounge, or Poka Lola Social Club. In the morning, get your java buzz from Amp Artisan Coffee or Huckleberry Roasters, and swing by LoDough Bakery for a fresh pastry.
Despite having relatively few dining options compared to the other food halls on this list, Dairy Block still houses some standout restaurants. One example is Kachina Cantina, which serves a mole-braised lamb shank that weakens the knees. There's also Brutø, a Michelin-starred restaurant where Latin flavors are treated with omakase-inspired precision.
1800 Wazee St, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 309-4847
Denver Milk Market
As mentioned above, on the west side of Dairy Block, you'll find the Denver Milk Market. Admittedly, this food hall evokes strong opinions — folks have called it pricey, and at times, the atmosphere can be decidedly loud. However, if you can handle the volume, the Milk Market can still be a lively stop. The centrally located Moo Bar thrives on familiar cocktails (who doesn't love seeing a Paper Plane on the menu?), and it's complemented by a weekday happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The dining options consist of some familiar food hall stalls, like Konjo Ethiopian and Lucky Bird. There are also several concepts you won't find anywhere else: The Green Huntsman, which can satisfy your salad itch while offering other essential market fare; dim sum and dumplings from YumCha; classic deli sandwiches at Bos; and East 3, a Thai-Japanese-Filipino rice bowl concept. Of course, Denver Milk Market couldn't be complete without an ice cream shop — in this case, Cornicello's. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for special events — the recurring drag brunch is particularly popular.
1800 Wazee St Suite 100, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 792- 8242
Junction Food & Drink
With 12,000 square feet devoted to 11 kitchen concepts, Junction Food & Drink packs a lot under its airy roof. It's a no-frills, casual option that opened in the midst of the pandemic, though it's now considered a staple of the Mile High City's food hall scene. Junction is also a true community event hub, the kind that hosts weekly trivia nights, craft market popups, and seasonal visits from Santa during the holiday season.
From Mexican to Japanese, you'll find many of the quintessential food hall cuisines at Junction, often offering fun twists on classic dishes. For example, the pizza joint also sells Turkish pide, and the ramen shop offers gluten-free options among its extensive lineup, which includes shoyu, tonkotsu, miso vegetable ramen. These aren't the only standout spots, though. Flatbread kati rolls and loaded protein bowls — vegan and otherwise — are sold at Bowl'd Masala, a fast-casual Indian concept geared towards affordable, nutritious takeaway meals. Down the way, Just Kool Jamaican Kitchen slings beef patties, jerk chicken, and curry goat that are so on point, you'll question whether you're really all that far from the Caribbean.
2000 S Colorado Blvd Building IV, Denver, CO 80222
The Golden Mill
There are a lot of good reasons to end up in Golden, and if the wind happens to blow you that way, try to roll like a tumbleweed into the Golden Mill. The riverfront seating and slower pace offer something that food halls within the city proper just can't replicate. However, The Golden Mill still has all the attractions that make Denver's urban markets fun to visit: The building is historic, having been a flour mill back in the 1860s; it's a community hub, constantly featuring live music and trivia nights, and it even holds a "Dog of the Month" competition.
Admittedly, The Golden Mill's main draw is its events, and while the carefully curated culinary options don't necessarily excel in creativity, the food is still delicious. The eateries at this food hall include a sushi spot, a barbecue grill, a chicken shack, a taco stand, and Happy Cones, the resident ice cream shop. There's a bar, of course, featuring a self-pour beer wall where you can fill your glass at your own leisure. Plus, The Golden Mill's Happy Hour covers the entire market, offering deals between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Be aware, The Golden Mill incorporates an 18% service charge into all checks to support labor costs and equitable pay across the establishment, so additional tipping is not necessary.
1012 Ford St, Golden, CO 80401
(720) 405-6455
Methodology
To gather the picks for this roundup, I began by creating a comprehensive list of every food hall in the Denver metro area. Their "popularity" was determined by adding up the number of reviews for each location on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google, and averaging their social media followings. Next, I considered their popularity in terms of public opinion by consulting consumer review sites, reviewing original reporting from regional media outlets, and reaching out to local industry connections. I personally visit Denver at least once a year, and have been to each of the markets included in this article, so my own impressions also played a role in shaping this shortlist of popular food halls.