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Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour

43 Reviews 4.91 out of 5 stars Based on 43 reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and TripAdvisor |
Recommended by 100% of reviewers
100% of reviewers gave this experience a rating of 4 or higher.
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Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards. Denver, USA
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from $75 per person

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Delicious Denver Food Tours
Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour Image 2
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Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour Image 4
Delicious Denver Food Tours
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 29 (0) days in advance.
2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Instant confirmation

Overview

What makes this tour unique is the way it combines Denver’s evolving downtown story with flavors from the local businesses shaping it today. Guests begin at the historic Brown Palace, then explore the newly redesigned 16th Street while seeing landmarks such as the Colorado State Capitol, Denver Pavilions, Paramount Theatre, Skyline Park, and the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower. Along the way, the tour stops at four locally owned restaurants for a diverse lineup of tastings, including bison chili, empanadas, handmade pork potstickers, and green chile quiche. Rather than focusing on just one cuisine, the experience shows how immigrant-owned businesses, Colorado ingredients, and international food traditions all come together in downtown Denver. It is part walking tour, part history lesson, and part progressive meal, giving guests a deeper sense of the city through both its architecture and its food.

What's Included

  • Flaky French Quiche Made with Green Chiles
  • Argentinian Empanadas from a Local Shop
  • Colorado Bison Chili with Black Beans and White Cheddar
  • Alcoholic beverages Alcoholic Beverages
  • Tour Guide Gratuities
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

321 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202, USA

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

934 16th Street
Denver, CO 80202, USA

There is a free bus (the free mall ride) that will take you right by the starting point if you'd prefer not to walk back after the tour.

What To Expect

Book Online

Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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Safe & secure Easy breezy Hassle‑free

The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection

We begin our food tour at one of Denver’s most storied landmarks — the Brown Palace Hotel. Opened in 1892, this icon has hosted presidents, musicians, and travelers for more than a century. Its grand atrium, ornate ironwork, and stained glass skylight offer a glimpse into Denver’s gilded past, when elegance and ambition defined the city’s rise.Before we step out into downtown, we enjoy a seasonal housemade pastry from the hotel’s award-winning pastry chef. Each creation — from buttery croissants to fruit-filled danishes or delicate tarts — is crafted in-house and reflects the season’s best ingredients. It’s a refined yet welcoming start, a bite of sweetness paired with a bit of history. As your guide shares stories of the hotel’s famous guests and hidden tunnels, you’ll taste the kind of care and craftsmanship that set Denver apart long before the modern food scene arrived.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Free

16th Street Mall

After meeting at the Brown Palace, we head toward the 16th Street Mall — Denver’s main downtown corridor and the heart of our food tour. This mile-long pedestrian street runs through the center of the city, lined with restaurants, cafés, and food halls that show off Denver’s growing culinary scene. What began in the 1980s as a retail hub has evolved into a mix of historic landmarks and modern eateries serving everything from tacos and pizza to sushi and craft cocktails.Here, locals grab lunch between meetings while visitors explore the city’s flavors in one easy walk. Food trucks and pop-ups often line the blocks, and patio seating fills with people enjoying Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine. As we make our way down the mall, your guide will point out long-time Denver favorites and newer spots redefining downtown dining. It’s the perfect place to taste the city’s energy — casual, creative, and full of local pride.
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30 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Lazo Empanadas 16th Mall - Store #2

Our next stop is Lazo Empanadas, a local favorite bringing the flavors of Argentina to downtown Denver. Here, we sample their chorizo and egg breakfast empanada — a golden, hand-crimped pastry filled with savory sausage, fluffy eggs, and just enough spice to wake up your palate. Baked, not fried, it’s warm and flaky with a little smokiness from the chorizo and richness from the dough.As you take your first bite, your guide shares how empanadas became a staple of Argentine street food — easy to hold, quick to eat, and endlessly adaptable. Lazo’s recipes come straight from family tradition, but with a Colorado twist, using local ingredients and bold flavors. It’s comfort food with craftsmanship behind it, a perfect mid-tour bite that bridges South American roots and Denver’s love of global cuisine. Grab a napkin, because this one tends to disappear fast.
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20 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Colorado State Capitol (pass by)

From 16th Street, guests can look east toward the Colorado State Capitol, one of Denver’s most recognizable landmarks. Completed at the turn of the 20th century, the building was designed to resemble the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and rises prominently above Civic Center and Capitol Hill. Its most distinctive feature is the gleaming gold dome, which pays tribute to the mining industry that fueled Colorado’s early growth. In 1908, miners donated 200 ounces of gold to gild the dome, creating the brilliant finish visible across downtown. The dome rises 272 feet above the ground and catches the sunlight dramatically, especially on clear days. The Capitol is also famous for the “One Mile Above Sea Level” marker on its western steps, although the exact designated step has changed as elevation measurements became more precise. Seeing the golden dome from the mall connects Denver’s modern downtown with the mining history, political development, and civic ambition that shaped the city.
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Denver Pavilions (pass by)

As the tour continues, guests walk past Denver Pavilions, a large open-air shopping and entertainment complex that helped reshape this end of downtown. Opened in 1998, the development was part of a broader effort to bring major retailers, restaurants and entertainment back to Denver’s city center. Its original lineup included a 15-screen movie theater and more than 30 shops, along with prominent businesses.Today, Denver Pavilions remains one of the most visible commercial landmarks on 16th Street, with restaurants, stores and a movie theater arranged around open-air walkways. Its bold architecture and large signs reflect a late-1990s vision of downtown as an urban entertainment destination. Walking past it gives guests a chance to see how 16th Street has continually evolved—from a traditional retail corridor to a pedestrian mall and, more recently, a broader downtown gathering place centered on dining, events and public space.
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Paramount Theatre (pass by)

Just off 16th Street, guests can spot the historic Paramount Theatre, one of downtown Denver’s best-known entertainment landmarks. Opened in 1930, the theater was designed during the golden age of grand movie palaces, when going to the movies was meant to feel glamorous and theatrical. Its striking Art Deco details, glowing marquee, ornate interior, and original Wurlitzer organ reflect that era. Over the decades, the Paramount has evolved from a movie theater into a major live-performance venue, hosting concerts, comedians, speakers, and touring productions. Its survival is especially significant because many similar theaters across the country were demolished or heavily altered as downtown entertainment districts changed. Today, the Paramount remains an active venue and a reminder of a time when this stretch of Denver was filled with department stores, theaters, restaurants, and crowds arriving for a night out in the heart of the city.
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Appaloosa Grill

Our third stop takes us to Appaloosa Grill for a bowl that tastes like Colorado: rich, slow-simmered bison chili. Lean, deeply flavored bison is cooked low and gentle with roasted chiles, tomatoes, warm spices, and a touch of cocoa for depth, then finished with sharp cheddar, green onion, and a dab of cooling crema. It’s hearty without being heavy, the kind of comfort that makes conversation start around the table. Your guide shares how bison moved from frontier staple to modern Rocky Mountain favorite while you sip water or a local beverage and take in the lively room. We talk texture, heat, and balance, and what makes game meats different from beef. By the last bite, you’ll understand why Denver chefs reach for bison when they want bold flavor and a sense of place—an edible snapshot of the city’s high-plains soul. Paired with a crumb of cornbread for scooping (or gluten-free on request), this stop is equal parts tasting and story—fuel for the short walk to our next bite on the tour!
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20 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch (pass by)

Near the clock tower area, guests can also see the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which connects downtown Denver to the nation’s central banking system. The Federal Reserve helps oversee monetary policy, supervises banks, distributes currency, and supports the financial infrastructure used throughout the country. The building is also associated with the Denver Money Museum, where visitors can learn how currency is designed, protected, circulated, and eventually removed from use. Although the Federal Reserve may seem less visually dramatic than the clock tower, it represents another major part of downtown Denver’s identity: finance, commerce, and regional economic influence. Passing it on the tour gives guests a useful contrast between the historic department-store era represented by Daniels & Fisher and the modern financial institutions that now help anchor downtown Denver.
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Chopstickers

Just steps from Denver’s newly reopened 16th Street, Chopstickers offers a taste of handmade Chinese comfort food in a casual, family-owned setting. Founded by husband-and-wife team Zhijian “Abraham” Liu and Mengjiao Li, the restaurant grew from its original Fort Collins location into a downtown Denver favorite known for dumplings, noodles, and bao. On this stop, guests will taste pork potstickers made with a savory, juicy filling wrapped in tender dough, then pan-seared for a crisp golden bottom. The contrast between the crunchy exterior and soft, chewy wrapper is what gives potstickers their signature appeal. Served with a flavorful dipping sauce, the dumplings highlight the balance of richness, salt, acidity, and gentle spice found in many northern Chinese dishes. This stop is also a chance to learn how a traditional food with centuries of history has found a home in Denver through the story of a local immigrant-owned business.
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30 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Skyline Park (pass by)

Near the lower end of 16th Street, Skyline Park offers a narrow stretch of green space surrounded by office towers, hotels, and busy downtown streets. The park was created as part of a larger effort to make central Denver more livable and visually appealing during a period of major urban redevelopment. Its location provides a break from the surrounding buildings and gives downtown workers, residents, and visitors a place to sit, gather, eat lunch, or attend seasonal events. Over the years, Skyline Park has hosted markets, winter attractions, festivals, public art, and temporary installations. The space has also been redesigned and reimagined several times as the city has searched for the best way to activate downtown public areas. On the food tour, the park helps guests understand that 16th Street is not only a retail and transportation corridor. It is also part of a broader civic landscape designed to create public gathering spaces in the middle of Denver’s dense commercial core.
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Daniels and Fisher Tower (pass by)

Our next stop brings us to one of Denver’s most iconic landmarks — the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower. Built in 1911 as part of the grand Daniels & Fisher department store, it was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi and a proud symbol of Denver’s growth. Modeled after St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice, its four glowing clock faces have watched over the 16th Street Mall for more than a century.We pause here not for a bite, but for a taste of history. Your guide shares how this elegant tower survived the demolition of the original store in the 1970s and became a cornerstone of downtown’s revival. Today, it houses offices and event spaces with panoramic views, and its bells still chime through the city. Standing beneath it, you can feel the rhythm of Denver’s past and present blending together — a fitting intermission between food stops on our walk through the city’s evolving flavors and stories.
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Trompeau Bakery + Cafe

The tour concludes at Trompeau Bakery, a locally owned French bakery near the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower. Here, guests taste a savory green chile quiche that blends classic French technique with one of Denver’s most recognizable flavors. The quiche features a flaky, buttery crust filled with rich egg custard, sausage, pepper jack cheese, and roasted Hatch Valley green chile. The result is creamy, savory, and lightly spicy, with crisp pastry around the edges and a soft, satisfying center. Green chile is a major part of Denver’s food culture, appearing on everything from breakfast burritos and eggs to burgers and fries. At Trompeau, that regional ingredient is folded into a traditional French dish, creating a fitting final bite that reflects the city’s mix of global influences and local traditions. It is a warm, flavorful finish to the tour and a great example of how Denver restaurants make familiar dishes distinctly their own.
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30 minutes Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with dietary restrictions (dairy-free, vegan, gluten free)
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Frequently Asked Questions (8)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (MST).This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

Still have questions?

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Activity code: C-62532P7

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Reviews

4.91
43 reviews

Average 4.91 out of 5 stars based on 43 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
39
4 stars
4
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 29 (0) days in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (8)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Balloon Tours customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour?
A:
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (MST).
  • This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Flaky French Quiche Made with Green Chiles.
  • Argentinian Empanadas from a Local Shop.
  • Colorado Bison Chili with Black Beans and White Cheddar.
  • Handmade Pork Dumplings from a Family-Owned Restaurant.
The following is NOT included:
  • Alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic Beverages.
  • Tour Guide Gratuities.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the weather cancellation policy?
A:

This tour requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

The minimum age to participate is 3. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour is as follows:

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with dietary restrictions (dairy-free, vegan, gluten free)
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Denver Downtown 16th Street Food Tour will be included in your confirmation email from City Balloon Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024
Q: How long does a refund take to reach my card, and can I get it faster?
A:

Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.

Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.

If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.

Oct 2026

What's Included

Activity name

  • Flaky French Quiche Made with Green Chiles
  • Argentinian Empanadas from a Local Shop
  • Colorado Bison Chili with Black Beans and White Cheddar
  • Handmade Pork Dumplings from a Family-Owned Restaurant
  • Alcoholic beveragesAlcoholic Beverages
  • Tour Guide Gratuities

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with dietary restrictions (dairy-free, vegan, gluten free)
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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