I Ate at an Iconic Denver Hot Dog Stand Just Two Weeks Before It Closed Forever – And I Wish I Had Known About It Sooner

I was watching the news in Denver one morning a few weeks ago when I saw a story about Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on East Colfax Avenue. I’d driven past this place dozens of times with the intention of eventually stopping in at some point, but I was always in a rush to get somewhere when nearby. I love hot dogs and hot dog stands and I’ve found that look similar to Steve’s always have the very best. Now, according to the Denver 7 report, Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs was in its final weeks before closing on October 19th – so I knew I had to move fast.

My companion and I decided to go for lunch one afternoon in early October. Immediately, before I even ordered, I knew I’d been missing out. I wish I had discovered this place long ago. The vibe and atmosphere were everything I seek when looking for a great hot dog stand, and the vast menu was exciting. I wanted to try everything Steve’s offered!

Steve Ballas, the owner of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, sure seemed like a warm and enthusiastic fellow when he appeared on the news. I hoped he’d be present at the store when I visited, but he wasn’t. However, you could easily feel and see Steve’s energy everywhere in the space. The ordering area and dining area were full of photos of Steve and signs telling and proclaiming all sorts of interesting things about the restaurant and Steve’s personal past.

Steve was born in Connecticut and worked at a hot dog stand as a teen. He later worked as a firefighter and police officer on the East Coast and continued to do so after briefly relocating to Boulder in the 1970s. He later moved back to Connecticut and got married before moving to Virginia to open a deli. The deli did well in Virginia, and it was even more successful when he moved it back to Connecticut for a time.

In the late 1990s, Steve and his wife Linda returned to Colorado and continued running their successful deli in yet another location – this time in Denver. They sold it in 2002, but they soon found that they missed the restaurant business.

By 2004, Steve purchased a food truck and began selling hot dogs at local farmers markets, parties, and special events. They were a hit! On February 20, 2006, they opened the first brick-and-mortar Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on the corner of East Colfax and Monroe.

This place has been hugely popular ever since. It’s won dozens of awards over the years. Rocky Mountain News, 5280 Magazine, and Westword’s writers and readers have included them in countless “best of” lists – and it’s easy to see why. Steve’s took great care to develop hot dogs with a smoky flavoring and blend of beef and pork with no fillers and low sodium – and they were among the first certified gluten-free hot dogs in the USA. They “snap” when you bite into them – hence the store’s name. And boy, do they! You can really hear the snap in every satisfying bite.

The hot dogs on Steve’s Colfax menu offered over a dozen mouthwatering options. Of course, Steve made sure to include a classic Chicago dog and a NY Coney-style dog called the Dallas Dog. But he didn’t stop there. The Atlanta Slaw Dog featured Steve’s chili con carne, cheddar jack cheese, cole slaw, and red onions. The California Dog was smothered with spicy mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar jack cheese, and fried peppers. The Denver Dog came wrapped in a flour tortilla instead of a bun, plus bacon, tomato, jalapeños, Steve’s chili con carne, cheddar jack cheese, and lettuce. The “Blinky” The Clown Reuben Dog featured Russian dressing, caraway sauerkraut, tomato, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw. And there were so many more.

My companion and I had a hard time deciding what to order. He hadn’t previously been to Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs either. We wanted to try everything, but we had not the time, money, or appetite for that. I settled on the Bronx Dog, which was a hot dog with cheddar jack cheese, onion sauce, and yellow mustard, with a side of half onion rings and half fries. My companion ordered the Atlanta Slaw Dog, which was smothered in chili con carne, cheddar jack cheese, coleslaw, and red onions, plus an order of Steve’s chili fries.

Every bite was fantastic.

I was full after round one, but my companion went back for seconds. He ordered the Rippin’ Rockies Dog for his second course. It was covered in Steve’s green chili, grilled red onion, jalapeños, yellow mustard, sour cream, and red onion. He liked this one even better than his first one.

As we sat in the dining room, full after ingesting our fabulous hot dog lunch, we lamented the fact that we’d missed out on this place in the past. Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on East Colfax wasn’t closing because it wasn’t doing well; it was closing simply because Steve felt it was time to retire. You certainly can’t fault the man for that, but I still felt sad to see the place go.

Although I would have loved to return to Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs time and time again to try all the hot dogs on the menu – including the vegetarian and vegan options, the bratwurst, and many of the numerous and equally enticing sandwiches and burgers offered – it was too late. At the time of writing this, sadly, Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on East Colfax in Denver, Colorado is no more.

But not all hope is lost! While visiting Steve’s I learned that there’s also a Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs location in Denver International Airport that opened in 2014. It’s located near Gate B24. It was mentioned in Food & Wine Magazine in 2023 as one of the best places to eat in our airport when Denver International won the distinction of being one of the nation’s top ten airports for dining.

I feared that it, too, would be closing soon if it hadn’t closed already, but I was happy to learn that my fears were unfounded. When I called Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on Colfax to ask about it, the man who answered the phone told me that the airport location is still open, and will remain so for “at least the next 18 months.” Thank goodness for that! The airport location’s menu is abbreviated, but there are still plenty of options there that I haven’t tried yet, and I look forward to visiting that location soon. It even has breakfast sandwiches, too, which will be great for the early flights I often take.

In closing, I want to wish Steve Ballas a very happy retirement. I’m glad that I finally got to enjoy a hot dog at Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs’ Colfax location, even though I truly wish I had given this iconic spot a try far sooner.

Lesson learned: When you see a place that looks interesting, don’t put off checking it out. You never know when it will disappear for good! Be sure to stop by Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs in DIA next time you fly somewhere – if you haven’t had Steve’s before, you don’t want to miss out on that location, too.

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