Radical Sasquatch Dumpling Company

Find It: Rotating locations
The global dumplings at this 10-month-old food truck are as fun as its name suggests. Owners Lucas Doverspike and Matt Faurot hand-make seven different types, from juicy traditional pork gyoza to steamed buns bursting with a mix of Philly cheese steak and mac and cheese. But our allegiance goes to the Buffalo chicken dumplings: deep-fried half-moons of dough stuffed with braised dark meat, blue cheese, and cream cheese and then lacquered in tangy Buffalo sauce. The tasty (if wacky) snack is best enjoyed with a cold, hoppy IPA.

Order 26

Find It: Station 26 Brewing Co. (7045 E. 38th Ave.), daily from 3 to 9 p.m.
Food trucks and breweries tend to have symbiotic relationships in suds-soaked Denver. Nowhere is that more true than at Order 26, Station 26 Brewing Co.’s four-month-old, self-described “New American Mobile Diner.” The Station 26 team permanently parked Order 26 on-site to craft elevated (but still beer-friendly) fare. The Northeast Park Hill brewery truck’s meatballs aren’t bound with boring breadcrumbs, but rather with spent grain from the brewing process. And the Truck-Fil-A chicken sandwich, stuffed with a crispy chicken breast and smoky-sweet secret sauce, is the perfect match for an American Copper.

5280 June 2018
More From The Issue

Boar & Castle

Find It: Rotating locations
Six months ago, Jorge Cazares, a former chef at Rioja, donned a bow tie—you’ll never see him on the truck without one tied just so—and served Boar & Castle’s first bowl of (now wildly popular) pork cheek tagliatelle. The dish won’t be back on the menu until fall, but there are always two excellent pastas on offer—tomato spaghettini is this summer’s star—made with fresh noodles that you can watch Cazares hand-crank through the large window on the side of the truck. The concept also includes tapas and sandwiches with Mediterranean flair; we love the delicate potato and goat cheese croquettes, redolent of rosemary and ultracreamy inside.

Saba’s Ethiopian Food

Find It: Rotating locations
Although owners Beniyam and Madison Yohannes moved from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Boulder in 1991, their truck didn’t begin rolling around Denver until August 2017. We’re so glad it did, because of Beniyam’s mother Fiti Hailu’s impeccably seasoned Ethiopian fare and tender, tangy “injera” (the spongy bread used in place of utensils). Saba’s vegan dishes, in particular—berbere-spiced red lentils, gingery yellow split peas, collard greens simmered with onion and garlic—are winners.

Pepperbelly Barbecue

Find It: Malara Gardens (7190 Kipling St., Arvada), Saturdays and Sundays
Pitmaster Ryan Smith learned his craft at the epicenter of the cuisine: Austin, Texas, which is also where his 500-gallon custom smoker was crafted. Smith’s beef brisket, sausage links, spare ribs, and turkey breast—cooked over Texas post oak—are succulent paragons. If baked potatoes are available, be sure to order one of the hefty, foil-wrapped beauties topped with brisket (or your choice of meat), cheddar, scallions, and the like—and don’t miss out on the house-, er, truck-made pickled jalapeños and onions either.

This article was originally published in 5280 June 2018.
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.
Carolyn Davidson
Carolyn Davidson
Denise Mickelsen
Denise Mickelsen
Denise Mickelsen is 5280’s former food editor. She oversaw all of 5280’s food-related coverage from October 2016 to March 2021.