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Will the Denver Broncos dominate the AFC West this season with quarterback Bo Nix? Only time will tell. But what our scouting report did reveal is that cheering on the home team at Empower Field at Mile High in 2025—and hopefully well into 2026—should be a delicious experience, especially if you have a sweet tooth or a hankering for gourmet burgers.
Case in point: Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Atwater (who played for the Broncos from 1989 to 1998) just opened a smashburger joint in the stadium (section 100), and another new offering this season is the made-for-Instagram, three-pound Broncos Brookie (sections 303 and 342). It’s stacked with brownies, cookies, and puffed rice, with layers of blue and orange frosting gluing it together.
The Broncos’ first home game of the regular season is Sunday, September 7, against the Tennessee Titans. Some rookies (on the concessions concourse, that is) making their debut at Empower this season include the Bagel Deli, ChoLon, and Marczyk Fine Foods, as well as hot chicken sandwiches from Birdcall (section 110). In all, the stadium features 50 new menu items, including lobster rolls (section 130) and Reuben egg rolls (section 103).
Thirsty? New for this season, Breckenridge Distillery’s limited-edition canned Orange Creamsicle vodka seltzers will be served at the stadium.
If you scored tickets to the first home game or any others this season, here are our top picks for what to eat and drink inside Empower Field.
1. The Assassin Burger
Steve Atwater—the legendary safety who spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos and helped lead the team to two Super Bowl titles—is dishing out another win this season with the rollout of Atwater Grill.
While a classic burger is the menu’s workhorse, the real highlights are the specialty creations, including Atwater’s personal favorite, the Assassin Burger, that’s stacked with two smashed patties, Pepper Jack cheese, pickled jalapeños and habanero bacon jam for “just the right amount of kick,” he says.
There’s also the Hit Burger, loaded with onion rings, jalapeños, and barbecue sauce, and the Breakfast of Champions Burger, topped with a fried egg, cheddar cheese, a hash brown patty, and maple-bacon jam to give it a touch of sweetness. Throw in an order of onion rings or spicy curly fries to dunk in the Coca-Cola barbecue sauce. (Section 100)
2. Niman Ranch French Dip
A beloved neighborhood market with global flair, Marczyk Fine Foods has been a Denver staple since 2002. Now, it’s popping up in some of our favorite spots, landing at Denver International Airport late last year, and making its grand entrance at Empower Field this season. On the menu: A Niman Ranch French dip that’s stacked with tender roast beef and served with plenty of savory jus for dipping or drenching. This one’s exclusive to the stadium. (Sections 303, 342)
3. Detroit-Style Pizza
You don’t have to be a Lions fan to love Detroit-style pizza. Blue Pan Pizza is a Denver-born shop serving the Motor City’s signature rectangular pies with crispy, caramelized crusts here in the Mile High. The pizzeria, which joined the concessions roster last season, slings cheese and pepperoni slices for football fans. If Empower is your introduction to the pizza shop and you want more, Blue Pan offers extensive toppings and monthly pizza specialties at its locations in West Highland, Congress Park, and Golden. (Section 127)
4. The Mile High Madness Pastrami Sandwich
The family-owned Bagel Deli has been serving up New York–style bagels and Jewish deli classics in southeast Denver for nearly six decades and has gained fame on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. After opening a DIA location earlier this year, Empower is its next expansion. That means your game day grub options now include the Mile High Madness, a sandwich stacked with corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on marble rye. (Sections 306, 335, 327, 525)
5. Juicy Lucy Burgers
Lucy’s Burger Bar brought its cheese-stuffed, Minnesota-style burgers to Tennyson Street back in 2021. Now the joint is serving Juicy Lucys to the masses at Empower. Sink your teeth into one of these burgers, brace for a molten pool of hot cheese, and grab extra napkins—you might want to leave your vintage Broncos jersey at home for this one. (Section 111)
6. Wagyu Beef Meatballs
Chef Lon Symensma’s modern Asian restaurant, ChoLon, is another newcomer at Empower this season. While the iconic French onion soup dumplings are still only available at his restaurants, you can get leveled-up game day dishes like wagyu beef meatballs topped with red sauce and dollops of whipped ricotta. (Section 103)
7. The Jackalope Mac Stack
Perhaps the wildest dish you can dig into this year is the Jackalope Mac Stack, one of the stadium concessions’ own creations. The wild game sausage is topped with creamy mac and cheese and then goes off the rails with blue tortilla chips and Cheeto dust, all wedged into a hoagie roll. The outrageous combo hits as hard as the Broncos defense. (Section 128)
8. The Old School Burger
Chef Troy Guard opened an outpost of TAG Burger Bar at Empower last season. Guard will rotate his signature stackers throughout the season, but the Old School burger will always be on the menu. The classic is served with American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and secret sauce. Also look for the Tijuana burger, which comes smothered in pork green chile; the Blind in Texas burger, topped with an onion ring, applewood-smoked bacon, and Coca-Cola barbecue sauce; and the Big Kahuna with grilled pineapple and teriyaki among the fixings. (Section 127)
9.Chicken Burritos
Colorado-born Mexican eatery Renegade Burrito—which has locations in Arvada, Westminster, and Thornton—will open alongside Blue Pan and TAG Burger Bar in the stadium’s mini food hall. The menu offerings include chicken burritos and carnitas bowls. (Section 127)
10. Salted Chocolate Mudslide Cookies
An Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts graduate, Colorado pastry chef Wesley Duckworth’s résumé includes the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse and the Patterson Inn. His Duck’s Dozen cookies, in flavors like lemon poppyseed and salted chocolate mudslide, have garnered a following. Now, his scratch-made goodies, including sugar cookies with orange-and-blue candies and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, will be available at Empower. (Sections 326 and 525)\
11. Craft Mocktails
The mocktail movement has made it to the big stage. Just as Gallup polls revealed drinking is at an all-time low, Empower’s in-tune mixologists debuted four zero-proof cocktails that are available throughout the stadium. They include the Quarter-Lemon Quencher with mock gin and sparkling lemonade; the Pink Punt, a riff on a paloma with sparkling grapefruit juice; the Huddleberry Mojito with nonalcoholic rum and blackberry puree; and the Pigskin Pop, a zero-proof rum and coke. (Sections 117, 124, 325, 506, 536)
