Packing food for a picnic doesn’t have to be a chore. These 20 Denver markets, delis and bakeries have all you need to fill your bag for a day in the park. (Remember: Sharing is caring.)
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The Bagel Deli & Restaurant
With nearly 60 years in the business — and locations inside the airport and Denver Broncos stadium — something has to be working for The Bagel Deli & Restaurant, a traditional Jewish deli near Cherry Creek State Park. You’ll find all the classic cold cuts, pastrami, corned beef and Reuben sandwiches, knishes, babka, rugelach, and beyond.
6439 E. Hampden Ave., Denver
Cheese Importers
Main Street Longmont’s Cheese Importers is the pride of the cheese lover in Colorado. Boasting over 500 local and international cheeses, an olive bar and other fine and home goods, the store has your taste in the finer things covered. Cheese Importers is a particularly convenient pit stop for travelers headed from metro Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park.
103 Main St., Longmont
Congress Park Market
Named for the park to its south and the neighborhood it resides in, Congress Park Market carries all the chips, drinks and snacks one might grab for a trip to said park. (Or to nearby Cheesman Park.) It’s got salads and sandwiches to go, too, and fruit should you want some Vitamin C with your Vitamin D sun bath.
2620 E. 12th Ave., Denver
Denver Central Market
One of Denver’s people-watching favorites is also a fantastic place to stock up on food, especially for anyone heading to RiNo Art Park or Confluence Park. Grab a specialty bagel at Call Your Mother, the food hall’s newest vendor, or “roulette” croissants filled with chocolate ganache at Izzio Bakery. Lunchboxxx sells appetizers such as wings, pita platters, popcorn chicken and a full spread of deli sides. Look for the shelves of Italian delicacies in front of the counter at Vero, the court’s pizza and pasta station.
2669 Larimer St., Denver
Denver Milk Market
A collection of standout vendors occupies the spaces inside Denver Milk Market. Its newest addition is an outlet of Marczyk Fine Foods, the local purveyor of gourmet chips, made-to-order sandwiches, tinned fish and chocolate chip cookies (see more below). That’s just one stall — others specialize in deli sandwiches, pizza, chicken sandwiches and Ethiopian food.
1800 Wazee St. Ste. 100, Denver
Edgewater Public Market
Edgewater Public Market is an ideal option for parkgoers at Sloan Lake or those fleeing to the mountains for a weekend. Peruse the pastries at Black Box Bakery, where croissants and French tarts reign supreme. Find a nice wine or six-pack at Depew Liquor. The food court also has meals to share, including empanadas at Lazo Empanadas or Venezuelan arepas at Arepas House.
5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater
Goudy’s Deli & Market
Just north of Washington Park is Goudy’s Deli & Market, whose L-shaped shopping floor contains multitudes: a refrigerated “cheese cave” known at times to have over 100 varieties of cheese; a deli counter with sandwiches on baguette, croissant or pretzel bun; and sausages piped by the store co-owner Christophe Goudy. Another wall boasts enough curated European foods (chips, pastas, cookies) to keep the party snacking.
1207 E. Alameda Ave., Denver
La Fillette Bakery
La Fillette Bakery’s reputation has grown along with its digs, moving from its original Hilltop location further east to Montclair. It’s all the more room to showcase its award-winning croissants, eclairs and cupcakes. Its ‘make-your-own’ sandwiches are also delectable no matter the configuration — or where you end up eating it.
6217 E. 14th Ave., Denver
Leevers Locavore
Denver’s (somewhat more low-key) answer to L.A.’s trendy Erewhon has all the makings for a primo picnic basket. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, organic produce, fine goods like caviar and pizzas baked in-house are all found within the Highland supermarket. If fancy is what you seek, Leevers has it in stock.
2630 W. 38th Ave. Unit B, Denver
Leven Supply
Compared to the more compact Leven Deli, where tourists and downtown employees meet for lunch and coffee, the newer Leven Supply has ample room to wander and find food to take to a picnic, potluck or cookout. (That includes Leven’s creamy macaroni salad and tahini-and-malt brownies.) Shelves and refrigerators up front display natural wines, packaged cookies, juices, tinned fish and to-go items from the deli. Like Goudy’s, Leven Supply’s closest public space is Washington Park.
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300 E. Alameda Ave. Unit D, Denver
Little Bodega
The aptly named Little Bodega was made for on-the-go devourment. The Five Points convenience store sells funky chips and drinks, sure, but also coffee, burritos and a list of specialty sandwiches. The sandwiches come either on a roll or a baguette and are made with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. Chicken, turkey, pastrami, salami — this little bodega’s sandwiches have it all.
613 22nd St., Denver
Marczyk Fine Foods
A name associated with quality, Marczyk Fine Foods is a go-to spot for many a picnic-goer at one of Denver’s central parks. It’s the ideal upscale market: Deli sandwiches hot and cold, puffed-up bags of Torres chips, chilled canned and bottled drinks and a respectable assortment of Haribo gummies. The 17th Avenue location also has an adjacent wine shop.
770 E. 17th Ave., Denver and 5100 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Mead St. Provisions
This New York-style deli in the Highlands makes massive deli sandwiches that’d make excellent contributions to an outdoor hang. The deli even prepares charcuterie boards for two or four people. Burgers, salads, wings and slices of pie also abound.
3625 W. 32nd Ave., Denver
Rebel Bread
Once a humble counter bakery, Rebel Bread’s location inside the Denver Design District now has a coffee bar, a broader pastry display case and a seating area. It also sells sandwiches — branded as Gino Panino — with names such as the Elisa (salami and honey mascarpone with arugula on sourdough focaccia) and the Giada (pancetta, egg soufflé, pecorino spread and tomato butter, also on sourdough focaccia). The clerks will ask if you want your sandwich pressed, which takes about 10 minutes. The answer is yes.
675 S. Broadway Ste. 600, Denver
Ruby’s Market
Ruby’s Market has carved out a niche on South Pearl Street, selling an array of food and goods made by local refugee- and immigrant-owned vendors. That includes packs of cookies for tea or dessert, fresh-baked loaves of bread, hot sauces, dips and salsas. With everything there is to see in this colorful shop, it might be tough to peel away to the park.
1569 S. Pearl St., Denver
So Damn Gouda Cheese + Provisions
Sunnyside has its own fine cheese purveyor, So Damn Gouda Cheese + Provisions, where one can find all the cheese, meats, snacks and beverages one could want for a picnic. The store also makes charcuterie and cheese boards and stocks wine bottles. Chocolate candy, crackers and garlic-stuffed olives ensure no one goes unfed.
2432 W. 44th Ave., Denver
Spinelli’s Market
Everything is neatly displayed and organized at Spinelli’s Market, which has been in the Park Hill neighborhood for over 30 years. Store clerk Monica Ivancie-Ruiz says they’re the pre-destination for families going to City Park or tourists loading up their coolers to take to the mountains. The deli counter in the back prepares its own sandwiches to go along with their homemade cookies and Caesar salad, too.
4621 E. 23rd Ave., Denver
SubCulture
Hungry lunch-goers stare at the menu up on SubCulture’s wall the way crowds gawk at the Mona Lisa. It takes time to go through all the sandwich options at the shop, located between the State Capitol and Cheesman Park. The bread, baked daily by City Bakery, is crisp and buttery every time.
1300 Pennsylvania St. Ste. 102, Denver
Tokyo Premium Bakery
A line forms down the block sometimes at this south Denver shop specializing in Japanese baked goods. The cafeteria-style trays and displays here are loaded with red-bean buns, bacon epi breads and other sweet and savory handheld snacks that’d fit right in at a park function. (Platt, Washington and Ruby Hill parks are all nearby.) A coffee bar cranks out matcha and houjicha lattes to be enjoyed on the way over.
1540 S. Pearl St., Denver
Vinh Xuong Bakery
This Vietnamese bakery in west Denver has pastries, coffees and banh mi sandwiches that travel well, including to Levitt Pavilion about two miles south. Chips, drinks and pre-wrapped Vietnamese sweets complete the order. In an area of town known for Southeast Asian cuisine, Vin Xuong’s fresh banh mi keep customers coming back.
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2370 W. Alameda Ave., Denver
