A trip to Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs is the perfect way to end a scooter date along East Colfax Avenue. After stops at the new Tattered Cover and RockBar, my husband and I were hungry. So we pulled the old Vespas into the spacious parking lot to grab a hot dog.
The atmosphere and food at Steve’s is reminiscent of a carnival stand – lively, easygoing and kid-friendly. Linda Ballas, who owns the joint along with husband and namesake Steve, has fun in her veins: Her dad is Denver legend Blinky the Clown.
It’s clear kids are welcome here. Corn dogs, Sno-Kones, limeade and popcorn are on the menu, and workers hand out balloons and take pictures of kids to display on the walls. And while there are no funnel cakes, dessert is a frozen banana on a stick, hand-dipped in chocolate and sprinkles.
For the more adventurous palate, try the Denver “Burrito” Dog, a hot dog wrapped in a flour tortilla, also filled with chili, cheddar jack, jalapeños, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce. The combination is sheer goodness, with a different taste each bite – spicy or mild, smoky or cheesy – depending on what you happen to get in your mouth. The wrap makes it remarkably unmessy to eat compared with traditional buns.
The Jersey Dog is a mix of spicy mustard, relish, sauerkraut, onions and bacon. Steve’s relish is of the Day- Glo-green variety, which doesn’t taste dilly or sweet but has an interesting tang. The kraut is improved by an infusion of caraway seeds. It’s hard to go wrong adding meat on top of meat, so by all means, pile on the bacon! You can double down with bacon on any dog for an extra 55 cents.
The Dallas Dog is your basic chili cheese dog and doesn’t disappoint. The Atlanta Dog – and Southerners will nod in recognition – adds coleslaw to the chili and cheese. And the California Dog does it up with fried red and green peppers.
Steve’s uses Thumann’s hot dogs from New Jersey. They are a beef-pork combination boasting an all-natural casing that gives them a nice snap when you bite into them.
For more snap, try Steve’s signature side dish – deep- fried green beans. These batter-free treats are crunchy with the right amount of salt.
Except for a counter along the front window, there’s no indoor seating. Instead, there’s an enclosed picnic-table area perfect for taking in the East Colfax parade. Eating outside, even on a chilly day, is part of what makes a stop at Steve’s so fun.
It’ll be months until carnival season returns, but in the meantime scoot down to Steve’s for the perfect snack to observe the circus that is Colfax itself.
Staff writer Rebecca Risch can be reached at 303-954-1913 or rrisch@denverpost.com.
Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs
Hot-dog joint | 3525 E. Colfax
Ave., 303-333-7627 |
$2-$4.95 | Monday-Thursday, 11
a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11
a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. Visa and Mastercard.
Front burner: It’s refreshing
to be in a fast-food establishment
where the workers seem
really happy to be there.
Back burner: “Breakfast” is
served all day, but since the
workday starts at 11 a.m.
you’re talking brunch at minimum.
