A First Look at Edgewater Public Market

On Saturday, November 16 the hotly anticipated Edgewater Public Market opened its doors. The massive food hall exceeded expectations, offering an enormous variety of food options coupled with an inviting bar and a range of retail options. Situated in what once stood as a King Soopers, the new space is set to provide an appropriate anchor for the budding neighborhood. With 16 food options, the renovated spot has not only differentiated itself by being one of the biggest members of the growing hall scene but has proven to be the kind of place that can attract diners from all across the city.

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The sheer volume of dining options is almost overwhelming. Selections range from lobster rolls to Ethiopian cuisine, arepas and everything in between. A majority of the choices are well-established food truck concepts that see their first brick and mortar version in the hall. The OG from Slideshow comes stacked with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and house-made burger sauce. The flavor is old school and reminiscent of In N Out. Barbed Wire Reef brings a variety of wild game, with the BBQ pulled pork sandwich providing a delicious start on a menu that boasts kangaroo, deer and alligator. Happy Cones delivers the desserts. The New Zealand-style ice cream uses a lovely sweet cream base mixed with fruit upon order.

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The drinks — which can be carried across the venue — are primarily distributed by Roger’s Liquid Oasis, both from the main bar directly inside the entrance and an outfitted airstream on the roof. Conceived by the same team that conducts Curio in the Denver Central Market, as well as downtown’s Brass Tacks, the bar delivers impressive renditions of classic cocktails. The 300 bottle bar favors whiskey, with nearly half of the shelf being occupied by the dark liquid. The East Side is gin, lime, cucumber and mint, expertly blended to create a refreshing cocktail fit for lounging. The Pisco Sour comes with pisco, lemon, lime and aquafaba — a thickening agent made from chickpeas that nicely replaces egg white. Owner Katsumi Yuso Ruiz is excited to bring the new concept to the neighborhood, expressing that her incentive is to provide a good hangout to a community set to build around the space. If you’re looking for something non-alcoholic, beloved Amethyst Coffee has an outpost right in the middle of the main hall and will soon start roasting their own beans. Then as a necessity for all Colorado locales, an in house brewery is a must. Barquentine Brewing Co. fills that need nicely.

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Despite its monumental size Edgewater Public Market succeeds in cultivating an intimate community feel. The food vendors are passionate and seem inclined towards becoming neighborhood fixtures. Soon retail options including an in-house flea market, a zero waste shop and more will join the space to round out the experience. The venue has been the subject of a great deal of excitement, and by all indication, it’s proving to be worth the wait.

Edgewater Public Market is located at 5505 West 20th Ave., it is open Sunday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 12 a.m., and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. – 1 a.m. 

All photography by Kori Hazel.