Steve's Snappin' Dogs Closing After Nearly Two Decades on Colfax

After nearly twenty years, dozens of awards, multiple television appearances and a whole lot of hot dogs, an East Colfax staple is set to close on October 19.

Steve and Linda Ballas opened Steve's Snappin' Dogs on the corner of Colfax and Monroe back in 2006 and quickly made a big impression, winning Best New Store on Colfax in that year's Best of Denver. Now, there's a large "store closing" sign hanging on the front of 3525 East Colfax Avenue and handwritten a sign on the door that says, "Our super staff, Linda and I thank all of you, our great guests, for a great twenty years."

"Colfax Avenue is hot — hot dog," reads the Westword award description. "You may have seen Steve and Linda Ballas before, in their popular, dog-slinging pooch coach at farmers' markets and other outdoor events around town, or at the Corporate Deli, which they used to run downtown. (And here's food for thought: Linda is the daughter of Blinky the Clown.) Now the couple has staked a permanent claim on Colfax at Steve's Snappin' Dogs, a sleek, diner-style enterprise in a renovated gas station. Here you can pick up Steve's trademark all-meat, no-filler Thumann's dogs, shipped in from Jersey, along with a side of chili fries, coleslaw or the unexpectedly yummy, crispy-puffy deep-fried green beans. That's it, in a bun, with mustard."

Ten years ago, Ballas added a Steve's Snappin' Dogs outpost at Denver International Airport, which remains one of our favorite places to grab a bite before a flight. Ballas says that location will remain open for at least the next eighteen months and up to two years.
In 2016, Ballas was diagnosed with kidney cancer; after getting a lot of support from customers and surgery to remove his kidneys, he was cancer-free by 2019. But now his wife's cancer has returned, he says, and at age seventy, "I'm tired. ...What I did with hot dogs is pretty frickin' amazing. When I opened, the only other hot dogs were Wienerschnitzel, Home Depot and Mustard's Last Stand. People told me I'd never make it opening a hot dog stand on Colfax but it's been a very good twenty years. I've made a lot of people happy, and it's always better to go out on top."

There is a new husband and wife team set to take over the space, though. "It will be closed for about a month then Mama Jo's Biscuits & BBQ will open," Ballas says. Mama Jo's is a three-year-old food truck launched by Ben Polson and his wife, Jodi, who is also the pastry chef at Coperta. "They want to continue what I've done, giving back to the city. It's a great way to continue the legacy," Ballas notes.

They'll also continue to serve some of Steve's Snappin' dogs and burgers along with Steve's Snappin' Ale, which will continue to be poured at Bull & Bush as well.

Ballas says he's filled with gratitude for the many customers who have become like family, and he hopes to see many friendly faces over the next few weeks. The space is filled with photos of guests and anyone in those pictures can stop by before October 19 to take theirs home, he adds.

Over the years, we've written about Steve's green chile veggie dogs, that Bull & Bush collaboration ale and its extra crunchy onion rings.

Here's to you, Steve and Linda, and thanks for the dogs, memories and good times.