A delicious meal and a refreshing drink are part of a complete concert experience. For concertgoers in the new Ford Amphitheater, the selection of food and drinks goes beyond the usual hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and beer.
According to Chloe Hoeft, spokeswoman for the Ford Amphitheater, the food trucks offered at the newly opened facility on Colorado Springs’ north side were hand-picked by the facility’s staff to reflect the most popular flavors of the Colorado Springs community.
“We have selected a diverse selection of local vendors to suit the unique tastes and desires of our music fans. With each selection, we have made a point of offering both variety and consistency to ensure an unforgettable experience,” said Hoeft.
After the amphitheater’s second weekend of catering to the musical crowds, Hoeft said Wyly Coyote Concessions’ funnel cakes and handcrafted prickly pear and vodka lemonade cocktails were among fan favorites.
As we approach the third weekend since the opening of the Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs, here is a list of local food and drink options available throughout the new concert venue.
Pikes Peak Lemonade
Local Locations: 224 N. Tejon St., Downtown Colorado Springs
Price range: $8-12
Pikes Peak Lemonade offers flavored lemonades and lemonades on the north side of the amphitheater. Customers can choose from four flavors and two size options.
Pikes Peak Lemonade was founded locally in Colorado Springs in 2015.
www.pikespeaklemonade.com
Mobile kitchen food truck from Scratch
Local Location: Search social media for weekly public locations
Price range: $15.59 – $20
The local Scratch Mobile Kitchen offers its version of burgers and fries to Ford Amphitheater patrons. It is located in the venue’s upper concourse, next to the lawn seating.
If you want to complement your music with classic comfort food, you can choose between a classic burger for $15.59 or a deluxe burger for $17.79, with the option of cheddar cheese and bacon as an extra. Each burger comes with French fries.
Created by Bryan and Jillian Lovelace, Scratch Mobile Kitchen Food Truck has been serving the broader Colorado Springs community for more than five years.
www.scratchmk.com
Barbed Wire Reef Multi-Concept Food Truck
Local Location: Edgewater Public Market Food Hall, Edgewater
Price range: $6.95 – $17.95
With each offering described as a “culinary adventure,” you can’t go wrong with any of the 10+ unique dishes offered by the Barbed Wire multi-concept food trucks located at the venue’s south entrance along the upper concourse.
The Denver-based food truck and catering company isn’t afraid to offer more than the usual event food – from the Chipotle BBQ pulled pork wild boar sandwich to parmesan truffle fries on the side. Guests can finish off their meal with a unique sweet treat, be it one of their many jazzed-up waffles, which range from $11 to $17, or a horchata milkshake for $10.95.
Colorado-based Barbed Wire Reef Food Trucks has been serving the community year-round with their five food trucks since 2011.
www.barbedwirereef.com
Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs
Local Location: 445 Larimer St., Denver
Price range: $9-14
Billy Fied brings his gourmet Chicago-style hot dogs and corn dogs to the Ford Amphitheater as one of the venue’s most affordable meals.
Denver-based Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs offers a variety of hot dogs and corn dogs in the eatery’s upstairs concourse, which is adjacent to the lawn. For $9, guests can enjoy a standard Chicago-style hot dog with all the fixings – yellow mustard, green relish, hot peppers, tomatoes, and of course, pickles. The gourmet hot dog stand also offers unique meats, including elk and buffalo sausages, as well as a Coney Island-style chili dog. Fries are extra.
Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs has been serving the Denver area for over a decade.
www.billysgourmethotdogs.com
Josh and John’s Ice Cream
Local Location: 329 N. Tejon St., Downtown Colorado Springs
Price range: $8
Josh and John’s Colorado Craft Creamery aims to cool off Ford Amphitheater patrons craving a sweet treat with 11 flavors — four of which are dairy-free — offered on the venue’s abbreviated menu. Josh and John’s red ice cream truck sells its iced-cold flavors for $8 a tub.
Josh and John’s Colorado Craft Creamery has been a popular destination for ice cream lovers in Colorado Springs since opening its first location on Kiowa Street in 1986.
www.joshandjohns.com
Dr. Taco
Local Locations: 2645 Purgatory Drive, Colorado Springs
Price range: $6-19
Dr. Taco brings “a touch of the Mayan Peninsula” to the Ford Amphitheater with his taco borrachos and nachos at the south entrance of the amphitheater.
For $6 a piece, guests who want one taco, two or even three can choose from fried or grilled protein with shrimp, chicken, carne asada, Mayan pulled pork or vegetables. Each taco is served on a corn tortilla.
www.theoriginaldrtaco.com
Johnny Boy Eatz
Local Location: Based in Colorado, corporate catering and custom orders
Price range: $9-11
In the past, he delivered his food through corporate catering services and individual orders, and the Ford Amphitheater is home to the first Johnny Boy Eatz location.
After gracing the streets of Denver with his food truck since 2023, owner Johnny Rivera-Hernandez says he has transitioned his business to work at the amphitheater and is now working full time, making thousands of empanadas a week.
The Puerto Rican food tent on the north side of the eatery offers a selection of empanadas for $8 each or a basket of Cajun-inspired boudin ball bites for $11—a deep-fried rice ball topped with melted mozzarella, onions and sausage.
He says that on the second weekend, over 20 people were waiting outside his tent before he opened for the evening.
“I’m not a big food truck and you have to walk around a little bit to find me (in the amphitheater). I’m not right there when you walk in. Seeing the positive response to my food through word of mouth and seeing people’s reactions when they take the first bite is priceless,” Rivera-Hernandez said.
For more information, check out Johnny Boy Eatz’s Instagram page at @johnnyboyeatz.
