Colorado food trucks, mixologists compete in Shake + Brake Showdown
Celebrate food, wine, and the city's dynamic culinary scene during Denver Food + Wine Festival. Colorado Restaurant Foundation hosts the 4-day festival pairing the best bites created by some of Denver's best chefs with fine wine and spirits. All the proceeds from the festival help to pay for professional development, emergency relief, and health & wellness programs for hospitality workers.
The Shake + Brake Showdown is among the events during the Denver Food + Wine Festival. Some of Denver's best mixologists create craft cocktails and several popular food trucks provide their best bites. Attendees vote for their favorite offerings and at the end of the night People's Choice awards are given out.
"It just allows us to showcase our food in a very exciting way. Everyone is there to do that to taste the food and taste the drinks," said Yoseph Assefa, co-founder of Konjo Ethiopian Food and the Ethiopian Food Truck.
Assefa's truck is a regular at the Shake + Brake Showdown. He relishes the opportunity to network with other food truck owners. Assefa and his business partner launched The Ethiopian Food Truck in 2015 in an effort to bring authentic Ethiopian food and culture to the Colorado community.
"What sets us apart is it's super healthy. It's super authentic, and it is something that people love from all parts of the world," Assefa explained. "Our spices and the types of flavoring that we do are just different enough but they're not so foreign that you can't enjoy it."
It's been nearly 10-years now, and the food truck is still a popular stop with lunchtime crowds. Ethiopian Cuisine is known for its slow cooking process and communal dining experience. The Ethiopian Food Truck makes it fast and casual.
"What we've done is scale down the menu so we're not having to do so many different things at the same time and just make everything fresh everyday," Assefa said.
In addition to the food truck, Konjo Ethiopian Food is in the Edgewater Public Market, and just recently opened in the Milk Market in Downtown Denver. Now they're expanding into wholesale food too.
"There are about three coffee shops right now in Denver that carry our bowls and our burritos because they don't have a kitchen and they can quickly warm them up," Assefa added.
Assefa and his partner are working hard to share Ethiopian flavors with as much of Colorado as they can. Being apart of the Shake + Brake Showdown is one more way to achieve that goal.
LINK: For Tickets & Information for the Shake + Brake Showdown
The Shake + Brake Showdown is Thursday, September 4, 2025 from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Tivoli Quad. The Denver Food + Wine Festival runs from September 3 to September 6, 2025 culminating with the Grand Tasting Saturday afternoon.
