RARE Steak Championship 2026: Denver Delivers Some Great Bites and a Lot of Fun

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Published on September 28, 2026 • 3:00 PM MDT

Updated on September 28, 2026 • 5:25 PM MDT

This year marked the 7th annual RARE Steak Championship, and it popped up in a new venue. Taking place at Infinity Park in Glendale, a Denver suburb, the event on Thursday, September 24 brought together over 30 restaurants, spirit sponsors, bartenders, chefs, and meat lovers.

Live music filled the large, private stadium field, which came complete with a jumbo screen, stage, and plenty of side seating. There was plenty of live fire, Snake River Farms wagyu, bone marrow drips, and more, all seeking the glory of taking home top prizes.

Find out who won Judges Choice and Peoples Choice, and check out some of our other favorite bites of the night.

RARE Cocktail Competition

Peoples Choice

3rd Place: Reivers Bar & Grill

2nd Place: STK with Still GIN

1st Place: Guard & Grace with Another Hendricks

Judges Choice

3rd Place: STK with Still GIN

2nd Place: Urban Farmer with Blackland Distillery

1st Place: Reivers Bar & Grill

RARE VIP Omakase Competition

Blossom by SYC scored big at RARE in Denver. | Photo by Linnea Covington

Peoples Choice

3rd Place: A5 Steakhouse

2nd Place: The Kitchen

1st Place: Blossom by SYC

Judges Choice

3rd Place: Roth’s Steak and Sea

2nd Place: Gaucho Parrilla

1st Place: Blossom by SYC

RARE Creative Competition

Peoples Choice

Guard & Grace made an award-winning bite featuring oak-grilled wagyu. | Photo by Linnea Covington

3rd Place: Fortezza Ristorante

2nd Place: Noble Steakhouse

1st Place: Guard & Grace

Judges Choice

Ameristar Black Hawk won the judges' taste buds at the 2026 RARE Steak Championship. | Photo by Linnea Covington — Ameristar Black Hawk won the judges’ taste buds at the 2026 RARE Steak Championship. | Photo by Linnea Covington

3rd Place: Daughter Thai

2nd Place: Reivers Bar & Grill

1st Place: Ameristar Black Hawk

RARE Traditional Competition

Both the judges and festival goers gave STK top marks at RARE 2026. | Photo by Linnea Covington

Peoples Choice

3rd Place: Hesher BBQ

2nd Place: G-QUE BBQ

1st Place: STK Steakhouse

Judges Choice

3rd Place: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

2nd Place: G-QUE BBQ

1st Place: STK Steakhouse

Prettiest Plate of the Festival

The VIP Omakase dish from Roth Steak & Seafood. | Photo by Linnea Covington

Located in Colorado Springs, Roth’s Steak and Sea not only scored third place from the judges at RARE in the VIP category, but chef Ricky Biswas crafted the best looking dish of the festival. This three-bite plate showcased Yucatán Pani Puri Chaat with cochinita pibil, avocado mousse, and pickled shallot.

Most Surprising Dish of the Night

You may not have realized RARE featured a Michelin-starred restaurant in the mix. That’s right, chef Justin Fulton was there with Margot, featuring a black garlic glazed flank steak with pickled mushrooms, crispy togarashi shallots, and spicy miso. While it didn’t win any prizes, it certainly remained a memorable bite and lucky taste for those who wanted to experience Michelin quality.

Linnea Covington Managing Editor Denver

Linnea Covington is a regional managing editor of DiningOut, covering Denver, New York City, and Phoenix. She comes to us with a long background in food, restaurant and drinks journalism. Over the last two decades she's written for tons of national publications including Denver Post, Washington Post, Forbes Travel Guide, 5280 Magazine, New York Magazine, New York Times, Time Out New York and more. Follow on Instagram: @linneacovington https://muckrack.com/linnea-covington

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