Chicken Caesar Wraps Have Gone Viral in Denver

Some of the local food scene’s recent viral moments haven’t been so great. Remember when Domo shut down because it was overrun with crowds? And who can forget the November bleach-pouring incident at a taco truck?

But in December, a local creator kicked off a viral trend that’s been a big boost for local businesses at a historically slow time of year: the hunt for Denver’s best chicken Caesar wrap.

“The craze was totally not what I was expecting,” says Emma Hughes, aka @emmajeancocoa on TikTok and Instagram. On December 11, while on a flight to the Bahamas, Hughes’ boyfriend encouraged her to post a video she’d recorded on a whim while eating a chicken Caesar wrap from the chain Mad Greens during a lunch break from work.

“I was about to eat it in the car, and I love mukbang-style videos,” Hughes says. “I’m a messy, unapologetic eater.” Friends had told her that she’d be great at doing mukbangs (videos where someone films themselves eating, typically a large amount of food), she adds. So, when her boyfriend suggested she post the video online, she went for it.

“There wasn’t a lot of forethought,” she admits, but the video took off — it currently has over 67k views — and comments flowed in suggesting other spots for Hughes to try a chicken Caesar wrap.

And so, a journey began. Hughes, who is originally from Minnesota and moved to Denver in 2018 for a job, has now posted a total of nine chicken Caesar videos — all wraps, except her latest, the chicken Caesar sandwich from Mead Street Provisions, which also landed on our recent top sandwiches list.

Hughes began ramping up her social media presence in the summer of 2025, when she showcased her parents’ “shabin,” a shed they converted into a small cabin on a piece of property they purchased for a very affordable price. “I think people were really interested in being able to recreate your life post-retirement,” she says of that video’s success.

She then showed off her mom’s pottery, and “that took off,” she recalls. Through TikTok videos and DMs, Hughes sold two rounds of pottery stock that her mom had been hauling to flea markets for years. Two more pottery drops sold out after Hughes’ boyfriend built her mom a website. “The power of the internet is crazy,” she notes.

The chicken Caesar wrap series, though, is indicative of what Hughes wants to continue doing with her social media platform: “Connecting local businesses to other people on the internet and uplifting them,” she says. “Actually impacting people’s lives is the best feeling ever.”

Hughes recently bought a Sprinter van and would love to travel the country, highlighting different businesses along the way. Locally, she wants to continue exploring the food scene. “I want to do a pho series,” she notes. “And I’m obsessed with buffalo chicken wraps, or a breakfast burrito series, because I know those are so popular here.” But ultimately, she adds, “I want to create community and meet new people.”

What is the best chicken Caesar wrap in Denver?

Hughes’ most viral video so far is from Happy Camper, with nearly 270k views. Not far behind is Hughes’ stop at White Pie, which is also her pick for the best Caesar wrap in town, specifically for crispy chicken lovers.

Rounding out her top three are Chook for grilled chicken as well as the best Caesar dressing she’s found yet, followed by the Mead St. Provisions for its chicken Caesar sandwich.

Other stops included Mr. Lucky’s (which closed in December), Mendocino Farms, Cherry Cricket and Jimmy John’s.

Does White Pie’s chicken Caesar wrap live up to the hype?

As Hughes notes, “food is so subjective,” and her rankings are based on her single visit to each spot. Since the series has gone viral, she’s been tagged in other videos from creators who weren’t as impressed with her picks.

But the positive impact the viral series has had on businesses like White Pie is undeniable. We recently stopped by the Uptown pizzeria for a taste of its chicken Caesar wrap, and staff confirmed that it’s been the hottest seller since the original video went viral last month.

We’ve long been fans of White Pie’s New Haven-inspired pizzas, and its newer Sicilian-style pies are stellar as well. The lasagna is also a standout, and on our most recent trip, the ricotta dumplings starter was a great way to kick off the meal.

But the chicken Caesar wrap did have room for improvement. Made on a spinach wrap, it includes crispy chicken, Parmesan crisps and crushed croutons, which give it a nice amount of bite. The creamy, bright lemony Caesar dressing is made in-house, and a side of it is definitely recommended for extra dipping.

The biggest flaw was the wrap-to-filling ratio — there was a significant amount of extra wrap at both ends, while the volume of actual chicken fell on the skimpy side, and the whole thing pretty much fell apart after a few big bites.

Overall, we’d prefer to stick with the pizza at White Pie, but this leads to a bigger question: Does Denver actually have any chicken Caesar wraps worth going out of your way for?

Three of Hughes’s nine stops were national chains, leaving just six local options — now five, since Mr. Lucky’s closed. And really, just four if you don’t count the Mead St. sandwich (which is our number one pick). Much more impressive-looking chicken Caesar wraps have been going viral in other cities nationwide since early 2025, and Denver’s best don’t seem to stack up to that competition.

With chicken Caesar wraps continuing to trend in the Mile High at the start of 2026, though, we’re hoping the friendly competition might bring more heavy-hitting contenders to the forefront.

Know of a chicken Caesar wrap we need to try? What food is poised to go viral in Denver next? Email your suggestions to cafe@westword.com.