Mexican in Denver

6715 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood West Denver Suburbs

303-232-5115

Mexican, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Slideshow

The reopening of the iconic pink palace under new owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone has been a South Park-worthy saga. While some people are frustrated by the ongoing, email-only invite system, those who have snagged a reservation can attest to the fact that the controlled crowds add to the magic. Yes, chef Dana Rodriguez upped the food game, but a visit here is about so much more than what’s on your plate. It’s an experience that’s nostalgic in all the best ways, whether you’re visiting for the first time or the hundredth.

41 articles

El Camino Community Tavern

3628 W. 32nd Ave., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

720-889-7946

Mexican, Bars and Clubs, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

The atmosphere at El Camino is fun and welcoming, and so is the food. While the board is too heavy on things like molten cheese and too light on things like intestines to really sate a craving for authentic Mexican food, it's also not hip like the menu at one of Rick Bayless's upscale Chicago joints. Instead, the food here is unpretentious, pulling from all regions of Mexico — simple fare, influenced by the desires of American palates, that pairs well with El Camino's killer margaritas. They're some of the best in town, as are the nachos.

17 articles

El Senor Sol

15900 W. Colfax Ave., Golden West Denver Suburbs

303-384-3578

American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Best Of, Sponsor

This native Colorado Mexican chain restaurant, which boasts eight locations, six of them along the Front Range, has been serving up freshly prepared tortilla chips and salsa, enchiladas, burritos and Mexican seafood dishes for the past fifteen years. El Señor Sol offers happy-hour specials, catering, online ordering and plenty of vegan/vegetarian options, including grilled-vegetable fajitas with housemade guacamole. Sol has banquet rooms available for up to 100 people at a time, and the moderate prices are sure to please guests in parties both large and small.

2 articles

El Taco De Mexico

714 Santa Fe Dr., Denver Golden Triangle/La Alma

303-623-3926

Mexican, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Sponsor, Slideshow, Essentials

Perhaps no Mexican spot in the Mile High is as beloved as El Taco de Mexico, a no-frills joint that offers little in the way of ambience and even less in the way of service. But that hasn’t deterred the crowds that have been coming here since 1985 for tasty tacos and anything smothered in the lip-tingling green chile. In 2020, El Taco was honored by the James Beard Foundation as one of America’s Classics, a well-deserved honor.

37 articles

El Toro

4957 Colorado Blvd. North Denver

303-952-1931

Mexican, Bars, Best Of, Sponsor

No bull here, just cheap drinks, great food and friendly regulars who appreciate the Garcia family, which also founded the beloved Mexico City Lounge and is now on a third generation at El Toro. The decor boasts velvet paintings, paneling and an enormous TV in the corner; the menu is slightly less elaborate, featuring basics like greasy fried tacos, beef and bean burritos, and menudo seven days a week. Be prepared: This little joint is cash-only.

4 articles

Jay's Grille and Bar

7820 N. Washington St. North Denver

303-288-5297

American, Mexican, Sponsor, Menu

1 article

Jerry's Bar and Grill

130 N. Main St., Brighton North Denver Suburbs

303-659-3788

Bar Food, Mexican, Bars and Clubs, Sponsor

Located in downtown Brighton, Jerry’s Bar & Grill is a friendly neighborhood joint that welcomes everyone. A no-frills bar, Jerry’s attracts a fair amount of locals, who come in for the happy hours or a late-night bite, as the kitchen serves food until closing time. The menu includes standard bar fare as well as Mexican dishes such as posole and menudo. Jerry’s, which is done up in vintage decor that includes license plates from all fifty states, also brings in live bands and DJs from time to time.

La Fiesta

2340 Champa St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

303-292-2800

Mexican, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Slideshow

La Fiesta celebrated sixty years in business in 2023, making it one of Denver’s oldest restaurants that’s still operating in the same location and run by the same family that founded it. Located in a former Safeway, it doles out Denver's unique style of Mexican food done right. While the late-night dance parties of decades ago are now just memories, it has solidified its reputation as a lunchtime gathering spot, attracting everyone from cops to lawyers to Colorado Supreme Court justices.

17 articles

Los Carboncitos

3757 Pecos St. Northwest Denver

303-458-0880

Mexican, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Sponsor

This small, family-friendly neighborhood cafe is warm and crowded during the day and loud and crowded after dark. The big kitchen is constantly at work banging out food that may not yet be ubiquitous in Denver, but certainly should be. The house specialty is huaraches: long, open-faced slabs of corn masa topped with whatever is close at hand -- steak, hot dogs, bacon, cactus, chicken, mushrooms. But Los Carboncitos also offers everything from tacos to tortas to real Mexican Coca-Cola, and an excellent range of fiery salsas.

12 articles

Mezcal

3230 E. Colfax Ave. Central Denver

303-322-5219

Mexican, Best Of, Sponsor

There's magic in Mezcal's off-hours, when it's just a quiet little neighborhood spot for simple, traditional Tijuana street food in a comfy-funky atmosphere (thanks to an extensive remodel in 2015). Friday night? That's different. That's when the kids come -- backflow from the Bluebird Theater and shock troops of the local hipsterati in their weekend best -- and crowd the bar. Here, lucha libre fighters plaster the walls, and there are more tequila choices than you can shake a tamale at. The late-night menu certainly is an attraction, with a moonlit happy hour famous for more than just beer. After dinner, the folks bellying up are, as is typical along this stretch, on the younger, hipper side of things. There's also a decent amount of traffic before and after (and during set breaks from) shows at the Bluebird Theater, which is across the street.

1 event 65 articles

Mickey's Top Sirloin

6950 Broadway North Denver

303-426-5881

Italian, Mexican, Steakhouse, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor

In 2005 Mickey's replaced its decrepit, decades-old home with a shiny, family-friendly new building on the same lot. The atmosphere is still casual and diner-like, though, and the menu is basically unchanged — which guarantees that you'll get a whole lot of food for just a little bit of money. Most of the fare is solidly Italian and Mexican, especially at lunch; steaks star on the dinner menu. The meat might be choice grade, but the kitchen knows how to make the most of it.

4 articles

Poppies Restaurant

2334 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-756-1268

American, Mexican, Sponsor, Essentials

A red awning over a strip mall space in south Denver marks the entrance to Poppie’s, where those in the know have been heading for classic American favorites and high-quality bar banter since 1985. Step inside and let the staff — many of whom have worked there for years — do what they do best: make you feel at home while you dig into specialties like the can’t-miss prime rib and French dip.

1 article

Qdoba Mexican Grill

7611 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood West Denver Suburbs

303-237-1062

Fast Food, Mexican, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

What is it with this town and burritos as big as your head? Qdoba is yet another homegrown fast-casual chain offering Chihuahua-sized burritos, both handheld (filled with ingredients like spicy queso or mango salsa) and smothered (in chipotle cream sauce or red chile). Setting Qdoba apart from its competition is its broader menu: In addition to tacos and burritos, you can score taco salads, nachos and bowls of tortilla soup spiked with rice, beans, meat and other extras. Called Mexican Gumbo, this stew is not for purists.

3 articles

Santiago's Mexican Restaurant

571 Santa Fe Dr., Denver Golden Triangle/La Alma

303-534-5004

Mexican, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu, Readers' Choice

Santiago's — in particular, this Santiago's — is one of the best places in the city for breakfast burritos, if you happen to love the foil-wrapped, un-smothered style (and let's be honest, who doesn't?). Santiago's also does a good green chile, as well as worthy tacos and non-breakfast burritos. This is a homegrown chain that seems to add links every day; with over twenty (and counting) area locations, you're never more than a few minutes' drive from a great breakfast — and another example of Denver's unique take on Mexican cuisine.

19 articles

Stockyard Saloon

4710 National Western Dr., Denver Globeville

303-298-0525

American, Mexican, Best Of, Sponsor

During the annual National Western Stock Show, the Stockyard Saloon — located in a historic building in the heart of the old packinghouse district — is the hottest place in town. But this watering hole is worth a visit the rest of the year, too. The second-floor space offers an interesting view of the rapidly evolving neighborhood as the National Western complex is transformed, and the view inside is usually pretty interesting, too, since cowboys are often rubbing elbows with realtors checking out the area.

7 articles

Tacos y Salsas

6895 E. 72nd Ave., Commerce City Northeast Denver Suburbs

720-542-9519

Mexican, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

Tacos y Salsas is a tough place to miss -- all the outposts of this growing local chain are as shiny and carnival-colored as their surroundings are gray and grim. The food at this taqueria-style spot shines just as bright, with excellent meats sliced and seared right in front of you. You can doctor your dishes -- tortas, burritos, palm-sized gorditas -- from the salsa bar filled with sauces and other condiments, including fresh and pickled veggies. And, if you've chosen the right location (our favorite is on Federal), you'll be able to wash down your unmatchable meal with a beer.

3 articles

100% de Agave

975 Lincoln St. Central Denver

303-731-1100

Mexican, Best Of

1 event 12 articles

1301 Santa Fe Tavern & Grill

1301 Santa Fe Dr. Central Denver

303-996-8970

American, Barbecue, Mexican, Steakhouse, Recommended, Menu

New owners have brought a new menu along with a new cleanliness regimen to the former dark, divey Hoffbrau, now renamed 1301 Santa Fe Bar & Grill. The rooftop smoking deck and wooden floor of the dining room got a good scrubbing, and the kitchen and interior underwent several much-needed repairs. The result is a comfortable neighborhood joint, with a dark bar for imbibing those happy-hour and late-night specials, and cozy tables where crowds can order off a menu that includes Mexican, Greek and American fare.

2 articles

20th Street Cafe Mexican

1123 20th St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

303-330-0205

Mexican

The OG 20th Street Cafe served classic diner food for 74 years before shuttering in April 2020, but exactly three years later, the space reopened as 20th Street Cafe Mexican. The new owners previously ran the now-closed Mexican eatery Tarahumara; while they kept the moniker 20th Street Cafe at the request of the previous owners (tacking "Mexican" at the end to clarify the new style of cuisine) and are retaining a few breakfast diner faves like French toast and omelets, Tarahumara's full menu is being served at the iconic downtown spot.

1 article

3 Margaritas

519 16th St. Downtown Denver

720-524-4027

Mexican

4 G's Mexican Restaurant

2200 S. Broadway South Denver

720-328-2120

Mexican, Restaurants

7 Leguas Mexican Grille

4550 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

303-322-4431

Mexican, Restaurants

3 articles

Acapulco Tacos y Pupusas

8890 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

303-322-1354

Mexican, Salvadoran, Best Of

During busy hours at Acapulco, you practically need a shoehorn to get into the microscopic front room that barely has space for its four counter seats and the window where you order; even during off-hours, it's unusual to find an empty seat here. The owner, Roberto Lopez, hails from Mexico, and his wife comes from El Salvador; the tiny shack hawks dishes from both countries -- tacos and burritos as well as authentic Salvadoran pupusas, which are the real standouts. Two rounds of masa sandwiching meat, cheese, beans or loroco, a Central American flower bud, are griddled on the flat-top long enough that the outside gets crispy and golden and cheese oozes out of the sides. The eatery serves the pudgy pouches with a pickled-cabbage coleslaw called curtido and watery tomato salsa. You'll want to try all them all -- even if you have to eat them in your car.

9 articles

Adelitas Cocina y Cantina

1294 S. Broadway South Denver

303-778-1294

Mexican, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Adelitas won the hearts of Platt Park neighbors and South Broadway commuters with its raucous Taco Tuesdays and potent house margaritas that far surpassed the typical pre-mixed standard. But it hasn't rested on its tortillas; instead, the spot continues to present alluring dishes representing regional Mexican cuisine while building a jaw-dropping selection of tequila and mezcal bottles behind the bar. Adelitas stands as proof that Denver diners are hungry for far more than just smothered burritos and ground-beef tacos.

74 articles

Adobo

3109 Federal Blvd., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

720-242-9994

Fusion, Filipino, Mexican, Best Of, Readers' Choice

After a head-on motorcycle accident derailed his career in finance, Blaine Baggao re-evaluated his professional path, ultimately launching Adobo in 2016 as a food truck that combines his New Mexican and Filipino roots. Its first brick-and-mortar is an expansive space that hosts live music and serves food into the late-night hours, with a menu of hits that includes favorites like lumpia and chicken adobo tacos.

3 articles

Agave

1060 W. Beaver Creek Blvd., Avon Mountains

970-748-8666

Mexican, Music Venues

Agave Shore

2736 Welton St. Downtown Denver

Mexican

Agave Taco Bar

2217 E. Mississippi Ave. South Denver

303-425-6225

Mexican, Menu

3 articles

Al Chile

950 Broadway Central Denver

Mexican

The Alley

2420 W. Main St. #110 Littleton

720-316-8002

Bar, Food Trucks, Mexican

4 articles

Alma Fonda Fina

2556 15th St., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

303-455-9463

Mexican, Best Of, Essentials

Chef-owner Johnny Curiel's first solo venture, the highly anticipated Alma Fonda Fina, opened in December 2023, and less than a year later, it earned one Michelin star. The menu is a love letter to the home-cooked traditions of the chef’s childhood and the comfort food found at traditional fondas across Mexico. Snag a spot at the chef’s counter for a front-row view of the plating process, as well as insight into how the dishes are made and the stories behind them.

2 articles

Alvarado's Mexican Fast Food

4901 S. Broadway Englewood

720-664-9260

Mexican

In September 2022, Englewood got its first 24/7 Mexican drive-thru (and really, the only 24/7 option for anyone in the southern suburbs) when this spot opened inside a former Burger King. All the staples are available, along with combo plates, rolled tacos and breakfast items such as chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. Our favorite so far: the giant chile relleno burrito. Smothering is optional, but this kitchen's nearly neon-green take on green chile adds just the right amount of heat.

Ambli Mexico

2101 Ursula St. East Denver

720-372-7137

Mexican

Mexican in Denver

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