Latin American in Denver

1601 Pearl St. Boulder

303-442-3464

Latin American, Central American, South American, Recommended

Aji bills itself as a Latin American restaurant, and its menu is a postmodern fusion of Peruvian, Mexican, Argentine, Cuban, Brazilian, Salvadoran and Caribbean influences, in varying degrees of authenticity. Although little on Aji's menu makes much classical sense, much of it is very good, offering a güero-friendly TripTik of cocina alta, a reiteration of ingredients and flavors that present Central and South America as a single place, possessed of a single, overarching culinary gestalt.

2 articles

Cebiche

2257 W. 32nd Ave., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

303-455-1880

Latin American, Peruvian, Best Of

Cebiche has brought a touch of Peru to the bustling LoHi restaurant district. The place has an easy vibe and a small, carefully selected menu that emphasizes quality over range; having a meal here is like dining in a friendly home in an exotic clime. Appetizers are a tasty way to get a feel for Peruvian cuisine, as is the hearty Inca Platter, a combination dish that can include seafood, chicken and beef. The entrees rotate, but Peruvian wines, beer and a housemade pisco sour cocktail are always available, and are best experienced on the leafy front patio.

1 event 4 articles

Chocklo

6830 S. Yosemite St. Centennial

720-242-6854

Latin American, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

There's nothing fancy about this fast-casual joint in the southern suburbs, but that's exactly the point. Chef/owner Afred Rojas has compiled an edible encyclopedia of street food from Latin America, going from Mexico to Argentina, with stops in Peru, Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela along the way. Sample empanadas from two countries, dig into hefty tortas, Cuban sandwiches or an Argentinian choripan (a grilled sausage sub), or go nuts with a nachos-style plate of salchipapas — a mound of fries loaded with cheese, guacamole, salsas and hot dog slices. You won't have to face off with an expert mixologist or share an overwrought small plate with your ten closest friends here; expect only big, flavorful portions without the typical sticker shock.

3 articles

Cuba Cuba Cafe & Bar

1173 Delaware St., Denver Golden Triangle/La Alma

303-605-2822

Cuban, Latin American, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Kristy Socarras Bigelow, who opened Cuba Cuba in the heart of the Golden Triangle in 2001, is a poster child for the American Dream. A Cuban-American from Miami whose family didn’t allow her to go to college and who had little restaurant experience, she decided to create a Cuban-influenced eatery in two little conjoined Victorian houses. Socarras Bigelow has since opened several fast-casual spinoffs, but the original still charms with its tiny but friendly bar that specializes in mojitos and a fabulous shaded patio.

27 articles

Gustavo's BBQ

12920 Lowell Blvd. Broomfield

720-502-3896

Barbecue, Latin American, Menu

1 article

La Guarida Cubana

5922 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

720-328-6521

African, Afro-Cuban, Cuban, Latin, Latin American, Recommended, Slideshow

La Guarida Cubana opened in the summer of 2012 on a stretch of East Colfax known more for McDonald’s and pot shops than good food. But Lissette and Enrique Rosell, who run this no-frills mom-and-pop joint, are definitely serving good food, authentic Cuban fare that’s made with love, Lissette says. Although the names may not be traditional (coffee and milk rather than café con leche; rice with chicken instead of arroz con pollo), the tastes definitely are. Standouts include the Cuban and Midnight sandwiches and the No. 2 combo plate, featuring “lechon asado,” which also comes with the best sides: moro rice and maduros, soft slices of sweet plantains that are fried until dark brown on the edges, sugars transformed into caramelesque chewiness. Although there are a few misses on the menu (and no tres leches cake at all!), there’s a lot to love here.

3 articles

Las Brisas Restaurant

6787 S. Clinton St., Greenwood Village Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-792-3212

Latin American, Menu

When Las Brisas opened back in 1987, it was the first of the white-tablecloth Mexican restaurants, complete with giant swordfish on the walls, high-backed white-wicker chairs and food that's a combination of Mexican standards glamorized by fancy sauces and coastal resort food and kept down to earth by a little abuelita-style Tex-Mex. Las Brisas also did (and still does) tableside guacamole long before those other joints caught on, as well as excellent carnitas and flat enchilada pies. Don't skip the chimichangas that are so bad for you but so good that you don't care.

1 article

Luchador Taco & More

2030 E. 28th Ave. East Denver

303-954-0672

Latin American, Peruvian, Essentials

Chef Zuri Resendiz is a Chopped champion who trained under Elise Wiggins at Panzano and Cattivella before a brief stint heading up the kitchen at a high-end steakhouse. After realizing he wanted to focus on sharing the cuisine of Latin America, he struck out on his own, launching a food truck before debuting his first brick-and-mortar in August 2024. As the name implies, you’ll find tacos alongside plenty more, including dishes inspired by his wife’s Peruvian heritage.

1 article

Lucina

2245 Kearney St., Denver Park Hill/Mayfair/Lowry

720-814-1053

Latin American, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

In 2022, Create Cooking School co-owners Erasmo "Ras" Casiano and Diego Coconati opened this Latin eatery that specializes in the food on which the two were raised — which includes dishes inspired by Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Miami. Named for Casiano's mother, the restaurant is a labor of love, with a bright and airy decor and a menu that includes hit after hit, from the mofongo to mussels with chorizo and the ever-changing weekend-only paella.

3 articles

Senor Bear

3301 Tejon St., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

720-640-7093

Latin American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Combining a variety of Latin American culinary traditions into a tight and lively menu, Señor Bear showcases Puerto Rican, Mexican and Peruvian flavors. The small eatery is filled with energy as bright as the flavors on its plates, backed by a cocktail program that includes a top-notch paloma and a happy hour with crowd favorites like the gordo crunch, inspired by a certain fast-food craving.

24 articles

Super Mega Bien

1260 25th St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

720-269-4695

Latin American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow

The kitchen brings magic to even the humblest of ingredients at Super Mega Bien, where dim sum-style small plates offer diners tastes of Oaxaca, the Yucatán, Puerto Rico and other Latin American culinary hotbeds. The menu is rounded out by a lineup of family-sized dishes like braised Colorado lamb wrapped in a banana leaf.

11 articles

Toro Latin Kitchen

150 Clayton Lane Central Denver

303-253-3000

Latin American

Work & Class

2500 Larimer St., Denver Five Points/RiNo

303-292-0700

American, Latin American, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice, Essentials

In 2014, chef Dana Rodriguez co-founded Work & Class in a space created from recycled shipping containers in a part of town that wasn’t known as a hot spot — yet. A decade later, it still draws crowds in now-bustling RiNo. Rodriguez has gone on to make other big moves, including overseeing the culinary revamp of Casa Bonita and opening a new spot in the neighborhood, Carne, but Work & Class remains a master class in offering a square meal and a stiff drink at a fair price.

53 articles

Xatrucho at Enigma Bazaar

No Address, @ Enigma Bazaar Northwest Denver

719-310-8298

Latin American

Latin American in Denver

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