This is SERIOUS!! Mexican Food? (Denver, Colorado Springs: homes, established neighborhood, high school)

[AggieinOk]

Well, the interview went well this weekend and we are waiting for the final decision before we know if we are COS bound or not, but one thing that may make or break our decision is whether or not there are any good Mexican food resturaunts in or around COS. You may think I am kidding and I wish I were but we eat fajitas at least once a week and I am not sure if we could survive without! Please tell me there are several good resturants to choose from!!!!
Aggie

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by AggieinOk

Well, the interview went well this weekend and we are waiting for the final decision before we know if we are COS bound or not, but one thing that may make or break our decision is whether or not there are any good Mexican food resturaunts in or around COS. You may think I am kidding and I wish I were but we eat fajitas at least once a week and I am not sure if we could survive without! Please tell me there are several good resturants to choose from!!!!
Aggie

Don't worry about it. If the Springs don't then Pueblo sure does. Some real good Mom and Pops. I have eaten in some real good ones in the Springs too and I don't mean Taco Bell but real ones. Don't know where you are coming from but in most not all Mexican Restaurants here. When you order green chili, you get a soup type made with pork, chiles, onions etc. We love to smother burrito and most anything with it. I know in AZ green chili to them is ground up green chilies more of a sauce. It seems and I am not sure of this but the Mexico Mexican type do not make the soup type. That seems to be an American Mexican type. At least all the Hispanics I know make the pork soup type. IT IS YUMMY!

[Charles]

There are a few mom and pops near near Circle & Platt Also, I would try Taqueria Los Portales, Taqueria La Unica, MI Rincon Majico and La Carreta in a one or two mile radius of this neighborhood. If you maps.google.com near the east side of downtown and search businesses under "mexican" and not bell "-bell" (to filter out Taco Bell), you'll find lots of choices. My observations from driving around the Springs is that the true ethnic restaurants are located in the older established neighborhoods. The newer neighborhoods north and east seem to be mostly chain "gringo style" mexican and ethnic food - some of which isn't that bad either but it is not authentic...i.e. the cook (a Rampart High School student) uses 9.5 ounces of beans for item #5 per the corporate cooking instructions....

[Mike from back east]

Pueblo Viejo at 5598 N Academy Blvd at Anglo Dr. Yes, Anglo Drive! - no pun intended. Next to Bally Fitness. A block south of Vickers. Great food. Live music some nights.

[bizman56]

I love Mexican...could eat it every day, every meal!

We really like Pueblo Viejo too. The arroz con pollo is probably my favorite dish ever.

Amandas Fonda is really popular too though I dont think its as good.

Salsa Brava and Sonterra Grill are more southwestern/"gringo" flaire but very good too.

[McGowdog]

Nadine, real Green Chile has NO onions in it. A little tip I picked up from someone who makes the good stuff.

I'm from the San Fernando Valley, so I've had some of the best Mexican Food on the Planet. Jason, are you partial to Tex-Mex? Just my guess.

Pueblo-for sure has some awesome Mexican food, as does Denver.

If Colorado Springs has good Mexican food ( and no, that doesn't include Del Taco or your standard franchise place- although our 3 Margaritas in Pueblo has some awesome service and food) I'd like to know about it. I'm talkin about your mamma and papa type places that make Pueblo famous for it.

In Pueblo, you've got Mi Ranchitos (two-actually three locations; Mesa, Pueblo Blvd north of Thatcher, and Northern - place is called Mi Pueblitos at Route or Evans) if you want awesome Carnitas, green chile, and service. You've got Coors tavern, Star Bar, or the Sunset Grille if you want to try a slopper. You've got Burritos Betty or Arriba if you want an awesome breakfast burrito. Nachos for ambience. Rojas has awesome chips and salsa. Best Margaritas? I don't know. Help me out, Pueblo people.

Denver has a few gems scattered about. And just stay away from Casa Bonita and the Blue Bonnett. Gack!

I'm talking about El Tajadas (best seafood when the owner has it shipped in from Mexico) and Teppejuan (spelling?? Still there north of Hampton or is it Jefferson on Broadway?? They had the best Tacos al Carbon)

There was a place near Tennyson and 38th that had the best tamales.

There was a place near Applejacks Liquor that had the BEST Chile Rellenos. Lightly battered if battered at all, good green chile, and the chile itself- you could actually taste it. They served up an awesome Chocolate Malt, too. I wonder if it's still there.

[COflower]

Nadine, real Green Chile has NO onions in it. A little tip I picked up from someone who makes the good stuff.

What?

New Mexican Chile Verde has onions in it. Some put potatoes in it, some don't but I have never heard of chile verde without onions. I even have a recipe I yanked from a cookbook from a Santa Fe restaurant and also a Mexican friend from outside of Santa Fe that both have onions.

Anyhow, to the OP...Yes we do have a lot of good Mexican/Southwestern restaurants around town. From the authentic to the good old chain places and everywhere in between. I make most of my own Mexican/Southwestern foods though becuase I enjoy cooking. I like to venture to restaurants for the more complicated of dishes so I know more about the local places specializing in other country dishes than I do the Mexican ones.

Although, I do like La Casita for the fast Mexican food. They are soooo much better than Taco Bell when I am just hungry and not in the mood to cook. Also, Mission Bell Inn (or is that Mission Inn? - I get the two confused as there is one of each here) in Manitou Springs is pretty darn good. Plus there is one (another fast food place) just east of the downtown area on Pikes Peak (I think) that is always crowded during the lunch hour. It's been a long time since I have been there though so I don't recall the name.

Also, if you are wanting to cook it at home, there are some Mexican groceries around town. Most are on the south end so I never get there to shop as I live on the north end.

C Springs is pretty good for those that like to eat. Denver metro has a larger selection but that also is because they are around 2.x million and our county only has around 500,000 or so but that's changing.

[McGowdog]

That's right. Real green chile has no onions in it. It has chile in it. Hopefully some pork too.

Granted, there are some 125 different types of Mexican food. My brothers out in Florida are homesick for our green chile out here. New Mexican Chile verde, I guess I'm not familiar with it.

Taco Bell is not only bad, but it's dangerous.

Earlier, I referenced Jason, when I meant Aggie.

Question for Aggie: Could you be more specific about what YOU consider to be "good Mexican food"?

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by Charles

There are a few mom and pops near near Circle & Platt Also, I would try Taqueria Los Portales, Taqueria La Unica, MI Rincon Majico and La Carreta in a one or two mile radius of this neighborhood. If you maps.google.com near the east side of downtown and search businesses under "mexican" and not bell "-bell" (to filter out Taco Bell), you'll find lots of choices. My observations from driving around the Springs is that the true ethnic restaurants are located in the older established neighborhoods. The newer neighborhoods north and east seem to be mostly chain "gringo style" mexican and ethnic food - some of which isn't that bad either but it is not authentic...i.e. the cook (a Rampart High School student) uses 9.5 ounces of beans for item #5 per the corporate cooking instructions....

See, that's where I'm coming from. I like a good franchise place once in a while. There's a place in LAX that serves an incredible Mahi Mahi Fish Taco. But I'm talking about the mom and pops too.

I'd like to check out those places that you listed. And COflower, I'd like to check out La Casita as well. I'd also like to learn more about New Mexico's style of food. I went to an awesome restaurant in the Albequerque Airport. I think it was chile rellenos and an awesom pico de gallo.

When I think of good TexMex, I think of that ZZ Top album cover.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

I'm from the San Fernando Valley, so I've had some of the best Mexican Food on the Planet.

McGowdog,
You wouldn't be referring to Carrillo's for tamales, would you?
Since I'm still out here (near the SFV), I'm always on the lookout for some I may not have tried. Which ones were your favorites out here?

I am interested in this thread because I am often on the lookout for good mexican food when I travel. There are quite a few places I've visited that didn't live up to my expectations throughout the country. I guess I've been spoiled by SoCal mexican food, too.

I have been to the 3 Margaritas restaurant in C.S. (as well as one north of Denver - Broomfield, perhaps?), and I enjoyed my meals there. I've had better, but I've also had much worse. I'd probably give them an 8 or so on a scale of 1 to 10.