Pueblo Colorado Mexican Food (Colorado Springs, Pueblo West: transplants, loan, transfer to)

[katzenfreund]

This thread is making me GREEN, with envy ! So many mexican restaurants, I can only dream of that here in the NE.

Can we keep from trashing other people's choices? If you disagree with a choice, you can certainly say so, but do it respectfully. Different people like different foods and it really helps newbies to hear about the various places.
Thanks

[Crematia]

Depending on where you are in the NE there is plenty of good Mexican and latino food. Try Taco Loco on Broadway in Somerville, MA, they have decent food.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

[mod cut]
The forum is here for us to exchange information ... as each of us sees it.
. . .
But, if you want ceviche, pork ribs, simple whole chicken dishes, turkey, fresh/simple seafood dishes, albondigas soup, good menudo, superb chili soups/stews ... all served without half the platter covered in rice and refried beans smothered with cheese and a bit of shredded iceberg lettuce ... you'll have to go into the ethnic mexican neighborhoods where the small "mom and pop" family restaurants exist. . .

I've been in one of these places in Pueblo ... it's in an old plain commercial building storefront, and the kitchen is lost in the vast space of the place. . .
. . .
But to each their own. If you like the places the OP mentioned, if you enjoy that stuff ... go for it. A lot of people do, which is why those places survive in business. I don't ... and I'll seek out those out of the way hole in the wall places that have the real stuff and flavor and value for my money.

If you've found places you enjoy in Pueblo, please share your recommendations here. The thread isn't limited to one person's recommendations; it's meant to be a resource for all of us with many recommendations.

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

[mod cut]
The forum is here for us to exchange information ... as each of us sees i

You obviously have done nothing wrong. I'll go so far as to say I took it wrong. I like your posts alot. You seem like a very reputable and knowledgeable person so it's hard for me to even argue with you.

In fact, I would have thought that many things I prefaced this thread with would be in line with exactly what you are saying. Namely;

Originally Posted by some of my quotes

• This is MY opinion, so...

• I'm from So Cal and I'm not gonna argue about TexMex vs the other 120 some types of Mexican Food.

• I could care less about how dumpy the place is, so long as it's sanitary and they keep the place somewhat clean through and through. In the San Fernando Valley, there are places that don't fit this description, but just have the best food. We're not looking for the Palace Arms here. Just good food and a well run joint. This goes for any establishment for me.

• Let's just argue on one thing; If someone says that Taco Bell is better than "X-place", then that's an insult to "X-place".

• One of those places that looks rough from the outside* but not too shabby on the inside.
  
  *Code for what makes Pueblo Pueblo.

• Betty's Burritos 2401 N Elizabeth M-Sat 7:00am-2:00pm
  
  Get the #10 Breakfast Burrito-good for the go-it's all inside the tortilla

Originally Posted by then one of yours

Originally Posted by then some more of mine

• This is just a testament to me that there are many different types of Mexican food. You’re not gonna see fresh yellowtail in Pueblo, obviously. My friend from MontereyMexico raves about the goat meat there. I’d love to try it. A friend of mine that I worked with in Englewood was from Chihuahua and brought me some kind of stew that had pork feet in it. I tore it up! It tasted awesome and I’d have no clue where to get food like that in Colorado except at someone’s home.

• A friend brought it to my attention that he has still had better food in New Mexico than one of my spots in Pueblo. Maybe he's right. He said it lacked that "WOW" factor. So I went to a friend of mine from here who used to live and work in Albuquerque, Sante Fe, Las Vegas...and he said the best Mexican food is made by his mom and grandma. His point being that the best food is homemade and not at one of these places where they mass produce the stuff. Perhaps some of my favs fit this category. So I asked him, who's got the best New Mexico type food in Pueblo? He said this place is good. It's on about Adams and Polk...

In my OP, don't you see that I'm still looking for some of the off the beaten path places?

Another thing that you said that I agree with too is that one place does this really good, while this place over here does this really good. And things change over time too.

I'm merely trying to inform people of places they might check out when they're in town. Otherwise, I'd invite you all over to our pad for MrsGowdog's Tomatillo chile with Pork. It's a bit more marketable than my Green Chile, to be honest. I'm an Irishman, so my green is still too much like Stew. I'm working on it! But man, I can eat it up! It's like medicine for me. It will run the vampires off for sure!

Anybody like tamales? There's a tamale house near the Dew Drop on south Sante Fe that I'm gonna check out next.

[DOUBLE H]

I'm not one to talk about cuisine. In my early 20's I would hit Denver's Casa Bonita restaurant for the all you can eat. And with my cast iron stomach, I'm alive to tell about it. So there are few people who will take my word for who's got the best eats in town. Having said that, I do understand business. I notice lunch and dinner rushes, the locals who come in, the tourists who come in. With the State Fair coming in, this is Pueblo's day in the sun. But I go through there in the fall and visit friends who have lived there for decades. Places like Mi Ranchito and Rita's have been around for some time. When I see locals steadily come in after dinner rush is over and is busy all the way to closing time I notice that. When long time locals patronize businesses for years I notice that. When those places are cranking out dinners close to closing I notice that. Another one, Jorge's Sombrero (off east Evans, I think) falls into that category as well. Nothing against chain restaurants, but I find a lot of them are growing more impersonal. I like to eat where the locals eat. And I am rarely disappointed by the food and the service of the staff. Just my 2 cents worth.

[esya]

Originally Posted by Sockeye

The only exception to Mex along the I70 resort corridor is the Old Dillon Inn, or the O.D.I. as the locals call it. Closer to Silverthorne than Dillon, though. Good green in there. The rest of them are just swill.

I think the ODI is way overrated, it is standard fare. Patty's in Pueblo is good. My main question is, does the place make their own tamales? Second best: a really good relleno.

[McGowdog]

I like Patti's too, but I don't know why people get the impression it's a Mexican food restaurant because it's not. The only reason why I put it on my list is because of the green chile and the "Halfbreed (Passkey type or "Godfather" type Italian sausage wrapped up in a tortilla and smothered with gravy-ish style pork green chile (get the fries instead of the spaghetti for the side). ADD: oh, and the slopper smothered in green.

They serve a wonderful gnocci and you'd better be prepared for lots of EVOO because it's swimmin' in it. They even serve frog legs. I'll eat gator tail, but haven't tried this yet. They also have an awesome fried cod fish plate for maybe under 6 bucks.

Now that's Patti's It's across the street from where the River Walk ends.

[Sockeye]

Originally Posted by esya

I think the ODI is way overrated, it is standard fare. Patty's in Pueblo is good. My main question is, does the place make their own tamales? Second best: a really good relleno.

The ODI's green varies. Last winter it was very good. I only meant "good" in that its the only place worth stopping for Mex. in probably the entire Summit County area. Nothing in the Co. mountain resort communities is on a par with So. Co. or No. N.M. cuisine, though.

[McGowdog]

Rita's! A new gem for me at least.

An old place on 3rd and Grand that I once heard bad about and avoided for that reason; then from the same person, they were raving about it.

MrsGowdoggie is sick so I got something for myself on the way home last night and I'll be back. Their green is my new favorite for a Pueblo restaurant; the green with lots of tender pork. It's the meal in itself type chile. It wasn't very hot, but still really good.

If you don't mind an old style and older decor, this place is pretty good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or take-out.

[pattiaragon523]

I ate at Jorge's last week and had a burrito smothered with mile green chile and it was like gravy. Get the hot, it might be better. I tried some green chili I found in the frozen food case at Loaf n Jug on Ivywood, its made by Mauro's Kitchens and it was really good, better than any restaurant green chili I've tried, a lot less expensive too. Heat it up slowly on the stove, maybe in a double boiler or a smaller pan in a larger pan of water so it won't burn on the bottom. My teenage boys liked it so much they ate most of it right out of a bowl!