The Best Mexican Restaurants in Denver (2026)

We read 140 reviews across 14 Mexican businesses in Denver to tell traditional cooking from competent Tex-Mex. With addresses and what customers actually say.

The short answer

If you only read one paragraph: for barbacoa, Tacos Selene; for menudo, Mexico City Lounge.

How we put this list together

We did not sort by stars. We took the 14 Mexican businesses we have mapped in Denver, read 140 Google reviews on September 9, 2026, and looked for four specific things in the text: several different customers describing traditional cooking, mentions of a neighborhood or family-run place, regional dishes named outright, and handmade tortillas or nixtamalized masa.

Then we adjusted the rating: a 5.0 with twelve reviews is not the same as a 4.6 with three thousand. And we subtracted points for Tex-Mex markers - legitimate cooking, but not what you came here for.

To be clear: this is not a verdict on who cooks best. It is what the reviews said on one specific day.

Tacos Selene

1001 Santa Fe Dr. Rated 4.6 from 623 Google reviews.

2 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: barbacoa, carnitas.

Mexico City Lounge

2115 Larimer St. Rated 4.4 from 1,786 Google reviews.

3 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: menudo.

El Taco de Mexico

714 Santa Fe Dr. Rated 4.3 from 2,954 Google reviews.

2 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas.

Tamales by La Casita

3561 Tejon St. Rated 4.5 from 2,330 Google reviews.

2 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas; and customers name specific dishes: tamales.

Kiké's Red Tacos

1200 W 38th Ave. Rated 4.6 from 1,665 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: birria, al pastor.

Tacos Tequila Whiskey

3300 W 32nd Ave. Rated 4.5 from 1,716 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: carnitas.

Tacos Jalisco

4309 W 38th Ave. Rated 4.2 from 1,335 Google reviews.

4 of the 10 reviews we read mention traditional cooking, family ownership or handmade tortillas.

El Noa Noa Mexican Restaurant

722 Santa Fe Dr. Rated 4.2 from 250 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: menudo, gorditas.

Encanto Cocina & Cantina

2124 Larimer St. Rated 4.7 from 1,128 Google reviews.

D'Corazon

1530 Blake St. Rated 4.6 from 2,558 Google reviews.

customers name specific dishes: carnitas, mole.

Where to buy the ingredients

If you want to cook it at home, we have 9 Mexican grocery stores mapped in Denver. For what you cannot find there, see our guides to Mexican ingredients at Walmart and dried chiles in US supermarkets, both with real prices.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mexican places are there in Denver?

We have 14 mapped, 10 of which are covered here. The full list, with addresses and hours, is in our Denver directory.

How often is this updated?

Ratings and review counts are from September 9, 2026. Businesses close and change hands: if you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.