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Stop by Taco Junky, the three-month-old eclectic taqueria on the Hill in Boulder, and you’ll find yourself with a dilemma: With every bite out of the kitchen just as delicious as the next, ordering is no easy task.
Street tacos come stuffed with proteins ranging from ancho cocoa-rubbed bison rib-eye and slow-roasted lamb to Caribbean curry chicken. But the best options are found on the brunch menu. Here, chef William Dabney cooks up plated entrées like the Pot-Toc-Benny (pictured) with poached eggs, pickled peppers, sliced avocado, and a lime-cumin hollandaise sauce. Tender potato-plantain fritters take the place of English muffins. There’s also the exceptional Sun of a Biscuit with flaky buttermilk biscuits topped with three sunny-side up eggs, breakfast potatoes, loads of crispy bacon, and chorizo gravy.
Drinks, which star an array of infused tequilas and vodkas, also shine. Most noteworthy is the Lucky 7 Bloody Mary. The cocktail, which is made potent with cucumber vodka, doubles as brunch in a glass with a garnish of bacon, cheese quesadilla (yes, really), pickle, Edam cheese, pimento olive, celery, lime, and grilled Serrano pepper.
Taco Junky—easily the Hill’s best new restaurant since the opening of Cafe Aion—offers another alternative for diners looking to venture off the Pearl Street Mall. The eatery replaced the longtime favorite Mamacita’s Restaurante y Cantina with a remodeled space and a richly flavored brunch and dinner menu. Taco Junky’s owner and general manager Toula Georgakopoulos recognized the restaurant’s beloved past (she even threw a going away fiesta for the old spot and saved the restaurant’s front door) but she knew that the place needed to stand out in a neighborhood known for its cheap eats. Taco Junky more than delivers.
1149 13th St., Boulder, 303-443-2300