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- Where:
- 1575 Boulder St., Denver (LoHi)
- The Draw:
- Flavor-packed, modern Mexican fare at good prices
- The Drawback:
- Some dishes, like the birria de res, overdo the richness.
- Noise Level:
- Low
- What To Order:
- The holy trinity of tacos, queso, and $6 happy hour margaritas
Suburban first, urban next isn’t typically the order of operations in the restaurant business. Niche, independent eateries tend to open in city centers first—and for good reason. Historically, the suburbs and their more economical families (like mine) haven’t been as lucrative an audience as younger, childless urban dwellers more willing to spend $28 on birria ramen.
So I was surprised to see Teocalli Cocina—my favorite modern Mexican spot, which opened just up the road from my Broomfield home in Lafayette in 2019 and has since added outposts in Arvada and Longmont—move into LoHi this past summer.What’s surprised me even more is that every time I’ve gone, the dining room at the corner of Boulder and Tejon streets (the former home of Lola Coastal Mexican and the Post Chicken & Beer) has been only half full. Listen up, city folk: Teocalli is a really good restaurant, even when compared against a heavyweight like Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina just a block away.
In fact, those of you who’ve been drooling over Alma for months might be interested to know that its chef-owner, Johnny Curiel, consulted on the Lafayette Teocalli’s opening menu. If you’ve tasted his $38 duck carnitas at Alma, you’ll appreciate paying just $21 for a pork rendition at Teocalli. Curiel’s soulful, regional approach to Mexican food is infused throughout Teocalli’s menu, but instead of gaming the OpenTable algorithm or DMing Curiel’s dog to score an Alma reservation, you can pretty much walk into Teocalli anytime. Credit also goes to executive chef Julio Gaspar, who has stayed true to the opening vision while displaying his own expertise over the past six years.
Start with happy hour—when the reliable house margaritas go for just $6 from 3 to 6 p.m. daily—especially if the weather allows you to sit on the outdoor side of the indoor/outdoor bar. When you feel peckish, give the lengthy starters menu a whirl. If you’re not hooked by the mango habanero ceviche or the queso fundido, then fine, take your leave. Someone’s probably piping avocado foam onto a tostada at a chef’s counter in RiNo right now.
I’m betting, however, you will be won over by that ceviche—bright in both flavor and presentation—and especially by the queso, which isn’t just melted Oaxaca and Chihuahua cheeses, but also stripes of chimichurri and toasty salsa macha (similiar to the broken salsa macha that graces Curiel’s now-iconic sweet potato dish) dolled up with pickled onions and chiles. It’s so fun when food makes sounds, and the queso arrives bubbling in a cast-iron skillet and keeps sizzling through, arguably, Denver’s best cheese pull. Though I do wish that the thick, golden tortilla chips had more salt.
The large, meat-centric plates here still have suburban price tags. Nothing on the menu tops $26—and for that, you’re getting generous, flavor-packed portions of carne asada, carnitas, and Colorado bass that would have a place on much pricier menus. House favorites (both my house and theirs) are the pork-shoulder carnitas with roasted tomatillo salsa and the deeply crusted but pink-and-tender-where-it-counts carne asada. Gaspar serves the latter as hanger steak sliced over caramelized onions, refried beans, and fingerling potatoes all topped with creamy hoja santa chimichurri.
I’m sure the birria de res entrée with accompanying bone marrow is a draw for some, but for me, it was too heavy. Maybe I’m just over the birria craze, but the buttery marrow and chile consomé plus already-rich braised short rib was more than I needed. If you can’t decide, a trio of tacos is a great way to play the field with the fillings without committing to single-protein monogamy. The bulging handhelds are essentially smaller versions of the large plates, only served in a portion perfectly sized for a corn tortilla.
Yes, you can order the birria in taco form (with both molten and crisped Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheeses), but you should not miss the Tijuana shrimp or carne asada. The former comes with that same cheese duo, but melted over grilled shrimp so that it’s almost a quesadilla, with just enough heat from jalapeño salsa cremosa. A little more experimental is the bigeye tuna taco. The take on a spicy tuna roll—with sticky rice, tamari ginger sauce, and a lettuce wrap—is good, even if it feels out of place.
Teocalli’s LoHi space is easygoing and effortlessly cool, full of exposed brick and enough aloe vera plants to support a skincare side hustle. It’s big, bright, and welcoming. What it lacks in chic razzle dazzle it makes up for in confident Mexican food that quietly delivers, from happy hour snacks to date-night entrées.
That’s the beauty of its suburban roots. Teocalli knows how to feed people—families, couples, and solo diners alike—without pretense. So go ahead, Denver. Let the suburbs show you how it’s done.
