My friends and I were in town and after a long day of travel we decided to explore and find somewhere to eat and damn did this place hit the spot! Very vibey in terms of its location, decor, and lively atmosphere. The four of us were sat inside at a big booth (though the patio looked delightful so maybe next time). We were all starving to put an immediate order in for the salsa flight and queso. Loved all of the above. We also put in a big pitcher of their house marg, spicy version. I thought those to be good too - not overly sweet. As for entres, the steak tacos were incredible. I was really impressed with the cut and cook of the steak. Prepared so well. And let me tell you they don't short you one portions. The taco orders come with griddled tortillas, long grain rice, cabbage escabeche, and salsa. I left full and very satisfied. read more

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We brought a big group here and what a disappointment. There are so many better places in Boulder to go too. We sat, half of the water glasses were dirty, the water pitchers that were filled with water were dirty. When I say dirty, crusted food food from previous patrons.. We ordered apps for the table, the basics, guac, salsa and queso. The queso is disgusting, its some type of of watered down fake cheese thing, the guac was not bad, but needed salt and the presentation was odd. The chips and salsa were fine, nothing to write home about. Half of the team ordered mocktails and the other ordered cocktails, I am not sure anyone liked what they ordered. I ordered the hibiscus mocktail thing, it was not good. It came out pretty, but the flavor was odd and I think it was missing the topochico. Most of the team ordered the tacos, they came deconstructed which was neat, the people who got shrimp had burnt shrimp. I ordered the birria and it was fine. I think they messed up 2-3 of the orders. Service was okay, would not go again with a large group. (9-10 people). They have GF options marked on the menu, its pretty limited. read more

Drew made us a kick ass spicy margarita! Super nice guy and serious about his job! Beautiful restaurant, nice vibes! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Service was great. My burrito was fantastic. Highly recommend the cauliflower appetizer. Overall a 5 star experience.

Always a treat for a tasty lunch. Order if churros as a "birthday cake" substitute ! And tasty as can be. Servers were friendly as always and healthy can be tasty, like the mushroom tostada. read more

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Great ambiance , wait staff, bartenders are amazingly hospitable, welcomed us in. Food was great. One of the best guacamoles I've had , tacos wee delectable. Indoor outdoor bar read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Outside patio. Wrap around bar. - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

We went on National Tequila Day because it was also Dining out for Ukraine day! We went for happy hour and immediately ordered a pint house margarita which was fabulous! Fresh with tequila, triple sec fresh lime and simple syrup. Not too sweet and not a sweet and sour mix!! This is how I make margaritas at home. Not knowing that the happy hour potato and quesa birria tacos came with 2 to an order, my husband and I both ordered them. 4 tacos a piece? What??? For 5 and 8 dollars? Unheard of in Boulder. And . . . They were both amazing! The potato taco had crispy on the outside tender on the inside potatoes with grilled onion, rajas, cotija cheese, corn and crispy potato straws. Quesa birria tacos are one of my favorite foods and I've had some fabulous ones and some dry and flavorless ones. These were tender, melt-in-your mouth joy!! Our server, Luke was friendly and he led in us regularly without being annoying. I felt cared for. We love the patio (and the inside as well) and tonight was a perfect patio night. The music is fun and the patio is lined with flowers. A perfect happy hour and leftovers for breakfast!! A favorite spot of ours in Boulder and we will be back soon to find out about the AGM's trip to Japan! Love this place! read more

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We have been here a few times when in Boulder. Most recently for brunch on Father's Day. No wait! Hubs (guest of honor) had the house marg and said it was incredible! I had the avocado toast Benedict which was fantastic! Loved the poblano hollandaise and their bodega sauce. Hubs had the Huevos Rancheros- which is usually my go-to, and that was tasty as well. Very saucy which is always important! We also got chips and salsa because- well, we love to nosh! Our little didn't care for the refried beans- pretty heavy on the oregano- but she ate the quesadilla. Service was attentive and friendly. We will be back! read more

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We had a family gathering here on a Tuesday evening when the restaurant was nearly empty. During our visit, a staff member asked our table to be quieter, despite us simply having normal conversation and enjoying time together. Out of respect, we did quiet down. We were later told the restaurant was understaffed, which was confusing given there appeared to be 8-9 employees working and very few customers present. After that interaction, the atmosphere became awkward and uncomfortable. What started as an enjoyable family gathering quickly turned into us paying and leaving. A welcoming restaurant should make guests feel comfortable, especially on a slow night. Unfortunately, we left disappointed and would likely not return for another family gathering. read more

Tried this spot today thinking you can't go wrong with traditional Mexican... but nah, this one missed the mark. They tried blending Indian and Mexican flavors and it just didn't come together. Food wasn't satisfying, tortillas were dry, and you even had to build your own tacos and ask for water to wash down the meal...Overall, not a place I'd recommend. read more

Drew was amazing and the food was incredible! We will definitely be back. Thank you so much for a perfect experience!

LOVE the tacos...birria is my favorite! The location and service were amazing!! Sorbet y Crema dessert was STELLAR!! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Birria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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The food and service here are amazing and one of my favorites in Boulder! They always go above and beyond. Highly recommend.

Paid $15 for guacamole and chips expecting something decently large. The bowl of "guacamole" was basically just mashed up avocados with sesame seeds on top extremely salty in a VERY small salsa bowl. Not sure why the birria tacos are served for the guests to make themselves with no cheese and extremely dry tortillas. Everything was either dry and/or too salty. It wasn't very busy when we went yet the service was pretty slow until they came to clean up to have their table back for a reservation later that night. I wouldn't recommend if you have high expectations for a Mexican restaurant. read more

The food was good, the service was literally horrible. It was may 2, Graduation night for CU, understandable, they took 1.5 hours to bring the food. But worse than the horrible wait was the absurd position of the young manager who was so clueless to ask us to take the food in take-out containers because they had to close the patio!!!! Unbelievably rude and defiant with the customers ...!! No less! The customers. read more

Unacceptable experience. We waited 90 minutes for dinner and had to repeatedly chase staff for updates--no communication, no accountability. The manager's response was immature and completely unprofessional, and the staff clearly lacked even basic customer service skills. This level of disorganization and disregard for customers is inexcusable. They need serious training--and better leadership. read more

Cody was incredible, the best place to celebrate our anniversary! The food and outdoor patio were perfect, happy hour is the way to go! We'll be back! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Mexican candy shot! - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Review for drinks only. Friends and I met up on the patio for some margaritas. Our server was very friendly and didn't press us on time. Drinks were interesting and well mixed. read more

Centro in Boulder has a really interesting menu with a subtle Japanese fusion influence that feels thoughtful and creative. The salmon salad was fresh, well-balanced, with good flavors. What really made the experience stand out though, was the service. Sam was a wonderful server: attentive, kind, and perfectly timed without ever hovering. We love good service, and this was it. Will definitely be back. read more

The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the service was good. Weekends they serve brunch until 3. I don't love brunch, but they also had tacos and non-egg dishes on the brunch menu. We were party of 8, and I think we all found the food unremarkable. I had the skirt steak taco board. It was overcooked, and bland. The corn (elote) was delicious. I feel like elote and a margarita is all I need in the future. read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Steak tacos- but more like "fajita" style. The corn was amazing. - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Our experience with Centro Mexican Kitchen is based on New Year's Eve and lousy service. The server we had was more concerned about closing down the restaurant than she was providing us service. We were a table of 6 with reservations at 6:00 pm. She greeted us right away and asked about our drink order. I requested water for the table. We were waiting for 2 others in our party, so when she brought our drinks for the 4 of us, the other 2 had now joined us. (no water from this first ask). The server then took the drink order for the 2 new people and I asked if she could bring us water again. 2 drinks were brought for our couple that joined late but no water was brought to the table. I asked a third time for water for the table. (about 20 minutes from being seated until the 3rd ask). The round of drinks definitely took awhile too but we figured it was New Year's Eve. In between all of this, we had not quite decided on food because we were catching up, so the server was super attentive about coming back to see if we were ready. However, it took about 30 min. to get water for our table (wasteful trips of checking on us if she wasn't bringing water). Our food order was placed and then expediters brought us our food. In the meantime, our drinks and water were low, but our server was busy clearing the tables that had been set but didn't have customers present. Clean napkins/ plates getting shuttled back to the kitchen area instead of checking in on us. The restaurant was not packed and what I could observe was the server chatting with the hostess, maybe dealing with 2 tables besides ours, and doing "closing" work. Bussers came to remove our plates and empty glasses. I finally went up to the bar and ordered another round. The bartender realized we had a table so sought our server out. The beers/ order was set at the bar (i.e. I could see the bartender lining up our order) but again, it took her 10 more minutes to deliver them to our table. She stated that somehow the order didn't go through. However, she had never taken the order (bc I had gone directly up to the bar). We were looking forward to having some cocktails/ beers with our meal AND for someone to look out for us especially when ALL water glasses were empty. They were never refilled once and we could never track our server down to request it. It seemed she was more pre-occupied on closing down duties than taking care of us. The food was great but obviously not because of the server. read more

We loved the vibe in this place! The seating was comfortable and service was wonderful. Food was hot and fresh. We loved trying the different salsas in the trio and we added Queso in that as well. The queso was amazing!! Our server offered us more chips as well which was appreciated. The tacos come with fresh tortillas and you can make your own, which I thought was so fun. They provide a good size portion of meat as well as the other toppings. This is a fun, elevated mexican restaurant! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Salsa Trio With Chips (10ppl) and Queso - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Stumbled upon this place when visiting boulder for the pearl street farmers market and the food was amazing. My boyfriend and I drove back a month later from Denver to see if it was really as good as we thought and sure enough the food and the service did not disappoint. Evan; the bartender, is extremely sociable and provided great recommendations on Happy Hour and he makes a killer margarita. Jaken the AGM checked on us and made sure the food was as we ordered and when something came out that wasn't right he corrected it! We also had great conversation with Cody! The team here is amazing and makes for an enjoyable dining experience. The sampler is a must with the salsa, guacamole and queso! We also enjoy the nachos, quesa birria taco and potato taco! Definitely pay a visit to this place if you're in the area visiting or if you live close!! read more

Food was extremely overpriced, it used to be a lot better but they must be under new management. I gave them a 30% tip and wrote the total apparently in the wrong section so they decided to take advantage and charge me for a $40 tip on a $27 meal, when I called the manager did not apologize at all she said she's had $100 tips on a $1 meal which isn't possible because of how overpriced this place is. Bad food, bad service, bad management; never eat here. read more

This was our first time dining in Boulder after a campus tour. The food and ambiance were great. We loved all the different spins and flavors in the Mexican food. The happy hour was great. Our server, Malachi, was top notch and very knowledgeable. We appreciated all his recommendations. We will be back. read more

Love the fresh food, the Pearl street atmosphere, and the friendly staff. A family member had food delivered to us from Centro and it was great as well. read more

Super slow service today, but they recently redid the brunch menu and everything we got was delicious. The Benedict's had a poblano hollandaise sauce that was so flavorful and great. read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Carnitas Benedict - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Great service and Excellent food and Margaritas. Nice ambiance. They have a great Happy Hour and great prices.

Food is not entirely the issue. The nickel-and-dime add-on fees ($3 for a small side of salsa!!!) and exceptionally poorly trained wait staff, however, are the issue. Started with house-made guacamole and chips ($11). Chips tasted fresh but are bland like packing material. Salt is cheap (unless you ask for it and Centro will attempt to charge ya). The guacamole itself has beautiful presentation but desperately needs some acid/citrus and a bit of salsa to bring some depth of flavor. Biria Dip w/ Consume ($14): Good value and flavor, both. There is a melted cheese sear on the outside, which is great for a "french dip" style sandwich to hold the consume but mine was slightly burnt which detracted from the otherwise rich flavors. Fish Taco ($19): Fish is well battered and cooked perfectly. It better be when Centro is part of the restaurant group that brought Denver-metro Jax and Tavern. The dish comes with elote corn which was tasty, a tasty slaw and a small pan of Mexican rice along with a chili oil ramekin and aoli. The rice overpowers the delicate fish, so skip it altogether. Fortunately, there are three generous "sticks" of fish, so on taco #2, rice omitted, the dish comes together. So for food alone on this visit, 3.5 stars. Lop off another 1.5 for the service. There is a simple rule in food hospitality, REMOVE EMPTY PLATES ASAP. Certainly NEVER bring the check without clearing the "regret" from the persons paying. I would not comment on this if it were only our table. However, I looked around at six other tables that sat down near the same time, each with varying servers and ALL of the tables received the same lazy service. Centro, you are already in a dangerous location next door to BarTaco. BarTaco is a consistent product that is currently putting Centro to shame. I'm just saying, if you are going to piss on somebody else's fence and claim to be better, you need to execute on that bravado. read more

First of all, I loved my silver coin margarita! The enchiladas I got (served Christmas style) were good, too. Didn't have space in my stomach for dessert. Next time! read more

They messed up my order I told them I had a sesame allergy and then they brought out my food with sesame visibly on it. My server then didn't check back in for 30 minutes. When he finally came back, he tried to remove the sesame sauce instead of giving me new food. I will never be coming back here. They are trying to do some silly Asian Mexican fusion instead of making soulful Mexican food. Don't go here if you have allergies or like traditional Mexican. read more

Yum! This place has such a great atmosphere and a large menu to choose. The margaritas have many flavors and easy to find something for everyone. The tacos are done a bit unique. They come as a platter so you get to build your own similar to fajitas. I tried the shrimp habanero mango tacos and they were very flavorful. It comes with rice and street corn. The street corn is awesome! Our server was very nice but we did feel we had to wait a bit longer than normal for her to come around. Overall it was a good dining experience! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - CHICKEN ENCHILADAS - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Great food, amazing service!! The servers are so kind and explain all the menu items very well! The vibes sitting outside are amazing! read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Potato tacos - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Made a reservation (for an additional 2.9% charge), rudely seated by the host because we wanted a table and not the 40 person high top. Then served appetizers followed by entrees within 30 seconds, obviously rushing us in/out. Who cares about the food when you're treated like we were. Forget this place and a big F@&" Y)@ to the host.... @pearlstreetscam read more

Wow wow wow. I loved this place so much! Between great patio seating, wonderful service and amazing food, I will for sure be back here soon. My pals and I came here after a long hike nearby, and absolutely demolished a delicious brunch. I had the breakfast enchiladas, my friends had the tacos. They also had some yummy aquas frescas for NA drinkers! Parking in this area can be a bear, so just make sure to give yourself some extra time! read more

Add this to your list of places to eat in Colorado (they have one of the best Bloody Mary's)... Let me introduce you to Centro Mexican Kitchen in Boulder, Colorado. This fun & lively restaurant on Pearl Street creates fresh and festive Mexican cuisine for brunch, lunch, happy hour, & dinner. Centro serves Brunch & Brunch Happy Hour on Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 12pm. We arrived at Centro and were seated on their outdoor patio - it was lovely with plenty of shade. The staff were attentive and radiated positivity. General Manager, Melena and Server, Molly ensured we had everything we needed while we dined. New Brunch Happy Hour menu items include things like the 'Over the Top Bloody' (serves 1-2 people) for $30. This was hands down the biggest Bloody Mary I have ever seen, and it tasted as good as it looked. It was garnished to the hilt - I'm talking grilled shrimp topped with edible gold, several strips of bacon, vegetables, & flowers. The Bloody Mary was tangy, spicy, and satisfying, making it a brunch favorite. The Horchata Toast Crunch was made with Breckenridge Vodka, horchata, chai liqueur, whipped cream, & cinnamon crunch. We loved the creativity on this brunch cocktail and who doesn't like cinnamon toast crunch? The Tomato Gazpacho was made with cucumber, red pepper, fresno chile, green onion, olive oil, & sourdough croutons. The Centro Caesar Salad was made with romaine, heirloom cherry tomatoes, grana padano cheese, popped lentils, toasted pepitas, & crispy chickpeas. We loved this Caesar Salad - there was great texture variation and a good ratio of Caesar dressing to ingredients. The Skirt Steak Taco Board was served with fresh corn tortillas, green rice, cabbage pico slaw, Mexican street corn, & spicy macha salsa. The skirt steak was juicy, meaty and went well with the warm tortillas and cool slaw. The Mexican street corn was seasoned perfectly and I loved the cotija cheese & spices on it. The Queso Benedict was made with two poached eggs, tavern ham, sourdough toast, smothered with queso. The Chilaquiles - $14 on Brunch Happy Hour - were made with tortilla chips, suiza sauce, refried beans, cotija cheese, & fried sunny side up egg. The French Toast Flight - $9 on Brunch Happy Hour - was made with strawberry, horchata, and cinnamon apple French toast. We then had the option to 'Make it toasty!' for an additional $20 which paired matching shots with each of the French toast flavors. read more

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Wouldn't let me in the restaurant with my service animal because a lady in from of me complained. they said I was only allowed outside

Best steak I've had at a Mexican restaurant. Excellent sauce, fun presentation, and huge portions. The Mezcal Margarita, had a balanced smoky flavor, not overpowering complimented by a bit of grapefruit. We'll executed and balanced. The steak and shrimp enchiladas were good, but my friend envied my steak. For American style Mexican food in a mid-tier budget range, this is hard to beat. From a value perspective, the steak was an excellent value, but the enchiladas, which were the same price, were overpriced. read more

Centro Mexican Kitchen - Mezcal margarita - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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I rarely write reviews, but my experience at Centro was frustrating enough that I felt compelled to say something. The food was honestly underwhelming--bland, overpriced, and nowhere near what you'd expect from a restaurant that markets itself as a vibrant take on Mexican cuisine. Everything tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp, and even the chips and salsa felt stale and thrown together. What really pushed this from disappointing to unacceptable, though, was the management. The service was chaotic, and when we politely brought up issues (wrong order, long wait times, cold food), the manager was dismissive and borderline rude. It felt like they didn't care at all about customer experience--just wanted to turn over tables. There are so many great places to eat in Boulder--this is not one of them. Sloppy execution, poor leadership, and food that doesn't live up to the hype. Skip it. read more

Overrated and overpriced. You can do better for your money elsewhere. The location can't be beat, but I feel it caters to tourists.