Food is undercooked, even if they remake it it's still undercooked and raw…read more The service? Is actually good. The ambiance the tables need to be cleaned better they are sticky and sometimes have pieces of food on them

So delicious food... central America taste..try the Soups I…read morereally enjoyed...totally recommended

Everything is absolutely amazing. The coleslaw and sauce that comes with the pupusas really ties…read moreeverything together.

The food is reallyyyyy good. I love the pupusas and the tacos and also the platters, the agua…read morefrescas are delicious as well. The wait can be long even for a few tacos, and the service can be underwhelming for sure but the food is good and I would recommend calling your order in so you're not waiting for a while.

They have earned every single one of the five stars. The lady running the counter was very sweet…read moreand super helpful. She recommended the lamb empanada and ommmmmmgggg was it good. The filling had a curry flavor to it that was stellar. I would have eaten 4 of them (and will be back on Tuesday when they run their buy 3 get the 4th free empanada special). We also had the steak and jalapeño, the caprese, and the spinach. They were all good but the lamb just blew me out of the water. Love the way they label all the empanadas so it's easy to tell before you take a bite. The chimichurri sauce was good but I might try a different one next time (although the empanadas were so good and juicy they didn't really require sauce). The inside is very simple, with a few tables, but clean and friendly. Highly highly recommend and will absolutely be back next time I'm in the area. Seriously, you need to eat these.

I am a self-claimed empanada fanatic. Any place that makes/carries/sells empanadas is where I…read morebelong. When Orejano came up in one of the weekly feeds I received, I felt some obligation to check it out. I thus wasted no time to do so just yesterday. Luckily, it's only a 10-minute short drive to the business from my southeast Denver. There are many competing eateries in the part of town where Orejano is situated and yet they got lucky that they secured their current spot. They are not in a cramped strip mall where businesses are side by side; it will be easy for everyone to spot. By the way, the parking is ample. Bright yellow signage with the restaurant's name on it accented by Uruguay's country flag - it's quite eye-catching. I could see that the people inside were already aware of my presence in front of the shop while I was taking some photo of its exterior. And once I was inside, they wasted no time to greet me. Their warm welcoming made me comfortable. The man upfront (I believe he is the owner) asked if it was my first time to which I said yes. I asked him to give me a few moments so I could peruse the menu. The offerings on the board are ample. As much as I was curious with desire to explore "outside of my comfort zone", I only could buy a few to several items (I listen to my stomach!) I thus focused on the original intention: the empanadas!! I picked up two vegetarian ones and one non-vegetarian namely Spicy Mushroom, Spinach and Lamb. Three emplanes will earn you a free sauce of your choice so I went with the chimichurri kind. This is a bake to order place so it takes at least 12 minutes before your hand pies are ready (and it depends on how busy the restaurant is.) Since I was the only one in it at the time of my visit, they got it going immediately. While awaiting, I got a chance to talk to another worker (possibly the wife of the man I talked to earlier). She was quite informative as to when the restaurant opened its doors, she herself is, not from Uruguay, but Paraguay, where they get the best pork meat (they have a business relationship with a meat shop named Cordobes Foods in Longmont), the lady who makes empanadas in the kitchen is actually a Mexican that does an excellent job by making more of Argentinian-style empanadas etc. Not to mention, they recently rec'd the "best" empanada place in Denver mentioned in the most recent Westward magazine. It's been a great 9 months ever since the inception in June 2025. Congrats to them! Once I got my three empanadas, I rushed home to savor them. Firstly, they are/were most beautiful empanadas I have ever seen! Nicely brown. I could see the meticulous handwork done by the Mexican chef lady to shape each one. Now, the quality...I liked them all. No doubt about it for sure. And yet, I wasn't wowed by them to be frank especially the vegetarian ones. The Spinach was nice and creamy where there was no dryness. It however, lacked something to be outstanding. The same goes with the Spicy Mushroom. It wasn't (firstly) spicy at all. This was also creamy but the same blandness is what I tasted. The Lamb, however, the most flavorful one. Whereas it wasn't too salty in any way, this had the most flavors in its creamy center. Finally, the free sauce (chimichurri) was quite different than ones I had tasted elsewhere in the past. Frankly, it was quite tasteless where the oil was the dominant ingredient with visible presence of the green (oregano??). No taste of wine vinegar, I didn't see any red pepper in it either. This also failed to wow me. Well, to conclude this review....I still like this business. It's run by genuinely good people who want to serve the community. I've only tasted three items. I saw other items (on the menu) that seemed quite intriguing. I would still go back and experience them more to fully immerse myself in the Latin cuisine they boast. Welcome, Orejano, to our neighborhood!

I got a chance to visit this (El) Salvadorian restaurant today as I was in the neighborhood of…read moreGreen Valley Ranch midafternoon for a business matter I needed to take care of and here is how it went. I'll admit; I am still new to this cuisine and yet I've been to a really good restaurant that boasts this type of food in the central Denver. Having that memory still fresh in mind, when I discovered this place accidentally today, there was no need for me to waste time to second guess about the food. The restaurant is easy to spot; its restaurant name is clearly on the front of the building with big letters. Its boastful existence to let people know about it is something I can appreciate. My anticipation was high due to its current ratings of near-perfect 5 stars. Whereas I've been to places where I truly thought they were simply overrated, I was under the impression that this place was an exception. Upon entering the eatery, a bright pastel colored mural (or wall painting I should say) with restaurant name on it was right in front of me. Its vividness - as if to say that it depicts the colorfulness of the dishes they serve - was a sure indication that it is a diverse restaurant with flavorful cooking. This also enhanced my anticipation. While I was taking some photos at the reception that was unmanned, a young lady eventually came to me with a welcoming voice. She then immediately asked me if I was there for a dine in or to go to which I said to go. The menu is a good size. Colored pictures with easy-to-understand dish name and the description, no person gets confused with what they have to offer. My intent was to get me a few small side dishes and yet as soon as I saw the "Paradise Plate" ($31.95 as of June 14, 2025), I was like, "why not?" even though I wasn't there to buy a huge plate to be shared with someone else. If you visit this place for the first time, this dish is recommended as it has everything. And the portion is huge (this can be easily split between two people.) The plate contains 3 traditional pupusas (which you'll be asked to choose from the traditional pupusa section), 1 chicken or pork tamale, 1 corn tamale, 1 savory empanada, fried yucca (2 pieces) and fried plantain (2 pieces) are all in 1 plate. On top of that, coleslaw type salad/veggie and red sauce accompanied the whole thing so when the young lady handed me my food, the plastic bag was quite the weight. Oh my goodness, what did I just get??? As a tradition of mine, as soon as I got to my car, I immediately opened the bag and then I was like oola la, I realized that I simply got waaaaaay too much food for one person. Sound like I was complaining and yet I was filled with unexplainable joy that filled my heart and mind. Some were deep-fried, some were pan-fried or oven-baked. However they were cooked, their rich and oily flavors with all kinds of spices and ingredients were all over my mouth. I ate some of it in 2 separate sittings and yet the container still had plenty of food left for me to morsel the next day. No wonder this place has 4.5 stars by people who experienced the goodness they offer. Let's not forget. The restaurant is a good size. It was clean. It's got some bar seating perfect for solo diners. I wonder how crowded it gets on a peak lunch or dinner time. Anyway, I am not sure how many (El) Salvadorian cuisine restaurants that exist in the greater Denver area and yet, this must be ranked one of the top 5 for sure. I may still like the one on Colorado Boulevard as it's a lot closer to my house (for a convenience reason), this place checks for great food and service. Whereas I thought some of the foods were a bit too oily to my liking, its overall food quality speaks for itself as to why people fancy this restaurant. For those who live in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, lucky them!

Been craving pupusas and these were fantastic and freshly made. Small, clean location in a fairly…read morequiet strip mall the SE corner of Hampden and Chambers with a friendly staff. We tried the Serrano & cheese and the Pork, Bean & Cheese pupusas. Served with a house sauces and slaw, these were hot crisp and tasty with fresh Serranos throughout. I suggest sharing 2-3 to try the flavors for two people. We could got three and had leftovers. We will be back to explore the menu.

l love their food!! I am really excited to know that they open a restaurant in the North area of…read moreColorado!!! A wish come true!! I could eat their arepas everyday!!!

Their truck has been parked outside of my work for a long time. My coworkers and I finally ordered…read morea variety of items and they were all amazing. Not a bad thing all around. Highly recommend.

Best tamales!!! Pollo verde were delicious...will be back for me!! Pre-order...because they run out…read morefast.

Very good and reasonably priced!! Nice associates and very attentive.I will be visiting there for…read moremy Mexican fix!!

El Chalate is my favorite place in Colorado to grab pupusas because they are delicious and at the…read moreright price. I Always grab 2 combination pupusas for $2 each and I am at the perfect level of full. They are extremely delicious and I love the cabbage and sauce that goes on top. The service is always great and the people are nice. I've been coming here for almost 10 years and I don't see that changing.

This place is still the best you can get out here. If you want any real Salvadorean dish, this is…read morewhere you go, hands down. Best place out here period.

What a nice discovery! I stumbled upon a family-owned Colombian empanada restaurant today and I…read morecouldn't be more excited. Their location is a bit of a disadvantage as it's in a small strip mall that looks quite rundown. I am not sure if anyone would notice it unless otherwise told by someone. The time was a little before 9am on a Monday. When I stepped in to the store it appeared that I was the first customer for the morning. And when I saw the surprise look on the lady's face upfront it looked like I was someone who was least expected (LOL! Was that a good thing or bad thing??) The glass showcase upfront only had three different kinds of empanadas. The tags were all written in Spanish so I asked for assistance from the lady which one was what etc. to which her husband stepped in to correct what she said for a few items. LOL. Right next to the lady stood a young girl who appeared to be her daughter. And the man who was in the open kitchen appeared to be the husband to the lady. They were all there to assist me. They were very warm, appreciating my business. The husband even asked me what my ethnic background was to get to know me. I really appreciated this element of being personable. To be frank, I like baked empanadas. At this restaurant, they make them deep-fried (deep-fried ones are, of course, a bit greasier than baked ones.) And yet I didn't want my assumption to deter me from trying them. As I have already mentioned the selection is/was quite small. I wasn't certain however that they make more where I was in the store too early when they hadn't started the day with their full lineup. At the time of arrival, they only had three kinds: Pollo, Pollo and Huevo and Beef. My thinking wasn't sharp enough so I went with Pollo and Pollo and Huevo (I later regretted of not getting me the beef in place of the Pollo). Each empanada is $7 as of ealy June 2026. And they are a good size. After they carefully packed my two empanadas in two separate containers the husband asked if I wanted to some drink to go home with. Their freshly made juices looked really tasty and yet I politely said no to his kind gesture. Once home and settled in, I finally had a moment to take a closer look at the beautiful empanadas. I carefully cut them in half to investigate what the inside looked like. They were (fortunately) packed with the ingredients described by their item names: Pollo (chicken) with only chicken and Pollo and Huevo (chicken and egg) with only chicken and (hard boiled) egg with much generosity. Very simple and yet sometime too complicated confuse people's taste buds so I found them well-crafted with simplicity. These packed/dense empanadas are protein rich with all sorts of goodness. And to my surprise, they weren't greasy at all. And their accompanying two sauces became a hint of something to add to the already flavor-rich empanadas. Family-owned, friendly and personable service, authentic flavors to name a few, this is a small business that I can appreciate so much. I remember the husband telling me that the restaurant opened about a year ago. This humble business is now one of my favorites.

Ay, qué rico. A cornucopia of Colombian temptations has recently sprung up in the…read moreMississippi/Peoria stripmall also containing Zula, Takero Mucho, and Diverse Culture Market among others. Let's do a bit of "exploración" at La Empanada. The business (whose full name is in fact La Empanada - Antojos Colombianos) offers a true taste of Colombia, from snacks, to main courses, to beverages. On that latter note, why not try a cup of caramel-kissed oatmeal (Avena con Arequipe) or even some fermented cassava drink (Masato) before planning your next move? After all, you'll need plenty of energy to choose between Papas Rellenas (mashed potatoes stuffed with beef and eggs), Buñuelos (springy, cheesy donuts), Pasteles (chicken/cheese pies), and - of course - Empanadas in a variety of flavors. If you still have a bit of space, don't despair, as larger dishes are on offer here too. The variety depends a bit on when you visit, but nevertheless you might get to try Pepitoria (goat-offal stew), Costillas (pork ribs), or even chicken with a yellow passionfruit (Maracuyá)-based sauce. And there's even more beyond all this, so stop by and get to snacking.