We love this restaurant. The food is so flavorful and the service was great. We will definitely be back!

Huge parking lot! No problem finding a spot. We were early for dinner on this occasion. My husband had wanted to try this place for a while. We were welcomed in and seated in a cozy booth. The dining area is spacious and spans a few rooms as well as outdoor patio seating, which I'm sure would be nice in summer. We both decided on water for our beverage as we perused the extensive menu. There is something for everyone here. Our server brought a chips and salsa to our table and took our order. The chips were fresh and crunchy. The salsa was tasty with a nice kick. My husband chose the Burrito Deluxe with ground beef as his meat. It came smothered with green chile with lettuce and tomatoes. He ate half and brought half home to have for lunch the next day. He said it was delicious. I chose the Enchilada Rancheras Plate. It came with two enchiladas, I chose chicken as my filling. That was topped with a sunny side up egg, my choice on the egg prep. It was all smothered in their red chile, topped with lettuce and tomato with rice and beans on the side. I also was able to bring half home for my lunch. This place merits a return visit, for sure. read more

See all

I've been here twice in about 2 months. Each time the younger 'hostess' was awful. I almost turned around and left because she was so rude. All I can say is she must be family because no one else would hire her and keep her. The service was very slow. They may have been busy but we were ready to order for a while before anyone came by. I don't think we had an actual assigned waiter. The food left much to be desired. The chili rellenos are made with cream cheese or something icky. Drive farther and go to the other one in Lakewood or pick another Mexican restaurant. read more

El Tapitio is back Everything excellent excellent excellent. Table salsa was amazing! So happy read more

El Tapatio - Chile Relleno Plate Carne Adobada Plate - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

See all

Have been here a number of times, so we were happy when we found ourselves in Arvada to have another opportunity to stop in. Walked in at 6:30, on the Saturday nite before Mother's Day, and they were packed. Nonetheless, we were sat immediately. And though it was busy, our server was prompt with drinks and chips and salsa. A delicious start, we added queso, which was cheesy and a great consistency. Six of us ordered and the food came out surprisingly fast. The fajitas are incredible, chile relleno plate, taco salad, enchiladas, beans and rice were also excellent. But the star for me is always the Chile Relleno, stuffed burrito. Smothered in green chile, and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and guac. The bar is large, and the dining area allows for plenty of seating options. We've enjoyed the Arvada location and have also frequented the Greenwood Village location. Neither, ever disappoint!! Highly recommended!! read more

See all

This restaurant is in our neighborhood and every once in a while the little woman and I will pop in for a quick bite. I must qualify myself here, I and a trained chef who owned my own restaurant and am well versed in New Mexican cooking which is identical to Mexican cooking so I know how to make green and red chile from scratch and I know what it's supposed to taste and look like. My biggest pet peeve with Mexican restaurants in Denver is their sauces. Anyone can marinate meat and char it but it's the sauce that holds the plate together. Restaurants in Denver literally purchase these sauces 5 gallons at a time and they are junk. Tonight I ordered a chicken enchilada plate with red chili, beans and rice. This place does their beans well but the red chili was worse than before. It had an almost BBQ sauce taste and consistency but with absolutely no red chili flavor. If I had to guess theses 3 ingredients were in the "red sauce" sugar, red food coloring and liquid smoke...not sure what else. I ate one enchilada and told the waitress that it tasted awful and she took it as a personal attack and she argued with me saying it wasn't her fault so I asked her to take it off my bill and she did and came back after I asked for our check and she had this wounded look in her eyes...I was astonished so I told her that I have met her before and that I liked here and that I am not mad and her eyes lit up. Oh and one more thing...We've been going to El Tapatio off and on for over 3 years and they literally have the worse hostess' ever. They're never glad to see you and they will never say good bye. They will never smile. All we are is just a number. They say "How many? Then walk away with the menus barely making themselves heard to follow them. They stop at the table and wait, impatiently then just walk away.. I thought I heard her say "kiss off'.. read more

Ordered a top shelf marg was given one out of the tap , they made it over but still, steak tacos were good, cheese enchiladas might be the worse I've had flat hard and hardly any cheese with a area with some great Mexican restaurants this disappointed me read more

Your hostess is terrible. She has a terrible attitude. We went today with a large group of 10 and she acted like we were inconveniencing her and her staff. So we left one tomorrow I will never go back there again. read more

Food is authentic & the fruit margaritas are fresh! Getting called "amigo" by every service member is a vibe. Booth style seating is a major plus too. Great spot overall! read more

Food was great, service pretty good overall and their margaritas are excellent! Good size portions too, I highly recommend it

Loved the vibe here and all of the big screen tvs. Watched the Broncos beat the Raiders! Haha. But seriously, the service was great. We were well taken care of. The food was fantastic and the plates were huge. Overall, had a great time and will be back. read more

This place was so good! Just left here. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. We had guacamole, Queso Fundido, & chicken fajitas. Salsa & chips are yummy too! We will be back next time we are in this area. Don't listen to the negative reviews on here. We almost went somewhere else, so glad we came in. Parking lot is full which tells you plenty of people think is great! We do too! read more

Don't order the Mexican ribs if you want any meat. Got 3 mini bones with 1 barely one regular bite of meat per bone. Asked for better portion and was denied. Total rip off. House margs were just mixer. Unfortunate because flavor of food was good and bartender was really cool, totally understood and was embarrassed for her restaurant. Won't be back. read more

DELICIOUS!! My families favorite Mexican restaurant by far! Not only because of the great food (the green chili is delicious!!) but primarily due to the excellent service! Everyone is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and are always timely with bringing the food. I also am a big fan of the decor because it makes it feel cozy. read more

Service was amazing, very friendly! Unfortunately, the barbacoa tacos were not good. The meat had no texture and was mostly fat. Instead of shredded beef, it was just a mushy, greasy mixture that felt like it had been blended together. There were no actual strands of beef -- just soft, fatty paste. It made the tacos very unappetizing and not worth the price. read more

I've always really enjoyed el tapatio (any location). The service is super friendly and the place is insanely clean. They run a tight ship! Chips and salsa arrives to the table quick and fresh. Their house salsa is delicious with a good amount of cilantro flavor. I always get the coin style margarita. It comes with a whole shaker tin of boozy goodness! Like 3 refills worth.. just trust me. Their food is super flavorful and they give you big portions. I always have leftovers. Probably because I gorge myself on the chips and salsa but whatever it's awesome. read more

See all

A good Mexican food restaurant in Arvada! The guac was a generous serving and the service was good! The place is well decorated too. The mole sauce was just okay. Otherwise we loved everything! read more

See all

This is our favorite sit down Mexican restaurant in the area and has a great ambiance. The only thing that could be improved is their chips but the salsa is great. Sometimes the chips don't seem super fresh but everything else is great! My husband likes the carne asada. I usually get a chicken enchilada and nibble on my sons leftovers. Great grilled chicken too if you are trying to be healthy. They have great homemade tortillas also that come with the carne asada. Skinny margarita I've had once but was also great! read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

Yes! Yelp discount when you check in! Very lively atmosphere and service great. Immediately seated and order quickly taken. Lots of chips and salsa to go around. Meal came out quickly and looked delicious. Ordered were Cerviche, Horchata, Camarones, bean enchilada, salad, chicken enchilada. Servings were large, plates colorful and smelled amazing. Shrimp moist and cooked perfectly. Enchilada's were filled with lots of meat and all were moist and not dry. Would definitely return. read more

See all

The food is pretty bland. Had a taco salad and the whole thing turned to a runny mushy mess at the bottom of the shell. Not sure why. Maybe they put wet lettuce into the bowl. Flavorless. Service was good. read more

Food was fine. I only had a shrimp cocktail and a "medium" margarita. I really want to give this place 5 stars. But I can't bring myself to do it... 1) Food- Chips and salsa are free and unending. Salsa is a bit thin, but who am I to complain about free food? On to my entree today, which was a shrimp cocktail. ($20) It hit the spot and included all the notes that I'd expect. Here is my problem- if I drive up the road a bit I can get the same coctel for fourteen bucks. Don't get me wrong, it was fine and dandy. But I felt I was paying for upscale cracker packets instead of better shrimp and some avocado. Really, it was ok. But only ok. 2) Service was impeccable. I genuinely felt that the staff was invested in my dining experience as well as committed to the restaurant in general. The restaurant shines here. Everyone took pride in being a part of this establishment. All in all a decent dining experience. Elevated by the staff, yet diminished by the ingredients. I worry about their relevance considering I could have purchased a better, more buzzwothry meal five minutes away. read more

El Tapatio - a view of the bar area - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

See all

2/23/25 we were seated right away. Service was very poor. 15 minutes for drinks, chips, and salsa. Another 15 minutes for a server to come take our order. He was rude and short with all our orders. When I ask to sample the green chili to see if I could eat it which would then depend on my dish I would order he raised his voice at us. At this point we felt so uncomfortable to dine here we ask for a manager and sadly he was the manager. We got up and left to a different restaurant. We will never return. read more

Picked up a takeout order. Food is always great and the staff is friendly. I enjoy the green chili very much as well as the queso.

Food okay service stinks.bad you get bill before food arrives. Plus server forgot to place order

Amazing food And costumer service! loved it great experience would highly recommend!!

Although this isn't the first El Tapatio I've been to, it is the one that I've frequented the longest. I've been to this location many times over the years, always sitting at the bar, or in the bar area. Why I've waited this long to write a review is beyond me. Drinks: They have a full bar, and a pretty good beer selection. Their Palomas have always been my go to drink. I swear they used to make them with Jarritos grapefruit soda, but they've now switched to Squirt. Which is no problem as long as you substitute whatever tequila they usually use with Espolon. That's a personal preference of course, but for a "middle of the road" priced tequila, it's pretty darn good! Most of all, the clay pottery cup they serve it in just seems to give this Paloma a little something extra special. And since the price of one very small shot of Jameson has risen to the insane price of $10 at El Tapatio, I think I'll just stick to drinking my Jameson at home! Food: If you're vegan, you're going to have a difficult time eating here. Vegetarians will have a much easier time, but be aware of what you order. The refried beans are not veggie friendly. The red sauce, which is the same as the enchilada sauce, is animal product free, and their black beans are actually pretty good. I think the rice is also veggie friendly, but it may be a good idea to ask every now and then, just to make sure nothing has changed. There are a few vegetarian offerings that are marked as such in their menu, and modifications are welcomed in moderation. I've found the food to be fairly consistent, even for to go orders. Many Mexican food restaurants have come and gone in the Olde Town Arvada area, but El Tapatio has remained a constant for a reason. I'll definitely continue coming to this location as long as I live in the Arvada area, that's for sure! read more

El Tapatio - Cheese Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

Not the first time walking at 9 and another time at 9:15 that this business has turned me away saying they are closed when the establishment clearly say they open until 10. read more

My girlfriend and I had a wonderful and romantic lunch date there today. It was the first time I'd ever been there but my girlfriend has been many times. It's her favorite Mexican restaurant. First of all, there tons of safe and clean parking. It's in a nice area of town so safety and security is solid. The building is absolutely beautiful, inside and out. The decor inside is warm and relaxing. I really enjoyed the lighting. Our waitress, a very petite and lovely woman named Katherine was a fabulous server. She was nothing but smiles, friendly and happy to help. Our drinks were never empty and all the food orders came out within ten minutes, were hot and accurate. I had the vegetarian burrito and my love had a Mexican burger. Both were extremely good and well prepared. Of course, the bottomless chips and salsa were amazing as well. We ordered the family dessert plate that we enjoyed immensely. Our bill was absolutely reasonable for such a nice meal. I often comment on a business deals with me/us when it's very obvious we are a same sex couple. This business accepted it never really even noticed it. Our waitress treated us perfectly and we never felt out of place. The LGBT community will feel very comfortable here. We will definitely return for another great meal. read more

See all

The food was good service however was terrible only one server smiled wasn't even sure who our server was. It felt like me and my daughter was a nuisance there was no welcome factor at all there were people there at the door and servers. I looked the restaurant up and it had and it has only 2 1/2 stars and the music was very loud. The other El Tapatio restaurant in Lakewood is so much better Norma, who runs the restaurant is very welcoming and almost goes to every single table. There's a welcome fill a Family Ness about it. And great food they actually remember you from a previous visit. They have smiles on their faces and actually seem like they enjoy their job two totally different worlds from Arvada and the Lakewood one off of Mississippi in Wadsworth. read more

El Tapatio - Shredded beef chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

See all

Went by after work today. Requested a meal that I saw a picture of in an online review. I couldn't wait to get home and eat it. The food was so disgusting!!!!!! I paid $22.52 and you know everywhere you go they are begging for a tip but the customer can not get what they pay for....$3.14 tip added, Total $25.66. Food was not fresh AT ALL. No flavor, tasted like it came from a can. Fried beans were dry, rice was bland, guacamole turning brown...Steak was supposed to be medium well, however, it was fatty, dry, not sliced, and tasted like fake meat. Steak in the online picture was sliced and looked very tender. A complete and utter FAIL!! Will never be back again. read more

El Tapatio - a meal in a plastic container - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

See all

What a messed up lunch. They have a new menu and removed all of the combination plates. I can no longer order a combo with a burrito, enchilada and chile relleno unless I order ala cart but the cost but the cost is ridiculous. $16 for 2 chili rellenos with rice and beans or $16 for 2 chicken enchiladas with rice and beans is crazy. Just to add to todays lunch, my order came out but not my friends. When they checked back, I asked what was the hold up and they blamed the kitchen. They took back my order and 5 minutes later both orders came but mine was the original and it was cold. Back it went again. Just about the time my friend was done with his meal, mine showed up. I asked to speak with the manager but I was informed he was at the local Sam's Club. When we received the bill, I was not charged for my meal but my friend was even though it took almost 20 minutes for him to get it. We paid the bill and left, having never to speak to the manager. With poor menu selections, high prices, slow kitchen, its time to go back to Coronas Mexican Restaurant. Its a little further but they have much better prices and better menu items. Its a shame, El Tapatio was once a great restaurant. read more

Ordered a side of chicharon's , side of refried beans, and tortillas , along side my large michelada. Was fantastic, just like home.

Great authentic Mexican restaurant. Food, drinks and service were great. We were a group of 5 and all of us were satisfied with the food and service. I highly recommend you give this place a try. We will def go back when we come to visit. read more

No stars. Totally disgusted. Been a customer here for about 10 years. We might go back if hell freezes over. Pretty new menus with huge price increases and nikle and dime you to death over a piece of cheese (and i mead one tiny shredder piece.) I ordered the chili relleno plate. it was on the menu as 2 green chili's stuffed with cheese dipped in egg batter and deep fried. What I got was 2 tiny pieces of green chili each with less than 1/4 teaspoon of cheese wrapped in a large tortilla dipped in egg batter and deep fried. So basically I paid $16.00 for 2 deep fried tortillas. I complained loudly enough for several staff members and ur waiter to hear. You would think a manager would show up, nope no manager even when I told the waiter I would like to speak to a manager. Anyway I am done with over priced empty tortillas and with El Tapatio. read more

the service was horrible. went there with my wife and it seemed like they didn't want us there. when we got our food no one asked if it was good and never offered if we needed or wanted anything. never will recommend read more

We go to this El Tapatio twice a year for a special family gathering. I knew that they had received a F rating by the health department but they had always been good, so we went. Boy, what a mistake. We were a group of twelve and were seated immediately. We sat for a good ten minutes before I had to flag someone down to take our drink orders. Once we got our food, I took one bite of my shrimp and knew it was bad. Had to send it back. What just makes it worse is the horrible customer service. Very poorly managed and with a dirty kitchen, I really don't think this place is going to make it. read more

Great food , cheap prices , service is HORRIBLE we waited 20 mins to before anyone even talked to us , not worth it for that type of service the waiter was too busy, taking care of a big party, to even worry about anybody else in the restaurant we never got our drinks refilled people were walking in and sitting on the bar they were getting help before us read more

I wish I could rate this place higher because it's got the potential to be better with some effort. We ordered take out and my dish was what I'd call a beef burrito. It was large and tasty however the tortilla wrap was a bit doughy. Otherwise it was quite nice. The other dish was chicken fajitas. This dish had ample green and red peppers and looked good except the chicken was limited. The quantity was just not there which was disappointing. It was tasty but the lesser amount of chicken really was obvious. So we have here a place with potential but which needs to improve to rate a 4 or 5 star rating from me. I've been inside and it is quite presentable. I'm rooting for them to improve a bit and then they'd be a quality place to go. But for now I have to stay where I am. I'll return at some point and hope for a better outcome. read more

I stopped here for lunch earlier this week. The interior is enormous, so it seemed kind of empty. I was given chips and salsa and my drink order was taken. I decided on the #1 lunch combo, a crispy chili releno, cheese enchilada, rice and beans for $8.50. A side of guacamole was another $4, but came out with big chunks of avocado. Delicious. For $8.50, this was a very decent portion of food. There is a large parking lot. Enter through the Shell station driveway. Full bar. Happy hour specials nightly. Patio dining available. read more

El Tapatio - Cheese enchilada, chili releno, rice, beans - Mexican Near Me - Arvada, Colorado

I just went in to have a margarita waited 10 minutes and then when I got my margarita waited another 15 minutes for napkins and silverware and a menu. I will never go there again. The margarita was weak. Don't go there. The food is mediocre and I thought I would give it another chance. Maybe because I didn't speak Spanish well enough. I don't know, but it was horrible service and I felt very uncomfortable. read more