What a fun spot! They went all out with the Halloween decorations, I loved it as soon as I walked in! It's right near a bike shop too. They're also very generous with the chips and salsa - great place to go after a bike ride! I ordered the combination #1 - beef taco, guac tortilla, chili relleno, and cheese enchilada. Everything was good, but the soft chili relleno wasn't as good as I've had at other places. I would try another dish next time. The servers were very attentive. I will certainly be back, but next time I'd like to try the fish tacos. We bumped into a couple friends while we were eating, and they told us to try the fish tacos next time. As we were leaving, we saw they had both ordered them, and they looked amazing! I had a little bit of sticker shock when I saw how much a medium margarita was. I think it was 12 or 13 dollars. But then it came out, and it looked more like a large, and it was well worth the price. One of those was too much for me with all the food I ordered. I'd probably just get a small next time so I have room to eat the food too! We went on a weekday and it was pretty empty. I wish there were more people eating there. I think with some marketing, they'd be more busy. read more

El Tapatio - Mango margarita on the rocks and a regular margarita frozen. - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

Great Food. Yes they cook. Love the Ceviche. (RAW) Great Staff, Tony, Hector, Raquel Erica. thanks. Ask questions. All the fish and sea food, worth trying. Get the habanero powder, to kick it up, Spicy. Margarita time. lots of parking, seating great for Party's. the views are breath taking. lunch and dinner. or just drinks at the bar with some of the best bar tenders in town. Hector! :) With sports on many tv, Go Broncos! I have had many meals to make my tummy burst! here. yeah, and stop in the Conoco today. Smiles and Hi's make the best day. Golden Colorado. read more

Not sure why the reviews are so low for this place. It's really a 3.5 for food. Fabulous views on the patio, good service and food. Liked the different pricing levels for alcohol types clearly described on the menu for margaritas. The medium is pretty huge. The chicken and steak fajitas were well seasoned and the veggies were still crisp - not soaked in oil. Queso wasn't great but the salsa was good. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

See all

amazing service. amazing food. amazing views of the ridge and salsa refills?! this place is amazing and the perfect spot on our way home from the river. happy hour was an added bonus and the margs are massive. it's insane that this place doesn't have a better rating on this stupid app. as someone who works in restaurants...high five to the foh/boh. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

I've visited L Tapitio last Thursday night at about 8:30 PM in the restaurant was still fairly busy. I was with a group of four guys and we ordered drinks and food, I ordered the tacos adobada. This may have been one of my worst Mexican meals ever, they came as three street style tacos with the driest meet I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant. Did I think about sending it back when it came, yes I did, but when you're hungry and on a timeline sometimes you just eat what's in front of you and vow never to come back. The service was slow too. The Negra Modelo on tap was nice, so at they have that... read more

This used to be our go-to place for Mexican food. Recently went to the the location on Wadsworth and it was mediocre at best. Decided to try this location and also a huge let down. When we arrived we waited at least five minutes to be seated and there were no other customers seated in the restaurant. After being seated we waited another 5 minutes for someone to take our drink order. The salsa was bland and when I asked for salt and pepper they never brought it out. I ended up going inside and getting salt and pepper for us. The margaritas are not what they used to be, they tasted like a lot of mix and a little bit of tequila (watery). I had the chile relleno (soft) which was okay but the chili it was smothered in was not good at all. Apparently, they use cornstarch to thicken up the green chili. My husband had the chicken mole enchiladas and he said those were actually good. read more

I'm not sure I get all the bad reviews. Came here for lunch while on this side of town. Fast service. Authentic food. Everything was great. I will seriously consider coming back. I say, give it a try. I enjoyed it. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

Simply terrible. 6 p.m. on a Saturday night, with literally a half dozen people there, should have been our clue. This place will probably close the doors soon. The only thing good about it was our server. He memorized our order for four people. Hard tamale, salty burrito and cold enchiladas. Sad...they used to be good. read more

I've now lunched at El Tapatio twice. Both times I've been quite happy with my meals. The freshness is good, the service is fast and accurate, and the salsa is tasty! Also, they have the best and most extensive kids' menu I've ever seen. My three year old is a fan of the sauteed fish with rice and fries. Finally a departure from buttered noodles, chicken strips, and hot dogs. The menu is gigantic. I haven't yet tried any of the seafood (which they apparently do well) or the parilladas, which look huge. I've tried the chicken mole, which is better than average, a dark somewhat sweet sauce. I love mole and it's nice to taste a different version of it. Today I tried tacos de carne adobado (marinated pork). Quite tasty and accompanied by a spicy jalapenos and pico de gallo and guacamole. They were quite moist and not quite finger food but that didn't dampen my enjoyment. I've never tried the margaritas. Another time! read more

Screw these dudes... Just like the one in Arcada. They close when they want. It was 9:15pm and they advertise close of business at 10pm. They kicked us out after we walked into the restaurant at 9:15pm. They didn't even say sorry. We've been here numerous times before but this is the last. Food is okay. Service is mediocre. You're better off going anywhere else. read more

Yay for fish tacos! I thought this place was pretty good! Service was very nice and my fish tacos were really good! I want to come back to try something new but I have a feeling I will get the fish tacos again. Just a nice Mexican restaurant kind of tucked away. read more

I honestly wish I could give El Tapatio a higher rating. The food and margarita were great; easily a 3 or even a 4. Sadly, giving the service a 1 is generous. Calling the service atrocious is not an overstatement. We didn't see our waitress for over 20 minutes. We finally had to ask another employee to send her over. She never offered to refill beverages, and even when asked would forget. We waited another 20 minutes at a fully cleared table to get our bill. Once again we had to ask another employee to track down our waitperson. The poor service really clouded the experience. The waitress in question would probably benefit from pursuing another line of work. As I said, the food was very good. I will certainly give EL Tapatio another chance, but let's hope this service is not the norm. read more

Gross. Everything is served as a bowl of soup, no matter what you get. Good luck finding your meal. read more

El Tapatio - Gross. Everything is served as a bowl of soup, no matter what you get. Good luck finding your meal. - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

The seafood soup is fantastic. They had something for the whole family. My daughter got an omelette, wife had a quesadilla, we were all happy. read more

El Tapatio - So many great things in this soup. - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

Still sucks. We come here a couple times per year and I'm always amazed anyone comes here. I hate the place. The food sucks the service is mediocre. Their spicy green Chile has no spice. All around disappointing. read more

El Tapatio gets 3.5 to 4 stars, only because the service IS a tad slow. Otherwise, the food is really pretty good for Colorado Mexican. I have been here a handful of times but most recently came here with a Texas/Houstonian native who is accustomed to much better Mexican and Tex-Mex than Colorado normally provides, and she was impressed with the food. It's probably the best Mexican anywhere near or in the Golden and Lakewood West area. My husband and I had Carne Asada while my friend had the Cameronnes something, anyway jumbo Shrimp with Chorizo sauce. The shrimps only had their tails on them like any normal restaurant, not the eyes and legs and everything else like some claim. We all got huge portions for a lunch and all had leftovers. The price for the quality and amount of food you get is reasonable. Also they have Horchata which somehow not many places do up here. Like I said the service is on the slow side but not to the point where it's a deal breaker for me, unless I happen to be in a hurry. Don't go if your in a hurry, or, just tell them you've got a time crunch and ask them to pick up the pace. They're not UN-accommodating. Also the decor is tasteful and the place is clean. Nice patio with a great view. Big margaritas. Pretty nice. We will definitely continue to be patrons here. read more

Food is average Mexican food. The service is extremely extremely extremely slow. Need to plan at least two hours to get to served, eat and pay the check. We ate here two or three times before but will be the last. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

I get the same thing every time I go, which is at the very least twice a month. I have the same waiter every time I go, and he has my order memorized, and always makes goo goo eyes at my daughter. Their salsa is amazing, and I almost always use it all. Every time I go, the chicken in my burrito is moist and flavorful. Their Green Chile makes my mouth water...bah....this is the best damn burrito I have ever had. I can't eat at other Mexican restaurants now because this place is so good. read more

Everything about El Tapatio was five stars. The staff was incredibly helpful. Our meal was the best Mexican food I have ever had. The service was on point. Four different people would stop by our table to see if there was anything else we needed. I had the shredded beef burrito and a skinny margarita. It would be impossible for me to recommend this restaurant too highly. I plan to go back within the week. It was that good! read more

I thought the carnitas street tacos were exceptional and the staff was very quick for me at lunch.

We had lunch here today and it was everything we wanted and more. Loved the atmosphere and the food and service was awesome. So many great things to say about this place ! Also, it is very clean. No dust anywhere. We will definitely be back ! read more

The wait staff wasn't the most responsive, but the food was very good! I had the chicken quesadilla and loved it!

Tapatio is near our house, and I have low standards in Mexican food. So I eat here a few times a year. It's acceptable, but definitely not as good as other Mexican restaurants in Golden. read more

If I'm being honest, El Tapatio probably deserves 4-stars, not 5, but we come here often and the hate dished to this place is entirely unfair. The service is friendly. Their house marg isn't a sugar bomb like everywhere else. And the food is pretty damn good. read more

I find myself popping into El Tapatio every once in a while for a quick dinner or to grab some take out. When I have dined in the restaurant, the staff is always pretty friendly and the wait times are about average. I think the food here is pretty good. You get free chips and salsa. My favorite thing to order when I come with a few people is the "fajitas for two". It's so much food and comes with a lot of good toppings like guacamole and cheesy beans. I also really like tacos carbon. Good veggies and meat on the tacos and it's a good amount of food. read more

This is supposed to be the $20 7 Mares soup... we got it to go and they totally ripped us off. I've had it in the restaurant and it was good but this was all broth with 1 shrimp and 1 calamari ring. It didn't have any other seafood in it except the inedible tip of a crab claw. I will never eat there again!! read more

El Tapatio - Tip of a crab leg - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

See all

Food was delicious and priced very well...they seemed to be a little understaffed on our visit but the service was still good! I definitely recommend El Tapatio in Golden! read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Golden, Colorado

Terrible service and food. Returned the plate I ordered after taking one bite - Chicken was sour. Manager tried to charge Ala Carte for the one bite! read more

I just love this place. All the staff are very friendly and the food is consistently good. My husband and I have tried various dishes and have never been disappointed in any of them; Flautas, Chile Rellenos, Mole, Enchiladas, the Shrimp Molcajete, Tacos de Carne Adobada, Green Chile bowl. Oh, can't forget the salsa. I'm a homemade salsa addict and aficionado and theirs is top notch, very fresh, doesn't have that acidic or thick tomato sauce consistency. My husband's all time favorite is the crispy Chile Rellenos and mine is the Tacos de Carne Adobada. Those tacos are the closest thing to real Mexican street tacos, served on warm, soft corn tortillas. I could eat these everyday, they are so wonderful!! As an FYI I've had this same dish at the Wadsworth Arvada location, even gave it two different tries and it wasn't very good there at all. For whatever reason they just don't seem to make it the same as the Golden location. read more

Stopped on our way from Denver airport to Breckenridge. We decided to brave the bad reviews because we really wanted Mexican. It was just meh. It took forever to get our food (more than 20 min) and it wasn't crowded at all. The food was super bland. Servers were friendly and beer was cold but that's the best I can say. read more

The good: The food. It had great flavor and everyone at our table really enjoyed what they ordered. Also, the chips were warm and the salsa was great. The bad: The service. We waited about ten minutes to even see our server. When he did come he was quick bordering on rude and basically threw stuff at us. The ugly: The price. It was good food but nothing out of the ordinary. That paired with below average service doesn't equal $13+ for most dishes at a Mexican restaurant. You even have to pay extra if you want more than one basket of chips for the table. I'd go back but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

The worst experience ever at a restaurant. The few times we have been there the manager has waited on us and it is awful service. I always get the same thing and he without a doubt messes the order up. He is too cocky to write things down. We have to ask for waters and these are never re-filled. Last night he took my card to close out without handing us a bill or a book. He lost the card and refuses to admit he is at fault. I called the next day to see if he found it, and what do you know he did. He is still not admitting to loosing this. His management skills are the worst I've ever been witnessed to. This restaurant does not deserve your money and wish I could have tipped him after realizing he lost the card and how he handled the situation. We are never visiting this place again and hope you do not either. read more

Like others here, I don't get the negative reviews, especially the ones from people who have been here multiple times and hate it. Those reviews seem to be about two things: 1. The food here isn't blow-your-head-off spicy, and 2. The atmosphere is relaxed. Personally, I appreciate both those qualities. We visited today for the first time. Despite it being early afternoon, the parking lot was pretty much full. If you've got a full parking lot at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon, you are doing something right. The staff was friendly and attentive without being pushy. We tried the Barbacoa Tacos (super tender meat, fresh veggies and guac...someone here has amazing knife skills that were reflected in the dice on the onion, jalapeno, and tomatoes ) that came with a hot sauce on the side so you could control the heal level in the dish (greatly appreciated as extremely spicy food triggers my asthma); the Mole, (my son said this was delicious with a cocoa finish...and which came with bottomless tortillas in your choice of corn or flour); and the Supreme Beef and Bean burrito (which came smothered in a mild green chili and with generous portions of lettuce and tomato). All the dishes were fresh, hot, and tasty. The restaurant itself was clean and the decor was pleasant. We had three different staff members stop by to check on us multiple times. We will definitely be back! read more

Didn't have high expectations. Just Olin old Mexican food. But they charged me $13 for a house margarita, which was weak on the tequila. Not going back. Rip off. read more

The atmosphere was very nice and pleasant. The waitress was very nice. She checked up on us quite a few times. She was polite. We had the Trio Tapatio and Carnes asada dishes. They were very generous wuth the do is portions. In addition I ordered 2 cups if the Mexican hot chocolate. It was delicious and warmed me up after a long day of hiking in the snow. read more

We visited this location 7/23/17, and were seated on the patio. After a 20-minute wait without acknowledgment from a server, we left and went someplace else. It should be noted a waitress was attentive to one other party seated in the area, and completely ignored us. read more

This place must still be in business due to people stopping by from the highway to eat. The service is terrible. We waited 30 minutes before we even got our drinks! The food is mediocre at best. Had to grab our own silverware and napkins! Dirty seats and menu's with food on them! Will NOT be coming back! read more

Awful experience here. To top it off, as we were getting up, a waitress bumped into me, threw her hands up at me with an "ugh!!". She acted as if she was so angry she wanted to hit me. I asked to see a manager, which I never do, and was told that the manager was so busy that they didn't have time to speak to me. I have never seen anything like this. Will never go back...ever. read more

Do not eat here, especially if you are a vegetarian! I wanted to order the nachos and I asked for vegetarian whole beans that did not contain lard. The waiter told me they no longer have vegetarian beans. So I ordered the "Vegetarian Platter" with no beans. A group of people sat down at the table next to me and I heard one of the people ask about vegetarian options. The waiter went on to say "mushrooms, peppers, onions, avocado..." basically just naming the vegetables and fruit that are used in other dishes. The diner asked a few more questions, including asking about whether or not the "Vegetarian Platter" contained lard. To my horror, the waiter said that yes, all of the sauces at the restaurant, including the sauce on the "Vegetarian Platter" contained lard. I called the waiter over and asked him if I had heard him correctly, that all the sauces contain lard and he said. "Yes". I immediately asked for the check and left. The thing that makes me maddest is that the waiter knew I was trying to avoid food that contained lard, which is why I changed my original order. But he did not feel the need to tell me that the "Vegetarian Platter" that I ordered instead of nachos contained lard. But I also feel the use of the name "Vegetarian Platter" is misleading; "vegetarian" means no meat or meat by-products. I guess it is more important to El Tapatio that they sell meals rather than make their customers happy. Aside from my horrible experience, their margarita was absolutely disgusting. It tasted like lime-flavored dishwater. Needless to say, I will never visit any El Tapatio restaurant again, and I will tell everyone I know what an awful experience I had there. read more

Food was good and fast. I ordered the tacos de carnitas and the meat was melt in your mouth tender with crispy bits that added a delicious texture and flavor. The green chile was good, but tasted a bit like flour. The guacamole was creamy and fresh. I'm not sure why the rating are so low, I suggest taking a chance on this place. read more