Illegal Pete's will always be a Colorado favorite! Staff is amazing and this was one of our best experiences yet. This location is arguably the best in Denver and has a nice indoor/outdoor bar. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu but the loaded chicken nachos are my go-to order. The House XXHot sauce is a must and the queso is top tier. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Chicken Nachos - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This is the most entertaining Illegal Pete's in the city. Every few weeks i like to come here, sit at the bar, eat and drink, and engage with the characters that come through. Heavy pours, light vibes. read more

Didn't want to cook so I stopped in the evening to get a burrito to-go. Parking lot at this location is somewhat limited but I could park nearby on the street. Food ordering line moved super quick- fast casual style of ordering. Most of the food options appeared freshly made and well kept. Prep counter appeared to be fairly clean but that always seems kinda sketchy to me at these type of places. Workers were friendly and attentive. Ordered a steak burrito with queso, topped with pico and cheese. Not a great value for cost but probably fair for Denver comparisons and size of burrito. Burrito was generally good but I did have a few pieces of inedible gristly meat. Understandable for that to happen by mistake or unknown to staff. However, I also found a piece of tomato from pico with black spoilage spot- pretty gross. Would never choose to eat that. Whoever is doing the chopping may want to be more critical on what's being kept vs tossed. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Piece of tomato with spoilage spot and gristly steak - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Illegal Pete's always hits the spot. I ordered the steak burrito and chips and queso and everything was top quality. The outdoor patio is always great vibe, with the misters and shade it's a nice spot to spend an afternoon meal. The prices are fair, staff is always nice and the food is good. Love living so close to this spot! read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Patio - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The bathroom smelled like something straight out of a coroner's office--overpowering enough to waft into the bar every time the door opened. Not exactly the vibe. On the bright side, the service was fantastic. read more

Illegal Pete's is a go-to spot for me in Denver and probably one of my most frequented restaurants! The portions are huge for the price and the employees are always great. My favorite thing about Pete's and the reason I go so often is for one specific deal not enough people seem to know about: if you are attending a show or sporting event in Denver and you get an entree, show the cashier your ticket for a free beer or margarita!! Also love that the Margo are always doubles. read more

I was curious about the name and then about the building so I stopped to pay a visit. Plus it was time for lunch. Ahh, burritos are on the menu. Tried the grilled steak and added guacamole to make it extra better. The burrito was excellent so I returned a couple of days later to try the beer battered fish burrito. Another home run. Burritos, tacos, salads, bowls and more - they got you covered. I see why this is a fan favorite. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - the front of the restaurant - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Great food, great bartenders, clientele iffy.. happily sat and ate a delicious burrito, but a super loud lady sat next to me praising the shooting of a young republican. I am not republican but I disparage any shooting or killing, it became super awkward between the lady and her friends, and I felt like if I stayed any longer I would be in jeopardy or maybe life threatened by these clientele, they said "if you don't like loud people you shouldn't go out to bars", good point but seriously, don't shoot me just for showing up for a pint and a bite!!! read more

nasty food, incredibly inauthentic as someone who hails from texas. servers did not seem particularly kind. excellent price for the amount of food i got, but the food was still not worth it. if you're looking for real tex-mex, get in your car and drive to texas. you can find good mexican food in denver but this ain't it read more

First time here and chose this location to take a shuttle to Red Rocks. Had a burrito and a mocktail. The outdoor space was lovely.

Great tasting food and super friendly employees amazing ambiance it's a real chill spot in addition they also have a large outdoor seating area for summertime fun read more

We got Illegal Pete's delivered for lunch and it was wonderful! The queso was very tasty! All of the food was very fresh - even with delivery. We will definitely be ordering again! read more

Awesome place for a quick bite. Ordered the carnitas quesadilla and they were really good!! The meal comes with 2 sides (dipping sides) and I got guac and queso. Both of the sides were really tasty. Tons of seating inside and outside. The place was clean, the service was great and fast. 10/10 read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Outdoor seating - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Grabbed a late dinner here after traveling in and someone local recommended. I got a kids bowl with chicken for a smaller portion and they made sure to load it up with protein and rice, that my toppings barely even fit. The rice seemed a little undercooked and was crunchy but everything else was pretty good. The inside looks super fun and would like to dine in sometime. The queso is really tasty, I like the chunks of peppers in it. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Chips & Queso - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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really fortunate to have this establishment in our 'hood. food is excellent, good prices, super nice staff, good strong drinks. come party !!! ha ha pork or veggie green chile, sopapillas! wheat or flour tortillas, brown or white rice, choice of veggies, lettuce or cabbage. healthy and tasty choices, good music, young nice customers. cool misting shaded patio, excellent margaritas, twenty-one craft and mexican beers on tap! read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - reverse nachos and grilled chicken bowl - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

One of our guilty pleasure spots to hit on a weekend night! The staff there are incredibly friendly! Their food is tasty, and after a long week the margaritas really hit the spot! They also have plenty of outside seating, and a parking spot right behind the restaurant! Great place to hangout with friends or for a date night! Highly recommend! Dan & Lexi read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Drink menu - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I am not a big fan of Pete, met him once and he was not a nice person. However, this is such a cool location I wanted to check it out. Crazy busy location, so the tables, floor, and chairs were fairly dirty. Almost got run over by one of the employees who didn't even say excuse me or sorry for it. Not a good first impression, but I decided to sit down anyway. The service was good, but like another reviewer mentioned I also noticed the coughing over the food station. I also observed one person who did not have their hair in a net or tucked up into their hat. Pandemic or not, these are health issues that should be addressed immediately. I ordered a burrito and it was decent. For the price though, I don't know if I would return. The space is really cool, but that really doesn't have anything to do with the restaurant as they bought it this way. Overall, not great but ok. read more

2nd revision 11/24 - iPete's added a vegan protein, and it's pretty good! Kind of a carnitas type thing. Good on Pete's for fixing every problem I had read more

A better version of chipotle/qdoba! The food is fresh, service is quick, and there's a great outdoor area to sit in addition to a large indoor space. Highly recommend a burrito bowl & adding the potatoes read more

I've heard the myths. I've heard the legends. On Friday, at seven weeks as a Denverite, I popped my Illegal Pete's cherry. Pete, you salty dog. After one visit, I can see why Colorado loves you! Not sure about the other locations, but on Fridays at Colfax it's emo night. My girlfriend was in absolute heaven. The hardcore tracks ultimately fit the vibe of the young, college-y hot spot. There was a line out the door around 8pm. But even though there weren't that many people behind the counter, they did a nice job churning out orders. I landed on Chicken Nachos. It's not the prettiest plate of food you'll ever receive, but that's not why you come here. I added green chili, sour cream, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and sautéed veggies. Flavor bomb! The chicken had a fantastic char and carried the saucy nacho-ness of a comfort food coma. Paired with a Jarritos, I was satisfied. Definitely met my expectations after dine-in numero uno. It can get kind of rowdy and messy inside due to the young clientele. If it's a lovely night, sit on the spacious, dog-friendly outdoor patio! In this case, I can see why Colorado doesn't want to legalize Pete. They want him all to themselves! read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Illegal Pete's - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This is a cool local spot with a lot of flair and fun built in. If you're in Denver and are looking for a burrito don't settle for chipotle or Qdoba before trying illegal Pete's. It's a local flavor of the classic build your own burrito chain plus it has a bar and happy hour specials that are pretty appealing. Now they do make their politics well known but that's something I can overlook, personally, because I'm just here for the burrito and they delivered on said burrito. I'm also not sure if Pete is illegal or the idea is that their burritos are so good they should be illegal. The latter is more fun so that's what I default to and would say fits best with my experience. read more

Oh boy. Illegal Pete's is Gooood! And man, some of the best chips I've ever had. Got a good ol burrito. Loved all the topping options. And lots of seating. I didn't get a good look inside at the seating, but outside had plenty. It was such a beautiful day we had to take advantage! They also had some strong heaters that helped. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Outside seating - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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My boyfriend and I love this place! I'd had it for the first time on the location on Broadway but this one is closer to home. We walk to it typically but there is a small parking lot behind it and street parking everywhere near Colfax. I've tried several different things here and it's all delicious. Chips and queso is great. I've had fish tacos, taquitos, and a burrito. I love that you can choose whatever topics to get and you get so much food!! They have horchata on tap which is unique! Definitely a great place to get some Mexican! read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Shredded beef taquitos and a side of chips and queso - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Here are the very legal facts about Illegal Pete's. This is a chain similar to Chipolte. They offer tacos, burritos, bowls and serve alcohol. This location is unique looking because it used to be an IHOP. They have a large outdoorpatio covered in misters so you can cool down even when the summer heat sets in. There is also a good sized parking lot directly behind the restaurant so fighting street parking isn't a problem. The food is not spectacular but not bad at all. I had a bowl and even paid extra for the pork green chile but I was pretty underwhelmed by the lack of flavor. I can definitely get behind the chips and queso though, so maybe this is a place more suited to bevs and appetizers to share with friends. read more

I'm so torn by my last two experiences. This used to be my go to burrito place. The photos were from our recent visit. The ingredients of the two bowls were mixed up. The base rice and beans, and the potatoes got switched. Cheese in the primavera, and somehow meat got in one of the non meat bowls. It was a pickup order and we noticed a few minutes after leaving. So we attempted to correct the order which was a big mistake. It just got cold and inedible. Our dog loved it. Expensive dog food. The lack of attention to detail for the price is not worth it. Probably not coming back for quite a while. read more

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Illegal Pete's wasn't my choice for lunch but I was in a group and we were meeting others there. So I went in with an open mind. When I walked in I was pleasantly surprised with the decor and friendliness of the staff. The menu is posted above the order area. They have a large menu selection for a Tex Mex fast casual restaurant. They range from tacos, burritos, bowls, salad, nachos, quesadillas and they have a bar!!!! I ended up getting the bowl. The bowl has the choice to had chips or a tortilla on the side. I did the chips. I chose the pork carnitas as my protein, brown rice, veggies, cheese, sour cream, corn salsa, cilantro lettuce and added guacamole. The amount of food was a very large portion but it was flavorless. I went and got extra sour cream and salsa verde to add some more flavor and to make it easier to mix. While it was easier to mix it didn't get anymore flavorful. To sum it up in my opinion Illegal Pete's is a Chipotle knock off. They don't have the same flavor as Chipotle but they have some really cool decor, a large menu selection and really try to differentiate themselves. Illegal Pete's 2001 E Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80206 Sunday January 27, 2019 2:30pm read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I typically love this place s but the bowl and margarita turned me off officially. The margarita tasted like mix and the steak bowl was so disappointing. It was for a teenager too nice to say it wasn't what he wanted as it was basically lettuce and he ate the steak out and left hungry. All in all, was a little disappointed and would rather eat at Chipotle next time :(. read more

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Reverse TARDIS It's smaller on the inside. Yeah...that's right....I just threw down a Doctor Who reference and it was spectacular! I love illegal Pete's! The food is always wonderful, as are the drinks. This particular Illegal Pete's is in a really cool building. The ceiling is vaulted, which gives it a really unique look inside. It's a bit cramped, however. The best seating is actually outside. The deck is spacious, comfortable, and equipped with a water mist system. Perfect for groups!! Enjoy!! read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food is garbage compared to a few years ago. Queso is clearly bagged, ingredients clearly worse, and they charge more. Also, look up stories of the gm at the university location...not good. Used to be a gem. Now, I will not recommend or go back. read more

Teach your staff how to roll a burrito with out blowing it out. First attempt failed, she re rolled it. It blew out again and she just gave it to me anyways and did not care. Unacceptable. You have one job, figure it out and take pride in your work....fix it if it goes wrong. read more

What everyone else said. (OK. Here's more: Better than the C Word for buffet-style Mission burritos, quesadillas, etc. In fact they package a little bit of magic inside those aluminum foil wrappers. Check out the pix below. See how they made a burrito disappear within the time it took you to read this review.) Sign me, David "the C Word is Chipotle" M read more

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This is one of my favorite locations! I feel across the board the staff is always friendly and helpful and if something isn't served the way it is supposed to be they are quick to fix it. I usually get the burritos and I think all the way around regardless of what you get that the meat is always good, they are very generous with the portions, and Illegal Pete's has a nice beer option and sides to go with it. It's definitely my go-to when I want a good burrito. read more

Why the attitude? I am a single dad and this is had been my spot when I have the kiddo. Every time we come the staff has been rude and it keeps getting worse. Just a bunch of 20 somethings working with a power trip now. When my daughter orders, the line cook said "what" a couple times so I barely lean in (not over) to tell them what she said and I have two employees yelling at me to get back with such an aggressive tone, like I have a gun or something. So completely unnecessary and off putting. I don't need this and teach my daughter to respect herself and remove herself from negative situations. I have spent close to $1000 over the years, but I am convinced they don't care. Unless they reach out and apologize in some way this will be my last time there. read more

Got a burrito bowl with chicken and the line moves super fast. Similar to chipotle. Prices are good and some good happy hour specials

I really enjoyed the steak nachos. Their queso and guacamole is quite good as well. It's always crowded so you know it is good. And the quality is better than other Mexican chains. read more

I popped in for a quick nosh before flying out of town, and it was probably just the right kind of stop for that. We weren't quite ready for a full meal and walk down the build-a-burrito line, but chips, queso, and guac were just what the doctor ordered. Miss the burrito bar and you still have the bar bar to go to, and that's where they serve up the margs. As a non-drinker that was lost on me, but they have that separate bar in the middle there just for drinky drinks and I'm told they do a fine job. The vibe is like a rock n' roll Chipotle. I think they probably hate the comparison on any level, but it's inevitable. Still, if you were ever like, "Hey, I love the burritos but I wish instead of an IKEA interior it was a bar with '80s music and rock posters" then this is your dream. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Margarita - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Don't go to this location. Incompetent, rude and just bad vibes. No customer service skills either. Spilled my drink accidentally in front of the server who brought out our meal and wasn't offered a napkin or anything. It was as if he didn't feel like being of service for his 20% tip we left as well. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - the "remake" that was literally manhandled bc the guy forgot to add rice BEFORE cooking the quesadilla. - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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All the servers are great, Pete's is a local favorite in town. Drinks are delicious and happy hour is long. There's an app for rewards and I should have downloaded as often as we go to Pete's...but I just can't with another app. Still love this place and miss it every time I move away. read more

2/21/20 - Very delayed post due to work travel/covid. I was in town for a ski trip going to Breck, and we happen to drive through Denver and needed a quick spot for lunch, we wanted to try something local and sort of wanted tex mex. Drinks (N/A): There was a bar inside available, but we were trying to be quick. Food (4/5): The best part about this restaurant is the customization and having a variety of options to spicing up your burrito or bowl. For me the menu was confusing and too many things going on, but luckily I was in a large group and I just watched all the people front of me. I ended up getting a chicken bowl with chips on the side. The bowl had white rice, black beans, fajita veggies, a medium salsa, but I mixed it up with green chile which didn't really blend well with the salsa I picked. It was like $12 for that bowl with a cup of water, for the amount of food and the price compared to other comparable places it was fine, nothing impressive to me. But I would like to try this place again at another time when I am not rushed and make a better judgment call because the other reviews are so good for this place. read more

Illegal Pete's - Colfax - Grilled Chicken Bowl - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Anytime that I am in Colorado I make it a point to come and visit the Illegal Pete's franchise. I am OBSESSED. As a California Native that went to Wyoming to live for a year, it was a tough year to be away from delicious Mexican food. Illegal Petes is exactly where is needs to be the food is always fresh, the food is always quick, and always customizable. There are many throughout the state and especially in the city areas. If you get a chance to go when you are in the area, make sure that you also bring your appetite. read more