Best Mexican restaurant in Denver, long time favorite: the federal and state judges frequent it

Coming here for years and years. Don't forget to order salsa to go. Service is always Great

The outside is not the most beautiful thing. Graffiti and vandalism all over the building. This doesn't say for the food and service. Prices are cheap and amazing overall read more

I hardly ever come back to update a review, that is unless I have a horribly bad experience at a place that was once good, or I come back to a place and have a really good experience again and again. I have eaten here so many times now. I am a sucker for their barbacoa tacos with avocado slices. It's just so damn good. I usually order 4 tacos because I try to not over eat, but I swear I could eat at least 14 of them. Service as usual is excellent. Always great at small talk, always great at making you feel like you've walked into a friends home. The artwork in the place has not changed much, but that is for good reason. The artwork on the walls is the same artwork that the original location had all those years ago. it's nice to see it up on the walls and it's great that it's well taken care of. Again, looks are not everything for a place, so don't let the looks get you down. Come inside and have some barbacoa tacos, or one of their wet burritos. It's so good. read more

Smothered burritos and chile con queso are specialties. It is one of Denver's two REAL Mexican restaurants. read more

La Casa De Manuel is an excellent destination for Mexican food! Their green chile is homemade and my server was one of the nicest humans ever. The prices are extremely fair as well, especially for the area. I love that a place like this still exists in Five Points/"Rino". read more

Excellent Mexican food! Everything taste homemade and is from scratch. They don't get enough recognition and unfortunately I think a lot of people don't know about their incredible history being in what is now "Lodo" for over 40 years! Also, they have kept their prices beyond fair. If you can't decide what to order, try their classic smothered wet burrito. Excellent service, super clean and they have a great parking lot. See you again soon! read more

Got the large combo for takeout. Affordable, big portions, great food. [rest of review to meet yelp's minimum character requirements]

Just a good, consistent Me Ivan Restaurant that I e been going to since before I can remember. Love Manuel, love the family and really respect him for not selling out to greedy colonizers who have gentrified and removed any character from this entire city. read more

One of my favorite fast easy cheap delicious places to eat in RiNo. Unless you're looking for an atmosphere place, I'd recommend this place over Los Chingones any day read more

Probably the best wet burrito I have ever had, but the place is kinda dumpy and outdated. Regardless, food is priced well and tastes great.

The last holdout of old upper Larimer Street in what is now Hipsterville. The Silva family's unpretentious, delicious food brings back memories of study sessions during CU prof. Tom Noel's "office hours" (really just pregame for a pub crawl) at the old Manuel's location at 2010 Larimer. Get the wet burrito and an order of barbacoa tacos with the world-class spice of Manuel's fresh salsa, and harken back to a time when the denizens of this neighborhood were regular working-class people and not entitled, scooter-riding sockhead fuckwits. read more

Looks are deceiving. The outside is pretty much an eyesore, but my goodness this place was good. Amazing carnitas and tortillas. Very reasonably priced too with great service. Definitely give it a try. read more

Extremely good homemade salsa. This place is very underrated for the boujie neighborhood. Great, reasonable prices and not busy at all. Definitely coming back to this diamond in the ruff of millennial, overpriced, mediocre food. read more

For me, La Casa de Manuel, as I remember it, is THE standard by which any true Mexican restaurant is judged. NOT ONE HAS MEASURED UP TO THIS STANDARD in the many years I've lived away from Denver. I'm in Texas now, nearly 40 years, and no one holds a candle. You cannot get a wet burrito here. Nope. However, I've been fortunate to have a cousin from Broomfield willing to bring me a fix now and again when his trucking runs have routed him through DFW to bring me some of Manuel's green chili and the creamiest refried beans ever in a cooler as a fix of the highest order. I visit my Dad in Denver now and then he'll take me to one of the family's restaurants near Sloans Lake, but it's not Manuel's. I'm seriously considering driving up for Christmas this year before Manuel's secret recipe dies with him. It's that good! read more

I feel personally offended with all the one and two star reviews because I LOVE this place. This neighborhood is known for pretentious, over-priced food and if you're in the hood for that and you stroll into La Casa, well it makes sense you're not impressed. It's not for everyone. Every time we go, I get the barbacoa taco, guacamole tostada, and side of green chile and it never fails. My boyfriend gets the wet burrito and loves that as well. The only thing is they do not serve chicken, but honestly with the food so great, who really cares. Also, a meal for two at an average of $14 total just can't be beat. All those one star reviewers can just go eat at Los Chingones and leave my Casa alone! read more

We have been coming to Manuel's for 40 plus years. Still pretty much the same but noticed a change in that they are topping the tamale with green Chile instead of the chili con carne. We are always torn on what to order but always include either a wet burrito or just a side of the green. If you are a regular you probably go every January to get a new calendar. We do! read more

La Casa De Manuel - Two regular dinners and one wet burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Great food!!! People think it's closed but still opened!!!!!! Family owned business with authentic Mexican cook. May not look like the nicest restaurant but the food is fresh and delicious!!!! read more

This is a great little Mexican Restaurant that has historic ties to the Denver community. They have been around for 51 years, which is truly impressive for any restaurant in the area. It's unfortunate that they were forced to move away from the ballpark area due to development. Now they are in a not as high traffic area, making most of their customer base regulars. I would have to say you should most definitely go with the house specialty, the wet green chili burrito. I don't think they do there other stuff as well and think going with this will make you the most happy. For example, my boyfriend got a dinner plate that had a taco and thing was dripping with grease and he couldn't eat it. Moving on, the wet green chili burrito is pretty great. The green chili doesn't have any flour added to give a thicker consistency, this is why it's seems watery but is really good. In the green chili are yummy chunks of pork shoulder. I like the burrito with shredded beef, beans, and cheese. The shredded beef is of good quality and pretty tasty. My only complaint is that I wish there was more heat in the dish. I am, a spice fiend, so there you go. Regardless, I ate my whole burrito and thought it was pretty darn good. read more

La Casa De Manuel - Mexican Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I love Five Points. I love the history. I love the soul. I love the charisma. I love the food. I don't love being one of the gentrifying, twenty-something white kids sucking the life out the neighborhood. Now that I've gotten that out of the way... This place has history, this place has soul, and this place has pork shoulder. The wet green chili burrito is served in a bowl, absolutely inundated with a very thin green chili. The green chili isn't very spicy, and it would do well to combat the thinness with a little more bite. The chunks of pork shoulder in the green chili are divine. Hearty chunks of slow-cooked, succulent, heavenly pork. The burrito was an afterthought compared to the pork in the green chili. The cheese was quasi melted, the shredded lettuce browned and wilting, and the beef was bland. But the pork shoulder. That fucking pork shoulder. This burrito didn't change my life, but it's a hearty meal, and the pork in the green chili sets it a notch above. And, the most expensive burrito on the menu won't set you back for more than $6. Toss in the history, the haggard contingent of regulars, and the very sweet, very cute girl running around doing everything, and you get a good experience that whispers of a time and a place that are quickly fading out of this city. read more

La Casa De Manuel - Wet green chili burrito - Mexican Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Yesterday was a day of distractions that ended up with rad yelper Mary Jo S and I grabbing a fast, cheap, and delicious lunch at La Casa De Manuel. (Background: we decided to eat up before heading over to the Women's Bean Project to engage in some holiday shopping, and I suggested Hutch & Spoon because I've been meaning to drop in forever. Well, on the way to H&S we got distracted by the Garden Patio Cafe, and before pulling into their lot we looked across the street and got distracted again by La Casa De Manuel. Which is a little funny, because from the outside - and the inside for that matter - it's not much to look at.) First off, no frills here. There are some booths lining the front window and walls, with tables in the interior. Not much deco to speak of and their color scheme is a mix of blue, orange and green. No matter. The menu is a simple two-pager filled with combos and ala carte options, and everything is super cheap. Like, my burrito was $3.50 and you could have rolled me out of there by the end of the meal. For me it was pretty clear I wanted the wet bean burrito and it did not disappoint! Came out with two tasty extra flour tortillas. Good tortillas although my all-time favorites come from Totilleria Autentica in Loveland. I also ordered a side of beans that could have been bean dip, really. Yum. The chips aren't anything spectacular but the fresh, mild salsa is delicious - I could drink that stuff down! Long story short - this place is going on my rotation when I'm craving Mexican. Can't wait to come back and sample more of the menu. If you can get past the strange parking lot and nondescriptiveness, it's worth a visit! read more

La Casa De Manuel - a sign for a mexican restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food is fantastic! Same salsa and recipes for the last 30+ years. My family started coming here before I was born (I'm 36). They changed locations once when Coors field/downtown redevelopment started in the 90's, but it is still the same delicious food it always has been!! Best salsa in town, I always take a pint home. Staff is always great too. read more

I've been going to this business for about 40 years from day one it was good to this day it's still good

Manuel has been serving his famous Wet Burritos since the 50's. I've been eating here for over 55 years. The food tastes the same as it did when I was a young boy. All the food is delicious...try the Guacamole! If you want great Mexican food at a reasonable price stop by! read more

Where to begin with this... Firstly, my friend chose this because somewhere he said it was 4 stars... I don't buy that, at all. We were actually in the parking lot searching for a place to eat but the place looked so run down we didn't realize we were there and kept driving around the block. So - if you get to a place that looks abandoned with weeds growing out of the asphalt and a great - but unused and filthy patio - you've arrived. The first thing you notice when you go in is that it doesn't seem like anyone actually ever eats there - so they're surprised to see you. The menu is ok - but they're out of most of the stuff. The salsa they serve is like water - really watery. They must put water in it. The walls are covered with art - a cock-fighting theme is in play (this is why I gave them 2 stars - it's disturbing - but funny). They do not, however, serve anything with chicken in it. I ordered cautiously - and ate little. It seemed like the kind of place that would give you food poisoning. What else - The waitress couldn't remember who ordered what and dumped sauce all over my husband's chair - didn't bring a towel to clean it. It was FILTHY! Which is surprising because you'd think the staff would be so bored they'd clean the place. Anyway - it's totally obvious they gave up somewhere around 1986 and do not give a rat's ass (and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they serve). If one star is for the cock-fighting themed art, the other is a nod to them being lazy af. Cheers - be shit and do it well. read more

For the price and location, this place is great. The wet burrito undoubtedly is legit af. I got the wet beans burrito x2. It huge and amazing. Also guacamole taco is exactly how it sounds. It's good though. The queso is pretty good too. Salsa is on point. 5 out 5 would come again and again and again. read more

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Best Mexican food! Manuel has been cooking this delicious food for as long as I can remember and that's saying something! I'm no spring chicken and I'm a Denver native. Located in heart of RINO. Some might look at it as a hole in the wall but those are the best kind. parking too!! read more

Don't judge a book by it's cover. This place may look rough around the edges and sometimes vacant but the food is what makes this place. I will admit they should clean up the place and do something to make it more look appealing on the outside. Again regardless of aesthetic the food is good very reasonably priced especially for this neighborhood. I had Menudo, bean, rice and a Barbacoa taco. read more

Best traditional Mexican food I have had in long time, and I grew up by the border eating Mexican food. It's a small no frills ambience but the price and quality of food more than make up for it. I highly recommend the wet shredded beef and bean burrito and the tamales. read more

Been coming to the place sense was a lil Nino. Best Mexican, love their wet burrito(Smoothed) with cheese.. read more

La Casa De Manuel - Guac taco so delicious - Mexican Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This place is the best place I have ever got Mexican food I think this should be in heaven, the enchiladas are very heavenly and I would eat here than anything else I have ever eaten I am 24 years old and I go to the university of colorado and it is my favorite stop for lunch. read more

When dining at authentic Mexican restaurants, I always seek out and try the house specialty. That means I'm generally not ordering the gringo burrito or taco salad. If that's your ideal for Mexican food, read no further. . . The specialty at La Casa De Manuel is a uniquely curious offering, the wet green burrito. This is your basic burrito. .. but this one swims in a pool of watery but exceptionally delicious green chile, with a couple of tasty big chunks of pork shoulder on the side. They give you a spoon so you can eat every last addictive drip. You can order the shredded beef version, I like the basic bean with chopped onions and cheese on top, a delicious meal all by itself. If I need a little extra, I might order a cheese enchilada, a tamale or a barbacoa taco. It's all inexpensive, the burrito and a side will total out around $6-7. It's not much to look at from the outside, their sign facing Larimer is in disrepair. The decor is basic with great giant murals of life in old Mexico - plaza promenade, cock fight, etc. - painted on framed plywood. This place has been open forever, their previous location was mobbed by the downtown lunch crowd before the restaurant was forced to move because of ballpark development. Unfortunately the new location doesn't get much foot traffic, but the joint still receives a respectable share of business from a loyal customer base. They've racked up a respectable number of Best of Denver awards over the years, for both the unusual burritos and the green chile by itself. Service is extra friendly and they give away killer calendars at the end of the year. No liquor license, only a soda fountain. And probably not the best destination if you are a vegetarian, but you probably already figured that out. read more

Affordable low key Mexican diner. There's really nothing like it left in the neighborhood because of all the development. I hope they don't get priced out like everyone else is. 32nd and Larimer, don't blink, you might miss it. read more

The wet green burrito is pretty unique. Their green chile recipe here is more liquid than any I've had, as they use no thickener. It's sort of like a burrito served in a shallow bowl of soup. This "wet" style supposedly predates "smothered" and is true old-school Denver. The meat in the burrito and the chile was quite good. My companion had one with beans, and liked it so much she ordered another. We did not get charged for the second bean burrito, making this already cheap place super-cheap: $3 for the bean burrito, less than $5 for the beef. In other respects, you get what you pay for. The interior of the place is rather like a bus station and the chips they served were some sort of generic Tostitos right out of a bag, which didn't fit with the accompanying salsa, which was homemade and good. The people who run this place are really friendly as well. If you come here for a unique inexpensive burrito, you will like it. If you come for the chips and ambiance, you won't. read more

Love this place! The food is fast, cheap, delicious Mexican. A cup of coffee is sixty cents. But, they don't scrimp on the food. They proudly serve all fresh, nothing from a can. Yes, the place completely lacks ambiance. But isn't a lack of it kind of...charming? read more

I'm bold enough to try any hole in the wall place, because you sometimes find a hidden treasure. So I tried this place (in spite of the rough look of the outside) because you just never know. I was in the area for a meeting at lunch time. I realize that Mexican food can taste great to one person and someone else thinks it's terrible. However. I can accurately state two things. I have eaten in hundreds of Mexican restaurants. This was the worst food I've ever had. EVER. Ordered the Carne Adovada, as I do everywhere that has it on the menu. I should have taken a photo. The plate consisted of small pile of shredded iceberb lettuce, with tomatoes on top. Not pico, just lettuce and tomato. A spoon full of refried beans that were so thin, they had no texture and frankly, no flavor either. These were the highlights. The pork was four small pieces. Dry, some sort of spices on them, smothered in................nothing. I could hardly believe my eyes and why I didn't walk out.............don't know. Within an hour my stomach started to rumble and thank heavens for some Chinese herbs for the tummy I carry with me. Scary!!!! Stay away. read more

Having just moved to an office down the street, I decided to make La Casa de Manuel the first stop on the exploration of my new neighborhood. On the walk down the street, I started to get whiffs of what I was about to partake in. After confirming I was at the right place - the sign is blank from the west - I stepped into the unassuming bleakness. I asked the waitress what I should try for my first visit. She confirmed what I read from Milkman's review: get the wet green burrito. She gave me the whole rundown on its history and how its been keeping them in business and winning awards for fifty years, and now I know why. It was truly amazing. Similar to the decor, it doesn't look like anything special, but the flavors - the beans, the chile with gigantic tender chunks of pork, the perfectly prepared shredded beef - it combines to form a masterpiece of taste worthy of the prestigious Jeff Yoches Taster's Choice - Best Burrito in Denver award, which I can tell you is quite an honor and accomplishment... read more

I'm a fan. The wet shredded beef burrito with cheese was very good. The meat is incredibly tender. I generally prefer more chili fire, but you can't beat this place for the price. Next time I go, I'm ordering off menu- Naked Shredded Beef Burrito smothered in their Chili Con Queso would have been fantastic. read more

Although I live near dozens of great Mexican restaurants on East Colfax, I always love coming here because the food is so unique. The wet burrito is their signature dish. I've never had anything like it anywhere else - so delicious. The chili con queso is great too. Don't be scared off by the run down appearance and lack of customers. This place might be a bit of a dive, but it's a real Denver gem. read more

Not sure about all this positive feedback for such tasteless food and surly service. I felt so uncomfortable and the woman made think she could poop in my food. However, I know she didn't poop in my food or there would have been more flavor to it. P.S. - "There is a big difference between Chicano and Mexican food." read more