Every city has its own signature dish or cuisine. In my hometown of Kansas City, it’s barbecue. Minneapolis has the Juicy Lucy. In Chicago, you’ve got to get a Chicago dog, an Italian beef sandwich or a slice of deep-dish pizza.
In Denver, it’s green chile, and you may have already noticed the lineup of roadside stands selling knotted bags of Hatch or Pueblo chile peppers along Federal Boulevard and other thoroughfares.
Related: This legendary green chile-and-beer spot will give you a taste of Colorado
There’s been a longstanding debate over whether Colorado peppers — grown around Pueblo — or New Mexico’s Hatch chiles are best. But whichever pepper you prefer, most Denverites can agree that the best outcome is a steaming bowl of green chile. If you’re a transplant, like me, it takes the right restaurant to get you on the bandwagon, and if you’re a local, it’s basically in your veins.
Here are nine restaurants around town, proud to be serving Denver’s iconic chile verde:
Tacos Jalisco
Tacos Jalisco has been perfecting its green chile recipe since the Mexican spot first stepped on the Berkeley scene three decades ago. The restaurant prefers green Hatch chile peppers, and it spices its pork green chile with cumin to give it that extra kick. Try it on one of 18 menu items to get your fill, including a smothered chimichanga, green chile beef tacos and inside every burrito.
4309 W. 38th Ave., Denver; tacosjalisco.net
La Loma
La Loma is where I got hooked on green chile. The Mexican restaurant has kept the same recipe by Grandma Savina Mendoza since the family first opened it in 1973. And even when the business changed hands, the recipe remained untouched. La Loma’s green chile has a sort of gravy consistency with thick chunks of tender pork, and the spice level is on the milder side. It’s best eaten with the restaurant’s flour tortillas, which are as fluffy as a piece of pita bread.
1801 Broadway, Denver; lalomamexican.com
El Tepehuan Mexican Restaurant
Smother your cheese fries, Mexican omelet, chile relleno, tamales, or pretty much anything on El Tepehuan’s menu with its highly coveted green chile. The family-owned restaurant in Englewood cooks its shredded pork green chile low and slow to create a smooth, thick consistency that packs a punch of heat and a deep, roasted flavor.
3495 S. Broadway, Englewood; eltepdenver.com
Tamales by La Casita
Stop by Tamales by La Casita for its namesake dish – tamales of course – which can either be stuffed with red or pork green chile (and smothered). But you’ll be back for more of the perfectly spiced green chile, which the restaurant sells by the quart to local enthusiasts.
3561 Tejon St., Denver; tamalesbylacasita.net
Efrain’s of Boulder Mexican Restaurant
If you (and your stomach) can handle spice, Efrain’s green chile is worth a stop. The restaurant has won Boulder County’s People’s Choice Award for the best Mexican food 11 out of the past 12 years, partly due to its green chile, according to its website. “What sets us apart is we use high-quality pork, and absolutely no flour or fillers in our green chile,” said general manager Cristian Piñon. “No shortcuts!”
2480 Canyon Blvd., Boulder; efrainsofboulder.com
The Original Chubby’s
Chubby’s top-secret green chile recipe is under lock and key by the Cordova family, which opened the original spot on 38th Avenue in 1967, but that hasn’t stopped Denverites from trying to recreate it. The late-night spot is known for its green chile grilled cheese, burritos, burgers and cheese fries, which taste even better at 2 a.m.
1231 W. 38th Ave., Denver; theoriginalchubbysdenver.com
Provided by The James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation called El Taco de Mexico’s green chile-smothered pork burrito its “crowning glory.” (Provided by The James Beard Foundation)
El Taco de Mexico
This unassuming, James Beard Award-winning restaurant has been serving some of Denver’s best green chile for nearly 40 years. The James Beard Foundation deemed El Taco’s green chile-smothered pork burrito its “crowning glory” when it won a 2020 America’s Classics Award.
714 Santa Fe Dr., Denver; el-taco-de-mexico.business.site
Brewery Bar II
Diners can order Brewery Bar’s green chile mild or hot, depending on how brave they feel that day. The longstanding restaurant’s hot green chile (which is ironically red) is not for the faint of heart, and even a mug of beer can’t put out the fire.
150 Kalamath St., Denver; brewerybars.com
Taqueria la Familia
For vegetarians craving green chile, Taqueria la Familia is the place to be. The hole-in-the-wall restaurant takes everyone’s needs into consideration with its vegan and vegetarian options on the authentic Mexican menu, including its beloved tacos and burritos.
2642 W. 32nd Ave., Denver; facebook.com/TaqueriaLaFamilia32