Denver, CO (The Joy of Food) — Patzcuaro’s has sat forever on a stretch of West 32nd Avenue in a brownstone building that looks its age, full of character and charm, amid a row of two-story houses and furniture stores in the now-gentrifying Highlands area. Inside, your short wait for a table will be accompanied by the happy buzz of repeat customers, a signal that you’re in for a treat.
The food here is not fancy, just like god and every Mexican abuela intended. A meal here delivers pure comfort and happiness: heaping platters of huevos rancheros, crispy, yet juicy carnitas, and enchiladas served a few different ways.
Whether you ask for them or not, a server will come by with chips and salsa which, to be honest, are life-changing; served warm, on the thinner side, and not greasy in the least. Each re-filling of the chip trough after (and there will be many) costs a small fee, a small price to pay for such perfection.
The accompanying salsa is searingly hot, a secret family recipe so popular that it’s been packaged and sold recently under the TAQ Salsa brand by select retailers in the Denver area.
The aroma of comforting classics fills the air, like carne asada that’s well-seasoned and sprinkled into a flour tortilla that, to Patzcuaro’s credit, is made on-site, along with fresh guacamole. The carbon taco comes stuffed with crisp bits of marinated steak, onion, and fresh pico de gallo and, unlike the carne asada, benefits from charcoal cooking, thus the name. As a result, the carbon taco has a smokier, deeper flavor.
Everything at Patzcuaro’s can be served Christmas style, a delightful little thing I discovered in New Mexico several years back and seek out now. For the uninitiated, this involves adding pools of red and green chile sauce to your entree, a combination that’s magical on a plump cheese enchilada, bursting with jack cheese and topped with even more cheese.
A local crowd consistently rates Patzcuaro’s as one of the top spots for traditional Mexican food in the city. Judging from my experience and the rave reviews from Denver residents, this is the ‘real deal’ and definitely delivers the goods, not the least of which are crispy chips and nuclear salsa.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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