Tacos Jalisco

Tacos Jalisco is one of those discreet looking strip mall joints on 38th Avenue filled with 1980's faux mexican decor. Not impressive looking but for those brave enough to walk in, some of the best mexican food in all of Denver.

Not everything in here is the best but there are a few dishes I would put against any in Denver including the green chili. That's right, I said the best green chili in Denver. A merit given away by the local periodicals like a free tasting in Starbucks but taken seriously at Tacos Jalisco.

Tacos Jalisco serves up the standard chips and salsa but takes it a step further with a selection of five salsas to warm up the taste buds. All are great and each offer a different adventure to explore with your basket of chips. Be sure to get the guacamole salsa which goes great with the chicken tacos.

The chili relleno plate smothered in the infamous green chili and served with a side of rice and beans is the best cure for a hangover ever. The rice is a weak link in this dish however and lacks any discernible flavoring expected of mexican food but the rest is sure to bring a smile to your face as well as some heat.

The chicken soft tacos is a favorite made with slow roasted chicken and served on soft corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo. It may seem simple but the flavor is not.

The carnitas plate is also a winner with slow roasted pork shoulder cooked with onions and spices. Served with rice and beans you also get a cup of green chili to satisfy that spicy urge.

The chicken smothered burrito is one not to miss if burritos are your thing. Big and spiced up by the green chili, its a standard for the hungry.

Tacos Jalisco makes up in taste what it lacks in style and after getting their liquor license a few years ago they have sealed the deal for an evening of good food and beverage.

Larimer Hot House

New to 2810 Larimer Street is the Larimer Hot House . Filling a need in the NLair neighborhood they bring in sandwiches for the lunch crowd and a promise to soon have soups and BBQ. For now, the sandwiches will not bring anything to the name, Hot House. The sandwiches are a standard fare of meat sandwiches with one vegetarian selection.

Each sandwich has a cute catchy name that makes you want to place your order loudly for others to hear. Most people seem to start with the Bitchen Camaro, because who didn't want one of those back in the 60s, which is their version of an Italian Grinder. Served with house made potato chips available in different flavors and a side of giardiniera you get a healthy sized portion for lunch. Unfortunately this sandwich has a more impressive name than flavor. Nothing real noteworthy for taste there but the giardiniera helps you get through it. Bread choice seems odd for this classic being a soft type hoagie that gives in to the harder ingredients inside when eaten.

The house made potato chips are a hit and miss both in flavor and cooking. Have eaten both soft pieces and a few rare ones in my excursions, this part of the meal needs attention.

Putting on your best Tony Montona voice and ordering the Scarface (Cuban) sandwich will get you a better selection than the Bitchen Camaro. This is made with a house made pork shoulder and tastes like it was given some love in the kitchen. Different than a traditional cuban sandwich they generously apply a hot dijon mustard which I find over powers the sandwich. Its about the pork not the mustard.

Currently they run a $10 deal which includes a drink and sweet treat with your sandwich. A nice offering for those looking for value in a lunch. The usual selection of sodas are available too but try the Agua Fesca made daily with real fruit and agave juice which is a great substitute to sugar. Kudos for this great choice. They do bring in the sugar however with the sweet treat, usually a rice krsipy treat square but often changes to other cereal flavors.

They are also open for breakfast with a good breakfast burrito served and brunch on Sundays.

Overall the lunch experience is good with friendly service and a patio for the warm days. The sandwiches are hit and miss with most not having a memorable experience.

Patrick Carroll’s

I'm not one to usually give any kind of rant on a pub but what I encountered at Patrick Carroll’s on Tennyson really got me thinking.

While watching some football I ordered the Pub Burger to go with the many beers I was drinking. Just your basic straight burger. No bacon, no blue cheese crumbles, just a nice thick piece of meat on a bun for my football watching pleasure.

When the nice waitress brought my burger to the table I noticed what seemed to be the obligitory set of vegtables for your burger, lettuce, tomato and onion. What was really next to my burger was a frilly lettuce leaf, a few strands of onion and a thick pink slice of something they call a tomato.

Now, the burger tasted fine and I might even go so far as to say tasting good but the pink thing on my plate was really disgusting. I couldn't take my eyes off it and I wondered who in their right mind would serve a pink tasteless tomato in the peak of tomato season? I've been enjoying fantastic sweet tomatoes from the garden for the last month and when I saw this round pink eye staring at me on my plate I couldn't comprehend putting that in my mouth.

So, per the usual, I waved the waitress over and told her that who ever orders the food here should be ashamed of serving this in the middle of tomato season. She told me she was from the midwest and understands how depressing the slice looks. She then shrugged and said “Well it's a restaurant.”

I thought to myself, “Hmmm, I seem to know a lot of restaurants in the neighborhood that use fresh ingredients and many that buy local from the farmers here in Colorado.”

I just don’t get it. When did eating at a restaurant or a pub make it all right and even acceptable to be served sub-par food and expect us to pay for it? Going out to eat is expensive and I expect good food when I pay for it. Otherwise why would I pay for it?

I can only assume they use some type of SYSCO food service that brings in ”vegetables” from anywhere in the world at the cheapest price just to fill a space on my plate. Yuck.

People, lets not forget were ordering food when we go out to eat and not a commodity.

LoHi Steakbar

After Northstar split from the corner of 32nd & Tejon many were disappointed in losing a nieghborhood hangout. Well, new comer LoHi Steakbar has taken the space and beef is what's for dinner.

Despite its upscale appearance they remain low key like the neighborhood and serve up lots of red meat at reasonable prices. My $19 cut of Filet Mignon was cooked to perfection and tasted like a great steak should. The Blue Smoke burger was not as exciting as some would say but makes a confident burger. If your date is looking to impress you by eating light she may be disappointed as there are only two salads on the menu. She will however be happy to nibble off your plate since almost every dish gets a heaping pile of crispy frites and are cooked just right.

When the need for meat arises, LoHi delivers.