This restaurant specializes in seafood, and they do it well. I really enjoyed my shrimp tacos - shrimp sauteed with tomatoes, onions, spices and jalapenos on three corn tortillas with a side serving of fresh and delicious guac and pico de gallo. My boyfriend has had the shrimp cocktail and the seafood cocktail and he enjoyed them both. The chips and salsa they serve before your meal were great. The chips were warm and the salsa was nice and spicy and laced with a touch of fresh cilantro. There is another location on Alameda in Lakewood. They are equally good. The service was great and the two times I've visited this location they were thoroughly cleaning the unused areas of the restaurant, which I consider a good sign if you like a clean restaurant.
(4)
Chris B.
I've been here twice and the food was very good both times. I didn't experience the slow service that others have complained about; I thought it was fine. There weren't that many people in the restaurant though. I would definitely come back again.
(4)
D K.
Food is average Mexican food. The service is extremely extremely extremely slow. Need to plan at least two hours to get to served, eat and pay the check. We ate here two or three times before but will be the last.
(2)
Courtney H.
This place must still be in business due to people stopping by from the highway to eat. The service is terrible. We waited 30 minutes before we even got our drinks! The food is mediocre at best. Had to grab our own silverware and napkins! Dirty seats and menu's with food on them! Will NOT be coming back!
(1)
Ryan H.
This might be the worst restaurant service experience I have ever had. We show up and are seated for 5 minutes before we are even acknowledged. Someone dropped off a stale basket of chips which we finished before we ever even saw a server. No water no drink order, just sitting there parched when we realized that we were in for a three hour dinner. Unfortunately I can't comment on the food, never got the opportunity to order. The margs looked good, but I can't say. We left and went downtown to El Dorado, which was excellent, both service and food.
(1)
Kimberly B.
Yay for fish tacos! I thought this place was pretty good! Service was very nice and my fish tacos were really good! I want to come back to try something new but I have a feeling I will get the fish tacos again. Just a nice Mexican restaurant kind of tucked away.
(3)
Alicia K.
As Alissa R. reminded me upon my check in here, a 2.5 star rating can be a bit scary, but I just had to try it. I often crave fish tacos. It's not a normal crave. It's an 'I absolutely need them and nothing will stop me until I've found some' crave. So making our rounds through Golden, we decided to try the fish tacos here. From 6th street there's a big sign that says "best seafood in town".. OK, that's one opinion, absolutely not mine... We were greeted with fresh warm crunchy tortilla chips and spicy salsa that I couldn't stop shoveling down my gullet. The roof of my mouth was scarred from this episode for a few days, but generally worth it. Of course I ordered my fish tacos. I was being optimistic. The 3 corn tortillas with heaping piles of fish was anticlimactic. Definitely not the best seafood in town. The seasoning was tasty, the fish chunks were big, but it was hard to tell it was fish and more like lumps of mush... Going with our servers recommendation, we also got the carnitas plate. This was hit and miss. You're asking yourself "how can 1 plate be hit or miss?" Well some parts were juicy. Some parts were dry. Mix it together and you have hit or miss. The pico de gallo for both dishes comprised of a sad soggy tomatoes. The beers were generous and served in fun mugs. El Tapatio resides on a hill and it doesn't feel like Golden. So for kicks, I imagine myself coming back to this 2.5 star joint only for HH priced drinks (margs and beer) and maybe some chips and guac, while pretending I'm the Queen of Golden. Or at least Queen of that little hill.
(2)
Dave E.
Screw these dudes... Just like the one in Arcada. They close when they want. It was 9:15pm and they advertise close of business at 10pm. They kicked us out after we walked into the restaurant at 9:15pm. They didn't even say sorry. We've been here numerous times before but this is the last. Food is okay. Service is mediocre. You're better off going anywhere else.
(1)
Dan B.
Tapatio is near our house, and I have low standards in Mexican food. So I eat here a few times a year. It's acceptable, but definitely not as good as other Mexican restaurants in Golden.
(3)
Melinda M.
Gross. Everything is served as a bowl of soup, no matter what you get. Good luck finding your meal.
(1)
Patricia H.
The service is slow as usual. Takes them 10 minutes to check back. Here was my experience. I asked for the cheese enchiladas (i'm a vegetarian). My meal came out with a sauce that had meat in it. So after 15 minutes when he came back, I told him. He got me a new plate with the red sauce that had no meat in it. I noticed things didn't look like the first time it came out. The enchilada still had a cut that I made in it to try the food before I noticed the meat. So they just switched plates and put the red sauce on the new plate with the old food. Obviously they don't know about food health laws. I'm a server at a restaurant and that would never fly! I decided to get up and leave. I wonder if they would do the same thing to someone with allergies to certain foods? My server was just sitting down talking to a co-worker. I tipped him and left. I shouldn't have even tipped him, but like I said I'm a server so I felt bad. Even though I'm sure he knows the kitchen did that.
(1)
Karen G.
I just love this place. All the staff are very friendly and the food is consistently good. My husband and I have tried various dishes and have never been disappointed in any of them; Flautas, Chile Rellenos, Mole, Enchiladas, the Shrimp Molcajete, Tacos de Carne Adobada, Green Chile bowl. Oh, can't forget the salsa. I'm a homemade salsa addict and aficionado and theirs is top notch, very fresh, doesn't have that acidic or thick tomato sauce consistency. My husband's all time favorite is the crispy Chile Rellenos and mine is the Tacos de Carne Adobada. Those tacos are the closest thing to real Mexican street tacos, served on warm, soft corn tortillas. I could eat these everyday, they are so wonderful!! As an FYI I've had this same dish at the Wadsworth Arvada location, even gave it two different tries and it wasn't very good there at all. For whatever reason they just don't seem to make it the same as the Golden location.
(5)
Kimber S.
Holy mother you gotta try their tacos de carnitas! Three warm soft corn tortillas piled high with tons of tender delicious roasted pork and served with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo and a heaping helping of fresh guac! As much as I want to devour the entire plate, I can only eat one. Hey, if it's too much for you, you could always share it with a friend (but only if it's a VERY good friend)...
(4)
Mark B.
I honestly wish I could give El Tapatio a higher rating. The food and margarita were great; easily a 3 or even a 4. Sadly, giving the service a 1 is generous. Calling the service atrocious is not an overstatement. We didn't see our waitress for over 20 minutes. We finally had to ask another employee to send her over. She never offered to refill beverages, and even when asked would forget. We waited another 20 minutes at a fully cleared table to get our bill. Once again we had to ask another employee to track down our waitperson. The poor service really clouded the experience. The waitress in question would probably benefit from pursuing another line of work. As I said, the food was very good. I will certainly give EL Tapatio another chance, but let's hope this service is not the norm.
(2)
Clint A.
Service is horrible. Two people that came after us got served before us. Food isn't that great either. I keep saying this will be our last time here, but this time I mean it. 34 minutes and we are still sitting here. I'm over it. About ready to walk out. Clint
(1)
Anna B.
This place was okay. The service was quite slow and this is in part why I'm giving this place 3 stars. The staff was friendly. My steak was good but my husband's burrito deluxe was wrong. He got a smothered burrito that had no real flavor and stuffed with cheese. The flan was pretty good and the portion was pretty generous. Not really sure if I'd come back.
(3)
Duane M.
Just okay. Had a combo plate with chile rellano, cheese enchilada and beef burrito. I find most of their food is just a big gut bomb, except for the bacon wrapped shrimp which are very good. The salsa with the chips was flavorful and I probably ate more of that than I should have eaten. This regional chain is opening up locations all over the place, so I imagine there are lots of folks who like this place.
(3)
Meagan C.
El Tapatio gets 3.5 to 4 stars, only because the service IS a tad slow. Otherwise, the food is really pretty good for Colorado Mexican. I have been here a handful of times but most recently came here with a Texas/Houstonian native who is accustomed to much better Mexican and Tex-Mex than Colorado normally provides, and she was impressed with the food. It's probably the best Mexican anywhere near or in the Golden and Lakewood West area. My husband and I had Carne Asada while my friend had the Cameronnes something, anyway jumbo Shrimp with Chorizo sauce. The shrimps only had their tails on them like any normal restaurant, not the eyes and legs and everything else like some claim. We all got huge portions for a lunch and all had leftovers. The price for the quality and amount of food you get is reasonable. Also they have Horchata which somehow not many places do up here. Like I said the service is on the slow side but not to the point where it's a deal breaker for me, unless I happen to be in a hurry. Don't go if your in a hurry, or, just tell them you've got a time crunch and ask them to pick up the pace. They're not UN-accommodating. Also the decor is tasteful and the place is clean. Nice patio with a great view. Big margaritas. Pretty nice. We will definitely continue to be patrons here.
(4)
Carmel U.
Stopped in here to meet friends before a show at Red Rocks and ordered a bunch of apps. Nachos (where bean dip and cheese is melted onto each chip -- a style I never thought I'd get behind), quesadillas and a pitcher of margaritas. The food was very good and the margs strong. Worth stopping by if you are in the area. They also have outdoor seating!
(3)
Patrick M.
Nice people, pretty good but not great food. Generous portions. Lots of tv's to watch a game while you eat. Fast service.
(3)
Blair A.
this is basic, no frills, tex-mex. my friend asked for no cheese, they brought out a dish with cheese and basically said "here's a dish with cheese, order something else if you want to wait another 10 minutes" my tacos were not great. two of three has stale taco shells. I would go again if someone else was paying.
(2)
Desiree T.
I love it when you roll the dice and take a chance on a new place and it ends up being great. Unfortunately this was not one of those times. We rolled in at 5 pm on a Friday and were sat immediately and got a drink order in right away. Good start. We were brought a free basket of stale chips and bland, runny salsa. How do you get stale chips at a Mexican restaurant? Okay, so we decide to try the queso fundido to start with. The dip itself was delicious. I love the chorizo and whats not to love aboutvmelted cheese and jalapenos. Unfortunately, the tortillas were something straight out of a package from the grocery store. I was hoping for something a little more authentic. For my entree I decided on the Mole Enchiladas and my boyfriend got the shrimp tacos. The mole sauce was terrible! Overly sweet and runny and lacking any kind of spice or character. It was like someone melted a chocolate bar and mixed it with chili powder and water. The tacos were not very impressive either. Those same damn tortillas filled with a little bit of diced shrimp and some veggies. The rice and beans were run of the mill. Service also slowed down significantly. All in all this was not even close to being worth the price. We won't be back.
(2)
Trevor L.
The good: The food. It had great flavor and everyone at our table really enjoyed what they ordered. Also, the chips were warm and the salsa was great. The bad: The service. We waited about ten minutes to even see our server. When he did come he was quick bordering on rude and basically threw stuff at us. The ugly: The price. It was good food but nothing out of the ordinary. That paired with below average service doesn't equal $13+ for most dishes at a Mexican restaurant. You even have to pay extra if you want more than one basket of chips for the table. I'd go back but wouldn't go out of my way.
(3)
Abe M.
My wife and I went here after a weekend camping trip. We were craving chips, salsa and good Mexican tacos. First off, the place was dead quiet at 2pm on a Saturday. Then, they brought us a basket of stale chips (the salsa was okay), and we noticed that "refills" were $2.00...no thanks. I ordered the tacos al carbon, which were okay, and washed them down with a diet coke. When the check came, I realized that this place is very proud of their food, and the prices reflect this. I would much rather eat at Tacos Patzcuaro in the Highlands, or Mi Cocina in Littleton. We added this to our list of "restaurants to avoid".
(1)
Andrea T.
Don't be scared of the low star rating here because the food and the views of table mountain on the patio here will rock your socks off. They're more pricey than the higher rated Mexican restaurants in Golden but they're the best. I'd recommend a combo plate.
(5)
Jake W.
How?...... How does this place only have 3 stars!?! This is only my second time here and I'm already a lifer! The food is awesome, not only in quality, but portions as well. Extremely well priced and the staff is on par. I would suggest El Tapatio to anyone and everyone! Thank you..... Thank you.
(5)
Matthew U.
up all night from this food. Never going back. To much sodium and MSG. The staff are great, but thats not enough to bring me back.
(2)
John B.
I've been to this location of El Tapatio a number of times over the last several years. What El Tapatio offers is consistent food in a comfortable location with stunning mountain views. The quality of the food really varies from one dish to another. Most of the combo plates are fairly good, but pretty standard for what you'd find at other restaurants. Some of the more traditional Mexican dishes are even better, particularly the carnitas. I ate here for dinner tonight and ordered a combo plate of perfectly fine food. The real standout on my plate was the chile relleno which was great. Unfortunately, there were a number of downsides to dinner. The first problem was that they were blaring the radio so loud over the restaurant speaker's that it was nearly impossible to converse around the table. The music wasn't particularly good, and given the atmosphere of the restaurant there was no reason that it needed to be that loud. The worst part was that whatever was playing even had an occasional commercial- which is clearly lame. The second problem was relatively mediocre service. It drives me nuts to sit at a table for an extended time with an empty drink glass (I was left empty between 5-10 minutes), and when this happens it tends to taint my view of the service over all. I'm always willing to forgive servers in particularly difficult circumstances, but they weren't terribly busy, and there was no reason that our waiter couldn't have simply checked how we were doing (in the end it was a busser who refilled drinks, I'm not sure we ever saw the waiter again after he brought our food). These problems certainly weren't enough to ruin a dinner, but they are absolutely the difference between a 3 or a 4 star rating. There is room for improvement, but I'm sure I'll be back here at some point.
(3)
Sasha B.
Ordered some tacos barbacoa-- it was fine. A little bland on its own but the hot sauce was good. My friend ordered some shrimp wrapped in bacon and that was excellent (but how can you mess up anything with bacon and cheese?). My main concern was the water they gave me-- it tasted very strongly of chlorine. I couldn't take a second sip.
(3)
David M.
I've been here a number of times and I enjoy the food but the service is dreadfully slow and unresponsive. Since its close to my home I keep trying it in the hope they will do something about their service but no luck yet. If you don't mind waiting 10 minutes for your waiter to come by or another 10 minutes when you ask for something then you should enjoy the food.
(2)
JJ N.
The food is blah/subpar. Now if you want monster margarita or a big beer and some lousy food this is your spot. I went with some friends after a hike in Golden. Place was dead as was the food. I will not be returning!
(2)
Penelope B.
I've now lunched at El Tapatio twice. Both times I've been quite happy with my meals. The freshness is good, the service is fast and accurate, and the salsa is tasty! Also, they have the best and most extensive kids' menu I've ever seen. My three year old is a fan of the sauteed fish with rice and fries. Finally a departure from buttered noodles, chicken strips, and hot dogs. The menu is gigantic. I haven't yet tried any of the seafood (which they apparently do well) or the parilladas, which look huge. I've tried the chicken mole, which is better than average, a dark somewhat sweet sauce. I love mole and it's nice to taste a different version of it. Today I tried tacos de carne adobado (marinated pork). Quite tasty and accompanied by a spicy jalapenos and pico de gallo and guacamole. They were quite moist and not quite finger food but that didn't dampen my enjoyment. I've never tried the margaritas. Another time!
(4)
Lori H.
Had dinner here last night for the first time and it was excellent. Huge Margarita's so be careful what you order. Fajitas are enough for two. We used to go to another place in Golden but service has gone down hill and we will make this our Mexican restaurant now. I am not sure why it has gotten bad reviews lately but we enjoyed the place.
(4)
Amber M.
I'm going to be honest, my roommates and I call this place El Crapatio. The food is bland and over priced. But maybe I've just been spoiled by the El Senor Sol a mile away on Colfax.
(1)
Brian S.
Food was delicious and priced very well...they seemed to be a little understaffed on our visit but the service was still good! I definitely recommend El Tapatio in Golden!
(4)
Greg K.
No stars - food is bland, service is awful and atmosphere is poor to say the least. Turned down for drinks at the bar at 9pm when there were many tables still eating. This review is based on 5-10 visits. Skip it, you'll be sorry if not.
(1)
Chad H.
I was blown away at what I was eating... not kidding. Especially because Golden/Lakewood has so many great mexican spots. I had a simple street taco plate, but I ordered ground beef. Normally, that can turn out to be a bad decision for Mexican food, but holy cow, the ground beef was so fine it melted in my mouth... think fine like couscous! I was almost swayed into not eating dinner here because of the bad reviews a couple months back, but my gf (who is a picky eater) and I loved it! My coworkers love it, too. Check it out. It really does need a kickstart of good reviews because my experience was on a Friday night, and they weren't very busy at all... which, also, can be a good thing if you're in a hurry.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Valerie M.
This restaurant specializes in seafood, and they do it well. I really enjoyed my shrimp tacos - shrimp sauteed with tomatoes, onions, spices and jalapenos on three corn tortillas with a side serving of fresh and delicious guac and pico de gallo. My boyfriend has had the shrimp cocktail and the seafood cocktail and he enjoyed them both. The chips and salsa they serve before your meal were great. The chips were warm and the salsa was nice and spicy and laced with a touch of fresh cilantro. There is another location on Alameda in Lakewood. They are equally good. The service was great and the two times I've visited this location they were thoroughly cleaning the unused areas of the restaurant, which I consider a good sign if you like a clean restaurant.
(4)Chris B.
I've been here twice and the food was very good both times. I didn't experience the slow service that others have complained about; I thought it was fine. There weren't that many people in the restaurant though. I would definitely come back again.
(4)D K.
Food is average Mexican food. The service is extremely extremely extremely slow. Need to plan at least two hours to get to served, eat and pay the check. We ate here two or three times before but will be the last.
(2)Courtney H.
This place must still be in business due to people stopping by from the highway to eat. The service is terrible. We waited 30 minutes before we even got our drinks! The food is mediocre at best. Had to grab our own silverware and napkins! Dirty seats and menu's with food on them! Will NOT be coming back!
(1)Ryan H.
This might be the worst restaurant service experience I have ever had. We show up and are seated for 5 minutes before we are even acknowledged. Someone dropped off a stale basket of chips which we finished before we ever even saw a server. No water no drink order, just sitting there parched when we realized that we were in for a three hour dinner. Unfortunately I can't comment on the food, never got the opportunity to order. The margs looked good, but I can't say. We left and went downtown to El Dorado, which was excellent, both service and food.
(1)Kimberly B.
Yay for fish tacos! I thought this place was pretty good! Service was very nice and my fish tacos were really good! I want to come back to try something new but I have a feeling I will get the fish tacos again. Just a nice Mexican restaurant kind of tucked away.
(3)Alicia K.
As Alissa R. reminded me upon my check in here, a 2.5 star rating can be a bit scary, but I just had to try it. I often crave fish tacos. It's not a normal crave. It's an 'I absolutely need them and nothing will stop me until I've found some' crave. So making our rounds through Golden, we decided to try the fish tacos here. From 6th street there's a big sign that says "best seafood in town".. OK, that's one opinion, absolutely not mine... We were greeted with fresh warm crunchy tortilla chips and spicy salsa that I couldn't stop shoveling down my gullet. The roof of my mouth was scarred from this episode for a few days, but generally worth it. Of course I ordered my fish tacos. I was being optimistic. The 3 corn tortillas with heaping piles of fish was anticlimactic. Definitely not the best seafood in town. The seasoning was tasty, the fish chunks were big, but it was hard to tell it was fish and more like lumps of mush... Going with our servers recommendation, we also got the carnitas plate. This was hit and miss. You're asking yourself "how can 1 plate be hit or miss?" Well some parts were juicy. Some parts were dry. Mix it together and you have hit or miss. The pico de gallo for both dishes comprised of a sad soggy tomatoes. The beers were generous and served in fun mugs. El Tapatio resides on a hill and it doesn't feel like Golden. So for kicks, I imagine myself coming back to this 2.5 star joint only for HH priced drinks (margs and beer) and maybe some chips and guac, while pretending I'm the Queen of Golden. Or at least Queen of that little hill.
(2)Dave E.
Screw these dudes... Just like the one in Arcada. They close when they want. It was 9:15pm and they advertise close of business at 10pm. They kicked us out after we walked into the restaurant at 9:15pm. They didn't even say sorry. We've been here numerous times before but this is the last. Food is okay. Service is mediocre. You're better off going anywhere else.
(1)Dan B.
Tapatio is near our house, and I have low standards in Mexican food. So I eat here a few times a year. It's acceptable, but definitely not as good as other Mexican restaurants in Golden.
(3)Melinda M.
Gross. Everything is served as a bowl of soup, no matter what you get. Good luck finding your meal.
(1)Patricia H.
The service is slow as usual. Takes them 10 minutes to check back. Here was my experience. I asked for the cheese enchiladas (i'm a vegetarian). My meal came out with a sauce that had meat in it. So after 15 minutes when he came back, I told him. He got me a new plate with the red sauce that had no meat in it. I noticed things didn't look like the first time it came out. The enchilada still had a cut that I made in it to try the food before I noticed the meat. So they just switched plates and put the red sauce on the new plate with the old food. Obviously they don't know about food health laws. I'm a server at a restaurant and that would never fly! I decided to get up and leave. I wonder if they would do the same thing to someone with allergies to certain foods? My server was just sitting down talking to a co-worker. I tipped him and left. I shouldn't have even tipped him, but like I said I'm a server so I felt bad. Even though I'm sure he knows the kitchen did that.
(1)Karen G.
I just love this place. All the staff are very friendly and the food is consistently good. My husband and I have tried various dishes and have never been disappointed in any of them; Flautas, Chile Rellenos, Mole, Enchiladas, the Shrimp Molcajete, Tacos de Carne Adobada, Green Chile bowl. Oh, can't forget the salsa. I'm a homemade salsa addict and aficionado and theirs is top notch, very fresh, doesn't have that acidic or thick tomato sauce consistency. My husband's all time favorite is the crispy Chile Rellenos and mine is the Tacos de Carne Adobada. Those tacos are the closest thing to real Mexican street tacos, served on warm, soft corn tortillas. I could eat these everyday, they are so wonderful!! As an FYI I've had this same dish at the Wadsworth Arvada location, even gave it two different tries and it wasn't very good there at all. For whatever reason they just don't seem to make it the same as the Golden location.
(5)Kimber S.
Holy mother you gotta try their tacos de carnitas! Three warm soft corn tortillas piled high with tons of tender delicious roasted pork and served with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo and a heaping helping of fresh guac! As much as I want to devour the entire plate, I can only eat one. Hey, if it's too much for you, you could always share it with a friend (but only if it's a VERY good friend)...
(4)Mark B.
I honestly wish I could give El Tapatio a higher rating. The food and margarita were great; easily a 3 or even a 4. Sadly, giving the service a 1 is generous. Calling the service atrocious is not an overstatement. We didn't see our waitress for over 20 minutes. We finally had to ask another employee to send her over. She never offered to refill beverages, and even when asked would forget. We waited another 20 minutes at a fully cleared table to get our bill. Once again we had to ask another employee to track down our waitperson. The poor service really clouded the experience. The waitress in question would probably benefit from pursuing another line of work. As I said, the food was very good. I will certainly give EL Tapatio another chance, but let's hope this service is not the norm.
(2)Clint A.
Service is horrible. Two people that came after us got served before us. Food isn't that great either. I keep saying this will be our last time here, but this time I mean it. 34 minutes and we are still sitting here. I'm over it. About ready to walk out. Clint
(1)Anna B.
This place was okay. The service was quite slow and this is in part why I'm giving this place 3 stars. The staff was friendly. My steak was good but my husband's burrito deluxe was wrong. He got a smothered burrito that had no real flavor and stuffed with cheese. The flan was pretty good and the portion was pretty generous. Not really sure if I'd come back.
(3)Duane M.
Just okay. Had a combo plate with chile rellano, cheese enchilada and beef burrito. I find most of their food is just a big gut bomb, except for the bacon wrapped shrimp which are very good. The salsa with the chips was flavorful and I probably ate more of that than I should have eaten. This regional chain is opening up locations all over the place, so I imagine there are lots of folks who like this place.
(3)Meagan C.
El Tapatio gets 3.5 to 4 stars, only because the service IS a tad slow. Otherwise, the food is really pretty good for Colorado Mexican. I have been here a handful of times but most recently came here with a Texas/Houstonian native who is accustomed to much better Mexican and Tex-Mex than Colorado normally provides, and she was impressed with the food. It's probably the best Mexican anywhere near or in the Golden and Lakewood West area. My husband and I had Carne Asada while my friend had the Cameronnes something, anyway jumbo Shrimp with Chorizo sauce. The shrimps only had their tails on them like any normal restaurant, not the eyes and legs and everything else like some claim. We all got huge portions for a lunch and all had leftovers. The price for the quality and amount of food you get is reasonable. Also they have Horchata which somehow not many places do up here. Like I said the service is on the slow side but not to the point where it's a deal breaker for me, unless I happen to be in a hurry. Don't go if your in a hurry, or, just tell them you've got a time crunch and ask them to pick up the pace. They're not UN-accommodating. Also the decor is tasteful and the place is clean. Nice patio with a great view. Big margaritas. Pretty nice. We will definitely continue to be patrons here.
(4)Carmel U.
Stopped in here to meet friends before a show at Red Rocks and ordered a bunch of apps. Nachos (where bean dip and cheese is melted onto each chip -- a style I never thought I'd get behind), quesadillas and a pitcher of margaritas. The food was very good and the margs strong. Worth stopping by if you are in the area. They also have outdoor seating!
(3)Patrick M.
Nice people, pretty good but not great food. Generous portions. Lots of tv's to watch a game while you eat. Fast service.
(3)Blair A.
this is basic, no frills, tex-mex. my friend asked for no cheese, they brought out a dish with cheese and basically said "here's a dish with cheese, order something else if you want to wait another 10 minutes" my tacos were not great. two of three has stale taco shells. I would go again if someone else was paying.
(2)Desiree T.
I love it when you roll the dice and take a chance on a new place and it ends up being great. Unfortunately this was not one of those times. We rolled in at 5 pm on a Friday and were sat immediately and got a drink order in right away. Good start. We were brought a free basket of stale chips and bland, runny salsa. How do you get stale chips at a Mexican restaurant? Okay, so we decide to try the queso fundido to start with. The dip itself was delicious. I love the chorizo and whats not to love aboutvmelted cheese and jalapenos. Unfortunately, the tortillas were something straight out of a package from the grocery store. I was hoping for something a little more authentic. For my entree I decided on the Mole Enchiladas and my boyfriend got the shrimp tacos. The mole sauce was terrible! Overly sweet and runny and lacking any kind of spice or character. It was like someone melted a chocolate bar and mixed it with chili powder and water. The tacos were not very impressive either. Those same damn tortillas filled with a little bit of diced shrimp and some veggies. The rice and beans were run of the mill. Service also slowed down significantly. All in all this was not even close to being worth the price. We won't be back.
(2)Trevor L.
The good: The food. It had great flavor and everyone at our table really enjoyed what they ordered. Also, the chips were warm and the salsa was great. The bad: The service. We waited about ten minutes to even see our server. When he did come he was quick bordering on rude and basically threw stuff at us. The ugly: The price. It was good food but nothing out of the ordinary. That paired with below average service doesn't equal $13+ for most dishes at a Mexican restaurant. You even have to pay extra if you want more than one basket of chips for the table. I'd go back but wouldn't go out of my way.
(3)Abe M.
My wife and I went here after a weekend camping trip. We were craving chips, salsa and good Mexican tacos. First off, the place was dead quiet at 2pm on a Saturday. Then, they brought us a basket of stale chips (the salsa was okay), and we noticed that "refills" were $2.00...no thanks. I ordered the tacos al carbon, which were okay, and washed them down with a diet coke. When the check came, I realized that this place is very proud of their food, and the prices reflect this. I would much rather eat at Tacos Patzcuaro in the Highlands, or Mi Cocina in Littleton. We added this to our list of "restaurants to avoid".
(1)Andrea T.
Don't be scared of the low star rating here because the food and the views of table mountain on the patio here will rock your socks off. They're more pricey than the higher rated Mexican restaurants in Golden but they're the best. I'd recommend a combo plate.
(5)Jake W.
How?...... How does this place only have 3 stars!?! This is only my second time here and I'm already a lifer! The food is awesome, not only in quality, but portions as well. Extremely well priced and the staff is on par. I would suggest El Tapatio to anyone and everyone! Thank you..... Thank you.
(5)Matthew U.
up all night from this food. Never going back. To much sodium and MSG. The staff are great, but thats not enough to bring me back.
(2)John B.
I've been to this location of El Tapatio a number of times over the last several years. What El Tapatio offers is consistent food in a comfortable location with stunning mountain views. The quality of the food really varies from one dish to another. Most of the combo plates are fairly good, but pretty standard for what you'd find at other restaurants. Some of the more traditional Mexican dishes are even better, particularly the carnitas. I ate here for dinner tonight and ordered a combo plate of perfectly fine food. The real standout on my plate was the chile relleno which was great. Unfortunately, there were a number of downsides to dinner. The first problem was that they were blaring the radio so loud over the restaurant speaker's that it was nearly impossible to converse around the table. The music wasn't particularly good, and given the atmosphere of the restaurant there was no reason that it needed to be that loud. The worst part was that whatever was playing even had an occasional commercial- which is clearly lame. The second problem was relatively mediocre service. It drives me nuts to sit at a table for an extended time with an empty drink glass (I was left empty between 5-10 minutes), and when this happens it tends to taint my view of the service over all. I'm always willing to forgive servers in particularly difficult circumstances, but they weren't terribly busy, and there was no reason that our waiter couldn't have simply checked how we were doing (in the end it was a busser who refilled drinks, I'm not sure we ever saw the waiter again after he brought our food). These problems certainly weren't enough to ruin a dinner, but they are absolutely the difference between a 3 or a 4 star rating. There is room for improvement, but I'm sure I'll be back here at some point.
(3)Sasha B.
Ordered some tacos barbacoa-- it was fine. A little bland on its own but the hot sauce was good. My friend ordered some shrimp wrapped in bacon and that was excellent (but how can you mess up anything with bacon and cheese?). My main concern was the water they gave me-- it tasted very strongly of chlorine. I couldn't take a second sip.
(3)David M.
I've been here a number of times and I enjoy the food but the service is dreadfully slow and unresponsive. Since its close to my home I keep trying it in the hope they will do something about their service but no luck yet. If you don't mind waiting 10 minutes for your waiter to come by or another 10 minutes when you ask for something then you should enjoy the food.
(2)JJ N.
The food is blah/subpar. Now if you want monster margarita or a big beer and some lousy food this is your spot. I went with some friends after a hike in Golden. Place was dead as was the food. I will not be returning!
(2)Penelope B.
I've now lunched at El Tapatio twice. Both times I've been quite happy with my meals. The freshness is good, the service is fast and accurate, and the salsa is tasty! Also, they have the best and most extensive kids' menu I've ever seen. My three year old is a fan of the sauteed fish with rice and fries. Finally a departure from buttered noodles, chicken strips, and hot dogs. The menu is gigantic. I haven't yet tried any of the seafood (which they apparently do well) or the parilladas, which look huge. I've tried the chicken mole, which is better than average, a dark somewhat sweet sauce. I love mole and it's nice to taste a different version of it. Today I tried tacos de carne adobado (marinated pork). Quite tasty and accompanied by a spicy jalapenos and pico de gallo and guacamole. They were quite moist and not quite finger food but that didn't dampen my enjoyment. I've never tried the margaritas. Another time!
(4)Lori H.
Had dinner here last night for the first time and it was excellent. Huge Margarita's so be careful what you order. Fajitas are enough for two. We used to go to another place in Golden but service has gone down hill and we will make this our Mexican restaurant now. I am not sure why it has gotten bad reviews lately but we enjoyed the place.
(4)Amber M.
I'm going to be honest, my roommates and I call this place El Crapatio. The food is bland and over priced. But maybe I've just been spoiled by the El Senor Sol a mile away on Colfax.
(1)Brian S.
Food was delicious and priced very well...they seemed to be a little understaffed on our visit but the service was still good! I definitely recommend El Tapatio in Golden!
(4)Greg K.
No stars - food is bland, service is awful and atmosphere is poor to say the least. Turned down for drinks at the bar at 9pm when there were many tables still eating. This review is based on 5-10 visits. Skip it, you'll be sorry if not.
(1)Chad H.
I was blown away at what I was eating... not kidding. Especially because Golden/Lakewood has so many great mexican spots. I had a simple street taco plate, but I ordered ground beef. Normally, that can turn out to be a bad decision for Mexican food, but holy cow, the ground beef was so fine it melted in my mouth... think fine like couscous! I was almost swayed into not eating dinner here because of the bad reviews a couple months back, but my gf (who is a picky eater) and I loved it! My coworkers love it, too. Check it out. It really does need a kickstart of good reviews because my experience was on a Friday night, and they weren't very busy at all... which, also, can be a good thing if you're in a hurry.
(5)