I love the green chili that is served in numerous places in and around Denver. With the large chunks of pork mixed with tomatillos and peppers (Hatch or Anaheim) in the soup, it's a taste sensation that is a treat every time I go to Denver. One of my dealers from St. Louis also has a deep affinity for the green chili in Denver and he was telling me that there was a Mexican place in the area that had - what he thought - was the best of the best green chili in Denver. Out in the Mile High City last fall for a trade show, my St. Louis dealer and two of his colleagues suggested we go try some green chili at one of the Hacienda Colorado locations in and around Denver.
20 years ago, Tim Schmidt and Jim Hayes were looking to open a Mexican restaurant that featured not only authentic Mexican dishes, but had a Rocky Mountain flair to the food. They opened their first Hacienda in suburban Lakewood in 1998 featuring a cuisine style they called Mountain Mex. While they would have the authentic made-from-scratch dishes such as enchiladas, burritos and fajitas, Hacienda Colorado would use locally grown marinated meats and locally grown produce in their foods. And, of course, they had their own take on the green chili found around Denver and the Southwest.
Today, there are four Hacienda Colorado locations in and around Denver with a Colorado Springs-area location that opened in 2014. Tim Schmidt is also a co-owner of the John Elway mini-chain of steakhouses around the Denver area. (Click here to read about the great burger I had at the Elway's location at Denver International Airport.)
I had been past the Denver location of Hacienda Colorado a number of times in the past as it's located just off Colorado Blvd. at E. Mexico on the southeast side of Denver. But my dealer came to pick me up at my hotel and he took me out to the Hacienda Colorado location in Englewood on the far south side of Denver. (see map) The facade of the building looked like an authentic Mexican hacienda with gates opening into a courtyard with the front door of the restaurant just beyond.
Our party of four didn't have reservations, but that was fine as we retreated to the bar for some top-shelf Casa Noble reposado tequila margaritas while we waited about a half hour for a table to open up. The bar area was more of a contemporary decor than what you'd find in most Mexican restaurants. We each blew through a couple of excellent margaritas while we waited.
Our buzzer went off and we headed up to the hostess to get our table. The dining room was also decidedly modern Mexican with large archways in the center of the room. We were seated at a booth along the side, given menus, and then our server for the evening - Brittany - came over to greet us. We switched from margaritas to large glasses of Dos Equis Ambar.
As I said, the guys had been raving about the New Mexico Hatch green chili at Hacienda for a number of years, so I couldn't pass up a chance to try some. I ordered up a bowl of it and I will say it was fabulous. It was thick and full of great Southwestern flavors. The chunks of pork were tender and it had just a little bit of a spicy bite to get my attention. (A spicy version of this New Mexico Hatch green chili was also available, but this was spicy enough for me.) I fully understood why they had been telling me this was the best green chili they had ever had.
We also got a queso dip with chips, as well as some of their fresh guacamole. The queso dip featured melted goat cheese with chunks of poblano peppers giving it a nice spicy kick. The guacamole was outstanding as it had chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in it along with fresh garlic. I was worried that we were filling up on the green chili, queso and guacamole and I wouldn't be hungry when the food came.
I didn't worry long after they brought out what I had ordered - the mesquite-smoked pork carnitas enchiladas. It featured two pork enchiladas with onions and cilantro mixed in, then topped with cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese. One of the guys went the same route as I did, only he one upped the ante - he got it topped with more of the New Mexico Hatch green chili that Hacienda had available as a sauce to put on food. I had to have them bring some of that out for me to try, as well.
And the enchiladas were simply outstanding. The pork was tender and literally fell apart with each bite. The Hatch green chili sauce had pork in it and it was a great complement to the taste of the pork enchiladas. But it was so rich and flavorful - I was having trouble getting through the two enchiladas.
A nice touch for a side with the enchiladas were the real black beans instead of the same old refried beans that many Mexican restaurants serve. Anytime I can get real black beans at a Mexican restaurant, I take them. But these came as a regular side with the Mexican rice they served with the enchiladas.
One of my other guests got the shrimp enchiladas. The shrimp were flat-grilled in butter and liberally served inside two enchiladas filled with cheddar, Monterrey jack and white queso cheese. It was topped with a white wine cream sauce and finished with pico de gallo, cilantro, and avocado slices. It looked outstanding and he said it was. But he also said that it was very rich and understandably so with the shrimp in the three cheese sauce and the white cream sauce topping the enchiladas.
My friend seated next to me got the Ultimate Burrito - a humongous burrito filled with a choice of eight different fillings including seasoned ground beef, shredded chicken, chipotle-lime chicken, or mesquite smoked pork carnitas, and a choice of beans. He got his filled with mesquite beef barbacoa with black beans. It was topped with a cheese sauce and came with rice. He ate about half of it before throwing in the towel. "I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered this," he said apologetically to me since I was picking up the tab. I told him not to worry about it as I still had some of my very good enchiladas left on my plate.
I can see why my friends have been raving about the good food at Hacienda Colorado for a number of years now. Everything is fresh and made from scratch in their kitchens, the Hatch green chili was outstanding, as were the carnitas enchiladas that I had. We had very good service with the multiple requests we kept coming up with as our dinner went on. And the setting was comfortable and relaxing. I've eaten in some good Mexican restaurants in Denver and I'd have to say Hacienda is one of the best I've tried.
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