TacosNearYou

Green Chile Country: Eating Tacos in Colorado

Colorado layers a green-chile tradition of its own — built on the Pueblo chile rather than the Hatch — onto Mexican-American communities that go back generations on Denver's north and west sides.

Colorado: 1,287 taco venues on record across 152 cities, 244 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 76% independent.

Colorado city by city

Denver dominates by count, especially Westwood and the West Colfax corridor; Pueblo and Colorado Springs carry the southern chile tradition.

Showing the 30 busiest of 152 Colorado cities on record.

What Colorado does differently

Anything smothered in green chile, plus a growing set of birria specialists that followed the national trend.

Styles with venues documented in Colorado, most-recorded first:

Colorado is independent country

Colorado is independent-leaning — 76% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.

Taco shop 971Taqueria 170Mexican restaurant 66Truck 65Birrieria 8Restaurant 6Stand 1
  • 76% independent (977 of 1,287)
  • 58% close at 11pm or later (115 of the 198 with hours on record)
  • 74 have a drive-through
  • 26 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
  • 14 have outdoor seating

The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in Colorado

Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.

  1. 1Cencalli TaqueriaTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  2. 2Mojo TaqueriaTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  3. 3Monarca Taqueria & CantinaTaqueria · 3210 I 70 Business LoopSee hoursCallDirections
  4. 4Taqueria El CompitaTaqueria · 4160 East 128th AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  5. 5Taqueria GuadalajaraTaqueria · 719 Pitkin AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  6. 6Taqueria Las PalmerasTaqueria · 1131 Francis StreetSee hoursCallDirections
  7. 7Taqueria Los ComalesTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  8. 8Taqueria Nueva UnionTaqueria · 1200 South Wadsworth BoulevardSee hoursCallDirections
  9. 9Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant & TaqueriaTaqueria · 9605 Prominent PointSee hoursCallDirections
  10. 10La Minerva Food TruckTruck · 5470 East Woodmen RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  11. 11Wanderer Cafe TruckTruck · 8 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  12. 12Don Turi's Tacos y TortasTaqueria · 4423 Centennial Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 809074.8(403)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  13. 13Dos DosTaqueria · 131 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 809034.7(2,127)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  14. 14bartacoTaqueria · 2 locations4.7(1,198)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  15. 15Taqueria La FamiliaTaqueria · 2642 West 32nd Avenue4.7(1,006)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  16. 16Chivis TacosTaqueria · 2101 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 802064.7(808)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  17. 17Adelitas Cocina Y CantinaTaqueria · 1294 S Broadway, Denver, CO 802104.6(3,955)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  18. 18Maria's Taco ShopTaqueria · 2812 E Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 809094.6(827)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  19. 19Alfonso's Mexican Food 2Taqueria · 1735 B St, Colorado Springs, CO 809064.6(494)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  20. 20Cabrón Carbón - Taquería & GaleríaTaqueria · 1043 BroadwaySee hoursCallDirections

Tacos in Colorado: common questions

Which Colorado city has the most taco spots?

Denver leads Colorado with 280 venues on record, followed by Colorado Springs and Aurora. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.

Are most tacos in Colorado from chains or independents?

24% of the 1,287 Colorado venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 977 independents. 244 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.

Where can I get tacos late at night in Colorado?

Of the 198 Colorado venues with opening hours on record, 115 (58%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.

What kind of tacos is Colorado known for?

Anything smothered in green chile, plus a growing set of birria specialists that followed the national trend.

Which taco styles are documented in Colorado?

Breakfast Taco (15), Fish Taco (7), Shrimp Taco (1), Sonoran-Style (1). These are counts of venues where the style is on record, so they undercount rather than overcount.

Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.