The Search for Denver's Best Burrito: Señor Burritos

This is the eight installment of this series that I explained fully here.

Denver Burrito #8: Señor Burritos
12 E 1st Ave

So much of this project comes down to authenticity.

I wasn't expecting much of this one. The Yelp reviews are middling. It's not in a hispanic neighborhood. It's on Broadway, steps from Irish pubs and tiki bars. This is a neighborhood like many in America that has assimilated facets of other cultures into a generic approximation of the original. It reminds me of the line, "There's nothing more American than pizza."

It should be noted that at this moment there are two differences in the spelling of the name between Yelp and the actual restaurant.

The first is excusable. Denver yelpers aren't going to have the ñ on their keyboards, so it makes sense to omit it for search results. (Though I just tried searching with and without ñ for places that have it and don't have it, and it works every way.)

The second is just an error. Burrito's makes no sense. I've submitted the change to Yelp and await approval. Also, for what it's worth, the exterior has been painted red since the above photo was taken.)

Instead of parking at the meters in front of the restaurant, I parked a block away on a residential street. There are about eight spartan tables filling Señor Burritos. I was directed to pick a table. A menu and chips & salsa were given to me, a first in this burrito search.

I ordered the adobada, smothered, rice instead of beans. The chips & salsa were surprisingly good. Maybe this place would be better than expected? The tables were half-filled, more white customers than I'm used to seeing, but I did overhear plenty of spanish conversations.

After a few minutes, I was served my burrito on a plate. It was red. The menu said green chile. Typically green chile sauces are somewhere between green and brown. But this was red.

From the first bite, I was pleased. The sauce was tangy, a bit spicy, and delicious. The rice was not mushy. The meat was solid. Within two bites I had established that there was nothing wrong with this burrito. Where would I dock points?

I was again surprised by the adobada. It was full of flavor. It had that component that I don't know how to describe other than authentic taste. The rice didn't provide that much flavor, but it helped round out the burrito. I really enjoyed the tangy chile, even if it wasn't green. The tortilla was a bit gummy at times, but it was never bad.

I finished it quickly and realized this seemed smaller than the typical offering. After tax it was only 6.50, tip brought it up to 8.

Even though I didn't see it coming, I think this ranks with the best I've had.

El Taco De Mexico 9.5
La Abeja 9.5
Señor Burritos 9.5
El Taco Veloz 9
Socorro's 8
El Tepehaun 8
Chipotle 8
Bocaza 7.5
Tacos Rapidos 7