According to both thrillist and EATER, Garibaldi Mexican Bistro is considered to be one of the best Mexican eateries in all of Colorado. Garibaldi is the definition of a hidden gem. Connected to a Conoco Gas Station, Garibaldi slings out authentic home-style Mexican items, as well as, traditional Aztec dishes.
EATER description of Garibaldi Mexican Bistro. https://www.eater.com/. March 13, 2018. https://denver.eater.com/maps/best-mexican-food-denver – thrillist description of Garibaldi Mexican Bistro. https://www.thrillist.com/. May 3, 2018. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/denver/best-mexican-restaurants-in-denver
The Experience:
Upon entrance, you are welcomed into a small, but cozy dining area. There are a few tables spread out in the main dining area and another hidden dining room off to the left side. This is not the sort of establishment where you expect impeccable service, however, the friendly staff member who was serving us made sure that we were comfortable and had everything we needed, which was much appreciated. The vibes inside of the restaurant made it obvious that this was a no-frills joint, with great people, that just served delicious food.
10best description of Garibaldi Mexican Bistro. https://www.10best.com/. https://www.10best.com/destinations/colorado/denver/englewood/restaurants/garibaldi-mexican-bistro/
The Food:
The food served at Garibaldi Mexican Bistro is heavily influenced by the flavors of Mexico City. Some of the Mexico City specials featured on the menu include Huaraches (a long corn tortilla with refried beans, pico de gallo, lettuce, nopales (cactus), queso fresco, and cecina (salted and dried beef)) and Tlayudas (a large, crunchy partially fried tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, Oaxaca cheese, cecina, Chorizo, tomato slices, and a side of salsa).
Westword description of Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant. https://www.westword.com/. https://www.westword.com/location/garibaldi-mexican-bistro-8113909
Another popular menu item is the Queka, a ridiculously large quesadilla stuffed with white cheese, epazote (Mexican Basil), your preferred meat, a mix of mushrooms and onions, and sauce of your choosing. We were surprised to see individuals carrying large pizza boxes around the restaurant, however, after some investigation, we realized that these quesadillas were served in pizza boxes due to their massive size.
Westword description of Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant. https://www.westword.com/. August 2, 2018. https://www.westword.com/restaurants/garibaldi-mexican-bistro-opens-second-broadway-location-in-denvers-golden-triangle-10613112
After glancing at the menu, we were all intrigued by the Aztec section of the menu, as very few restaurants serve this sort of food. Accordingly, two out of the three dishes we had ordered were from the Aztec section of the menu. The first dish we ordered was the Garibaldi Tacos Azules (blue corn tortillas, one taco with Chorizo and the other cecina, topped with queso fresco, pico de gallo, and a mix of sauteed onions and nopales). These tacos were fantastic. I just want to start by stating that all of the tortillas are handmade, and the care put into making them was very apparent. The thin, handmade, blue corn tortillas were some of the best tortillas I have ever had and they were the perfect vehicles for all of the other ingredients in the taco. I began by trying the Chorizo taco. The savory, heavily spiced chorizo was remarkably flavorful, and paired with the slight acidity of the cactus and the mild sweetness of the grilled onions, the combination was perfect. The cecina taco was equally enjoyable. Cecina has a much different texture than that of a skirt steak, for example. The texture of cecina is more similar to a piece of beef jerky, but with a greater level of moisture. The cecina was also beautifully seasoned, and with the pico de gallo, queso fresco, onions, and nopales, the taco was extremely flavorful. Both tacos were delicious and truly satisfied my taco cravings.
Another dish we ordered was the Huarache. Being that this was one of the restaurant’s specialties, I was slightly disappointed. Although still tasty, it lacked the same complexity of flavor that was present in the tacos. The cecina was hard to eat, as there were just large chunks thrown on top of the tortilla, and the large corn tortilla itself was not crisp, but rather soggy. In general, this dish lacked any special qualities that made it shine, making this dish nothing more than average.
We also ordered an Aztec rendition of the Huarache, the Huarache Azteca(a whole cactus paddle grilled and topped with avocado, pico de gallo, cecina, and poblano sour cream. Served with fresh tortillas). This dish was significantly different than anything I had ever tried before. The use of the cactus paddle as a vehicle for the rest of the ingredients was quite interesting. The cactus was cooked wonderfully and picked up a nice smoky aroma from being cooked directly on the grill. All of the other toppings blended well together and once again the cecina delivered a delicious saltiness that counterbalanced the grassiness of the cactus. Overall, the Huarache Azteca was a unique and tasty dish that is definitely worth trying.
Although not a food, the Tamarindo from Garibaldi Mexican Bistro, a drink consisting of water, sugar, and tamarind(a fruit that has a sweet and tangy pulp), was very enjoyable. The Tamarindo was perfectly sweet and sour and provided a great acidic kick to cut through the richness of the food.
Overall Rating:
Garibaldi Mexican Bistro’s influence from Mexico City, as well as, Aztec culture allows you to try some dishes that you can’t find anywhere else in Colorado. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Garibaldi Mexican Bistro did not live up to the expectations of being one of the best Mexican restaurants in Colorado as set by EATER and thrillist. I was let down by some of the dishes such as the Huarache and in general, all of the dishes had immensely similar flavor profiles. Nevertheless, high-quality authentic food in the surprising coziness and warmth of a restaurant attached to a Conoco Gas Station makes Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant a great place for some quality Mexican eats. My overall rating is 4.2 stars out of 5.
