Depending on your point of view and the depth of your hangover, the following could be considered an enticement or a warning: When you visit El Tejado on a Sunday between noon and 3 p.m., there will be a mariachi band winding its way through the ragtag room emitting elaborate, sonorous and loud harmonies.
If the ear-piercing strains of an unmuffled roaming mariachi band playing while you tackle your tacos is an appetizing idea, don’t miss this meal. This is a crackerjack crew of string-strummers and brass-blowers.
But if you’d rather eat sin musica, delay your arrival until later in the afternoon, when the loudest sounds in the house will be the soccer game on the bar TV and the clattering of hot plates coming out of the kitchen.
Either way, make a trip to El Tejado, because on those hot plates are some rewarding eats indeed.
El Tejado truly excels at seafood. The elaborate, over-the- top huachinango (whole fried red snapper) acts as a savory-soft base for a brilliant tumble of orange, cucumber, onion, lime and salsa fresca. Rice and beans complete the plate, which also comes with corn tortillas. Don’t order the huachinango if you don’t like your fish staring back at you, but if you, like me, enjoy digging into a fish that looks as fresh as it tastes, you won’t be disappointed.
Also swimmingly satisfying is the fresh-water trucha (trout), simply grilled and tossed on a plate with rice, beans and tortillas.
There’s a serviceable version of caldo de siete mares, stuffed silly with crab legs and oysters and fish, although the broth is not as deep or rich as the version at Tía Maria up on Pecos Street just north of West 72nd Avenue.
I’ve long held the theory that some of the best steak deals in town are found at Mexican restaurants, and El Tejado’s carne asada platter, a fully loaded rib-eye with beans, rice, guac, fried onions and tortillas, supports this claim. Tender, meaty and full of flavor, this chunk of meat might not cut it at Del Frisco’s (you’ll encounter a bite or two of gristle, for sure) but at 12 bucks for a Flintstones-sized portion, you won’t go home unsatisfied. Ask for it medium-rare.
Sliced carne asada appears also in the more typical Mexican-American fare on the menu – tacos, burritos, tostadas, chiles rellenos and the like – which appear on the menu a la carte or in big cheesy combo platters. Better than most, not as good as some, they’ll fill up those who aren’t up for fish or a steak.
The center of El Tejado’s menu holds a box of traditional dishes from “The Old Colima,” an area in that West Coast state. Best of the bunch is the enchiladas dulces (sweet enchiladas), a plate of three ground beef-stuffed enchiladas drenched in a spicy-sweet mole sauce. It’s not the best mole in the world (then again, I haven’t yet found the best mole sauce in the world) but its soft, faraway flavor inspires eye rolls and sighs. Knock this dish back with a beer rather than a margarita, as the fruity margarita flavors will get in the way of the complex mole.
Speaking of the margaritas, get a pitcher for your table and sip away. They aren’t the most alcoholic margaritas in town, but they’re refreshing and light. If you need a stronger buzz, have a shot of tequila before your meal.
Also before your meal, dig into the warm corn chips and smoky-red salsa on your table. Don’t be afraid to finish them off; they’ll bring more and keep them coming.
Breakfast is no afterthought at El Tejado; you’ll find a full range of huevos dishes (rancheros, con chorizo, diablos, machaca and so on) and, if you’re not up for South-of-the-border flavors, all-American plates of sausage, toast and fried eggs, omelettes with hash browns, and even good old French toast with strawberries and syrup. I can’t say it’s great French toast, but it’s French toast.
Come to think of it, there are dishes from el norte (bacon cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches) available all through the day.
The helpful staff at El Tejado, who have to be bilingual given the multiculti makeup of the clientele, are speedy and smart. Sit at the bar if you feel like watching the soccer game (see above) or a drama-filled telenovella while you nurse your Pacifico, or choose one of two pleasantly decorated (if overlit) dining rooms, punctuated with vibrant, colorful prints of parrots and coastal villages that make you wish you were swinging in a hammock under a palapa on a Mexican beach.
With or without a mariachi band nearby.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
El Tejado
Mexican | 2651 S. Broadway, 303-722-3987 | ** | Very Good
Atmosphere: Laid-back but busy restaurant with two large dining rooms and long bar. Mariachi band on Sunday afternoons.
Service: Smart, quick and bilingual.
Wine: Have a margarita, or one of any number of beers.
Plates: Small plates, $4.50-$9.25.
Entrees: $7.70-$18.95.
Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Seven days.
Details: All major credit cards accepted. No reservations necessary. Parking lot. Great for groups and families.
Three visits.
Our star system:
****: Excellent.
***: Great.
**: Very Good.
*: Good.
No stars: Needs work.
