I’m rooting for the owners of Chile Poblano as much as for the delectable food they serve in their cheerful and quaint restaurant on Montview Boulevard in Aurora.
After years of cooking for popular chains, including Macaroni Grill, P.F. Chang’s and Texas Roadhouse, owner Francisco Vergara decided to strike out on his own. Chile Poblano, which opened in November, is his first restaurant. He and his wife, Mildred, and their smiley teens, Samuel and Rebecca, are working hard to make it a success.
The family is forthcoming about Chile Poblano’s chief challenge: its location. The restaurant is in a nondescript building that is easy to overlook or dismiss entirely because of patrons at the neighboring bar and pool hall. They often snap up limited parking spaces.
But don’t write off this place simply because of appearances. This is one cheap eat you shouldn’t miss. Chile Poblano would have a loyal following in very short order if only more people knew about its generously stuffed breakfast burritos ($3); hot, crispy taquitos filled with melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef ($3.75); fish tacos served with chipotle sauce ($2.25 each); and a flan that my Spanish blood tells me is easily — easily, I tell you — among the best in all of Colorado (and for only $2.25).
For the harried and hurried, Chile Poblano’s carryout is a godsend.
Francisco Vergara clearly knows produce too. At his place, you won’t find the pink tomatoes and limp lettuce that too many restaurants try to pass off during winter months. Chile Poblano’s guacamole is so fresh you can honestly tell you’re eating avocado, and its open-faced, cheese-smothered chile rellenos ($5 each) are pleasantly al dente.
Vergara, who is from Guerrero, Mexico, honors the cuisine of his native country without smothering it in the same goopy combination of refried beans, sour cream and sauces found in far too many Mexican restaurants. At Chile Poblano, sides and sauces genuinely enhance main dishes.
Sit a spell in this restaurant, and you’ll also get to know a kind family — the sort of folks who are happy to discuss the game on television, teach you a little Spanish or trade cooking secrets while feeding you until you burst.
Chile Poblano
Mexican cuisine. 11650 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-366-9068. Closed Monday. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. $1.25-$10.75. MasterCard and Visa.
Front burner. Generous portions, fresh produce and the best flan in Colorado, served in a cheery dining room or available for carryout.
Back burner. Parking is limited.
Christine Tatum: 303-954-1503 or ctatum@denverpost.com
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Tucker Shaw
