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Denver burrito lands on a list of the nation’s best

This smothered chile relleno burrito is a longtime favorite.

A burrito from El Taco de Mexico. (Provided by El Taco de Mexico)
A burrito from El Taco de Mexico. (Provided by El Taco de Mexico)
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While the idea for the burrito began in Mexico, the modern version got its legs and began running in California, especially in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco’s Mission District. So, it’s not a surprise that California scored 8 spots (or roughly one-third) on a recent list of , a popular restaurant recommendation website.

New Mexico, Texas and Arizona also made good showings.

Colorado, sadly, only got one spot, but it’s a good one: the Chile Relleno Burrito from El Taco de Mexico.

“In Denver, no burrito is complete without green chile. But El Taco de Mexico takes this one step further by taking a cheese-stuffed fried pepper, inserting it into a flour tortilla, further stuffing the tortilla with beans, rice, and even more cheese, and then finishing everything off with an extra blanket of their iconic, slow-simmered green chile,” author and food journalist Allyson Reedy (who contributes to The Denver Post) . “The chile is available with or without pork, but why exercise restraint? This spicy, cheesy, just-a-little-bit-crunchy culinary nesting doll requires a fork, knife, and maybe a nap after.”

Chile relleno burritos, which are really two dishes in one, are particularly popular in Colorado and New Mexico.

It’s hard to disagree with The Infatuation’s inclusion. After all, El Taco de Mexico, 714 Santa Fe Drive, received an America’s Classics Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2020, one of six restaurants in the U.S. that were honored that year.

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