Best Tacos in South Denver: Taquerias and Taco Spots Worth the Drive

Finding the best tacos in South Denver means knowing which corridor to drive. South Santa Fe Drive, South Federal Boulevard and South Broadway hold most of the counters that locals have trusted for years, while Platt Park, Cherry Creek, Englewood and downtown Littleton add sit down rooms with patios and long tequila lists. This guide covers ten spots, from a James Beard honored counter to a drive thru that never closes, with the address, what to order, price range and hours for each.

Every place below was checked against its current Google listing in October 2026, and hours and menu prices come from those listings. Hours change with the seasons and holidays, so tap the Call or Website button on any card before you make a special trip. If you want more than tacos, our guide to the best restaurants in South Denver covers the wider dining scene.

Which South Denver Taco Spot Fits What You Want Tonight?

Use this table to match a place to your plans. Each name opens that spot in Google Maps.

Taco spot	Area	Style	Price
El Taco de Mexico	Santa Fe Drive	Counter, classic plates	$
La Calle Taqueria y Carnitas	West Alameda Avenue	Counter, street tacos	$
Illegal Pete’s South Broadway	South Broadway	Fast casual with a bar	$
Adelitas Cocina y Cantina	South Broadway	Sit down cantina	$$
Uno Mas Taqueria y Cantina	South Pearl Street, Platt Park	Taqueria and bar	$$
Machete Tequila + Tacos	Cherry Creek	Sit down, tequila focus	$$
Tacos Rapidos	West Evans Avenue	Drive thru, open late	$
Cochino Taco	Englewood	Creative tacos, patio	$$
Cencalli Taqueria	Downtown Littleton	Street tacos, margaritas	$$
Palenque Cocina y Agaveria	Downtown Littleton	Sit down, agave bar	$$

Where Are the Classic Taco Counters on Santa Fe, Alameda and Federal?

The west side of South Denver is where you go when you want counter service, low prices and a short wait. These two counters set the standard.

El Taco de Mexico, Santa Fe Drive

El Taco de Mexico has been serving tacos on Santa Fe Drive since founder Maria Luisa Zanabria opened it in the 1980s, and in 2020 the James Beard Foundation named it one of America’s Classics, a first for a Colorado restaurant. The room is small and plain, the line moves fast, and the kitchen opens at 7 am six days a week, so it works for breakfast as well as lunch.

What to order: Tacos with beef steak or pork, plus a smothered burrito if you have room. The green chile is the reason many regulars come back, and the smothered chile relleno burrito gets its own fans. It sits in the Art District on Santa Fe, so it is an easy stop before or after the galleries.

La Calle Taqueria y Carnitas, West Alameda Avenue

La Calle is a snug counter on West Alameda Avenue in southwest Denver, between South Santa Fe Drive and South Federal Boulevard. It is the kind of place where the menu board lists more than a dozen meats, from al pastor cut off the vertical spit to lengua, cabeza, buche and goat. Its Google menu listed every taco at $3.49 when we checked in October 2026, which makes it one of the best values in this guide.

What to order: Al pastor, cochinita pibil and carne asada, then add a quesabirria plate with consomé if you want something heartier. Pick up an agua fresca on the way out. It opens at 9 am every day, and Saturday afternoons are the busiest stretch, so go early on weekends.

What Are the Best Taco Spots Along South Broadway and South Pearl?

South Broadway and South Pearl Street give you tacos with a patio, a cocktail list and room for a group. These three are close enough to each other that you can walk or bike between them on a nice evening.

Illegal Pete’s, South Broadway

The South Broadway location of Illegal Pete’s, just north of Alameda Avenue, is a dependable stop before a show or after a long day. You order at the counter, then grab a table on the patio or at the bar. A second South Denver location sits at 1744 E Evans Ave near the University of Denver if you are closer to campus.

What to order: The Baja fish tacos, listed at $4.29 each or three for $10.99 on Google in October 2026, and a side of Pete’s green chile. Families like the kids menu, and the weekend 9 am opening means breakfast burritos are on the table too.

Adelitas Cocina y Cantina, South Broadway

Adelitas sits on South Broadway a couple of blocks south of Mississippi Avenue, and owner Brian Rossi has run it since 2013, according to Westword. The kitchen leans toward the food of Michoacán, and the room is a proper cantina, with table service, a deep mezcal and tequila list and weekend brunch. Google reviewers mention the mole and molcajete as often as the tacos, so this is the pick when half the table wants a full entrée.

What to order: Carne asada tacos, a salsa flight and the pozole. Note that Adelitas is closed on Mondays, and it opens at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday for brunch.

Uno Mas Taqueria y Cantina, Platt Park

Uno Mas is a South Pearl Street regular in Platt Park. Tacos are sold one at a time, so you can build your own sampler, and the patio fills up quickly during happy hour. Google listed tacos from $5 to $7 each in October 2026, with carnitas and al pastor at the low end and carne asada at the top. If you are thinking about moving to this part of town, our guide to buying a home in Platt Park explains what the neighborhood is like day to day.

What to order: The pork belly taco is the one reviewers name most, followed by barbacoa, duck confit and the mahi mahi. Add the salsa trio or the elote dip and a margarita. Uno Mas did not show a consistent phone number across its listings this month, so use the website to check hours or order ahead.

Where Can You Get Tacos in Cherry Creek or Late at Night?

Machete Tequila + Tacos, Cherry Creek

Machete is on East 3rd Avenue in Cherry Creek North, a short walk from the shops. It is a sit down room with a long tequila list, a good choice when you want tacos but also want table service and a cocktail. It stays open until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday, later than most kitchens in the neighborhood. For more ideas in the same blocks, see our guide to the best restaurants in Cherry Creek.

What to order: Start with guacamole and a tequila flight, then order a round of tacos for the table.

Tacos Rapidos, West Evans Avenue

Tacos Rapidos is a brightly painted drive thru on West Evans Avenue near South Federal Boulevard, and its Google listing shows it open 24 hours a day. That makes it the answer when a late flight lands or a game runs long and every other kitchen on this list has closed. Expect a line at peak hours, since reviewers mention waits more than once.

What to order: Carne asada fries are what most people come for, along with rolled tacos and a carne asada burrito. This is not a place to linger, but it is a reliable late night meal.

Which Taco Spots in Englewood and Littleton Are Worth the Drive?

The cities just south of Denver have some of the most popular taco rooms in the metro. Englewood and Littleton are their own cities, not Denver neighborhoods, but both are a short drive south of Platt Park and University.

Cochino Taco, Englewood

Cochino Taco fills a colorfully renovated former gas station near South Downing Street and Hampden Avenue in Englewood, with a full bar and a big patio. The menu runs from classic tacos to playful ones, and Google listed every taco at $5 in October 2026. Happy hour is the most mentioned topic in its reviews, so plan an early evening visit.

What to order: The pork belly taco, the funky chicken taco and al pastor, with the Doritos nachos or green chile cheese tots for the table. If you live nearby, our Hampden South dining guide lists more places to eat in the same part of town.

Cencalli Taqueria, Downtown Littleton

Cencalli Taqueria opened on Main Street in downtown Littleton in December 2023, run by husband and wife owners Zoe Romero and Andres Venalonzo, according to the Littleton Downtown Development Authority. Everything is made in house from a short menu, and the margarita list runs past 15 options. It has the highest Google rating of any spot in this guide, 4.8 stars from more than 1,200 reviews when we checked.

What to order: Quesabirria tacos with consomé, by far the most mentioned dish in its reviews, plus ribeye or arrachera tacos. It opens at 8 am on weekends with breakfast all day.

Palenque Cocina y Agaveria, Downtown Littleton

Palenque sits a short walk down Main Street from Cencalli. It started as the Littleton location of Adelitas and was renamed Palenque Cocina y Agaveria, with Brian Rossi still the owner, according to Westword. The draw here is agave: a long mezcal and tequila list, plus a vegetarian menu that Google reviewers bring up often.

What to order: Come on a Tuesday for Taco Tuesday, then try the mole or a molcajete if you want to go past tacos. The house margarita is the most mentioned drink in its reviews.

How Do You Plan a Taco Crawl in South Denver?

The easiest crawl follows South Broadway. Start at Illegal Pete’s just north of Alameda Avenue, walk or ride south to Adelitas, then cut east to Uno Mas on South Pearl Street. That route covers under two miles and three very different styles of taco.

For a cheaper, faster crawl, pair El Taco de Mexico on Santa Fe Drive with La Calle on West Alameda Avenue. Both open early, both keep prices low, and they are a short drive apart. If you want a weekend day trip, head to downtown Littleton, where Cencalli and Palenque share Main Street.

A few tips help any taco trip go smoothly:

• Check hours the day you go. Adelitas is closed on Mondays, and several spots open later on weekends.
• Go early on Saturday. Google’s busy times show La Calle at its fullest on Saturday afternoons.
• Bring a friend. Ordering a few different tacos and sharing is the best way to compare.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which South Denver taco spot is open 24 hours?

Tacos Rapidos at 2800 W Evans Ave is listed on Google as open 24 hours a day. It is a drive thru, best known for carne asada fries and rolled tacos, and it is the only spot in this guide that serves after midnight.

Where can I find the cheapest street tacos in South Denver?

La Calle Taqueria y Carnitas at 1565 W Alameda Ave listed every taco at $3.49 on its Google menu in October 2026, including al pastor, lengua, cabeza and cochinita pibil. El Taco de Mexico on Santa Fe Drive is also in the lowest price tier.

Which taco restaurant near Denver has won a James Beard award?

El Taco de Mexico at 714 Santa Fe Dr was named one of America’s Classics by the James Beard Foundation in 2020, the first Colorado restaurant to receive that honor. It is known for its green chile, smothered burritos and simple taco plates.

Where can I get tacos for weekend brunch in South Denver?

Adelitas on South Broadway opens at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. In Littleton, Cencalli Taqueria opens at 8 am on weekends and serves breakfast all day, and Illegal Pete’s on South Broadway opens at 9 am on weekends.

Is there a good taco spot in Cherry Creek?

Machete Tequila + Tacos at 2817 E 3rd Ave in Cherry Creek North is a sit down taco and tequila restaurant open from 11 am daily, and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Sources: hours, prices, phone numbers and websites come from each restaurant’s Google listing as checked in October 2026. Background on El Taco de Mexico comes from the James Beard Foundation’s 2020 America’s Classics honor as reported by Westword and 9News. Background on Adelitas and Palenque comes from Westword, and on Cencalli Taqueria from the Littleton Downtown Development Authority.