I don't get the hype I guess? The line was to the door so we had to wait 10+ minutes to order. For a chain restaurant the fish tacos were pretty good. I enjoyed the ranch and crisp cabbage topping. Fish was well fried. Nobody else at my table was raving about their meal. As people say, I think this is a place you go at the end of a night of drinking when you appreciate food more. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - What's the vibe? Abandoned lime. Here at 5pm on a Saturday and it's busy at but the line is moving. - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Eh. Nothing amazing to me. I learned that Illegal Pete's was founded in Colorado, so I was slightly interested in trying this place since it was my first time in Denver, Colorado. Was looking for a breakfast place and Illegal Pete's was the only place open at that time. This place is similar to Chipotle and you just go down the line to pick your choice of meat, sauce, etc. We ordered the tacos (x3) and the chicken taquitos (x4). Tbh when I saw the tacos, I was like blehhhhh not good. When I picked up the tacos, it was falling apart. When I tasted it, I was even more blehhhh and ehhh. The chicken taquitos were alight. Tacos and taquitos were not amazing and I would not recommend, sorry. I had better tacos and taquitos in California. I guess the only plus side is that Illegal Pete's opens early and closes late, so it's perfect for those early birds and late-night people who needs fooood. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I have a boyfriend with a burrito addiction. He was spoiled by having Illegal Pete's as his go-to burrito spot in college and mentions them frequently when we eat burritos in Vegas- apparently their process of mixing up the burrito fillings before wrapping it shut is "life changing." When we came to town, I knew I had to find out for myself. Turns out, Chipotle is doing it all wrong. Mixing the ingredients is genius and eliminates that inevitable bite full of sour cream/corn salsa/other lesser ingredient because everything is combined and each bite has a bit of everything. More than that though, I love that IP offers crispy potatoes as a carb option instead of just rice! Oh, and they have green chili, and queso, in addition to several salsas (go medium or hotter, they trend mild). These guys really have their burritos down to a science- so much so that we actually visited twice during our trip. And now we'll both be waxing poetic about better burritos. PRO TIP: Sub potatoes for rice and add half-and-half green chili and queso. You're welcome. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Steak and potato burrito - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Great mission burrito. The steak was fantastic. Loved the feel of the restaurant, and ate outside on the patio, made it even better. Quick service and good food for the price. read more

I kept seeing people rave about this place when I was researching places to go while on my trip in Denver. I didn't add it to my list, as I thought it would just be your typical fast food Mexican joint that I could get anywhere. How did I end up here then? Well, we were out late drinking (you know how that story goes) and we were in search of dessert. We stumbled past Illegal Pete's and saw the long line and could smell the food from outside and we stopped dead in our tracks, looked at each other and said "Mexican food as our dessert!?" We both agreed and inside we went to wait in the line. The line moved fairly quickly. It is set up very similarly to Chipotle where you pick if you want tacos, burritos, a bowl, etc. and then you choose your toppings. We decided to split a quesadilla with carnitas with guacamole and chips and queso on the side. The carnitas were so good, packed full of flavor and tender. I really enjoyed the quesadilla. Although the medium salsa that came with is was very boring, my note here says it was "meh". So instead, I dipped the quesadilla into the guacamole. The chips and queso were sooooo good. The chips were hot, the queso was creamy and never congealed. It had an awesome flavor and slightly spicy. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, but luckily I had someone helping me out (or maybe that's unlucky). I wish we had an Illegal Pete's in Orlando, FL....so if anyone of importance is reading this that can get one here...well.... read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Queso...a bit spicy, but delicious! - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Get the potatoes. Went on a Friday around 1140. It was very crowded and the time to the counter was over 10 minutes. The line definitely didn't move as fast as some other fast casual places. The potatoes though. I had the burrito bowl and was talked into them since why would I need potatoes if I had rice. But get the potatoes. Bowl was filled with the other typical goodies and came with a choice of chips or tortillas. I didn't care for the guac which I didn't actually know was possible. Super cute on the inside but no place to sit on this particular day. I'm a sucker for a bowl though. And it has potatoes. Wish I could have this in other cities! read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Bummer.... I love illegal Pete's but this location sucks! The workers literally move in slow motion and we were given COLD meat in our bowl because they didn't check the heaters. Won't be back to this location. read more

So I am torn on this review. The food is ALWAYS outstanding. Illegal Pete's is my default lunch spot. All the times I have been there, the service has been exceptional. Today when I ordered, they were out of chicken, the guy putting my add-ons onto my dish grabbed corn that fell to the side with his (gloved) hands and put dirty corn into my dish, when I asked him why he did that he ignored me and added things to my dish that I did not ask for. I still highly recommend this place to eat as the food is great but maybe a bit more food etiquette from that employee would be beneficial. read more

My husband and I stopped for a bite to eat for dinner. I am gluten and dairy-free and had made sure to check out the allergen menu before coming here. I had the barbacoa salad and my husband had the quesadillas. Overall a good quick meal. Illegal Pete's has a bar where you can order drinks separately. We both had a house margarita. It was about an average margarita and probably would not order it again if I am visiting Denver again. read more

Love this place. Stopped in on a long layover. We travel alot and are always excited when we find the little hidden gems, and this place was one. The food was great and decently priced, the staff friendly, they let us stay extra long with our kiddos and even gave them a free cookie. We were so thankful to find such a great little place in Denver And will definitely be back. Thanks again read more

I'm struggling with how to review the new location... On one Hand, I'm excited about the new location. Expanded space. More and better patio space/seating. Interior space is so much better and easily three times the size of the former 16th street mall location. On the other hand, they are super under staffed here. The bartender is wandering around yelling pout people's names to match drinks with patrons. Um epic fail. We ordered a marg with our food, 15+ minutes later we got our booze. Disappointed. The line for food service was a bit long. They needed one more person on the line to pivot when the crowd gets deep. One bartender slinging and delivering. They were building online orders etc simultaneously which is cool but feels frustrating when you are standing right there waiting, rather impatiently, hungry and anxious. Overall, we love illegal Pete's and we typically frequent the colfax location but this has potential. It just needs some finesse and better staffing. Bottom line, when getting nachos, get your chips on the side. You always get more food!! read more

The biggest disappointment in a burrito... I flew here from San Francisco for the weekend and after a night out we found this place decently rated on Yelp. We all ordered burritos. I got the steak burrito and was surprised it was like a Chipotle assembly line. I was excited and very hungry but when I bit into it, it was like eating cardboard. The steak was unseasoned and the rice was hard and flavorless. How can so many things go wrong in a simple burrito? Luckily I asked for salsa on the side and drenched it so that it tasted a bit better. Like another Yelper said, I would rather go to Chipotle and I thought I'd never say that. The place is pretty rowdy since there's a bar inside too. People were sitting on the floor, being dragged around because they were too intoxicated (not by security he doesn't do much by the looks of it haha). The staff was nice to me and my group though. read more

Basically a local chipotle with better flavors and full bar, loved it. Will definitely be back when I'm back in DEN on business

GUYS - THE MUSIC. Keep Pete's creative and original. Why are we listening to this derivative, elevator music?! Why can't the team choose their own dope jamz any longer?! If I want generic and mass consumption, I'll walk another block to the C-Word Burrito place. Keep it cool for Summer, Pete. Thanks! read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Change the music station back to cool stuff! - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Illegal Pete's is hands down my favorite spot for breakfast burritos. And based on how much I love breakfast burritos & alllll the options we have here in Denver, that's saying a lot. Although breakfast ends earlier on the week days, Pete's serves breakfast til 1 on the weekends! So you can even get a breakfast burrito for lunch, which is awesome. Along with their breakfast burritos, I'm also a big fan of their regular lunch/dinner burritos too - all their ingredients are fresh & tasty and they don't skimp on the fillings. Their happy hour is also great, as it's one of the longest ones I've come across & goes til 8! $4 margaritas paired with free chips & salsa always makes for a good night. Note that the service is usually slow, but always friendly. I think the slowness is part of the chill vibes though so it's not a big deal for me but you gotta be patient when there's a long line (which isn't uncommon). Basically I'm a huge Illegal Pete's fan and will continue coming back again and again and again. That is all. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Breakfast burrito with veggies & chorizo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Ordered for delivery on DoorDash. I'm giving it 4 stars because my food was cold 10min after it was picked up. Otherwise, great choice selections for veggies and beans. It's nice I got to add guac for no extra charge unlike Chipotle (thumps down lol). I also really enjoyed the prices too. I will definitely dine here again, probably in person next time around :) read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Veggie bowl - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I got the three classic tacos, and honestly, I've had better. It was pretty flavourless had it not been for the cilantro. Service was friendly and quick, the atmosphere is open and bustling so it's good if you want to go and be loud with friends. Overall not badly priced but the food was bland. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

My favorite local spot to grab food, beers, Margs, and chill in downtown Denver. Working from home is sometimes dull and lonely, and I've found my office away from home here at the bar. Great music and vibes to help me focus and always great convos with the bartenders. Happy hour Margs start at 3pm everyday, so come in and good luck. They're so good... read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Recent trip to Denver, got there early ish and illegal Pete's was one of the few places who opened before 11. It's fairly small but just enough room. It wasn't too packed as three limit the amount of guest who can dine in, like everyone else now a days. The host/server and the kitchen staff as well was one of the friendliest experience I've ever had. Very welcoming and helpful. Went with a pint of beer and the taquitos (beef and chicken) Thus place reminds me of a chipotle style but better. The food was pretty tasty. I would Deff recommend to stop by for a quick lunch here. read more

i love this place, i will always advocate as they have the best margs ever but they need like a $4 marg monday deal like they do at the locations in arizona read more

Nachos are bomb . Com!! All of the people are so nice and quick! The setting is so friendly and bubbly but it is very cold. Overall so good and one of my favorite places! read more

Anytime we have concert tickets we always stop at Illegal Pete's for the fast, delicious food, and the free drink with proof of concert ticket. Marg's are delicious, but free marg's are unbeatable. Although everything is delicious, lately I've been going for the beer-battered fish tacos. They're not too heavy, but filling enough to last me for a good show. They're typically hot, fresh, and ready in less than 5 minutes, so I don't have to worry about missing the opening bands. The staff is great and the experience is consistent and that's exactly what I'm looking for. read more

Honestly, this review is purely based on the food not their service or their staff. To note, I found their staff to be perfectly fine with face masks and wearing gloves when preparing food. One minor gripe was that no restrooms were open for use which was a bummer. That said, the main part that I had an issue was how lackluster the burrito was. I ordered a burrito alongside with my friends and it was easily one of the most bland/tasteless burritos I've had in my life. Granted a lot of bias is due to living in San Diego and visiting Mexico occasionally but this was a disappointment. The texture of the burrito was too homogenous and honestly I couldn't tell the difference between the fish or the rice, beans because everything blended as far and the taste and texture. Based on the fish alone, I would have really liked if there was more seasoning or even some salt added to enhance the flavor but it was as if the fish was blanched with nothing more. I had hoped that because I ordered with their "hot" level sauce that it would help mitigate the blandness but I barely if at all tasted any heat or spice. Really, not sure what I expected out of this meal but it definitely wasn't just me that experienced this, the rest of my group had all had various complaints and disappointed. TL;DR bland burrito with almost a completely homogenous texture. beans and rice were too soft and fish had little to no seasoning. read more

What happened? This used to be a cool place to hang out with great service and good vibes. It feels soulless now

In Denver with time to kill before you head to the airport? Head to Illegal Pete's for some tasty grub before you head home. I got the Baja Fish Tacos - three warm tortillas filled with soft, tasty fried fish and plenty of cabbage and salsa to add a bit of crunch and zest to a bright taco meal. Sit outside and soak in the sunshine during the summer while you're at it. If I go back to Denver, I'm definitely stopping by Illegal Pete's again. read more

Came here for lunch after stopping by the Union Station market since we wanted something simple... ... You know.. it's hard.. it's hard being from Southern California and to write a review somewhere else about burritos, tacos, etc.. like.. it's really rough lol. Not only from Southern California.. but San Diego. Alright.. so this is like a Chipotle/Subway/Poke/Pieology/Pick what you want style but with a bar with early 2000 alternative music. I kept my order simple and had the steak quesadilla and I really appreciated the generous amount of protein in my quesadilla and liked that they used white cheddar instead of the yellow/orange. I thought it was weird that they charged extra for sour cream if you were to pick the guacamole because usually what I'm used to is the guacamole will be charged regardless and not the sour cream at all.. not used to that, but that's okay as long as I'm not charged to guac lol (I hate sour cream anyway). Would have given this place 4 stars, but the steak lacked seasoning. It was very plain- some salt, pepper, and lemon/lime would have helped the flavor of the steak. Also I felt the service was just okay as some of the ladies behind the counter seems a bit aggressive to my husband and myself since we've never been there so we didn't know how the order setup was. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Steak quesadilla - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Illegal Pete's was conveniently opened when my bf and I wanted some midnight snack. We knew the free mall bus ran late, but we opted for a nice midnight stroll instead. My first impression of Illegal Pete's wasn't great. It looked a little dingy and dirty. Many of the tables we attempted to sit at were unwiped with liquid and food bits all over. I was not happy. I was a little reluctant to order after observing the restaurant. My bf ordered a steak quesadilla with guac, and I ordered a steak taco with cheese, pico de gallo, and corn. The line functions just like a typical Chipotle and customers pay at the end. Prices were very reasonable. Illegal Pete's also provided environmentally-friendly recyclable cups for our waters. Again, I still had my doubts about the food in front of me, but took a bite anyway. OMG! Both the quesadilla and taco were so ridiculously delicious. The steak was juicy, tender, and full of flavor. I kept sneaking bites of my bf's quesadilla because it was literally cheesy goodness. Everything tasted very fresh! Overall, I shouldn't have judged a book by it's cover. The food was so much better than Chipotle, even though they had similar menu items. I would definitely recommend this place to people traveling to Denver. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This is basically Chipotle. If you're deciding between Chipotle and Illegal Pete's, easy choice it's IP. I would say Chipotle might slightly edge IP on Guac and flavor but IP is a much better experience. Things Illegal Pete's is better than Chipotle at: - Wrapping Burritos (They even mix the ingredients first, woah!) - Taquitos (bland but chipotle doesn't do it at all) - Open late read more

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This place is great for late night bites and one of the few options that serve food after 10pm. Prices are reasonable and service is quick. It was clean inside and there was a line of people to order food. The line moved quickly and the staff were polite. I had the steak tacos which were delicious but the corn tortillas kept breaking the tortillas were very thin they need to double them. I like how you have many options to add to your food. I also got the queso which was delicious but the large for two people was a bit much. I'll definitely be back to try other menu items and highly recommend this place for late night meals. read more

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The place was a dump, food all over the floor in the kitchen. About the same quality you would expect from Chipotle or Moe's. Good luck getting a drink at the bar if you don't have breasts and female genitalia. We sat there for 25 minutes being ignored by the hipster toolbox of a bartender while he served female after female and pointedly ignored us. Waste of time and money, I would never go there again. If you are the manager of this place you need a serious employee cleanliness and consciousness reality check. read more

This will be a short review but I thought this was worth sharing. Our team is staying Denver for work and decided to get sushi next door. On the way out I was craving dessert and saw illegal Pete's. They had chocolate chip cookies on their menu so I ordered one. The employee was super nice and ended up giving it to me for free. What a kind gesture! And the cookie was delicious. Next time I'm in Denver I'll make it a point to grab an actual meal here! Seems like a good spot. Hooray for nice employees! read more

Illegal Pete's is a great place to stop for a casual taco / burrito / bowl night and some queso + margs. As a Texan at heart, good queso is hard to come by in Colorado, and I was pleasantly surprised by Illegal Pete's! When I'm craving late-night queso, I find myself ordering from here now. The bartenders and margaritas here are also better than I was expecting, and definitely at a good price point compared to margaritas you'll find anywhere else in downtown Denver. Overall, if you're looking for a Chipotle-but-better vibe, you won't be disappointed by Illegal Pete's. read more

My friend said her colleague recommended this place for good local Mexican food, so we decided to stop by for dinner. This place was incredibly crowded and the line was LONG, which I took as a sign that the food was good. I was wrong. I got a chicken quesadilla and it was utterly mediocre and incredibly bland. Coming from L.A., we know what good Mexican food should taste like, and this wasn't it. Add in the dirty tables (that I had to clean myself) and slow service, and this place lost all appeal for me. So I guess I would describe Illegal Pete's as a more hipster, but lower-quality version of Chipotle, with alcohol. read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Chicken quesadilla- Meh, I've had better. Extremely bland. Not worth the wait time. - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Honestly, any of the locations are great! I will say that Pete's is almost always busy, but that's a good problem to have because it just means their food is so, so good! It's one of our go-tos and has been since we moved to Denver 8 years ago! Typically, I get the steak burrito and my husband gets the Baja fish burrito-- and we share a large chips and queso. Actually, let's be real-- we share it all because I want to eat my food and his . The queso is so fire and absolutely delicious with a little kick (nothing overly spicy). This past week, I decided to try the Baja fish tacos and dipped (more like dunked) them in the queso and guys, my life changed forever. I think I literally was so blown away that I completely disintegrated after that first bite. It is such a good combo and I highly recommend you try! I know fish and cheese probably doesn't sound like they should go together, but listen-- these two combined make the most perfect and insanely tasty bite! The amount of fish is totes ideal in the tacos and they don't skimp on it, which I really appreciate-- a full flavor experience! Although I haven't tried them yet, I've also heard they have super great margs and happy hour. 10/10 highly recommend read more

Day 1: First Meal Review Time: Illegal Pete's (Denver, CO) Was in Denver over a year ago, with a group of friends, and tried this place when we were here. I remember it being amazing, but is it as good as I remember? Get in line and place your order, and prepare to fill your belly. Absolutely awesome fast and friendly service!!! Couldn't leave without a beverage either, so we got the Illegal "kick your face in" Peach, which was absolutely yummy! Our over stuffed burritos were just as fantastic as I could remember. All of the ingredients are so fresh and tasty. I couldn't imagine coming to Denver without coming here for lunch! Overall Review: super fast delicious lunch option in Denver...100% satisfaction!!! read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Menu - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Illegal Pete's has got great food, great outside seating, and great service. We took the whole family here and got served within 10 minutes, all of the employees were helpful and super speedy! If your going to be in Denver and want to enjoy some sick nachos, this is your place read more

Illegal Pete's Lodo - Nachos!!!! - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Really good food, better than chipotle. Could be faster, but it's just slow because it's busy. Nice that they have a bar too.

We were so lucky to happen to stay at a LoDo hotel nearby. The food is so good, lots of selection, ingredients tasted FRESH, and awesome prices. Had delivered one night, then walked to the restaurant the next day to eat brunch before walking the city like a good tourist. The crunchy tacos with shredded beef, rice and black beans was my go-to. But everything we had tasted amazing! I would definitely go back next time I'm in Denver and recommend to anyone. The staff were very nice, too! I would have taken photos, but the asthetic doesn't compare to the taste. read more

We stopped in on our way to the Nial Horan concert. Something was wrong with the AC and it was hot inside but the service was great and the food was as good as you could want. I had chicken nachos and the table also enjoyed chicken quesadillas and a Baja Fish bowl. Portions were big and Guacamole was fresh and delicious. Only regret was we could not eat it all and had not way to take home. read more

Amazing! Everything was delicious , especially the steak! They are super fast too!Steak Tacos Plate read more