TL;DR Serviceable food, shady pricing, do not recommend. After some errands off Yale Blvd, we wanted tacos, so I looked for new spots along the route home and found La Gaviota on the map. Didn't check reviews before ordering, just the menu. I'm fluent in Spanglish and had no communication problems from the lady taking orders and apparently running the show. No attitude either. She seemed friendly and deliberate. I'm also not a xenophobe. Go figure. She didn't have any change in the register (see other reviews), but spotted me a few pennies. Gracias. One reason we picked La Gaviota was variety. We sampled asada tacos along with a gordita adovada and a pupusa with asada and cheese. Regardless of shell, each item did the trick. My favorite was the pupusa, but again, there were neither slouches nor standouts. After looking at the "menu" link on their webpage, I smiled at the prices. It was like hitting Federal Blvd in 2011. $1.89 for a taco? Yes. I chose to call instead of ordering online. Didn't look at the online order link. Big mistake. The prices charged me match the "online ordering," not the menu. They're much much higher. The website menu says $2.99 for a gordita adobada. Online ordering and my price? $6.31. More than double. Unacceptable. There are no prices posted on the restaurant menu boards to break the tie. Good thing I had some extra bucks. My total surprised me. It was not quoted me at the time of ordering. Seamless. I won't go back, even if the food is ok and Hanlon's Razor may object. One star. read more

La Gaviota Mexican Restaurant - Compare receipt - Latin American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This is hands down the best traditional Mexican food in Denver. The rice and beans are perfect and all the plates I have gotten (Gorditas,burrito, asada,torta) have been delicious! The only downside is it's in a shady shopping center and if you don't speak at least some Spanish you'll need to use google translate to order. If you can get past that then you'll love this place read more

went in for pozole around 11:30 10-4 they didn't have any so ordered a smother burrito de asada it takes almost 30 minutes for my food to come out and when it does it taste nothing but like tomato juice. we call this morning 10-5to order pozole they said it won't be ready till 11 or 12 so we wait called again to order and we get left on hold for 20 minutes again after asking for POZOLE. do not go here if you want to be ignored by the one employee they have. read more

Always love the menudo and they made the pick up orders really easy and the lady in front is always welcoming

Saturday April 5th 2014 Time about 19:01hrs Went to this Tacos establishment since Hubs is hungry and we were in the Neighborhood running some errands just across the street. Before, we enter this establishment, we saw one of the staff is mopping the floor. She stopped what she was doing. She ran the counter, while I think there is another staff back at the kitchen coz when I ask her if they have certain meats for Tacos, she went back to the Kitchen to consult the other staff. We were the ONLY patrons at that hour, in which I felt as if I should go some where else other than this establishment. If I am not mistaken we ordered these following items : * Barbacoa ($1.50) * Carne Asada ($1.50) * Lengua Tacos ($1.89) * Soda Chica ($1.50) * 3 Carne Asada Tacos @ $1.50 each hence it was $4.50 * Mexican Coke Cola ($2.00) We ordered and paid our order at the counter, and seat ourselves at the front section of this establishment. This establishment is spacious. While the staff is OK, the Tacos we ordered were just MEH. *SAD FACE & SIGH* I had the Barbacoa, Carne Asada and Lengua Tacos, while Hubs had all the other 3 Carne Asada Tacos. The Tacos we received were just lukewarm. Some even was COLD. *SAD FACE INDEED & DOUBLE SIGH* Nothing stellar, nothing fancy. My bad, I should have gone some where else that evening. They have a Salsa Bar, but the Salsa Bar looks so sad, and limited options. *TRIPPLE SIGH* I even have to bring my Plate to the Salsa Bar, coz they RAN OUT of the disposable mini containers for the Salsa/Condiments. *BUMMER* *Another Sad Face* Anyhoos, there are better Tacos out there, in this part of Neighborhood. Hubs as usual get the Mexican Coke Cola, while I opt to have a Strawberry Soda from an entirely new Brand I am NOT used to. Strawberry Soda was just A-OKAY. My Strawberry Soda as usual LOADED with Sugar. They have the TV all the way back at the dining area.. The lady behind the counter who handled our transaction her name is Rosa. That evening our Dinner with tax was $13.92. El Jakalito 2280 S. Quebec Unit C & D, Denver, CO 80231 Tel : (303)-368-9941 @74/2014 read more

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This is LEGIT Mexican food!! (like they have in Mexico) You may have to wait a bit for it, but it's worth it. I once had to wait 15 min. past the quoted time on a phone order - there were only two (2) people working at the time, and only one (1) designated cook. Tacos are generously FILLED with meat, and salsas are super tasty. Also have a good selection of Mexican beers. read more

Mid and overpriced, got the chicken fajita plate and there was very little chicken yet it was $20.

If you don't speak Spanish don't bother going here, only equal to their own, had to give me short handed change back because they "didn't have change" for a 20 I was paying with, also was over charged for a soda and when I showed them their OWN website they said "sorry not correct" I would just suggest going to chakkas down evans it's absolutely way better and better prices and no funny business either! Chakkas is the real deal for the locals, not this place, I believe they only like their own read more

This place has been around for several years, fairly hidden in a strip mall, right next to a porno store...but don't let that scare you away! The real deal in authentic regional Mexican, with the requisite tacos, gorditas, sopes, carnitas platters and pozole are available here; bottled soft drinks and beer are ready for you to grab out of the reach-in refrigerator, along with horchata, champurrado and fruit juices, if you are so inclined. Ordering off of the posted wall menus is aided by photos of what you'll get, if you're Espanol-challenged, and you'll order your fare and pay for it at a standard counter with cash register, kitchen in full view behind it. Near the counter, is a salsa bar (voted best of Denver 2011 by Westword) for jazzing up your dinner. A variety of fresh salsas, radish slices, chopped cilantro, onions, etc. are yours for the taking. When your order is ready (and it will take a bit longer than standard fast food - they make everything to order here), they will kindly deliver your food to you at one of their tables in the restaurant (around a dozen tables are available for seating.) Having never been here before, but accompanying a Mexican national who has sampled their wares several times, I placed my trust in his opinion of the food here, ordering a carnitas platter, which, when delivered to our table, was very authentic, like my own kindly "abuelita" had prepared it for me in her warm and inviting kitchen. My companion opted for an authentic pozole soup and a gordita de chicharron, he got a champurrado to drink (a Mexican thickened hot chocolate of sorts) and I had the classic coke in a bottle. Dinner for two came to $23, and it was miles beyond the quality, portion size and authenticity of what you might get from the plethora of "Rocky Mountain Chicano-American" places in town. I plan on returning on a regular basis to this find! Muy deliciosa! read more

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Depends on what you order everything on the menu is ...... when I eat here I throw up

YA BASTA CON EL GUERISMO. Most negative reviews are coming from people that would give hacienda colorado a 5. You know, because the fit the corporate tex mex bill and are super fast and fancy. You lookin for good meats at a traditional dive? aqui no mas man. They loose a star because the al pastor was a touch luke warm and was low on the pina a bit, in my very non expert opinon. The carnitas were 100% on point - I think the thrid taco I got was buche and remember really enjoying it. cheap AF, authentic AF, not the kind of place you go if you need your ass kissed by the wait staff or a vintage wine list. read more

3.5 Asked the woman behind the register. Give me a burrito you recommend. "What meats you want" she says. I repeated what I said and she order me the carne asada. Also order a breakfast burrito that I also asked her to recommend. I ate two mediocre burritos that are just that plain. My breakfast was bacon, potatoes, and looks like half an egg. There are no cheese and no sauce, I mean nothing but homemade that I can make at home. Seriously you need to put what you want in it from the salsa bar. The asada burrito was exactly the same but with one of my favorites combo of refried and whole pinto beans. Not very many places do that bean combination. This place does not meet any expections at all. The other reviews were tacos, mine were burritos. Good luck to you and hopefully you review something I or others have not reviewed. What other items can you review if Mexican restaurant are burritos and tacos? June Friday 27 2014. They have an ad for cook wanted read more

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Stoped in for a breakfast burrito and asked for a hand held. When I realized it was dry inside and I needed to add salsa, I asked for a plate and a fork. The woman at the front acted like she didn't know what a plate was and finally another person said plato. I asked for a fork and she said no and pointed to salsa area where there was only spoons for salsa and coffee. Added some salsa and burrito fell apart. The woman upfront was unhelpful and unfriendly. Won't bother coming back. read more

La Gaviota Mexican Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Small portions yet expensive (in my opinion). No real flavor very bland food. Wouldn't recommend. read more

La Gaviota Mexican Restaurant - Plato de tacos. - Latin American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I've been driving past El Jakalito for a couple of years, and only just recently went in. This is a pretty typical taqueria. This is an order at the counter joint - menus apparently only in Spanish, which of course, is a good sign. There is a small salsa/condiment bar, but nothing particularly ambitious. The restaurant is surprisingly large given how small it looks from the outside. Other than the size, though, the interior is exactly what one might expect to find in a small Aurora strip mall that also includes an adult store, and a 'massage' parlour. The restaurant was mostly empty, but also pretty unclean. A number of tables hadn't been bussed and seemed to have been sitting for a while. There was a good bit of food and trash on the floor throughout the dining room as well. This isn't an automatic failure for me, it can certainly be tough to keep up sometimes, but it is certainly worth noting. Our food took about 15 minutes to arrive, again- no big deal, but a bit of a surprise given how empty it was. The food, was, however, very good. I wouldn't say that the taste stands out against any number of other similar taquerias, but it is definitely head and shoulders above most of the refuse that is served at Tex-Mex chains in town. Given the price, taste, and location, I'll be back. I wouldn't recommend it to those who are, shall we say, a little extra particular, but for those who know what they want, it's definitely worth a visit. read more

Really excellent food. And the people here have always been extremely polite and professional. They would get all 5 stars but they have gotten my order wrong on a couple occasions. However they've always immediately fixed the mistake so I almost gave them a full five stars. read more

I love their food!!!! On top of that their staff is amazing. I dont expect gold star service from here. I only expect to be guided towards whats needed. They rock and until they close,,,,, i' ll be their biggest supporter. #neverletdownhere. Keep it up! I send all my regulars and friends to ya! read more

I love coming to get pupusas. Yes they take a little while to cook them due to the fact that they are freshly made. The staff is cool and kind. The taste is wonderful I've also had the tripa tacos and they were so good! The salsas are spicy but the red one is my favorite! read more

This place was great! I'm super surprised it wasn't swamped with hipsters. It's right across from a Labor Ready and a Massage parlor and a gas station. And on the side with the exotic adult fantasy store, what I think is a bar, and a hookah joint. The food was dynamite though. $6 for three tacos and all the fixin's. I got the steak tacos as recommended which was a bit like beef jerky tacos. That sounds kinda gross but in reality they were great. Super minimalist surroundings added to the ambience. It felt like I was getting street food without the street. Recommended and enjoy! read more

La Gaviota Mexican Restaurant - Its habanera, not habanero. So, substituting the "a" for the "o" means it's slightly bitter and extra salty. - Latin American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I have been going to this little hole in the wall restaurant for years, and absolutely love it. It doesn't matter that there are sometimes communication problems. They have the best and least expensive breakfast burritos in town, whether smothered or not, as I suggest the chorizo....sooooooo good!!! They have an awesome little salsa bar that was very highly rated on Westword, with multiple salsas, cilantro, onions, jalapenos, and sometimes more....very tasty no cost additions. They added a counter at the front as well with some hot items, so you can get your food quite fast...... and don't forget about the homemade cantaloupe juice and the homemade Horchata...a tasty cinnamon, rice combination to drink at any time of day.... I love this place and hope they do well...nice people, good food, great prices...the real deal read more

This is for the restaurant on the east side of the shopping strip. Came here last week to give the tacos a try. They were AWFUL. The carne asada was dry, overcooked, burnt and tasted as though it had been sitting in congealed fat. The lenga had a similar flavor. The buche had no flavor and was a bit cold. The only good thing were the tortillas. read more

Took over half an hour for them cook one, yes one breakfast burrito. I won't be coming back.

This is the best most authentic mexican food I've had in Denver. They have great prices and excellent customer service. I will definitely be going here anytime I want mexican food. They're salsa bar is awesome with a variety of salsas ranging from mild to hot. Such a great find. read more

Chips and Salsa.... 45 minute wait. I went in here the other day, around 3:00. Ordered a To-Go order of chips & salsa... stood around... 15 Min past, I decided to take a seat. It took 45 minutes to get my simple chips and salsa and the salsa was very oily and not fresh at all. Go somewheres else, save yourself... read more

My second time to visit here. First time, I had a breakfast burrito which tasted good, but took about 20 minutes to "grab and go". Last night, we had our first dinner experience. The person taking our order spoke little English. There are no prices on the menu. When I asked, she tried to find out by ringing it into the register, and after 3 minutes she still couldn't figure it out. It ended up being about 50% more than we expected. We stayed anyway, but were disappointed. The food was great, but the dining area and silverware were dirty. They didn't have chips and salsa or traditional sodas, like Coke. The enchilada dish was too spicy for my wife, and she couldn't eat it. So, food was great, but next time we're are going to try someplace with an easier menu and cleaner environment. read more

Very good authentic Mexican food! I had one of the best tortas I've had in Denver at this establishment. I would definitely recommend! The bread on the torras is perfectly soft and each torta comes with all the fixin's- achacado, beans, lettuce, tomato, etc. They even have a great salsa bar up front to spice up your meal read more

This place was a great find. We've been wanting to check it out for a while and got take out to take to the brewery across the street. Everything was made to order. The chile relleno was as good as I have had in a while. The pollo and carne adobada tacos were solid. Great topping bar. Also got fried plantains which were tremendous. Look forward to eating here again. read more

Authentic, fresh and delicious! I can't say enough about this place. Try the platanos fritos, you will not be dissapointed. This is the real deal. I can't wait to go back again. read more

This place is in a strip mall with a sign that says "Tacoss" on big letters. Given that, I have had many good meals there. The tamales are awesome particularly the pork, and they sell half dozens wrapped in Saran Wrap. Most of the time I've had good asada tacos, but they can throw in some chewy tendon pieces occasionally. The pastor and rajas con crema are great. The carnitas and barbacoa are fairly greasy. The salsa bar is awesome and they roast up whole jalapeños and have a good selection of toppings and salsas. I go back fairly frequently and will probably work my way thru their menu. read more

Awesome random taco place we found. It's authentic delicious Mexican food. Friendly service. Low price for great food. read more

La Gaviota Mexican Restaurant - Pupusas + lengua tacos - Latin American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I really enjoyed the salsa bar and the prices, but I found the meat to be lacking. The pollo tasted like a rotisserie chicken from King Soopers, al pastor was chalky and had a weird paste on it, the carnitas reminded me of a pork roast (not shredded), and the asada was chewy. I feel like there is a lot of potential at this restaurant but falls short of authentic street tacos. It's too bad because they were super busy, but it felt very average at best. read more

Delicious, no frills, honest Mexican food. Friendly employees, great Pozole and Torta Ahogada. The salsa bar is a nice touch. The Horchata is very tasty. Food is made to order and comes out super fresh. The smothered breakfast burrito with chorizo is one of the best in Denver. Tucked into a little strip mall off of Quebec at Iliff, this is a gem. I've hit this place up late night and early on the weekends. The food is always great and the service is always prompt. Great thing going on here, well done! read more

Very friendly staff. But food was not very good. My chili rellenos were extremely soggy and had no taste at all. Not to mention it took about 20-25 mins for them to come out. Pretty expensive as well for the kind of place it was. Small portions as well. read more