Federales Denver

Mild disclaimer: we came on a Monday for the end of happy hour so not a super busy time. Interior wise, not sure why you would want to be surrounded by tarps and no outdoor light whatsoever and there’s security all the time which is different for RiNo. It’s a large and loud music party place. You throw at a bell for prizes. It’s fine but drinks and food were just fine too. Tried the steak and the gringo taco supreme. Honestly if you’re craving Taco Bell, have the latter. Good tequila list. Pricey.

My family stopped in for food and drinks during our stay in Denver. The tacos were absolutely delicious and the drinks were amazing! Definitely a great place to grab food early or a hot spot to drink late night. 5 stars

I recently visited Federales in the RiNo district of Denver, Colorado, and my experience was a mixed bag. While there are some positives to highlight, there are also recurring issues that need to be addressed. **Ambiance:** Federales has a vibrant and lively atmosphere that fits well with the trendy RiNo district. The decor is modern and inviting, making it a popular spot for gatherings with friends and casual dining. **Service:** Unfortunately, the service at Federales has been consistently disappointing during my visits. On this particular occasion, we waited over 10 minutes without being greeted by any staff member. This seems to be a common issue, as it has happened on multiple visits. Improving the speed and attentiveness of the service would greatly enhance the overall experience. **Food:** The food at Federales is definitely a highlight. Despite the lackluster service, the variety of tacos we ordered were all tasty and well-prepared. We tried the Gringo Taco Supreme and the Lamb Quesabirria with Consomé—both were good choices. I wouldn’t say the food was anything amazingly flavorful, but what we got for the price point was good. We really enjoyed the chips and guacamole with tajin! **Overall Experience:** Overall, Federales in RiNo offers good food in a lively setting, but the consistently poor service detracts from the experience. It's a shame because the tacos are pretty good and the ambiance is appealing given its location in RiNo. If the service were improved, it could easily become a top dining destination in the area. I hope to see changes in the future that address these service issues.

Got tacos and drinks here and they were all super good! The best part was the ice throwing! Would recommend again just to do that but also this looked like one of the few places that had food in this area!

These nachos were so good! I loved it came with a gravy boat with more queso to add as you eat. They have a bell were people were throwing their drinks, most had terrible aim but fun to watch or do yourself They have a self service station for water, which was nice as the waitress did forget.

Came here with a friend to watch the Avalanche game and drink some beers got a Micheleda and Green Chile burrito. Both items were really good.

Federales Bar in Denver offers an incredible vibe with a stellar soundtrack, creating an unforgettable experience. ✨ The crowd is lively, and the Christmas theme adds a festive touch. Service can sometimes be slow, but the overall atmosphere covers it nicely. Kudos to them for catering to diverse tastes with a delightful vegetarian taco option. 🌮🎶🎄 Tip: Queso is a must-try 😋 Hit 👍 if it was helpful ©️MillionDollarCravings

This was my first time dining at Federales. Went in at 2:30p on a Saturday and stayed for a couple hours chatting with a friend while enjoying some lunch. There was a DJ there playing music so loud we had to almost yell to be heard. The staff was polite but out waitress forgot about our table a couple times. The chicken tortilla soup was delicious and absolutely worth the $7! The chicken taquitos on the other hand weren’t worth the money in my opinion. The strawberry margarita was good but next time I wouldn’t get the Tequila Rosé again (the flavor was just not great in my opinion).

Good food. Great place to party on a Friday night. The staff is awesome and the service is good even when busy. The food isn't nothing you will think is the most amazing in Denver, but I would rate it above average. I got the corn, and the taquitos. Both were delicious. The red sauce looks insanely hot but it's not. Keep that in mind. Great place to go week nights for a chill night.

Great service at the bar, they know how to party here but the food is superb, so don't just drink. Chicken taco was a knockout, spicy shrimp was hot. It not overpowering. A great place for drinks with friends, and a nibble

We were here on baseball opening day and with the level of service we received (excellent), you would not have guessed it! The nachos were delightful and came with a gravy boat of cheese. Who am I kidding, I DREAM about these nachos! I received some additional hot sauce in an adorable shot glass. The drinks were absolutely killer as well! I can't wait to fly back to Denver and visit here!

My friends & I went here for cinco de Mayo and had a blast! The house margs were delicious. The atmosphere was fun and lively where we sat at the bar top. The space was so open since it was a nice day out. The service was great & friendly! High recommend checking this spot out in the RiNo Denver area. Great location with a lot of other spots to hit up before or after!

Overall, appears to be a fun spot for drinks with friends. The place was booming on Sunday afternoon and the place felt spacious enough for large groups. The staff was attentive and gave a quick turnaround with my order and checking out. I enjoyed a spicy watermelon margarita that def doesn't shy away from the spicy! It was a nice beverage to try from their list of unique cocktails/margaritas menu. Unfortunately, the food did not interest me. After ordering a shrimp taco and the pork belly taco, I was highly disappointed. The shrimp were overcooked and overseasoned, while the pork belly taco was dry. I attempted but did not finish the meal. Good drinks, a cool hangout spot for friends & family.

We popped in to Federales for grub after a stint of day drinking - and left stuffed to the gills. This location is right across the street from Ratio and Our Mutual Friend breweries - and a good spot to fill your bellies pre or post brewery hop. The house salsa and chips were enough for a return visit alone - so fresh and tasty! I feel like they roast the veggies in house - and it was the perfect blend of chunky veggies and spice. Drool. We also LOVED the brussels sprouts! I could have made a meal on those 2 things alone. However, I did get some tacos - and my eyes were def bigger than my tummy. It took a really long time to get our food and I am not sure why - but that just allowed me more time alone with that salsa bowl. Our server Madeline was absolutely amazing, patient, and friendly. The outdoor/indoorish kind of open seating was cool - but on a hot day it could be a little stuffy to sit toward this front area. The people watching was really fun though. The vibe was definitely shifting from a restaurant to more of a loud meat markety bar vibe when we were leaving later in the evening - but we are also ancient so take that "get off my lawn" point of view with a grain of salt. Overall, would return for that salsa and sprouts alone!

I visited Denver recently and had a great time at Federales. The drinks were the perfect amount of strong and the vibes were there from the moment we walked in. We all loved our food, I highly recommend the tacos and queso dips. The staff were friendly and had lots of recommendations for our table since we had never been. I also suggest doing the ice shots, its a lot of fun and a good way to kick off your evening. We went on a Friday but they have various of specials throughout the week so be sure to follow their social media page or check online before visiting.

I ordered delivery last night from them for the first time. I saw that my food was in uber for like 40min and it kept getting delayed. I was sure my food was going to suck. It was my first time ordering from here. I was so shocked when I received the food!! It was all super high quality - bright colors and fresh! The food had nice finishes and came with chips and amazingly fresh colorful salsa that I did not know I would be receiving! When I put my cheese quesadilla in the oven to crisp it up, the cheese PILLOWED!! OMG best quesadilla EVER. The packaging kept everything fresh and non-leaky. I literally just made a new yelp! list for myself called Repeat in Denver and this place is the first one on my list! So this is a 5 star for quality, presentation, and packaging! I will probably repeat order soon maybe even today!

I know when you think federales, you think party time but coming on a weeknight is so enjoyable and relaxing. The service was great, our waitress was so nice! The patio is great on a cool evening. The chips are seasoned to perfection. The Brussels sprouts were outta this world. So spicy and delish. The tacos were pretty good. I liked the crispy potato and the chicken barbacoa the best. We will def be backs soon.

The day was a nice warm patio day, so the fellas headed down to Federales. It was packed and full of fun as soon as you walked in, nothing but fun loving good looking people enjoying good company, drinks, games on the big tvs and food. I dont know what they pit on their chips they vrink to the table w salsa, but it was delicious and addictive like Crack, lol. We all had an assortment of tacos. There is an extensive list of tacos, tequilas, mezcals, mixed drinks, and other small bites. In one little corner, they have a live DJ spinning. This is a great place to meet up w/ good friend and enjoy great tacos. Just know it's hard to find parking in the area because the location is a Hotspot. No matter what, you are guaranteed to have a great time here. I can't wait for it to be consistently warm outside, to party here.

Good service, good food, good drinks, and a cool atmosphere! I wasn't ready for Mexican again so I got one taco. The braised lamb was very good. Servers are very friendly and cute.

We watched this building transform from a three bay garage to a fully realized experience. We stopped by in a Sunday for brunch. We were slightly skeptical of the food quality as it appears to be a bar first and food second but the food delivered big time. Open seating through your when we arrived. We picked something on the covered patio in the sun which was perfect. Service was excellent. Carly was spot on. Well trained by an expert operator and she delivered literally and figuratively on all of our expectations. Start off with a quick ID check at the bar and a card on file clearly speaks to a rowdy young crowd. All Good for us tho. We had the potato chorizo hash with scrambled eggs and the breakfast burrito smothered in hatch green chili. Not all substitutions and modifications are allowed but she confirmed that these could happen and that made the food all that much better. (I hate runny eggs) The green chili is smoky and a tad spicy. Well flavored and a perfect compliment to the burrito. No drinks this trip. Great service. Very positive experience and would definitely return when the kids come to town and need a rowdy evening.

Cool spot in a cooler location. I think they have a few locations across the U.S., I'm not sure. But the place fits the vibe of the community. LOVE the outdoor patio where you can easily hang out while bringing your pets. The street isn't too noisy or busy, though I saw a truck carrying beer bump into a van as it was reversing (not sure why?). Anyhow, we got here and I realized that the bouncer carded all of us. It was funny since I don't believe my parents have ever been carded anywhere. Now to the food: the chips/salsa & Guac were great. The guac had the right amount of bounce to it. The salsa was a good complement. The chips felt fresh. As for the tacos, we ordered the vegan chorizo, crispy potato, and Nashville Hot Cauliflower Taco. The tacos were all good, but I'll specifically focus on the Hot Cauliflower Taco as that was the one I ate. That one HAD the bounce. For a vegan taco, that's pretty damn amazing. Also, generally speaking, this place had a lot of vegan options, which I appreciate (even though I'm vegetarian and can eat dairy/egg). The only minus star this place gets is that the waitress didn't really know (or maybe they didn't have) the local beer options. When I go out and have a drink, I prefer enjoying the local brews. However, after my friend ordered the Pacifico, I asked about local beer options and was told there wasn't any except for I think one option (I didn't have the time to do so beforehand). In retrospect, a few days later, I realized that there were indeed a few local brews. I wish it was either clearly delineated on the menu or that the waitress could know the options that are available. I ended up also ordering a Pacifico (which I never had to begin with), but this suggestion seems like a simple fix to me. Maybe next time I visit Denver......

Atmosphere is great, food is wonderful. I am a huge fan of the gringo tacos. Simple but delicious. Service can be spotty just know when to go.

It's definitely a party in here! I love the birria tacos. Sarahanne and Corina are A VIBE. Can't wait to come back!

My boyfriend and I eat at Federales literally once a week so it seemed only right that they cater our baby shower! The entire experience start to finish was smooth and delicious. Chef Sam and Chef Angel came to our baby shower location with everything ready to go. They set it all up, cooked a lot of the food on site so it was fresh, and served it up so beautifully. We had a variety of tacos (pork with pineapple, crispy potato tacos, and steak tacos) and every single guest was delighted and had options regardless of being vegetarian or not. They set up the chip station with all the salsas and queso dip The best part was I didn't have to stress about anything for my baby shower because they had it all sorted out and organized and it was all delicious. 10/10 recommend for your next event, it was seamless.

Good drinks & service, delicious food. Federales has indoor and outdoor seating options. It is more more of a poppin bar than a sit down with the family, on the weekends in particular. Fun place to go out, eat apps, and get some margs with the friends!

Amazing staff. They're so fun and make the experience more enjoyable. Having bad bartenders is the worst and that was absolutely not the case. The michelada was to die for. And definitely make sure you ring the bell with an ice shot!! This was my first time visiting during the day & it wasn't super packed. It's a cute place, I can't wait to come back & try their food!

The drinks were amazing and I would expect nothing less. Love the mango and raspberry marg. The first time I went, the staff was rude and was telling me things that I knew were untrue as I frequented the Chicago Federales. I adore the spicy mango guac but it was not the same at this Denver location. If all you're looking for is drinks and good music- this is your place. You should also note they do not serve food after 10 PM during the week but have a late night menu Fri-Sun.

This place is definitely a place you come with a loud large group. The service is friendly and fast paced. The food is surprisingly good too for a stereotypical bar with groups in matching suits stumbling off a pedal group bike tour. Our server Chris was attentive, quick, gave great recommendations. He made our 5 o clock girls drinks the best it could be! Gave great recommendations for food as well. We were originally not even going to eat at this location because of the ruckus, but were convinced! Glad we were! The spicy cucumber margs were to die for!! The location is central right on Larimer!

Came here for food and drink before a comedy show with the hubs and was pleasantly surprised since we randomly picked this place while walking around. As luck would have it, we arrived during happy hour which meant cheaper guac and margaritas -- who can say no to that?! We went with raspberry and mango; both were tasty but mango had little fruit bits in it which made it the winner. For tacos, we had: pork & pineapple, crispy potato, mushroom, and cauliflower. The potato and cauliflower were phenomenal, the other two weren't mind blowing but no complaints for the price tag. Quite affordable tacos. Service was decent but impersonal and I really disliked the fact they used plastic cups for water -- come on, treat our planet better! Decor was lackluster and had a drunken college vibe but pretty clean despite that. On the whole, a good spot to grab a bit and I'll be coming back for the ice shots despite the price tag being outrageous with no prize.

Great food, nachos and tacos. The nachos are HUGE. Their frozen margaritas are actually really good and don't hurt my stomach. Definitely crowded and more of a bar scene but still good. Servers and bartenders are usually really nice.

Wow! Super cool place! Stephanie was our bartender, greeted us with a smile and started off our experience just right. We had the barbacoa chicken taco, spicy and delicious, the shrimp and the potato tacos and they were delicious too, guacamole was the best ever. Margarita was great and the ice shots are a fun way to wrap up your stay. Thank you Stephanie!

Loved every taco that I tried. The grilled shrimp was on the top, followed by spicy chicken and then the pork with pineapple. It was not on the menu but I ordered a manhattan with mezcal and it was yummy. Service was really good even when they were busy. This is a very casual place and loved the vibes.

How could you NOT want to stop by Federales for food and drink with the appeal of their gorgeous outdoor patio? My friend and I wanted tacos and margaritas. We were seated immediately in a prime spot for people watching. While the tacos looked tempting, I went with the Hatch Chile Nachos and Spicy Watermelon Margarita. Both items were fantastic. Refreshing and boozy margarita. Filling and flavorful nachos. Definitely trying their tacos next time and perhaps checking out the indoor section. The wait staff was great, though one of the waiters seemed newer and tried SO hard to fetch a takeout container for my nachos without realizing there were larger ones available. Anyways, love the youthful & chill vibe of Federales overall. Humongous restaurant for RiNo. Great spot to watch sports. Definitely go for their happy hour or fetch a late night drink. Honestly reminds me of my college days. Can't wait to come back again. You can usually find me hanging in the heart of RiNo anyways!

Delicious as always! Tried the steak and pork & pineapple taco's and I'm both were super good! Service was always on top of it even though it was super busy. Vibe was a great way to kick off a Saturday night!

Being a Chicago native (and have spent my early 20s in Chicago), when I heard they were bringing federales to Denver I was a bit excited. I have always loved the vibe this place gives off, especially considering so many spots in denver are VERY chill. The ambiance here is great. I ordered a frozen raspberry margarita. My friend got the mango marg on the rocks. Honestly both of them were delicious! Raspberry was sweeter, mango was closer to a tart flavor. We also ordered the nachos which were tasty, but I'm not sure if I loved the fact the cheese was on the side. Also the chips were seasoned with a pretty strong lime/chili (likely Tajin). Nothing too bad to complain about, but have certainly had better nachos in denver. We sadly didn't ring the bell with a tequila shot, but I'll make sure to do that next time I'm in!! Parking: street- some blocks are metered & some are free.

Food - oversalted, nothing to write home about. Margaritas - unremarkable. Service - TERRIBLE! We set down and after about 10 min had to waive down a waitress to come to our table. She took our orders, brought the drinks, then food, but never napkins or silverware...we had to ask her for all of that. She showed zero interest in serving us, and only smiled when brought out checks. Not coming back and won't recommend. Such a shame as the location is really fun.

Overall Great service and food. Drinks were great as well. First time here with a few coworkers and I met my Denver family here. It was so fun throwing the ice shots at the bell. 10/10

This place is a party vibe. If that is not what you were looking for do not come here. I was well aware of what federales is before I came and I was not disappointed. The music is bumping people are chatting, and everyone is in the mood to talk to each other. Some thing about the layout and makes you want to talk to your neighbor or the people at the bar. The servers always seem like they're a little over it, but I cannot blame them here. They are dealing with a party vibe, plus serving full meals. The drinks are always amazing even though they are a little expensive. I feel like they make up for it with the amount of booze that is in them. I can have two drinks and be done for the night. The classic, throwing the shot at the bell is a great time as well. I have never been here and had slow service or bad food. I will say their serving size has gotten a little smaller over the past couple of months, but it's still darn good food. The first time I went there I ordered way too much, and felt like I had spent too much money as a result. Second time and all the times that I have come back cents, I am aware of the portion size and I order accordingly. I do not feel like I have spent that much money by the time I leave. For food and strong drinks, and a party atmosphere, you can't go wrong. Wait times are really long, but again, if you know this ahead of time, you can book your tables ahead of time and be ready to party. Even with the booking issues, I have never had an issue by just calling them, or checking their reservation system to get day of or two or three day prior reservations. If you are looking for seating during the weekend or a busy night, and you have not made a reservation/ are not willing to wait, forget about it.

Atmosphere was cool.. but had a a party of 6 got there a little after they opened probably 12 people in the place took two hours for our food to come out and all the dishes were cold.

Wow! I heard this place was good but it was even better than I thought. The atmosphere was awesome. It was darker lighting but the lights they had made it easy to see. It definitely wasn't loud in there like I expected. We had multiple servers check on us throughout our time there and were fast, kind and helpful. The tacos.. sooooo good. I think my favorite was the Baja but the mushroom taco and steak taco were close seconds. I got a skinny marg and it was the best one I've had in a long time. It wasn't too sweet! I can't wait to go back and try more of their tacos!

I'd recommend this place for a group hang with a large group of friends. There plenty of seating and the outdoor patio is super cute. The vibes are fun but it can get crowded on the weekends. It's just awkward to eat around people standing and drinking around your table. The food isn't anything too special, but again totally worth it if you're there for the vibes (love to plug vegan options: just the one chorizo option but it's pretty good. No complaints whatsoever!). Overall a good time but if you're looking for a more low key chill vibe then go a weekday.

I loved Federales! I was visiting a friend in town and we made a last minute decision on where to get brunch. The food was really great - loved their queso and tacos! Not to mention tasty margs and friendly staff to go with it. What really drew us in was their 'challenge' of taking a tequila shot out of an ice glass and throwing it at the bell out front.... It was quite the experience, especially in the cold weather! This is an awesome brunch spot, I'm glad I was able to check it out!

This place was suggested by a local friend and it did not disappoint for the most part. We went 2 times in the day. First time we sat at the bar and had some drinks with free chips and salsa they include which are very good. Everything was great. When we came back later at night we took a table instead and we're ready to order food. Our server took forever to attend us. She constantly forgot about our drinks and never came by to check on us. She was busy chatting up another table the whole time. By the time she came to take our order we weren't even hungry anymore. The tacos were delicious but the service really ruined the whole thing.

Been here a few times and always a good time. Excellent service and the tacos are on the pricier side but worth it for the volume honestly. Definitely recommend getting their queso and I'm a sucker for the frozen margs.

Cool ambiance and huge space, decent tacos, great queso fundido. Service was really quick too!

Nothing better in the summertime than sitting on a patio bumping to some fun music while sipping on a mango Marg!! This is a great spot for some day drinking!! The margs are good and I LOVE their queso! The salsa was way too spicy for our taste but I guess it's personal preference.

I absolutely love this place! Not only is their food and drinks amazing, the service is top notch as well. Every time I come here I am greeted nicely by security, the bartender, the servers, the table cleaners, the bar backs... I mean everyone is nice. I love coming here to watch all my games. I just moved to Denver a couple of months ago and out of all bars I've been to, this is by far, my favorite. Thank you guys

Great food. Loved the queso fundido, pork and pineapple taco, shrimp taco, and crispy potato taco. Excellent spicy Margarita with tajin, but the mezcal margarita wasn't smoky enough for my taste. Service was a little slow, but friendly. Minus one star for ambiance. Even on the edge of the patio by an open window it was really loud, hard to have a casual conversation. Still, if that's what you're looking for, this place would be great.

Federales is of my favorite places to come grab drinks with friends. the frozen margs are my favorite and always come out so fast! I love the ice shots, it's such a fun way to create a sense of "reason" to bring others in! The food here is also pretty delish! They also decorated for Halloween and it was awesome, such a fun atmosphere. You will get ID'd at the door so have that ready. Kind staff and great service. My favorite drink is the frozen raspberry and my favorite food is the lamb quesabirria (only served 2 days a week). Top spot for me in this area!

I kinda avoided this place as to bro-ish which it is. But the food is solid and kitchen open late. 10pm on a Monday. Gringo tacos are hard shell with yellow cheeks and ground beef just like when you were kids. Churro is a vehicle for chocolate sauce. Nice staff and bouncer. I'm sure he's seen it all.

This place is fire. The shrimp tacos, queso, and steak tacos unreal. Right when we walked in our server grabbed extra stools, made sure we were comfortable, 10/10 customer service. Great music, energy, drinks.... Writing this so I know to come back next time I'm in Denver

Fun atmosphere! This place has open seating we came her a Friday evening around 6 the service was great and food was even better my favorite had to be the birria taco the meat they used was really good and not a bunch of fatty meat which I run into sometimes with birria tacos but they did their thang with this taco Ubaldo really like the chips I'm a sucker for light chips not those hard thick ones and they let the buck with th chips her everyone enjoyed their food. Would definitely come back here it's such a cool vibe it probably even better when the sun is shining it was a rainy night when we came but we still had a great time and of course did our ice bell shots ! If you're looking for good food good vibes and a good time I would def it check this place out !

This place seems like a fun place to meet friends for tacos and tequila. I split the gringo taco platter with my 15-year-old, and it was plenty with the free chips and (hot) salsa. The staff is friendly and not intrusive. There is a lot of room to spread out with the patio open. The best part was the slogans on the tv's. Very funny.

Let me start with this. These margaritas are the best. My wife and I love margaritas and they are some of the best we've tasted, period. Happy hour was good, nachos were banging. The taquitos were pretty good sized. Nice vibe in restaurant . Good service. My only complaint was the birria taco, they were disgusting to us. They only offer lamb and we were not a fan. Still no knock to the overall restaurant. Nice cool little spot.

Atmosphere and great noms. These quesadillas and margaritas hit the spot for sure. They were lightly fried and seasoned so well. Highly rec

Ive been here many many times because I am obsessed with the nachos and the drinks are also pretty good. Today was the first time I was little disappointed but just want you to know that the tacos are SO SALTY they are inedible!!! We even told the waitress but she just apologized. We had the pineapple pork ones and the Baja ones. Just salt dumped on it. Luckily the nachos and drinks were excellent as always.

Delicious; great portion size, great outdoor patio and friendly staff. I enjoyed the street tacos: wood fired shrimp and Al pastor tacos. To drink I had a spicy, skinny, mezcal margarita. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon brunch.

Came here on a Wed night with a couple friends for tacos and margaritas. Sat on the patio which was much more pleasant than inside where it was super busy. It's such a fun vibe and lots of great options for food and drinks.