La Abeja Restaurant

I’ve admittedly avoided this spot for a long while due to the persistent shenanigans on that strip of Colfax, and it’s less than appetizing exterior. However, last weekend we returned for smothered breakfast burritos that were some of the best I’ve ever had. La Abeja is clean inside, despite its surroundings, and the food feels and tastes like it’s made with love by your Mexican grandmother (because it is). Best creamy, spicy and flavorful green chile I have had in Colorado. Huge portions, made fresh and served piping hot. Puts most hipster burrito places to shame. Muchas Gracias!

I was charged $18.00 for a $10 dish. I called when I saw the charge on my cc and they said “well it was 18 that day”. That was not listed on the menu.. I asked for a refund and they told me they close in 20 minutes and if I wanted the 8 dollar difference - only cash - I’d need to come back in person and were very rude on the phone because I wouldn’t travel back to get the “refund”. This establishment is a scam. I won’t go back for them to fix this issue, they should have been able to fix it on their end. It’s a bummer because I do love supporting local restaurants, and honestly their enchiladas taste good so far, but i won’t be back again. I’ll stick to plenty other respectable local places nearby on colfax. In response to the owner: I was not intoxicated, and I'm not sure why that would be relevant. Even IF (again i was not..) I was too intoxicated to serve, you have the right to deny service at any time, I work in the service industry as well. Here is where it was listed as on the menu, as most of the prices were marked with edits over the prices.

This place has the best breakfast burrito! Made fresh, large and super hot. You can call ahead for faster service. Super authentic Mexican place, highly recommend stopping in.

I came here for first time due to high reviews. This is a family owned business from Zacatecas, Mexico. It’s an okay looking hole in wall across from McDonalds on Colfax and Pennsylvania. Not the best neighborhood and with construction, parking can be difficult. The staff seemed friendly and courteous but not really customer friendly. Not wanting to greet and make people feel welcome or hold a conversation. They are open until 3pm and have a good steady stream of people that come in. If you are sensitive to sodium or just want to watch sodium intake, probably not a good place. I sampled the Menudo which was very tasty but I could taste the sodium sort of like Pho that has a lot too. I ordered the breakfast burritos. One regular and one smothered. You don’t get red or green chili/salsa on side because they say it’s inside the burrito. The burritos were huge even for $9-$10. The chorizo wasn’t spicy like you tend to think chorizo should be. The green chili was okay. I’m not sure if it’s homemade or not but it didn’t taste fresh. I don’t believe it’s made daily. It had a taste of old.

Mexican comfort food at its finest. While the location and exterior might leave you feeling doubtful, all apprehension will disappear once that first bite hits your tongue. The food is delicious (my wife claims that their carne asada burrito is the best burrito she's ever eaten) but perhaps more importantly: it's consistent. We've never not loved every bite. We've remained very faithful to their burritos on all our previous visits but this morning I was feeling adventurous and went for the chilaquiles instead (pictured here, taken to-go). Safe to say that I now have a new regular order. And it was only made better by the addition of green chile which they sell to-go in multiple different sizes. We also never visit without buying an extra side of beans for use in making tacos at home the following day. Portions are more than generous. Two items plus one side is enough to feed my wife and I for two meals while still feeling borderline uncomfortably full each time.

Very rough place from the outside. The breakfast burrito was big and it was good. I thought it had more potatoes than I typically like in my breakfast burrito, but as you work your way into the burrito it isn’t so potatoey. I really liked the heat from the sauce but it lacked a lot of foavor. I’m glad I stopped in and will try again!!

Was not open at 8am on saturday. There were 6-7 homeless people congregated nearby. I was not comfortable waiting long for them to open. I made a few passes and the door remained locked. No lights on. Please update your times if you don’t plan to open on time. Other Burrito spots had been open 2 hours by this time.

One of the best breakfast burritos in Denver. It's pretty large so it's not the cheapest in the city. The green chili has a nice spice level, smooth texture, and robust flavor. The coffee had a hint of cinnamon which was a pleasant surprise.

Smothered breakfast burrito was delicious. Horchata was great too. Support a local business during construction.

Colfax street can be sketch... but if you're in the area and want to leave full and relatively satisfied this may be your place. When I think of hierarchy of Mexican food in Denver I would slate their wet burrito as slightly above average. Their prices are in line with chipotle $15 for a burrito - and I like their salsas. Their burrito is a little more simplistic - heavy on the meat, low on the veggies, and unique ingredients but hey that's sometimes all you need! Wish they had a salsa bar.

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Stopped in for lunch and ordered a carnitas burrito. The burrito came with some homemade salsa. Both were very good. I would describe the food as home style, tasty and comforting. The portion size was decent, equivalent to the size of the two burrito chains. Unlike the chains though, there was no regretting the decision 30 minutes later. Service was friendly, nothing outstanding and the value is pretty standard for a spot in Denver, averagely overpriced. I will go back when I feel the itch for home style food for sure though.

Party of 4 came in for a late lunch on a Saturday...tried a little bit of everything. Excellent all around. The food was authentically prepared and tasty. Helpful, no-nonsense, staff. Probably some of the best Mexican food I've had in Denver.

Incredible authentic Mexican spot! Great service and delicious food! Fase and friendly!!! A Perfect hole in the wall joint.

Mexican and Chicagoan here. This has the best Mexican food I've had in Colorado. Try the combination Al pastor!! 10/10!!

I arrived here about 30 minutes before they were closing. The dining area is somewhat spacious but I'm not a big fan of their set up. You order at the counter, if you want a drink, you can grab it from the refrigerator on your left. You can then take a seat in the other room, and they'll bring the food to your table. When you're finished you go back to the counter and pay. Very unique. I was pretty much by myself when I ate until a party of 3 came about 10 minutes before they were closing. I was basically done with my food at that point. One thing I notice is that they had aguas frescas in the dining room, not the room where you order your food. Probably would have ordered an horchata if I had seen it when ordering. I ordered their Smothered burrito with carne Asada. They used cheap taco meat for the carne Asada, so it isn't a true carne Asada and it was served with rice and beans inside. The burrito itself was good, just wish the chili would have been a little bit spicier. Overall it was a pretty good meal for a decent price. They weren't very welcoming and they didn't check up on you to make sure everything was ok. It was missing the humbling Mexican welcoming one would expect in a restaurant like this. I would definitely still consider returning though.

Best food here, area is sketch but do not let that scare you away from this hidden gem. 10/10 food especially smothered burrito.

DELICIOUS.... Best Mexican food I've had in Colorado since moving here . I had a breakfast burrito and my friend had the chilaquiles both amazing. Awesome coffee too. Hole in the wall but won't get better than this.

This is a hidden hole in the wall gem. By far one of the best breakfast burrito spots in Denver. The outside appearance with the construction can be deceiving but the food is delicious and the customer service is great. The burrito as you can see is huge and stuffed with plenty of ham or cheese. I got greedy and ordered both meats on mine. Smothered burritos were the best the sauce is a bit spicy with flavor but Soo good. The menu is not that big but the variety was plenty. The owners were very pleasant as this is a family ran business and they treat you like family. This place has been here for almost 25 years and the food speaks for itself. A must try if your in for breakfast burritos and more

Food is always bomb 10/10 well hidden its infront of mcdonalds on colfax ave. Construction right now is hiding it making it hard to spot , i always get the carne asada burrito regular with salsa verde and limon . Super fire and their horchata is 10/10 as well.

The food here is excellent. It's been hard to find exceptional Mexican food in Denver since moving from California. Abeja is fabulous. Not the best part of town but worth it. I went for breakfast and it was fantastic.

I called just to ask a simple question. I called twice actually. They wanted to hang up on me before I could even get in a word. That's fine I'll go somewhere else, that doesn't hang up the phone on potential customers!

Just an update, the green chile is amazing as reported, but is _not_ vegetarian. That is all

If you love smothered green chili burritos, this is the best place you'll ever eat. I make no exaggeration when I say this is the best green chili burritos I've ever had. This is, hands down, my favorite restaurant in Denver!

The location of this place is not optimal. Right on Colfax and close to the road. However the food definitely makes up for it. The service is what you can expect in a place like this. Easy to order and friendly staff. I ordered a smothered burrito with steak. It was absolutely delicious.,A bit spicy but still very tasty, they have enough seating for larger groups as well. We went during lunchtime and it was not crowded. The prices was great for the food you got. I will definitely go back here!!

Came in for breakfast burritos and lemme tell ya: there were fantastic. Great portions, good green chile, awesome tortilla. If you're in need of a big old breakfast burrito, this is the spot. The service was awesome. I will be back!

People absolutely love La Abeja! . . . But not me. The Yelp reviews for their breakfast burritos are stellar. So do they deserve it you ask? And the (my) answer is "no." Great things about La Abeja: their tortillas are excellent and their chile verde has the perfect amount of heat (plus the ambiance is as divey as you can get and who doesn't like divey?:). But is the food 4-5 star worthy? Don't think so. At least not their smothered BBs. There's just not a lot going on inside of them. And even the perfectly spiced chile verde lacks any textural element. Eggs, mashed potatoes and sprinkled-in chorizo covered by a pureed chile flavored bisque about sums it up. So I know I'm not in the majority here, but be advised you've been warned. It's a good burrito but not a great one. Yours truly, David "Lo siento" M.

I'm in town for a weekend I. Denver and was really wanting some authentic Mexican food . I live in Houston,TX and we have Mexican every where . From the service to the the taste of the food. It's a great restaurant! I got the chilaquiles con queso and it was so fresh, crisp, and well seasoned. One of my favorite things was the salsas they have (beyond delicious) . I highly recommend this place

Best torta de asada I've had in Denver. Came out fast, my boyfriend got one de jamón and he loved it too. If you wanna support local, go here for some bomb food!

Some of the best green Chile I've had in Colorado! Quick, friendly, and delicious. Check out this authentic hole in the wall!

This is a hole in the wall with insanely good burritos. I had the asada and while it wasn't what you might think (thinly sliced steak?) it had an incredible flavor. I was warned that the green chili was too hot, but nope...it's got a kick and you'll be fine. Two meals in one burrito. The staff were nice and barely English speaking. The ambiance was very grungy and on a pretty tough strip of Colfax. If you're around, do it. I don't want to throw shade but I'm three blocks from an Illegal Pete's, a regular of Tacos Selene, but La Abeja slays.

Exceptional huevos rancheros. Eggs cooked perfectly and they float into the fried tortillas, the beans are silky, and the thick green chile on top is super fresh. Ambience and service are both whatever, but that's not the point. Great place to get a green chile fix as a tourist.

Amazing hole-in-the-wall vibe with no-nonsense, prompt counter service. I ordered a torta carnitas and a horchata. Both were absolutely delicious. The carnitas were fall-apart tender and flavorful and the house salsa was bright and spicy. Portion on food and bev was enormous. I will be back to explore more of the menu ASAP. What an awesome spot.

Menu is very simple and hours limited but the take-out tacos I tried today were very good! I especially like that the meats are trimmed - well, mostly (the pork has some grizzle). I ordered barbacoa (pulled beef), pastor (cubed pork), and carnitas (pulled pork). The beef was much leaner than the pork and I'll probably stick with the shredded next time. I just can't eat hunks of fat! The standard are $2.75 each and served Mexican street style (with cilantro and raw onion). There's another version of tacos with cheese (los inlegales). It was great that a red sauce and green sauce were both in my to-go container for pouring over my tacos - it was perfect. I'll be back to try more stuff!

Although they seemed to be short staffed, we still got great food! The menudo was amazing as well as my smothered asada burrito! Keep up the good work guys!

Classic hole the wall, amazing, street tacos. No frills. They take your order in the front and you pay at the end. Carne asada, al pastor, carnitas were all moist, tender, and delicious. Three to four tacos is probably enough for a typical appetite as they are larger than average street tacos. Heard their burritos are great too but I haven't tried. The special tacos de alambres were a real meat-lovers cluster and a bit much. Otherwise, a great joint definitely worth checking out.

Delicious and fast! Food was so tasty, the smother was excellent and enhanced the flavor of the asada. They came by often to refill beverages too. Nice and relaxed environment where you can just hang out!

Great breakfast but note menu price change c. 11 AM. Excellent desayuno and al muerza.

Gambled on trying out La Abeja during my first trip to Denver and it was so good that I came again during my 2nd trip out there. It's a no frills place with delicious food that hits the spot. I've only had their tacos and need to venture out but it's hard when I know what works! It's fresh, hot and you won't be disappointed. Looking at the other reviews, I know I'll have to try the chilequilles and smothered burrito.

This place is a gem in Capitol Hill. Probably the most authentic Mexican food for miles. I like to get the menudo for a pick me up after a night of celebration.

Out of all the local spots I walk to, this has been my favorite for the past few years. The staff is always incredibly friendly. I'm one of those people that when I find something I like, I only stick to that. My order has stayed consistent and delicious, year after year. They always have a nice selection of sodas and agua frescas. No matter who I'm talking to, if they ask for a recommendation, I say La Abeja. The salsa verde is a must have also! All of my other Colfax restaurants that I used to frequent closed during the past two years and I wish I could personally save La Abeja from closing. This restaurant truly is a gem.

Tacos! Really, really good tacos. You almost don't know what this place is when you drive by it. It takes up two sides of a split commercial space. One half has tables and the kitchen. The other half is pretty empty. Very strange. It's like it was meant for a retail shop. Anyway, the tacos are yummy! I've gotten a variety of different kinds at this point, and they were all good. My favorites are the lengua (tongue) and the pastor. The lengua was super tender and almost melted in my mouth. The pastor is super flavorful with bold flavors, and still tender. I also got the horchata one time and it was delicious. The owner is also really nice, and his son is the cook in the back. Nice family restaurant to support!

Great menudo with perfectly buttered bolillos (or tortillas if you prefer). Menudo was season perfectly and served super hot, perfect! It was served w/plenty of oregano, diced onions, crushed red chile's & limes. The huevos rancheros were also super good! A little too much sauce for me, they were covered.

I stopped by for lunch and got a carne asada smothered burrito and an al pastor taco. Service was fast. The chile sauce for the burrito was quite tangy. The meat in the burrito tasted somewhat flat. The al pastor taco was crispy and savory. I didn't like how oily the tortilla was though. Overall, a solid choice for the price.

SUCH a hidden gem. Polite counter service, very casual dining room, AMAZING food at great prices. My only complaint is that they're not open for dinner so I can eat there even more often. You cannot make a wrong move ordering: EVERYTHING is fantastic.

No atmosphere but amazing food. And, it's a Value! Had a huge quesadilla and tacos. And the salsa is made here and killer!

We have been coming here for over 12 years. It has remained consistently delicious. The green chili is vegetarian but don't let that detour you. It always has a kick and has so much flavor. Their salsas are also very bright and flavorful. It is family run and they are so friendly. It is very reasonable and you will not leave hungry. We always order lunch items and bring out of towners here. It's not fancy it's simple but tasteful.. so if that's an issue for you then don't come in and then complain about the decor. Come for the food, it's DELICIOUS!!

My new favorite Mexican food place! This place is legit. I've had my fair share of "Mexican" and "tex-mex" in Denver and they've all fallen short, but not this place. If you've ever had real mex food you'll be in the know. The menudo reminds me of my mom's/home and the bolillo was to die for. My hubs had the 4 taco plate, another great choice that was more than enough. Only downside: they didn't have horchata ready when we arrived :(

The smothered burrito is crazy good. Fresh green Chile. And the service is great. I've had a few things there now and all of them are good.

Great food with excellent prices. Easy to find, simple menus, and did I say delicious food? I recommend the four tacos. You get your choice of meats and the portions are amazing, enough to feed two people but at prices that you will want your own. They don't sell alcohol and the eating area only accommodates a few people at a time so drink before or after your meal if you must. It's worth a look.

We came here after an intense breakfast burrito craving but wanting some more authentic - what better spot than to search along Colfax. And this did not disappoint! I got a chorizo breakfast burrito smothered and MAN IT WAS SO GOOD that i had to come write a review right away! The chile was super spicy so if you can't heat, well, drink lots of water and eat more hot sauce? (Lol) Also the burritos were YUGE! Deff a must try!

The chilaquiles are incredible here. Service is fast, food is amazing. I love coming here. Such incredible food!

Fantastic food, warm welcoming service. A hidden gem. Don't hesitate on this one for authentic Mexican food in Denver.

The staff at La Abeja is friendly and kind and the chilaquiles are the best I've ever had. I come in about once a week and the food is consistently delicious! Thanks La Abeja!

Updating again since I finally got around to trying the taco combination plate. It was delicious as expected. It just took awhile because it's so hard not to get the smothered carne asada burrito.

Tried this spot this morning. It's been hard to find good old fashioned taqueria style Mexican places in CO since we moved here from CA 4 years ago. This definitely is up there with some of the best. Reminds me of the taquerias in East San Jose. Yummy yummy. Chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and menudo. Everything was super, even the beans and rice were great.

Amazing food. Big portions and tastes amazing! I'm from Texas and was weary because it's not a big fancy place and I was worried about the authenticity, but wow! So good.