Zocalito Latin Bistro

My mom and I went here for dinner before a show at the Paramount Theater. The restaurant is an inviting and well-decorated space with some beautiful art. Our host/server, Matt, was so kind! We ordered margaritas, salsa and guacamole, ceviche, and split the beef tenderloin. The flavors were incredible!! My mom and I were guessing which spices were used in some of the dishes and Matt was happy to talk us through the flavor-profiles. I will definitely be coming back and would highly recommend checking out Zocalito!

AMAZING FLAVOR!!!! I was blown away by the delicious and developed flavors. Try the shrimp ceviche, it was delicious and balanced and paired perfectly with fresh tortilla chips! Every bite of our meal was 10/10 the skirt steak was so tender and so delicious, and the mole was the best I've ever tasted. The Chicken Rellano was absolutely perfect. Make a reservation today, you won't be disappointed!!!

We had a perfect meal! The drinks were tasty, my pork tenderloin with red mole was tender and delicious! Highly recommend this restaurant!!

Great flavors and unique dishes. The shrimp and octopus salad was fantastic and the red banana dessert is perfect.

Excellent cuisine and service. Mojito with 7 year aged rum was exceptional. Calamari and mole chicken were perfect. Don’t miss the chocolate mousse for desert. Go out of our way (only two blocks from 16th Street) for this superlative restaurant.

We loved everything about Zocolito! Food and margaritas were amazing, as was the service and atmosphere. Fascinating and impressive stories about the chile used in many of the dishes. We are looking forward to visiting again.

Good Oaxacan food if a bit north or the border in menus descriptions and spices

UNBELIEVABLE FLAVORS and combinations that will tantalize your palate. Coming from a professional chef— trust me and come here. Get the Aztec soup, mussels, kale and calamari salad, skirt steak with the BEST MOLE YOU’VE ever had, and the broiled cod. You will not be disappointed. Been dining with the chef Mike since he had his restaurant in Aspen. Denver you are lucky. Come here, trust me.

This one's for the bartenders! I work upstairs and come down often with some coworkers after work for a little happy hour. The bartenders are super cool, super attentive, drinks are great, and the atmosphere and interior are good. If it's a nice day, you can sit outside on a beautiful patio!

Went to dinner here on the recommendation of friends. We had an enjoyable time thanks to Zocalito. There were two people working on a Thursday night. One in the kitchen, the chef and one bartender who was also the server and host for the evening. There were several guests and a larger party as well, but somehow they managed to keep up with everyone's wants and needs. I'm impressed! I selected the grilled prawns for dinner. The prawns were cooked perfectly. The chilcosle sauce was very tasty and yes, it was spicy, but not overwhelming. As Goldilocks would say, "it was just right". To end the meal, the group selected the banana split for dessert. YUM! I hadn't had banana split in years, and this one was excellent. Great dining experience with comfy seats both inside and out. Definitely recommend and next time I will have to try the rellenos as those are a frequent recommendation for Zocalito!

Stopped in for dinner with friends who have raved about this downtown spot. Plenty of seating both inside and on the patio. They are known for their Oaxacan cuisine and chilhuacle (old chile in Aztec). Service was very friendly, but I was surprised there were only two staff members--our server/bartender and the owner/chef. Fortunately, our server told us to put in our order when a large party arrived. They have an extensive tequila and mezcal menu, and their margaritas have fresh-squeezed lime and are on the sour side (just how I prefer!) I ordered the shrimp & scallop seafood salad, which is a hot salad with cooked seafood and sauteed napoles, onions, jalapenos, tomato, and a delicious chilcosle dressing. I only wish it came with some bread or tortilla to soak up that delicious sauce! Colorful alebrijes are displayed throughout this welcoming space.

I happen to be in Denver for a convention, and I had a craving for Mexican food. First of all, Matt the waiter was terrific. Friendly, helpful, and attentive. You can't get any better. Granted, the restaurant was relatively empty on a Thursday night, so he wasn't terribly distracted. However, the food was outstanding as well. I started with the Cuban black bean soup, which was excellent. Had plenty of complex flavors and a portion of sliced guacamole on top. I practically licked the bowl. Then I have the beef tenderloin, which was served with potatoes au gratin and a sweet/savory corn mixture that was delicious with the potatoes. It was served with green sauce on top of the steak. The steak was cooked perfectly. It was delicious piece of beef. For dessert they had a fantastic selection. I picked one they call caramel - banana crêpes.. I picked this because I had a craving for bananas, even though supposedly the chocolate mousse is their specialty. It was covered in caramel and chocolate sauce, and had a large number of walnuts on top, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream as well. I thought it was a bit sweet, and in retrospect I should've gotten the mousse. I ordered coffee and Matt made a pot of regular just for me, although they don't have milk, only cream, which is a mortal sin, considering I'm from New Jersey. All in all, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who's looking for Mexican food, but not the typical Tex-Mex stuff you get at most restaurants.

Delicious! We ordered a few dishes and enjoyed everything, especially the manchego granting. Theres a large tequila/mezcal list, but they have a full bar to make anything you want. Service was good a friendly. I'll definitely be back!

Food is amazing, service is attentive/friendly, there's a nice vibe to the restaurant and validated parking. My friend was visiting from out of town and it was a great dinner!

Delicious food, great drinks, wonderful atmosphere- not noisy, great people watching! My friend forgot her glasses there and one of the waiters met her on his off time to give them back to her. So, outstanding staff!

The food was very flavorful and authentic tastes The service was exceptional however cocktails were somewhat disappointing Ambiance was ok better if busier Kind of a quiet night

Very good food, nice blend of spices and flavors. Lacking in ambiance, unfortunately. Could be due to time of day or location in CBD.

Want REAL Latin flavors?? Come here! This is the first true Latin restaurant I've been able to find in the Denver area. The food was outstanding!! Things are hot here so keep that in mind if you're not into that. I got medium and it was "hot" to me but still had great flavor.

I seriously love this place! I'm actually glad we couldn't get reservations at Tamayo and went here instead. Everything was superb, including the service from Matt. I had the classic margarita, bean-queso dip, mole skirt steak and chicken relleno. Everything was super yummy! That mole was some of the best I had in my life (and my sister is married to a Mexican whose mother used to make it with chocolate and peanut butter) so only Mrs. Martinez could rival that.

Great food, friendly staff in an ambient environment. A unique dining experience for sure. Highly recommended.

Excellent Mojitos, food and dessert. Got great suggestions from the server. Hope more folks experience the food at this establishment.

Food was pretty good, albeit smaller portions... not really a big deal for me, but my big- portions-are-a-must-of-a-husband, he was a little bit disappointed in the small portions. Also, the scoop of guacamole that was probably two tablespoons was $15 with a sprinkling of 12 tortilla chips felt a little chintzy and like over-priced for what you got, as well as presentation. Drab. Prices like this, presentation goes a long way. Expectations and perception matters to a consumer. Our server was nice, but seemed a bit distracted, or maybe uninterested? Not sure we'd return.

As they almost used to say about Yogi . . . way nicer than your average bear. Most casual Mexican food spots serve pretty much the same thing: enchilada this and burrito that. But Zocalito's takes it to a higher level. Their skirt steak with Oaxacan mozzarella and their shrimp and octopus salad with avocado and cotija cheese are things you just won't find elsewhere. More like Tamayo's than Las Delicias if ya get my meaning, if ya catch my drift. Check 'em out when you want something a little different / a little better than your regular TexMex hangout. (Plus the servers are nice as can be and that's important stuff too:). Sign me. David "Con buen gusto" M

Authentic, fresh ingredients and excellent service. The owner-chef focuses on Oaxacan-style cooking, and after so many visits there his expertise shows. This restaurant is a gem.

Great vibe and the service was great! The Oaxacan based cuisine (especially the mole) was fresh, very flavorful and tasty. Matt took good care of us and mixed an amazing margarita with their fresh lime juice and house made ingredients. Bravo!

We had a fish dish and a beef dish. Also had potato au gratin. Also had chips and shrimp ceviche. Everything was perfect. I think the potatoes augraten might've been the best I've ever had. And the waiter was excellent also. Ian was the waiter and Mike was the chef.

Was on a work trip and came here with a group of colleagues. One of my colleagues had high remarks for this place so decided to come here. It was a quiet evening in the restaurant but it is centrally located in downtown Denver. We started off with complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were thin and crispy - we kept asking for additional baskets of chips because we all loved them. We also ordered two different queso dips - one had chorizo and the other had mushrooms. Both dips were delicious! I especially liked adding the queso to the warm tortillas that are served with them. We also ordered guacamole as another starter and while the guacamole was delicious, I was disappointed in the portion. We paid $15, and It came with a dollop of guacamole. The star of the evening was my plate - Skirt Steak covered in mole sauce and served with bean and cheese tacos. While the mole sauce was spicy, the whole plate was delicious. The skirt steak was tender and cooked as requested, and I liked dipping the tacos into the mole sauce. Because of the level of spicyness, I requested crema sauce on the side which balanced the mole sauce nicely. Service was also good. Our waiter was attentive and kept refilling our basket of chips.

Unbelievably good! I've been gone from Denver for a few years now and was back on business. Found my way here and was very impressed. Ian took good care of me at the bar and let me read a "cookbook"" written by the chef describing his travel through Oaxaca and the chilies, mezcal, and moles of the region. Had the cerviche with house made tortilla chips followed by the duck breast which came in a beautiful mole with potatoes. Bean/corns, and a little shredded herba santa leaf on top. This was perhaps some of the tastiest duck breast I've eaten. Dessert was the red fried banana and gelato - good but the lingering duck memories made me wish I'd just ordered another round of the main. Will definitely head back the next time I pass through Denver. This place is a gem!

Food was astonishing! Great mix of different Latin foods either a high end touch! My Black Mole was fantastic. The dessert, a caramel banana crepe was something I will recommend anyone. Service was great, solving questions about allergens, pairing wine. I strongly recommend te place to someone who wants to try Latin food with some tweaks

Amazing! Matt was great food is DELICIOUS! I recommend the mussels, the prawns and if you are into spice they have great spicy options!

Great ambiance with outdoor patio and music. Matt is an amazing waiter/host. He took care of the entire restaurant with flair. The food was pretty special. We liked the steam mussels appetizer, chicken peanut mole and the calamari salad.

Wow! Didn't expect this from a restaurant that I walk by everyday around the corner from my work. A friend of mine wanted to order specialized chiles they happen to carry and introduced me to this spot. When we arrived I was a little worried that the restaurant was a little empty but I chalked that up to the downtown location. First and foremost, service was relaxed and on point. My drink was always full along with my water. My wife tried the Chicken Rellenos which she would most like not order if wasn't for the suggestion of our waiter. She loved it. I ordered the bbq ribs in a mole sauce (special). I was blown away the dish was awesome. If you want true Mexican in Denver you have to eat here!

Great food that pays homage to Latin American food culture. Amazing selection of mezcal and tequila. The duck breast was wonderfully cooked and tender. My colleague tried the grilled shrimp so I don't know how it tastes but it looks pretty damn good! Service was fast for appetizers but slow for entrees, though to be fair we were a company group of 30+. Latin American inspired ambiance was on point!

The server checked on us once every 45 minutes - that's right - 45 minutes. The food was just OK, kind of cold, probably because the server was hanging out with the staff laughing and not even looking at the tables. 2 of our party NEVER had their water refilled. The icing on the cake was the 25% gratuity added to any receipt, even just a 4 top. 25% !? I would have left 10% and I am appalled we were forced to tip above and averages considering the level of service received.

The Skinny: oh. my. god. you. need. to. eat. here...Amazing Oaxacan food and margs. The food/drinks: This has made it up there as one of my favorite places in Denver. You can't go wrong here. The mezcal marg is pretty top notch and freshly made (pro tip - follow them on Insta for a free drink!). For food we ordered the special of grilled stuffed calamari (This was incredible - and I am beyond upset it was only a special), the duck & pork tenderloin (both had great smokey mole sauce and a perfect pairing of melt in your mouth flavors). The menu is all enticing - we had the hardest time choosing. But if you have the chance to get the stuffed calamari - get it. Atmosphere/service: In a seemingly quieter part of downtown. Bright open restaurant with seated and bar seating. Cool authentic decor. The service was top notch - huge shout out to our server Josh. He was incredibly informative, friendly, and all around just great to chat with. The food/drinks were to die for but Josh really made it a great experience. Price/value: $$-$$$ A little bit on the pricier side (entrees were about $28 and margs $15) but every bit worth it. Tips: Follow them on insta for a free drink, they are in the Denver passbook for Bogo entrees or drinks & yelp currently has 15% cash back for linking your cc. Would I come back: Absolutely - and can't wait to do so! I honestly want to come back and try every dish.

This was probably the most disappointing dining experience I've had in Denver at this level of price. My husband and I have traveled to Oaxaca and absolutely love the food. So I made reservations a month in advance to make sure that we could have a nice meal. When we arrived for our 5:15pm reservation, there was only one other party in the entire place. This was surprising because not only had I been called but separately texted beforehand to confirm my reservation as they said that they were overbooked. We were seated in a booth immediately. Not five minutes later we were asked to move to an out-of-the-way corner of the restaurant, with the reason being given that they had a packed night and needed that booth for another party. The two tops that had been combined into a four top were grossly uneven in height, which I pointed out to the server. He shrugged it off and said that's what it was. We were also seated immediately next to a table of 8 people in town for a conference, so our nice intimate romantic dinner was anything but. We ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer, which was chewy, the crust completely falling off as soon as you tried to pick it up with your fork. I ordered the kurobuta pork tenderloin and my husband ordered the grilled prawns. The rice and beans portions were tiny (probably one tablespoon worth - seriously), the rice tasting like it was from the day before. My husband said his shrimp was rubbery, as if it had been defrosted improperly or was not fresh. The most egregious thing, though, is that *both* of us thought our food was under-salted, which shouldn't happen when you're paying $30+ for your plates. We had to ask the waiter for salt, which he brought to finally make the food palatable. The only things that tasted good were our drinks, and at $16-$19 each, they'd better taste good. The kicker - as we left, I noticed that the booth we had been sitting in was occupied, however the booth immediately next to it was empty the entire duration of our meal. Other than the booths and the party of 8, the place was empty. I guess they weren't overbooked? Good thing they moved us to the crappy corner.

The menu was very large and all of our food was absolutely delicious with interesting flavors from various Latin areas. The servíce was great and they had a good wine list. We will be back.

Really, really great Latin restaurant tucked away next to the lobby of one of the downtown Denver office buildings. A pretty decent sized patio and then a slightly smaller interior focused mostly around a delightful bar. At 7p on a Friday we were maybe only one of 7 other tables in the entire place and it's a giant shame. This place should be packed. It's really, really great! Service was excellent; fast and friendly. Cocktails were very tasty, and they've got a great range of margs, mezcal, tequila, and even a caipirhina on the menu. The tortilla chips and salsa were kind of average - good! Not bad at all, but not super special. The entrees were just *chef's kiss*! The skirt steak in mole was very well cooked - the steak was flavorful and delightful. The mole itself was not the super candy-chocolate mole you get many places, but was much more savory and deeply flavored. Quite good. My partner enjoyed her pork, its red sauce both bright and spicy. Dessert was the Peruvian red bananas - bananas with some ice cream and mole. Nothing super amazing as far as ethnic themed desserts go, but was still wonderful nonetheless. We'll be back to Zocalito for sure, and hopefully everyone else will be as well because this place deserves to be full!

Always beautiful artwork for the eyes and delectable flavors for the palette. The chorizo cheese dip to start and then the grilled beef tenderloin for the entree was amazing!!! Always a good time & great experience!

First night in Denver for our Memorial Day trip to Colorado and damn did we luck out with this spot. We were staying just a couple of blocks away from Zocalito and after a long day of walking around, I came across this restaurant and chose to dine here based on the reviews and the menu. It exceeded my expectations and then some. We all thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. All the dishes had some unexpected combination of flavors which were surprising at first but oh so delightful! 1. Chicken wings with a dry rub (4.5/5) - big chunky wings, spicy dry rub, so juicy. 2. Pork tenderloin with a red mole (5/5) - I am always a bit apprehensive to order pork tenderloin, but so glad I got this entree. Perfectly cooked, moist, coated with a luscious mole. The potato gratin that it was served with was cheesy and so yummy! 3. Colorado trout (4/5) - fresh fish, green salsa, and rice. 4. Oaxacan chicken breast (5/5) - tender chicken breast wrapped in banana leaf, with another mole, a variety of veg with potato mash. 5. Caipirinha (4.5/5) - these drinks we're absolutely delicious! 6. Chocolate mousse (5/5) - fantastic way to end our meal. The host recommended this and boy was he right! Mexican chocolate mousse with gelato and whipped cream. GET THIS.

My boyfriend and I came here by a happy accident when we received poor service someplace else. We were pleasantly surprised to find the food to have a completely unique flavor, unlike any other cuisine we've tried. We complemented the food to our server, who then brought out the owner, Michael. Michael explained to us how he discovered the cuisine and how he aims to pay fair trade, buy organic ingredients, and travels himself to other countries to hand select the ingredients he uses for his food. He runs his establishment with pride and ethics and it shows! We are only here for one week, but we are definitely planning on visiting again. Shop small. Eat local. Support your neighbors & community! My only minor complaint is that the staff do not wear masks, so that may be something to consider.

Food, service and atmosphere were all awesome, and the prices are what you should expect when you are treated that well. We enjoyed everything that we ordered. We didn't eat everything because we just couldn't eat any more and walk out unassisted. Would love to go back.

We stopped in late one evening for some apps and drinks on a Thursday evening. Service from the bartender was great. There was live music which was nice. All portion sizes of the apps were great, however the guacamole portion size felt a bit small so probably wouldn't order that one again. There were plenty of entree items that looked interesting on the menu so will definitely go back to try some of those main menu items!

Chef Michael Beary has been running Zocalito in Aspen for the past 15 years, but has just (December 28, 2018) relocated to the Denver Place complex in downtown Denver. The new space is very pretty with large windows facing 18th Street, a large bar, and multiple seating areas. Alebrijes, Mexican folk-art sculptures, by Pedro Linares are everywhere and bring an authentic charm to the space. We arrived for lunch on the fourth day that the restaurant has been open. There were a few minor glitches in service (the chicken wings arrived after the rest of the meal, the check took a long time to return after payment), but everything ran pretty smoothly. The server was charming and helpful. The chef is fascinated by heirloom peppers from the Oaxaca region of Mexico and has been instrumental in creating a market in the wider world for them so that they don't die out. These are not particularly hot peppers, but they are very unusual and all of the items we tried had unique and interesting flavors. We started with the salsa and guacamole. The presentation of this dish was very different. We received a soup bowl of pico de gallo with a little mountain of guacamole in its center. The unusual peppers gave the salsa a wonderful, smoky taste while the guacamole and fresh chips were both fantastic. We made short work of this beautiful dish. My friend and I both ordered soups, I had the tortilla while he had the pozole. I've had a lot of really bad pozole around Denver. I don't understand why. This pozole was amazing. A wonderful flavor from the special peppers, rich and delicious. My chicken soup was just OK in comparison. The ingredients were good individually, but the depth of flavor I wanted in the broth was lacking. The menu interestingly offers four versions of chicken wings with varying combinations of spice blends and heat levels. We tried one of these at the medium heat level and received a generous eight pieces of legs and wings with a nice crema for dipping. Again, the spice blend was unusual and delicious, but not too hot, and the chicken was very tasty. The chef was trained in the French tradition and combines these techniques with Oaxacan ingredients and traditional Oaxacan recipes along with other regional Mexican dishes. The results are very special. Zocalito is a wonderful addition to the Denver dining scene.

This is hands down our favorite Mexican restaurant in the city. Delicious margaritas, queso, guac, wings, rellenos, and desserts! You honestly can't go wrong with any of the items on the menu. We've probably been here 10 times in the last 2 years. It's my husband's happy place. :)

The food is great. As a vegetarian, I had the Oaxaca pepper chili rellano, which is very tasty.

Amazing place... lots of flavors on the two dishes I had... stuff calamari and eu gratin potatoes with chorizo, mushrooms and manchego cheese!!! Amazing little place, the decor and music ambiance is just legit mint..

Unbelievable experience. We had a group of 18, and from drinks to starters to mains it was outstanding. Lived in Colorado for 40 years, eaten all kinds of Mexican food, this a huge step above most everything I've had. So unique, so good. Clearly they're working hard at the recipes, the sauces, the presentations. Outstanding all over!

At this Oaxacan restaurant, Mexican food feels so exotic. The flavors of the different chiles and moles are exhilarating. We tried all the specials tonight and was wowed with a culinary tour of Oaxacan cuisine. The standout dish was the CHICKEN TAMALES - as it was described by our server - the best tamales you've ever eaten. Tis true!! Go try it out yourself in downtown Denver. Great patio seating. Tip - save your parking pass. You get it validated at the restaurant.

This restaurant is outrageously unique and EVERYTHING is completely delicious! Tonight, I indulged in the Black Bean Soup (topped with the Steak AND Avocado! Now, they added an order of these great tortilla chips (doused with lime! Yum!) I dipped the chips in the soup, and WOW! FLAVOR IMPACT ORAMA! I couldn't be more pleased! The menu is amazing and the food is consistently fantastic! Do not pass this up! It's a must try...you'll become a regular!

A fantastic, locally owned business run by the owner chef with great ambiance, food and drinks. The service and atmosphere was spot on for our event. Thank you!

I went here while traveling to Denver for a conference. The meal was so amazing that I went back two nights in a row. Food is delicious, service is amazing, and drinks are good too!! Food has great spice--chicken tortillas soup, wings, chocolate mousse dessert--I can't wait to go back!

The food is delicious but the service and the negative attitude of the servers really puts a damper on your experience

This is located in a very nondescript office building. We went on a Saturday evening and it wasn't busy at all. I would imagine it's the kind of place that's pretty busy over lunch. There was some cool artwork inside and the food and beverages were good. We went with a big group and had some challenges with the bill. They wouldn't give us separate checks or even let us pay with separate credit cards. For our group of seven, they would split it into three checks and we had to figure it out from there. They said there was no way their system could do it any differently. That makes no sense since you ring up separate checks for different tables all of the time. I wasn't impressed.

Everything is balanced well here. Lots of flavor, yet tolerable spice level for those who aren't a fan. So much respect to the chef who came up with the menu items. Highly recommend the duck. Great service. Hidden gem in a way. I always walk by this place and say "oh yeah! I should eat here more". And I always leave full.

First visit and decided to sit on the patio. Professional, yet relaxed environment. Private enough for a date or business meeting, and could easily accommodate a group. Started with the fried calamari and I wish I'd taken a photo. Fair size portion, easily shared by two or more people. Great balance of the calamari pieces. Not chewy and encrusted in a light breading crispy enough to balance the texture of the calamari. The sauce was an annatto seed garlic and lime vinaigrette with a dusting of a perfectly paired seasoning. Similar to tasting a fine-wine or specialty coffee, the Pasilla de Oaxaca relleno had a full-bodied sauce that brought a lingering of a light smoke flavor. There was a subtle spice that hit hard. The actual relleno was cooked perfectly, presentation was professional and just to be cheesy, I forgot I was in the midst of a city. Great setting, delicious meal.

Amazing menu & ingredients! Mike & Matt have a great story. I loved my whole experience. 12/10