Longmont, Colorado is a hotbed for Mexican cuisine
We love Mexican food. And we don’t even need Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to enjoy the cuisine. In fact, our first date was at a Mexican restaurant – Rosalita’s in Marlboro, New Jersey. And now that we have made the move cross country and started a new life together, we are amazed and almost overwhelmed by all of the Mexican eateries just within the Longmont, Colorado city limits.
Melissa would always say that in New Jersey “there is a pizza place in every strip mall” that you pass. Well, here in Longmont, there is a Mexican eatery and/or grocery in every nook and cranny of real estate. Of course there are the brick and mortar places, but there are dozens of food trucks around to explore, each with their own signature touch. On the weekends, we’ve seen people selling tamales and Mexican corn out of the back their cars!
We haven’t been here long enough to hit more than a handful. But one of the places that we have tried, and loved, is our choice to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, or just because – Jefe’s Tacos and Tequila on Main Street has become a favorite.
Jefes Tacos & Tequila is a great place for a Mexican dinner
Jefes Tacos & Tequila is one of four restaurants in Longmont owned and operated by Sean and Rebecca Gafnar…along with The Roost; Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant; and 99 Bar Saloon. Jefes, The Roost, and 99 Bar Saloon are all downtown on Main Street, while Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant & Bar is located on Dry Creek Road. We’ve experienced all but 99 Bar Saloon at least twice and have had great meals and experiences each time.
The menus have unique but “relevant” items for the cuisine. There may be some offerings that are unexpected, but it gives you a lot to think about and wide range to choose from.
For example, Jefes has among its taco selection seared ahi tuna, snapper, buffalo cauliflower, and butternut squash. You’re not going to find those in too many Mexican restaurants.
We always start off with an order of guacamole. The guac was not spicy at all, it was very mild and had a sweet taste to it.
I chose the three taco option and selected the seared ahi tuna, mariscos, and buffalo cauliflower. The seared tuna has ginger slaw, avocado, sriracha aioli, and cilantro. The mariscos has grilled Pacific snapper, shrimp, sriracha aioli, jalapeno slaw, and pico de gallo. The cauliflower has fried cauliflower, bangin’ sauce, fresh basil, and pico de gallo. It was a nice variety and all three were excellent…but they were all a bit on the hotter side. I would say a tad more than a little “kick” to them…but they were a nice size portion on each taco, very tasty, and fresh.
Melissa chose one of the burritos – The Legend. It came with chicken (her choice of meat) and black beans (her choice of beans), rice, pico de gallo, and jack cheese…and it was huge…it could have fed three people.
Jefes has a full bar and has an extensive menu with a log of local offering. Melissa got a regular margarita on the rocks with no salt. I got a local IPA, a darker malt brew called Bootstrap. Both were good choices. The margarita was a tad on the strong side but Melissa was able to walk out in a straight line. The Bootstrap was really good and makes me want to sample more of the local brews.
Oh but it’s not just about dinner, Cinco de Mayo is all day and that means there was lunch too. And so what about those food trucks?
Danny’s Tacos y Tortas is a popular food truck that serves Mexican cuisine all day long
Danny’s is a well-known food truck on the corner of Main Street and East 17th Avenue. They do have a brick and mortar place on Hover Street, but the truck…there is always a line. And we HAD to try it.
Melissa got a brisket taco and a veggie taco on, as she said, “some damn good corn tortillas.” The brisket taco came with onions, cilantro, and a slice of lime. The veggie taco came with bell peppers, grilled onions, and cilantro. And I got a breakfast (I know, it’s lunch, but it was one of the only options with no meat) burrito with egg, potatoes, and salsa.
We sat at the picnic tables/benches that are there and ate with some of the Longmont locals. It’s understandable why there are always long lines at the place. Excelente!
It’s hard to make a bad choice when it comes to Mexican cuisine around here. But it’s easy to make a good choice as well. And Jefes proved to be a good choice. And so did Danny’s. Take your pick…Longmont is a mecca for Mexican cuisine. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
