On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
Red Tango's Chili Relleno plate was listed as one of the 100 must eats in Denver recently, so I gave it a shot:
Rating: 8 (out of 10)
The Skinny: This is what I love about a list like this: I would bet many people, like me, had never heard a peep about Red Tango. It's a total hole in the wall in a blah area of 38th ave in Wheatridge - and it just so happens to turn out delicious chile rellenos. Easily the best in the city. The pepper is soft, the crust flaky and crisp, and the cheese.... oh the cheese. It just comes oozing out of the pepper with every bite, beckoning you. Top it off with a layer of their tasty green chili sauce (better than the red), and I found myself searching around the plate for just one more bite.
Although the facade of the restaurant may be uninspired, the inside is a different story. You get the sense that there is a great deal of pride taken with everything they put in front of you - from the upscale plates, to the surprisingly good salsa, to this excellent relleno.
I have a picture of the dish up on the blog
jko
http://www.musteatdenv...
Red Tango was a very pleasant surprise for a random freezing Friday night in Colorado. After my friend and I decided to give this place a shot, I was a bit intrigued. I didn't know what Latin American food was, I assumed it was something like tapas or whatever....but, in Red Tango's case I was incorrect.
We ordered a couple appetizers and each enjoyed a beer and of course, an entree. The ceviche and empanadas were very good. My friend had the home-made raviolis, he seemed quite pleased with his selection. I had this potato cake thingy with chopped beef tips, onions, and peppers. I was very pleased with my choice for an entree.
Red Tango was a very good meal and experience. This is a family owned establishment and they made you feel very welcome as soon as you entered.
The food was very good, the ambiance was very simple and tasteful, the service was basically perfect, and the price was great (for two people, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 beers, it was $59.98) . I would definitely come back.....in a heartbeat.
Red Tango is my go-to spot for a feel-good dinner. Whether I want to perk up after a bad day or celebrate a special occasion, this is the place.
My husband and I have been going to Red Tango for years. We're both vegetarian, and the Latin American menu is veggie-friendly, fresh, and tasty. We love a good glass (OK, bottle) of wine--especially reds from Chile and Argentina--and they always have a nice selection. And we love their flan, which is simply the best, smoothest flan I've ever had.
Yeah, the atmosphere is a little odd, but I don't care. It's comfortable. It's friendly. It's kinda like going home, if Mom was a much better cook and had an amazing wine cellar.
Red Tango is unassuming and that's what makes it great. It's housed in an odd strip-mallish location off 38th and Sheridan and its decor is seriously lacking. None of that matters though because the South American-influenced food is authentic and delicious and the service is warm and friendly.
For example, they serve a Colombian dish called "arepas," which I once tried to make a for a party but couldn't find the correct flour. I made the arepas anyway but they came out poorly. The owner himself came out and told me where I could find the flour in the area. I really appreciated him taking his time to do that even though I concluded there was no longer a need to make them because I could get delicious and much-better crafted ones right down the street.
Red Tango is casual enough for a business lunch -- and parking is easy so you can get in and out within an hour -- but exotic enough for a Friday night date.
Simple. Rustic. (Mostly) authentic.
That sums up my experience at Red Tango. Nestled in a strip mall-like location, the atmosphere leaves little to be desired. But that's just fine - the food compensates for it. With am emphasis on well-selected seafood, chilies and unique Latin American fare, Red Tango offers something a lot of places in town simply don't. Plus the service, decent prices and reasonable wine list add to the experience.
This place, tucked into a nondescript strip-mall-esque parking lot just off 38th and Sheridan, is surprisingly awesome!
All of the other reviews are spot on. In a nutshell, The Red Tango has a weird atmosphere but fantastic, inventive food.
Our waiter was the classic Guy Who's Been a Waiter For Twenty+ Years, complete with plenty of obnoxious quips and questions like "Are we all saving some room for some of our world famous flan?" He was perfectly pleasant, though, attentive and, while overly cutesy, didn't detract from the fantastic food on the menu.
The food really tastes like it was prepared by the same chef(s?) that developed the menu (which changes quarterly.) It doesn't have a line cook feel to it - it tastes like you're eating dishes lovlngly prepared by someone's mother. I had a dish of Anaheim chilies stuffed with goat cheese and butternut squash, accented by a lovely nutmeg-spiced cream sauce and saffron rice. Re-friggin-diculously good. The dishes, while a bit pricey (between $15-20 an entree) come with your choice of soup or salad. We opted for the soup and were very pleased with the big bowl of roasted plantain soup that came out.
I had a glass of fantastic Chilean sauvignon blanc on special - overflowing with passion fruit and melon in the nose, it was the perfect complement to a rich, spicy South American-fusion-y dinner.
Absolutely worth a visit and competes well with the more spendy South American places in Denver like The Samba Room and Cafe Brazil.
Definitely don't judge this book by its cover. The location is less than desirable, the atmosphere is rustic and simple, but the food is absolutely amazing!! I love that they clearly label the vegetarian options. The staff is very friendly, attentive, and authentic. I live no where near this place but will definitely make the drive to go again, and soon!
Just a little pointer: First time you go you'll probably miss the front door, which is to the left of the handicap spots and not at the front. The dining area is four distinct rooms that flow the length of the strip mall.
WOW - what a complete surprise. Some friends recommended this after searching Yelp for restaurants in the area. Random location, random set up (kind of in a strip mall set-up), but if you get past that - the food, service, and wine is incredible. As soon as we entered, the owner was thrilled to have us and even brought us a free bottle of wine. He came and helped recommend some items (don't worry, I am not the type to love the owner bothering us every ten seconds, but he was great about it). The food was absolutely incredible. We ordered the appetizer combo (called something else) - great. Then in our group of four, we had two paella's (special), one chicken dish, and one tortilla based dish. Seriously, I am critical, but I can say all of our plates were bone dry, despite the very large portions. Highly recommended - give it a try!
You won't care about the "ambiance" after your food arrives. I'd rather have the effort go into the presentation of the dish than the decor of the restaurant.
The only thing outshining the food's presentation was it's taste. Everybody was happy with their food, those with steak, those with seafood and even me, the solo veggie. I especially love that they 1. have lots of vegetarian options and 2. label them clearly!
The waiter was very attentive and proper, and while he was a gringo like me, his pronunciation was perfect. We even had a chance to meet the Chilean owner who chatted in Spanish with my Mexican-American In-Laws. It wasn't busy at all when we went on a Thursday, and our group of 9 was more than accommodated.
Red Tango is a great place to go for a nicer-than-usual meal or a special occasion dinner, due to it's $$ range. I can't wait to take my parents here when they visit.
Unfortunately, this restaurant is a bit out of the way for me...but the cross town trip is usually worth it. This place has plate-licking-good South American food. Everything I've had is super yummy. Great chips, ceviche, fried plantains, papusas, salsa, and arepas. If they are offering their paella as the special of the day, order that to share with your date along with the appetizer sampler (I think it is called mezcla). The torta dish is good as well. Basically, everything is good and flavorful.
Side note: don't accidentally park in the handicap space by the front door. Some old dude wanted to break my kneecaps for making this mistake.
First time in. Waiter was great. Food was delicious. The house special is the best!
I just moved to Wheat Ridge from Denver, and wasn't expecting to find such a wonderful, almost eccentric restaurant in the neighborhood. It definitely doesn't look like much from the outside, but the owners have done a great job of making a nice dining space in the former strip mall. The server was fantastic and made great recommendations off of the menu. The meat on top of fried mashed potatoes dish (forgot the actual name) was a Latin comfort food miracle. We will be back often.
This is really a strange experience. Judging from the decor, I got the feeling I should boil my water before I drank it. I tried a little of everyone's dish at the table and I was very impressed that not a single thing was less than great. It was a little pricey, but well worth it.
If you like hole-in-the-wall atmosphere with gourmet food, stop by the Red Tango
WOW. I don't usually stumble on amazing restaurants but this was a gem. I have to say that seeing the place from the outside I wasn't to optimistic but like they say...don't judge a book from its cover.
The wait staff was very friendly and were very knowledgeable of the menu and food. The arepas were to die for. They have a great Chilean wine list that I have yet to try so next time!
The soup was amazing. Red lentil with lots of flavor. The menu had lots of choices between seafood, steak and veggie. I went with a potato, steak and onion dish that was absolutely delicious.
Prices were a little higher than I would have guessed but the dishes were amazing.
Don't let the outside fool you. It may look like a weird, 70s-era strip mall, possibly one that inhabits one of the many bail bond joints in the area, but inside you will find a sprawling, well-staffed, and unpretentious yet homey restaurant that serves some of the tastiest food I've had in Denver.
The host was clearly either the owner or one of the owners; he was conversational, friendly, and apologized for the 30-minute wait. Totally expected given that it was a weekend, but as we waited he offered us complimentary glasses of the house Chilean wine, which was very nice and alerted me to the fact that this would be a special dining experience. A few people have mentioned the decor as being drab, but I happened to like it. It was, as I said, unpretentious and refreshingly different from the trendy, open, and overly-loud spaces you see with more designery restaurants. For me, the candle on the table, the clean linens, the innovative menu, and the attentive service was enough to make the experience feel upscale and classy.
Once seated, our waiter was friendly and helpful. He was also clearly adored by some of the "regulars," who were hugging him and shaking his hand on their way out. Throughout the evening he seemed a bit swamped (it was crowded), but he never flagged in his attention toward us.
For starters, we had the tortilla chips with avocado pico de gallo and the arepes. While the chips and pico were very good, the arepes were absolutely melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Salad and bread came out between the starters and the main course, and the salad had a delicious vinegarette dressing, and the bread was, I think, similar to the kind used in torta sandwiches. It was, in a word, amazing; it reminded me of a southern buttermilk biscuit, interestingly enough, and it came with a spicy dipping sauce. For me, the attention to making things like the salad dressing and the dipping sauce delicious is what put this meal over the top. I've gotten bread at many restaurants, eaten it out of hunger, and barely even noticed what it tasted like....but I was marveling over this. The main dish, a Lomo Rellenos (stuffed pork) was also very good, and a dessert of delectable tres leches cake rounded the excellent meal out.
A couple of cautions. First, the meal went slowly. I don't think this was at all due to poor service, but rather because they wanted to give us time to enjoy our starters, then settle a little before bringing out salad. For someone in a hurry, this may be a bother, but I personally enjoyed the leisurely pace. Second, because they obviously use fresh ingredients and make everything to order, they do at times run out of things. They couldn't make me a mojito because they were out of mint, for example. Don't fret too much if they run out of your favorite drink of dish, though, as there's plenty of other wonderful things to try. I myself can't wait to make a second trip!
Another great find on W. 38th Ave.! We've been driving past this place several times and then searched Yelp and found deservedly great reviews. It's much bigger than it looks from outside. First, the service was great. Despite being crowded and having many tables, all the waiters seemed to be organized, attentive and focused on the tables. The menu changes seasonally and they have additional specials. An extensive Chilean wine list is presented in a cork folder with a map of the coastal wine regions.
Food was great and other tables seemed equally happy.
We tried the empenadas (one cheese and one meat) with a tomato dipping sauce. Both were flaky, hot and flavorful. Meals come with a nice green salad or soup (Soup of the day was chilled avocado with tortilla chips!). My girlfriend had Arroz de Camarones which was almost like a pesto risotto with kalamata olives and shrimp. I tried the Raviolis de Frijoles which were covered in a Gorgonzola cream sauce and topped with a blackened chicken breast.
We will certainly be back to try more items.
I haven't found many restaurants that specialize in South American cuisine and do it well, so it was quite a pleasure that restaurant Red Tango was so close to home! I actually found the simple decor to be a refreshing break from the whole "keeping up with the Jone's" decor of most other quiche restaurants. When you first walk in the door, you will feel as though you've entered somebody's house. On to the food.
While I waited, I ordered some chips and salsa. The homemade salsa was great! I ate every last drop. They will also bring out some complimentary bread and spicy, olive oil sauce.
My first visit I had the special, which was a rib-eye steak topped with sauted, minced mushrooms and garlic. The sides were mashed potatoes and cooked, marinated spinach. I loved it. The marinated steak was flavorful and cooked perfectly to order.
I've also had the Papas Torta which is basically a Potato Sandwich with your choice of meat. I would definitely recommend it ("onions, no thank you!").
The only negative thing I can say is that it can be a bit of a wait to be seated if you go on a Friday night, but that was pretty much expected.
Great food! I was very impressed with this South American restaurant! The decor needs a bit of sprucing up, but the food made up for any deficits.
I had a potato pancakes stuffed with steak, cheese, chiles, etc. It was incredible! My husband had the special, osso buco in a chipotle sauce. It was very good as well.
The menu changes every three months so there's always something new to try.
Try it. You won't be disappointed!
The place doesn't have the most promising beginning. It's not even clear at first that it's a restaurant, with its location in a strip mall perpendicular to the road. Even finding the right front door is tricky. Once in the door, the place is certainly done up nicely, but it has a bit of that hole-in-the-wall look about it. I don't doubt that many people walk in the door expecting cheap eats, and then are surprised to find the place done up (and priced) as more of a special treat. Good thing it's worth it.
Sit down, and one look at the menu lets you know that the place tries very hard to differentiate itself from the million Mexican places in town as well our small stable of South American restaurants. Red Tango is billed as "South American," but "Latin-fusion" is closer to the mark, as the chef creatively mixes Mexican flavors with South and Central American dishes. It's one of those ethnic restaurants that seeks to go beyond merely repeating the flavor of one particular place, but instead giving us a medley of flavors and creating some new ones of its own.
Once we got our order back, we were really impressed with the food. REALLY impressed. We tried the arepas as an appetizer, and they were excellent. The ceviche, available on the appetizer menu or as part of some entrees, was also excellent. As an entree, we were very impressed by the "torta." Very good.
Why only four stars? The food is DEFINITELY five stars, and I don't even complain about the price, as it's worth every penny. I have to strike it back a few points, however, for decor and presentation -- the restaurant really should be an elegant, upscale experience and the location tends to work against that.
However, the food more than makes up for any such quibbles. I highly recommend Red Tango.
Some other Yelpers were dissatisfied with the ambiance, but I found the rustic decor to be charming. The osso bucco was on special and it was amazing. This is a good choice for an off-beat dining experience. The service was fab.
The ambiance is a little different than other places, but that adds to it's charm. Well... they could dim the lights a bit. The food is very good. The service is great. Make sure to try the avocado pico de gallo.
Yeah, you could probably drop a star for the decor of the place - but the over all hole in the wall atmosphere and good service make up for it. The owner Jose (you might remember him from years gone by at Sabor Latino) seems to give out lots a familiar nods, and knows the names of many patrons. That's because people come back time after time.
I like to go for lunch and just order what ever "the special" is. Seems their chef's always comes up with something fantastic, and it has been a fun way to try new things. Like others mention, many of their dishes are to die for... and a good Chilean wine hits the spot for me too.
(Speaking of which, now and then they do wine paring dinners - I haven't been able to hit one, but they look like a great deal. I believe they usually sell out.)
Dinner does get busy, however, they have opened up another room and I think this would be a terrific place to bring a big group. Not sure if they are doing reservations - but I would think so. Since many northwest neighborhood spots have gotten popular... you might also enjoy the easy parking in their lot. -- Perhaps it will make up for any of the "sparse" decor others mention. --That, or the mojitos!
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Mexican
Denver, CO
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Mexican
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
The best vegetarian food in the Denver area - just…
From restaurants to dairy products, this is where…
