Also ranked among the current Eater 38, this RiNo project of the nonprofit Focus Points Family Resource Center gives aspiring women entrepreneurs from local immigrant and refugee communities the tools to run their own kitchen — matching its mission to the quality of its food. Though dishes from other countries sometimes enter the rotation, Mexican food is Comal’s daily bread and butter (or handmade tortillas and salsa, as the case may be); the menu on any given day may feature chicken in spicy pumpkin-seed sauce, pork shoulder in salsa verde, or chipotle shrimp taocs.

Among the leaders of Denver’s surprisingly solid pack of Mexican seafood specialists, this casual Sunnyside hideaway does it all with a small but kind and hard-working staff: aguachile, cocteles, botanas, ceviche, caldos, molcajetes, and more positively brimming with mariscos, as well as grilled and fried fish dishes. (Bonus points for the irresistible goat birria tacos.)

One of two top-notch torterias on this map, Tortas A Toda Madre (to use the full name) in West Highland packs its sandwiches with the standard variety of meats, cheeses, and condiments, plus a few ingredients not typically found elsewhere — including the cut of beef called suadero and colito de pavo, or turkey tail.

The closure of Acorn last fall came as a shock to Denver’s dining system, but the restaurant’s owners may actually have outdone themselves with its replacement. Helmed by Monterrey-born talent Manny Barella, the kitchen turns out artful and complex versions of even the simplest classics, be it tacos topped with king trumpet mushrooms al pastor and charred pineapple or the blue-corn quesadilla filled with requéson, onions, and epazote in jalapeño-cilantro vinaigrette. The pumpkin-seed dip called sikil pak is a must to start, paired with a suave agave spirit-based cocktail like the Mexico City Martini.

Run by a couple from Chihuahua, this Golden getaway offers a seemingly straightforward menu of burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and the like day to day, but its secret to success is in its steady stream of creative specials. One day that might mean tacos dorados filled with mashed sweet potatoes, queso Oaxaca, and blistered chiles; the next, tamal-stuffed tortas; and the one after that, hibiscus-peach tacos with coconut and chipotle. They also bottle their own infused mezcals and margaritas in flavors like jalapeño-cilantro and kiwi-tamarind.

The family who runs this colorful, artsy Jefferson Park charmer (complete with a lovely back patio) hails from Puebla, and it shows on a menu built around the region’s specialties. If “poblano” is in the dish description, be it mole or chicken-stuffed crêpes, it’s guaranteed to be worth a try, though the kitchen’s ultimate claim to fame is its festive chile en nogada — a roasted pepper stuffed with beef, fruit, and nuts beneath a pomegranate seed–sprinkled walnut cream sauce.

Chef Michael Beary has spent years working directly with farmers in Oaxaca to import ingredients otherwise hard to find in the U.S., including rare chiles, so dishes that showcase them are the natural highlights of this downtown destination. Cases in point include chicken tamales wrapped in the leafy herb called hoja santa and served with taviche chile mole; shrimp-octopus salad in lemon-chilcosle dressing; and pork belly tacos with negro chilhuacle salsa.

Consider this place the Mexican equivalent of a roadside diner: Comfy, friendly, and supremely reliable, it’s got something for everyone so that no craving goes unfulfilled morning, noon, or night. A full slate of tacos and burritos? Of course. Seafood staples like shrimp-octopus cocktail and caldo de siete mares alongside Tex-Mex classics like fajitas and chimichangas? Sure. Huevos rancheros for dinner — why not?

Like its seafood-centric sibling El Coco Pirata — known for its Sinaloan-style sushi — this Aurora spot pays tribute to the traditions of the owners’ home region, though the menu here runs a much larger (and meatier) gamut. Look for items that mention either Sinaloa or the cities of Culicán or Mocorito by name — for instance, sopitas con huevos, which are similar to migas; chilaquiles with the simmered pork called chilorio; and shrimp-filled tacos el gobernador, not to mention soups and stews galore. Of course, the eponymous machaca (dried, shredded beef) also plays a role in several dishes.

From its singular green chile and impeccable beans and rice to its famous chile-relleno burrito and, of course, textbook-level tacos, there are myriad reasons this decades-old institution in the Santa Fe Arts District not only counts among Denver’s best Mexican restaurants but also ranks on the Eater 38 — and boasts an America’s Classics Award from the James Beard Foundation to boot.

This cheery Alameda taqueria has cracked the current Eater 38 for equally good reasons, above all the sheer abundance of expertly prepared meats it offers atop its tacos — which go far beyond carne asada and carnitas to include chivo (goat); cueritos (pork skin); cabeza (literally “head,” but typically beef cheek); and more. A wide array of zingy salsas seals the deal.

Named for the famous plaza in Mexico City where mariachi bands congregate, this surprise hit is located inside, of all places, an Englewood gas station. It’s known for its elongated, chicharrón-filled quekas; tostadas, enchiladas, and more featuring blue corn and cactus; and specials like quesadillas stuffed with squash blossoms or huitlacoche and quesabirria tacos.

Though it also offers tacos, gorditas, and weekend menudo, this Aurora quick stop is a torteria first and foremost — and a superlative one at that. The torta whizzes behind the counter whip up some 20 different sandwiches complete with mayo, frijoles, tomato, onion, thinly sliced avocado, pickled carrots, and jalapeños, yet somehow, even monsters like the Super Cubana with breaded steak, chorizo, hot dog, ham, pierna (pork leg), egg, and two types of cheese hold together.