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Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine - Permanently Closed

4.1
4.1
366 Reviews
$30 and under
Traditional Mexican
Regional Mexican specials headline the experience at Paxia. This casual dining restaurant serves creative Mexican cuisine alongside refreshing cocktails in a vibrant, roomy space that comes complete with a patio and the occasional live music. Created by chef Ignacio Leon, the restaurant's menu features authentic Mexican classics like molcajetes, huevos Mexicana and sopa Azteca. Guests rave about the friendly ambiance and generous portions. Ideal for casual dining adventures, Paxia is a nice choice for a romantic date or leisurely meal with friends. Visit after hours and catch up on the local gossip while savoring some of the bar's special signature cocktails, made with the freshest ingredients. Happy hour specials come with two-for-one tamales and fairly-priced margaritas. Paxia is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Traditional Mexican, Regional Mexican, Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Daily: 11:00am - 4:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ignacio Leon
  • Private party facilities
    Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine offers a festive patio, tequila lounge, and three private dining areas. Paxia can accommodate a wide range of gatherings for events and groups with a sophisticated approach to authentic Mexican cuisine.
  • Private party contact
    Dalinda Gallardo or Jackline Pizarro: (855) 820-7771
  • Neighborhood
    Sunnyside
  • Cross street
    40th
  • Parking details
    15-space lot located on southwest side of the restaurant.
  • Public transit
    Restaurant can be accessed by RTD. A bus stop is located directly across the street from the restaurant.
  • Entertainment
    Paxia is a lively, spacious setting infused with a Mexican flair. The restaurant’s fireplace can serve as a cozy backdrop for a date, while the bar/tequila lounge provides a festive atmosphere for Happy Hour. With four big-screen televisions, the restaurant is also a great place to catch a game.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 366 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.1
4.1 based on all time ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 3.9Service
  • 3.8Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

341 Reviews
  1. MireMart

    Denver

    16 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on July 17, 2016

    overall4food4service2ambience4
    Paxia has a wonderful menu! We will definitely go there again to try some other items. With that said, the service was a bit iffy - it took forever for our server to visit our table (and there were very few people dining as it was early) The menu says the guacamole is made to order at your table, but it's not - which is fine - but we never even got ours delivered to the table so not sure if it was good or not. Tables that were sat well after us and ordered after us got there foot before us - not sure how that happened. Again, the food is great! The salsas were great! The drinks were great! We will go again - hopefully the service will be better!

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  2. LisaB

    Denver

    31 reviews

    3.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on July 17, 2016

    overall3food5service1ambience4
    The food here is wonderful - but this is the second visit to the restaurant with below average service. Third time will be a charm?

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  3. KimS

    Denver

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2016

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    We got together with 8 friends and met at Paxia. The food was delicious and the margaritas were even better! Really nice place, good service, delicious food; would definitely recommend and absolutely return.

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  4. wojo

    Denver

    33 reviews

    4.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on July 9, 2016

    overall4food4service3ambience4
    Excellent and strong Paloma. Guacamole, fresh and made table side. Pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes and queso fundido - to die for. Pork in chile sauce was a little too spicy. Rice with vegetables was super. Creme brûlée was thicker than normal, but still good. Churros with Carmel sauce inside was excellent!

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  5. onthego

    Denver

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on July 8, 2016

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We were a large group and the staff was very accommodating. They put us back out of the way so we were free to move about and mingle.

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  6. Becca

    Denver

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on July 2, 2016

    overall4food5service4ambience5
    Lovely place for quiet dinner. Fabulous menu. Standouts: tinga tostada appetizer, chiles en nogada, mole negro (the best I've ever tasted, including in Oaxaca).

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  7. Joanne

    Denver

    162 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    162 reviews

    Dined on June 28, 2016

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We had read about Paxia's happy hour in Westword, I believe, and since we were going to be in the neighborhood around that time, anyway, decided to give it a try. (We've had dinner at Paxia many times, but never happy hour). Anyway, we sure were glad we did! The happy hour menu is great, for both food and drink. We ordered four food items, one margarita and a diet soda and our bill was less than $30! We will definitely do this again.

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  8. Bormir

    Denver

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on June 12, 2016

    overall4food5service3ambience4
    Service was a little slow at the start, but she recovered nicely

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  9. MicheleH

    Denver

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 26, 2016

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    I've been to Paxia a few times and this was definitely an "off" night. Food way too spicy, service horrible and a loud band that made conversation impossible. I pray that the next time we go Paxia is back to its wonderful self.

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  10. KellyG

    Denver

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2016

    overall3food3service3ambience2
    When I made my reservation, knowing that I was taking a date whom I did not know very well, I asked to be seated at a table in a quiet area of the restaurant. Instead, we were seated at a table only two tables from the band that was playing that night and it was difficult for us to talk over the noise. The food is over priced. I ordered a Chili Relleno with beef on the side. The Chili Relleno was fine but the beef (I assume round steak?) was very chewy.

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  11. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 8, 2016

    overall2food2service4ambience3
    Staff was friendly, decor was nice, location unexpected, food was "meh".

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  12. twf1

    Denver

    21 reviews

    1.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2016

    overall1food1service4ambience3
    I hope this was just a bad night for the kitchen. Three of our five meals were cold, as in refrigerated cold. The server did the best she could and comp'd one of the meals, but overall the kitchen did not deliver.

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  13. Annabelle

    Denver

    85 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    85 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2016

    overall2food4service1ambience3
    Food is good here but they are not delivering good service so it's not a pleasant dining experience. You have to repeatedly flag down your server. To be fair to the servers if they'd hire someone to bus tables and do drinks they'd solve 75% of the issues.

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  14. RozS

    Denver

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on May 1, 2016

    overall1food2service1ambience3
    This restaurant was awful! There was no alcohol in our margharita, the food was cold and the service was very slow.

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  15. telley

    Denver

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2016

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    First time here. We got drinks and wow where they strong. The table side guacamole was like fluffy heaven. Such good food and wonderful staff.

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  16. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    4 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 23, 2016

    overall2food3service1ambience1
    The service here was so slow I thought we were on a candid camera show. While it took no more than 30 seconds to get water, it then took more than 20 minutes to put in a drink order even though our waiter only had four tables and even though he came into the room we were in at least three times before walking away without assisting any of the tables. My boyfriend ordered a vodka with soda, not a particularly complicated drink, but after the waiter asked him to repeat his drink order three times over the course of 30 minutes, i had to order from the bar. it wasn't until then that the waiter asked if there was anything we needed. he also asked for our food order twice, and i heard a man at a nearby table state he'd been waiting for his drink since before we'd even arrived. the food is decent but not good enough to offset the horrible service.

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  17. TriciaO

    Denver

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 18, 2016

    overall3food2service3ambience2
    The staff is inexperienced and it shows in their food. It is different than the stereotypical Mexican food so I was hopeful my it would be good. I was disappointed as the food is average at best. The staff is friendly, but are not experienced.

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  18. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2016

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Most of Denver isn't aware of the food scene in the greater Highlands area. Paxia is a hidden gem in Sunnyside. We took friends from "the other side of town" to enjoy dinner at Paxia on a cold, rainy evening, and the response was "amazingly delicious food", and "please bring us back here again". Great service. Delicious food from top to bottom on the menu. We don't need New York City to enjoy accessible, excellent food. Five stars.

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  19. RDJD

    Denver

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 28, 2016

    overall4food5service3ambience4
    We have been there 4 times and the food has been fantastic every time. It is a little noisy and the service was a little slow but overall a great place to eat. We met some friends there and they also enjoyed it.

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  20. MariaG

    Denver

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on February 27, 2016

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Service is great. Very attentive.

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  21. Vaughan

    Denver

    30 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2016

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Food is authentic Mexican and wonderful. Don Julio margs! The best! Server was SO excellent.

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  22. TerryS

    Denver

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2016

    overall4food4service3ambience4
    As always, the food is fantastic, and the house margaritas are the best in town - made with 3 simple ingredients and no mix! The service reminds me of being in Cabo - it's just "ok" and some work at their own pace. Regardless, Paxia is still a twice a month go-to.

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  23. cablelakegirl

    Denver

    32 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    32 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2016

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Awesome as usual !

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  24. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2016

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was our first time there. We had a party of 11 on Valentine's Day. We had a great time. Food, drinks, service all great. Will go back for sure!

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  25. Debbie

    Denver

    41 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2016

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    It was a slow night so we didn't really need a reservation. Lots of empty tables and it appeared that there was only 1 waitress. She, however, wasn't that interested in serving us. Apathetic and inattentive was her approach. However, I've been there before and the service wasn't a problem. The food is consistently good and a touch above and different your average Mexican fare so if you're looking for a change I definitely recommend going there.

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  26. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 6, 2016

    overall3food5service4ambience2
    The food is always good. This time we were sat in the back room. While it was quieter it is not a very appealing space. But like I said the food is always good.

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  27. elgie

    Denver

    42 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2015

    overall3food3service2ambience4
    The menu has some good choices, but not great vegetarian options. Also be warned - food(from the salsa to the ceviche to the main course) was way too spicy for me.

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  28. GreatBites

    Denver

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 20, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The staff and food just keep getting better! The service is excellent, the staff know about each entree and the food is always perfect! Can't go wrong!

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  29. Jackie

    Washington DC

    40 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    40 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2015

    overall3food3service3ambience5
    Guac was very good, though too many onions for our taste. Guess "tableside" guacamole doesn't necessarily mean actually prepared near you... Enchilada sauce very tasty but beef was dry & tasteless. Superb quesodilla & green sauce

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  30. BrianD

    Denver

    38 reviews

    3.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on October 25, 2015

    overall3food4service3ambience3
    It was good. They just didn't have enough staff so service was slow. Our waitress was also bartending.

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  31. Yekdeli

    Denver

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 24, 2015

    overall3food1service2ambience4
    I was quite disappointed by the experience at Paxia this time. Neither myself, nor my friend could actually eat our meals. I ordered shrimp enchiladas, and they were beyond hot. The sauce was so hot it numbed my taste buds and burned my lips! Usually, the rice served as a side dish is a mellow counterpart to the heat of Mexican food, but the rice had the SAME sauce throughout. So I unwrapped my shrimp and tried to eat it alone...but, you guessed it...it was MARINATED in the same extremely hot sauce. Now, I know there are those who like a very, very hot meal. I can handle a decent level of heat in my food having grown up in a Mexican-American family--I have been eating Mexican food all my life. This was beyond pleasant. I felt like it was some contest to see how unbearably hot the food could be. Perhaps beef or chicken might have stood up to the heat better, but the delicate savor of the shrimp was completely overpowered by the sauce. In addition, we waited 40 minutes for our meals to begin with. On the plus side, the margaritas were great and my creme brulee desert was lovely. But...no offer to "make good" on our meals was offered. I did taste my friend's meal, and it was not as hot as mine, but she found it too hot for her as well. Perhaps a little "heat-level" meter would be useful. Strangely, I had eaten at Paxia twice before and never had the "heat" problem, so perhaps this was a quirky lot of chiles used for the sauce? Whatever...I was still a bit numb in the tongue for a while after!

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  32. datenightwithubby

    Denver

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 24, 2015

    overall4food3service5ambience3
    Overall a good experience. Service was great for a busy night. Disappointed that we had a reservation for 4 and could have had better seating arrangements--sat in bar area where it was very crowded and noisy. Food was good, but could be served warmer (temperature), it was rather luke warm when served. Great hangout if you live in neighborhood, not sure I will go out of my way to go again.

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  33. manasas

    Denver

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 3, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We love the food and ambience here. The fresh table side guacamole was really delicious!

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  34. Carolina

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 3, 2015

    overall2food2service3ambience3
    We came here for my birthday dinner, having enjoyed this place last winter. Main courses were quite disappointing. Their presentation, serving size, etc. made us think that each entree must have been the last serving available that evening, and perhaps they would have thrown them away if our two orders hadn't come in. It was only 7 pm! On the bright side: Wait staff were attentive, personable and well-informed. The guacamole made table-side was quite good and the house margaritas were very good. We really love their margaritas due to fresh ingredients, nothing artificial. They are about the best in town. But man and woman do not live by drinks alone....

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  35. Mehmeal

    Denver

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 25, 2015

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Maybe it was an off night...male kitchen staff on their phones while female wait staff seemed to prep tortillas, slang drinks, run orders, etc. Where's the chef?! Where's the owner or manager to keep a lid on things? Anniversary dinner fail. Unfortunate, as this place came recommended. Food timing was not good...the appetizer was solid. Tlacoyos entree...flat at best.

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  36. Love2eat

    Denver

    73 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    73 reviews

    Dined on August 9, 2015

    overall5food3service4ambience3
    Loved the table side quacamole and fundido dip, enjoyed the appetizers and drinks better than the actual entree.

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  37. change69

    Denver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 7, 2015

    overall2food1service3ambience3
    Paxia used have fresh testy food. Now the food is bland with way to much salt. The chicken was tasteless the mashed potatoes had too much salt. The shrimp used to be flavorful and spicy now tastes like it was day old shrimp with salty rice. The jalapeno margarita was one once a unique and spicy drink tasted like any other margarita; the only difference was the expensive price.

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  38. Jody

    Denver

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on August 1, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Enjoyed the carne asada. Liked the sauce/topping. Zucchini also excellent, just plain grilled fresh. We went very early so we could easily visit with each other. TVs on medium, not obscenely loud.

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  39. Janan

    Denver

    63 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    63 reviews

    Dined on July 12, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our server was great. She was friendly and attentive. She was very conscientious, even though ahead several tables she checked in with us often.

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  40. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 3, 2015

    overall1food1service1ambience5
    the hostess was nice. We waited for patio seating at the bar thinking we would have a drink or two prior to dinner. We waited at the bar for 15 minutes and the bartender never took our drink order. We were seated on the patio and waited out there for another 15 minutes and never even met a server. The overall mood was set by other tables around us complaining about super slow service and so we left. It looks like a great place but really under staffed. We will try it again someday. I had to submit a rating for the food for this review so keep in mind that we didn't even get a glass of water.

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FAQs

Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine - Permanently Closed is rated 4.1 stars by 366 OpenTable diners.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Google Map for Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine - Permanently Closed

4001 Tejon St, 0, Denver, 80211-2214

Additional information

  • Cross street
    40th
  • Neighborhood
    Sunnyside
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Daily: 11:00am - 4:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Traditional Mexican, Regional Mexican, Mexican
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    15-space lot located on southwest side of the restaurant.
  • Public transit
    Restaurant can be accessed by RTD. A bus stop is located directly across the street from the restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ignacio Leon
  • Entertainment
    Paxia is a lively, spacious setting infused with a Mexican flair. The restaurant’s fireplace can serve as a cozy backdrop for a date, while the bar/tequila lounge provides a festive atmosphere for Happy Hour. With four big-screen televisions, the restaurant is also a great place to catch a game.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private party facilities
    Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine offers a festive patio, tequila lounge, and three private dining areas. Paxia can accommodate a wide range of gatherings for events and groups with a sophisticated approach to authentic Mexican cuisine.
  • Private party contact
    Dalinda Gallardo or Jackline Pizarro: (855) 820-7771
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