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Zocalito Latin Bistro, Denver, CO

Zocalito Latin Bistro

4.4
4.4
262 Reviews
$31 to $50
Mexican
Zocalito Latin Bistro now in Denver, Colorado, is home to chef Michael Beary, the man who is doing more than anyone to bring the authentic ingredients and true flavors of Oaxaca to America. Over the years, Beary has traveled widely in the Oaxaca region and now works directly with farmers and food artisans who supply him with rare chile peppers and other ingredients.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 3 times today
Private dining

Private dining

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Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Cuisines

    Mexican, Latin American, Regional Mexican

  • Hours of operation

    Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (720) 923-5965

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Casual Dress

  • Executive chef

    Michael Beary

  • Catering

    For Catering details please contact us at 720-923-5965

  • Private party facilities

    For Private Events please contact us at 720-923-5965. Variety of spaces and parties are available feel free to ask. Zocalito is one of the only downtown restaurants than can handle large groups.

  • Private party contact

    Mackenzie Riley: (720) 923-5965

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown / LoDo

  • Cross street

    Between 18th and 19th on Curtis St.

  • Parking details

    Parking is validated for up to 4 hours. Access the Denver Place parking from Curtis Street.

  • Additional

    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 262 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Denver / Colorado

    Good for business meals

  • Denver / Colorado

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Denver / Colorado

    Mexican

  • Denver

    Good for business meals

  • Denver

    Great for outdoor dining

  1. CASBAR

    New York Area

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We went with a large group and they couldn’t be more accommodating and helpful. Excellent service and good food and drinks. Recommend!

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  2. ShaunaZ

    Denver

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Outstanding food! I cannot wait to return. I picked this restaurant for a birthday dinner for my husband and it was a huge hit. Ian was very helpful, quick, and attentive. Wonderful hidden gem in Denver.

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  3. RobertC

    Denver

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was all excellent! Fresh and tasty! The service was top-notch!

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  4. sboulder

    Denver

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Very good high end Latin food with as much or as little spice as you want paired with great tequila or specialty tequila drinks. Or wine if you prefer. Really like this place for a great meal before a show or anytime.

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  5. ChristiD

    Charlotte

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was fantastic!! The filet was what I ordered and it was a creative and amazing dish...

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  6. EMBO

    Denver

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Excellent food w layered, subtle flavoring at reasonable prices, and attentive service. Telling my friends about this gem!

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  7. LaurieR

    Denver

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. It was a casual night out for us. Shared the skirt steak which was delicious. Mole on the side as my husband doesn’t like spicy food. Wonderful blend of flavors. Looking forward to our next time!

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  8. EftonP

    Dallas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious food - a refreshing change from the Tex-Mex that seems to be everywhere.

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  9. BirthdayGirl1234

    Denver

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall3food2service5ambience4
    Unfortunately, the dishes (especially the calamari salad) served for restaurant week were not tasty.

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  10. Mollsmcdvm

    Portland

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on February 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wow! Fantastic food, great service and the music was phenomenal. I chose this based on the Oaxacan flair to the menu, which can be hard to find well-executed in the US. Zocalito did not disappoint. A table of 8 and they let us know they were understaffed for the night. We didn't feel a thing except great service, delectable drinks and amazing food. I will be back, even though I'll have to fly in from the west coast!

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  11. adventurous79

    Denver

    6 reviews

    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2023

    overall2food1service1ambience1
    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 it 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 laying $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 - the restaurant remained mostly empty by the time we left, including one of the four booths that we were moved from.

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  12. AliciaM

    Denver

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on February 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Go! It’s so good. Get the cheese dip. So so so yummy.

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  13. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food!

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  14. SkyLJ

    Denver

    25 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on January 27, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience5
    Food was wonderful. Service not so much.

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  15. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    La comida muy rica. Diferente a lo que estamos acostumbrados y muy mexicana

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  16. Culinaryhiker

    Portland

    16 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on December 10, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We dined on a night when very few people were there so the atmosphere felt a little sparse. The menu is very creative and includes dishes from Mexico, Central America, and South America. The food was very good.

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  17. HarleyGuy

    Denver

    39 reviews

    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had an amazing time at Zocalito! Matt was absolutely fantastic and took our experience to a different level. Then there was the food, from presentation to taste took us to another place. When Mike the owner came out and introduced himself and took time to talk to us, I knew we had found a special place! I think we might go back 😉

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  18. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 3, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Every dish was delicious!

    1 person found this helpful

  19. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 18, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    Food was beautifully seasoned and super tasty. The Pork tenderloin was cooked just right - tender and full of flavor. All the spice levels were right on. Loved it.

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  20. AliceF

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    I appreciate that they accommodated a party of 8 at the last minute. It seemed like they were short staffed and our server was running around like crazy to take good care of us. The food was good - we ordered a bunch of things and shared. The atmosphere was average - nothings fancy, but ok.

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  21. GeeksEat

    Denver

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on October 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Looking for more upscale Latin food then this is the place to go. Everything about our experience was first rate from the excellent margaritas to the entrees. The food was perfectly spiced and very flavorful.

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  22. DavidMnM

    Denver

    20 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on October 18, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Neat "more than your typical burrito" Mexican restaurant. As in loved their roasted duck breast the last time I was there. Excellent value and lightly used during the early evening hours so convenient for a pre-DCPA dinner on show nights.

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  23. ctdj

    Denver

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    A terrific dinner before heading to DCPA. I will definitely return.

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  24. KristinK

    Denver

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food was fantastic... even the tortilla chips were cooked to perfection. Light airy and perfectly salted. We were there on a Saturday night with live music which was at the right sound level, very entertaining and a great sound overall. We sat outside, which was beautiful, allowed an ESA outside as well. We received great service. A definite must dine location while in downtown Denver.

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  25. KDub

    Denver

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 18, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    Has potential, but food quality was lacking. Food was over-seasoned to cover up the lower quality. Pozole was very good. Shrimp ceviche was so-so. Shrimp was tiny and not super fresh. Calamari was not good - over salted and tasted like they were trying to cover up that they were using a lower quality product. The lettuce in the Cesar salad was brown, old and wilted. The restaurant is beautiful and service was good, but food was underwhelming and mediocre. It wasn’t just one menu item that was off. Multiple things were lacking quality and freshness. We were excited to try it because the menu looked interesting as it featured some unique options, but it did not quite hit the mark.

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  26. OK2bpicky

    Western NC

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent meal. Our waiter was especially helpful. Lovely meal all around!

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  27. RichardL

    Denver

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 1, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Reliably great dinner experience. Some of the best food in Denver, flavors unlike anywhere else.

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  28. JeffD

    Denver

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was a Tuesday and not very busy. The flavors here are pure Oaxacan! Mole was on point, the salsas were fantastic, and the Ceviche was done very well. I recommend highly!

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  29. OpenTable Diner

    Milwaukee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 28, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Food was delicious with interesting flavor combinations. Everything cooked to perfection and lovely plating. Enjoyed the sangria too. Will definitely be back.

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  30. JulieC

    Atlanta Metro

    21 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on August 3, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience3
    We enjoyed our dinner here, seafood stew and Oaxaca chicken. We started with the bean dip which was superb and both enjoyed our mains, both had a bit of spice. The servers were very attentive and offered good suggestions when asked.

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  31. OpenTable Diner

    Richmond

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 2, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    Some of our food was fantastic, but other items just so so. I’m particular, the shrimp and octopus salad was, one, not a salad, two, the shrimp was really low quality, three, there was virtually no octopus, and four, it was extremely over priced.

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  32. ronDnyc

    Washington DC

    15 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on July 26, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Made a reservation for 5 via the application — Reservation Number: 1024357-12984. When we arrived we were told that the kitchen was already closed. And that they could not serve us. I explained that the app took the reservation. What a disappointment.

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  33. CraigS

    Phoenix

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on July 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service and chef

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  34. kimberlym

    Denver

    76 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    76 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Absolutely delicious! The queso appetizer is just delectable. All the food was prepared in an artful and thoughtful way- we had a great night.

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  35. Cd172

    New England

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 28, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    We arrived at the restaurant for our Monday night reservation and the restaurant was closed. We did not receive any cancellation notification and Zocalito's posted hours did not reflect the change. There was no note on the door, it was just closed. Extremely unprofessional behavior, still haven't heard from them.

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  36. chitown

    Greensboro

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on June 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great flavors. The black cod was wonderful.

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  37. MarissaD

    Denver

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4
    Food was great, but drinks were VERY expensive and we had expected a livelier environment. That said, I had the grilled prawns and they were AMAZING!

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  38. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 31, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Good was excellent and the Chef Owner was fantastic. They were obviously short staffed but service was not bad. Will definitely be back

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  39. SteveS

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic meal for six. cocktails, apps, entrees, and desserts were all delicious...interesting flavors, beautifully presented and well thought out. Pleasant outdoor patio seating. Matt took great care of us.

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  40. kimberlym

    Denver

    76 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    76 reviews

    Dined on May 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Utterly scrumptious- we could have had a great night just eating the queso but the entrees were divine with an artful presentation. The desserts were delicious and if you love bananas- go for the crepes! It was overall excellent!

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Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Sealed or wrapped utensils used
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
    • Contactless payment available
  • Physical distancing

    • Limited number of seated diners
    • Distancing maintained in common areas
    • Extra space between tables
  • Protective equipment

    • Waitstaff wear masks
    • Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Zocalito Latin Bistro offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (720) 923-5965.

Zocalito Latin Bistro is rated 4.4 stars by 262 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 3 times today
Google Map for Zocalito Latin Bistro

999 18th Street, Denver, CO 80202

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Between 18th and 19th on Curtis St.

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown / LoDo

  • Hours of operation

    Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Mexican, Latin American, Regional Mexican

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress code

    Casual Dress

  • Parking details

    Parking is validated for up to 4 hours. Access the Denver Place parking from Curtis Street.

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    Michael Beary

  • Additional

    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Phone number

    (720) 923-5965

  • Catering

    For Catering details please contact us at 720-923-5965

  • Private party facilities

    For Private Events please contact us at 720-923-5965. Variety of spaces and parties are available feel free to ask. Zocalito is one of the only downtown restaurants than can handle large groups.

  • Private party contact

    Mackenzie Riley: (720) 923-5965

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