Drink of the Week

"Wasted away again in Margaritaville..." You can practically picture Jimmy Buffett, who made it fashionable to fritter away sunny days, spending an idle August afternoon in Lakewood, belly-up to Gordo's bar, while Sixth Avenue traffic speeds past in the distance. Gordo's, which roughly translates as "Fatso's" in Spanish, was founded...

By Julie Dunn

August 15, 2002

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"Wasted away again in Margaritaville..." You can practically picture Jimmy Buffett, who made it fashionable to fritter away sunny days, spending an idle August afternoon in Lakewood, belly-up to Gordo's bar, while Sixth Avenue traffic speeds past in the distance. Gordo's, which roughly translates as "Fatso's" in Spanish, was founded in 1924 by a gringo Denver policeman, Arthur Hamilton. According to Cory Rogers -- Hamilton's granddaughter and now Gordo's head margarita-maker and chef -- the key to a tasty margarita is no pulp. The Gordo's take on the margarita is made with fresh-squeezed lime, lemon and orange juices (pulpless, of course), sugar, water, Triple Sec and tequila. The frothy drink ($3.50) is served on the rocks in a kitschy salt-rimmed cactus-stemmed glass. Black-and-white photos of the original taco shack line the entryway to the comfortable, mellow Gordo's; other trappings include the good old-fashioned Atari games "Dig Dug" and "Asteroids," which my friend and I spent many hours playing happily (after downing several lunchtime margs). Famous with Lakewood locals for friendly, down-home service, generous portions of delicious food and a dirt-cheap daily happy hour, Gordo's is Phatso City for fans of good bars.

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