Gustavo Arellano’s favorite “Den-Mex” joints (infographic)

This week’s feature story, “Mexican Hamburger Helper,” by Gustavo Arellano, takes a look at the unique “Den-Mex” cuisine. Proclaims Arellano:

I have finally learned to love Den-Mex. Your epic Mexican hamburgers, your combo plates slathered — scratch that, smothered — in furious chile. Your street-corner, foil-wrapped burritos steaming with chunks of pork, the late-night runs to Chubby’s. (Chubby’s! The greatest Mexican restaurant in the United States! More on that in a bit.) When I first came and tasted Den-Mex, I dismissed ustedes as a heresy as dangerous to Mexican culture as the only Mexican thing I knew about Denver at the time: Tom Tancredo.

That’s now changed: I’ll devote the rest of my life to spreading your gospel, with the fervor of the converted.

In our story, Arellano — he of the weekly Ask a Mexican! column — writes of his favorite Mexican restaurants. As a handy guide for newbies and natives alike, here’s a map of some choice Den-Mex spots, by Jay Vollmar.

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