Michael Reisch
Audio By Carbonatix
Hacienda Colorado was founded by Tim Schmidt in Lakewood in 1998; at one point, the homegrown chain had grown to six Front Range locations, all touting their “Mountain Mex.” But in 2019, the company was acquired by Texas-based Uncle Julio’s Mexican from Scratch.
In February 2020, it opened the first co-branded Uncle Julio’s – Hacienda Colorado in a new, two-story, 9,721-square-foot building at 3298 Youngfield Street in Wheat Ridge. After a five-year run, that spot quietly closed last week…leaving just locations in Lone Tree, Westminster and Colorado Springs. The spot on the 16th Street Mall never returned after the COVID shutdown, the original in Lakewood shut its doors in 2023, and the location off Colorado Boulevard and I-25 served its final meal last March. That space will reopen soon as the first Denver outpost of another locally-owned Mexican chain, Los Dos Potrillos.
Although Uncle Julio’s has offered no explanation for the Wheat Ridge closure, diners serve up plenty of opinions in their comments on the Westword Facebook page. Says Roger:
To the surprise of no one. Terrible food and service.
Replies Jesse:
An insult to real Mexican food.
Adds Scott:
Imagine spending $20 on beans, cheese and a tortilla.
Suggests Jo:
It was over-priced and under-flavored in a metro with so many yummy options. I always assumed the prices were to make up for the building.
Responds Traci:
It’s wild they built that terrible-looking building to block the mountain views of all the businesses facing west, only to have this close. Tear it down; it’s an eyesore.
Offers Jeff:
Why eat corporate Mexican food in Colorado? So many good places that are so much better…..without the consistently shitty service.
Says Scott:
Well, color me surprised. I thought it was good because it was founded by Uncle Julio’s. Didn’t realize that Uncle Julio’s was actually the reason it went downhill so hard. I was a regular at the Lone Tree location when I lived nearby in 2018 and it was really good, good like some of the good Tex-Mex in Texas. By 2021ish, it was terrible. How did a Tex-Mex place from Texas turn an exceptional Colorado-born Tex-Mex chain into mediocre slop like the rest of Colorado food?
Concludes Nick:
Bustling happy hour pre-COVID – but lots of better, more authentic Mexican on the Front Range! All of these restaurant closures (whether deserved or not) have me worrying about my fellow service industry workers. It’s getting hard out there. This example of a mid/large chain being bought out, mismanaged and scrapped is all too common. I feel lucky to work for a locally owned and well-run organization. But still, hearing of all these closures lights some fire under my ass..
The restaurant grind does not stop – and as soon as you get complacent, you can lose everything. It’s not for the faint of heart!
Did you go to any Hacienda Colorado locations before the purchase by Uncle Julio’s? Have you been to one lately? What did you think? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.
