Cencalli Taqueria Celebrates Its First Year of Tacos, Tequila and Breaking Borders in Littleton

When Cencalli Taqueria opened its doors on Littleton’s Main Street nearly a year ago, husband-and-wife owners Zoe Romero and Andres Venalonzo (fun fact: His brother and sister run the popular Venalonzo’s Tacos in Centennial) hoped the location would become a gathering place for the local Latino community.

On paper, everything seemed to be in place to make that dream a reality. Both hail from different parts of Mexico and have a long history in the restaurant industry. The menu features Mexican street tacos like al pastor, campechano, tinga and lengua, along with quesabirria, tortas and an award-winning line of margaritas and mezcals.

But the couple ran into a challenge that they didn’t expect. “We found that Latinos only work here. They don’t dine or congregate here,” Romero says. “It’s like there’s an invisible wall right around the bridge that separates west from east.”

Breaking down that wall has become the driving force behind Cencalli Taqueria. According to Romero, “cencalli” means “family” in the Nahuatl dialect, the original language of the Aztecs. For her and her husband, that concept extends not only to their immediate family, but to their community as well.

“The biggest impact I can make is to give my kids a better environment,” Romero notes. “That’s our mission statement. ... To incorporate Mexican culture here. At the end of the day, anyone can make tacos. But I feel this place can be so much more beyond the borders of food.”

It’s a far cry from their original plans for the restaurant. When they took over the former McKinner’s Pizza location, they intended to open another pizza place similar to the one they own and operate in Centennial — Colonna’s Pizza.
But the dream of opening a Mexican-focused restaurant had long simmered in the back of their minds. Romero studied hospitality at the University of Guanajuato, graduating with a degree in tourism resource management, and originally came to the U.S. to work at the famed Little Nell in Aspen. Venalonzo was an area manager for the Chipotle organization, opening nine locations, including one inside Park Meadows mall.

Having survived the ravages of the pandemic at their first restaurant, they emerged energized and passionate to do something different and meaningful — despite the concerns of their business partners.

“Ultimately, it came down to, I'm Mexican,” Romero says. “Sometimes I feel too Mexican to be an American and too American to be a Mexican. I don’t want that for my kids. So we tried to bring the idea of family from food and drinks and environment to this place.”

Since opening, the restaurant has dedicated its menu to authentic dishes and ingredients, making everything from scratch, including butchering meat in-house. Most dishes are served with a trio of sauces ranging from a mild avocado tomatillo to a hot chile de árbol and an extra-hot habanero alongside Cencalli's house fire-roasted salsa tatemada.

While the menu is intentionally small and focused, the team isn't afraid to experiment. Case in point: the margaritas. The menu features the classic margaritas you might expect at similar restaurants alongside some more unconventional flavor options such as the avocado, cantaloupe and tamarindo versions.
The highlight of the margarita menu is the Belladonna, which was awarded Denver’s Best Margarita at the Denver Margarita Festival last month. Named after the beautiful but deadly flower, the Belladonna is a delicately balanced and visually striking blend of coconut and lavender that masks any harshness of the alcohol — hence the name.

“Food doesn’t need to be complicated, as long as it’s fresh and right,” Romero notes. “But I refuse to serve chimichangas or sopapillas.”

That honesty and dedication should prove helpful in Cencalli’s mission. The restaurant partners closely with the nearby East Community Center, located just on the other side of that “invisible wall,” in the former East Elementary School building. Romero also sits on the board of Break Bread, a free meal service located in the community center, where over a dozen nonprofits such as music programs, wellness classes, a food pantry and more are also housed.

On November 1, the community center is hosting a Día de los Muertos Expo from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring various ofrendas (altars) sponsored by the various participating groups, which Cencalli is supporting. There will also be an indoor bazaar, music and entertainment. The event is free to attend.

While her restaurant may not yet be the community hub she originally envisioned, Romero isn’t giving up. On the walls of Cencalli are the works of a rotating roster of local Latino artists, who regularly appear for art and mezcal-tasting events.  She is also dedicated to helping her back-of-house staff learn English in order to broaden their employment opportunities.

“What I wanted to happen didn’t, but it opened my eyes to what was going on,” Romero says, explaining the root of her community involvement and philanthropic activities. “I feel like we’re tapping into something that can develop over the years.”

And as the restaurant celebrates its one-year anniversary next month, Romero is already looking to her goals for the year ahead. “Hopefully in a year, it’ll be completely different," she concludes.

Cencalli Taqueria is located at 2389 Main Street in Littleton and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit cencallitaqueria.com.