Every Opening and Closing This Week: El Chingon Now Pouring, Garibaldi's Dries Up

After a busy May, action slowed on the Denver dining scene this first week of June.

June 7, 2025

Garibaldi's won't be serving this smothered torta today. Mark Antonation

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Win some, lose some. Those who braved the rain on First Friday stumbled on a very welcome sight: El Chingon is now serving in the former home of El Noa Noa, at 722 Santa Fe Drive. After 45 years, the Nunez family took this space over from the Medina family, who founded it 45 years ago. The new owners have updated the space a bit and added menu items that the late Gloria Nunez made popular at the original El Chingon, which opened in an Arvada strip mall in 2010. Since then, El Chingon has opened and closed spots on Tennyson Street and in LoHi; it also has a space at Denver International Airport. And now, with its new home, it has one of the best patios in town.

El Chingon's comeback could help provide inspiration for Garibaldi's Mexican Bistro, which was seized this week for back taxes by the City of Englewood...two days before its tenth anniversary. The little eatery wedged between a Conoco and an automated car was has always been a Westword favorite for its tacos as well as hard-to-find regional dishes like pambazos (smothered tortas), nopales rellenos (stuffed cactus leaves), Oaxacan-style tlayudas and mixiote (slow-cooked pork or chicken). Owner Jesus Cruz hopes a GoFundMe will help the eatery get back on track.

Further down Broadway, Frank the Pizza King is gone for good, after more than fifty years. And at the end of service on June 8, Breakfast Inn will close forever, just a year short of its fiftieth anniversary.

But as promised, Riot BBQ is now pleased to meat you in the former home of AJ's Pit Bar-B-Que.

click to enlarge

Get it while it's hot: Breakfast Inn is closing tomorrow.

Molly Martin

In other restaurant news:

Senor Burritos lasted 34 years in the Baker neighborhood; now it's serving in Westminster.
Denver's longest-running saloon, My Brother's Bar, is now serving brunch.

Here's the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened or closed this week.*

Openings

El Chingon, 722 Santa Fe Drive
Los Carboncito's, 7431 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree
Riot BBQ, 2180 South Delaware Street

Closures

Breakfast Inn, 6135 East Evans Avenue
Frank the Pizza King, 4701 South Broadway, Englewood
Garibaldi's Mexican Bistro, 3298 South Broadway, Englewood

*or earlier, and not included in a previous Openings and Closings.

What did we miss? Post a comment or send information to [email protected].

Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

A message from Patricia Calhoun: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Denver’s evolving dining scene and the latest culinary innovations our community offers.

Support Today