Los Carboncitos gets whacked by a Cadillac

Just over two weeks ago, Gaetano's, the long-standing newly remodeled Italian restaurant on the corner of 38th Avenue and Tejon, was nailed by a Ford Probe that careened through the sidewalk patio, breaking windows and causing the iconic restaurant, which has a string of bad luck when it comes to...

By Lori Midson

March 4, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "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": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Just over two weeks ago, Gaetano's, the long-standing newly remodeled Italian restaurant on the corner of 38th Avenue and Tejon, was nailed by a Ford Probe that careened through the sidewalk patio, breaking windows and causing the iconic restaurant, which has a string of bad luck when it comes to being the victim of vehicle misfortunes, to close for a few days while the staff cleaned up the mess.

Apparently, that stretch of 38th Avenue is cursed with bad drivers, because the same thing happened again last night at Los Carboncitos, just a few blocks down the street, at Pecos and 38th.

Owner and chef Ignacio Leon wasn't at the popular taqueria when a Cadillac SUV smashed into the front door around 10 p.m. last night, but a few customers were quietly enjoying their tacos when all hell broke loose -- and a half dozen employees were inside, too. Luckily, no one was injured, or had to be hospitalized, reports Ignacio, but the dining room, most notably the floor, is smashed to smithereens.

"I have no idea how this happened," he says, "but we're definitely closed for the moment, and I'm not sure how long we'll have to wait before we can reopen." Leon was planning to get in touch with his insurance company today to have the damage assessed, but judging from the above pic, which was taken just an hour ago, it's going to be a while before Leon can reopen. But if you have a hankering for tacos (and those excellent salsas), there are two other Los Carboncitos locations at which to get your fix: 720 Sheridan Boulevard and 15210 East Sixth Avenue, in Aurora.

"Hopefully, we won't be closed for too long," says Leon, noting that the kitchen, at least, is ready to get back to cooking.

Follow @CafeWestword

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.