Spot Check: Why Santiago's Isn't on Our Best Green Chile List

Every year, when Westword releases its annual list of the ten best places to find green chile in Denver, readers get hot about any of their favorites that were left off. One spot that gets a lot of love is Santiago's, a homegrown chain that started in 1991 and now has 29 company- and franchise-owned locations in Colorado.

But this year, it's once again absent from the list, because (controversial opinion alert) I am not a fan of Santiago's green chile.

Before a crowd of angry fans comes after me armed with foil-wrapped breakfast burritos, let me add that I think Santiago's is an impressive business that does a lot of good in the community through its charity and provides a valuable culinary service: affordable food, served up fast.

Founder Carmen Morales, who was born and raised in Brighton, started a burrito business based on her mother's green chile in order to provide jobs in the community. Her inspirational story was honored in 2017, when Mayor Michael Hancock declared October 14 Breakfast Burrito Day.

For many, a Santiago's breakfast burrito is a staple, as evidenced by the steady line that's ever-present from opening until 11 a.m., when breakfast stops being served. At less than $3 (before tax) for a burrito with eggs, potatoes, meat, green chile (mild, hot or half and half) and the option of adding cheese, it's one of the best deals in Denver. The slender burritos are just enough to satiate that early-morning hunger, or a weekend hangover. The potatoes are tender, the local farm-fresh eggs are plentiful, and the proteins rotate daily (I prefer to go on Wednesdays, which is bacon day).
But I'm now three for three on disappointing green chile orders at my recent stops at three different outposts. While researching the best green chile last year, I tried a Santiago's in Englewood, ordering a burrito as well as a side of chile (half and half) separately — something I'd never done before. While the burrito was as expected, the chile was bland under a fair amount of heat.

When I made a mid-year visit to the East Hampden Avenue outpost, the results were much the same. And as the time to write this year's list grew close, I gave it a third go at the Santiago's on Santa Fe and Sixth Avenue, taking my burrito and small bowl of chile back to the office to really evaluate the situation after days of eating green chile at a number of other restaurants around town.

This time, my half-and-half order had hardly any noticeable heat. Chiles can vary from year to year and season to season, so that's not a deal-breaker on its own. But this was also severely under-seasoned, and its texture was unappealing — most of my favorite versions of green chile are either thick and gravy-like or eat more like a stew, but this one came across as more soupy, and not in a good way. I felt like I could taste the flour in it, as well, as if it hadn't been cooked off long enough.
And while it's supposed to be "green chile with pork," I couldn't find a hint of pork. Nor were there any flecks of black that come from freshly roasted chiles, and just a few scant chile seeds made an appearance. I abandoned the bowl of bland chile after a few bites — though I did make short work of the burrito.

These days, Santiago's also sells its chile in big tubs that are available in retail stores like Walmart, King Soopers and Safeway, so it obviously has plenty of fans. I've picked those up once or twice in a pinch, and they do the trick — and tend to be more consistent than my recent experiences in the restaurants.

Despite not landing in my top ten picks for green chile, Santiago's has poured a lot of love into the community. And that, understandably, has earned it a lot of love in return.

Just not this time.