Ten Great Places to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With Mexican Cuisine and Margaritas

Cinco de Mayo is an often misunderstood holiday. No, Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexico's Independence Day — that would be September 16. Instead, the holiday traditionally celebrates the  Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the U.S., the holiday has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and, for better or worse, a day to throw back tequila, Tecate and tacos for the masses. Whether you want to keep it traditional or celebrate Cinco with a twist, here are diez places offering up tasty specials to sink your teeth into.     

10. Adelitas Cocina y Cantina
1294 South Broadway Street
303-778-1294
Adelitas has won our Best House Margarita award for three years running, so you know it's a great place to throw a few back for Cinco de Mayo. The restaurant will celebrate the holiday with food and drink specials from Thursday through Sunday, and the cantina will also have a mariachi band from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 5. Get all the details and make reservations by calling Adelitas at 303-778-1294.

9. Centro Latin Kitchen 
950 Pearl Street, Boulder
303-442-7771
Celebrate Centro de Mayo at Centro Latin Kitchen, where you can grab Suerte Margs for $5 all day and the restaurant will have live music by Son Tres from 3 to 6 p.m. Head over to Centro's Facebook page for more information.  
8. Civic Center Park 
Broadway and Colfax Avenue
If you can't make it out on Thursday night for the actual holiday, you can still celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend at the 29th annual Cinco De Mayo Denver festival. Head down to Civic Center Park on May 7 and 8 for a celebration of Latino culture featuring food, live music, dancing, Chihuahua races, a taco-eating contest and crafts vendors. The festivities kick off with a parade around the park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. Entrance to Cinco de Mayo Denver is free; get all the details here.  

7. La Loma
2527 West 26th Avenue
303-433-8300 
If you haven't heard yet, longtime Jefferson Park staple La Loma is pulling up roots from its current location, where it has been for more than thirty years, and moving downtown at the end of June. That means that you have one last chance to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the restaurant's current location. For the occasion, the restaurant will feature a Mexi-Flag Marg, designed to look like the tri-color Mexican flag. The patriotic potable features strawberry purée, La Loma's signature frozen margarita, and a float of Midori melon liquor. Also offered are $6 shots of barrel-aged Don Julio Reposado tequila. For more information, check out La Loma's Facebook page.  

6. La Sandia
8340 Northfield Boulevard, 303-373-9100
8419 South Park Meadows Center Drive, 303-586-5511 
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, La Sandia Park Meadows will be serving a COLOrita for one day only. For $9.95, the COLOrita delivers Silver Arta Tequila, a Blue Curaçao-spiked house margarita recipe, a red-dyed pineapple slice and a yellow cherry to resemble the Colorado flag. Additionally, both La Sandia locations — Park Meadows and Northfield Stapleton — will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with an all-night happy hour, which will include $5 margaritas and $3 tacos. The specials at Park Meadows will run from 2 p.m. to close, and Northfield’s will run from 4 p.m. to close.


Keep reading for five more Cinco de Mayo celebration ideas...


5. Lola 
1575 Boulder Street
720-570-8686
Lola's 8th Annual Picnic of the Pig celebration is the perfect occasion for a Cinco de Mayo pig-out. The event features a pork-centric menu crafted by some of Denver's best chefs, live music, free margaritas, and more. Things get under way at 4 p.m. with happy hour; live music and the pig dinner both start off at 5. The restaurant will hand out 150 free margs at 4 p.m. and another 150 at 8. For more information, click here. 

4. Los Tacos 
600 East Colfax Avenue
720-287-4479
Celebrate Cinco de Drinko at Los Tacos, where the party will be rocking from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. To get your day started, your first shot is on Los Tacos, and the restaurant will also offer $15 all-you-can-drink margaritas, mimosas and Bloody Marys, $20 all-you-can-drink martinis, $4 tequila shots, $20 buckets of cerveza, $2 tacos and $4.95 asada chile fries. There will also be a piñata with prizes, DJs, a beer-pong tournament and more. Visit the event's Facebook page for all the details.   
3. Mezcal 
3230 East Colfax Avenue 
303-322-5219
Mezcal will have Colfax hopping all weekend long with three nights of live music. Thursday, Mono Verde Collective will be playing; Friday, the Hot Apostles take the stage; and Saturday, Tito del Barrio Malaga will shake things up. The music starts at 10 p.m. each night, and there is no cover. Of course, there will be plenty of tequila to help get you on your feet. Call the restaurant for more information. 

2. Pinche Taqueria
1514 York Street-720-475-1337
3300 West 32nd Avenue-720-502-4608
Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey or Pinche Tacos: whatever you decide to call it, you know the name means good tacos. Both outposts of Pinche Taqueria will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with loads of food and drink specials all day. Keep an eye on the restaurant's Facebook page for updates and more information.      

1. Uncorked Kitchen 
8171 South Chester Street, Centennial
720-907-3838
Many people wake up on May 6 with foggy recollections of what took place the night before, but for those of you who want to avoid the bars and spend a productive — maybe slightly buzzed — Cinco de Mayo, Uncorked Kitchen has the event for you. The interactive dining venue is offering a Tacos and Margaritas date-night class you won't want to forget. You'll learn to make Baja fish, pulled chicken and green chile, and Korean short rib and kimchi tacos. For dessert, you'll whip up churros with chocolate dipping sauce, all while sipping on margs. Tuition for the class, which runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., is $210 per couple. Register and learn more at uncorkedkitchen.com.    

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