If you're hunting for tacos in Denver, Luchador Taco & More is hard to miss. It sits at 2030 E 28th Ave, and the whole place is built around the cooking of Chef Zuri Resendiz, who grew up in Mexico City, moved to the U.S. in 2002, and opened Luchador in 2022. His resume reads like a food-industry greatest hits: Zagat's 30 Under 30 in 2015, Best Food Trucks 5280 in 2023, and Hispanic Top Chef 2022, plus wins on Chopped, Grocery Games, and Supermarket Stakeout. Before this, he worked at Panzano, Cattivella, and Shanahan's Steak House.
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The menu leans on tacos and burritos but keeps things inventive. A single taco runs $8 to $9 depending on the filling — lengua, cochinita pibil, rib eye, and pulpo al pastor — and orders of three, like quesabirria at $17 or birria at $14, are the standard. Beyond that, the plates go more ambitious: hamachi tiradito for $19.50, birria ramen at $17, chicken enmoladas at $23, and a huarache campechano at $19. Botanas like pork belly chicharrones ($16) and shrimp causa ($18) round out the table, and churros at $11.50 make a decent finish. There's a clear Peruvian thread running through it all, which is part of what sets the place apart from your average taco joint.
Two things make it worth planning your visit around. Taco Tuesday is the obvious one: an all-day special where asada, pastor, birria, and calabacitas tacos run $10 for an order of three, no mixing. The other is happy hour, which runs Wednesday through Friday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Food drops to $3 tacos (asada, birria, pastor, calabacitas) with cilantro, onion, and salsas, and drinks like the Luchador Margarita, Paloma, and Ranch Water sit at $10, with a $10 beer and shot option. The full cocktail list goes up to $13 or $14 for the Luchador Margarita, Mezcalrita, and Daiquiri, plus a $12 Tepache and a $14 Cafe con Ganas.
For beer, expect the usual Mexican imports — Modelo Negra, Modelo Especial, Tecate, and Pacifico — around $6 to $7, with a few Peruvian options like Pilsen Callo. Non-alcoholic drinks include Jarritos, Mexican Coke, Inka Cola, and $7 aguas frescas. The space is small but lively, with an open kitchen that lets you watch the food come together, and the reviews lean heavily toward the birria tacos and burritos. It's a 4.9-star spot on Eater Denver, which has put it on its best restaurants and best tacos lists multiple times over the last year.
Hours are worth a quick check before you head out: closed Mondays, 5:00 to 9:00 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 5:00 to 10:00 pm on Fridays, and 4:00 to 10:00 pm on Saturdays, with brunch listed as coming soon. Reservations, catering, and online ordering are all available, and there's a rewards program through SpotOn if you plan on making it a regular spot.
