ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Denver Dives Worth the Descent: Gomez Burritos

Updated on April 17, 2013

Using the word "dive" to mean a place of ill-repute dates back to the 18th century. At that time, such places were usually located in a basement or cellar-type structure. Thus, patrons literally had to "dive" to get into a place that also indicated a dive in their morals. Gomez Burritos is neither a place of ill-repute nor located in a basement, but it is an out-of-the-way gem worth seeking out!

http://www.gomezburritosdenver.com/
http://www.gomezburritosdenver.com/

Driving home the back way from work one afternoon, I saw a garish sign advertising 99-cent burritos. Considering the area of town – Commerce City not too far from the highway or the factories -- my initial thought was, “Scary – could be ‘burritos’ just like the 99-cent sandwiches in Turkey were ‘chicken’.” Never mind: the restaurant had what seemed ungodly hours: 5 AM to 3 PM. A couple weeks later, though, running early for work, I remembered the hole-in-the-wall restaurant advertising 99-cent burritos and decided to take the back way. So I discovered Gomez Burritos.

The Chicharrón

Chicharrónes are part of the traditional cuisine of many Spanish-influenced countries. They are made of pork skin and fat that has been rendered. The result is a dense, crispy, chewy delicacy. In Mexico, they can be found in even the tiniest corner grocery; visitors who enter a market will find stands dedicated to the chicharrón alone.

Chicharrónes can be made from most any part of the pig's skin. Depending on the area of the body, the skin-to-fat ratio varies. Certain parts of the pig's body is thin-skinned, leading to crunchier chicharrón. In some cases, though, this thin skin is first dried then deep-fried, creating literal sheets of the foamy chicharrón reminiscent of pork rinds. Some of the densest chicharrón curls up on itself almost like cones. However, one of the favorite chicharrón for cooking is made from fatback and comes out with a concentrated, half-inch layer of fat. Crumbled into pieces, these add a chewy, delicious texture to bean burritos.

The Food

Gomez Burritos, in the grand tradition of the Mexican taco stands you can find on South Federal, offers small-ish portions for small prices. The burritos are by no means minuscule – they start with a 9-inch tortilla – but they are modest. For the advertised 99-cents, patrons can receive a bean-cheese-chili burrito or even a breakfast burrito. Add $1, and the choices increase exponentially.

The majority of their burritos run $2-$3, the more expensive burritos consisting of beef usually, or more pork. Their authentic style includes such staples as beans, green chile, cheese, potatoes, and pork. Envision these in any delicious combination, and they probably feature such a burrito at Gomez's.

My personal favorite burrito, for a scant $2.25, is the #10. (Oh, at Gomez's, the "in" way of ordering is by number, with hotness of chile specified.) The #10 is a 9" tortilla filled with soft beans, gooey cheese, mild chile (for me – patrons can also ask for spicy or half-and-half), and the pièce de résistance: chicharrón. Chicharrón are, literally, fried pork fat with the skin on; they are something like extra-crunchy, dense pork rinds. They are not healthy. And they are not for everyone. Fans of this delicacy do not find bean- chicharrón burritos just anywhere. But when we do, we know we have found an authentic Mexican restaurant. And it is sometimes a dive, like Gomez' Burritos – in a good way, of course.

In addition to cheap but tasty burritos, Gomez's offers plates. Running just around $6.99, these platas include rice or potatoes – the latter again gives Gomez's away as authentic – and the ubiquitous beans. If you have a hankering for home-made (style, at least) tamales, just $13 will get you a dozen.

Hubs on Dining in Denver

Mile Hi Life -- Places Worth the Splurge: The 9th Door. Mile Hi-Life looks at Denver-area restaurants that are a little higher-priced, but worth the splurge. At The 9th Door a meal with wine will cost around $40-$60.

Mile Hi Life -- Places Worth the Splurge: Le Central. Mile Hi-Life looks at Denver-area restaurants that are a little higher-priced, but worth the splurge. At The 9th Door a meal with wine will cost around $40-$60.

Denver Restaurant Week. Every year Visit Denver presents an event to celebrate the culinary offerings of the Mile Hi City.

Bottom of Form


The Locale

Commerce City is the factory center of Denver. "Charm" is added by the highways bisecting the area. Located out-of-the-way, Gomez Burritos is small and unassuming. Located next to a similarly “unassuming” liquor store, the store front does not necessarily invite. But closer inspection reveals the glass to be clear and the inside to be clean. The inside, with its murals of beach scenes, feels downright cheerful.

I have never witnessed a line out the door, but I have seen a line 7 to 8 deep at 6:00 in the morning. Expectedly the patrons are often comprised of workers, likely from one of the nearby factories, many of them at least of Mexican descent if not actual immigrants (another sign of the authenticity of the food). However, I have seen sports cars in the parking lot and patrons in business suits; downtown office buildings are only 5 miles away, and Gomez's is a quick jaunt from the highway. This find is no longer so hidden, but it still carries the feel of a jewel in the rough, tucked out of the way.

Gomez Burritos offers authentic Mexican food at very affordable prices. They have three locations, but the original sits at 5520 Washington St., Denver, CO 80216, just half a mile from the Denver Merchandise Mart. Their early hours mean enjoying them for breakfast or lunch. So, if you're anywhere near the 58th Avenue exit on I-25, pop in for a delicious 99-cent burrito. Bring cash, though, and don't mind the few minutes you have to wait for these hand-made specialties.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)