As a Wisconsinite at heart, I pride myself in knowing what cheese is good cheese. I’ve lived in Boulder for almost 11 years, but I still brag about how my uncle works at a cheese factory back in the midwest. As I’ve ventured around town over the past decade, eating at some of Boulder’s best Mexican restaurants, tasting a variety of quesos was a no-brainer. After all, who doesn’t want a basket of crispy chips to dip into a hot, gooey blend of cheese and spices before the big meal.
But it’s not just about taste. Over the years I’ve researched what truly makes a good queso dish. From consistency to the overall flavor and spices to the ratio between cheese and chips, balance isn’t a given. With these ideas in mind, dip into these six Boulder queso options at the top of my list.
Santo‘s New Mexican Queso
I love the $14, unconventional queso at chef Hosea Rosenberg’s Santo (owner of Blackbelly in Denver and Boulder too). Each dish utilizes local cheeses and comes with tortillas for dipping, but the standout flavor comes from a topping of red pepper jelly and pepitas, which add a nice crunch. The red pepper jelly gives the queso a sweet undertone to compliment the richness and play with a tinge of heat. It is definitely one of the thickest quesos I ate, but based on flavor I would get it again in a heartbeat. 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, Santoboulder.com
McDevitt Taco Supply‘s Queso
For a classic flavor with all the makings of a good queso, this is it. The dish from McDevitt Taco Supply ($11 for a large) has one of the best consistencies in town. It’s not too runny or too thick, it sits right in the middle with a creamy feel captured nicely on the restaurant’s crispy, thinner corn chips. Taste the cheese-forward flavor in each bite, noting a hint of spiciness leaning toward the mild side. Add chorizo for a bit more flavor, or pair the queso with a beer-braised beef taco or McDevitt’s delicious Kale Yeah! vegetarian taco. Various locations, Mcdevitttacosupply.com
Pica’s Boulder Mexican Taqueria
Pica’s is another great stop for tasty and quick Mexican food with a fast-casual vibe. They have one location in Boulder and one in Lousiville, and both serve up a pretty tasty bowl of queso ($9 for a large). The viscosity proves runnier than the other options, but the overall taste of the dish makes up for density. Find chunks of pepper in it, which hang onto the cheese and help even more of the luscious goodness stick to the chips with each plunge. 5360 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, and 901 Front St., Louisville, Picascolorado.com
Beer and Queso at Twisted Pine
Although Twisted Pine is not a Mexican restaurant, it’s a brewing company where folks love the IPA and a kettle-soured cherry wheat beer, I found this to be one of the best white quesos around town. The Billy’s Queso Blanco appetizer ($10) comes with tortilla chips and naan bread for dipping, neither of which is anything special, but the overall flavor and consistency of the queso portion is unbeatable.
The dish also offers a bit of a spicy kick due to the addition of Billy’s Chilies & Spices hot sauce. Overall, the flavor profile is a solid mix of cheesy goodness and enough spice to make it interesting. Bonus, the serving size proves great for two people. Add on the weekly trivia and it’s a queso not to miss. 3201 Walnut St., Boulder, Twistedpinebrewing.com
Queso at Verde
An entire bag of Verde’s thick and crunchy tortilla chips come with each order of queso ($7), making the size of the dish stand out. Often, when ordering queso, it has some extra spice either from chorizo or hot peppers. Such is the case with Verde’s dish, which features a four-cheese blend with green chile and homemade hot sauce.
This was definitely one of the more spicy quesos I tried. Its consistency came out pretty thick, perfect for scooping onto the aforementioned chips. The dish tasted a bit milky rather than cheesy for the first few bites, but I began to like it more and more with each dip. Head here if you want a copious amount of chips and like your melted cheese on the spicier side. 3070 28th St., Boulder, and 640 Main St., Louisville, Verdeeatdrink.com
