Last month, the storied pageantry of deliciousness known as Top Taco returned and dared to spill its saucy wares at a new spot: Westminster City Park. The tapestry of Top Taco is spread out, far from your average munch fest. Denver’s most audacious taco maestros converged, their culinary arsenals spiked with tequila revelations. As the tasting frenzy grew, the glint of four titles beckoned: Top Creative Taco, Top Traditional Taco, Top Vegetarian Taco, and Top Cocktail, with winners determined by both the people and the judges. To learn more about this year’s winners, check out all the posts in this series. To learn more about who the people chose as their People’s Choice: Top Taco—Vegetarian winners for 2023, read on.
Judges’ Choice: Top Taco—Vegetarian
A three-peat gold medal winner, Street Side Eats took home a gold medal in the Vegetarian category at this year’s Top Taco. (In 2022 and 2021, they earned the highest marks from the judges in the Traditional category.) The winning dish this year? The Elote Taco. Sweet yellow corn, grilled cheese, poblano aioli, fried chile, tajin, scallion, cilantro, and pickled red onion. Raquelitas Tortilla provided the very rarely seen Traditional Nixtamal single-field heirloom Indian Corn Tortillas, making this a very special treat indeed.
2nd Place: La Loteria Taqueria
Known for its Acapulco-style street tacos and Mexican fare, La Loteria filled its Top Taco tortillas with fried avocado—and damn was it tasty. Topped with cotija cheese, corn and black bean salsa, cilantro, and chipotle crema, their taco garnered loads of votes from both the people and the judges, so you know it’s gotta be a winner. You can taste what the fuss is about at the South Broadway location, where the fried avocado taco is on the menu for $5.
14500 W Colfax Ave Suite 343, Lakewood
Along with an amazing glazed pork belly taco, the Colorado Mills taco joint also served up a vegetarian taco that caught lots of love from our panel of expert judges and civilian festival-goers alike. On the menu, they’ve got two veggie options, one with fried avocado and another with grilled portobello. But their listed right below the one with warm buttered lobster and I’m not a vegetarian so you know what I’ll be ordering next time I’m out in Lakewood…
People’s Choice: Top Taco—Vegetarian
14500 W. Colfax Ave. #343, Lakewood
Along with an amazing glazed pork belly taco, the Colorado Mills taco joint also served up a vegetarian taco that caught lots of love from our panel of expert judges and civilian festival-goers alike. On the menu, they’ve got two veggie options, one with fried avocado and another with grilled portobello. But they’re listed right below the one with warm buttered lobster and I’m not a vegetarian so you know what I’ll be ordering next time I’m out in Lakewood…
2nd Place: Mama Lolita’s Mexican
Last year, Mama Lolita’s won first place in the Judge’s Choice: Vegetarian Taco category, which apparently gave them a taste for winning. They came in this year hungry for more, and they got their fill. Mama Lolita’s placed in three categories: 1st Place: People’s Choice for Top Cocktail; 1st Place: People’s Choice for Top Taco, AND 2nd Place: People’s Choice for vegetarian tacos. Basically, Mama Lolita’s is gonna be the reigning champs to beat going into Top Taco 2024. Stop by the Broomfield joint to taste what the fuss is about.
Known for its Acapulco-style street tacos and Mexican fare, La Loteria filled its Top Taco tortillas with fried avocado—and damn was it tasty. Topped with cotija cheese, corn and black bean salsa, cilantro, and chipotle crema, their taco garnered loads of votes from both the people and the judges, so you know it’s gotta be a winner. You can taste what the fuss is about at the South Broadway location, where the fried avocado taco is on the menu for $5.
