For those of us who grew up in North Denver, Tamales by La Casita has been a staple in the community.
Whether ordering tamales for Christmas celebrations or craving good old-fashioned Mexican cuisine, La Casita has long been the go-to place in the Denver area. And now, for those traveling to and through Denver International Airport, (DEN) there’s an opportunity to discover what many of us in Denver already know — La Casita is the go-to spot for authentic Mexican food.
For decades, La Casita has been serving up traditional New Mexican cuisine that has reflections from Mexico, Native Americans and Spanish Influences.
The restaurant, located at Concourse C at Denver International Airport, offers green, red, and vegetarian tamales, breakfast burritos, enchiladas, green chile, chili rellenos, hamburgers, and plenty of other delicious plates.
The restaurant was founded by former Colorado State Senator Paul Sandoval who started making tamales in 1974. Today, Tamales by La Casita is owned by his wife Paula, who has also served as a state senator and a Denver City Councilwoman.
Sandoval was known as the godfather of Colorado politics and advised politicians of all kinds on issues like pollster strategy and bilingual education. When he passed away in 2012 at the age of 67, figures from across the state paid their respect, and even former President Barack Obama wrote a letter in his honor to Paula. Today, Sandoval’s family has kept his tamale recipes alive and well through La Casita.
Corn husks for La Casita’s tamales are ordered straight from Mexico and each day, staff uses 900 pounds of pork and 40 pounds of cheese to make the dish. Each day, La Casita prepares nearly 12,000 tamales from scratch. That number increases during the week of Christmas, and the Sandovals have said that some of their customers have even traveled from out of state just to get an order of their tamales.
In addition to its renowned tamales and New Mexican cuisine, La Casita provides an immersive introduction to classic Denver Mexican flavors for travelers at Denver International Airport. The airport location, open daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., features a diverse menu, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, along with a full bar, making it the perfect spot to savor authentic Denver Mexican cuisine on the go.
The Denver International Airport location is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. To reach the La Casita location at Denver International Airport, call 720-868-5932. The Denver location, located at 3561 Tejon St., is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at 303-477-2899.
For general information on La Casita and to see the res- taurant’s full menu, visit tamalesbylacasita.net.
