Pappas seems to be doing a good job of improving the quality of the rest of the food, but they now only serve the Pappasito's style warm, brown salsa over the traditional red salsa. I am heartbroken as their salsa has been my favorite since high school.

I spoke to family in Dallas who confirmed this happened down there months ago, but it just hit the OTBs here in Colorado.

Anyone got a good copy cat recipe for the old salsa? I've tried a few I found online but they taste more like the crap you buy in a jar from the store.

Plenty of good Mexican food in Colorado that isn't Tex-Mex.

DiskoTroop said:

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HTownAg98 said:

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Plenty of good Mexican food in Colorado that isn't Tex-Mex.

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I'll have to get a list from you. I have trouble finding it.

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Would like a list as well

Seems odd since you can buy On the Border salsa at the store.

Wonder if they bought the chain for their locations for expansion. Assume most have a restaurant site with dedicated parking.

DiskoTroop said:

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HTownAg98 said:

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Plenty of good Mexican food in Colorado that isn't Tex-Mex.

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I'll have to get a list from you. I have trouble finding it.

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Agreed. I've spent a lot of time all over southern Colorado and most of the Mexican food is terrible. I can count on one hand the number of "decent" experiences I've had.

The worst experiences have typically been when a local recommends that "You just have to try this place…"

TXAG 05 said:

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You can't get good Mexican food in Dallas, I can't imagine how bad it is as far north as Colorado

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I had two hard and fast rules when I used to travel for work…

No mexican in Dallas
No Chinese in El Paso.

Where do you live?

Houston

Curios why Colorado can't produce a decent Tex-Mex restaurant. There are certainly enough immigrants to man the back of the house and getting the necessary produce isn't an issue in today's world so why can't a solid Tex-Mex restaurant make it in Colorado? Too many California transplants that want their Baja-style Mexican?

HDeathstar said:

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Seems odd since you can buy On the Border salsa at the store.

Wonder if they bought the chain for their locations for expansion. Assume most have a restaurant site with dedicated parking.

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On the Border went bankrupt and Pappas bought them for pennies on the dollar, so I think they're eventually trying to expand Pappasito's with these nationwide locations.

Minus the salsa and queso, most of OTBs food was trash - I will say that Pappas brought in their Pappasito's style fajitas and the quality is way better now. Apparently that's true for most entrees.

The Pappasito's salsa isn't bad, I've just been addicted to the original OTB salsa for most of my life. I know I'm being dramatic but I don't think I will ever forgive Pappas for getting rid of it.

The thing is, New Mexico style Mexican in my opinion, isn't very good. I spent a lot of time in NM over the 20 years my dad lived in ABQ and man, it's just not very good.

So I guess if the bar for "good" NM style is only "fair" on true Sonoran or CDMX style Mexican or even Tex Mex, then yes, I suppose "good" Mexican can be had in Colorado. It still doesn't change my over all experience of dissatisfaction.

La Herradura in Buena Vista served up some al pastor tacos that were indistinguishable from what you could get at a good restaurant/food truck here in Texas.

Half price fajitas at otb on Wednesday's

superunknown said:

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Colorado mexican food is more like New Mexican than tex-mex. Green chili, not as much cheese, etc. Once you embrace that and not "tex-mex" you can find some good places. If you're expecting the same kind of plates you'd get in Houston or Austin/San Antonio you're in for a bad time.

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I was about to post something similar to this. But if you're looking for authentic Mexican food in Colorado, the first thing I'd do is go to ChatGPT or your favorite LLM and ask it what the hispanic neighborhoods are in a particular city. Once you have that, look for restaurants in that area. If you can overlay it with a crime heat map for personal safety, even better.

TXAG 05 said:

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You can't get good Mexican food in Dallas, I can't imagine how bad it is as far north as Colorado

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Really? Have had to spend several weeks in Dallas recently, and as a card carrying Mexican I have found some really decent, albeit expensive as compared to what I am used to, Mexican food. Some good Tex-Mex as well. Now all of it was in a very rough part of Dallas, but it is what it is.

The Fiestas in Dallas have $.99 tacos on Tuesdays at their food counters, make nice with the ladies and you can make 2 tacos outta one, as they double the torts.

As has always been the case in a lot of Texas, the tortillas are not the best.

https://www.utzsnacks.com/collections/on-the-border

Aggie_Boomin 21 said:

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DiskoTroop said:

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HTownAg98 said:

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Plenty of good Mexican food in Colorado that isn't Tex-Mex.

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I'll have to get a list from you. I have trouble finding it.

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Would like a list as well

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Mexico city in downtown..
Patzcuaros on 32nd

Both of these (and many others) are family mexican restaurants, started by immigrants from mexico. If you don't think it's good, you may just not like traditional mexican food.

HTownAg98 said:

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superunknown said:

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Colorado mexican food is more like New Mexican than tex-mex. Green chili, not as much cheese, etc. Once you embrace that and not "tex-mex" you can find some good places. If you're expecting the same kind of plates you'd get in Houston or Austin/San Antonio you're in for a bad time.

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I was about to post something similar to this. But if you're looking for authentic Mexican food in Colorado, the first thing I'd do is go to ChatGPT or your favorite LLM and ask it what the hispanic neighborhoods are in a particular city. Once you have that, look for restaurants in that area. If you can overlay it with a crime heat map for personal safety, even better.

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The best barbacoa (beef) I had was in this sketchy af neighborhood off east Colfax.

Tacos DF was pretty awesome, it's down around Parker/Dayton if I remember right.

Having said that, I left Denver like 15 years ago so i don't have any current info. I still make it by a Santiagos or Chubbys for a hit of green chili when I get a chance to visit. No idea if they still exist.

Thanks, will keep those in mind.

Had what I would probably consider the 2 greatest meals of my life in Guanajuato last year, so I don't think traditional Mexican food is a problem for me.

Having given New Mexican food a try numerous times at what is supposed to be some pretty good spots in ABQ & Santa Fe, I can say that isn't for me. Mid as hell

Edit:
After looking at Patzcuaro's food photos online it looks way more Tex-mex to me than traditional. Whole lot of enchiladas covered in shredded melted cheese on a plate with refried beans and rice. Not complaining just noting.

Mike Pappas is in the Pappas family and played OL in the late 80s early 90s.