Mexico City Lounge Celebrates 65 Years With a Week of Specials

The exact timeline of when Mexico City Restaurant and Lounge debuted is a bit murky, but there are few things that are clear: It dates back to when Larimer Street was still skid row and Coors Field was decades from existing; it's still family-run; and it's known for a Den-Mex original — the fried taco.

Mexco City was opened by Willie and Ester Garcia about fifty years ago; before that, the couple ran another Mexican eatery, Juarez, which was located across the street. That's where the fried taco was invented, says third-generation owner David Muniz. "According to my mom, [my grandfather] and my grandma started making those tacos because they were looking for a quicker way to make them. They came up with that American cheese because it melts so good, and they put it with beef, and it just kind of took off,” he told Westword in 2015. (And by the way, if you can pinpoint the exact year when Mexico City moved into its current home at 2115 Larimer Street, Muniz would like to hear from you.)

Today the tacos are still made with American cheese and are available with steak, ground beef, beans or chicken (which is a staff favorite with the addition of bacon and avocado for a club-inspired take on this classic). On Fridays, you can also get them loaded with carnitas — at least until it sells out.

The greasy creation is still delicious, too, landing on our list of the ten best tacos in the metro area despite the fact that dozens of other taco joints have joined the scene since Mexico City's debut.

While the Ballpark neighborhood is vastly different today, filled with bars and trendy eateries (including Michelin Bib Gourmand pick La Diabla), Mexico City remains a low-key place to nurse a hangover or linger over margaritas during lunch.

Now run by Muniz and his wife, Candice Pineda, it's celebrating the restaurant's impressive run from its earliest days on Larimer with a week of specials, new menu items and activities, which kick off on Tuesday, October 31, with a deal on those popular fried tacos.

Here's a full rundown of the schedule:
Tuesday, October 31
Steak, chicken and beef fried tacos will be $2.99 all day (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Halloween costumes are encouraged, but you don't need to dress up to get this deal.

Wednesday, November 1
Mexico City will debut a new menu item, fried chicken wings with a black mole sauce, available at a special introductory price of $8 for six wings.

Thursday, November 2
"Dia de Los Muertos or 'Day of the Dead' will bring back Abuelita Esther’s in-house tamale recipe," Mexico City says. The pork red chile tamales will be available as an order of two with rice and beans for $10.75 while supplies last. The restaurant will also introduce a new seasonal cocktail, the La Catrina, which will be available for the next month. The blood orange margarita comes with a Blood Orange Cali Squeeze beer for $12.

Friday, November 3
From 6 to 9 p.m., Mexico City will offer jazz and funk music from Freddy Rodriguez.

Saturday, November 4
The restaurant is hosting its inaugural taco-eating contest from 2 to 4 p.m. Thirty contenders will pay $30 each to find out who can eat the most tacos in thirty minutes. Those interested in participating can sign up via this form, and there will be prizes for the first-, second- and third-place winners. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ballpark Collective RNO.

Sunday, November 5
Wrap up the week with a day of recovery as Mexico City serves up brunch complete with $5 mimosas and Bloody Marys from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.