Taco House (Closed)
Denver, CO Photos courtesy Robin McCracken
The neon at Taco House made this little restaurant hard to overlook along Denver’s Federal Boulevard. With its sombrero wearing character and bright lettering, the sign seemed almost bigger than the building beneath it. Hungry or not, this was worth a second look. 09-10
Gerald Bevelhymer opened the restaurant at 581 South Federal Boulevard in 1958, offering affordable Mexican food and convenient carryout service. The family business grew to eleven metro area locations during the 1970s, while the original kept serving familiar favorites beneath that memorable sign.
UPDATE: The Federal Boulevard restaurant closed at the end of 2024 after 66 years, with rising costs among the challenges cited. The family’s Lakewood location at 1335 Wadsworth Boulevard continues operating. The future of the original building and sign remains uncertain. 07-26
Taco House
Lakewood, CO Photo courtesy Robin McCracken
This Taco House in Lakewood doesn’t have the towering neon character found at the original Denver restaurant, but the building makes its own roadside impression. Its distinctive roofline and bright colors give motorists along Wadsworth Boulevard something more interesting than the usual restaurant box. 09-10
The chain began in 1958, when Gerald Bevelhymer opened the first Taco House on South Federal Boulevard. Affordable tacos, enchiladas, and combination dinners helped the family business expand to eleven metro area locations during the 1970s. This Lakewood restaurant carries on that tradition of a straightforward meal without much fuss.
A view of the restaurant
Lakewood, CO Photo courtesy Robin McCracken
The building is worth a closer look before heading inside. Its angular design recalls an era when even a small restaurant was expected to catch your attention from a moving car. The Federal location relied on its enormous sign, while this one lets the architecture handle more of the advertising.
UPDATE: Taco House remains open at 1335 Wadsworth Boulevard following the original Denver restaurant’s closure at the end of 2024. It is the remaining location operated by the founding family, rather than the only Taco House altogether. A separately owned restaurant also survives in Littleton, keeping another branch of the familiar name in business. 07-26
Taco House
