414 E. 6th Street, Loveland, CO

No Website – Cash Only – Closed on Sunday & Monday

Heidi’s Illustrious Review: 4

I’ve been a patron of this restaurant for almost six years; it is my favorite Mexican food restaurant in Colorado. Look for the low slung, pink adobe just east of Lincoln Place on 6th Street in downtown Loveland. On the weekends Adelita’s is packed. It is not unusual to have a 90 minute wait on a Friday night during the summer. Even during the winter, a wait on most night should be expected. The lunch crowd is also thick, but the food arrives so fast lunch diners are able to get in and out fairly quickly.

No one minds the wait. Simply order a margarita from the patio bar window and sit at one of the many tables on the large enclosed patio. The tables are tightly packed and you may find yourself, especially after a margarita or two, making friends with the people around you – this is perfectly normal at Adelita’s.

Ask any local and they’ll tell you Adelita’s has the best margaritas in town (and maybe even the world). A margarita will set you back only $3.50 and two of these tasty, frothy drinks will undoubtedly put you in a happy state of mind. There are beers by the bottle and wine, all well-priced, but it’s the margaritas that keep people coming back. Adelita’s consistently wins top honors in the Best Margarita Category of the ”Best Of” contest ran yearly by the local newspaper.

A friend of mine once described the inside of Adelita’s as looking like her grandma’s house and now I can’t get the description out of my mind when I dine there. It is a little like grandma’s house, complete with plastic plants, plastic table cloths with the fuzzy undersides and pink walls. I don’t know how long Adelita’s has been open (I think it’s in double digits), but I don’t think a lot of money has been spent on cosmetic renovations through the years. But why would they? People keep coming and enjoying the place just the way it is.

As soon as you arrive at your table you will receive warm chips and a very small bowl of spicy salsa.  The staff is usually quite efficient, but you will not always recieve service with a smile. I’d say about 50% of the time we have a friendly server and about 50% of the time we have an indifferent server.

Prices this low haven’t graced a menu in years. My usual is the stuffed chicken sopapilla smothered in green chili with a side of rice or beans ($4.25). Sometimes if I’m really hungry I’ll order a taco or relleno a la carte, but on those visits I walk away too full.  My husband always gets the chili rellenos plate; he has tried chili rellenos at restaurants all over New Mexico and Colorado and declares Adelita’s to be the very best. The menu includes all the usual Mexican fare – the green chili is fabulous. I think the most expensive item on the menu is around $8, sometimes more for the nightly special if it’s steak or fish.  Food always arrives fast and hot. We like to finish off with a sopapilla, though we usually don’t have room in our stomachs.  

We enjoy taking out-of-town guests to Adelita’s. The prices are great and the atmosphere is ideal for chatter and laughter. Many of our out-of-town guests come from the Pacific Northwest where the Mexican food is bland and there’s no such thing as Green Chile *gasp* so Adelita’s is a real departure from what our guests think of as ”Mexican” food.

I highly recommend Adelita’s for lunch or dinner, as a fun casual date, night out with the family or a gathering of friends. Be prepared for a wait on most evenings, but with margarita-in-hand, who cares!