I would have given this place more stars had it not been for the ridiculously terrible customer service we received. My friends and I got here around 1AM, near the end of the workers' shifts. Quite obviously they were NOT happy about working there, and they didn't hesitate to complain to us about their work hours. I was completely shocked that one of the servers rolled his eyes at us, told my friend to "put a f****** smile on his face", and didn't care that he got my order wrong (which at that point I believed to be intentional). I took away one star for the server my friends and I dealt with, and another for the other servers that were complaining as well. There was not one friendly worker in that restaurant. In regards to the food, it was good. I had pulled pork nachos (that came in a huge quantity) with lots of delicious toppings. I can see why this would make for a good "drunk munchies" cure. Had we received better customer service, this place would of probably earned 3 or 4 stars in my book. But I am so appalled after that experience, that this place certainly doesn't deserve more than 2. Sorry Illegal Pete's fans.
Review Source:Even though Chipotle is headquartered in Denver, I will choose Illegal Pete's over Chipotle any day! Â I can't tell you why though! Â :)
I've honestly only had tasty food at Illegal Pete's in the 10 times I've went, but I cannot give this place 5 stars until they get the pricing down. Â Every time I've went, I've ordered a Bowl; the *same* bowl: Â brown rice, half portion black beans, half portion of light/whole refried beans (??), half portion of chicken cubes, half portion of steak cubes, red pepper & zucchini mix, queso cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream, the hot red salsa, and chips on the side (and my man gets nachos every time). Â Thus far, we've been charged $27.68, $16.62, $17.81, $16.31, $15.82.... you get the point. Â And the last time I went, two days ago, they didn't even give me my chips! Â
Other than that, the concept is quick, they often play St. Louis sporting games, and the hours are flexible - perfect for lunch, dinner or fatty after-bar hours!
Most of the people are right. This place doesn't compare to Chipotle. Only that Chipotle beats it hands down on flavor. Sure the toppings are good and you have a lot more options, but where this place falls flat on it's face is the salsa. The very hot thai chile sauce tastes like water with a little seasoning. The hot salsa tastes like tomato salsa without any kick. This kind of burrito is nothing without a good salsa. The atmosphere is grungier which is a plus, but the salsa...
Review Source:Since Pete opened an Illegals over on Broadway and Alameda, that's my local spot, but I still love stopping by for pre-work breakfast or post-work micheladas / margaritas downtown. Â Plus, the staff here are the bomb. Â Downtown Pete's is much more gritty and authentic than the other locations in my opinion. Â And the fish tacos are somehow a little better than the Broadway joint. Â Anyway, the food is always good & fresh and the drinks are strong and plentiful every time we stop by.
Review Source:I've had the pleasure of eating at this particular Illegal Pete's many times now after some hard but fun games of ultimate frisbee at Commons Park, which is less than a mile walk from Illegal Pete's on 16th Street. It is especially rewarding to come here and munch down since I have always been greeted and served by hard-working jovial staff. The last time I ate here I exchanged compliments with an employee who rolled up my vegetarian burrito, and the same fellow noticed a tear in my burrito wrap and pointed it out to me, motivating him to ask me if I want my burrito re-wrapped! I don't like to waste food so I declined, but it was still so delicious and the aluminum wrap around the burrito was enough to hold the tear in the burrito together ;D Although I've only ordered the vegetarian burrito, it is amazing!! The veggies and beans and guacamole and cilantro have always been fresh, and I feel very welcomed in the restaurant - they also have Jarritos Mexican soda which I love so much!! So, if you find yourself near NW LoDo and hungry for a great dining atmosphere (inside or outside) and awesome fresh food made right in front of your eyes, take a visit to Illegal Pete's!!
Review Source:I read the reviews about Illegal Pete's and decided to check it out and see what the hype was about. Â
Definitely overrated. Â I liked the variety, but all the toppings and meats were just meh.
If I lived in Denver then yeah I'd probably come here for a quick lunch, but as a visitor it's not that different than Chipotle (besides the variety).
There's no "wow" factor that put this place over the top.
MMMMMMM....illegal pete's is conveniently located right next to my office & I probably come here once a week since discovering how delish it is.
I opt for the burrito bowl because its a huge portion. the meat is actually good (unlike qdoba ish) and you get free chips or a tortilla with it anyway, bonus! Â I love this.
It's a little down and dirty so snooty people beware, but an awesome "dive" if you will.
Keep on keepin' on , IP.
$3 happy hour well drinks, and it goes until 7! Coors Light on tap is 2.50, and a whole pitcher goes for 7 bucks! Not too bad. I never see anything like this in Anchorage.
I didn't try the food, but the place was packed! I sat near the register, so I saw a parade of yummy looking Mexican fare go by. You walk up to the counter, Soup Nazi style, order, and shuffle down. Everyone looked like locals, and even a cop came in and stood in line.
The food is sub-par - that is, if you're lucky enough to get the too cool for school staff to give you any attention and do their job serving overcooked rice.
Today was Illegal Pete's last chance to impress me. Every time in the past I've been there, I walked in, was given attitude or looks by the staff, and was always disappointed with the quality of food. But, Chipotle was closed on Sunday and I was craving Mexican. Closest place - sadly, this one.
I  walk in. Notice that they allow dogs inside the establishment (repulsive). Between the high likelihood of pet hair in my food  - where is CPH? - and the inability to get any of the 6 people standing around to come to the counter to take my order, I walked out.
One of the better burrito places in town. Â Chipotle and Qdoba have NOTHING on Illegal Pete's! Â The staff is courteous and friendly (and speak English), and the food is killer! Â I've never had a bad meal here, whether sober or after a Rockies game. Â Pricing is good, food is good, beers are good, staff is good, there is nothing to dislike here.
Review Source:For anyone who thinks this place is even comparable to Chipotle I ask that you have your head examined. It's all in the burrito rolling technique. That, and they have a full service bar. The menu has many more chooses than most quick service burrito joints, sure, it's still just variations on the same ingredients but they've got gems like fish tacos and the addictive queso.
That rolling technique I mentioned? It's so simple you have to wonder why the other guys haven't caught-on yet. After putting in all the fillings you request, they take a big spoon and mix it all around. Yup, this means you don't have to take one bite of meat followed by a gross bite of sour cream, you get a little of everything in each bite. Perfect!
OPEN LATE! Did I mention the bar? Plus, many nights you can enjoy some-sort of event, wether it's live music or a drunken spelling bee.
As far as finding a pretty decent, inexpensive, non-pretentious, anti-douchey dining option in LoDo, this place absolutely deserves 5 stars.
Granted, I know I've consumed an Illegal Pete's taco or two in my day, I can't tell you it was out of this world, knock my socks off. I know it was satisfying... But the real reason I come to Pete's is for happy hour.
Daily happy hour makes this place the cheapest place in downtown for beers. They have some fantastic local brews on tap, and some outdoor seating provides good people watching. I will happily judge the clipboard people from behind the safety of my IPA.
This is cool burrito place that I assume to be around the Denver metro area (also saw one in Boulder).  Laid back vibe, and the employees seemed to be friendly enough.  Though I only had margaritas and guacamole, I would return for a meal in the future.  They also offer a fairly full bar, with a good selection of tequilas as  well as a handful of local craft beers on tap (plus some in bottles).  Cool spot, worth checking out.
Review Source:A customizable mexican place thats open late. Â Its a fun place to grab a bite during the day or after a good night of drinks. Â This was my first meal in Denver and it was a good one. Â I was so hungry I got a burrito and nachos to myself. Â
I like this place because I can pick and chose what goes in my burrito. Â I got the fish burrito. Â Which was delicious. Â I hate it when places but rice and beans in my fish burrito and was so thankful rice and beans is not standard in this burrito. Â And for my nachos they use the nacho cheese. Â Not melted shredded cheese but the gooey goodness of nacho cheese with steak.
they also serve alcohol so you can continue or start your drinking here. Â And what better way to eat your food with the rooster sauce. Â They have Sriracha sauce to eat with your meal. Â overall a great place. Â I would be coming back.
My first Pete's experience was a fish burrito. I got 1/2 way through and was stuffed. I tried to be reasonable and not overindulge, but it's just SO GOOD. The fish is battered and fried perfectly, and the fish sauce is delicious.
Luckily I work nearby, so I've subsequently had a variety of things, including quesadillas, tacos, and breakfast burritos. All the aforementioned are good, but I love their breakfast burritos. They let you get a kid's size, which is great for me (I know I ate a whole fish burrito, but I have control sometimes). You can also pick out what you want in it - my favorite combo is egg, potato, bacon, and guac.
It gets PACKED at lunch, so be prepared to wait in line for 5-10 minutes.
After reading all the great reviews I really expected more! Maybe I caught them on a bad day? I'm only visiting so I won't have time to give them a second chance unfortunately.
Like everyone else said, it's a Chipotle style build your-own-burrito/taco/bowl setup. The atmosphere is cooler since its set up like bar and actually has a full service bar. Everyone was nice, the toppings guy was extra attentive and explained everything well. Kudos to him for hooking it up with the perfect amount of  sauce, sour cream, onions, and cilantro!
Other than that, the food was just ok. I got three tacos in order to try their different meats- chicken, steak, and pork. I saw someone else get fish and those looked tasty. But the meat I got was cooked well but rather flavorless. My biggest complaint has to be the flour tortillas that are used. I found it to be too dough-y. Just thick and really took away from the rest of the ingredients. Every bit I took I tasted dough more than anything. I ended up just eating all the fillings with a fork.
Everyone else on Yelp! Seems to love the burritos. If I ever came back I might try a burrito. But honestly it was an ok experience and I don't really feel compelled to return.
I eat here once or twice a week, and have been for years. Â The food is great. Â The staff is okay. Â I think it's much better than Qdoba or Chipolte, and it's awesome that they let you do a no-cost guac substitution for dairy and throw in free chips with a burrito bowl.
Warning: Â I've had them take liberties with my credit card receipt and tip themselves! Â I'm sure they're making $100's of extra dollars a month this way, and it is incredibly dishonest. Â Be sure to check your credit card bills if you use a card here!
- Great late night dining if your looking for subdued chaos and lots of laughs. Â
- Tacos double the size of Chipotle and less in price.
- You can get guac on your burrito for free if you sub out dairy items!!!!
- So many choices on the menu I have a panic attack trying to decide
- Queso can't be beat and the quesadillas are THICK and grilled up with loving care.
The owner should look into doing the community a service and training Chipotle employees in their stellar food  techniques. Or expand so I don't have to eat floppy quesadillas and use my month's salary on extra guacamole when I'm not in LODO.
For those unfamiliar with Illegal Pete's, I like to compare it to Qdoba or Chipotle (both of which I like). Â You order at the register and, in most cases (a few of their dishes require extra cooking time), it's done right away and you pay at the register, take your food and go. Â
One thing that's different about them is that they offer many dishes that include potatoes--yum. And they are nice to vegans; if you do not get dairy on your meal you can get guacamole at no additional charge. Â They have burritos, tacos, salads, chips & queso, and more. Â They are open for breakfast and have some tasty items, including a great vegetarian green chile. And they have a full bar! Â
I've been visiting Illegal Pete's for many years and have yet to be let down. Â I love it!
This is a great alternative to the corporate burrito chains. Â It reminds me a lot of Freebirds out of Texas with its alternative vibe. Â The ingredients are fresh. Â The menu is a lot broader than other burrito places. Â They have live music. Â It's all good and they have beer on tap.
The thing that sets this place apart is that they mix the ingredients before rolling the tight burrito. Â You're a lot less likely to get a bite of all sour cream followed by all rice. Â Even distribution is key. Â It's a small thing, but it is good and makes it worth a trip in.
Great burritos, friendly employees. Perks:
1) Excellent toppings selection (cilantro, corn salsas, jalepeños, grilled zucchini and peppers, olives)
2) THEY TOSSED/MIXED MY BURRITO BEFORE WRAPPING IT-have always wished burrito joints did that.
3) Green Chile sauce (either smothering or in your burrito)
I prefer Chipotle, although there were some things I liked about this place that Chipotle doesn't have to offer such as....
-Queso Dip (Very good)
-Atmosphere (Takes you back to college. It is a whole in the wall type place. Stickers everywhere. Live bands)
-Full service bar
-Fish tacos and burritos! (Plus, they mix the burrito filling up before wrapping it so you don't end up with a glop of this or that throughout the burrito)
The reason I like Chipotle better is simply based on the carnitas salad. The meat isn't as flavorful as Chipotle. Also, my salad was mostly lettuce (not shreadded either), the meat portions and topping were MUCH smaller than Chipotle but my salad was still $10 which is the same price as I pay at Chipotle.
I would go back but only for the fish burrito which was really good! Also, this is a cool hang out spot maybe for a mid-week meal and beer with some friends.
Chipotle, but with a real bar and way more awesome. My friend recommended this place because of how they prepare their burritos and I must say it was a real treat. Most of the time you get a burrito you eat and eat and find a tumor of cheese or a chunk of meat with nothing else, get to the end and have a clump of beans for your last bite...well here that is not the case. After plopping all the ingredients down they mix it all up with a giant spoon so that the flavors and ingredients are mixed together throughout the entire length. This in itself was enough for me to score high, and the quality was good as well.
The price is average for a downtown location but you will be full when you're done so no complaints there. I went a second time and got some nachos instead which were equally as enticing. A big plus, there is a full size normal bar in the resturaunt as well so you can grab a cold one and hang out while you eat and when you're done.
Burritos, burritos, burritos - that's all everyone ever talks about at this place. Â Sure, the burritos are really good in that Chipotle kinda way (and I like both of those), but the holy grail of IP's is their queso. Â
My dirty little secret: I stop by here at least once per week and get a chips and small queso for $2 and it makes me happy... every time.
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