The Gap Between Good Tacos and Great Tacos
Tacos are one of those foods where the gap between good and great is enormous. A great taco is a precisely balanced thing — the right tortilla, the right protein, the right toppings in the right proportions, and enough heat without overwhelming everything else. Colorado Springs has plenty of places to get tacos. Chiltepin Mexican Grill on Astrozon Blvd is where the great ones are.
The Taco Lineup at Chiltepin
Birria Tacos — The Headliner
If you’ve spent any time on food social media in the last few years, you’ve seen birria tacos: deep red from being dunked in consomé broth before hitting a hot griddle, crispy on the outside, impossibly tender on the inside, served with that rich dipping broth on the side.
Chiltepin’s birria tacos are the real thing. The beef is slow-braised for hours in dried guajillo and ancho chiles, tomatoes, garlic, and spices until it falls apart. The consomé — the braising liquid that becomes the dipping broth — is deep, earthy, and slightly spicy. The kind of broth that makes you want to drink it straight from the cup.
The assembly: corn tortillas dunked in consomé, hit with beef and melted cheese on a hot griddle until the outside is shatteringly crispy, then served with that broth alongside for dipping. Each bite is a combination of crispy, tender, fatty, and savory that’s difficult to put down.
These are the best tacos in Colorado Springs. That’s not hyperbole — it’s a statement backed by the number of people who drive specifically to Astrozon Blvd for them.
Street Tacos
Chiltepin’s street tacos are built on small, double-stacked corn tortillas — the traditional format that holds up to the filling without disintegrating. The proteins are seasoned and cooked properly. Topped simply with diced white onion and fresh cilantro, finished with a lime squeeze and whatever salsa you pull from the table.
These are the tacos you eat standing up, or at least wish you could. Simple, clean, exactly what a street taco should be.
Al Pastor
Marinated pork with pineapple, cooked on a vertical spit and shaved to order. Sweet, savory, and slightly smoky — al pastor is one of those taco proteins that’s hard to stop at two. Order it on a street taco and let the ingredients do the work.
Carne Asada
Grilled beef, seasoned simply, sliced or chopped, and built for people who want their taco to taste like excellent beef and nothing else. Carne asada at Chiltepin is the clean, confident version — no gimmicks, just well-sourced beef treated right.
Carnitas
Slow-cooked pork, braised and then crisped. Fatty, rich, and slightly caramelized on the edges. Carnitas on a street taco with a salsa verde is one of the more satisfying combinations on Chiltepin’s menu.
Pollo Asado
Grilled chicken, marinated with citrus and spices. Lighter than the beef options, but still flavorful enough to hold up in a taco. A good call if you’re building a mixed plate and want range.
What Actually Sets Chiltepin’s Tacos Apart
Most Mexican restaurants in Colorado Springs offer tacos. What makes Chiltepin’s stand out is the cumulative effect of doing everything correctly — fresh tortillas, properly seasoned proteins cooked to order, house-made salsas that aren’t afterthoughts, and the kind of consistency that tells you the kitchen has standards.
The birria operation alone separates Chiltepin from nearly every competitor in Colorado Springs. That slow-braised beef and the consomé dipping broth represent hours of preparation that most restaurants won’t invest in. The fact that it ends up on a taco at a reasonable price point at a restaurant on Astrozon Blvd is genuinely worth appreciating.
Every Day Is Taco Day Here
Chiltepin serves their full taco menu all day, every day — from 6:30 AM through late night (until midnight on weekends). Morning birria tacos exist, and they’re exactly as good as you’d hope. There’s something almost aggressive about eating birria tacos before 8 AM, but Chiltepin makes it easy to justify.
Come for the Tacos, Stay for Everything Else
The tacos are what many people discover Chiltepin through. But the menu runs deep — breakfast burritos, enchiladas, tortas, margaritas, and a full late-night menu on weekends. The birria tacos are the reason to go the first time. The rest of the menu is the reason to become a regular.
Where to Find the Best Tacos in Colorado Springs
- Chiltepin Mexican Grill — 3855 Astrozon Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80916
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday 6:30 AM–10 PM | Friday–Saturday 6:30 AM–12 AM
- Online ordering: order.online/store/24909435
- Phone: 719-390-0513
The best tacos in Colorado Springs are waiting. Come hungry, bring an appetite for the birria dip, and plan on coming back.
