When you start talking about green chile, temperatures can rise. No pun intended. (Pun definitely intended.) The arguments are varied: Is it chile or chili? Is New Mexican or Colorado style better? Should it have pork or rely solely on the peppers for its distinct flavor?
These are all valid questions that we don’t plan on answering. After all, we don’t know everything.
What we can do is give you our favorite places to eat the green. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, green chile is huge in Boulder.
Breakfast/Brunch
Blackbelly
Blackbelly offers a mean green chile-smothered burrito. The green chile is vegetarian, but that doesn’t detract from the flavor provided by the hatch green chile. The “O.G.” burrito is made of farm eggs, tater tots and cheese, and of course, green chile. Simple. To the point. Delicious. You can also try the posole, which starts with a green chile base and then has pork shoulder and hominy added for extra flavor.
The Village Coffee Shop
The Village Coffee Shop is one of Boulder’s best greasy spoon breakfast spots, but that doesn’t make the pork green chili any less impressive. It’s spicy, not overwhelmingly meaty and just thick enough to smother everything with. We suggest the smothered breakfast burrito. Containing two scrambled eggs, blended with cheese and onions and served with a side of hashbrowns, this is definitely a filling meal.
Centro Mexican Cantina
Centro does green chile a little differently. The offerings include green chile hash browns and cheddar-green chile biscuits. It may not be traditional, but hash browns + green chile? We’re sold. They are definitely worth trying. If you’re looking for something more traditional, Centro also offers a chile verde-smothered burrito.
Lunch/Dinner
Efrain’s
This chile verde is sweat-inducing. The more you eat, the hotter the burn. Efrain’s offers multiple menu items that use this delicious chile. You can have chimichangas smothered in it, fill a quesadilla with it or cover your huevos with it. It does contain pork, but it’s not overwhelming; it’s the perfect amount to add flavor without overwhelming the chiles themselves.
Santo
Santo uses green chiles themselves in a variety of ways including on burgers; in rellenos, stew, and fried bread; and as a side. We particularly like Santo’s chile because it comes in two spice levels: regular and extra hot. But be warned. The extra hot is not for the faint of heart.
Rincon Del Sol
Green chiles are common on this menu. Rincon’s pork green chile is offered with a variety of dishes, including the carnitas burrito, huevos de la casa or as a side. You can also get it in soup form. Sounds heavenly.
