This Mexican Chain Is Based in Colorado—But You Can’t Eat There

Mexican food is a way of life in Colorado. It seems that there are so many restaurants serving this type of cuisine, you might have a hard time finding your favorite.

Coloradans love Mexican food for a good reason. We even have our style of Mexican food with our pork green chile. Fast-casual Mexican-inspired restaurants such as Chipotle and Qdoba started in the state of Colorado, too.

There's Something Weird About a Colorado-Based Mexican Restaurant

Much like the fast casual chains of Qdoba and Chipotle, there is another Mexican chain that is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, however, there is something amiss about it. You see, its main offices are located in Colorado, but none of its restaurants are.

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Taco Del Mar has zero locations in Colorado, and I find that to be kind of weird, considering the home base is right here in the state. Serving up a Mexican coastal-inspired menu, Taco Del Mar has options such as Chicken Tinga, Rippin Fish, Crispy Shrimp, and more.

According to Wikipedia, at one point, Taco Del Mar had up to 260 locations in 2010. In 2025, only 66 locations remain in the United States and Canada. Taco Del Mar started in Seattle, Washington in 1992 by brothers James and John Schmidt, with the focus on "Fresh Mex".

READ MORE: You Told Us Where the Best Northern Colorado Restaurants Are

The first time I ever had Taco Del Mar was in 2006 when my wife and I moved to Eugene, Oregon. We ate there quite often as the food was good and so was the price. In 2010, Taco Del Mar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and was later sold to Franchise Brands LLC. Franchise Brands LLC was founded by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck, the founders of Subway restaurants. In 2018, Taco Del Mar was acquired by High Bluff Capital Partners.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Restaurants to Order Green Chile in Northern Colorado

Could we see a resurgence of the Taco Del Mar brand? Hopefully. I could certainly go for some of those fish tacos right about now in Northern Colorado.