Federales Tacos & Tequila - RiNo, Denver — Restaurant in Denver

Federales Tacos & Tequila: A Must-Visit Denver Gem

Federales Tacos & Tequila in Denver is nothing short of a masterpiece in the heart of the city’s dining and nightlife scene. From the moment you step into this lively establishment, you’re greeted with an electric atmosphere, impeccable service, and an irresistible aroma of fresh tacos and craft tequila cocktails. This spot delivers the perfect blend of delicious food, creative drinks, and a vibe that guarantees an unforgettable experience, whether you’re there for a casual night out, happy hour with friends, or a celebratory gathering.

Atmosphere: A Vibe Like No Other Federales perfectly nails the balance between a high-energy hotspot and a comfortable, inviting space. The industrial-chic décor, open layout, and well-thought-out lighting create a dynamic ambiance that feels festive yet relaxed. Their famous outdoor fire pit is the crown jewel—where guests can partake in the legendary “ice shot glass throw,” an interactive and fun tradition that makes Federales unique. Whether seated indoors or out, you’re immersed in a space that encourages laughter, conversation, and making memories.

Food: A Flavor Explosion The food here is phenomenal. The taco selection is diverse, with options ranging from traditional carnitas to innovative vegetarian and vegan offerings. Every taco is crafted with care, featuring perfectly cooked proteins, vibrant garnishes, and hand-pressed tortillas that taste like they were made moments before hitting your table. The El Jefe taco was a standout for me—juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. Don’t skip the chips and guacamole, which are fresh, creamy, and paired with a salsa trio that caters to every heat preference. The queso fundido? Simply addictive. And if you have room, their churros with dipping sauces are the perfect sweet finish to your meal.

Drinks: Tequila Paradise As the name suggests, tequila is a centerpiece at Federales. Their tequila menu is extensive, offering everything from classic silver to aged añejos, and their craft margaritas are expertly balanced, not overly sweet, and packed with fresh flavors. I highly recommend the Smoky Pineapple Margarita—it’s a perfect mix of sweet, smoky, and citrusy goodness. For tequila purists, the flights are a fantastic way to explore new favorites. Beyond tequila, their beer and cocktail selections ensure there’s something for everyone, even if tequila isn’t your go-to.

Service: Top-Notch Team The staff at Federales goes above and beyond to make sure every guest feels valued. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and made spot-on recommendations for both food and drinks. Despite how busy it was, our orders came out promptly, and the team made sure we never felt rushed or overlooked. The bartenders are equally skilled and friendly, creating drinks that are as visually stunning as they are delicious.

Extras: Above and Beyond Federales isn’t just a restaurant—it’s an experience. The ice shot tradition is an absolute blast and makes this place stand out from other taco and tequila joints. The crowd here is lively, but it’s still a space where you can enjoy meaningful conversations without shouting. For larger groups, they’re accommodating and keep the energy high while maintaining a sense of professionalism and order.

Conclusion: A Denver Must-Try Federales Tacos & Tequila is everything you could want in a dining and social destination. Whether you’re a local looking for your new favorite spot or visiting Denver and seeking a place that captures the city’s vibrant spirit, Federales won’t disappoint. The combination of mouthwatering food, refreshing drinks, outstanding service, and a one-of-a-kind vibe makes it worthy of every single one of these five stars.

I’ll definitely be back—next time with an even bigger group to share in the fun and flavors that only Federales can deliver. Trust me, it’s impossible to leave here without a smile on your face and plans to return. If you haven’t been yet, put it at the top...

Usually I am not one to write reviews on the places I visit, but I could not wait to write a review on Denver’s hottest new taco and tequila bar. After patiently waiting for Federales to be built, I finally had the opportunity to visit last night during their grand opening. My excitement grew as we walked towards the busy restaurant and could smell the food in the air. Once we arrived, the hostess greeted us with a friendly smile and placed us on a waitlist for a table on the patio. We did not mind the wait at all. There is a grassy area with benches in the front of the restaurant and the DJ was playing all of my favorite songs!

Once inside, our waitress Paxton was very nice, knowledgeable and attentive to us. We started off our night with complimentary chips and salsa, a Moscow Mule, Spicy Margarita, beers, and my favorite drink of the night - the 100 oz. Pinche Paloma!! This drink is huge and served in an upside down clear cowboy hat. It’s so good that we finished two of them by the end of the night. There’s also a light that is added to the drink, and it was about as lit as I was! Lol.

For food, we started off with the melt in your mouth charred brussel sprouts! Our wonderful server Paxton also mentioned to us that the brussel sprouts did contain peanuts just in case one of us had an allergy. Even though none of us had any food allergies, we really appreciated that Paxton knew all of the ingredients in all of the foods we ordered. We also ordered the cheese quesadillas which are made with fresh Oxaca cheese and served with a side of delicious guacamole! The Queso Fundido was to die for and came with fresh hot tortillas.

For our main dish, we tried the shrimp tacos, and beer battered cod tacos, both were amazing and really big (2 could fill you up). For dessert, we tried the fresh hot churros served with a side of warm chocolate sauce. It was just the food ending I needed to give me the courage to end the night with a Federales Tequila Ice shot!

All in all, everything at Federales last night was perfect. The hostesses were incredibly nice, Paxton our server was amazing and calm as a cucumber, and the food was delivered to our table in a timely fashion by an always smiling support staff member. The DJ played ALL of my favorite songs with a variety of 90’s hits, 00’s hits, and Latin music. There were several times I found myself singing and dancing to the songs the DJ was playing and it was so much fun! The vibe was very hip, energetic, positive and fun. The staff was also working their butts off and working as a team encouraging each other and helping each other when they needed it. The teamwork at Federales was incredible and I was happy to see everyone smiling and having a great time.

We had such a wonderful time last night, we are planning to return tonight to try more of the delicious food!! Thank you to all who made our night so amazing. BIG thank you to Federales’ management team for being so supportive and encouraging your teammates and all the hard work everyone put in to make Federales Denver a possibility! I encourage any and everyone to visit Federales asap! Wishing you all the best! See you again...

Had an amiable exchange with the security guard at the door, but the service experience past that was awful. My fiance and I had never been to Federales before, so we were unsure if we should seat ourselves or wait for someone to help. Every single person working behind the counter made eye contact with us and not one of them greeted us or let us know we could seat ourselves. The looks we were given made it a very unwelcoming atmosphere right from the start. We made our way to a table and were eventually greeted by a server named Bailey who had no interest in answering our questions. The attitude he presented every time he came to our table was "I would rather be anywhere but here". Every time he stopped by he was walking away before we could get a word in, but seemed to happily linger at other tables or with his coworkers to chat. Every exchange we had was met with annoyance from Bailey. My fiance put his order in and I asked a question pertaining to allergies before placing my order. He said he'd talk to the cooks and come back, but he never returned. He checked on tables around us at least three or four times and seemed to be having great fun conversing with them. He avoided eye contact with us every time he passed our table. It happened enough times that it wasn't a coincidence. We waited around long enough that we decided we were going to skip the meal and eat elsewhere. I am not typically someone to "call out" a server, but he had been intentionally ignoring us for so long that I did the raise a finger and ask for the check thing. He said "gotcha." and walked around pretending to look busy for 5-10 mins after. He walked to the checkstand several times, opened the envelope with my card and closed it without running it or printing a receipt. The behavior he exhibited while chatting with his coworkers at the checkstand while looking at our receipt was so suspicious it made me concerned about card theft. I asked for a manager and he nodded but didn't follow through. My fiance and I were both pretty fed up at this point, so he went to the wait stand to ask for the check a second time. When he finally brought us the check, he charged us for a meal he never brought us that we told him we wanted to skip. We had to ask one of the bartenders for a manager, who brought a security guard along with him. I expressed that I felt Bailey was acting prejudice/racist and he thankfully did seem to take that comment seriously. Lengthy review - but in all that happened I didn't think we had the opportunity to fully express to the manager how catty, racist, and snotty our server was. I hope this gets read by ownership and someone has a serious conversation with the staff about etiquette, because the margarita I had was great and I bet the tacos would have been too - but it's not worth it when you're treated like second...