Ni Tuyo — Restaurant in Denver

I was about 15 min away, searched for restaurants and the pictures and high reviews definitely piqued my interest.

The place looked great as seems it's fairly new restaurant, the staff were friendly, welcoming and attentive.

I really liked the atmosphere, the ambiance, pretty relaxed yet visually aestiticaly pleasing.

The water to start out was great tasting, not a water connoisseur by any means but that was some great tasting room temp water.

Ordered raspberry lemonade which also looked and tasted great while it lasted, well most except tad small glass filled with ice which melted quickly as I got towards 2nd half of drink.

I asked for recommendation for a molcajete, thought about ordering the short braised ribs molcajete as seemed innovative and unique to this place. However I was told the Cielo mar and Tierra had won some sort of recognition in 2022 so I ended ordering the usual which is what I order just about everywhere they offer it.

No it's not unique to this location as another reviewer suggested.

As I ordered a seafood molcajete passed by being served a couple tables over and the aroma was amazing that I was already having second thoughts about my choice.

So the food arrived; firsts impression?

Visually it was not as appealing as in the photos. 2nd it seemed tad empty not much in it.

Just by the looks seemed sauce was bit reddish tomato based and not tomatillo based.

I was brought tortillas, before I realized I did not get asked and forgot to mention which I preferred but to my surprise they brought 3 of each. The tortillas tasted pretty good and were just enough for the dish.

Now the flavor? I was disappointed, while not horrible it was not close to expectation for the experience up to that point and definitely not for the price.

First...I'll mention some of the pros. The Cielo, mar y Tierra consists of beef, chicken and shrimp and some slices of grilled cactus.

The meats and shrimp we're cooked correctly, the shrimp had some charring yet not overcooked. The chicken was soft and juicy but perhaps lacked flavor.

The cheese used? I'm not sure, believe Panela cheese which Ive come across a couple of times used in molcajetes but not my cup of tea.

Cons?

The beef cuts are not the quality cuts that should be especially for the price.

The chicken may need bit more seasoning

The shrimp while good could also use some seasoning as the salsa used does not fuse with the ingredients and was the weakest part of the dish . The sauce while it was ok tastes like an ok version of Chile con carne. Chile con carne gets plenty of flavor from the toasted ingredients and charred beef cuts which was not the case here.

Overall I would give them a 3.5 but due to more than decent experience and great service it's a 4, I would return to try other dishes maybe that short rib molcajete or the seafood one.

Service 5 stars Price 3 stars Ambiance 5 stars Quality of food 3.5 stars Drinks 4 stars Value? 3.5 stars. Presentation 4 stars Taste 3.5

The molcajete visually was lacking, I don't like the arrangement as was not as appetizing and specially the onions around the brim, however at the end I ate the onions and they were delicious even though didn't help or do...

From the attentive service to the fresh preparation of drinks and food, Ni Tuyo knocked my socks off!! The drink menu is innovative and I especially loved the dress up of mezcal in their cocktails. The food was hot, fresh, and tasty.

Mezcal Flight: Loved the different flavors and offerings. Perfect for the mezcal-loving and smoky hearted individuals. Nate, the owner, is incredibly passionate about sharing his love and knowledge of mezcals — if you get the chance, ask him about his favorites! If you are not sold on mezcal, he will find one perfect for you!

Cocktails: Each was served in their own type of glass, representative of the vibe of the cocktail. Carefully curated and easy to sip quickly; La Chuparosa was my personal favorite. Wonderful balance of fruit and smoke.

Chips, Salsa, and Guacamole: Fresh and full of flavor. Each salsa was distinct from the next. Classic restaurant style consistency; I loved it! Guacamole was chunky and fab.

Cielo Mar y Tierra Molcajete: This was my favorite molcajete we ordered! The flavors were authentic and on point. A large amount of food and perfect for sharing. Meat and shrimp were cooked perfectly!

Mariscos Molcajete: SO much fish and an amazing bang for your buck. The accompanying toasted bread and white wine, garlic, red pepper dipping sauce was delicious. If you're a seafood lover, don't miss this dish!

Pork Belly Taco: I will be ordering this taco every time I come to Ni Tuyo! Not too fatty, beautifully flavored, and such a delicious dynamic with the habanero salsa and grilled pineapple. A must-get here!

Camaron Taco: Classic, easy to eat, and filling. Simply delicious!

Overall, 5 raving stars!!! The vibe was relaxed and warm. The food was hot and fresh. The staff was welcoming and helpful. I recommend coming here with a group (or a date!) and sharing appetizers, molcajetes, and tacos so you can get a taste of multiple items on the menu....

The food was very tasty. The service was not enjoyable. My dad, brother and I eat out often. We have been to probably close to 25 different Mexican restaurants in Denver and have never dealt with a waitress this rude or a charge this silly. The first issue is this. What kind of Mexican restaurant charges for a chips and salsa refill?? Seriously. A refill on chips and salsa is charged after you pay 4.5$ for a basket? Out of every Mexican restaurant I have been to this is the literal first time I have ever seen a chips and salsa refill cost money. My dad is also not a problem causer. He’s not a Karen in any way. He asked extremely nicely if that was the policy and immediately the waitress became defensive. My dad explained he didn’t think that was reasonable due to not being told and that just not being a standard in restaurants. This is like being charged for a refill on soda. If you’re going to pull some stuff like that, be prepared for people to be annoyed. Or… just tell people it’s an extra charge. After my dad sent the check back the waitress came back and DROPPED the wooden check holder on the table. Not set it down. Not handed. Dropped it with enough force to make the single guy on the patio with us look up and stare. So to the manager, the waitress with a head scarf doing the patio at 730pm on Sunday sept 21st was terrible. Tell her to get head on strait. Its customer service. Do better. And to you, the manager. Stop charging people for a chips and salsa refill. It’s ridiculous. It’s embarrassing to be sat there and have my dad have a totally legitimate complainant and then to have the waitress disrespect him by dropping the check and walking off. It’s gross. I wouldn’t have even pointed it out but I’m here now. She isn’t even a great server. She was rushing us out after only an hour and didn’t listen to my dad when he said he was still eating, she just reached in and started...