Nearly 35 plus years after opening on December 19, 1981, La Loma has decided to say their final goodbyes to their Jefferson Park location with the grand opening of their newer residence in Downtown Denver. As new ownership of the property took place in Jefferson and their lease came to an end, owner William Brinkerhoff decided it was time for a new location.
“We had the other space for 35 years and the property was sold last year, then our lease expired just this last month. So we looked for a spot and this was available. We’re very excited to be relocating to 1801 Broadway,” said Brinkerhoff when asked what originally sparked the move.
Tuesday evening marked the public grand opening at 1801 Broadway with a ceremonial barrel filling. A barrel was filled with new partners Arta Tequila’s Reposado Tequila that customers will have the ability to purchase straight from the white oak. The original location held a barrel above the bar which has remained the same in this new space as a decoration and homage to the past.
With 35 years of experience in serving exceptional Mexican cuisine, it was no surprise to find out that the place was packed with loyal customers on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. And although the ambiance is slightly different and the space a bit smaller, the food has not changed one bit — which is why the loyal patrons loved it in the first place.
“Everything’s the same. It’s really [just] upgrade in terms of our facility. We’ve tried to recreate, if you will, all the old world Spanish-colonial look that we had in the other structure using the reclaimed wood in the ceilings, the old brick, and the floors are virtually identical to the old La Loma. The same chairs [and] we redid the tables out of beaten copper from Mexico,” said Brinkerhoff.
The space mimics its previous domain with dark red brick walls, high ceilings with wood beams and cozy booths. Paintings line the walls with Grandma Savina Mendoza hanging just inside the entrance. “All of the artwork is from the galleria at the old La Loma, these are the old Oleg Stavrowsky paintings — he was an old, famous western illustrator,” said Brinkerhoff
La Loma will continue to have the same hours as they offered before from Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Happy hour will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. at the bar only. 1801 Broadway; 303-4338300
All photography by Lucy Beaugard.