The readers of the Arvada Press have answered the question on everyone’s mind over the last few years — ”What’s the best taco shop in Olde Town?” Cochino Taco earned first place honors in our Olde Town Taco Showdown, defeating runner up Teocalli by 125 votes.
The five brick-and-mortar shops in Olde Town went head to head, with voting conducted by readers over the course of the last month. Things started neck and neck, but the two front-runners began to pull away from the pack after a couple of weeks of voting.
Overall, 1,248 people weighed in, with 585 casting their vote for Cochino, 460 for Teocalli, 98 for Lady Nomada, 58 for Wapos and 47 for Fuzzy’s. Cochino opened its Arvada location in 2021 and operates another restaurant in Englewood.
Cochino owner Johnny Ballen said he was thrilled to see how the restaurant has remained resilient through challenges thrown at them, including the Ralston Road construction that concluded last year.
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“Cochino Taco loves Arvada, and now we know how much Arvada loves us,” Ballen said. “It feels amazing that we’ve endured especially after and during the long Ralston Road improvement construction — that was trying and and having Arvada really kind of embracing us is really, really neat.”
Ballen credited Cochino’s happy hour, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and all day on Sundays, for helping the taco shop earn a positive reputation within the community. He also credited the restaurant’s welcoming atmosphere for helping forge a following within the community.
“We create a sense of place and we’re very neighborhood driven, and we’re family driven,” Ballen said. “We just want people to come in — whether they have kids or not — and just have a great time.”
Olde Town Business Improvement District Director Joe Hengstler said the wealth of taco options helps give Olde Town Arvada its unique identity.
“We love all of our taco options in Olde Town,” Hengstler said. “Everyone kind of inhabits their own niche and brings their own flavor and style to the table, which is really cool to see. A giant congrats to Cochino on the win! They’re a great community partner, and we absolutely love having them as part of our business community.”
Thanks to all who voted and named Cochino Taco the winner of the “Olde Town Taco Showdown” for 2025!