Dora's Mexican Restaurant and Lounge, Denver

Honing their skills in professional kitchens for more than 30 years, Dora and her family shuffled through a few different culinary homes before stumbling on a vacant building. Realizing the potential this raw space could have after a little love, the family renovated the space and transformed it into the present-day Dora's Mexican Restaurant & Lounge. Dora's tight-knit staff is composed of family and friends, some who have worked at the restaurant since its opening in 1994; the team tirelessly churns out Dora's authentic Mexican family recipes to the appreciation of a loyal following of customers and hopeful pups in nearby backyards. Hefty portions populate both lunch and dinner menus, including traditional chimichangas, tamales, and goblets of the restaurant's iconic, ever-popular margaritas, which patrons can sip in a spacious dining room that pays homage to the vibrant exterior architecture of Mexico with bright, coral-color walls.