On an early-January day, so cold there was an icy “fur” coating the branches of trees even at noon, it was hard to think “beach.” But that’s what we started to do as we walked up the steps to the patio and entrance of Perdida at their new location in Westminster. Set with pretty purple glassware and rolls of napkined silverware, content under a heat lamp, the outdoor dining area promised us the possibility of sunny patio days. Thumbing its nose at a Colorado winter, Perdida serves Mexican cuisine of the Baja influence, where seafood is fresh, the sand is hot and surf’s up, every day.
The new digs, in a gutted former CB Potts restaurant, is shared with sister restaurant Homegrown Tap & Dough with one restaurant on one side and one on the other. This location opened in December of 2024. The other location is in the Wash Park area.
Inside, the décor is pretty, airy, creative and a little cheeky and makes you instantly feel like you’re in a beachside restaurant on the Baja coast. There’s a side room with an artsy wave video playing and fun seating with accent pillows and fringed chandeliers. Sit in there, and I can imagine you forget all about living in a landlocked state. Even the bathrooms surround you in vibrant floral and palm wallpaper.
Our waiter, Jose, asked us if we had dined at Perdida before. With our “no, first time,” he explained that the word “Perdida” means lost. In the case of the restaurant, it harkens to the saying “Not all those who wander are lost.” He explained that he thinks of it as being open to finding your way. A new way. Open to discoveries. Nice.
The menu is organized into Starters ($6-$18) including Guac and Chips, Carne Asada Fries, Fried Garlic Shrimp and Ceviche; Salads & Soups ($12-$14) like Roasted Jalapeno Caesar and Chicken Tortilla Soup; Tacos ($15-$18.50) that come two to an order of Chicken Al Pastor, Birria, Grilled Fish and Fried Avocado with white cilantro rice and smashed black beans; a variety of Fajitas ($19-31); Enchiladas ($16-22); and From the Fire ($22-$32) such as Crispy Park Carnitas, Carne Asada and Chile Salmon.
When we’re hosted by a restaurant, for the purpose of facilitating us writing about it, I like to ask our servers what dishes people tend to NOT order but that they think are awesome. It would be easy to ask what their most popular dishes are, or their most Instagrammable, but we, here at InGoodTasteDenver.com like to expose readers to the unsung treasures at a restaurant that you won’t see in everyone else’s social media feed. When I asked this question of Jose, he was a wealth of information.
As a starter, although he says the Mini Chili Rellenos are unique, the Ceviche is his pick with snapper, salsa macha, red onion, cucumber, mango and micro cilantro, served with tortilla chips. Although fresh as could be, we found the ample portion to be a little lacking. With those varied ingredients, textures and combination of savory and sweet, we felt like we should have been able to discern the individual ingredients a little more. It could have been the fault of the corn chips which didn’t take enough of a back seat to the delicate fish, flavor-wise – that’s where fried wontons can be appropriate. Or, a sprinkle of salt might have done the trick. The light sauce the ceviche was sitting in was delicious though.
Next, we had the Chicken Tortilla Soup with avocado, asadero cheese, cilantro and crispy tortilla strips which Jose said is more brothy and less tomato-saucey than people are used to. This was a big hit with us. It comes in a large portion with chunks of chicken and various veggie bits in that clear broth, so full of flavor, it’s elegant but comfort food at the same time. Tip: let the matchstick-cut tortilla strips soften a bit so you can break them in half before scooping a spoonful to your mouth. Otherwise, you’re likely to dribble. How embarrassing.
Jose’s next recommendation was the Braised Beef Birria Enchilada, specifically with the classic red sauce as opposed to the tomatillo morita. He said that more people order it with the green but the red is more traditional and really worth having. He was right! It was rich in flavor and augmented the tender beef, really good tortilla and the cilantro lime rice and black beans accompanying it.
On the From the Fire section, Jose said that a lot of people order the Perdida’s Best of Plate because it gives them one birria taco, one chicken enchilada and one crispy pork carnitas. But he said the Carne Asada, served with scallions, jalapeno, black beans, rice and flour tortilla and the Diablo Shrimp with grilled jumbo shrimp, mixed veggies, rice and diablo sauce are standouts.
Since my husband and I tend to do “halvsies” on meals, switching plates halfway through (which makes servers do a double take, wondering if the wrong dishes were delivered), I decided to order the Diablo Shrimp so we weren’t having two “beef” things. I loved the presentation, with three pairs of plump shrimp intertwined (like they were pinky-swearing) on one side of the platter in a bed of diablo sauce. In the middle was a row of deceptively flavorful cilantro rice. On the left was the mixture of vegetables you wouldn’t expect – tiny potato halves, chunks of snap peas, rounds of red onions and long slices of multi-colored carrots. Each element was cooked perfectly, and the earthy carrots lent a slight sweetness that countered the onion and whatever slightly acidic and spicy dressing was on the blend. There were a lot of flavors and textures happening on that plate and I enjoyed each one.
Despite being pretty darned full by now (we’d promised ourselves we’d leave with leftovers for the next day but we ended up gobbling up everything!) we couldn’t pass up the Churros. Seriously, no exaggeration, they were the best I’ve ever had. The chocolate sauce, while decent, couldn’t hold a candle to the Cajeta sauce, a traditionally goats-milk-based, caramel-like sauce. I could have picked up that little cup, drunk it down and licked it clean. But I would have hated myself for doing so, not to mention the mortification factor for my husband. The texture of the churros was ideal, slightly creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside and just delicious. Don’t miss ordering these!
Perdida has a strong bar menu of cocktails, beer and wine. And, admirably, they have a decent Zero Proof selection too ($8-$10). The Coco No Loco caught my eye with coconut, pineapple, passion fruit syrup, lime and agave, as did the London Lavender with Lyre’s Pink London, lavender syrup, lime juice and fresh mint. But my illusions of summertime got me to order the Spiced Sangria with pomegranate, lemon and spiced hibiscus. As it sat, the hibiscus settled toward the bottom, requiring a few swirls to combine it again. It was refreshing and not very sweet which was good for its purpose of accompanying our meal. Often, sangria can be cloying.
When patio weather hits, make sure Perdida is on your list. Until then, channel the Baja coastal vibe inside for a culinary beach vacay.
Perdida’s Westminster location is at 1257 W. 120th Avenue. Visit their website to learn more.
-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, In Good Taste Denver
Please note: As is common practice in our industry, we were hosted for this visit but this does not, in any way, affect our opinions or our goal to bring our readers information they can use.
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