A Denver Taco Spot Is Earning Michelin Buzz For This Meaty Sandwich
When you set out to find the best sandwich in your area, a taco spot may not be your first stop. But if you're in Denver, Colorado, perhaps it should be. The city's famed La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal offers a sandwich that's gotten the attention of the prestigious Michelin Guide: the pambazo de carnitas.
A typical pambazo is a sandwich dipped in salsa and filled with chorizo and potatoes. At La Diabla, you can turn any of the venue's trademark tacos into one of these delicious meals for $18. However, it is the joint's carnitas offering that has generated the most buzz. Consisting of French bread dipped in guajillo and filled with avocado, pico de gallo, and carnitas, it is considered one of Michelin's "Best Sandwiches in North America."
"This sandwich is excellent," a Michelin Guide inspector declared. "The exterior lightly crispy, with the distinct toasty flavor of the chile, and the carnitas inside are tender, juicy and flavorful, enhanced by savory brown bits. It's flavorful, displays good technique and uses quality ingredients." That's certainly a rave review.
Chef Jose Avila began selling pambazos at the prompting of his mother
Opened in June 2021 by chef Jose Avila, La Diabla is Denver's first eatery devoted to pozole, a traditional Mexican soup made with corn and meat, such as chicken or pork, in a spiced broth. Aiming to celebrate and share his culture with the people of Denver by offering historic dishes and drinks, Chef Avila — who grew up in Mexico City — offers tons of tacos on his menu. His typical ingredients include marinated pork, roasted chicken, red snapper, carne asada, and beef birria. He also has a selection of pozole, as well as flan and mazapán ice cream for dessert.
Speaking to The Denver Post after the mention in the Michelin Guide, Avila revealed that it was his mother who suggested he sell pambazos out of the food truck he ran before opening La Diabla. "It's been a sleeper ever since," he explained. According to the chef, his pambazos sales have doubled since the carnitas dish was named as one of the best sandwiches in the country.
La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal may be on its way to becoming one of the absolute best Mexican restaurants in Colorado. There's no denying that its pambazo de carnitas could be included as as one of Denver's most iconic dishes. As they say, mother knows best.