Los Dos Potrillos opening its first Denver location

A popular, family-owned Mexican restaurant has plans to open its first Denver location early next year.

Los Dos Potrillos will open its seventh restaurant in the former Hacienda Colorado location at 4100 E. Mexico Ave., near Colorado Boulevard and Interstate 25, the Ramirez Hospitality Group announced Thursday.

Los Dos Potrillos started as a single restaurant in Centennial founded by Jose Ramirez in 2002, but has since added locations in Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker and recently opened an 8,000-square-foot restaurant and brewery in Castle Rock.

“Our mission is to create exceptional value for our customers. We are excited to announce our first Denver location," CEO Daniel Ramirez said in a news release. "We look forward to becoming a welcoming haven for our growing community, offering the same quality, consistency, service and commitment that defines the Los Dos family.”

The original Centennial location has a 4-star rating on Yelp with nearly 1,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Google with nearly 3,000 reviews over the years.

Its expansive menu features a variety of Mexican comfort foods made from Ramirez family recipes, including tacos, burritos, chile rellenos, enchiladas and an assortment of beers handcrafted in its Colorado cerveceria. The hospitality group said the brewery focuses on "clean and refreshing Mexican-style lagers, crafted to complement their authentic dishes."

"Expanding to Denver is an important step for us, allowing us to connect and serve a new group of diners," the company's COO and president Luis Ramirez said in a news release. "Our Los Dos family is excited about this growth and cannot wait to bring our delicious food and overall dining experience to a new community in such a centralized location."