Denver's Newest Must-Try Venezuelan Street Food Spot 🙌

Venezuelan food in Denver has mostly been a you-know-where-to-go situation — Quiero Arepas built a real following in Platt Park, and that's largely been the answer when people ask. So when I heard that a couple from Venezuela had opened something new down in Greenwood Village at The Landmark, I was curious enough to make the drive down Greenwood Plaza Boulevard.

The place is called Catira — it's Venezuelan slang for "blondie" — and it was opened by Clare and Manuel Sucre, who were pretty direct about what they're doing here: no fusion, no Americanized shortcuts. They wanted to bring actual Venezuelan street food to Denver, both for Venezuelans missing a taste of home and for people who've never tried it. That's a harder balance to pull off than it sounds, and the setup they've built seems designed to make it work. The space is bright and colorful, the staff is bilingual and trained to walk first-timers through the menu, and nothing on the menu goes over $20.

What to Order

The tequeños are apparently the most popular thing coming out of the kitchen right now, and after trying them I can see why. They're fried cheese-stuffed dough — simple concept, easy to love, and the kind of thing that disappears fast at a table. If you've never had Venezuelan food before, they're a good starting point because there's almost no learning curve.

The arepas are the backbone of the menu, which makes sense — they're the backbone of Venezuelan street food in general. Cornmeal patties, griddled and stuffed, with different fillings to choose from. The cachapa is worth trying too, which is a sweet corn pancake that tends to come with cheese. It's a little different from what most people expect when they sit down at a place that calls itself street food, but in a good way.

The price point across the board is genuinely reasonable for what you're getting. A full meal for two with a few things to share stays pretty manageable, which isn't always a given when a new restaurant opens at a retail center like The Landmark.

What Works and What Doesn't

The Sucres have built something that feels considered without being stiff. The room has energy — color on the walls, the kind of layout that works for a casual weeknight dinner or a group that wants to order a bunch of things and pass plates around. Great setup for a group, actually, since the menu is built for sharing.

The location is the one thing worth flagging. Greenwood Village isn't where most Denver food conversations are happening, and The Landmark parking situation can be a little disorienting if you don't know the center. It's not a dealbreaker, just worth knowing before you go. If you're already in the south suburbs for something else, this is an easy addition to the evening.

What I'd watch for as they settle in is consistency. They're new, the kitchen is still finding its rhythm, and the menu covers enough ground that execution is going to matter. What I tried was good — the tequeños especially — but it's worth giving them a few months before expecting everything to be perfectly dialed in. That's not a knock, that's just how new restaurants work.

The Bottom Line

If you've had Venezuelan food before and been waiting for another option in Denver, Catira is worth checking out. If you haven't tried it at all, this is probably the most approachable entry point in the city right now — the staff will help you figure out what to order, the prices are low enough that exploring the menu doesn't cost you anything, and the food is the real thing. Head down to 5370 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village and see for yourself.