El Chingon photo 1El Chingon photo 2El Chingon photo 3

Restaurants in DEN Airport Area

El Chingon

4.4
174 Google reviews

One of 25 restaurants we've tracked near DEN Airport Area.

Things to Know

El Chingon is a casual Mexican restaurant located in Denver International Airport known for its carnitas and green chile, offering authentic flavors in a quick-service format.

When the kitchen is on, reviewers rave about the carnitas with tomatillo salsa and green chile, though consistency and staffing issues have frustrated some travelers.

  • Carnitas with tomatillo salsa are phenomenal and a much better value than other airport restaurants
  • Green chile receives consistent praise and pairs well with the restaurant's music and vibe
  • Staff like Meena deliver great service when things run smoothly
  • Quesadillas are disappointingly small for the $14 price point
  • Early morning opening is unreliable—staff arrives late and food isn't ready at posted opening times
  • Customer service breaks down when issues arise, with staff deflecting blame rather than fixing problems

Based on Google reviews · AI summarized

Hours

Monday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Friday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Saturday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Sunday: 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Closed now

People Order

  • carnitas with tomatillo salsa
  • green chile
  • cheese quesadilla

Things To Do Nearby

What Visitors Say

J

Josh Emmons

2 months ago

The carnitas was a little more like chile verde due to the tomatillo salsa on it, but it was phenomenal none the less. Carnitas plate was just meat /sauce and a tortilla, but it was a good amount of food. 1000% better experience than Elway's ripoff burger! Update: recently ate here again and the tomatillo salsa was served on the side, so more like actual carnitas.

B

Baylie Thurber

6 months ago

The cheese quesadilla was absolutely pathetic! I know it’s airport food but the child’s size quesadilla I received after paying $14 was so disappointing. The quesadilla tasted technically fine, I mean it’s pretty difficult to mess up melting cheese inside of a tortilla, it was just laughably small. The staff were very nice though so that saved the place from getting one star.

K

K J

2 months ago

I walked all the way there from the end of C to get dinner before my flight. I buy a $6 tea at mizu and head over to Chingon for dinner. The gal was going to charge me for ice even though I already bought a drink! She said “you didn’t get that here” No, but yall are the same company, same owners with the same managers. So I walk back over to mizu to get ice… guess what? A big fly in my drink. The saga continues as NO ONE on either side wanted to fix the issue and just wanted to blame each other . At one point treat me like I did something wrong. Do yall think I just carry bugs around in my pocket or something?? I have been in the food industry for 14 years. I’m not picky, I’m not challenging and I don’t care where the bug came from, just fix your mistakes. Could’ve been a “I’m so sorry let me get you a new cup of ice and drink” But no. Anytime I bring friends I make them go to try your food. Now I will never go back to either spot. Unbelievably disappointing experience.

E

Ever Morales

3 months ago

My wife and I came here on December 26 which is a major travel day. They’re scheduled to open at 6am, we arrived to the restaurant at 6:25 and staff was barely arriving. I figured I’d give them a few min to set up. I returned at 6:30 and asked them if they were open, the were literally just sitting around and said they didn’t have any food ready and told me to come back at 7:00 or 7:30. Please train your staff to be on time and have food ready when you’re supposed to open. Or change the hours if your staff can’t be responsible enough to get to work on time like the rest of the world

Frequently Asked Questions

Is El Chingon worth it in DEN Airport Area?

When the kitchen is on, reviewers rave about the carnitas with tomatillo salsa and green chile, though consistency and staffing issues have frustrated some travelers. Known for: authentic mexican food inside the airport.

What should I order at El Chingon?

Popular choices at El Chingon include carnitas with tomatillo salsa, green chile, cheese quesadilla.

What do visitors love about El Chingon?

Carnitas with tomatillo salsa are phenomenal and a much better value than other airport restaurants Green chile receives consistent praise and pairs well with the restaurant's music and vibe Staff like Meena deliver great service when things run smoothly

Is there anything to know before visiting El Chingon?

Quesadillas are disappointingly small for the $14 price point Early morning opening is unreliable—staff arrives late and food isn't ready at posted opening times Customer service breaks down when issues arise, with staff deflecting blame rather than fixing problems

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