It should be easier to find Native American food across the U.S., but it’s sadly not. But fortunately, Denver has Tocabe, and it should be high on your must-visit restaurants here. Open since 2008, Tocabe is the one and only place for American Indian food in Denver, and it’s a particularly accessible fast-casual setup. Think Chipotle for indigenous cuisine.
Tocabe was inspired by the traditional recipes passed down from co-owner Ben Jacobs’ grandmother, a member of the Osage Nation. The restaurant aims to educate diners about indigenous culture, but it’s all very familiar: tacos, rice bowls, salads, even nachos. Many ingredients are sourced from Native tribes, many of them regional—blue corn grown from Southwest Colorado’s Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; tepary beans and wheat berries from Arizona’s Gila River Reservation; Red Lake Nation wild rice, from Minnesota.
It seems a perfect blueprint for what a successful fast-casual restaurant showcasing indigenous ingredients and recipes might look like. We can only hope the Tocabe model will one day be replicated in other states.
Where: Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery is located in North Denver (3536 West 44th Ave., map). Much like a Chipotle-like space, there are some tables for onsite dining, but it does a healthy takeout business.
When: Tues-Sat, 11am-9pm; Sun, noon-8pm
Order: Indian tacos (on fry bread), stuffed fry bread, bison ribs (cured for 24 hours, glazed with a berry BBQ sauce, and served with fry bread biscuits), salads, posu bowls. Posu means rice in the language of the Osage Nation, but these are filling grain bowls with a choice of either wild rice or red quinoa and wheatberry plus pinto or black beans, cheese, lettuce, “extras,” and your protein (vegetarian, grilled chicken, ground beef, braised shredded bison). Salsas and other dressings/sauces offer further customization.
Pictured is a braised shredded bison posu bowl ($19.25) with red quinoa and wheatberries, pinto beans and shredded cheddar, Osage hominy and cranberries (some of the “extras” available), and the habanero-spiked “hot tomato” sauce (which tasted very fresh, but strangely not very spicy). It was nutty and earthy, thanks to the base grains, with lovely pops of sweet tartness from the cranberries. The chipotle salsa we got on the side added the heat we wanted. Our family devoured it in the car, and immediately regretted getting only one to share.
But we did also enjoy the fry bread nuggets ($4.25) as something sweet: little balls of fried dough coated in powdered sugar. What’s not to love?
Good to know: If you’re just passing through the Denver metro area, like we were, you can place your order online en route.
Alternatively: We know of no alternative, nor do we know why there are so few opportunities for Native cuisines to be showcased and appreciated. We sure hope that changes one day soon.