Left: Mojarra Frita. Right: Picada. Photos by Jorge Serrano

Last February, just before Covid-19 hit, Andrés Chaparro was in discussions to purchase Los Parceros, a Colombian restaurant on East Colfax. He was friends with the founder of the restaurant who had sold it to a person who took the authentic menu in a different direction—and customers noticed. Chaparro, an Eastbridge resident who formerly headed a Spanish-language television station, saw the opportunity to bring the restaurant back to its Colombian roots. “I always believed it was a great gem in the Colfax area,” says Chaparro. “I saw it as a place that had an opportunity to make a difference in Denver’s cuisine and bring a positive side to [Colombia].”

Los Parceros owner Andrés Chaparro brought the restaurant’s menu back to its Colombian roots. Photo by Christie Gosch

Los Parceros isn’t Chaparro’s first foray into the restaurant world. He is a partner in La Rola, a Colombian street-food restaurant downtown. The name, Los Parceros, means “good friend,” which Chaparro says is fitting. “We’ve seen an increase in new customers and those returning, who say, ‘Finally, Parceros is back to the roots of Colombian food.’”

Chaparro cites one of his dishes, Bandeja Paisa, as an example of those roots. He says the way it brings together the mix of rice, red beans, ground beef, chorizo, chicharrón, avocado, fried egg, an arepa and fried plantain, “is like a world of flavors.” “There’s no wrong way of eating it,” says Chaparro. “You take a spoon of the rice and mix it with the beans and then go back to the plantain and a little bit of chorizo. Suddenly it’s your own story and you’re building a map of how you want to eat this great dish,” he explains. “It’s more about how we utilize the ingredients to make sure that those coming to the restaurant feel like they are coming to eat in someone’s home.”

That sense of home is reflected in the changes Chaparro made to the restaurant’s interior, making it reminiscent of strolling through cozy neighborhoods in little towns in Central and South America. The intimate space is conducive to Chaparro—who is involved in the kitchen but doesn’t cook—being able to talk to diners, providing a little education about the cuisine for those new to it. “That’s the most amazing part of this—people are so compelled by the story of the dishes,” says Chaparro. “We are all storytellers and I love telling stories. I’m the storyteller when it comes to this food.”

For more information, stop by 5922 E. Colfax or visit www.losparcerosrestaurant.com. Gluten-free & vegetarian options available. tel. 720-379-3808