At Buenos Tiempos in Broomfield, loyal customers and newcomers alike can enjoy great service and food made from scratch at the family spot that recently celebrated 40 years in the city.
The restaurant is owned by Heather Hamilton, who said the Broomfield staple was opened by her father, Rich.
“He always enjoyed cooking Mexican food, and so when he got out of the service he wanted to open his own Mexican restaurant,” Hamilton said. “It started as a pool hall in Boulder, but a friend of his at the time said there was nothing (like the restaurant) in Broomfield at the time, so he should come out here.”
He moved to the location in Broomfield at 1000 Depot Hill Road and opened the restaurant in 1986, and the business has stayed there ever since, Hamilton said.
“I’ve worked here since day one — since I was 11,” Hamilton said. Helping her father out turned into a career when she was about 21 and began taking over the restaurant’s operations, she said.
“I’ve always loved working here, I knew it’s what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” she said.
Rich passed away in March, and Hamilton said she knows he was watching as the restaurant celebrated its anniversary Saturday with a party that included food and drink specials as well as live music.
Rock band Guild Of Ages plays outside Buenos Tiempos in Broomfield during the restaurant’s 40th anniversary bash on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Dana Cadey/Staff writer)
The restaurant is dedicated to making everything it can in-house, Hamilton said. All the meats are bought fresh and trimmed in the kitchen, and staples such as guacamole and chips are made fresh every day. The quality of food is part of what has helped it build a loyal customer base, including Bob Knox, who said he first found Buenos Tiempos in 2003 and that he stops by every day for lunch.
“The service is impeccable, everyone here is nice and (Hamilton) runs a great ship — and the food is fantastic,” he said.
Knox said he coached volleyball at Broomfield High School for 22 years, and stopping into the restaurant was a regular part of the team’s schedule.
“Everybody always loved it, it’s been a great local, hometown spot,” he said.
Without regular customers like Knox, the restaurant wouldn’t have made it this far, or be ready to stay open for many more, Hamilton said.
“We’re very lucky to be in Broomfield, with the great people here,” she said. “The same people that made us — those are the ones that sustain us.”
Mexican restaurant Buenos Tiempos in Broomfield celebrated its 40th anniversary bash on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Dana Cadey/Staff writer)
Dining and Cooking