Tocabe on West 44th Avenue in Denver is one of the only fast-casual Native American restaurants in the United States, built by Ben Jacobs and Matt Chandra around the Indigenous food traditions of the Osage Nation and other Native American cultures — Indian tacos, fry bread, wojape (chokecherry sauce), and the ingredients and preparations that reflect a food heritage almost entirely absent from American restaurant culture. It appeared in Season 12, Episode 4 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Grillin’ and Smokin’,” which aired September 12, 2011. Guy Fieri found a Denver kitchen doing something genuinely unlike anything else on the show — Indigenous American food done with pride, quality, and the kind of cultural authenticity that makes Tocabe one of the most significant restaurants in the Triple D catalog.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Tocabe American Indian Eatery
City: Denver, Colorado
Cuisine: Native American / Indigenous Cuisine
DDD Season: 12
DDD Episode: 4
Episode Title: Grillin’ and Smokin’
Original Air Date: September 12, 2011
Address: 3536 W. 44th Ave., Denver, CO 80211
Phone: 720-524-8282
Website: https://www.tocabe.com
Status: Open
What to Eat
The Indian Taco is the centerpiece — a hand-made fry bread base loaded with seasoned bison or beef, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and house-made sauces. It is the dish most first-timers order and the one that converts them to regulars. The Fry Bread on its own — golden, crispy-edged, pillowy interior — is worth ordering as a standalone to understand what the base brings to the Indian taco. The Bison Bowl over wild rice with roasted vegetables and wojape sauce is the healthier bowl format that reflects the Indigenous ingredient traditions. The Wojape — the traditional chokecherry sauce — is the condiment that appears throughout the menu and is unlike anything most diners have encountered before. Find a Denver hotel on Trivago.
Plan Your Visit
Check the website for current hours and locations — Tocabe has expanded beyond the original West 44th Avenue location.
Address: 3536 W. 44th Ave., Denver, CO 80211
Phone: 720-524-8282
Website: https://www.tocabe.com
Status: Open
Flavortown Approved
Tocabe is one of the most unique and important restaurants in the Triple D catalog. Stream the Grillin’ and Smokin’ episode on Amazon.
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Tocabe American Indian Eatery appeared in Season 12, Episode 4 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Grillin’ and Smokin’,” originally aired September 12, 2011.