It’s a Date: Mexican Food, Karaoke and Anime

Dating in Denver can be a dumpster fire, but not when you have a loving partner who wants to plan a birthday celebration for you. In this week’s “It’s a Date,” Westword devised a dating itinerary for Chelsey, who wrote: “I’m planning a birthday date for my partner in May. They’re turning 35 and enjoy everything from anime to karaoke to bowling. They’re a bit of a night owl, too. We both love good food and enjoy new restaurants, especially Mexican food.”

It would be great if other friends could join in the festivities, Chelsey added, and if they weren’t outrageously expensive.

We got you, Chelsey. Check out this date with guaranteed quality Mexican food and karaoke that won’t break the bank. To start:

Order a Boiling Bowl of Flavor at Adelita’s Cocina Y Cantina
1294 South Broadway and 5495 West 20th Avenue, Edgewater
There’s a lot of gentrified, tasteless, gringo Mexican food in Denver. But there is good Mexican food, too — if you know where to look. Adelita’s is a find, with a flavorful menu of unique options. Try drinks flavored with ingredients like hibiscus, rosemary, egg white, tart cherry, aloe liqueur and more; for the main course, try splitting a meat, seafood or veggie molcajete, a mortar filled with steamy, immaculate ingredients ready to be scooped onto a corn or flour tortilla. Adelita’s can fill up and doesn’t take reservations, so you night owls might have to go earlier than you might think. If your group ends up having to wait for a table at the South Broadway location, stop at the nearby Maria Empanada cafe for a coffee, tea or hot chocolate…or go to the sibling bar around the corner for mezcal.

Unleash Your Inner Child at Anime Store Near Me
14200 East Alameda Avenue, Aurora
If you have time after dinner and before karaoke, unleash your inner child at Anime Store Near Me in Aurora, which is open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on Sunday. This store in the Town Center at Aurora sells anime plushies, stationery, snacks and drinks, and Tamagotchi…in case you want to add that kind of stress back into your life at 35. No time to stop? You can also shop online — maybe for a birthday gift!

Sing Your Heart Out at Muse Noraebang and Cafe
2222 South Havana Street, Aurora
Muse is a great place for karaoke if you’re going as a couple or with a gang. Reserve a room for your group and you can enjoy a night of private karaoke. Each room is usually equipped with two or more microphones so that you can sing together; there’s also a controller with a large songbook to choose from and a Bluetooth system that allows you to hook up your phone in case there’s a more obscure song you want to sing along to on YouTube or Spotify. Karaoke is always more fun when you get good and pickled, and there’s a large menu of both food and drink (we recommend the yogurt soju). When you’re done, split the check for the time in the room and have everyone Venmo the payer (probably you).

Would you like us to plan an itinerary for your next date? Send a note with your price range, general interests and location preferences to It’s a Date at editorial@westword.com.