“Wasted away again in Margaritaville…” You can practically picture Jimmy Buffett, who made it fashionable to fritter away sunny days, spending an idle August afternoon in Lakewood, belly-up to Gordo’s bar, while Sixth Avenue traffic speeds past in the distance. Gordo’s, which roughly translates as “Fatso’s” in Spanish, was founded in 1924 by a gringo Denver policeman, Arthur Hamilton. According to Cory Rogers — Hamilton’s granddaughter and now Gordo’s head margarita-maker and chef — the key to a tasty margarita is no pulp. The Gordo’s take on the margarita is made with fresh-squeezed lime, lemon and orange juices (pulpless, of course), sugar, water, Triple Sec and tequila. The frothy drink ($3.50) is served on the rocks in a kitschy salt-rimmed cactus-stemmed glass. Black-and-white photos of the original taco shack line the entryway to the comfortable, mellow Gordo’s; other trappings include the good old-fashioned Atari games “Dig Dug” and “Asteroids,” which my friend and I spent many hours playing happily (after downing several lunchtime margs). Famous with Lakewood locals for friendly, down-home service, generous portions of delicious food and a dirt-cheap daily happy hour, Gordo’s is Phatso City for fans of good bars.
