Off Menu with La Mariposa

It all started with a pair of shoes and a mother’s love. Sitting with Rene Cervantes, Jr., you can see the prideful smile glance across his face as he recalls how his parents, Rene and Maria Cervantes, began their American dream. “My mom wanted to buy me a new pair of shoes for my first birthday,” said Cervantes. With money tight for this young loving family, every morning Rene and Maria made breakfast burritos together before they went to work. Maria suggested Rene take some to work to sell to fellow stonemasons and from there a family business and dream were born. Rene sold the burritos for $1 a piece on the honor system because asking for money was awkward. Maria and Rene were able to not only buy a pair of shoes for their son from that small act of love — the Cervantes family now owns five restaurants across Northern Colorado and an entertainment venue in Denver specializing in Mexican music events.

The Longmont restaurant is located on 2033 Ken Pratt Blvd. where Johnny Carino’s used to be. “We wanted to bring our parents’ dream to life in their lifetime,” said Cervantes Jr. Finishing the Longmont location a year ago was just the first step in a wave of renovations, with the Lyons location following and just completed in early 2025. Over this next year, the Cervantes family plans to finish remodels in both the Greeley and Boulder, bringing the new concept to both locations.

There is room for celebrations both large and small. Whether it’s hosting a rehearsal dinner or a small intimate birthday, La Mariposa provides the extra touches to make the day special. Guests celebrating their birthdays are serenaded and served dessert topped with a sparkler candle. The entire location, dripping with thoughtfully-sourced natural materials produced by local artisans, shows great attention to detail. “We took all our ideas into a big mixing pot and this is what we created,” Cervantes Jr. proudly stated.

Cervantes Jr. credits a lot of their success to the community that has supported them over the years, following them as they opened new locations and remodeled old ones. He shared the story of one of their regulars who jumped in to help Maria and Rene get their first liquor license when a language barrier was tough to overcome. Another early supporter was a banker named Jim at Valley Bank who consistently believed in the Cervantes family and gave them chances to continue to succeed. “We created this space for them. They shared in our excitement as we succeeded,” he said.

“The changes began with revamping our menu. We wanted to add more authentic Mexican dishes and more seafood,” said Cervantes Jr. “We’ve done away with the mariachi music and bright colors.” La Mariposa has kept the traditional Tex-Mex favorites with smothered burritos, enchiladas and other standby favorites. They have also added some new options including traditional molcajetes which are hearty dishes served in hot stone bowls overflowing with fresh seafood, slow-braised pork or juicy strips of sirloin and chicken. All of their dishes are accompanied by their sauces. “Everything is made fresh daily. We even grind our own spices in our kitchen,” said Cervantes Jr.

Moving beyond the traditional old school Tex Mex offerings, explore one of the ten different fajita creations including Al Pastor Fajitas which incorporate the popular street taco flavor to a new preparation. The most popular item on the menu is the Birria Tacos. The Cervantes family wanted to introduce this love letter to Mexico. The dish takes 13 hours to prepare, with slowly braised beef as the hero of the plate. The fat from braising the beef is skimmed off the top and then used to fry the tortilla, further embedding the spices and flavors of the beef into the dish. Served with a consomme or spicy red dipping sauce, it’s easy to see how this has quickly become the best-selling item on the lunch and dinner menu. La Mariposa is also open for breakfast starting at 8 am and offers brunch on Sundays with live omelet and waffle stations, posole, tamales, chimichangas, and a fruit bar. “The whole experience is very fun and interactive,” said Cervantes Jr. Breakfast items include many sweet and savory options including Tres Leches pancakes, hearty platillos, a variety of benedicts, breakfast tacos, and burritos.

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