A Fresh Look for Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila—a 10-Year Main Street Mainstay
After a decade of dishing out some of Boulder County’s tastiest tacos and margs (they’ve won innumerable best-taco awards and readers’ choice contests), Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila brought a full redesign to its well-worn interior, leaning even harder into the Southern California taco-shop vibe.
“My goal with the redesign was to create an immediate sense of energy and discovery,” says Rebecca Gafner, co-owner with her husband, Sean. “I wanted people to feel like they stepped into an experience, not just a restaurant, blending street-art grit with warm, social lounge moments.”
The results of the redesign are impressive: new furniture, more high-top tables, improved acoustics, and two striking works of art. Bimmer Torres’ sweeping 50-foot street-style mural covers the south wall, while Rebecca created a multidimensional piece along the north wall.
“I call it the Wall Of Whispers,” she says. “I wanted to add dimension to the wall, utilizing the black frames, but also bring in some pops of color and interest to balance out the mural on the south wall. A lot of the pieces within the frames came directly from our travels to Mexico.”
The Gafners moved to Longmont in January 2015 with their four children. Sean had attended Golden State Culinary Institute and worked restaurants up and down California for nearly two decades. Once in Longmont, they opened the Roost in 2015, then Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila in 2016. They’ve continued to shape our town’s dining scene, opening Swaylo’s in 2022 and 99 Bar Saloon in 2023.
But Jefe’s was always personal for Sean, who grew up in a California farm town among families from all over Mexico who always kept a place for him at their tables, serving him comfort foods from throughout their country. His upbringing shaped Jefe’s menu, he says, which offers updated takes on longtime Mexican recipes.
“We use both traditional Mexican recipes as well as modern twists on Mexican favorites, like the seared ahi taco with ginger slaw and sriracha aioli,” says Sean. “And we partner with local farmers and ranchers to source our meats and produce.”
One of the most popular items, he reports, is his chef’s take on classic birria, which involves braised short rib prepared over days. Another top seller is the squashacado taco, a veggie option made with roasted butternut squash, avocado, cilantro crema, pepitas, and pico de gallo. Of course, there’s the queso. And the tequila—more than 130 options.
They make everything—salsas and sauces—from scratch, and ingredient sourcing is a huge point of pride. Jefe’s gets its meats and produce from 13 local farmers and ranchers and tortillas from Las Americas Tortilleria, just down the road.
When guests walk into the new space, Sean wants them to feel “nostalgia if they grew up listening to hip-hop and eating delicious tacos” like him. More importantly, he wants everyone to feel “like it’s the place they belong.” 246 Main Street
