The long-awaited opening of Tula’s Kitchen is finally here. The new restaurant located next to Dion’s in La Cueva Town Center opened its doors to customers last week. The grand opening has yet to be announced, but foodies are already talking about the comfort fare being offered by Dion’s sister business.
An Oct. 19 post on the Burque Take Out & Curb Side Food Service Facebook group reads, “Tula’s Kitchen is now open! Off Wyoming and Paseo. Absolutely Delicious!”
On Nextdoor, a user from Heritage Hills posted about the new restaurant, asking, “Does anyone know when it’s going to open? I love Greek food.” That post received 46 comments, with mixed reviews and a few noting the menu is more comfort food than any type of ethnic cuisine.
Audrey Johnson, marketing director for Dion’s, wrote in an Oct. 19 email, “We are open and currently limiting capacity as we train our team. We are only taking orders in person. Phone and online orders will start at a later date. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations are not being accepted.”
On Saturday afternoon, the main dining area was filling up fast and the bar open to all the day drinkers out there. Customers were lining up to order at the front counter, where they paid for their meals before being seated. Despite having to order up front, wait staff were happy to add more items to the bill as hungry diners sampled the different flavors.
Thirteen-year-old Dominic Candelaria, who was eating with his mother Victoria, gobbled up the assorted meats on the charcuterie board, but wasn’t too keen on the thinly sliced pickles. The teenager, who deems himself a mac and cheese connoisseur, had the homemade pasta alongside hand-breaded chicken strips.
“Tula’s gets a 10 out of 10,” Candelaria said. He let his mom have the tomato bisque that came with the chicken strips but still had room for a second vanilla Italian soda. As more diners came in and began filling the seats, chef Manny came out from the back to ask how everything tasted.
When asked why he chose to work at Tula’s, the chef said, “because of the company culture,” adding that, like Dion’s, Tula’s provides a fun and comfortable environment for its staff. According to Tula’s website, the restaurant is still looking to fill kitchen and dining room staff positions.
After the assortment of food was consumed, one of the general managers showed off the outdoor patio area, which was closed to the public on Saturday. She explained that not all the heaters were up and running but still lit one of the fireplaces to simulate the outdoor ambiance.
She said the restaurant is waiting for the outdoor patio to become accessible to customers before announcing a grand opening. The patio is built to accommodate 60 customers and the indoor dining area 130.
As for prices, Tula’s is in the ballpark. Too many cocktails, and the bill could get pricey, though. Service and cleanliness were top notch and the food tasty and filling. To check out Tula’s menu, visit tulaskitchen.com or drop by the restaurant at 8100 Wyoming Blvd. NE.
