Little hole in the wall with great carolis/calzones. Get em to go but you'll stand in line for a bit. Â Get it smothered with cheese. Â Friendly staff. Don't be scared off by the graffiti on the building or the bars on the window. Â Ladies you may want to bring your own roll of TP and some hand sanitizer if you use the restroom.
Review Source:Came here for take- out... we got The Sausage Canoli's(3) Â and the Meatball Canoli (smothered in cheese and sauce- on the side).
Loved them all. Â Won't go into too much detail, as many others have.... Â but wanted to give my two cents on liking it :).....
When ordering to go food, they do not have 'to go' cups, so if you want to have something to drink, you have to get it somewhere else, or from the Pepsi vending machine next to the counter .... Â
PS, Every Tuesday is Spaghetti Night... ridiculously priced at 4.50 a person which includes Bread, salad, meatball/sausage.... Â Â dine in, 5-9 :) Â I may try that , I really liked the sauce!!
PSS, our meal was like less than $15 :) Â Yeahhhhh!!!!!
The various rolls e.g. dough with meat are excellent - mini hots, canolis, etc. Â I recommend grabbing some at the take-out counter and bringing them home.
The "housemade noodles" are flavorful, but always overcooked. Â If you like al dente, don't come here. Â The tomato sauce is very good. Â I asked once about the price difference between the regular noodles and the housemade ones, and was told that they have to use several "packets" so housemade costs more. Â I'm not sure what kind of "packets" they're using or what that means, but whatever. Â I've never used any packets to make noodles.
I have not been brave enough to eat in the restaurant, only take-out. Â The counter qualifies as dinner and a show, because some combination of visitors, waiters and counter staff are always yelling at each other about something and rolling their eyes behind each other's backs, or yelling back and forth with the kitchen.
Also, sometimes the various take-out items are miscategorized, so you might get a mild after ordering hot, or vice-versa.
Ok; Here's the deal-
I've been coming to this place since I was a kid (direct shout out to all you "just" moved here gentrification-ites expecting a commercialized-chain-restaurant-esq environment) & this place is LEGITimate!!!!
Couple pointers:
*I HIGHLY recommend the Canoli's (hey, what they are known for)!!!
*I also love the pizza & garlic bread :-)
*salad & spaghetti is so-so, SEE ABOVE recommendations
Everyone & I mean EVERYONE I have ever brought here has absolutely LOVED both the food & prices. Doesn't matter which acquaintance I brought: upper, middle, lower class; White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native- they ALL adore the Mom & Pop feel; not to Mention character of this place. My boyfriend flies in from UNM-ABQ to visit & our 1st stop every time we're coming back from DIA is Lechugas. Have another friend from DC that does the same!!
After going away to college I've been all over, Boston, San Fran, Philly, even Europe, ect....never tasted a sauce spiced this way in my life. Closest was this hole in the wall place that serves Italian Subs in Medford, MA. SOOO; to all you "Bourgeoisie" people- get over yourselves & find the closest "Garden of the Olive;" this place is obviously not for you. BY THE WAY the food is NOT canned or reheated. My dad worked here in the 90's & nearly all of the food is fresh & still has the same great taste. Â
Also- it's a hybrid American neighborhood restaurant to answer all those "confused" misfits on here. Simple answer- 2 owners, one's Hispanic, the other is Italian & the neighborhood goes way back as a Hispanic/Latino AMERICAN neighborhood, so yes there is some inclusion...but this in America folks....tomatoes are Indigenous to the United States- NOT Italy, so get off your high horses & stop claiming your authenticity nonsense. The Italian food US Americans are used to is actually Italian-American geniuses. Â This is an ORIGINAL restaurant, with a great niche that adapted to its main cliental.
This place actually HAS been remodeled; to prove it- I even learned how to do the electric slide on the lounge side here 20 years ago when the Nuggets Logo on the wall was Rainbow colored. Back in the day the chairs were those old-school uncomfortable metal backs & the décor was 60's or 70's, so the dinning side is more comfortable nowadays- but it's usually best to get it to go unless you plan on drinking or having a large get together. Again, if you are afraid of a little "character"- keep moving...you should try Parker or possibly Highlands Ranch; they have several commercialized-chain-restaurants to your liking.
I cannot stress how great the prices are here, especially for the taste (believe me when I say Mr. Boyardee doesn't come close). Again I can bring an entire group, like I did for my 21st birthday, & feed them, soda included; for around $50. That is cheaper than Micky D's PLUS; it's a sit down-support your local economy- real Mom & Pop place that has REAL history & real people.
So here's to Lechugas
~Salud!~
to your oh-so-amazing-conglomerate-goodness of North Denver!!!!!!!!!!
First visit Thursday 6/14...not impressive. Â Ordered food to go and sat in the lounge at 5:00pm - very much a dive bar scenario in the lounge area. Â Did not check out the dining room. Â The menu is very limited with no white sauce at all - bummer. Â The bar did not have a great selection of booze either - no Kettle 1, no Stoli....they do not even carry any Italian beers. Â The food was okay, but reminded me of frozen food that had been reheated. Â Won't be coming back.
Review Source:So me and a friend were looking to try a new place we haven't been before and we had heard good things about Lechuga's. The place is very unassuming from the outside. When you walk in have choice of normal restaurant seating or sit at the lounge area. It is self seating so we grabbed seat in lounge area and place is actually quite large from looks outside. We ordered the little devils and the sausage meatball canolis and the garlic bread. The little devils are the best as I like the spiciness of them but all of the food was decent. There was also a live band that played a variety of music (they were okay but just made the atmosphere fun). It was just a fun night with decent food at great price! Nice to find little hole in the walls like this that can offer good times.
Review Source:Always get take out.  Call in your  Pizza  (Sausage, Pepperoni. and Jalapeno.)
Hands down the best pizza in town.  Little Devils are awesome.. but again, Get it  to Go.. its the best way to experience Lechugas. Don't expect a fancy restaurant -  its a bar/lounge with Italian food.  We have ate there a few times and each time the experience is always the same.  Piss poor service and crappy atmosphere...
Where ever they get their Italian sausage i would like to know so i could replicate these at home but until then once every few months is a nice treat. Â I wonder if Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives would do a show on this place...
then ill know where the sausage comes from...
Remember always get it to go. Â Pizza and little devils
My boyfriend and I ended up using the Yelp Monocle feature on our smart phone and  happily stumbled upon Lechuga's! The two restaurants that we initially wanted to try were both closed, so we weren't too sure by the time we made it to Lechuga's. Â
Something to keep in mind when you get there - the restaurant is self seating, so don't stand there with your gomper open like we did waiting for a host. Â Go have a seat and the staff will see you and get you taken care of. Â
The prices are CRAZY good - I got fresh baked manicotti (you know it's fresh because the menu warns you that you'll be waiting for 30 minutes) and a salad for $7! Â Yep! $7! Â
They seemed to have a lot of take out orders and only a few folks in the restaurant. Â They also had a lounge area for drinks, but we didn't go back there. Â
All in all, I would say if you are up for a chill night out with your friends or partner, give Lechuga's a try!
Before I go into why I gave Lechuga's only three stars, I want to say that if you are in the mood for authentic, cheap, Â home cookedddd italian, then definitely come here. Â I know sometimes these smaller places have different service standards, but I hate when a restaurant isn't very busy but you still managed to get overlooked for up to 10-15 minutes. Â Once that problem was fixed, everything was fine. Except my bf and I wanted to try the stuffed cannoli as an appetizer and ordered a small and our waitress told us it would be too small to split, so we went with the large and it was enormous! But with the bill coming to 22 bucks for two soft drinks, two dinners that came with salad ( and the pepperoni's!) and the cannoli - you can't complain. Â Everyone really seems like family here so try not to feel left out, or go more often ;)
Review Source:Came here to try the "little devils" and was disappointed. Absolutely nothing special about them. Save your money.
Further, the place looks haggard and in dire need of remodeling...at least in the dining room. There was a bar on the opposite side of the entrance but I didn't bother going in there because I just wanted to get out of this place ASAP.
I have a tale straight from bizzarro land Seinfeld-style. Â What happens when four white people stumble into a place looking for a drink and there's a salsa band rocking out great Latin music? Â They dance...like white people trying to dance salsa. Â Everyone watches and laughs at them, they have a blast and then go home.
I know, it's a short tale. Â We had no idea what we were getting into, but had a blast getting into it. Â They've got cheap drinks, the band was awesome, service was decent, the people were awesome and overall the night was awesome. Â I'll have to come back and visit for food.
Crazy cheap: $13.25 was my bill for a beer, a glass of wine, a side salad, and an entree. Couldn't believe it, because the food and service were actually very good. Kind of a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but good. When you're used to spending $50-$75 for a meal like this, it's a pleasant surprise. I will certainly be back.
Review Source:GROSS!!!
We went for the Tuesday Night Spaghetti Special which I realize is really cheap but so is a can of Chef Boyardee! Â I mean how do you mess up garlic bread?! Â The salad, sauce, & garlic bread were all gross and so was the atmosphere! Â Patsy's Italian is soooo much better in every way! Â It's all about the sauce when it comes to good Italian food and Lechugas does NOT have it!
My co-works first brought me a "little devil" and I really enjoyed it. I just though well that was good. I hadn't been there but this time I went! The place is a bit out of sorts and could use a remodel but the food is really good. We get them to go and that is really good because we can eat them in the office.
Check the place out it is good food and the prices are great. We got a ton of food for like $18. We love to go here on lunch but go before 11:30am or it's packed.
So...
I was a bit disappointed with this restaurant. Â Having read so many reviews about how I absolutely have to try the "little devils", I was thinking, "AWESOME! Â I MUST EAT THIS SPICY DELICIOUSNESS". Â I am not even sure what I was expecting. Â I guess I should have paid closer attention to the actual reviews.
I had a good laugh off of the buckets of spaghetti on the menu. Â It hearkened back to a day when I managed a Little Caesars (*YOU* are jealous of this sweet job on my resume... I know) and we sold buckets of spaghetti.
The server barely spoke English, which was fine, but she screwed up our order. Â We asked for the "little devils" to be covered in cheese and sauce. Â It came out dry. Â
The little devils are described as canolis with jalepeno and sausage. Â It was just regular bread dough wrapped around the ingredients and then baked. Â It was dry and not spicy enough.
When I think spicy, I want to eat with my fingers, forget to wash my hands, go to the restroom and end up screaming like the little girl I am for the next 20 minutes. Â This was not even close to that spicy. Â
Ah well, I suggest going somewhere else... unless you like super divey places with buckets of spaghetti.
You cannot beat the Tuesday spaghetti night special at Lechuga's; you get a plate of spaghetti, sausage/meatball, bread, and salad for $4.25! I add the homemade noodles for $1.00 extra and it was a hearty meal. We sampled the mini canoli (spicy and mild) for $1.45 each and drank $2.50 beers (a pitcher of Bud is $6.75, just saying). Â We felt like we were back in college and it was fun: Jukebox was playing and tables were filled.
The take out line for the Buckets of Pasta and savory canoli was long and constant throughout the night. I will come back to get take out, as an Italian woman told me she could not make the meal for the price.
So overall experience was great and the price point was perfect. Lechuga's gets the extra star for the price point, we walked away spending $25.00 per couple and that included several drinks and appetizers each.
My buddy brought me here when I was visiting CO. He told me they take sausage and wrap it in a dough - almost like a big pig in a blanket, but better. BETTER it is! I took his advice and got what he got - hot spinolli, I believe. It's two small sausage rolls with jalapeno and spaghetti covered with sauce. Although the sauce was bland, the sausage made up for it. It was so good I thought of going back a couple of days later. A must if you're in the area.
Review Source:I was born and raised in North Denver (I refuse to call it "Highlands"), so this was a regular spot for me as a kid. I hadn't been back in YEARS, so when a group of us went to Gaetano's and were given an hour wait time, I decided to hike the troops to Lechuga's.
Some things never change...
When you walk in, the tables are on three levels, which face the "stage". It kind of reminds me of Ricky Ricardo's club, The Tropicana, if it were still around today... and if they served Italian food... and if it was in North Denver. The real eye candy is the neon mural on the wall. It's of the Vegas Strip, but not the current Vegas Strip... the 1967 Vegas Strip.
The tables were small, which made for little to no room for our food and drinks. Our first waitress wasn't very good. We all ordered a plethora of food and salads. Everyone at my table received their salad except for me. The waitress finally brought my salad once everyone else received their entrees. Then, I had my salad for a few minutes, but never received my food. I looked back and saw it sitting on an empty table in back of us. I ordered a small, mild canoli and a small, hot canoli (for a whopping total of $2.90). I was given two hot canolis, but I decided not to send them back because I was starving! They were tasty, but quite spicy.
My husband ordered the Elegante. It was a large canoli filled sausage, smothered with red sauce and topped with melted cheddar/jack cheese and shredded lettuce. Lettuce? Cheddar/Jack cheese? On a canoli? What?! It was SO random! If a smothered burrito and a manicotti had intercourse, the Elegante would be what their love child would look like.
If you order the spaghetti, definitely order the hand-made noodles! They were SO good! The beer selection was pretty much nonexistent. Husband had to settle for Bud Light, which made him a sad panda inside.
The band started playing and it was our queue to move on to our next destination. Overall, Lechuga's is very inexpensive and the food isn't bad.
Little Devils!!! These are a must, I get them to go and smother them at home, but I always have to get a hot mini for the drive home, because that is just torture smelling that great food. Â I have been coming to this place since I was just a child some 30 odd years ago, and I have introduced it to my husband and my kids. I will be eating here for the rest of my life.
Oh yeah and the prices are great too.
OH HOLY CANNOLI!
I have been on a yelp hiatus, but after one bite of the Lechuga's Little Devil, I had to come back!
(I am typing this between bites....trying to savor it...!)
Everyone at my work has always raved about these lil guys, and I've always been a little curious, but I live too far away to venture there on my own. That makes me sound like an old grandma, I'm just a stretched too-thin 20-something working and going to school fulltime! YIKES.
Anyways, someone offered to pick some up today and I jumped on the opportunity,
I was a little scared that before I even got a bite to my mouth that my toungue would evaporate from the supposed heat these things pack, but it wasn't that hot. I like hot, but I don't enjoy when my mouth feels like satan is dancing around on my tongue...these were perfect for me.
I am already contemplating if it would be totally weird or not for my to drink the remaining tomato sauce they give you. Too yummy. They don't skimp on it AT all.
And the sausage and the bread and the peppers OH MY.
These are going to be added to the list of "If I were to ever get pregnant (which I wont ever because pregnancy is gross) Cravings list."
YUMZ, Yo.
They came from....hell. Â (In a good way).
No, I'm not talking about the questionably tacky interior of this place. Â I'm talking about the "little devils," which are a take-out MUST if you either live in the area or are passing through. Â They're like little canolis, but they pack some serious heat due to the spicy peppers they roll them up with. Â Order several, because one won't be enough. Â The dough they use tastes really hearty, and the sausage is legit spicy italian sausage (not the cheap knock-off stuff some places are using these days). Â Order them with a side of the red sauce because it'll moisten them right up (some of them can be a little dry sometimes, but that's not the usual case).
I've never dined in at this place, and I'm positive I never will. Â However, those damn little spicy devils will be in my take-out top 10 for some time to come.
Tip - get them earlier on in the evening, because I've gone later a few times and they had run out of them.
Soooo hard to resist, and they'll continue adding size and cushion to love handles all over North Denver for some time to come.
Lechuga's what can you say!
This place has been here for years.. Â I remember as a kid messing around in the back of the kitchen watching the cooks make Italian sausage my Ma's friend owned the place when in the 80's when it was known as Carbone's..Sometimes I still call it that. Â They do have a mean Calzone.. but here it's called a Cannoli.. I know that's the Dessert.. but hey this was Old School North Side Italy back in the day.. and that's what they called it.. and still do.. You just can't go wrong with the Pizza.. square in all it's glory.. the Cannoli's are the best in town.. they have that old Italiano feeling to them.. jus have to try it... They also serve it with a slice of green chili inside called the "devil" but don't let that scare you.. commo'n it's a northside tradition.
Everything is good here .. and cheap you just can't go wrong..
PS
the only drawback /complaint is that the wait staff or lack thereof of kinda slow.. specially if the get the older lady that cracks dry jokes, but she's cool .. If you get her you'll know what I mean.
But Overall Hey it's Carbone's man! a.k.a. Lechuga's
Restaurant ~*
(303) 455-1502
3609 Tejon St
Denver, CO 80211 39.767 -105.0114
We've been coming to Lechuga's since before it was Lechuga's and that's a long, long time. If you try the canoli you will never be disappointed. The crust actually has flavor - kind of yeasty/buttery. The sausage is homemade. Try a "little devil" - delish piece of sausage wrapped in a jalepeno and nestled in their great crust - dip it in their semi-sweet marinera and you'll be in heaven. On the down side - the atmosphere can only be described as neighborhood tacky but it's about the canoli, just run in/out for a canoli and you WONT be disappointed! Remember try a Devil it's sooooooooo good!!
Ive been going here pretty much my whole life, my grandparents used to go when they were in High school even. Â Pretty much everything is good here I prefer the elegante canoli or the spanoli plate and a salad with ranch. Â If you are in the mood for pizza try the sausage, mushroom and chili strips. Lechugas is nothing fancy, go somewhere else it is just simple, good and cheap.
Their lunch specials are super cheap also.
Last weekend my lady-friend and I wanted to go out for some Italian food without breaking the bank. We were also feeling guilty for not exploring all the food options The Highlands has to offer. Thanks to this very website, we decided on Lechuga's and were very pleasantly surprised. It ain't much to look at, the place feels like 80's Jersey, but that all kind of adds to the charm. The portions are just right, enough to fill you up, not so much that you'll have leftovers or feel bloated and the prices can't be beat. I ordered the canoli & spaghetti (think an Italian version of a pig in a blanket), a side salad, a side of garlic bread, and two glasses of Chianti and I paid 17 bucks, tip included! Also, they had a band playing all of your lounge act favorites. I look forward to going there again sometime soon...
Review Source:I love me some Lechuga's!! Â Although it'll always be Carbone's to me. Â Â But, there are a few things you need to know.
1) Â Serious dive - you are not here for the atmosphere although I notice lots of my fellow Yelpers have no problem with that. Â I think that's a good thing because some of the best food is in dives. Â I wouldn't recommend staying for Karaoke or other late night foolishness, however. Â This would have to be described as a transitional neighborhood.
2) Â There are only a handful of things worth eating, they are:
   -The cannoli (not the sweet kind) but really Italian pigs in a blanket.  Â
   (they also do a small size called "little devils" (spicy) or minis (mild)
   - The pizza,  if you order as I am about to tell you.  Rectangular,
   medium crust (not too thick, not too thin).  Don't even think of
   pasta or other menu items.  Just say no.
3) Â I think they recruit servers from the rode hard, put up wet academy so don't expect Paris Hilton (oh, never mind, maybe you should).
So, what you want to do is go early evening (or lunch for takeout) - sit in their dark, sketchy bar and order a pitcher of cheap beer. Â Order a pizza if you didn't think to call it in ahead of time. Â My favorite is cheese, onion and extra sausage (which is homemade and the best in the city). Â Maybe get some "minis" and a side of their sweetish red sauce to dunk them in and wait for a truly great pizza. Â Other than the homemade sausage, which I am totally addicted to, I am soooo into the crust. Â It actually has flavor. Â Yeasty, buttery almost. Â So unlike most of the cardboard you find, even at fancy schmancy pizza joints. Â Almost like a crisp dinner roll that mom used to make - I'm getting moist here.
Then, you get the check (around $20) and head for the hills before the drunks start screeching "You are the wind beneath my wings".
They sell buckets of spaghetti here. And I'm being literal. I did not eat here, but I did spend a night with Marie the drunken karaoke MC and saw a lady wearing a fanny pack with sweatpants. She was carrying a holster of hand sanitizer. I dont want to know.
This place is filled with some straight up fuckery, man. Marie the Karaoke MC (Formally known as Take Two with Marie) sings the same song over and over with her eyepatched husband and when I was there she got so drunk that my friend actually had to take over for her and MC. Yeah.
The decor is amazing, and previously lived only in my dreams. There is glow paint on the walls, and more mirrors than I have ever seen in my life.
If you fancy yourself to be a classy person, you will stand out, as most of the people who are regulars look like they live in storage units and have spent time in prison. The bartenders are nice, but you should also be aware that this place closes at like 11:30 (WTF?)
I'm so confused by Lechuga's. Â In 9th grade Spanish they taught me that lechuga means lettuce. Â And as of late, I've learned that Lechuga can also be a Latino surname. Â But at Lechuga's Restaurant they serve "canolis", which are not the same as cannolis. Â So is this place Mexican? Â Or Italian? Or what?
Anyway, Lechuga's is cool because it's a neighborhood joint with old fashioned prices. Â Their canolis are something like four bucks! Â Imagine--dinner for four bucks! Â Although, I still haven't totally figured out the canoli thing. Is it Mexican or Italian? Â The middle is a fat Italian sausage = score 1 for the Italians. Â The next layer is an Italian hoagie roll baked on to the Italian sausage = score 2 for the Italians. Â The next layer is a bland salsa-ish tomato sauce smothering the roll = .5 for the Italians, .5 for the Mexicans. Â And then they top it with lettuce and shredded cheese = score for the Mexicans. Â But the place is called "Lechuga" which sounds more Mexican than Italian. Â Final score Italians 2.5, Mexicans 2.5.
I'm not loving the canolis, they're OK. Â But they're definitely unique and really, what's not to like about sausage and bread covered in tomato sauce? Â Overall its cool because is a neighborhood institution, its unique, and it's cheap.
I dream about these canolis.
If we happen to have a party, or need to serve a group of more than eight people, I'll be the first to shout "Lechugas!!!"
Their lil' devil canolis have extra hot peppers in them, and if left unattended around a plateful, I'm sure I could eat five of them without blinking, they are so good.
Dip them in Lechuga's marinara sauce and you are in little Italy heaven. Â This place has gone through a couple changes of ownership, but their food has stayed consistent for several decades.
Their marinara sauce is a little on the thin side (which I happen to enjoy), and if you really want a good feel for the place, sit in the back. Something about the dimly lit atmosphere and interesting array of jukebox selections make you feel like you could be in an episode of the Sopranos.
Their pizzas are pretty delicious as well and you can get a bucket of spag and marinara to go if you are serving a big group.
This review is for the canolis and bucket o marinara. I have gone several times recently in order to try the rest of the menu, but, all I've eaten there in 20 years in the canolis and the spaghetti bucket. I get a dozen lil devils and a pint of sauce, and a bucket of pasta. the "unfinished " sauce goes on the spag, and generally it gets eaten between dinner, midnight, and by 10am the next morning the whole thing is gone by me alone. The problem is that they are across the street from La Casita de Manuel, which has the only tamales blessed by the pope in Denver as far as I know, and the best for several states! (see texan slurred review) I get to the intersection and lose it. Which food should I eat/ Hmmmm mmmm, yeah, Â ok lots from both is the only true answer. first canolis then tamales then bucket of spag, then more tamales,. You get the picture. Lechuga's you taught me to eat spaghetti for breakfast and I thank you for it !
S
Whenever we're in the neighborhood, this is always a pit stop for us. Â We order a dozen or more canolis to go. Canolis= Sausage and chile strips wrapped in homemade dough and baked to perfection. Â (you can also order them without the chile strips). Â Included is a marinara dipping sauce. Â They are always a treat for our family. Â I havent been there for awhile, since I am here in Miami, but I believe they have the smaller canolis that we order and large as well. Â They're very good! Â Great for parties, or just to snack on. Â Try them!!
I'm giving this 4 stars, because I am not familiar with the restaurant, only the takeout area.
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