Lechuga's Italian Restaurant

Lechuga’s Italian Restaurant is an absolute gem! From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with the warm, cozy atmosphere of a true neighborhood favorite. But the real star of the show? Their spicy spaghetti. Hands down, one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had. The noodles are perfectly cooked, and the sauce has just the right amount of heat—bold, flavorful, and addictive without being overwhelming. You can taste the care in every bite, from the fresh garlic and herbs to the spicy kick that lingers just long enough to make you want more. Pair it with one of their legendary pepperonis or a warm loaf of garlic bread, and you're in heaven. The staff is friendly, the service is fast, and the portions are generous. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Lechuga’s is a must-visit. Don’t miss the spicy spaghetti—you’ll be hooked from the first bite!

This is a cute little old-school Italian spot. While I think the food itself is pretty decent—nothing mind-blowing—the value is unbeatable. You can get a giant “pasta bucket” packed with spaghetti, meatballs & sausage with sides of garlic bread & salad that feeds six people… all for around $40. Personally I preferred the original noodles as the “old fashioned” noodles were a bit thick. It’s the perfect place for a low-key group dinner, family night, or just when you want a ton of comforting food without spending much.

The food is delicious and the service is kind and quick! I highly recommend the little devil with sauce and the meatball canoli!

Love this place! Been a denver favorite in North Denver for years! The only thing is it's a bit pricey , $$.but worth it!

Cheese wasn’t melted on the pizza and it tasted like cafeteria food. Mini meat canoli had a dry piece of cheese on top. Highly disappointed.

Don’t believe all the reviews. Spaghetti was plain. Meatball was good. What kind of place is this! Not many options to choose from. Will not be coming back here

Would've gave 0 stars if I could not only was the food disgusting but it was expensive too. They put no love into the food infact they put hate into it the spaghetti and sauce had no flavor at all and the salad looked like a day old piece of cabbage. Do not come here it's a waste of money.

Placed our order at the front and food was out in minutes. The garlic bread is really good.

Was over at Spirit Hound for cocktail and asked the bartender for a recommendation and this did not disappoint!

I moved into the lower Highlands neighborhood of Denver 1 1/2 years ago and on our exploration of our new neighborhood noticed Lechuga's. Later we were told that the food was fantastic by a workman doing some electrical work on our home so We were excited to try it out last evening after work and share a meal with our daughter and grandchildren. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to any of our expectations. We arrived at 7:15pm ( they close at 9pm) but they were already rolling up floor mats. They had no wait staff and we were handed plastic menus offering spaghetti, rectangular pizzas, lasagna, manicotti and a few sandwiches and told we could order at the counter but eat in their dining area. The counter helper was not helpful and was surly. We ordered spaghetti for our grandchildren and for myself and my wife and daughter ordered a large pizza with veggies. We self filled beverages and waited 30 minutes before the surly counter person served the pizza without offering plates and then another 10 minutes for the spaghetti with sausage, a side salad and garlic bread for me ( all served at once) and for the grandkids' bowls of spaghetti and meatball / sausage. The pizza featured a cardboard like dough but lots of vegetables and the pasta marinara sauce was rich if a tad spicy. The portions were reasonable. The side salad was very nice as was the creamy Italian dressing and the garlic bread was not very garlicky but crisp. A sign asked us to bus our table which we did even as at 8:15 they announced that they were closing the soda machine and putting away chairs and tables. We felt hurried and that we were somehow inconveniencing the staff. The food is mediocre at best. There was no service. They seem to have regulars who know what to order because they were served much faster. The best that I can say is the it is inexpensive but maybe that proves that you get what you pay for.

Always a northside staple. Definitely swing in and get you a cannoli or spanoli plate. Great food and old school vibe

Dinner out with the kids, we came on a Tuesday night. The Tuesday special!! Spaghetti, choice of meatball/sausage, garlic bread and a salad. What a deal! We ordered at the counter and got our number to take to our table. We also got soft drinks and snagged those while we waited. The kids both chose meatballs and I chose sausage. I got the Italian dressing on my salad. Their red sauce has a bit of a kick to it and the sausage was so flavorful. Italian sausage is a favorite of mine. The kids devoured their meatballs and we all enjoyed our dinners. They have a bussing station near the soft drink machine so you can clear your table when you are done. The customer service was welcoming. There was a line when we got there and a line when we left with more folks continuing to arrive. Our dinner came out in no time and they were turning over both dine-in and carry out customers in short order. Parking is on the street, but we had no issue finding a spot.

Small local spot that serves some great Italian food for Denver. This is the Tuesday night spaghetti dinner special. All this food for $8.50! I will definitely be back to try their other sandwiches and cannolis that looked delicious.

When looking for a more authentic option, Lechuga's is pretty good and a Denver staple! I love their old fashioned noodles and sauce. My husband and I tend to get the small family bucket with the old fashioned noodles. You get a lot of food for a great price! The only thing is it is hit or miss on the sausage. Sometimes it is spot on, and other times it is dry and crumbly. The atmosphere is also quaint but not necessarily somewhere to go for a romantic night out. It is better for a family dining experience. Service has always been great, and we have never experienced an issue with the staff! Overall, I do recommend for authentic Denver Italian.

It's been a while I love the sausage cannoli's and the little devils! I've stopped in at this restaurant since the mid 70's for the cannolis. Next time I'm in Denver I'm going to make it a point to visit. And to anyone reading this and looking for italian food in north Denver please check this place out!

Delicious Italian food. My favorite are the little devils with marinara sauce and cheese, you can't go wrong with those!

I love Lechuga's and have been coming here for years. On my recent visit I ordered a super canoli smothered. When they brought it to me I noticed something had changed. I got a super with a small side of marinerà. What happened to smothering it before bringing it out!? The amount of sauce is disappointing not enough to "smother" my canoli. Probably a cost saving measure but it has ruined the experience.

Nice little spot that we decided to try on Valentine's Day. It's one of those hole in the wall places. The kind you drive by and think about trying some day. Today is the day. We ordered a pizza, a little devil, and garlic bread. Pizza was okay. I've had better. It's still tasty and we'll priced though. The cannoli was the best thing. Spicy, but not too spicy. Just right. Marinara was excellent. Garlic bread was thumbs up emoji good. Service was excellent too. Super friendly staff and courteous. Might not be back for the pizza, but we'll be back for the cannoli.

Had an all day meeting so we decided on this place for lunch. It was close to the meeting site and is a favorite spot for us. The set up was different due to the pandemic. No sit down inside the restaurant. There are tables outside on the patio but you order inside as there's no table service. And you enter one set of doors and exit another to walk around to the tables outside. Menus are taped to the windows so you can make your selections outside or inside. We decided on the Spanoli plate which is 2 mini canolis smothered with a side of spaghetti or old fashioned noodles. The canolis come hot or mild so I picked one mild and one hot. On her recommendation I picked the old fashioned noodles as they're supposedly wider. The orders are packed in to go containers and brought out at the end of the order counter. We then went outside to sit. I couldn't tell the difference in the noodles but they were good. Not limp and sticky. The sauce was packed in a plastic container so we could regulate how much sauce we wanted on it whole dish. I prefer this as I don't like my spaghetti drowning in sauce. The mini canolis were amazing. I like the combo of hot and mild as it allowed me to have the best of both worlds. I didn't finish the pasta as it was too many carbs for me. Might have to come back here during our next meeting.

Me and babe got 2 little devils and the spaghetti w salad and this sh* hit the the mfn spot , so damn good im happy I didn't wanna cook tonight lol , been going here since I was a youngin and im always satisfied.

Spaghetti were awful. The place looks the motel dining room. Won't recommend to anyone.

At long last I tried Lechuga's, an old-Denver Italian restaurant in my neighborhood. I ordered a few of the famous sausage cannoli aka Little Devils, and a large square pizza. Little Devils - These are funky and irregular shaped, but surprisingly delicious and very satisfying! The sausage has great flavor, and the peppers worked into the dough add just the right amount of heat. Reminds me a bit of a bagel dog? I had two and that felt like enough, though if I was really goin for it I could have had more. You must order some sauce to go with it - it's an additional charge but is essential. For 4 Little Devils the sm 4oz sauce was enough. Now, the pizza. Without editorialization, just the facts: this felt a lot like a cafeteria pizza. The dough was smooth and had a very close texture, not stretchy, not particularly fragrant. I didn't calculate surface area of the square vs average round pizza, but it did feel a bit small. For me the pizza is not the main event. I will likely go back to support this local business, and when I do it will be just Little Devils and perhaps a bucket of pasta with their delicious red sauce.

This place is legendary. I'll get right to the point. BUCKET OF PASTA. It's like 7 pounds and it's actually in a bucket. Gigantic meatballs, Italian sausage, and endless carbs. It comes with a half loaf of bread turned into garlic bread and two buckets of salad, for $30. If this sounds good to you, then this is your place. They also have these funny savory dishes that they call "cannolis." They're little sausages baked into some bread. That's it. They're affordable and taste ok. That bucket of pasta really will feed 6, just as advertised. The value here is outstanding. The food itself is decent. About as good as you're expecting when reading this review. Highest Recommendation.

Food is always great although every since the gentrification in the neighborhood the staff has gone to crap!

Excellent food. Homemade noodles and canolis are amazing. Great service too. My favorite Italian restaurant

I absolutely love it here!! The cannolis always hit the spot,I remember coming here as a kid when my uncle tony garcia use to work here, and now it turned to a family treat food. The best part is when I accidentally get someone else's food I can keep the food they gave me and get the food I ordered ‍

A little above average this time around. Meatball cannoli were good like before, but the meatballs tasted like it had more of a sausage flavor/seasoning to them. Don't care for fennel in meatballs. Not my preference with a meatball. I think fennel belongs more in sausage. Red Sauce was too watered down and a little too spicy for my liking. Noodles were kind of off in texture. Service was better than average, and food was just average overall.

This place is so good and a real Denver treat. Reasonable prices and very friendly staff! Mini milds or lil devils are a great snacks! Meatballs or tutti toots are a delicious meatball wrapped in dough! Can stop in for dining or grab and go! Make sure you get extra sauce!!

First Italian restaurant I've ever ordered from that overcooked their pasta. Nothing worse than a bucket full of soggy spaghetti.

Food is pretty good. I've been a few times and have never been disappointed until today, completely messed up my tables order, she completely turned into the rudest person ever. Rolling her eyes and completely acting like a fool towards the whole table..definitely was an experience

I have been to this place a ton growing up in Denver and My Dad living a block from there. That being said...just went there and I am done giving them business. For a Denver Staple to have gone down in quality so much ever since they sold out is just disappointing. The bread used to make the devils used to be puffy and soft on the inside but a beautiful crust layer on the outside and never had bubbles or defects on the crust layer, just plain consistent beautiful golden brown every time all the time. Oh well everything changes sooner or later.

This place is definitely authentic Italian--I can taste the anise throughout the cannoli and the sauce. I'm not a huge fan of anise and usually omit it when cooking Italian food for myself, but this place does it juuuust right. Although we couldn't dine in to get the full jazzy Italian experience the food was still amazing. The breading was soft and delicious. The pasta was cooked just right--not too tender and not too tough. The spaghetti sauce, which I'm very particular about, was the perfect level of sweetness with that Italian bang of flavor. Service was quick as a whip--5 minutes or less! I can't wait to visit this spot again when dine-in opens up.

Everything you want, nothing you don't. This place is convenient, with classic vibe and great staff. Not a lot of good Italian in Denver, and I would take Lechuga's over any other -- including the fancy places.

Little devils are still delicious service was super quick went in to just buy some to go and left within 10 minutes fast service still good food ..

We were so looking forward to getting food from Lechugas. We used to eat here all the time because I grew up in the neighborhood. The Canolis are smaller and they put a really thin slice of cheese on them. The pizza also barely had any cheese. You can see the sauce through the cheese. The food tasted ok but would have been better with more cheese not sure why they are now conserving on the cheese but you used to be able to pull a slice from the box and the cheese stretched from the pizza.

We live in Fort Collins and stop here everytime we're in the area because the food is so good! Always excellent, always consistent food, always great friendly service. Wish we had a location in FoCo!

Worse than elementary school pizza. The crust was cardboard with the flavor profile to match. Still attempting to figure out how so many mediocre restaurants survive in the lower highlands.

My boyfriend brought us back 4 little devil canolis for dinner the other day in addition to pasta from another restaurant. It was my first time trying them and I loved them! They had the perfect amount of heat from the jalapeño slice and the sausage was seasoned with yummy herbs and spices. The bread was also fresh and I loved it. I dipped mine in marinara meat sauce and it was perfect. I've been craving them since I've had them, so I know I'll be back very soon to try the other canoli options!

So sad to see what has happened to the cannoli's. I have eaten here since I was a child and even drove here from Aurora several times during the pandemic to support them. I literally bragged about the bread on the cannoli's to a co-worker today and she pulled over to grab them for us for lunch. I felt like a fraud when she came back with cannoli's wrapped in crispy paper thin bread after I bragged about the delicious soft bread. Bad yeast? No quality control? So disappointing.

This is a Denver institution and I've been coming here since I was a kid. We used to stop for cannolis on the way to Elitch's back in the 80s and now anytime I'm in northwest Denver I make a pit stop. I am in love with the little devils and get a side of marinara to take home. My kids love the mini milds and my husband is all about the meatball. Lechuga's is old school Italian at its best.

it is always good. The sauage wrapped in dough are the best. Also, very good spaghetti, and spaghetti sauce.

Great food! Friendly atmosphere quality, both sites are very accessible. Love the Stromboli!

Staff was super nice and the pickup was well organized. The lemon ricotta cake was light and refreshing. The pizza was disappointing, the crust was rather bland. The elegance was also interesting. The best thing we had was the mini sausage cannoli (Stromboli). The meat is definitely of high quality.

I grew up in Denver. I use to use my allowance to go buy the little devils for Lechuga's. To me, that was a real treat. My experience there is always alway always great. I have never had a meal there that was disappointed. I now live in California, for 30 years now. My kids still live in Denver. They come out to visit me in California, but always bring me a dozen little devils. The only thing I don't like about Lechuga's. They won't package and mail to me in California. I even offered to send the dry ice packaging with a paid postage. To me. $100 for a dozen little devils is worth it. Just to get a taste of Denver. Go Broncos.

This spot is the best to get your spice on! The little devils are delish! The dough is so soft and tastes fabulous! With their robust sauce accompanying the little devils you can't go wrong! If you're looking for an authentic Italian restaurant this is the place!

I rarely give 5 stars to any restaurant or place of business. I can only write a review about the Devil's and accompanied sauce served with them. In one word: OUTSTANDING! Yum!! I've eaten my share of food in many places like L.A, San Francisco, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Chicago; the Devil's I have at Lechuga's are absolutely the BEST food I've had. If you live in Denver or if you plan to visit Denver, this is a must eat food! If you don't like spicy hit food, order the Devil without the chili. This place has their loyal customers, of which I am one. Love this place, love, love, love this place.

Spanoli plate hits the spot every time. Love picking up a bucket of pasta and bag of canolis for easy dinner. Can't beat this place.

Lady at the front was extremely rude . She has glasses. But the food has no flavor spaghetti just taste like tomato sauce of of a can. Devils have wayyy too many jalapeños . This is Italian food I just find it interesting how there is so many jalapeños in the little devils? I know good food and this is not worth your money.

Always always great delicious food! Been going her for 34 years...When Patsy worked there! Went tonight and was concerned that things were only on a To-go basis, window boarded up and bar/ dining area boarded up. Can't find any more info but sure hope all will return to normal soon for them. We all had the Spanoli plate, it's our favorite and with some extra little devils! Just sat our back on the picnic tables...Still delicious!

Update to my last post 2 years ago. The kitchen staff must have upgraded. The pizza and canolis are back to normal. But now it's the front of house staff. Whom ever is the new chick working the front with glasses needs to be let go. All she talked about was her sex life and dating random dudes. I mean that's not professional or excepted in any place of business with food. I mean come on. No one wants to hear how your "not sexually compatible with this dude" while you grab my food. Really unsatisfied with the service. Also the other employee was encouraging the conversation. These were grown women. I could expect to hear this from young adults or teenagers but not adults. New owners and managers were not around and these 2 gals were just chatting up about that shit like gossip in a hair salon.

I have only ordered through here through door dash/Uber eats/ grub hub, however I will NEVER order pasta from anywhere else. I absolutely love the value and quality Italian food I receive consistently from every single delivery. I order roughly once a week. The wonderful taste makes this restaurant my top choice for Italian. As soon as I'm able, I will visit in person! Great job to the Chefs !!!!

The food here is always delicious! Great quality and great prices! The elegante calzone is to die for but my all time favorite is spaghetti (thick old style noodles) with sausage and meatballs. The sausage and meatballs have great flavor and they give you big portions. Be sure to mop up any left over sauce with their amazing garlic bread. Omg... I can't forget about the little devils. We usually get some to take home. It's delicious dough stuffed with sausage and chili peppers. Lil Devils got the perfect amount of kick and are a great lil snack to take home and munch on later

The new owners are already running the place into the ground. raised the price on every thing including a ridicules increase on the mini canoli ruined happy hour and got rid of most of the alcohol selection. I'll be finding a new lunch location.

I heard that this place had the best spaghetti and meatballs ever. I had to check it out. This place is very old school family restaurant. I had never been in and wasn't sense the nice kind family own feel. Service was very mediocre and I was the only one in the dining room. I felt rushed too order a drink with no drink menu. I order a Stella because there was no menu but was wishing for some wine. The Stella was flat and tasted soapy. How do you mess up a beer? I knew I wanted to try the spaghetti and meatballs because I heard it was the best. I was impressed at all. I only really like the meatballs and garlic bread. The sauce and noodles tastes store bought. Maybe explains the cheap prices? My dinner salad tasted like it had been in the cooler uncover for weeks. I also ordered a smother sausage canoli which was cold. I didn't eat more than a bite from either. I might have had way too high of expectations for this place but was at least expecting good spaghetti. If I were to go back I'd only get the meatballs and garlic bread.

We first found Lechuga's at the West Colfax and Wadsworth store and then discovered that this North Denver location was going on 60 years old. So of course, we had to try. Same menu at both - good experiences at both, but very different. At West Colfax, you order at the counter and the dining room is modern, fast-food like and "sterile" in terms of not having a lot of character. Parking is a challenge at this Tejon location. The building is obviously old and much larger than West Colfax, and this location has wait staff and table service. There is a good sized bar and dining room on one side and a smaller dining room on the other. "Character" can be hard to define, and it's not synonymous with "old," but whatever it is, Tejon has it. Same good food both places, but it feels like fast food at West Colfax and Italian restaurant food at Tejon. Weekday lunch specials are a great deal at $6.00. Likewise, the lunch spaghetti special with garlic toast and a sausage or meatball for under $8.00. Tuesday night spaghetti night is the best deal of all - spaghetti, sausage or meatball, garlic toast and a dinner salad for $6.00. For a couple of bucks more you can upgrade to the old fashioned noodles, and that's a nice change of pace from time to time. Canolis, pizza, other pastas, sandwiches, soups and salads also on the menu. The take home bucket of pasta is also a good deal - note that the large bucket is only $5.00 more than the small bucket and is twice the size - definitely go with the large bucket. Others have commented on the Little Devil - indeed, it is all that your Yelper brethren describe it to be. So here's the lowdown on Lechuga's at Tejon. The food isn't legendary, but it's consistently good and Italian food simply tastes better in North Denver. Consistently pleasant service and terrific value. If you need a quick in and out, West Colfax may be your best option. But if you have time for some "character," Tejon is your place.

#Neighbors I've been reading reviews for 4+ years now and I've been unable to place an order out of an abundance of caution. Please rest assured that these folks are here to stay. #DoIT I ordered at 4:30 on July 6th and asked for a 5pm pickup to allow the staff the ability to provide me the best service. The 1/2 sheet pan pie was incredible. 5STARS - Seriously. Zero f***ing complaints. Order the pie, stop looking elsewhere. I've been to every pizza joint in the neighborhood and none of them compare, insert lots of competitors names here......... Simple, thin, and, delicious. Just like you need it to be. (Pun intended) @Lechugas - now that I have your attention, please consider using the #vegan cheese from IG @peacefulrebel for those who desire it, I'm sure it'll help you transition to the post-COVID landscape and it'll allow us all to order more delicious pies from you. #DoIT #GetSome

Two words: Little Devis. But Max, what is a Little Devil!? OH, IM HERE TO TELL YOU! A Little Devil is a food item patented by Lechuga's. It consists of a spicy Italian sausage stuffed inside pizza dough with cheese and occasionally a jalapeño. They are absolutely to die for. Pair them with Lechuga's marinara sauce and you'll be in love! Lechuga's sells 4 different variations with and without a jalapeño, mini or large sausages. If Little Devis somehow don't suit your fancy, they also sell buckets... yea buckets of spaghetti to feed your entire family. This spot is definitely more of a grab and go spot though they do have quaint in restaurant seating. Must visit spot in highland!

So I would like to add that the manager ended up comping our whole bill and it was very much appreciated. OMG worst wait time EVER for this place. I can understand if it was busy but it was not! And the excuse was 'we have too many to go orders'. Really? We have literally been sitting here for almost an hour, At least offer some kind of discount. we will not be coming back to this place. The waitress should have come to the table and said something but instead she kept ducking us until we loudly had to call her over and ask where our food was. AND to make it worse, it was our mother's bday, which the waitress knew. I am sitting here now still waiting for our food and we are about to walk out and go somewhere else. This is awful.