By Chris Bavender
South Broad Ripple will soon have another choice for patrons in search of a casual food in a relaxed atmosphere when La Mulita opens Wednesday at 5215 N. College Ave.
A sneak peek at La Mulita during construction.
The venture – by restaurateur Nicole Harlan-Oprisu and partners – is housed in the same building at 52nd Street and College Avenue as another of her restaurants, Delicia. “We were always going to have a second, more casual lunch space,” Harlan-Oprisu said. “We wanted to stay in the same vein of Latin cuisine (as Delicia), but we liken it to mowing grass in the summer in flip flops and a baseball hat, and then you can come over to La Mulita – it’s much more of a casual vibe.”
The 900-square foot space will be open for both lunch and dinner and will seat around 36, including bar space and cocktail tables. Three TVs will be tuned to sporting events, but Harlan-Oprisu said La Mulita – which means little mule in Spanish – isn’t a sports bar.
“I think in order to have that casual vibe you need to have TVs so people can catch the game,” she said. “But we are definitely not a sports bar, but a casual kitchen and cantina.”
Chilaquiles with steak and egg at La Mulita.
The menu will feature such offerings as grilled shrimp tacos, pork Milanesa cemita sliders, chilaquiles with steak and eggs, a Mexican hot dog, a Caribbean hot dog, soups, salads and a spiced Mexican chocolate and beet cake, all from the kitchen it shares with Delicia. And all at an affordable price point. “Pretty much all of the combos are $7, as are the salads,” Harlan-Oprisu said. “The hot dogs are $6, soups $4.50 and sides for $2 to $2.50 – it’s definitely lunch pricing.”
For now, La Mulita will be closed on Mondays, like Delicia, but Harlan-Oprisu hopes to have both open seven days a week by the end of April.
Pork Milanese Cemita sliders at La Mulita.
“We need to get this up and running and feel it out,” she said, “before we do anything else.”
La Mulita is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Check its Facebook page for more info.
Chris Bavender is an Indianapolis-based freelance writer. You can follow her on Twitter at @crbavender.
