La Loma DTC — Restaurant in Greenwood Village

We went to a La Loma for a friends night out. A group of 6 ladies in our 60s. We were greeted by friendly hostesses and asked to be seated in the semi-outdoor covered area. The first three of our party arrived, and our server introduced herself and took our drink orders. She brought the drinks. We told her we’d wait for the rest of our group before ordering food. That was the last time we ever saw her. A Manager, came over with a man standing beside her. She knelt down by our table and told us she had received “complaints” that we were speaking derogatorily about “Black people, Hispanics, and foreigners.” We were completely shocked—our only conversations up to that point were about my dog’s surgery, doctor appointments, and Greek cooking. There were barely any other guests near us, and the accusation was absurd. We told her she must have the wrong table. She said she didn’t have the wrong table and that the complaints came from “more than on person”. At this point another member of our party arrived and I thought she might be playing a joke on us. So, I said, “this is joke right”? The reply was that it wasn’t a joke and that things like this are taken very seriously and would not be tolerated, as though we were guilty. We were all in shock and dismay and quite upset. When our other friends arrived we told them what happened. We discussed leaving. The only reason we didn’t was because several of the ladies traveled quite a distance to meet us. We decided to stay. A new server appeared, who was kind and attentive. She told us that she was taking over for the first server. I asked her if this happened because of the false accusations that were made about us. She said no, it was because the first server was busy. She took our orders. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best. Dry meat, mushy rice, bland tacos, a “Skinny Margarita” that was overpriced and half-sized, and chicken salad with chicken on plain lettuce. Most of us left 60–70% of our meals uneaten. We did not complain about the food. Considering we were already falsely accused of being racists what good would it do anyway? We spent the remainder of our time catching up and discussing how bizarre the evening had been with us being falsely accused of such serious things. Upon leaving, I spoke with the Manager and asked for her name. I then told her that we were very offended by being falsely accused of being racists. She asked if we could step to the side to continue the conversation and we did. She backtracked, saying she “never called us racist.” I had to then spell it out to her that accusing us of making derogatory remarks about minorities is racism and that accusing us of that was flat out wrong. She also admitted our first server was the person who made this accusation, not “more than one person” as the Manager falsely stated when she approached the table. That server had spent maybe two minutes total at our table and then disappeared. Why she would fabricate such a lie is infuriating, and the Manager’s willingness to treat it as fact—with no proof and no opportunity for us to defend ourselves—was insulting and unprofessional. She said her server didn’t feel safe or comfortable waiting on us. When I asked to speak with the server directly, the Manager refused. I told her that we should minimally be able to know exactly what the server claimed we said. She refused. She asked me “what would you do if you were in my shoes? We must protect our employees”. I replied that her server blatantly lied about this whole thing, and we had a right to know why. The conversation was going nowhere. By the end, I was very upset and told her, in an elevated voice, that I would never return to the restaurant and that the food sucked—which it did. What a shame that a classy restaurant like Il Fornaio has been replaced by a flawed operation like La Loma. It’s amazing that one server was able ruin the entire experience and impact the restaurant's reputation. If you go, beware—you may risk being falsely accused of something outrageous, and the food is...

A Birthday Dinner Full of High Hopes and Major Disappointments

Came here tonight (Tuesday, 9/23) for a special 7:30 PM birthday reservation, hoping for the high-end Tex-Mex experience La Loma is known for. Unfortunately, what we received was a masterclass in how to ruin a celebration through neglectful service and a complete lack of attention to detail . Let's start with the good: The Pros: The host staff was absolutely phenomenal. They were warm, welcoming, and acknowledged my birthday right away. A fantastic first impression. My entrée, the Grilled Mahi Tacos, was genuinely delicious. The first Mezcal Grapefruit cocktail I had was excellent.

Now, for the reality of our evening. The Cons: Hygiene: The first thing I experienced after check-in was a trip to the larger of the two restrooms, which had an overwhelming and deeply unpleasant smell of stale urine. A terrible first impression of the restaurant's cleanliness standards. The Vanishing Server: Our waitress was lovely at first, but after taking our order, she effectively disappeared until our main courses arrived. Our starter (guacamole) was completely forgotten, and our water carafe sat empty for most of the meal. We had to repeatedly ask other staff for refills. Inconsistent Food: While my tacos were great, my partner's combination platter was bland and forgettable. When we finally got the (comped) guacamole, it was also bland. Not what you expect at this price point. Rushed and Ignored: The most disappointing part was the end of the meal. Before I could even order a second of the cocktail I'd praised, the bill was dropped on our table. I had to stop the server to order another drink and then had to awkwardly bring up the fact that it was my birthday, which was noted on the reservation and had been completely ignored. A Sad Celebration: The "birthday special" was a plain churro (no candle, nothing special) that took over 20 minutes to arrive after we ordered it. The second cocktail I ordered was a watery, bland imitation of the first. Closing Time: The final straw was the staff actively cleaning for closing around our table while we were still trying to finish. They were sweeping the floors and loudly setting tables for the next day's service. It made us feel completely unwelcome, as if we were a nuisance they needed to get rid of.

Throughout all of this, a manager never once visited our table to check in. For a restaurant with this reputation and these prices, the experience was simply unacceptable. The evening started with so much promise but was ultimately a cascade of service failures. If you're looking for a place for a truly special occasion where you'll feel valued and cared for, I would sadly have to recommend you look elsewhere.

Note that I have emailed the restaurant with further details and information...

Our experience for my partner's birthday was a disaster from start to finish. Despite a reservation, we waited 30 minutes. The dining room section we were sat in was so dark we had to use our phone flashlights to read the menu.

Hygiene is a major concern - The restrooms were disgusting and clearly not being cleaned correctly. I hope the kitchen is not that bad.

Absentee Service and Ruined Food - Our waitress was largely absent, rarely checking on our table, which led to multiple issues. Part of our order never even arrived. The food that did make it was a mixed bag, with one major failure: my combination plate was flavorless and tasted like paper. While my partner enjoyed his tacos, this single positive couldn't salvage the meal.

The Rush-Out and the Missed Celebration - The worst part of the evening was feeling like an inconvenience. Staff began closing cleaning around us while we were still eating, immediately souring the atmosphere. We were abandoned. We had to flag down a different employee for take-out boxes, as our waitress never reappeared to check on us, offer a second round of drinks, or ask about dessert.

To make matters worse, the purpose of our visit—my partner's birthday—was ignored. It was noted in the reservation and on the ticket, yet we were simply handed the check. We had to physically ask for the advertised birthday dessert, and even that required a second prompt to finally arrive. The waitress then made it abundantly clear that she was preparing to leave, prioritizing her shift's end over professional courtesy.

Final Verdict - The lack of basic communication and professionalism is staggering for a new "upscale" venue. When a simple birthday celebration becomes a lesson in how not to run a restaurant—with unacceptable hygiene, absent staff, and staff closing procedures prioritized over guests— at this point it's impossible to recommend. We expected, and deserved, much better.

We are open to trying the restaurant again and updating this review, should management reach out and ensure our next meal is enjoyable and we are...