On Wednesday, March 29, a 10-year celebration is going down at Calle Tepa. The restaurant located at 6151 E. Broadway Blvd. is utilizing the anniversary party as a way to give back and say thank you to everyone that’s stopped by in the last 10 years.
Owner of Calle Tepa, Jordan Fuller Vera, credits his family’s roots in Tepatitlán, Mexico for the restaurant’s cuisine and fun ambiance.
“I wanted to create something different that people could enjoy,” said Fuller Vera. “The whole restaurant is built as a concept to reflect the vibrant streets where my family grew up. The walls are decorated to make you feel like you are in a small town plaza, with our menu hand painted on the wall, along with murals of street scenes and real doors and windows. Local muralist Ignacio Garcia did all the artwork in the establishment.”
Many refer to Calle Tepa as a unique combination of quality food in a vibrant atmosphere.
The artwork throughout the restaurant, including the gigantic menu that lines the wall, leading you to the front of the line, was painted 10 years ago. Its bright colors and easy-to-read text are what you’re greeted with upon entrance, but the salsa bar is a work of art itself. The salsa bar is actually the tail-end of a Chevy truck turned into a refrigerator, which contains six different handmade salsas and toppings for your meal.
“Those are two of the biggest things that give us a little special twist and something that embraces that street style, but also lets people have a fun experience when they come in,” said Fuller Vera, referring to the mural and salsa bar. “Tepa is an important place in my family history, a place where you can lose yourself in the vibrance of the city and grab delicious food on every corner. We wanted to weave this thoroughly into the fabric Calle Tepa and make it truly different and special.”
In addition to their handmade salsa, Calle Tepa is a scratch kitchen — everything is made fresh daily. On the menu, you’ll find handmade tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole, charbroiled skirt steak carne asada, tamales, soups, and more. Fuller explains that the focus, all along, has been to offer great food in an enjoyable environment.
Anniversary Celebration
On Wednesday, March 29, Calle Tepa will be offering drink and food specials all day, gift cards, merch giveaways, and even a prize wheel for lucky folks who find a random sticker on the bottom of their dish. It’s an all-day fiesta with an all-day Happy Hour and all-day smiles from ear to ear.
“It’s quite the milestone,” said Fuller Vera. “This event’s focus is to thank the community and our customers who have supported us all these years. Calle Tepa had a slow start in the first few years. Just when we felt some stability, the pandemic hit — a truly crazy time for all restaurants — so we owe a lot to the customers who have embraced what we offer and keep coming back. Seeing and hearing when people enjoy Calle Tepa is gratifying because I built the place to be something different and unique.”
The future is bright
A decade worth of great eats and fun times is something to celebrate, and Fuller Vera is already looking forward to another 10 years on Broadway Boulevard.
“As for the future, another big thing we are excited about is expanding our menu into breakfast,” said Fuller Vera. “In the last 10 years, we have added multiple, delicious new items to the breakfast, including chilaquiles and huevos rancheros but some new fun stuff, too, like breakfast tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas.
Fuller let me know that the breakfast dishes are now some of his personal favorites on the menu.
“I can’t stop eating the chilaquiles,” he said.
Calle Tepa offers breakfast daily starting at 10 a.m. and plans to extend it earlier in the day sometime in the future. Meanwhile, stop by before, after, and on the anniversary to show your support and congratulate another local restaurant that’s both celebrating a decade and only getting started.
Calle Tepa is located at 6151 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information, call (520) 777-5962 and visit calletepa.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
