Bellevue meets the tropical charm of Mexico inside Tulum, and each dish is a piece of Ritchie Arana’s family story.
Arana, who has been a Bellevue resident for 12 years, said after closing his previous restaurant, Amigos in Mount Adams, he was looking for another spot to open a restaurant. When the previous location, Nomad, closed, Arana said he jumped on the space.
Tulum is a family and veteran-owned business. Arana said most of Tulum’s recipes are from his mother and have been passed down for generations. The bulk of the food is made from scratch in-house. Arana described Tulum’s food as a fusion of the chains and mom-and-pop, and with his Los Angeles roots, it has a West Coast flair.
“Ritchie and Lucy [Arana’s sister] have brought something special to Bellevue with their authentic Mexican menu, made from their mom’s recipes,” Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleves said. “This is exactly what was missing from our restaurant scene. Stop by, grab a bite, and don’t forget, it never hurts to drink a margarita with lunch.”
The name Tulum comes from Tulum, Mexico, a town on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula; however, the menu is crafted from Arana’s family recipes, which originated from Jalisco, a western Mexican state, where his mother is from.
“The food is very regional from Jalisco, but the Tulum name, we wanted to gear it towards an aspect that when you walk in here, you want to feel like you’re not in the Cincinnati area,” Arana said. “You feel like you’re somewhere tropical.”
Tulum is adorned with strings of greenery and lights in the ceiling and various other plants around the space.
“The community’s been really, really welcoming,” Arana said. “Bellevue is an awesome, awesome city to live in, not even just to live in but to add to as well.”
As far as what to order, Arana said a customer can’t go wrong with the birria tacos, which originated in Jalisco.
Arana has been in the restaurant industry for most of his life, but he was also in the Marine Corps for eight years and has 15 years of experience as a DJ, which he intends to carry over to Tulum. He said he plans to host DJ battles at the restaurant with DJs from all over the nation who will be coming to compete, giving away a couple of $1,000 in prizes.
Arana said when Tulum was gearing up to open, he saw comments on social media about “another Mexican restaurant” opening, “I want people to give us a chance with an open mind, and if it’s not something they like or their concept, that’s ok too,” he said.
Bellevue Marketing and Communications Director Melissa Morandi said the city can’t wait to see what big things Tulum has in store.
“We’re excited to welcome Tulum to our amazing lineup of restaurants and bars, adding another great stop for the BED [Bellevue Entertainment District] Cup,” Morandi said. “It’s the perfect way to draw in new visitors. From the moment you step into Tulum, you’re transported to a vacation paradise.”
Tulum is located at 225 Fairfield Ave.
