If you’ve secured a golden ticket for a seat at Casa Bonita, consider yourself lucky.
More than a year in, the general public is still wondering when exactly the Pepto Bismol-pink gates will open for everybody. For now, diners can still snag a table only via an email lottery — but owners and “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker told The Denver Post earlier this year that general reservations could be available by late summer.
Since Casa Bonita reopened in May 2023, roughly a dozen main courses have rotated in and out, according to menus that The Denver Post has seen in person or in photos.
The kitchen — led by James Beard-nominated chef and restaurateur Dana Rodriguez — has tinkered with some of the dishes and occasionally changed the way they are described. But for the most part, things have remained relatively consistent, with seven or eight entrees on the menu at any given time. Three items from the opening-day menuhave been removed: picadillo with ground beef, green chile and potato stew; adobo chicken; and adobo shrimp.
Some of the best things in life – and on Casa Bonita’s menu – are free, i.e. your first basket of sweet sopapillas and the chips and signature table salsa (which you can buy jarred online and in the restaurant’s retail shop).
But not all dishes are created equal. And since your dinner decision will cost you $39.99, we’ve ranked all seven dishes on one of the Lakewood restaurant’s most recent menus. (Pro tip: The spice level is low, likely due to the number of children visiting, so bring an extra hot sauce in your bag). To do so, the staff of The Know tried most of these during personal visits. We also surveyed numerous friends and colleagues about their preferences.
RELATED: What to eat at Casa Bonita? Here are “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s favorites.
Here’s our ranking, from worst to first.
7) Ceviche
Many people don’t seek out ceviche in a landlocked town. But if you’re looking for a lighter, healthier option, the citrus-poached shrimp with pico de gallo and avocado is a decent bet. But it also gets you the least bang for your buck, since it doesn’t include rice and beans and only comes with a side of tortilla chips.
6) Chile Relleno
This is the restaurant’s vegetarian option, and it can be made vegan upon request. The poblano pepper is stuffed with roasted vegetables and topped with tomato sauce, asadero cheese and Mexican crema. But it’s a far cry from what Denver diners might expect from a chile relleno, which is typically fried and filled with gooey cheese. In our opinion, this one is just alright, but not worth eating at Casa Bonita if you’ve waited a year to get in.
5) Chicken Mole
The chicken mole has garnered wildly mixed reviews among the visitors we checked in with. With roasted chicken, mole negro, pasilla peppers, pumpkin and sesame seeds, it’s definitely a little more adventurous than the rest of the offerings, but the flavors (or lack thereof as some have described them) leave something to be desired.
4) Carnitas Tacos
It’s hard to go wrong with the juicy carnitas, which are served with a side of tortillas and green chile sauce for dunking. The slow-cooked pork is a signature of Chef Rodriguez, who’s perfected it at her own Denver restaurants (Super Mega Bien, Work & Class and Carne). At Casa Bonita, the carnitas pates are made en masse, however, and may be more bland than you remember them. Try pouring some of that free salsa (or the hot sauce you brought with you) on top for an extra kick.
3) Enchiladas
“South Park” creator Trey Parker prefers the Christmas-style cheese enchiladas topped with green and red chile sauce. (You can always choose one over the other if you prefer). The New Mexican-style dish was on the opening-day menu in May 2023, and consists of three enchiladas topped with asadero cheese and Mexican crema. This one actually brings a sliver of heat to the table, and the homemade corn tortillas add a flavor that store-bought tortillas could never live up to. The rice and beans, however, as in every dish, are somewhat straightforward and offer little flavor or punch.
2) Taco Salad
A taco salad might seem like a safe option, and back in the day, when the food at Casa Bonita was the butt of many jokes, it was. The new, elevated version of the taco salad comes with tomatoes, queso fresco chipotle aioli and avocado in a huge crispy tortilla shell. This is “South Park” creator Matt Stone’s favorite on the menu. You can practically get two meals out of one portion. And even though it doesn’t come with beans and rice, you get your choice of any of the proteins: chicken mole, carnitas or beef suadero as a topping. The taco salad was almost universally praised by our staff and by others.
And our favorite dish at Casa Bonita…
1) Beef Suadero
The braised beef brisket topped with green chile is one of the more recent additions to the menu. The tender meat falls apart easily at the touch of a fork, and the green chile adds that needed punch of flavor. (Tip: Ask for a side of homemade tortillas to build your own brisket tacos.) The Beef Suadero will definitely leave you feeling full, but you can always walk it off with a few laps through Black Bart’s Cave.
Originally Published: August 7, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
