More than four months after reopening, Lakewood’s famed Casa Bonita remains in its soft opening phase – or “beta testing,” as it touts on the restaurant website. The only way to visit is to sign up for its email list and get selected via a random lottery for a chance to buy tickets.
While many fans await a coveted invite to see what “South Park” creators-turned-restaurant owners Matt Stone and Trey Parker have done with the famous property, some lucky locals have already dined there more than once.
Boulder resident Alex Sierra, for example, went twice in July. The first time, he was invited to join a friend who was selected in the lottery. (Each lottery recipient can book a table for up to eight guests.) About a week later, Sierra received an email notification that he was a lucky lottery winner.
“I was fine with waiting for whenever I got my invite, but some of my friends really wanted to go,” said Sierra, who moved to Colorado in 1999 and frequently visited to Casa Bonita before it shut down due to COVID-19.
Sierra used his second opportunity to share the sopapilla wealth among his friends – and he’d go again if given the chance.
“Eight people was not enough to bring all my friends who wanted to come,” Sierra said. “It’s about sharing.”
Casa Bonita hasn’t said whether it will open more widely or even if it will ever allow walk-ins again. Right now, folks who are selected by lottery reserve tickets for a specific date and time. Sierra, for one, prefers the reservations system.
“I’m a planner, so for me, that’s actually perfect,” he said. “In the past, we had to line up for who knows how long – an hour sometimes. The fact they have appointments now it’s more convenient.”
Sierra said the biggest change was how clean Casa Bonita felt. His favorite new attraction was the puppet show, and he dined on enchiladas and carnitas the two times he went.
To those who are still waiting for their chance to experience Casa Bonita’s $40 million renovation with its signature cliff divers and new food menu, Sierra suggests remaining patient and submitting your email address to the restaurant’s list more than once. That’s what he did, anyway.
Chef Dana “Loca” Rodriguez recently told Denverite the restaurant serves about 1,000 people per day except on Saturdays when it hosts about 2,200 per day. The James Beard nominee remained mum on when Casa Bonita will open further, but said it will happen eventually.
While a representative wasn’t available to discuss the lottery or future plans, Casa Bonita management said in a statement it was overwhelmed by the continued enthusiasm among diners.
“We look forward to welcoming our fans as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
