For decades, Casa Bonita’s food was infamous for its poor quality. But after “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker bought the venue in 2021, they hired local chef Dana “Loca” Rodriguez, a four-time James Beard award nominee, to transform the menu.
Offerings now include seven different Mexican dishes, instead of a multitude of Tex-Mex and American platters, and of course, sopapillas as well as other desserts.
“It’s kind of like the old menu, but it’s a new era of doing things in a better, more sustainable way with good quality and consistency,” Rodriguez told The Denver Post in 2023.
If you don’t know anyone who has been, maybe take recommendations from those with the most insight – the owners.
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Stone prefers the taco salad featuring lettuce, tomatoes, queso fresco, avocado, and your choice of protein stuffed into a crispy taco shell bowl and topped with chipotle aioli. Parker always goes for the enchiladas, Christmas-style with red sauce on one and green sauce on the other.
“It’s funny because Dana didn’t know what Christmas enchiladas were. I guess that whole thing started in Santa Fe, somebody told me,” Parker said in an interview with The Denver Post earlier this year. “When I said that we should do Christmas enchiladas – one green, one red – Dana was like, ‘That’s such a good idea, I’m going to steal that, I’m going to use that.’ I was like, that’s a very old thing, I didn’t make that up.”
Other items include a carnitas taco platter with slow-cooked pork and homemade tortillas; chicken mole; beef suadero, meaning braised beef brisket with green chile; a chile relleno stuffed with calabacitas, which is a roasted Mexican vegetable dish; and ceviche with poached shrimp.
Now that the restaurant is humming after many months in a soft opening, it’s possible Casa Bonita may periodically revise the menu, Stone said. (In fact, some items have been dropped since the menu’s first unveiling last year.)
“We should mention Dana, she’s been amazing. She’s been on the front lines of trying to make it work, finding what works and what doesn’t, and like us, she’s totally into evolving,” Stone said, noting seasonal updates may be a possibility. “The idea is the food and the experience, we’re going to keep working on it and keep trying to make it great.”
The kids’ menu features a rice, bean and cheese burrito; beef albondigas meatballs with tomato sauce, inspired by a traditional Mexican soup; chicken tenders; and a cheeseburger or hamburger. (This menu is for little ones aged 12 and under.)
Each table receives complimentary chips and salsa, as well as a first round of sopapillas. Additional sopapillas, alcoholic beverages and desserts such as vanilla flan cost extra. For more information about the eats, visit casabonitadenver.com/menu.
Originally Published: August 7, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
