It’s been nearly a year since the doors of Colorado’s beloved Casa Bonita restaurant/experience reopened.
Dubbed “the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants,” Casa Bonita has been a staple on West Colfax, offering food, which had historically been ‘TV-dinner type’, various entertainment options, including cliff divers and a cave to walk in, and much more.
The restaurant was purchased by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in the summer of 2021 after being forced to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parker and Stone are the creators of the adult cartoon “South Park” and purchased the restaurant for $40 million.
The two renovated the building, mainly focusing on structural or sanitation fixes, and brought on a new menu created by James Beard nominated chef Dana Rodriguez. Renovations also included new bars, an expanded waiting area, and other fixes.
While the restaurant was historically known for its less than mediocre food, Rodriguez has brought the establishment’s menu to life, offering dishes like enchiladas, carnitas tacos, chicken mole, beef suadero, chile rellenos, ceviche, and taco salad. The children’s menu includes dishes like a rice, bean and cheese burrito, chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, and beef albondigas “meatballs” with tomato sauce. And of course, Casa Bonita made sure to keep its famous sopaipi- llas on the menu. All meals include chips and salsa, rice and beans, cabbage salad, a soda, and the sopaipillas.
It costs $39.99 for adults and $24.99 for children ages 3-12 for meals, while children under three years old can eat for free. The restaurant is only allowing groups of eight people in at one time. Casa Bonita is inviting residents to make reservations exclusively by signing up for its email list at https://www.casabonitadenver.com/tickets and does not accept walk-ins.
The restaurant was originally working to reopen by late 2022, but construction caused the entity to wait another year before reopening. For example, it took construction crews 27 tries to match the exact shade of Pepto Bismol pink on the exterior tower of the restaurant, and the restaurant also needed new ovens and range tops. Four new bars were built inside the building, and construction crews also widened an underwater tunnel where divers exited.
Casa Bonita first opened in Lakewood in 1974 and was part of a chain of Mexican entertainment restaurants that started in Oklahoma City. The restaurant was designated as a city landmark in March 2015 by the Lakewood Historical Society. Over the years, Casa Bonita has developed a type of cult-like following among Colorado residents since it first opened its doors.
Casa Bonita is located at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. More information about the restaurant’s menu and information about signing up for its email list can be found at casabonitadenver.com.
Patrons–We would love to hear from you regarding your Casa Bonita experience. Send your comments to news@LaVozColorado.com and include Casa Bonita in the subject line.
