Casa Bonita Review

What the food lacks in quality, the restaurant more than makes up for in charm. It's similar to Disney Land, with a Colorado-Mexican flair. Entry is the price of an entree, but the shows, cliff divers and exploration potential will keep you (and whatever kids you bring) charmed for a few hours! For whatever reason, I keep returning every few years just to experience the splendor and ridiculousness that is Casa Bonita. Enjoy your stay! You certainly aren't here for the food!

Whatever you ve heard about this place is true. Food is terrible, experience is mildly entertaining. Waited in line about 10 mins- anymore than that and we would ve walked. Can t imagine waiting for an hour like some reviews. Entertainment was not worth the $17 dinner platter, but our server was very nice, and I got to take a selfie with a person in a gorilla suit.

How do you go wrong with casa Bonita. Chile relllenos are great. Enchiladas with cheese... best to avoid!

Whatever negative connotation you have with this place, get ready to let it go away.

Super packed when we went on a Saturday afternoon. Same decor, entertainment, and food for years. They do sell adult beverages. But with large #s your personal service is not great. Loud inside, barely hear eachother at dinner table. Food not great. Cheese enchilada is the best. Sopapilla's also fresh and warm. Dinners are all priced $12-$15 and up. If your not going with kids, recommend going elsewhere for better dinner food, choices, and ambience. Same single driver played every role. :(

I'll give this place 3 stars as it is a totally unique atmosphere. Visited due to seeing the place in South Park. Beautiful design, lots to do and great Halloween display. However food not up to standards. They make you order just to get in before you can actually study a menu. Food was bland and over priced. Tasted like hospital food. It was enjoyable experience but wouldn't come back because in the end of the day it's a restauarant and the food... not good.

Good food and great family fun expect a wait since this is popular.

This place has the worst food ever! The 1 star it gets is for the ambience. But without decent food to eat, this isn't a place worth visiting. I had the black bean salad for $15 and it had some black beans, lettuce, cheese, big cut onions and tomatoes. They didn't even add the guacamole and sour cream that the menu says the salad has. Ended up munching on the tortilla bowl and chips and salsa. DO NOT waste your money here!!

It's a unique experience you can find nowhere else.

Food is a bit overpriced but the experience makes up for it. Go at a slow time to avoid the big lines.

The food would be good but I wish they would stop cooking it out of the can.
And stop letting the food sit out by the time it gets to the plate it's super dry.

It is a pain to get a seat at Casa Bonita but it is well worth the wait! The food is great, the service is awesome and the shows are cheesy but entertaining nonetheless. Definitely recommend this place!

Very unique dining experience! Love the entertainment! Didn't like the long line to get in!

You don't go to Casa Bonita for the food, well, I don't at least. Not only are you served like in a high school cafeteria, it tastes like it too. Love watching the divers and short shows. The interior is delightful and while the gaming areas are a little dirty, have a margarita, wash your hands well after and enjoy with your kids! Oh, and don't forget to visit Estrella the fortune teller!

I'm from TexAss so I know mexican food- this place has the BEST TexMex in Denver!

Never disappointed- the diving and arcade are just a side show- people come here for the food.

Smells off, food is average at best. Cool idea and nice rooms are the only positives.

Very entertaining but mediocre service and so so food. Long wait for my food and it was not special. No excuse for the added wait.

Food is not the best. Service really just depends on when you go. The shows arent as good as they used to be but it is a good place to bring kids that have never been.

Definetly a place to entertain kids. There were tons of tables on the floor with a great view. We were the only party they stuck up in a small confined space with tiny windows for a terrible view. The food was SO bad I literally could not choke it down. Filled up on dessert & chips. Our waitress was obviously out of place & uncomfortable. She seemed depressed to be there. I gave 2 stars because every kid there was really happy to be there.

The experience was ok. The wait with tray is a bit long. But, we came for the experience. Granddaughters enjoyed themselves. The food got cool standing in line to be seated, but, host was very kind and cleaned off a table for us, so girls could watch the show. The flag up system wasn't explained, so we felt silly when we couldn't figure out why our waitress didn't stop by more often. Again, we went for the experience. Thankful, the line, upon entering, wasn't as long as I've heard it could be. We were carrying a 2 year old, so, we appreciated the shorter line. Maybe some fans there, as it gets hot, especially for the employees placing our orders!! They were pretty hot!
All in all, we enjoyed it and will return with grandkids when we visit!

The food was good not great. There was a lot of waiting for water and chips and salsa. Finally received the water... Chips and salsa never came. The experience is what you come here for! The divers are wonderful, the kids love the shows and all the other things to see.

Wish I could give half a star!! Food is just terrible! They charge $28 for a chicken fajitas and it's just bad. The guy who served us food was rude and only thing going for this place is that ambiance is different than other places?

Average food, great environment, a staple in Denver

Quite possibly the worst food on the planet, coupled with terribly rude servers. What could be worse?

Food is great, the wait is a little long sometimes, and they need to upgrade speaker set ups.

Love this place! We used to come her when I was a kid and I had the opportunity to bring my son!

Two of us had the Deluxe Beef Dinner and one of us the Deluxe Chicken Dinner. The food was very hot, with excellent rich flavor all around. I will admit the quality of the food struggled for awhile, however has greatly improved again. After 27 years of patronizing this establishment it still is a must visit for at least one special event a year. When we think of a birthday celebration, this is always a place to consider. Note, it is an hour and a half drive from Colorado Springs, minimum.

SAVE YOUR MONEY The food was horrible. The staff is overworked and overwhelmed. They let our food die because two people needed salads. WORST experience. We couldn't even see the "show". Had to push through and leave our food. Which looked like nothing more than teenagers playing games. $15.55 for a plate that looked like a dog had puked on it, plus tasted the same. We will never be back. ONLY TAKES ONE TIME...

I don t care what people say about the food lol I ve always loved coming here as A kid and my kids think it s so cool! I wish they would Put all new games in the arcade. They have had the same games for ever and you can really tell. Some are broken and worn down. I think new arcade would be awesome.

You're coming for the atmosphere which is underwhelming at best but the kids liked it. I ordered the green chili burrito plate, it's a flour tortilla wrapped around canned refried beans with red sauce on top and a side of rice, no green chili to be found. The meat on the taco tastes like cat food.

Extremely over-priced. $17.00 for their buffet?? And the food is mediocre, worse than taco bell. Save your money. For that price you can get *fresh* and better mexican food elsewhere!

This is such a wonderful place to dine in for all ages

This is the place to go when you need a mini vacation to pretend it's not winter outside. Get there early on Friday and Saturday evenings. The line reaches out the door sometimes.

I'd rather spend my money to eat ANYWHERE else on Colfax. Food truly is horrible cafeteria style trash, you WILL be sick the next day. interior design is kind of neat but not as much as hyped. So, so overpriced. Don't be full of regret like me.

Food was way overpriced and gross the building smelled like mildew! Everything was dirty and sticky (carpet should not be sticky nor should the table and chairs) it is also very cluttered our waiter couldn't hardly get back to our fable. Our waiter only showed up once and it took 30 minutes for him to bring us the bill. The diving is lame (no real entertainment) I was extremely let down by this experience. The bathrooms were also very dirty (I didn't use them). I do not know how this resturant passes health code inspections it needs shut down. If I could give it zero stars I would have. Do not waste your time or money, you will get a better meal at McDonald's.

The rice and taco meat had no flavor and tasted horrible with no seasoning. Who fixes Mexican food without spices and flavor. It has been like that for our last two visits. Not going back.

It's a whole event going there. Food isnt the best but never ending plates do make up for it

Wasn't even able to get seated. The line from the door was estimated at almost 2 hours. Inside there wasn't any AC or indication of how long, after waiting nearly 45 minutes. Nor great when you have kids in tow.

First guy I saw that worked here in the front was super awkward. Think he had asbergers or something. I didn't have the food, it didn't look good and was pricey. Not that interesting of a place once you've been there a few minutes. Think it's aimed more at kids than adults. It's definitely a unique mix of cheesy randomness though.

Been going here since I was a small child, it's tradition! If you haven't been, you HAVE to go! Great food, great price, Waterfall, Divers, Caves, Treasure chests, Fun for all!

The food is "ok". Great environment. Saw "Jake from State Farm"....I will go back.

Greatest atmosphere! Nostalgia at its best that has been a part of 4 generations of our family.

The atmosphere was phenomenal! Cliff divers and a guy in a gorilla suit was so fun. The food is alright. We went between lunch and dinner and it was pretty quiet.

Everyone always says the foods not that great. Well maybe it's not world-class but it's not bad either and the experience is really wonderful.

I like the food , but I have heard that a lot of other people don't like the food. But the soppapias are the best.

40 years of fun and I ve been there since the 1970s. If you don t go you re missing history

I rreeeaalllllllyyyy wish I had headed everyone's advice. we had heard about this place for years and now we have 2 kids who are old enough to enjoy will. well, no one enjoyed it. I had school lunches better than this slop on a plate and that is no where near an exaggeration. we asked for a decent seat and might as well have been on the patio outside. the "shows" are a complete joke and literally no one in the place cares because by the time they get seated and see their "food" they are ready to leave anyways. needless to say, I'll never return and I advise every single.person who asked me about it to do the same.

Between the South Park episode and the description given by my Denver friends, I made a point to visit Casa Bonita during my visit to Denver. Everyone told me the food is HORRIBLE. It wasn't bad. I thought it was halfway decent for food served cafeteria style. The overall atmosphere was great. Kind of smells like chlorine everywhere due to the diver's pool. Cool place for kids. Glad I went. Probably won't go again, but wow, what an experience.

Food was not that great, luckily we ate before going. The entertainment was fun. There were a whole lot of unattended children, which was somewhat expected. I'm glad we went to say we did, but don't expect more than the kitchy stop it is.(the diving gets 5 stars)

Many people say that their food here is horrible. However, that was absolutely not the case for my family and I when we went. We went there for my daughter s 6th birthday on December 29th, 2018 and it was excellent. The band came and sang to her and everything. The waiter we had was outstanding. He was friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable.

Worked there 47 years ago, always still enjoy once every 10 years or so!! What Memories!!

We enjoyed it. The foods overpriced, but your really paying for the entertainment. Expect to spend the next 24 to 48 hrs in the bathroom. My Wifey said the Margarita was the best part of the meal. Good entertainment factor, save the food for your dog....

We came out from Tulsa OK on a vacation to CO. There use to be a Casa Bonita in town where we live, but apparently due to many issues with winter weather causing the roof to collapse they had to shut down. When I stepped in this place in CO, I was shocked and amazed. I had heard it wasn't the same thing, and to expect different things. But it essentially is a larger version of the Tulsa location. The food tasted amazing, I'm use to getting the all you can eat cheese enchilada's at the Tulsa location, and was able to get the same here. The taste was awesome. The Tulsa location in its final years had went through various changes. They tried changing the name to Casa Viva, then changed it back.(possibly due to this store changing owners temporarily) The food also took a bad turn for the worse. I'm happy to say the CO location still had the original taste that I remember from the golden days of the Tulsa location. The other attractions were fascinating with the divers and such. Anyhow I loved my visit so much we decided to go there twice on our trip. I hope one day the owner will be able to bring the franchise back to Tulsa. Lots of us that grew up with the place would love to see it make a come back.

Last time I went was about 30 years ago as a child. I remember the show and the sopapillas. All I've head since is how bad the food is. Came back to CO after moving out of state. We brought our 9 yr old son. He really enjoyed it for the show, lights and arcade. The food is even worse than I remember. I couldn't even get half my plate down. My wife had the salad and was sick for two days. It's also super dirty and old.
Bottom line, fun for the kids, but gross for the adults

This place is bizarre but fun. Lots of fun things for the kids, but the arcade was run down and dated. A lot of the games were out of order. The food was ok, definitely go for the experience and not the food.

Food like warm.
Sat too close to waterfall so water from divers got in our food.
Had to ask waiter for refills on water as our drinks.
1 small bowl of salsa for table of 5.
Entry sign stated free chips & queso but it was chips & salsa.
Overall very pricey for ok food and service.

Went for the first time in 12 years and it is still just as awesome as I remember it. The food is good (not gourmet) and all you can eat options for $17 ($3 off with coupon I found) is fantastic. The shows are awesome, atmosphere is great. If you're in the Denver area you have to go, you won't regret it!

The atmosphere is amazing!! Staff is always super nice!!

As probably any Colorado local will tell you, you don t go here for the food. You go here for the cliff divers and sopapillas. It had been about 9 years since my last trip down memory lane to Casa Bonita but decided to take my daughter for the experience. Food was just as terrible as I remember. Waitstaff was a bit rude and they gave us our check before even ever offering us more drinks or sopapillas, and yes our flag was up I m not new here lol.

Yes, this place is real, and it's just like Cartman on South Park said: "IT'S AWESOME"

Good food, great service, and get there early and make an afternoon of it. The cliff divers are awesome and yes, they are real too. Get a cove side seat and take the camera, and let the kid inside you loose and go play with your own if you brought them.

Totally cool to just let the kids run loose and explore. Also be sure to enjoy the puppet show with them, really, just a good time to be had by all. A little expensive for the budget conscious, but worth every penny!

Good atmosphere. Good food. Not the very best, but good.

Food is ok, bathrooms are tiny and not well taken care of.
The live music is very nice and relaxing.
Diving is enjoyable for kids.

It's not what you expect. Very disappointed is a better description. Like other reviews. Old. Tired. Dirty. Food is very average, even bland for the price.

This place is the best! Hope they reopen after the shutdown.. Would hate to see this place permanently close!!!

Closed for good! No signs up or nothing! What a dump

Love this place me and my kids went and had a blast.

The food here is horrible, I could not finish my meal and my stomach hurt. The actual resturant itself is fun and enjoyable. I would not return as I value my stomach.

Oh man, this place is definitely worth going to for the experience and sopapias. The rest of the food is not good.

This place is a lot of fun. You pay for the experience, not the food. It s a must-see at least once. It s fun for adults and kids alike. There s a lot to see. You get Sopapillas for dessert, too. It s not cheap, but again, you pay for the shows, but the food. There s divers and a variety of cute shows among other entertainment.

My first.visit. kinda expensive but I did enjoy my meal and the good friendly service.

My family and kids and I enjoyed the scenery and little events they had there. The food wasn't that good but hey as long as the kids had a good time. That's all that matters

Such a strange place. Awful awful food. Just atrocious. But the service was great and the atmosphere was awesome! Even without kids I appreciated so much of what they were trying to do.

In my humble opinion, Case Bonita is a Colorado MUST see and be experienced! I mean really...where else can you take your family to get a meal, watch cliff divers, walk through a haunted cave, see magic shows and get all you can eat soapapeas for dessert!? No where except Casa Bonita! If you go and don't have fun...then your just a grump! ;)

I've been coming to Casa Bonita since I was a little kid (the 80's) and my whole family loves it. If you come here for the food, you'll hate it. It's not good. Although I do like the cheese enchiladas ;)

It's also a little expensive, and it's required that you buy a meal to get in. The cheapest meal is about $15. Kids plates are about $6.

The bathrooms are kinda gross too.

But if you come here for the experience, you'll probably have a good time. The cliff divers and stage shows are entertaining (but loud and muffled), the arcades (two of them) are a fun throwback (even if they are mostly terrible games and often broken), Black Bart's cave is scary for the little ones (and super random and strange), there's an occasional puppet show (that is barely understandable because the speakers are so bad), and other random oddities around the building (caricature artist, love machine, old timey slide show movie, fortune telling machine, a wizard in a wishing well, etc.).

Sure it sounds terrible, and that's part of the charm I think. But the kids always love it and we always leave happy. Its a fun place to get the family together once a year.

If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, this is not the right place to eat. Cool experience, though. The interior gives you the South American feeling and really interesting diving performance. XS (extra small) size bathrooms is the minus point and easy to get lost if you are the first time customer here.

You feel like you're in an old style amusement park. Awesome for kids. Lots of fun and the staff is very nice. Was cleaner than I had heard. We spent about 2-3 hours inside and it didn't feel like too much.

Fun activities and ambience, kids loved it. Food was OK.

This is more of an amusement park than a restaurant. And amazing park it is! We brought the whole family here, and all the children said it was their favorite restaurant on the whole trip. For mass produced dinners, they did a great job. The indoor waterfall, the divers, and musicians made this a great experience. We were here about 40 years ago, and it's still a fun place.

I came here with some out-of-town friends who wanted to come here. I've been here before in the past, and I was certain that was going to be the end of it... but... no. Fortunately, this time around I had the opportunity to prepare myself by heading to the WestFax brewery next door and enjoyed some enlightening conversations and brews with the bartender there. Is the place neat? Yes. But you have to buy some really bad food to get in. It's been like this for generations and will probably outlive us all... particularly those who actually enjoy eating here. Probably.

Food sucks but atmosphere is great! I love the clif divers.

Very cool! The prices are higher than their website says, so that needs to be updated, but my whole family was impressed by the waterfall, caves, games, and the service we received. We'll definitely be back!

Been a staple of Lakewood forever and although it shows the draw of this place is the tacky decor and all the things youve heard about. It is a fantastic place for kids and adults alike.

The menu and food need an upgrade,over priced for what you get. The wait for your food was extremely long over 45 minutes and our food was still not ready by the time you get to the pickup area. Cleanliness needs to improve.

This is an iconic tourist restaurant, been around since 1973. The interior is showing its age. The cafeteria style food pick up, to the show is a sign of times past. The food is mediocre at best. You go to Casa Bonita because of the entertainment value.

I came to Denver with my husband for a work conference and I had some time to kill with our kids during his meetings. Casa Bonita was heaven sent. This place is magical. We loved every minute of it. The food was good, but it won t change your life. Come to be transported and entertained. My kids loved it and I pretty much had to drag them out because they didn t want to leave.

Great place to take the kids! Used to come here when I was a kid. Food is below average, but who comes here for the food.