After more than a year of requiring would-be diners to sign up on an email list and then wait to be invited to make a reservation and pay for it in advance, the pink eatertainment palace will truly be open to the public starting October 1 — but with so many still waiting to get in to see the fifty-year-old icon renovated by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, which has been in a very soft opening since late May 2023, getting a reservation when you want it could still be tough (in the meantime, you can see the Casa Bonita documentary at the Alamo Draft House!).
In their comments on the Westword Facebook post about the reservation news, readers debate whether a visit to Casa Bonita is worth the wait...or the money. Says Kim:
I waited and was never invited from the original invitation-only list. I’m glad they are finally opening it up, though.Responds Kyle:
They fucked around way too long. Now they’re going to find out no one cares anymore.Observes Joe:
I didn't think I was going to like the Casa Bonita 2.0, but I did. It delivered on all my childhood memories, but with alcoholic beverages. Worth the wait.Counters Kevin:
The reservation system turned it into an exclusive nightclub, and if that didn't really sour the experience, the insanely high prices for food that is worse than it was before will — and no, the sopapillas are not going to make up for it anymore. You only get one per person, they are half the size and they pre-put in the honey; if you want more than that, is also an extra charge. Want to get lucky and sit next to the waterfall? Not any more; that's an extra charge. I don't see the place lasting long once the excitement dies down.Counters Nikolas:
Been three times now. Looks exactly like the Casa Bonita I loved going to as a kid. Just cleaner. Much, much cleaner. With nice bathrooms and an arcade that works. Food is fine. Still had to get my kids' food (just like my parents did), but spent four hours there Saturday night and my kids didn’t want to leave. So, yeah. Pretty amazing place (and the last ten years the place was a dump).Offers HD:
A lot of us love the restaurant, but the simple fact is, two fucking morons who have absolutely no clue, truthfully no clue, what that restaurant means to so many people reopened it with a nasty price tag to take the family and screwed it all up with a no-tipping policy. Please, for the love of this restaurant, someone who knows what the hell they are doing and is a legitimate Coloradan, buy the place and make this right.Offers Karen:
Next time I’ve got $300 to blow on shitty food in a cool atmosphere, I’m in.Explains Jean:
It's the price of an amusement park with a meal. Staff and entertainers were fantastic. We spent over four hours there eating dinner and exploring everything, going through the arcades, etc. TBH, I thought it was pretty cheap for what we paid. We got free balloon animals and random trinkets from different areas, too. Food was mediocre but at least we were able to eat it...unlike what it used to be. Going to the movies and getting popcorn and a drink starts getting close to $50 these days. Why not go out for a dinner and a show for not much more?Concludes Jeffrey:
NO THANKS. Now it's so over-priced and over-hyped, it's ruined... just like what happens to everything else in Denver.Have you been to Casa Bonita since it reopened? What did you think? Would you go again? And if you haven't been, will you make a reservation once you can? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].
