Casa Bonita Restaurant in Denver - a Tropical Wonderland

Aly Adair
Aly Adair, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 30, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Casa Bonita
Neighborhood: Lakewood
Denver, CO 80221
United States of America
Casa Bonita in Denver, Colorado provided hours of entertainment for my daughter in her toddler years. It is a favorite theme-based restaurant of locals and visitors to the Denver area. The specialize in all-you-can-eat Mexican food, with little flags on each table that you raise when you would like more of any menu item delivered to your table. The service is quick and friendly. It is an experience that even Hollywood thought was special when it featured the restaurant on an episode of South Park.

The restaurant that seats 1,100 visitors, is so popular, that you are led through roped lanes of a crowd-control design similar to those used at Disneyland. Once you have made it through the wait line to the serving area, you grab a tray and proceed through a buffet line, picking all your favorite Mexican food items, including really good sopapillas for dessert. The cost of the buffet is $10.89 per person, but bring some extra spending money for all of the other "town's" activities.

The food, while acceptable and plentiful, is not really what makes Casa Bonita so special. It is the 52,000 square foot building with magical paths through a tropical wonderland that keeps you going back. While you journey through the colorful jungle, you can watch cliff divers jump daringly in front of a 30-foot waterfall into a 14-foot deep pool located below the dining tables. Shows with flame jugglers, gorilla trainers, shoot-em-ups with Black Bart the bad guy and the sheriff, entertain the entire family while eating at tables spread across mountains of Acapulco-like scenery.

My daughter's favorites were the magicians who walked by and gave out balloons that they twisted into animal hats. Well, maybe the amusement arcade was her favorite. On the way to the arcade, we had to stop and watch the puppet shows, and mariachis strolling throw the tropics. My favorite was the photography booth where we dressed up like 1800's saloon girls and got a bronzed photo made of us bad girls. My daughter was not pleased, however, when I placed the big feather hat on her head, and in a rather pouting voice said, "Mother, you are really embarrassing me." Ironically, the staunch, frowning look on her face made for the perfect old-time photograph.

When Black Bart isn't busy shooting the Sheriff, he is hiding in the haunted tunnel where, if you are lucky, you can search for gold and silver in the mines, while journeying through the tunnel. On the other side, if you make it out, are games, prizes, face painting, and loads of other carnival-type activities to enjoy.

There are other locations of Casa Bonita in cities besides Denver. The Denver location is located at 6715 West Colfax in the suburb of Lakewood. (303) 232-5115

Published by Aly Adair

Aly Adair is an Air Force Veteran with a career in teaching and educational publishing. Aly has an MBA and is a former small business owner.  View profile

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  • Linda Symmes10/22/2008

    Casa Bonita is not the most wonderful dining establishment, it's a kids paradise. The cliffdiving alone makes it well worth the trip and I defy you to find a better sopapilla anywhere. ..And on top of that, they are free.

  • Dave K7/31/2008

    Family went to CB in the late 70's and early 80's. It was fun then, with fresh tortillas, decent gringo-style mexican food. Relatives arrived from Canada,told their kids of youthful experiences, so all wanted to go again. We went last night. Horrid! Crowded through twin stuffy cattle chutes, we waited in line for over half an hour. Kids took our orders - over $12 for "all-you-can-eat deluxe beef dinners." We shuffled past unused tortilla stall, grabbed plastic trays, warm plates of pasty-looking stuff. No fresh greens or salsa in sight. Star Buffet Inc, Owner, is taking advantage of expired USDA warnings to avoid serving ANY fresh vegetables. "Hostess" packed us off to corner table, view obstructed by plaster pillars. Whiffs of stale food and sterno filled air. No wandering Mariachis - they play up front between "dive shows" - more kids doing random things. "Food" awful. Meat mostly soy product. Bland sauce. Fake "cheese." Got sick later - MSG! No Beauty to be found in Casa Bonita

  • Dave K7/31/2008

    Family went to CB in the late 70's and early 80's. It was fun then, with fresh tortillas, decent gringo-style mexican food. Relatives arrived from Canada,told their kids of youthful experiences, so all wanted to go again. We went last night. Horrid! Crowded through twin stuffy cattle chutes, we waited in line for over half an hour. Kids took our orders - over $12 for "all-you-can-eat deluxe beef dinners." We shuffled past unused tortilla stall, grabbed plastic trays, warm plates of pasty-looking stuff. No fresh greens or salsa in sight. Star Buffet Inc, Owner, is taking advantage of expired USDA warnings to avoid serving ANY fresh vegetables. "Hostess" packed us off to corner table, view obstructed by plaster pillars. Whiffs of stale food and sterno filled air. No wandering Mariachis - they play up front between "dive shows" - more kids doing random things. "Food" awful. Meat mostly soy product. Bland sauce. Fake "cheese." Got sick later - MSG! No Beauty to be found in Casa Bonita

  • Kristie Leong M.D.7/7/2007

    Sounds wonderful! I've never been to an all you can eat Mexican restaurant.

  • Chris Tidwell5/1/2007

    If I'm ever in the area, I'll be sure to stop in for a bite. Good article

  • Manda Spring5/1/2007

    I want to go! Great article, very informative... thanks Aly.

  • Jacques Boulerice4/30/2007

    I've been there. Great food, great service, and outstanding atmosphere.

  • Christine Bude4/30/2007

    sounds like fun

  • Carol Gilbert4/30/2007

    That photo is breathtaking. I want to go there!

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