Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, was first opened in 1974 as part of a chain of Mexican entertainment restaurants that originated in Oklahoma City. The iconic pink tower, standing 85 feet tall and visible for miles, is a symbol of the restaurant’s festive atmosphere. The building became a historic landmark in 2015, but for decades prior, it was known for its food, which was notoriously terrible.
The restaurant was officially recognized as an official landmark by the Lakewood Historical Society on March 20, 2015. The exterior of the building underwent a makeover in 2022. The restaurant, which originally got its start as a chain from Oklahoma City, is now one of 27 landmarks in the city. The large 52,000 square feet space seats more than 5,000 people.
Casa Bonita was temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its owner filed for bankruptcy in April 2021. The restaurant’s unique architecture, history, and unique architecture have earned it a landmark designation from the Lakewood Historical Society.
The restaurant’s unique architecture, history, and unique architecture have earned it a cult following among South Park fans, tourists, and Denver natives alike. The restaurant’s unique architecture, history, and unique architecture have earned it a reputation as one of the greatest restaurants in the city.
In summary, Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, has been recognized as a historic landmark by the Lakewood Historical Society since its fortieth birthday in 2015.
📹 Why ‘South Park’ creators reopened iconic Denver restaurant
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What is episode 124 of South Park?
“Cartman’s Incredible Gift” is the 124th episode of the Comedy Central series South Park, originally aired on December 8, 2004. The episode follows Eric Cartman, a local police officer, who is convinced of his psychic abilities. Cartman exploits this to gain personal gain, angering Kyle Broflovski, other psychic detectives, and the true serial killer behind a series of murders. The episode continues South Park’s critical view of psychics and parodies films like Red Dragon, The Gift, and The Dead Zone. It also marks the last appearance of Mrs. Veronica Crabtree, a seldom-seen character in the show.
Did Casa Bonita ever reopen?
Casa Bonita, Colorado’s beloved Mexican restaurant, has reopened after nearly a year. Known as “the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants”, it offers TV-dinner-style food and entertainment options like cliff divers and a cave walk. The restaurant was purchased by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 2021, creators of the adult cartoon “South Park”, for $40 million after being forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the most famous South Park episode?
The list of the 15 best and most legendary episodes of South Park includes Kenny Dies (S5 E13), You’re Getting Old (S15 E7), The Death of Eric Cartman (S9 E6), Fishsticks (S13 E5), Imaginationland (S11 E10-12), Good Times with Weapons (S8 E1), Butters’ Very Own Episode (S5 E14), and All About Mormons (S7 E12). These episodes are known for their controversy, adult humor, and surreal concepts. The most famous running gag from the early years of South Park was the routine killing of Kenny McCormick, who suffered various unpleasant deaths over the first five seasons.
What’s the big deal about Casa Bonita?
Casa Bonita, a restaurant in Lakewood, has reopened its doors to the public for the first time in over a year. The restaurant, which was acquired by the creators of South Park in August 2021, gained notoriety following its appearance in an episode of the television program.
Did Casa Bonita exist before South Park?
Casa Bonita, a popular kid-friendly restaurant in Oklahoma City, began in 1968 and expanded to Colorado in 1974. Despite the closure of its sister restaurants, the Lakewood Casa Bonita remained the last standing. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the restaurant’s struggles, with diners unable to visit in person. In April 2021, Summit Family Restaurants filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The hope was that Parker and Stone would save Casa Bonita, preserving it for generations to come. The restaurant’s popularity and location in a suburban West Colfax strip mall contributed to its decline.
Who are the new owners of Casa Bonita?
Denver’s Casa Bonita, known as “the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants”, was threatened with closure during the COVID pandemic. However, in summer 2021, Trey Parker and Matt Stone bought the restaurant, which has been a subject of controversy due to its racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, classist, glib about addiction, dismissive of climate change, deeply centrist, and funny nature. The show South Park, which has been selected by Farhad Manjoo as the “one piece of culture that best captures the country”, has been a source of national awareness about the restaurant.
One Season 7 episode about a character’s desperate desire to go to Casa Bonita created some national awareness of the restaurant. The purchase of the restaurant was seen as a joke, as every twist in the story enhances the absurdity of the previous ones. The fervor spurred by the drawn-out and chaotic reopening made the absurdity clear. In May, Parker and Stone started a publicity blitz on the Today show and the New York Times, and people began traveling to Lakewood, Colorado, just in case Casa Bonita would be open.
A Facebook event called The Great Wait in Line Event to Eat the First Night at Casa Bonita Opening Night attracted over 15, 000 responses. The event’s discussion is heavy with meme posts about the long wait for the restaurant to fully reopen, mostly from event instigator Jesse Vogel. He believes that the event could become a big game show or even a South Park episode, reflecting the irony that desperation to go to Casa Bonita is already the topic of the South Park episode that made non-Coloradans aware of the place.
How much did they spend on Casa Bonita?
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who were childhood friends of Mexican restaurant Casa Bonita, have spent $40 million on a renovation. The restaurant, which opened in 1974 in Lakewood, Colorado, was a popular destination with a labyrinthine layout and live entertainment. After its closure in 2020 during Covid, the couple bought the restaurant and hoped for a quick renovation to delight their children and others. However, the renovation quickly exceeded the estimated budget, reaching $40 million.
The 54, 000 square foot emporium was in a state of disrepair, with rotten floors, outdated electric equipment, and plumbing issues. The new documentary “CASA BONITA MI AMOR!” features footage of Parker in distress, weaving among contractors, and texting pictures to Stone.
Why did Casa Bonita shut down?
The Little Rock location of the Mexican restaurant, Casa Bonita, closed in 2005 due to inability to reach suitable lease terms with the property owner. The restaurant reopened as Casa Viva in 2006 and closed again in December 2007. In 2008, it reopened under the original Casa Bonita name. In February 2011, the restaurant failed to reopen due to snowstorms in Tulsa. The Little Rock location, opened in 1969, had many of the same features as its sister locations, including a Garden Room, El Pokey, a video arcade, and a gift shop.
It was reported to be the highest volume Mexican restaurant in the United States with annual sales of up to $2, 500, 000. The restaurant closed and rebranded under the Waugh family as “Casa Viva” in 1993 after $250, 000 in renovations. It reverted to the original Casa Bonita branding in 1995 and closed permanently in 2005.
How much did South Park pay for Casa Bonita?
The couple has invested $40 million in renovations and upgrades for Casa Bonita, a restaurant that was reopened with limited dining hours during a soft launch phase. The restaurant is currently undergoing a beta test of various features, with prospective patrons registering for tickets. Casa Bonita has not offered a statement regarding the remuneration structure.
When did Casa Bonita start?
Bill Waugh, a serial entrepreneur, opened Denver’s Casa Bonita in 1974, a restaurant known for its unique atmosphere and consistently mediocre cuisine. Despite facing bad reviews, bankruptcy, and even a few injuries, the restaurant is now preparing for a rebirth. Saved from oblivion by local-boys-made-good Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Casa Bonita underwent a $40 million renovation to retain its charm while leveling up the food.
Waugh, originally from Norman, Oklahoma, graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1953 and earned a fine arts degree from Abilene Christian University. The restaurant’s true vision for the restaurant belongs to Waugh, who graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1953 and later earned a fine arts degree from Abilene Christian University.
What episode of South Park is the Mexican restaurant?
“Casa Bonita” is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series South Park, first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 12, 2003. The episode follows Cartman, who misleads Butters into going missing to gain an invitation to Kyle’s birthday party. The titular restaurant in the episode is based on the real-life Casa Bonita, a Mexican-themed restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado. The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker, who had the idea of Cartman convincing Butters to disappear before the episode’s production.
The rest of the episode’s storyline and script were developed in the week preceding its broadcast. The inclusion of Casa Bonita was based on the crew’s memories of going there as children, and the show’s depiction of the restaurant is fairly accurate. The episode received positive reviews from television critics and is one of Parker’s favorite episodes. The real-life restaurant saw an increase in visitors following the episode’s airing, and in August 2021, Parker and Stone announced a deal to purchase the restaurant.
📹 Inside the REAL Casa Bonita from South Park
One of the most beloved episodes of South Park involves Cartman kidnapping his classmate Butters in order to nab his spot at a …
Was a server here, it was probably the most fun job I’ve ever worked. Great community, nice pay due to volume of tables, and just a fun place to be in general. I’ll tell ya though, it does get hot going from the kitchen to the farthest table in the restaurant over and over and over. Sad that they are closed and might not reopen, it was a little piece of history. Also, Rob was a beast, still miss that guy.
I grew up in Denver and Casa Bonita was absolutely the ONLY place anyone ever wanted to go for their birthdays. I’m old enough that I remember Casa Bonita before Black Bart’s Hideout. I remember when they expanded the back of the restaurant to add that. Funny thing, it’s in a strip mall in a pretty bad neighborhood, and always was.
As a native of Denver, I can explain some of the mystic around Casa Bonita. Yes, the food is about the equivalent of a TV dinner. There’s 100 Mexican restaurants in Denver that are better, but you don’t go to Casa Bonita for the food, you go for the experience. It’s life cycle restaurant meaning you go as a child/teenager with the family, then you get in your 20s/30s and don’t go there for about 15 years or so and then if you have kids, you go again.
I grew up going here alot. I think it’s crazy that the south park creators ended up saving it. After going to real authentic Mexican restaurants I realized the food there isn’t Mexican at all and much closer to Taco Bell’s “Mexican food”. But it will still always hold a special place in my heart as a Colorado treasure.
I went there with my brother while we were driving cross country in 1979. Our dad had suggested we stop there. We had a table in the Cliff Area, where we had a great view of the divers. I remember you just had to raise a flag at your table to signal you wanted more food. My brother who has always had a humongous appetite, raised the flag twice!
We have a place in Latvia that’s basically the same but built around traditional Latvian culture. Also a dimly lit, cozy environment, traditional folk outfits and music, all build within a large mansion with a windmill at one end, and surrounded by a yard full of various attractions and activities. It’s called LIDO. Very wholesome place for the whole family.
I remember going here as an incredibly young child, maybe three or four and just being amazed with everything. I had forgotten all about it as my family moved away from Denver and almost had believed it was all a dream as a kid, until i saw the south park episode yearssss after it had aired now all i hope is to one day be living comfortable enough to make a trip back out there to see it again
This place is stuck in my head! I went as kid because I had family in Colorado and it was my birthday. I always remembered the cliff divers, but couldn’t remember the name of the place. Seeing the headlines that South Park creators bought the place brought me back to childhood memories. I thought it was the coolest place in the world as a kid.
Campy, loud, flashy, and full of things to do PLUS cheapo Mexican food. What kid in the world would not love to go here? On top of that, all the employees seemed genuinely happy to work there, which is an incredibly rare thing to see in a restaurant. Unfortunately, as per usual on Munchies, so much hate in the comments. A candid look on a bit of family-style Americana that has reached cult status in the last 10 years. Perfect Vice material, IMO. If there is any chef or restaurant staff young or stylish, they are branded as a hipster and not taken seriously. Anyone genuine and old-fashioned, is branded as depressing or outdated. Get over yourselves and accept the fact that good food and good cooking comes from a variety of sources and approaches.
This place will always have a special spot in my heart. I was able to experience going there when I was 6 years old in kindergarten Mrs Burns Class. Me, Rodrigo, Alex, and Ricardo use to sit in the back of the bus on the way there. Before we stopped at a light, we were next to a semi with weird writing and patterns on it. When the light turned green we were just perusal the Semi move and us move, making the pattern confuse us and we thought we were going backwards which made us laugh. When we got there the whole class was just shocked in awe. We got to see multiple plays and the treasure cove area. We were all trying to pick the golden coins out from the ground but couldn’t. Sure it’s a little cheesy but I do remember growing up that my parents and my friends parents all told us to not eat anything but the sopapillas there. Those are like gods treats from above. I am not sure if it was because a lot of people got sick when it was ran by different crew members who didn’t really care about anything other than a check, but I am willing to give it a go one more time but this time, I’ll be taking my little brother there to enjoy and feel the experience I did when I was young. I was always the youngest one growing up until my little brother was born. I am now 27 and he is turning 6 this year. I really want to take him out there for his birthday in a few months but with this pandemic, it’s better to wait. I will say being a Native here in Denver Colorado it’s definitely some thing you should go and check out but understand that you’re not getting 5 star quality stuff.
Adrian, I was listening to NPR radio driving home today when the topic was “What States have the best Mexican Food Restaurants in the country? Alot of people were saying Texas, Arizona, New Mexico an on and on the interviewers went. Then a lady said. “You guys have not been to Casa Bonita in Denver Colorado, where the food is not only good, but they have Cliff Divers and giant water falls, and deep caves, and a giant snake that swallows you up as you walk into its belly, gun fights, sword fights, giant stage performances. And everyone said what???? This article proves she was apparently right! It would be cool to see this in person.
I would only go because it came out in South Park, but Tex Mex food always looks like porridge with 10 kilos of yellow cheese on top, I haven’t seen a restaurant in America that really does Mexican food and I really wish they would try real Mexican dishes. because the tacos here (not in the USA) will be the biggest addiction of a foreigner, period
As someone who went to Casa Bonita as a kid, I was stoked to see Munchies check it out. However, the lack of an actual host made it seem like a giant infomercial. I would’ve loved to see someone ask Mike Mason about the low pay for performers, considering the great success the restaurant has seen. Munchies has definitely done better.
I have many wonderful memories of going to Casa Bonita as a kid in the ’70’s as well as taking my kids there in the ’80’s and ’90’s. Denver was a radically different place back then compared to today, but this restaurant has been one welcome constant. So happy to see Casa Bonita undergoing a renaissance and I hope to take my grandkids there someday soon.
It’s exactly like in South Park lol. You’d think they’d make more of the South Park connection, after all it’s made it internationally known, I’d never have heard of it being British otherwise, what about a Cartman themed table or floor show, or a Cartman floating in the pool? Or some South Park themed dishes? To me as a Brit it seems totally like they’ve mashed up a funfair, theme park and restaurant and then added a dollop of more funfair, theme park and restaurant for good measure, its like how much can you cram in one place lol. I can’t picture it being anywhere else than America! Sensory overload! Very Cartman!
Awesome… but something seems fishy about this place… idk what it is. but i feel like they will never change anything about the place not remodel one thing. it has a very old and dull atmosphere.. its like the workers are prisoners lol. idk just something off about this place…seems depressing and evil somehow lol
Trey Parker and Matt Stone not only gave this thing some major publicity in their SOUTH PARK episode. They both eventually bought it. People today outside of Colorado don’t know this place really exists. Now they know. I’d love to try it out. They used to have more than one of these. There was a very small chain. Now, this one restaurant is the only one left. It does need to update it’s attractions and then franchise itself. I hope Casa Bonita stays.
I had the opposite experience here from most people. I was, like, 8, and I’d never heard of Casa Bonita. I just went there with family on vacation while in Colorado. Then one day when I was like 16, smoking herbs and perusal South Park with friends, the episode came on. I thought I was for sure having Deja Vu. But it wasn’t Deja Vu because I suddenly remembered, in great detail, the cliff divers, and the cave, and throwing a quarter into a wishing well. I remembered the exact table we sat at and the whole flag thing for more food. It was trippy. Up until that point I completely forgot about the restaurant. Or I thought it was just a weird dream.
I loved the one in Tulsa Oklahoma as a kid . It was a different one than Denver’s. I loved the Sopapillas, the Treasure room, Mr E’s puppet show, I took my daughter and oldest son to Mr E’s puppet show and I talked to him after the show and he was happy that I brought my kids . Me and my brother and sister would always interact with the puppets it was so fun . The game room was awesome I was a force to be reckoned with at Skee Ball
The food is terrible, only thing worth a shit is atmosphere. But the food, reminded me of wet catfood in appearance. Taste was not good either. I used to go here a lot as a kid and loved it. But then again I had no tastebuds. As an adult I like taking my k8ds, but I eat before or after we go, or just eat sopapias.
As someone who lives in colorado this pisses me off. Cosa Bonita isn’t just “the place from South Park” I grew up going there well before I ever knew what Southpark was. Anyone in colorado knows casa Bonita. I love South Park and that episode it just makes me sad that it’s known as “the place from Southpark” now.
What most ppl don’t realize is that the original Casa Bonita opened in Okla City in 1968. Then a Tulsa, Ok location opened and then Denver. All were designed the same & served the same yummy cheapass Tex mex. In Tulsa it was paired with a Crystal’s Pizza next door, which was the equivalent of the Casa Bonita concept, only with pizza. Games, shows, movies, characters, acrobats & yes, mediocre pizzas. It was quite the treat as a child to experience these establishments with total innocent surprise & amazement. The world was truly magical. 😊😋🤪🤮😁
We used to go to the one in Oklahoma City as a child. It was magical! I just remember this mysterious place that was so cool and how I loved going. Unfortunately, it closed. I was thrilled to visit Denver and ate there every night I was in town! It was fabulous!!! When it reopens, I plan to to visit again!
I went there in 1989 when my grandparents had friends in Denver. I spent 2 or 3 nights there on vacation. We went to the Museum there and a park and I think it was there that we went to a Pizza Hut one night that had the flat table arcade Pac-man game. I remember sitting in the living room perusal a Tennis open while everyone else was in the kitchen playing cards. Michael Chang was huge that year!I bought a Pac-Man arcade flate table a few years ago. I remember having a Sopapilla at Casa Bonita and I was really into baseball cards and Ken Griffey Jr. was the hot rookie. I got one of his baseball coins Topps in a pack I bought in Denver. The next year I buried that Ken Griffey Jr. Coin in Kentucky for a few years. It was in the ground for two years before I dug it up!! Great times, I had a menu from Casa Bonita for 20 years, but it seems to have been misplaced, I don’t know where it is now.
God this place is so corny and cheesy in the most wholesome way possible and these places need to be turned into historical landmarks… A little slice pf what use to make life as a American family so fun. Shitty food, corny atmosphere, something about the entire thing feels so genuine and nostalgic, reminds me of being a kid. I love it.
Oh my god! My husband and I went to this restaurant years ago when we were visiting Denver. The food was not very good as they used nacho cheese on everything instead of real cheese. Even my husband refused to finish his food and he loves Mexican food. However, the place was fun. It was like a Mexican Disneyland. I am glad we went for the experience but the food was nasty lol.