Neighboring businesses, much of Colorado eager for Casa Bonita reopening

By Jay McKinney

Could it be the most hyped restaurant reopening in the history of Colorado? Without a doubt. When news broke in 2021 that Colorado’s most notorious restaurant, Casa Bonita, was purchased by Colorado’s most notorious comedians, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, they seemed to be the perfect celebrities to save the dying restaurant.

Paint the pink palace at Westfax
You can wait for Casa Bonita to open from next door at WestFax Brewing Co., where you can create your own custom tribute to the pink palace during a “paint & sip” session with Arts in the Open.
The event starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, and tickets cost $40, including a draft beer and all painting materials.

After all, the “South Park” creators were responsible for bringing the lore of Casa Bonita to a national audience when they featured the iconic restaurant in a famous episode. Tell someone that you’re from Colorado, and out-of-staters who follow “South Park” might respond with, “Is Casa Bonita a real place?”

Matt Stone, chef Dana Rodriguez and Trey Parker.

Yes, it is real, and everyone who has ever visited the original Casa Bonita knows good and well that it was much more of an entertainment venue where kids could run wild than it ever was a restaurant. The food was scoffed at, and most memories revolve around the surreal experience of cliff divers, caves, and the only edible menu item: sopapillas (all featured in the “South Park” episode).

Westfax Brewing is just two doors away from Casa Bonita, and brewery founder and president Anthony Martuscello said the extreme hype is already driving beer sales.

“Yes we absolutely are seeing an influx of new customers,” he said. “I don't think we've fully seen what the impact is yet.”

They are already celebrating their neighbors with a Casa Bonita art event and a Mexican Lager called "Line Starts Here.”

“It sold out so quickly we made it again and plan to release it in July for a second time,” Martuscello said.

When Stone and Parker first made the $3.1 million purchase, thinking it would be a serendipitous little side project, neither of them knew how tough it would really be once they rolled up their sleeves and got into the gritty renovation. The restaurant had been run into the ground in almost every way and could’ve been considered a health department warzone.

Parker told the Denver Post last August that they “absolutely should bail and stop spending money, but they’re committed now.” When all is said and done, they told the New York Times that the final investment will be north of $40 million.

In taking over as the restaurant’s new owners, Stone and Parker lived by the motto “change nothing, improve everything.” While the restaurant was gutted and improved structurally with everything from plumbing to the HVAC system, it mostly looks exactly as it did when it first opened in 1973.

The food will still be served like a factory, with a cafeteria-style line for ordering, but there are some notable improvements. As they walk through the line, visitors get a sneak peek into the tortilla making station through a window, and where there was once a wall to hide the questionable food preparation, it is now open and looks like a larger version of a Chipotle line.

And there’s nothing to hide this time. The executive chef is Dana Rodriguez, a James Beard-nominated restaurateur who was allowed to design the kitchen from scratch and create a menu of great food. It’s a simple menu that includes Mexican staples such as enchiladas, mole, carnitas, adobo chicken and a couple of other items. Don’t worry, the sopapillas haven’t gone anywhere. Just raise the flag to enjoy the hunks of fried dough waiting to be covered in honey.

A definitive opening date for the public has still not been announced, but there will be a soft opening with no walk-ins and limited dining hours in the near future. Those interested in being among the first to dine at Casa Bonita can sign up at CasaBonitaDenver.com. More sopapillas please.