December 12, 2024
Casa Bonita, a unique Denver location, closed in 2020. Southpark TV show creators bought the property and have reopened the restaurant. The restaurant had a very rough restart with reservations and waiting lists that never cleared. After giving up on the place the last time we were in town, we were finally able to visit with Annette, Harold's sister.
While not quite remembering the circumstances, I had been once in the late 1980's. Annette had been a couple of times during the restaurant's heyday and had fun comparing the old restaurant to the new. Despite living in Denver, Harold had somehow never been. He could easily see how kids would love the place. We overheard several people making comparisons.
We made the required reservations, stood in line, and went through the security check. You can only enter 15 minutes prior to your reservation time. We followed our hostess through the maze of seating areas (standard or premier). You have an hour at the table. They recommend that you eat, then take your time meandering through the restaurant to see things like the divers (on the half hour when we were there), Black Bart's hideout, the cave section, the mines section, the museum dedicated to the original restaurant, and of course, the store.
It reminded me of Disney with its elaborate settings and entertainment. It's a unique experience for the Denver area that kids would especially enjoy.
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| Watching a Ricardo Montalban commercial for Casa Bonita |
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| Raise the flag for service |
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| Cannonball Time |
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| Gorilla Time |
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I grew up with a smaller Casa Bonita in Little Rock but it was always one of my favorites! So much nostalgia for me! In 1975, my family went to the one in Denver on summer vacation because the manager then had been in my dad's church choir in Little Rock prior to moving his family to Denver. Oh, how I loved the cliff divers in Denver! I always loved the treasure room in Little Rock too, the sopapillas and the whole wonderful atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memories!
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