Casa Bonita

Susan and Alan are two of the interns I worked with in California, and still work with, albeit long distance. They flew out to visit Martin and I this Presidents Day long weekend and weeks before we had already decided that one night we must dine at Casa Bonita.

We knew even before we arrived that it was likely to be a disaster, however, it featured in South Park and was nearby so it had to be done. We parked in the car lot, and headed inside.

To be honest, for the first five minutes we were slightly confused as to exactly what was going on. This was the first time I had visited a restaurant which had both a queuing system, trays and table service. Once we had selected our meals we were given a slip and followed the queue system round to collect our trays and our meals. We weren't in a rush as we took photos of the surroundings and joked at the setup. Casa Bonita is, as you might have guessed, a Mexican restaurant. A heavily themed Mexican restaurant. So far we had seen fake buildings, tropical plants and all the trimmings you might associate with a Disney theme park. After a short wait our meals slid out a hatch and halfway down a ramp before slowing to a stop and slopping some of the lettuce over the edge. We picked up our trays and headed along the line. Once the queue system ended we caught our first glimpse of the main restaurant where the Mexican-style buildings made way for a giant waterfall flowing into a deep pool. Soon enough we found out this was to be the stage for the show divers who entertained diners with pikes, roles and flips into the pool below.

The first thing we noted when we sat down at our tables was the red flag. Every table at Casa Bonita comes with a small red flag. If you need anything from your server you simply raise the flag and he or she will shortly pop along to see how they can help. We sat, ate and watched the divers. A Maria-chi band played as we finished our meal and discarded our sopaipillas. The adventure was soon to end, but not before a trip to Black Barts Cave.

Since Casa Bonita is a family restaurant the entertainment and attractions are all aimed at children. In one of the areas to the side of the dining is Black Barts Cave. A tunnel of caves you walk through in the dark, trying not to disgrace yourself by being frightened in front of your friends and all the young children who pass through without so much as a care. Once was enough.

We sauntered out by the waterfall and stopped to take a few photos outside. The venture had to be documented. The food may not have been great, the entertainment questionable, but what an experience!

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