
6715 W. Colfax Ave, Lakewood, Colorado, 303/232-5115; www.casabonitadenver.com
Said to be the largest restaurant in the Western Hemisphere and without doubt one of the tackiest, Casa Bonita opened in the ’70s as a flagship for a chain that stretched from Little Rock to suburban Denver, the Mile High City’s Casa Bonita is 52,000 square feet of sensory overload, centered on a two-story faux cliff with a pool underneath where costumed high-schoolers perform skits, inevitably ending with several if not all of the characters soaking wet. There are also fake caves, a mariachi band, a bizarre monkey mascot, an arcade, and little flags you raise when you want more food, which isn’t held in high regard. I sneak salsa and tequila in when I go, which helps a little.
Said to be the largest restaurant in the Western Hemisphere and without doubt one of the tackiest, Casa Bonita opened in the ’70s as a flagship for a chain that stretched from Little Rock to suburban Denver, the Mile High City’s Casa Bonita is 52,000 square feet of sensory overload, centered on a two-story faux cliff with a pool underneath where costumed high-schoolers perform skits, inevitably ending with several if not all of the characters soaking wet. There are also fake caves, a mariachi band, a bizarre monkey mascot, an arcade, and little flags you raise when you want more food, which isn’t held in high regard. I sneak salsa and tequila in when I go, which helps a little.