Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant
210 E Elkhorn Ave, Estes Park, CO, 80517
Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant Menu
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Address :
210 E Elkhorn Ave
Estes Park, CO, 80517 - Phone (970) 577-0799
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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John F.
Nothing to offend, but nothing done real well either. For instance, I had the melted cheese with chorizo appetizer, but unlike every other Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that offers something similar, this molten cheese mixture was poured into a ceramic bowl, then served to the table, rather than a still sizzling small cast iron skillet which keeps it molten, this had congealed to a solid goop. Service was slow without any proactive thought on the server's part, so we had to continually ask for the obvious when low or out- more salsa, refill iced tea, water, etc. Very average, and the salsa was too hot for my wife to eat so that took out her eating chips and salsa, and there were no alternatives- no chipotle salsa, no mild salsa, etc.
(3)Meredith K.
Mexican food for gringoes at its worst! Stopped here after a 10 mile high in Rocky Mountain Nation Park, and we were starving. Two of us ate our plates because of out immense hunger but the street tacos were so foul that one person in our group couldn't even touch them. The cheese enchiladas I had were lacking flavor completely. I tried the chili relleno and it was equally bland. This food is clearly made for people who don't like spice and who don't care for any flavor either. The second star is for the location...some nice views out the windows in the back room were perhaps the best part of the meal.
(2)D C.
Can't beat the views this place offers from the main dining room. You can see the river and riverwalk while enjoying your meal, and I love that. Free chips and salsa when you sit down. I love that, too. The food ranged from okay to good, and the servers were good about refilling water and checking on us. FH had some kind of beef stew-type thing, and I found it pretty bland, but he liked it. My tostada with ground beef was enormous, and tasted a lot better than I had anticipated. I ended up not being able to finish it because it was loaded with beans and other toppings. FH's brother got the pollo fundito and while I didn't have a bite, it looked delicious, and he said it was good. Prices aren't bad for the setting, and truly, the food is decent.
(4)Jason S.
Don't know what the complaining and poor ratings are about. We had excellent service, restaurant is clean and friendly, food tastes very good (we live in Houston, TX and have eaten at a lot of mexican restaurants). I got the chimichanga for $13.50 but it was HUGE. It is twice as big as any that I have had before. My wife and I were very satisfied.
(5)Matthew W.
Delicious! Just what we needed after cruising over the mountains. I recommend the Tacos al Carbon. Table salsa is SUPER spicey! Kids quesadilla was also delicious.
(4)ML F.
While visiting Rocky Mountain National Park we stopped here for dinner. We had one of the best tables in the place right next to the riverwalk. Food is a little pricey for what you get and somewhat bland. The staff was nice and service quick. Giving a three because of the view and staff!
(3)Carolyn D.
My fiance and I came here for dinner after a day in Estes Park. Caesar our server was incredible! Great drinks, very friendly. The food was out of this world! I had the Street Tacos AL Carbon Yummy food. My fiance had a smothered burrito. His burrito was huge. This is now our favorite restaurant in Estes Park. We definitely will be back!
(5)Julia M.
This was pretty terrible. We could see the bin of tortilla chips from where we sat and they looked better before they were put in the chip warmer, after they came out they were stale tasting, not good at all. The salsa was thin and unappealing. I ordered the chile verde which tasted good but the portion size was too small for the price, did not fill me up :( my partner got the bacon cheese burger, bacon was good and bun was good, burger subpar, not worth $15. We were seated in the main dining room and next to a view of the river walk which was nice. Overall, it seems like a place to go if you have money to spend and are not concerned with getting subpar food. Will not go back.
(2)Joshua T.
This is a great Mexican restaurant right near the edge of downtown Estes Park that I've been with my brothers and sister quite a few times, and we've always been quite pleased with the quality of food and service. There may be fancier places around, but we got a good meal for a good (Estes Park) price. The decor is a little on the interesting side; very bright and cheery, and I don't think they have two chairs anywhere in the place that are the same. They bring chips and salsa to you straightaway when you're seated, and keep them full, so there's always an appetizer to snack on. My brother usually gets whatever the largest-sounding burrito is, and I usually try and get a combination plate with as many different things on it as I can. The refried beans and rice are pretty standard for most Mexican restaurants in tourist towns, but the entrees are nice and flavorful and the burritos are large. It's a nice place to relax with a beer or the family, or a beer with your family. It's not the most robust drinking joint in town in terms of selection, but you can have a cold cerveza with your chimichanga after a long day of hiking on the river or fighting the shopping crowds in downtown. I'll be back again, and I know that my siblings have patronized the restaurant without me and they'll be back, as well.
(4)Nicki J.
Terrible! I'm pretty tolerant but this was AWFUL! Nachos were literally chips with shredded cheese. Don't eat here!!! This is the 2nd review I've written , the first being positive but this was so terrible I felt compelled to write one.
(1)Jackie C.
If I could only give zero stars. Absolutely the worst food I have eaten at a Mexican restaurant or otherwise. Chicken appeared to be freezer burnt. Enchilada sauce from a can. Chips cold and seemed old. Pollo Fundido could have had the grease squeezed out of it. Service is terrible. Don't worry about a refill. Terrible on every level. They should be ashamed.
(1)Kendra N.
The view was great, the service was great, the drinks were delicious as was the food. There was a large selection of food on the menu. We especially loved that there was no wait for a seat! I've had better chips, but honestly, I was hungry and with all of the other things that went well, it wasn't a deal-breaker.
(4)Mo D.
I must begin my review with an apology to all of the one star reviews before now. After eating here your one star may have been undeserved because this place has established a new standard for the lowest rated place I have eaten (and I have ate in some pretty bad places being a lover of dives). The decor is nice and location in the heart of Estes is awesome along the river. The salsa tasted like it was from a can and the chips were stale. Presentation of the food was well done with an artistic swirl of authentic imitation sour cream. Green chili is $1.50 extra on a $13 chimi - expensive. I expected fabulous chili but it was similar to stokes brand from the can. Very bland. This place is awesome if you want a superficial experience of decor and presentation but if you want quality food go somewhere else.
(1)Susan T.
If you're looking for horrible Mexican food at astronomical prices, this is your place! I really, really wish I had checked reviews before we stumbled upon this place starving after a hike. I rarely write reviews, but this lunch left me so regretful for walking in the door, I felt compelled to weigh in. This is without a doubt the worst Mexican food we've ever had, and the price tag on it is a hard sell even for really great Mexican food. (We lived in Chicago for many years so we definitely understand high priced food, and these were higher than Chicago prices, and certainly not backed up by quality food.) My husband and I each had the taco salad, and for the incredibly high price of $14, we were going to be charged extra for guacamole, we opted out. Our daughter wanted a strawberry margarita like her Dad had, and they charged us $8 for the kids version, wow. A meal for a family of four cost us almost $75 with tip. Should've just has lunch at the dairy queen in the same building, would have been better food and waaaaay cheaper. That's money I wish I had back in my pocket! Service wasn't stellar either. We saw our server sitting down to his own lunch as we were leaving the restaurant, and understood why he was in such a rush to clear our table. Funny enough, he was eating a burger, speaks loudly when the staff won't even eat the mexican food at a mexican restaurant.
(1)T N.
The food was ok, not anything I'm necessarily coming back for. Waiter was nice, we didn't get to sit where there was a nice.. view maybe next time. The salsa was also ok, I'm pretty sure I tasted a hint of rosemary? in it.
(2)Erika H.
Very kind, attentive, service from the moment we arrived. Our drinks stayed filled (which doesn't happen often for me). Miguel was our server. Nice guy! We had the San (something) quesadilla and the combination fajitas. Quesadilla was delicious. Loved the spinach in it! The combination fajitas were tasty, shrimp was best, would maybe skip the steak next time. Four stars because the chips were okay... Opportunity for improvement.
(4)Tanner H.
Great fajitas. Great margaritas. Great service. Spicy salsa. Not sure why so many average reviews. Would return.
(4)Kate T.
I have no idea why this restaurant only has two stars. We were seated instantly right by the river and had great service and food. The "other" Mexican restaurant in town couldn't even tell us how long the wait was. Recommend!
(4)Jared L.
It was awkwardly full yet quiet when we got in. No one came around to ask for our drinks and we had to order them with our food. I had to ask multiple times for water. I got taquitos and they were meh, but the horchata was good
(2)Kimberly T.
Mark and I had the BEST fajita EVER. The beef was extremely tender. We sat at the bar and the owner fixed us great margaritas. I recommend the Italian version with amaretto. Great service. Wonderful food. What more????
(5)Sean A.
I don't do many of these but I really enjoyed the exceptional taste of everything we had ... the salsa and chips were fantastic. The special was cripy chili rellenos and they were incredibly good! I highly recommend this place to any one visiting Beautiful Estes Park!
(5)Kristy G.
had reservations for 6:45 on Christmas Eve, they said they would be open until 8. Got there after church, 6:45. Doors locked, closed. No phone call, no note on the door. Will not consider them ever again!
(1)Rodney G.
This place is okay. It's nice to have dinner next to the river. They brought us tortilla chips which were kinda stale but a little salt fixed that up. I ordered queso to go with the chips but it had no taste to it. I shared fajitas with my son. We had the combo fajitas and it was good. They messed up my wife's order twice. They charged us extra when we asked for more tortillas and refried beans. The margaritas were good. The wait staff was very nice. Sorry, this is a mixed review.
(2)Greg B.
This place is terrible. The food is bland and taste like it came from a can. The service is slow. The restaurant was dirty, the tables where sticky, and there were flies every where. I really should have looked up the reviews before subjecting my family to this place.
(1)Dena K.
I can't figure out why this place has received such bad reviews! I went here with my husband and sister and we had a great meal. The decor is bright and welcoming and the view of the river is wonderful! It is rare to find a place in Estes Park that provides free bread or chips before the meal. We were very happy when a basket of chips and two cups of salsa were brought to our table right away - and were refilled before our food arrived! We are all vegetarians but were each able to find something different on the menu to order and were all happy with our dishes.
(4)Kathy K.
Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, river view nice. Nice place to have a drink and people watch. Outdoor eating space is too small. Salsa tasted like tomato soup. Chips boring. Food was well presented but was flavorless. We had chicken enchiladas and chicken chimichanga. Both were underwhelmed with the taste. There was very little flavor of any kind - kept hoping the next bite would be better. It wasn't. If you are looking for a place in the shade to have a beer or margarita this might be your place. Hungry? Choose someplace else.
(2)Megan M.
Upon entering Casa Grande we were greeted with great decor and seated inside with a view of the river. As an appetizer we ordered guacamole in addition to the chips and salsa. Although the guacamole seemed a bit pricey (~$9) it was fresh. I went onto order a veggie burrito (~$11). Overall I was pleased with it. The group I went with was also happy with their meals. The menu offered many options, included vegetarian and large portions. At times the menu was a bit difficult to read since some of it was written in Spanish but that wasn't a problem. After going to the restaurant I checked out the yelp reviews and was surprised that it had such a poor rating. I didn't go when it was particularly busy which may have contributed to our great service. That being said, our waiter was EXCELLENT! He always filled our glasses, checked up on us often, and made sure to mention the food would be out between 10-15 min (which seemed unusual to mention) and it was ready before then! This was definitely one of the better Mexican restaurants I've been to! Based on some of the other reviews I am lead to believe that the restaurant has made improvements in recent months. Definitely give this place a chance!
(4)Chad H.
Warm and hospitable and excellent food. We actual arrived right at closing - it seemed slow so we asked when they closed and they said 8 but please stay. We were leaving but they were insistent and truly treated us like honored guests throughout our meal. They have certainly won loyal customers whenever we are in Estes Park. Thank you!
(5)Scott J.
Chupa and salsa poor. Salsa taste like chili powered and tomato paste Chicken chimicha dry
(2)Natalie G.
So we came here right after a terrible experience at another Mexican food place and being wary, but also very hungry, I decide to look up the reviews of this place while we were seated and waiting on our drinks. The last place had great reviews and it was so bad, this place has terrible reviews and I was like, crap, here we go again. But it was fine! The chips were not the best I have ever had, but their Chicken Street Tacos...MAN! Hit the spot. A little squeeze of lime and it was just like the street taco places back in San Antonio. It was a bit messy but that's what napkins are for. :) Only 4 stars because the service was a bit slow and it was just us and another couple and the chips could be re-vamped.
(4)Dawn P.
The margarita tasted like there was no tequila, and the tacos el carbon were greasy and tasteless. Don't bother paying Estes prices for this bland Mexican good.Skip this place.
(1)Rebecca R.
Overpriced.They reportedly charge for extra chips. Offered my son a choice of queso sauce on burrito instead of ancho chili and didn't mention and additional cost. Same with my meal offered green chili sauce with no mention if extra cost. Over 2 dollars for a child's lemonaid. Tea tasted flowery. Child burrito comes with mole sauce not mentioned on menu. Waiter semi attentive. My son had a Chimichanga Grande which was good. Flan $5! View nice but not coming back due to prices. Was nothing special a run of the mill plain generic tex mex.
(2)Lourdes E.
We were a party of 13 and were able to have them give us a reservation at 7:30. Service was decent. The guacamole was fair. My chicken fajitas were very good. The chicken fricassee was okay. We had several pitchers of margaritas and they were very good.
(3)Matt D.
Let me start off by saying I have no idea why people give this place a bad review. We showed up about 15 minutes after it opened and were one of 3 groups. The seating area outside is small but has a great view. The service was great. There are only 2 thing holding me back from 5 star review: 1. It took about 25-30 minutes to get our food. And 2. Is the pricing. The food is good but I'm not sure it's worth $11-$18 per person. Overall a great experience.
(4)Allison B.
Casa Grande is Incredibly overpriced and serves horrible tasting food. I would never recommend any body to come here.
(1)Geri L.
agree with all prior reviews. I had not seen any reviews so we stopped in while walking around Estes. The glass of water was as it should be - wet and tasted like water.
(1)Ashley P.
This was the third restaurant that my husband and I stopped at, trying to find an open seat with quality food. I was shocked that every seat in the house was open, minus the one couple sitting outside. We decided to sit outside on the patio which was basically right off the river- very nice for people watching. That was the only real 'perk' of this place. The service was SO slow, the server had no idea what we were ordering/what was on their own menu, the chips were stale, the drinks were terrible, it was ridiculously expensive for the quality...or lack there of. The salsa tasted like tomato soup with some pepper in it, and the food tasted like they heated it up in the microwave from a lean cuisine box. We were both sick the rest of the day and into the next- save yourself the bad experience and go eat somewhere else!
(1)Amy E.
Ack! We didn't check reviews for this place on Yelp, and just wandered in on whim. Terrible food. Terrible terrible TERRIBLE. The only, and I mean only, positive aspect of the place, was the outdoor seating adjacent to a mountain stream. Terrible. Oops, already said that. And expensive. The Casa Grande Burrito with chile verde pork? Oh, my gosh, it was horrible. The filling was 98% loose, soupy, flavorless mashed pinto beans. It contained a total of 4 tiny cubes of pork, and absolutely no identifiable chile verde sauce whatsoever. The burrito was topped with a drizzle of nauseatingly off-color "guacamole", along with an "enchilada" sauce that was canned (like Old El Paso, but worse, if that is even possible). A tiny little pile of lettuce on the side was wilted. A few canned black beans had been thrown on top of the lettuce, for no apparent reason, along with one miniscule piece of underripe mango. The "street tacos" were 3 for $14. Unbelievably high price. And not authentic street tacos whatsoever. Ick. The service was terrible. The waiter couldn't have cared less. Had to ask for more water, more salsa, for the check, etc. DO NOT GO HERE!!! You will regret it, just like we did.
(1)Beth G.
Excellent food....we had the carnitas and steak street tacos. We were pleasantly surprised with the authenticity of the dish as well as the amount of meet in the tacos. They also had a great selection of domestic and imported beers. Yum yum! Great atmosphere and very kind and attentive staff. Will visit again!
(4)Joshua T.
I will start with my kids.... First spending almost $7 a plate for half of a quesadilla , terrible rice and average beans was quite frustrating. Then receiving the bill and realizing that a milk was $3.50! So for two kids meals for crappy food the total was over $20!! Now for myself and my wife.... We both ordered salads. I had the chicken fajita salad for almost $13. That's a few rubbery strips of chicken, roman lettuce, and guacamole...Just terrible. For my wife, she had the taco salad for about $11 which the beef had very little flavor. For a lunch of sub par food with two kids meals, two salads, two milks, a soda, tea, plus tip.... the total was over $60!! The most expensive below average Mexican food I have ever eaten....
(1)Lori H.
Underwhelming at best. Went there with a group for lunch and to get out of the rain. We were all out of towners so first time for all of us. The decor is nice and their chairs had colorful designs of flowers, parrots and the like. Decor is about the only thing that gave it one of the two stars. Took FOREVER for anyone to acknowledge us let alone bring water. When our waiter finally showed up, his accent was very difficult to understand. That's no biggie. We got chips and the runniest salsa ever. No flavor at all and it was basically colored water with a bit of onion. The chips were warm so that gave it a half star. I got the Taco salad, my hubby got the taco plate and other folks got flautas or a wrap. My taco salad was disgusting and bland. The ground beef was greasy with some melted cheese on top. It sat on a bed of warm, wilted lettuce that was probably under the heat lamp too long. Beans at the bottom that were runny like the salsa. The only saving grace for this heartburn inducing meal was the spinach tortilla shell. Nice touch of originality in an otherwise ho-hum experience. A half star for that. My tums I ate afterward had more flavor. Never again.
(2)steve k.
The food is edible, but not great. The chips were stale and greasy. We dropped $50 for lunch for 2 and the service sucked.
(1)Elizabeth M.
Chips and salsa were yummy :) my husband didn't really care for the chicken enchiladas. Good service :)
(4)Jane M.
Awesome place! Food was delicious and service was great. Would definitely eat here again!
(5)Ryan K.
Very mediocre... Not a place I would recommend. The service was alright... Slow and unattentive. Overpriced also... 15 dollars for an appetizer that had absolutely no flavor. Bleh. The location is nice but the parking was a pain when I visited. Overall... Not very good.
(2)Lauren H.
I was beyond excited when I came across this restaurant, as I'd had a less than satisfactory meal a few days prior at another cantina. I thought, FINALLY! A real authentic Mexican restaurant! Inside is bright colorful, next to the river. The server was very polite. He told me about the special margarita, I said sure why not 16oz for 9.99 - first off its most definitely was not 16oz, more like 10oz. Secondly, all I could taste was the sour mix. Then we get to the salsa....it tastes like tomato soup....not what I was hoping for. Barely touched the chips and salsa. The chips were cold and near stale. Mind you I came in right at opening when everything should be fresh. Now on to the main dish. I ordered the carnitas quesadilla. What another disappointment. Super greasy, flavor was lackluster, the meat was super dry. I barely finished 1/4 of my meal. Quite let down. Will not be making a repeat visit.
(2)Khristina D.
Shoot...rain...but gotta eat before we ride horses into the sunset. The service was nice.. and fast... and the food was good. I wouldnt say spectacular.. but it was a nice early dinner.
(3)Erin H.
Stopped for lunch over the Memorial Day weekend. The visit did not start off well, but it did improve. The bad: The queso is HORRIBLE. Do not get it! (The table next to us got the queso fundido and it did look better.) And, for some reason the queso comes with a different kind of chips than what comes out with the salsa. I liked the thinner chips (that came with the salsa) better. The mild salsa was also bad. The stuff from a jar at the grocery store tastes better. The okay: The nachos were somewhat satifying. Here the other chips actually work as they managed to stay somewhat crispy even after the nachos had been at our table for a while. They don't skimp on the jalapenos. The ground beef was ok (would have preferred the chicken, but was sharing with friends). Also the spicy salsa was ok. It at least was better than the queso for dipping my chips. The good: The drinks were fantastic. My two friends ordered the mandango, which is described as rum, fruit juice, topped with more rum, and rum. They weren't kidding! My friends LOVED them. I took a couple tastes and all I got was rum with a hint of fruit juice. As rum and I have only recently gotten back on speaking terms, it wasn't my favorite. I opted for the green cadillac margarita and it was delicious. Once again, heavy on the alcohol (tequila in this case), but it was good tequila plus midori so I was happy. Also very good were the enchiladas. We went with the combo that was 1 beef, 1 chicken, and 1 cheese and paid the extra to get them all smothered with green chili rather than random other sauces. They were all good! So, Casa Grande redeemed themselves somewhat from the horrible queso.
(3)Emily L.
This place is awful. The food was gross and the service was bad. The chips were dripping with grease and the salsa had no flavor. The burrito I had was also rather bland - and it had mystery ingredients including a random piece of corn, a lima bean (I think), and a piece of chip. The chili verde sauce was clearly a mix or out of a can. It had huge chunks of very, very dry pork in it. It was so inedible, I left most of it on the plate. Definitely never going back.
(1)Felicia C.
Get the Acapulco plate (chicken and seafood with fresh veggies) so very yum. The kid struggled a bit when my husband ordered a Jameson and coke but it was only 11am. He enjoyed the salsa, it was a bit too chunky and heavy in cilantro for me. He enjoyed the breakfast burrito. Service was good the waiter was very attentive.
(3)Cheryl B.
worst restaurant I have ever walked into, when telling the owner the food was bad he said "you should be happy I let you come into eat at my restaurant." DO NOT EAT here!! you will be treated poorly and have horrible food.
(1)Shawn A.
Disgusting. Worst food ever! Don't go here! Bad service too.
(1)Victor T.
Even though the portions are huge...you will not over eat.
(1)Lisa A.
The Enchiladas Susia were very generous and the green chili was very good, the cheese could have been a better quality. My husband said he ordered the wrong thing The Fajitas, he likes green chili and should have had that instead. Ah the review below by Victor T says what I said in fewer words so true!
(2)Jack H.
Estes Park restaurants are nothing to brag about. This is no exception. First, the good. Solid location on the river, outside dining, better-than-average decor, and good menu. Maybe more quesadillas and burritos than are absolutely necessary. Their motto is "authentic Mexican food"; I'm not sure where their burgers, chicken wings, and salad fit into that model, but what the heck. It was off-season, so the staff wasn't stressed. The service was good and the servers were well-trained (you could tell: they kept trying to upsell you). In the "weird experience" category, one of the waitstaff was meticulously cleaning one of their colorful carved Mexican chairs. She cleaned that one chair for the entire time that we were there. As mentioned in other reviews, the chili con queso is just awful. Thin, white, and flavorless. We added salsa, but finally gave up. And it is kind of odd that they serve fried flour tortilla triangles and out-of-the bag colored tortilla chips with it, versus the typical (and perfectly good) chips that come with the salsa. To their credit, the salsa looks like it's probably from the kitchen, not from a bottle, but I found it sweet, mild, and with a dose of cumin that I didn't care for. There were two bowls of salsa on the table; they were detectably different, but not distinctive. My green chili pork burrito was pretty darn good. I have no complaints. But the server successfully upsold me some guacamole with it, and the guac was well past its prime, dark and ugly from having the blackened, oxidized parts stirred back in. They make their guac fresh (I saw a box of avocados go by), but they need more discipline about when to toss an old batch and start over. And my bad-guac-warning antennae automatically go up when it's served with a mini ice-cream scoop. My wife reports that her food was no worse than she's gotten anywhere else in Estes Park, which is a pretty thin compliment. If I ever go back, it will be to see if they've finished cleaning that chair.
(2)matthew s.
Gross from beginning to end. it was almost like they were consciously trying to be horrible. On the plus side, we did not get food poisoning.
(1)Joshua F.
Wow were we disappointed. I'm not sure why, but we seem to always have a hard time finding good food in Estes Park. Every time we go, we try something else hoping it will be the hidden gem we have been questing for, but alas, we never attain that holy grail. This was yet another disappointing shot. Actually, at the time, the food wasn't that bad. It was a bit bland, but the carnitas were tender and the portions were large. The margarita was from a machine (total travesty!!!) but they were boozy. HOWEVER- both my wife and I became VIOLENTLY ill the next day. It was bad.
(1)Marie R.
Bartender was AWESOME. Server was OKAY. Food sucked. We were staying at the Stanley and I wanted a margarita. It was good. However I ordered the shrimp scallop quesadilla and my husband ordered the chile verde pork burrito. Both were sloppy and not very good. I got food poisoning. ;(
(2)D D.
Awful! My husband and I went here for take out and back to our winter B and B hideaway. It was so greasy! There was grease floating on the top of the beans and they were unidentifyable altogether. The queso was very bland. It was so bad we threw it all away and drove to Safeway (only thing still open) to buy frozen pizzas instead. We threw it in the Safeway trash can, so we didn't taint the B and B. Now, believe me I am cheap! Really cheap! To be staying in Estes was a stretch for me, so for me to waste food - it is unheard of. Especially anything with cheese. :)
(1)Steven D.
Horrible food and equally horrible service. Someone needs to take over this spot who cares about the quality of their food.
(1)Snowden M.
Food lacked any type of flavor. Nothing was seasoned at all. It was apparent the cooks didn't taste ANYTHING they were preparing in the kitchen. The meat, beans, and rice were absolutely bland and tasteless. By far the worst Mexican restaurant I've ate at in memory. Every single person in our party of eight immediately reached for the salt and pepper shakers to get some sort of seasoning on our meals. I honestly suspect that any positive review on this site must have been planted by the owners or management. Avoid Casa Grande like the plague.
(1)San Ramon S.
We were a group of five and everyone was satisfied with their fajitas, enchiladas,flautas and carnintas--portions were generous and we struggled to finish. Our tab include tip and four beers and a pitcher of margaritas came to $136. Restaurant was clean and we sat in the section floor to ceiling windows--what a view.
(4)Alex M.
This place is an insult to Mexico. The only flavor the food has is a nice cardboard taste with strong undertones of mediocrity. Don't risk it. It was the only time I've ever reached for salt after the first bite of Mexican food.
(1)Jeff K.
Pretty good...as others wrote, it's basic Mexican in a great location. Some excellent margaritas and good selection of tequilas set it apart a little. I did really enjoy the queso fundido appetizer, and they will bring you flour chips instead of corn chips if you ask.. One of the better places to eat along Elkhorn in Estes.
(3)Trevor T.
Average Mexican food served up in a colorful and scenic location. The restaurant itself sits next to a small river and park just up the street from the Estes Park town hall. The menu is fairly large and features your normal American-Mexican food choices including enchiladas, tacos, burritos and fajitas. The food is pretty basic and served with lots of cheese. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and it was ok. A large burrito stuffed with shredded chicken, beans and cheese. It was topped with chopped lettuce and tomatoes and served with a side of sour cream. Mrs T had shredded beef enchiladas and Miss T had cheese enchiladas. Service was good although the place wasn't very busy; we ate early (about 4:30 PM). They have a small outdoor patio which is really great when the weather is nice since you can listen to the river just over the wall.
(2)Robert R.
Service is decent. Food is edible but not great. Salsa! Ugh! Many places are better than here.
(3)Annie R.
Best margarita in town. None of the Mexican restaurants are good, might as well go for best drink
(3)Daniel P.
Food was better than fast food and drinks were good. Service not too bad and atmosphere was nice. Not the best place in Estes Park but not the worst.
(3)Rex E.
Yuck, yuck, yuck....what more can I say? Definitely don't waste your dollars here....put this place on permanent Drive-By. Tasted like the tortillas of my Tacos Al Carbon had soaked up the grease from the beef. My wife's fish tacos were so dried out, they could have passed for hockey pucks. Yuck!
(1)Erich R.
I will give this place two stars for location, which is on the river, and chips and salsa. Food was pretty bad. There is more flavor in taco bells bean and cheese burrito. Even the chili rellano was bad. Both my wife and I feel sick from this place. We will not be back, and next time in Estes, we will be finding a different place to eat.
(2)C G.
Food was barely 1 star but upped it to 2 since this place has a great location right on the river. Attractive decor and good service buy very disappointed in everything except the chips& salsa.
(2)J h.
Truly disgusting. Do not go here under any circumstance. Ordered a marg and a carnitas burrito. Actually sent the food back and asked for our check. At least the waiter didn't make us pay for it. The table next to us sent their food back too and another table was haggling over an incorrect bill. The marg was $7 and had 0 alcohol. Literally I think they forgot to add booze. The carnitas were not carnitas. I swear on my life it was dark meat turkey. Either way it was inedible. I never write negative reviews for restaurants but this place was so awful I felt compelled to stop anyone else from making the same mistake we did. Do not go here.
(1)A P.
This place is pretty good, not great, not horrible just ok if you ask me. The service is hit or miss and the outdoor seating area isn't big enough.
(3)Jane R.
Underwhelming is a good description for this place. I'm wondering if it's under new ownership or something because we used to come here all the time and were seriously disappointed this time. The chicken fajita salad was a huge letdown. Incredibly overpriced and I could've gotten a much tastier salad at a fast food restaurant. The chimichanga was middle of the road. Seems they are trying to put on the image of a classy restaurant with nice plates and high prices but the quality of food has gone down.
(2)Leslie F.
I was actually surprised to see how many poor reviews this place got. Our friends in Denver recommended it to us so we went and my husband and I both thought it was great. It wasn't the BEST mexican ever, but its was really good. Their mild salsa was delicious and we had fresh hot chips refilled our whole meal. Our waiter made great recommendations on food (which came out in large proportions) and kept our drinks refilled the whole time we were there. Plus there's outdoor seating so you sit outside and see/hear the river. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. I would recommend it based on my experience for sure!
(4)Mike P.
From the outside this establishment looks fine. DO NOT be decieved. The food is mediocre at best. The wait staff is trained to memorize your order when they take it. Although a neat party trick this did not work out well for us. The order was totally wrong when we recieved it. The manager came over but was very rude as if it was my fault the order was taken wrong. One more tip...do not pay with a large bill. You will recieve seventy dollars worth of change in ones and fives!
(1)Josh H.
A solid place for Mexican food, though I wouldn't say it is stellar. Everything I had was pretty good, but nothing really stood out. The queso dip was OK, but I found it strange that they serve bagged tri-color tortilla chips with it, when they have their own fresh tortilla chips they serve when you sit down. They have a good selection, and the service was good. Overall, it was a good experience, but I am going to try out some other Mexican places in town before I settle on this one as the best in Estes.
(3)Aaron H.
This restaurant is located right on the river, so if you eat outside you get a nice view. It's hard to rate a Mexican food place because to me, they are almost all the same, but I had an excellent seafood quesadilla at Casa Grande. The kids loved their meals as well. Overall, worth a visit if you're in Estes Park!
(4)T B.
This used to be a very good Mexican place, but something happened a year or so ago. Tonight it was awful. The worst is that the marguiritas are made with an agave mix with artificial sweetener. I still have that awful after taste in my mouth. I asked at the bar what they use and the very nice man showed me the bottle. I am so disappointed.
(1)Maria R.
this place is really good, I recommend the carne asada, if you're really hungry! this place serves big , big portions! I was very satisfy.
(4)Trey H.
A really great location with everything you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant. The food and margarita's are so-so.
(2)adam a.
We enjoyed eating here while on vacation and had a mexican craving. The food was good and the location very nice. Nothing to get too excited about, standard mexican restaurant. The portions are huge, we wanted to get some ice cream afterwards but just couldn't. Would probably eat here again if we were in the area and wanted a safe bet for mexican.
(3)Michel T.
After walking around for a while, we found this place and managed to grab a spot on the patio. It has a neat location right on the river and the menu is very extensive, all the typical Mexican fare but also some basics like burgers and chicken fingers. If you are looking for a relaxed dining experience with some good food, then come on over to Casa Grande in Estes Park. Don't come here if you are in a hurry or are picky about authentic south of the Border food. They take their time and their food is very tasty, but don't come here expecting anything too fancy.
(4)