Casa Bonita

[bluedogok]

Hagee's on 39th had good BBQ sandwiches around lunch-time--very basic--meat/sauce on a dinky-bun...5 for $1--a teenage piggy-boy's dream lunch...there was one on West Main in Norman back in the day...late 60's...

The Steve's Rib restaurant started out as the BBQ stand in the Homeland store Edmond Road & Santa Fe. He was an architect by trade and got into the restaurant business during the downturn in the early 80's, he used to come into Triangle A&E quite a bit getting print and supplies.

[Jim Kyle]

The Oklahoman archives doesn't show any match for Hagee's at that location (but several for Pratt's). Not familiar with that grocery store at all. As someone pointed out, Pratts doesn't ever show up with an IGA affiliation. The only archived results were Pratts ads where they mention that they beat IGA prices for the "last 6 weeks"


On edit: I couldn't find ANY match for Hagee's or Hagee, another way to spell it maybe??

On further edit, the Archives appear to be broken, did a search for Pratts and Casa Bonita and am now getting back Zero results (where multiple matches were found previously)

Hagee's was an IGA and was the first store at that NW 39 and Portland location. Pratt's moved in after Hagee's closed.

I used to trade with Mr. Hagee himself, at the NE 36 and Kelley location (which burned down). He was a very good man. At the time I was doing freelance magazine writing and had no fixed regular income. He would let me stock up on groceries, pay with a hot check, and hold the check (not even attempting to deposit it, thus sparing me bank fees and embarrassment) until I could bring in an article payment and buy it back! His son Jerry was the founder of Arbuckle Wilderness south of Davis just off of I35. Jerry ran for the legislature one year, and among his campaign slogans was "I'm well qualified for the state house, having been a zookeeper for some years."

[bluedogok]

The parent company of the existing Casa Bonita location in Lakewood, Colorado filed bankruptcy last week. They also operate Hometown Buffet, not sure if that is still what the one at NW 63rd & NW Expressway is called.

Denver Business Journal - Casa Bonita parent files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

[RadicalModerate]

It's hard to believe that Casa Bonita (in "Denver", formerly of OKC) isn't renting semi-trailers to haul away the cash after all the free publicity provided on South Park.

Oh. Wait. Perhaps the head honchos at "Corporate" already did that . . .

[Larry OKC]

The parent company of the existing Casa Bonita location in Lakewood, Colorado filed bankruptcy last week. They also operate Hometown Buffet, not sure if that is still what the one at NW 63rd & NW Expressway is called.

Denver Business Journal - Casa Bonita parent files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Yes, it is still Hometown Buffet (was there today). May have missed it in the article, but they also own the Ryan's/Fire Mountain chains. They use the same pics and advertising/coupons etc for the Ryans & Hometown locally. How the Casas bonita ever fit into their corporate umbrella is unclear (other than the all-you-can-eat element of Casa Bonita), but it isn't really a buffet place.

The Hometown on Southside closed a few years ago now along with the Fire Mountain that was in front of Wal-Mart on Penn & Memorial. There is still a Ryan's (formerly Fire Mountain) there on I-40, on the access road west of the Wal-mart

[corpsman]

Was at Ryan's I-40 MacArthur/Council location a couple of weeks ago. Poor crowd, poor food selection. Seems to be going downhill fast.

Yes, it is still Hometown Buffet (was there today). May have missed it in the article, but they also own the Ryan's/Fire Mountain chains. They use the same pics and advertising/coupons etc for the Ryans & Hometown locally. How the Casas bonita ever fit into their corporate umbrella is unclear (other than the all-you-can-eat element of Casa Bonita), but it isn't really a buffet place.

The Hometown on Southside closed a few years ago now along with the Fire Mountain that was in front of Wal-Mart on Penn & Memorial. There is still a Ryan's (formerly Fire Mountain) there on I-40, on the access road west of the Wal-mart

[Larry OKC]

That does seem to be the way the Fire Mountain/Ryan's have been run (at least here in OKC). They opened to booming business (the I-40 one had to expand their parking lot) and then as the new wore off, they would start to cut back and business drops...more cutbacks...business drops...etc etc etc. So they changed the name on the place but nothing else (exact same food etc). Not sure what the story was with the souhside Hometown as it always seemed busy (or at least as busy as the northside one).

But to sort of get back to the thread topic, Tulsa's Casa Bonita suffered from the same mentality to a degree (promises of return to food quality etc) but failed to deliver and eventually closed a couple of times (Casa Bonita/Casa Viva/Casa Bonita). I keep hoping that they will reopen up there or better yet reopen here in OKC where Casa started in 1968. While the original location is currently vacant it is really to small for it (was the smallest one of the eventual chain). Would probably need to open in Bricktown to take advantage of the built in tourists.

[bluedogok]

I know that the Lakewood Casa Bonita was open in September when I was up there, weekend before least we drove by it early on Sunday morning before it opened so not sure if it still is. We weren't on that side of Denver this weekend staying in the Aurora area before heading back to OKC on Monday. Since I will be up there full time starting next weekend I may wander by during open hours and see if it is still operating.

[Larry OKC]

Unless the parent company goes under I don't see the Denver one closing any time soon. Reportedly, one of the problems other Casa's ran into was their long-term leases ran out and the strip mall owners wanted too much of an increase to renew. A couple of years ago I had heard that the Denver location was approaching the end of their lease (which would have been a 35 yr lease) but it had been renewed. Don't know if it was the case or not and if it was another long-term lease or not. In any case the article about the bankruptcy indicated that the filing wouldn't effect store operations (including Casa). But if you can, talk to management and see if you can get any inside info.

[capitalhillkid]

I never went to one in OKC, but used to be devoted to the one in Tulsa back when it first opened. It was good food, and such a charming and lovely place, with so much variety of rooms. But the last time I went there, in about 2000 I think, it was really awful: smelly, shabby, with crummy food. The whole neighborhood has deteriorated of course, and that nice strip mall is just junk now.

[Larry OKC]

captainhillkid: what you described was another common theme with all of the Casa Bonita locations I know of (OKC, Tulsa, Little Rock & even Denver)...all located in strip malls that had seen better days when they eventually closed. The OKC Casa was the highest grossing Mexican restaurant in the country at one point. Course this was before all of the fast food and Mexican places seemingly on every corner. There indeed were spans when the a lot of the food was pretty bad (remember when they changed the seasoning for all of the beef items and it tasted rancid). Fortunately they had introduced the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and when prepared correctly, they were sinfully rich and delicious. One thing that never seemed to change in taste/quality was that fantastic sopapillias (although they did seem to get smaller as I got older...LOL). Light delicate puffed pillows of fried dough. tear off a corner and pour in the honey and rotate it around to coat it completely on the inside. SLURP!

There are some places that make some very good ones, but have yet to find ones that are Casa's equal.

[bs2007]

I worked at the Casa on 39th back in the mid 80's and am looking for any pics from that era of the Banannas the monkey costume. I spent many a weekend night between 84 and 85 in that smelly old costume but cant find any images of it. I have been telling my wife and 14 yr old son about just how good the food was back in those days. Any pics would be cool.

[Larry OKC]

bs2007: please post any pics that you can find. Also if you have ANYTHING (pics, menus, employee name tags/buttons etc that you might be interested in parting with please let me know here or send me a PM. Thanks in advance!

[Larry OKC]

I am VERY interested in locating Casa Bonita calendars (have Oklahoman ads mentioning them) and a printed copy of the Legend of Casa Bonita. I remember seeing it back in the day and from what I remember was printed on the same type of brown craft/parchment type paper that the menus were printed and may have even been printed on the back. However, the various menus I have collected from Little Rock, Tulsa & Denver don't have it on them.

[janeyring]

posts from another thread...

Casa Bonita was our favorite place to eat when my brother Jimmy and my sister-in-law Paula lived in Warr Acres not far from the restaurant. We loved 'raising the flag', especially my brother. The food was great.
Janey Reynolds Ring

[Plutonic Panda]

South Park creators buy the name:

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news...er/8125683002/

[bucktalk]

I vividly recall the Casa Bonita in Tulsa and how long the lines were to get inside. Of course, all you can eat for $4.95 should draw a crowd! Yum!

[sooner88]

Matt and Trey of South Park fame just signed a $950mm+ contract for new seasons / movies. At the same time, they agreed to purchase Casa Bonita out of bankruptcy. They’ve apparently hired a solid chef to take over the food issues they previously had.

[Bunty]

There have been so many, but probably my favorite South Park had Cartman absolutely having to go to Casa Bonita for Kyle's birthday party.

[Bunty]

I went to the Casa Bonita in Tulsa a few times. It was cool.

[traxx]

Didn't Madonna sing a song about Casa Bonita?

[Bill Robertson]

Didn't Madonna sing a song about Casa Bonita?

Close. It was La Isla Bonita. Decent song.

[rizzo]

The Steve's Rib restaurant started out as the BBQ stand in the Homeland store Edmond Road & Santa Fe. He was an architect by trade and got into the restaurant business during the downturn in the early 80's, he used to come into Triangle A&E quite a bit getting print and supplies.

Steve is still doing Architect stuff current projects under way. I worked at the Homeland during my high school years and ate from his stand all the time.

[Brett]

[Brett]

Casa Bonita eliminates tipping.

Popular restaurant eliminates tipping