CASA Downtown

11/29/09

Lavendar Margarita --- mmm

by uscgrad97 at Citysearch

I've been here a few times...the first time was 5 de mayo 2008 where I first encountered the AWESOME lavendar margaritas. THANK you for those. The scene was crazy - full of fun people, mostly downtowners after work. Other times were OK but then I was here a month ago for a bday party and had a BLAST. My favorite things about CASA that night were Sean (one of the owners) who has mad bartending skills, and the old-school lucha libra movie that was playing in the background. Fun fun fun!!!

• Pros: Sean, lavendar margaritas, good scene mostly

01/06/09

Great food, ambiance, and service!

by cadreamin at Citysearch

We went to Casa for dinner late last week and seriously loved this place. The small-plates dinner menu is fun for small groups of friends and allows for everyone to taste a number of dishes. The prices are actually extremely reasonable and a nice relief in this economy! The little booths (they call them "casitas") are a unique design concept and truly offer a feeling of privacy. Very nice, comfortable interior! The open kitchen was interesting to watch too.

Our favorites on the dinner menu included the "Guac Y Mole" (fun name) appetizer, Chile Rellano (very spicy-hot but incredible flavors - an absolute must order), the rabbit, Carne Asada, huarachitos (with shredded pork), Octopus salad, quesadillas with mushrooms, the ceviches ... honestly, everything we tried. I'd recommend ordering 3 plates per person in each party. But save room for dessert - they were great too. One of our party preferred more vegetarian food, which was a bit limited on the menu. Hopefully the Chef will add some more items in that category.

Service was very attentive, and friendly. They were knowledgeable about the menu and could describe each "plate" in detail. Not bad for a new place!

Drinks are unique and inventive too. My favorite was the house-made Sangria, which went well with everything. There are some creative margaritas, one with lavender, one with a hint of scotch. Fun for the after-work crowd, I'm sure. If we worked in down-town, we'd certainly try this for lunch or the Happy Hour.

We're definitely going back to Casa soon. Five star in our book!