Memories of Casa Bonita from Colorado-adjacent Kansas as the retro gem prepares to reopen

When I was a kid growing up in 1980s Dodge City, I’d frequently shelter from the summer-break heat by watching cartoons and reruns of “Three’s Company” and “Happy Days” in my dark, cool basement.

Dodge City, a western Kansas town that’s relatively close to Colorado, was targeted with lots of advertisements from the Denver market, and the commercial I remember most touted a magical restaurant I could only dream of visiting: Casa Bonita.

The restaurant, which opened in 1974 in a strip center in the west-Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado, has been in the news lately for a reason as bizarre as its very existence. Casa Bonita closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, breaking the hearts of both kids from the 1980s and of — oddly — fans of “South Park,” who were introduced to the restaurant in an episode of the show that aired in 2003 and perfectly captured the desperation some children felt to get to “The Disneyland of Mexican Restaurants.”

“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone — both native Coloradans— announced a year after Casa Bonita’s closing that they had struck a deal to buy the place. Now, after a $40 million rehab, the restaurant is on the verge of reopening, though no date has been announced.

I never got to go to Casa Bonita as a child, but I never forgot the place. The commercials I remember watching showed diners clapping furiously as muscular men in Speedos dove from cliffs into a pool of crystal blue water that was table-adjacent. My clearest memory from the ads is of a guy in a gorilla suit being chased around while smiling families enjoyed nacho cheese-covered enchiladas and greasy sopapillas.

This was long before the invention of restaurant attractions like Rainforest Cafe, and my 10-year-old brain could not process that something like Casa Bonita really existed. I begged my parents to take me during our next road trip out west, but being the smart people they are, they always declined.

Then — about 20 years ago — some friends and I drove to Colorado for a ski trip. We were hungry when we got to Denver, and it suddenly hit me: Casa Bonita. My travel companions were skeptical, but I insisted. I was robbed as a child and was determined to finally see it.

As I recall, we walked in and were slammed in the face by a wave of chlorine-saturated air. We grabbed a tray and had to order our entrees at the counter. They all looked rather sad as they were slapped on our plates.

We were then led to a table, and because the place was empty, we got a seats right next to the lagoon. Every now and then, a diver would appear and do a triple front flip that he launched from a slimy-looking rock into the bleach bath below. I never saw a gorilla.

Clearly, the place was past its prime, but I still loved it. The kitsch factor alone was enough to blow me away, and although the food was pretty revolting, I still considered the visit to be a five-star experience. I sang the catchy jingle from the 1980s commercials throughout the whole ski trip.

Fast forward to 2021. My friend and I were taking our four teenagers on a ski trip, and we were hungry. “Casa Bonita!” I shouted, pumped about the idea of introducing a new generation to Colorado’s best/worst dining attraction. I searched for directions, and that’s when I learned that the restaurant was closed — though perhaps not for good.

Needless to say, I’ve been closely following along with Casa Bonita’s rehab ever since. Though I was not a huge “South Park” watcher, I can’t think of anything better these two irreverent writers could have done with their millions than to save a nostalgic dining treasure. It’s what I’d do if I were rich.

Last week, the New York Times published a huge story about “Casa Bonita’s” impending return, complete with technicolor photos — and one looks like it was taken at the very table where I sat 20 years ago.

According to the piece, Casa Bonita no longer reeks of chlorine, and the food is being prepared by a chef who was a James Beard Award nominee. Parker and Stone essentially tore the place down and rebuilt it exactly as it was, only now it’ll be clean and smell good.

I’m sure it’ll be a year or more before the furor over the restaurant’s revival calms down and people from Kansas will actually be able to get seats. But once that happens, you can bet I’ll be there.

And although I’ll be one of the few who will kind of miss the signature stench and slight scumminess that made Casa Bonita a 1980s icon, I’m thrilled that it’s been saved. I’m not quite as desperate as “South Park’s” Cartman to get there, but get there I will.

Have you ever been to Casa Bonita? Share your memories with me and let me know if you plan to visit its reincarnation. And if you do, can I come?