Casa Bonita opens public reservations: What you need to know

DENVER ( KDVR ) — On Monday afternoon, Casa Bonita opened up long-awaited reservations to the public , but some people were able to book a table at the beloved Mexican restaurant before then.

Casa Bonita is a nostalgic restaurant for many, as it opened in the 1970s and was the go-to place for birthdays and celebrations — that is until its owners filed for bankruptcy in 2021. Soon after, the creators of “South Park” purchased the pink landmark and spent upwards of $40 million to revamp the spot.

While the restaurant reopened last summer , many people haven’t gotten the chance to see the cliff divers and puppet show, as the restaurant had a ticketed waitlist. Now, reservations are opening to the public, which means getting a table at the “Disneyland of Mexican restaurants” will be a little easier.

What to know when booking Casa Bonita reservations

Here’s what you should know if you’re planning on making a reservation.

Reservations open to the public on Monday

Anyone can make a reservation directly on Casa Bonita’s website as of Monday at 3 p.m.

However, as of 9 a.m. ,Casa Bonita’s Founders Club members were able to sign up fo reservations. This group was people who previously signed up for Casa Bonita’s email list. Those who signed up received some exclusive deals, like discounts at El Mercado, as well as early bookings for reservations.

While the Founders Club memberships aren’t being offered to everyone, some of those who signed up were already able to get a table with priority booking, which filled up less than two hours after they were made available.

You don’t need to prepay, but have a card ready

Casa Bonita isn’t making diners prepay anymore, but the restaurant still requires diners to put down a card when booking a reservation.

The restaurant said it isn’t charging anything in advance, but there’s a card on file in case there’s a cancellation. If you cancel within 24 hours or don’t show up, you will be charged $10 per person on the card.

You can modify or cancel the reservation more than 24 hours before the reservation.

Include everyone in the seat count

Casa Bonita is accepting parties up to 10 people, but when making reservations, the restaurant said to count all members of your party, including any children under three years old.

While young children need to be in the seat count, the restaurant said they aren’t required to order an entrée.

Booking links are valid through September

If you received a link for reservations from the waitlist, those are still valid through September. After the end of September, those will no longer be valid, and the restaurant is now asking people to book through the website.

For those who have a reservation in September, those reservations are still guaranteed.

If you don’t get a reservation Monday, there are options

Casa Bonita is booking into October and November, but the restaurant said to check back regularly for reservations as it said it’s always adding new inventory.

Casa Bonita is located on West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood and it’s open Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-10:30 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. On Sundays, it’s open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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