Casa Nueva — Restaurant in Athens

Casa Nueva is a literal gem.

First off, this is a no tip establishment, the prices are inclusive.

Everything is prepared with thought and the time it takes to truly make something right. This food has depth , it has flavor galore and it is prepared with care and glorious presentation. To add the cherry on top, they use local produce and meats which helps the local economy and also gives their food an advantage amongst the competition when it comes to freshness and quality.

We got - burrito (full), a chimichanga (full), chips and salsa and a salad with the blueberry vinaigrette incredible. Our total was $44. You may initially feel like it’s expensive but I cannot tell you how large these things are. I’m a big eater and I couldn’t finish it all, a half size probably would have done me right and those are around $7.50 instead of $15. I, however, now have lunch for tomorrow, they re-heat well.

A couple of added bonuses about this establishment is that their bartenders actually understand how to make drinks even if they’re not on the menu, which is a great drink menu by the way. They often have live performances by musical artists and the walls are decorated with paintings that you can actually buy from local artists. SO COOL!

The entire vibe of this establishment makes you feel like it’s been here for 100 years and that they actually love what they do. You can’t help but relax when you’re here.

A current and hopefully temporary setback is their dining hours. Due to staffing, the dining room is only open Thursday - 4-8pm, Friday - 4-9pm, Saturday - 9am-9pm and Sunday 9am-3pm and you have to call their number for availability because the door to the dining room is and will remain locked. We called when we walked up, however, and were able to get right in for two with no wait!

To remedy this situation they are actually available and OPEN EVERY DAY for contactless delivery, carry-out and curbside from 11am-8pm. So you can get this amazing food anyway!

The phone number for both is 740-592-206

Let me be perfectly clear, I’m stingy with my 5-star reviews and this restaurant deserves every one of them. I have not one sub-par...

I do not often leave negative reviews, I prefer to only leave positive ones. However, in this case I was caught off guard and very disappointed. So here we are .

"Worker owned" and no tipping equal way over priced and bad service. As someone that has lived in China and has seen communist businesses operate first hand, this is what you get. The prices are unreasonable for what you get, just to people to be slow, unmotivated, and rude. The " owners" mostly hung out in the kitchen and had inappropriate conversations and complained. We moved here from Florida and have all lived in NYC, this would never fly in either place.

Three of us went and I spent about $60. We did not drink, have desert or even get chips and salsa ( which at this Mexican restaurant are not free).

We were seated in the back in a smaller side room near the kitchen. My fiancee got the impression we did not fit their normal customer demographic, so they wanted to put us out of the way. We did not feel welcomed or appropriated in this place. Which, is ironic, being that the people that run this place are the type to preach kindness, inclusion, being considerate. But apparently that only applies when it is towards them.

After we paid the bill our server was done. No good bye, thank you or come again. When I was walking past her to leave and said thank you she didn't even acknowledge me. She just keep chatting with her friends at the bar.

This place is more of a social experiment then a real restaurant. If you want to overpay solely to give people money they didn't work for and have woke agenda pushed at every level, then this is a place for you.

If not then I would definitely...

Casa Nueva, a worker-owned cooperative, is one of the few places to eat in uptown Athens, OH, and while the absence of competitive quality-augmentation may be a common theme among Athens' small selection of eateries, Casa isn't bad. The restaurant's wait-staff of 'worker-owners' can sometimes be disappointingly inattentive (even rude), but the community there is, if nothing, tight knit, and carries an air of local charm. The table-side service leaves a little something to be desired, but despite a few awkward incidences, I'll concede to the idea that one can generally make it through a Casa lunch/brunch relatively painlessly. A 20% gratuity is built into the price of food and drink so if you DO have a bad experience, there is no retribution. The food is a bit pricey, but won't break the bank (add-ons and side items sometimes carry a completely unreasonable price tag). The cost of alcohol is also high, but the drinks are strong and the bartenders are competent. Due to the sparsity of dining and drinking options in town, Casa Nueva is among the hottest spots in Athens to spend an evening... and after a while it might grow on you. I will say that, as a late-night music venue, I have enjoyed Casa on numerous occasions. Three stars for the restaurant, four stars for the bar/bodega, and five for the music. Four stars, baby. Go and check out a show and let loose of your scathing resentment for life, you cantankerous jerkface :) Enjoy your stay in Athens - the other...