La Casita Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Crystal River

It was just after 9pm on a Saturday night when I drove by while out looking for a bite to eat, and I noticed they were still open. Decided to check when they closed, and it wasn't until 10pm, so I stopped in. I was promptly greeted in a friendly and courteous manner, and told I could sit wherever I liked. The server arrived quickly to offer a menu and complimentary chips with salsa (standard fare at Mexican restaurants around here), and took my drink order. I really had a craving for chorizo con huevos, but it was only listed on the lunch menu. I asked the server if chorizo con height was available outside of lunch, and she said yes. So I ordered them. The food came back pretty quickly, and I was told the plate was hot. It wasn't just hot, it was nuclear, so be warned that when they say a plate is hot, they're not playing (thankfully no burned fingers but if you have little ones, be watchful). The tortillas that came with the entree were about as hot as the plate. The tortilla chips served prior to the meal were of the thinner variety, so they didn't feel too heavy to munch on. The salsa was flavorful, and definitely not spicy, though I found it need just a dash of salt since I don't think the chips were salted. The chorizo con huevos comes with a nice portion of chorizo mixed into scrambled eggs, Mexican rice, and refried beans topped with a little cheese. The chorizo was flavorful, but not as spicy or overpowering as some chorizo can sometimes be. The eggs were also cooked just right (they're very easy to over cook and whoever prepped the meal did an excellent job). The server was very friendly and outgoing, and it looked like there was plenty of staff on hand taking care of the few other diners in the restaurant. I was checked on frequently, and my drink refilled as needed. Sadly, they were out of horchata, which I've had from here before, and found it quite enjoyable. I've actually had their food carry out a few times prior to this visit. Everything I've tried has been good, though the time I tried their menudo (they serve red menudo), I was saddened by the lack of hominy. It was still pretty good, but I'm used to it having hominy. One thing I wish they had more of was a better variety...

While they tried to make it look authentic with a coat of paint, it looked a Lil too dark and dingy for my taste. The bathroom seemed clean however the soap dispenser squirted soap all over my shirt. Our server was friendly until I asked her about their chicken. I was interested in knowing if the chicken they used was dark meat, white meat or a combination of the two in their chicken tacos/quesadillas. She got flustered and didn't understand what I meant, mind you she spoke perfect English. It wasn't until a female patron sitting in the next booth walked over with her plate of chicken tacos and unfolded them so I could see what type of chicken they used. It may sound trivial but I prefer white meat and would have ordered something else had it been anything other than white meat Chicken. I finally ordered the chicken quesadilla it came with rice, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes. My quesadilla itself tasted okay as well as the refried beans, however the rice was horrible! It tasted as if it had been cooked in soapy water. The presentation on the plate was not appealing as well. Everything I just described was smushed altogether on the plate. Our server never came back to check on us or ask if everything was OK or if we needed anything. I'm hoping this is NOT the best Mexican food Citrus County has to offer as the friend I was meeting for lunch there described it to be. It definitely was not worth the $20 I spent and this was on a single ordered just for myself. Keep in mind that reviews are expressed from a personal perspective and individual...

Really hopeful that this place sticks around, very good and very filling food. The staff is very nice but it does seem like some of them are still getting the hang of the menus and what not so be patient with them. The prices are actually very reasonable compared to some other places. I would certainly recommend giving them a try if you haven't yet, they also have a very tasty red salsa that comes complementary when you dine in along with a baskit of chips. My meal and drink came out to about $9 and his meal and drink was about $15 then we got an appetizer just to try and that was around $9 as well so honestly that's not bad for 2 people and I had a lot of nachos to take home after because I was to full from my meal to eat the app lol, parking is a little limited though so if you wanna meet up with anyone maybe...