CASA CATRINA Finest Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Olympia

My wife and I stopped in for dinner recently for our first visit here and were quite disappointed with almost everything we ordered. The guacamole was a dull green, like it was yesterday's leftover, and the taste reflected that. The esquites, which the menu said was "whole roasted cob" had no cob at all, and the corn kernels were soft and mushy, like they'd been defrosted from frozen. The overall taste was okay, but the texture was disappointing. I ordered the birria tacos and found them flavorless. I'd have added salt, but there were no salt and pepper shakers on any of the tables. The rice and beans were lacking in flavor as well. My wife's chile relleno was average.

After seeing the good reviews for this place, we were excited about eating here, but the reality was that the food was lacking and very overpriced considering. We were there on a Wednesday around 6pm and were surprised that no one else was there. By the time we left an hour later, not another soul had walked in the door.

On the plus side, service was great and the restaurant was clean and the decor lively and colorful, if a little on the sparse side. All in all, Casa Catrina didn't impress us enough for a second visit....

My husband and I had dinner at Casa Catrina a few nights ago. The place has an okay atmosphere. Clean. Older booths, but comfy. Unfortunately the food and service were hit and miss.

The service: They had one server on duty so I can forgive some issues as he had a few tables to deal with, but we did have to wait for basics. He didn't acknowledge our presence when we were waiting to be seated. He didn't bring us salsa with chips (we had to ask).

The food: Chips and Salsa: Chips were basic, nothing special. Salsa was terrible - watered down so much that it had no taste, no spice. Super weird. Guacamole: Tasty, so that's a good item to get. Birria tacos: My husband liked them. Carne Asada Plate: The steak was excellent, well-seasoned and cooked perfectly. The beans and rice were under-seasoned. Their corn tortillas were not hand-made, but do have a decent flavor. Drinks - Barely any liquor in them, which means they are really overpriced for what you get.

Will we ever go again? No. We spent $90 on a forgettable meal....

My husband and I were very pleasantly surprised by Casa Catrina! We got the ceviche, birria tacos and carne asada and they were all great! The ceviche was very citrus-forward and delicious - we split the entree as an appetizer (I don't think it was big enough to be a full entree personally). The three birria tacos came grilled and warm and melty with cheese. And my husband's carne asada was seriously awesome. Cooked to perfection, juicy and not dry, seasoned perfectly - someone knows exactly how to cook meat back in the kitchen. We also loved the decor, it really seems like it could feel very cozy and vacation-y with a bit more color on the walls. We loved the greenery on the ceiling and think it would look great on the walls like a garden! My only complaint is the gendered bathrooms - unnecessary really. Other than that, the food and service was EXCELLENT. We were very impressed. We'll be back to try their...