Bonita Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Fe

No no no, not the one from South Park.

Cassey and Caleb mentioned this place a few times and when it came time to pick a place to grab some food, we flipped a coin for option A or B. Casa Bonita was option A and B was Adelitas. Well, we know how that coin flip went.

Yes, this place has the same name as the famous restaurant in South Park but it is an independently owned place and has no relation to the show.

Anywho, we dropped in on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and quickly ordered drinks and a three dip appetizer. We munched on chips and salsa/queso/quac while sipping beers and shooting the breeze. As with most Mexican-style restaurants, our food was ready in no time flat. I think I got the Burrito Grande and no clue what Cassey got but both meals looked good.

Mine came with a sopapilla and Cassey had to explain the proper way to eat it since I was mildly confused on how my food looked. For the burrito, it was all the non-meat toppings on top of a tortilla shell with the meat inside that. I was going to put it all on the sopapilla and make my own burrito/taco until Cassey said I was supposed to eat it separately with the provided honey. After getting my situation figured out, I dug in.

My meal (and the three dip appetizer) were all great. I was hooked on the queso dip. Their salsa was spot on. Guac… well, I’m not a fan of it. I don’t hate it but I don’t care much for the flavor or texture. The sopapilla was really delicious on it’s own. I tried it with the honey but preferred it by itself.

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and time at Casa Bonita. The place still has a ‘newness’ feeling to it and I guess that makes sense since they only opened up a year or so ago.

One neat feature that is more common in coffeehouses is the artwork on the wall is from local artists and is for sale. I know Santa Fe and New Mexico as a whole is a very artsy area but it was cool to see, even if the price tags on some of the art was...

A true hidden treasure, in a secret location and very successful history. This restaurant was placed in the location of the prior original location of second street brewery and it's a pleasant predecessor to say the least. After hearing wonderful reviews from a recent Facebook post, we decided to try it on a random Thursday night, not being sure exactly what to expect. The location at the time was still needing it's liquor license, and the parking lot being relatively empty, was a little intimidating, but upon entering the restaurant we were pleasantly greeted and sat immediately. The menu was simple and had a vast arrangement of dishes, we started the night with drinks, water and a soda, to then try the house salad that spoiler alert, is big enough to share. The vegetables being fresh, crunchy, and delicious. I am one to be adventurous so I ordered the green chile shrimp alfredo, my husband ordering the fish and chips. Now, it's not uncommon that either the alfredo was going to be either a disappointment or delicious. I was extremely pleased to note the sauce was flavorful, full of heat, and delicious, so much so I ate the whole dish. Served with toast, it was perfect to mop up what was remaining of the sauce, and the pasta was salted. My biggest pet peeve for pasta is when it is not salted in cooking, but the salinity of the whole dish was not overwhelming. The fish and chips were double fried, and flakey. To finish the meal we ordered the tres leches cake, with Oreo's. I am not one to consider that flavor my favorite, but when an Oreo is soaked in delicious milk, I am not one to complain. Highly recommend, this place won't stay...

This is my first time eating at this new restaurant that opened 3 months ago but has had a great buzz. And it deserves it; our New Mexican dishes were outstanding, some of the best in the city (and we've tried a lot!). I had the Chicharron Burrito, which is a somewhat unusual offering. I love it and try it whenever I find it. This version was outstanding! The Chicharron's were super crispy and tasty, and the red chile is some of the best in town (my previous favorite was at Cafe Castro's). They have this dish, too, and I think Casa Bonita is on par, maybe superior. The refried beans inside, the rice outside, and a little green salad made this a perfect dish. My wife had a special, which was Carne Adovada Rancheros, which was also outstanding. The Adovado was tender, and the sauce was perfect in the heat department. They started the meal with complimentary chips and salsa; you can get a great gauge of a Mexican restaurant with just those two items. Chips were thick and had just the right amount of salt, the salsa was obviously home made and really outstanding. I'd buy this by the bottle if they ever offer it. Service was excellent; the kitchen was fast in getting the food out. Prices are very reasonable for the quality and the amount of food (yes, we had to take some home). Lastly, get something with a sopapilla! Some of the best ever! To die for. Our sever was M. Gonzales and she was great! Two huge meals and one drink (very good ice tea) was a mere $35. Don't miss out on...