Securing A Seat At Casa Bonita Takes Some Luck
Unless you're from in or around Denver, the first time you probably heard about the existence of a whimsical, Barbie-pink Mexican restaurant called Casa Bonita was likely on the eponymous Season 7 episode of South Park when Cartman hatched an elaborate scheme to be included in Kyle's birthday party there. While Cartman's obsession with experiencing the venue at all costs ultimately gets him arrested, you can secure a seat at Casa Bonita without incarceration, but it does take some luck.
South Park's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone bought the struggling but beloved landmark of their childhood in 2021 and revamped it to the tune of $40 million. As depicted in the Casa Bonita episode, the dining fun land features amusements such as cliff divers, Black Bart's pirate cave, and puppet shows. Following a series of setbacks and delayed openings, the restaurant officially relaunched on June 23, 2023. Unlike most traditional restaurants, you can't just make a reservation at Casa Bonita or walk in off the street and take your chances.
Waiting for a golden ticket
Procuring a seat at Casa Bonita involves an unorthodox process in which you first sign up for an email newsletter in order to be considered for purchasing tickets. You need to email them initially and express your interest, and then the waiting game begins. People are then randomly selected to be sent invitation links providing them the opportunity to buy tickets to the restaurant. Even if you do score success in buying the tickets, the seats are then randomly assigned, with the exception of those who opt to reserve cliffside dining next to the waterfall to watch the cliff divers up close.
The current cost for dinner tickets is $24.99 for kids and $39.99 for adults, a price that includes an entrée, appetizer, soft drink, and the restaurant's signature sopapillas, a fried, sweetened Mexican pastry dessert. Based on early reviews from Reddit's r/Denver forum, most patrons who have been fortunate enough to land tickets are saying that both the food and the entertainment are worth the price of admission and that the newly renovated version of Casa Bonita beats the original in every respect. It's not yet known if or when the restaurant will move on from its current seating system, but for now eager patrons can only wait and see if they receive their "golden ticket" to Parker and Stone's pink version of the Chocolate Factory.