You know that place with the cactus cutout? You know they have 2, one on Cordova and the other facing Abott? The ones that are out there rain or shine. That sees a rainbow flag during pride and a string of lights during Christmas? Well I was here enjoying dinner today. My guest had been here a handful of times and has sworn by the food. He dared say the best Mexican food in Vancouver.
You walk in past the rusted iron gates, and a slew of over grown greenery. Wild vines and prickly cacti that oversees the threshold. The place is usually busy, but with two floors you always get a table without too much of a wait, if any.
Looking around the room you notice that all the cliche Mexican paraphernalia are all present and accounted for. Lucha Libre masks in all different hues; some with lightening shaped eye holes and others with streaks of glitter. The ceiling was strung up with pointed piñatas; on each of their tips hung tassels or streamers to match the confetti and sequins that adorned the rest of it. There was even one dedicated to Raiders football; in black, white, and silver, with their logo embossing the centre. Various colours of sombreros hung off shelves and hooks around the room. Photos and paintings of Mexican women in their homes, with the familiar Mexican multicolored blanket in the background.
The mirrored bar stood alone against the left wall. It was flanked by artificial stone, crafted into cabinets. On it were various bottles of tequila that I recognized from my last trip to Cancun. Above it sat large inflatable bottles of Mexican beer. The walls were an rusted orange with a stripe of brown that ran all the way around the room. The same orange and brown that was the colour of the sauces and beans that came with every entree. I can go on and on describing this place there was just so much to see. Reading it all now it sounds very cluttered; but reality is, all this gave "La Casita" authenticity and an old world charm. Included in the affect was the lively Mexico music sounding over head. Being consumed by all of the above just added to the fun and festivities.
We didn't have just one server dedicated to us. There were over 8 staff members working the 15 tables on the top floor. 4 of which interacted with us throughout our stay. It seemed that in order to work here you either had to be either Mexican or blonde female. Just an observation.
The menu was page after page of items listed by their Mexican names, with their English descriptions underneath. I found it a little difficult to sieve through and narrow down on what I wanted. In the end my guest and I opted to slip the largest and most expensive of share platters. Which still only came to $22.
Our meal began with complimentary tortilla chips accompanied by two different dipping sauces. One of the servers delivered it to us without a word or brief description. Luckily neither of us had any food allergies or restrictions. Had it been the case, it could have been negligence. The dips were poured into little ramekins from a two liter plastic drink jug. The brown one was spicy and tasted almost meaty. And the green, I believe was made from tomatillos, with a texture that closely resembled the creaminess of sour cream. The chips were not your regular Tostitos. They were a tasty corn chip, with only the slightest hint of oil. This we ate down to the grease soaked paper towel, that lined the bottom of the wicker chip basket. And of course we had to have the Mexican beer special along with our meal.
Combo #7 came with one chicken taco, two Texas style enchiladas, one chorizo chimichanga, and a side of rice, beans, and salad. The plate looked like nothing more than a pile of slop, but it smelled like heaven. Sauces oozing, oils seeping, and juices melding. This was one hot mess. When came time to eat I didn't know what was what, but it didn't matter because it all tasted great. Each thing I tried only got better and better. The two Texas style enchilada were smothered in gooey cheese and saturated in a rich tomato sauce. They seemed like a Mexican take on lasagna. I have only ever had too salty chorizo, so was a little wary of the chorizo chimichanga. But it turned out this was my first taste of a great, well balanced chorizo dish. And I am certain that the tortilla shell wrapped around it was battered and deep fried with a layer of melted cheese inside. This was amazing. You thought it must be bad for me, but didn't care enough to stop gorging. Just the fist sized portion we got was enough. Any more and one would have found the taste over whelming and grow tired over it quickly. The chicken taco was a great pallet cleanser. A lighter taste with less grease then that of the beef and pork. The meat was grilled well with handsome char marks and a smokey flavour. The three sides went well with each of the other components. The beans gave the chicken density, and the minced meat a thicker and creamier texture to wrap your tongue around. The rice was well seasoned and a great way to give each bite a satisfying swallow. I would have liked to have the rice in the bowl and more of it, and a little less refried beans in exchange. I was completely surprised over how much I liked this salad. It was a take on coleslaw without any mayonnaise or vinegar. It was so fresh looking that I was unable identify its dressing. But it tasted good and acted as a great buffer for those spiced up bites.
Each component was complimentary but tasted different from one another. This platter had me regretting having have eaten any chips, as they now took me away from being able to finish my portion. Everything was just so darn tasty. Nothing came bland. There were sauces on the table, not that you ever needed any.
Side note, I really liked the fact that their business cards have their daily specials printed on the back.
Would I come back? - Yes. I knew I liked the place when a smile crept across my lips, as I navigated to my seat. This place was just fun to be in. Kitschy decor, upbeat beats, and amazing food. Food from a well dressed and well groomed kitchen staff, operating out of a partially opened kitchen. The dishes were great a blend of Mexican spices meets North America's love affair with deep frying and cheeses. There is so much more to the menu that I would like to try. "Armadillo Eggs" (deep fried jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese), "Flauntas" (flute shaped tacos), and authentic Mexican desserts with agave nectar and abaelita (a Mexican brand of chocolate). This long list isn't even including the giant margaritas as big as your head. There seemed to one seated at every other table. Around each rim was enough salt to season 100 bags of chips. So yes, I plan to be back.
Would I recommend it?- Yes. Did you not read about the huge fish bowl sized drinks above? Enough said. Don't deny your cravings.
Source:
http://www.vieamaggi.com/2013/07/la-casita-mexican-restaurant.html
Here is what other people experienced at the Mexican food restaurant La Casita Gastown
Mexican fiesta night emojiemojiemojiemojiemoji happy birthday @diamellaaa ! #fiesta #gastown #lacasita #vancouver #summer #weekend #bestfriends #instalove #instagood #instalike #love #smiley
Source:
instagram.com/cocoparkin
#lacasita with my Bre-nita :)
Source:
instagram.com/rjcumigad
Enjoying the food and strawberry margaritas like champs in the neighbouhood #lacasita #gastown #Mexicanyumminess #strawberrymargaritasaredelicious #Vancouver #happypride #4daysoff
Source:
instagram.com/stephanietrf
Yo queria dos minis burritos! Jajaj imaginense el grande! #lacasita
Source:
instagram.com/stephanietrf
Proudly serving our customers since 1995!
La Casita Gastown
Mexican Food Restaurant
101 West Cordova str, V6B 1E1
Vancouver, BC, CANADA
Phone: 604 646 2444
http://www.lacasita.ca
