Casa Bonita

All in all I was impressed. Enjoyed my carnitas tacos, flan, and margaritas -- and super-enjoyed the whole shebang of shows, arcade, divers, etc. Felt totally fine after. Not the best tacos you'll ever have, but solid.

Given the mixed reviews on FMGF, I emailed the restaurant in advance to ask about GF options and practices to prevent cross-contamination. They responded quickly: The only things I needed to avoid were the sopiapillas and the bowl that the taco salad comes in. Both of those items are made in the fryers in the separate sopiapilla kitchen. But they assured me that everything in their main kitchen is gluten free, including the kids' chicken tenders. When we checked in and ordered our food, the cashier voluntarily repeated all of this verbatim. Left me feeling confident and welcome. Oh and the chips are fine too eat too!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Loved going back to Casa Bonita. So many childhood memories there. When we checked in for our meal we were asked of any food allergies. They were great about telling me all that was gluten free. The chips are in a separate fryer from the taco shells and taco shell bowl, which are made in a different part of the restaurant. The taco shells and taco bowl shell are not gluten free. I had the enchiladas Christmas style. They were yummy. I had the chips too. Also yummy! I am severe celiac and did not get sick. The margaritas were good too.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

I finally got off the waitlist and went last night for the first time in like 20 years. The majority of the menu is labeled as gluten free. Before I went I emailed and tried to ask about kitchen standards to prevent cross contamination and if the chips would be celiac friendly. I got back a pretty rude non answer email simply stating “we are a Mexican restaurant,” so I’m not sure what their email correspondence team thinks I was asking but it’s probably a lack of education. When I got there the girls taking orders at the counter didn’t know for sure the risks of contamination either. When we picked up the food the guy at the counter was super helpful and said they prep everything separate and that chips were corn based. The taco salad is not in a gluten free bowl but otherwise that’s the only gluten item in the main food line, per the guy. He said they change gloves before delivering food (didn’t see this happen though) and that any fryers used are separate. It’s like a cafeteria line so I think the staff only touch the food items immediately in their section but I can’t tell. They also had a couple gluten free deserts on the menu too. They give you more food than I was expecting. But after eating there last night I do feel nauseated today and I’m not sure if it’s from gluten or from just poor quality food. I got the enchilada because I am vegetarian as well. It was.. fine. Very very bland and cold. Also they increased the ticket cost from $40 to $50. But you have options if you go and depending on who you ask it is “gluten free.”

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

No one goes to Casa Bonita for the food. I couldn't find posted information about allergins. But the employee that checked us in had Celiac! And said the facility is peanut-free and that they do a good job of preparing food separately in the kitchen. GF items are marked on the menu and the digital card readers can show you a list of ingredients for each item. The server seemed less knowledgeable and the items did not come out marked in any special way. Because this is a situation where there isn't real communication with the kitchen, I think it is higher risk and I'm less confident eating here. That being said, I had chicken mole, and while I didn't get sick, I definitely felt bloated/gassy/not the best. Although I'm not so sure that was gluten so much as just mass-produced theme-park-esque food. Just like the old Casa Bonita, at least the margaritas were good! And the cliff divers made the experience. I also was able to sneak in a lunchbox that had a salad and snacks in it, and security searched my bad and made no comment. Go and have fun and best of luck to you! There are GF desserts to replace sopaipillas as well, although they cost extra. Skip all that and just enjoy the puppet show of the food that has been fired from the restaurant. Good times!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average