Casa Nueva

Came in for breakfast and dinner during the weekend. Great food for the value of its price.

(Bar review) Casa is my bar of choice! It gets an older crowd more college graduates than anything but it can be pretty mixed. They have really enjoyable theme nights my favorite is 80’s dance. Open mike is also a fun thing to check out, really talented people like to stop by.
Some of the best mixed drinks in athens are made at casa. They have huge variety of infused vodkas, Ginger is my favorite. This is a great place to grab a drink check out there calendar for different deals they do! Btw they don’t accept tips.

No tipping! I would come back just for that. Really though I was not all that impressed. I tempered my expectations because I did not expect «normal» Mexican food or really Mexican food at all. I was expecting more flavor. I ordered a seasonal dish with pickled vegetables and while the veggies had good flavor, the rest of the dish did not. I was not excited with the fillings and the meat was way under-​seasoned. The chipotle salsa on top was just «ok.»
The service was slow; dear lord it took an hour to get seated on a Saturday afternoon. Not all bad though. It did satisfy my hippie dippie crunchy granola atmosphere fix for awhile. The server was very nice. It didn’t cost a lot. Did I mention they pay their servers a living wage which means no tipping (allegedly. I have not worked there)? I’d give 3.5 stars if I could.

I have eaten here a few times, and it’s always been good, but that’s all. It’s good, but nothing over the top. I would give it a 3 ½ out of 5 stars, not a 3 as rated above.
The pros of the restaurant are the quality of ingredients, the options for vegetarian and vegan customers, the tortilla soup, and the huevos rancheros. However, I do think the huevos lack something, but I’m not sure what. However, I still enjoy it every time I visit.
The biggest con of the restaurant is the service. Man, is it slow! It takes forever to get a table, even when it seems that there are many open tables on the cantina side. However, it will still end up taking about 30 or more minutes to get a table, regardless of the time or day. The waiters are usually kind, but everything just seems to move at such a slow pace.
Overall, it’s a good restaurant. But it’s lacking a little bit of flavor and the customer service needs to be fixed.

I love Casa Nueva. I moved to Columbus over a year ago and have yet to find something that fills the void. I have explained Casa to people who have never had it as Mexican inspired, locally sourced (Appalachian), comfort food.
It is literally the place you go when you’ve had a bad day or a good day. Any time of day. They have a bodega lunch menu for a quick bite during the day. They have a tasty breakfast menu that I haven’t had as much time to explore, but the dinner and drink menus are what I’d recommend.
Their Bloody Mary’s are fantastic. They usually have a rotation of Ohio craft beers and daily drink specials.
(Assuming you’ve explored the menu to some degree) They have some of spiciest, most unique, homemade salsas I’ve ever had. Their burritos are not what you would think of as a traditional burrito. They are bit on the dry side (some salsa on the side is a good solution) and are folded into a pillowy square, but you will get a handsome portion that will probably leave you with some leftovers. The vegetables are seasonal and so the menus often change along with them.
My go-​to order is the enchiladas verde with chicken AND jasmine rice (cost a little extra, but it is worth it). Depending on how hungry I am, I usually get a cup of vegetarian chili (even I’m no longer vegetarian) with chips and cheese as an appetizer.

Enchilada? more like enchil-​NOT-​a! I am not sure what the demographic is in Athens, but this could very well be some of the worst Mexican food I’ve ever had. it’s like someone heated Annie’s burritos by leaving them in the sun on a rooftop of a burnt out rubber factory in downtown Cincinnati.
the salad is confused. it’s like the lettuce is the fat, ugly friend who was left out of a girls night out. and the chili. this isn’t chili. this is sadness. this is Picasso’s blue period in chili form. I died inside when I ate this.
the margaritas were cheap. I guess that’s a plus. I think it’s a marketing ploy. I see what you did there, casa nueva. but you can’t get this girl drunk enough to eat this food.
This place needs more than just salt in their cuisine. They need Jesus. I’m planning on dropping off the bible in my hotel room tomorrow.
Spare yourself the misery and drive an hour north to steak n shake. Godspeed.

The server was pleasant and they were sure to keep my water filled the whole time I waited for my scorched enchiladas. Burnt so badly that I could not eat it. Server was apologetic and that was fine. Still hungry, guess I will go somewhere else as I asked them to take the plate away.

Casa is the quintessential Athens restaurant. And nowhere else could a place of business get away with what they do. Here’s a rundown of my experience for the restaurant side:
Wait: Right from the start Casa is going to break your expectations of an enjoyable evening. If you are in a hurry or have plans for after dinner, Casa is not the place to go. Expect to wait at least 25 – 45 minutes for a table at dinner time. Even if the restaurant side is seemingly empty of slow. They don’t want to overwhelm the kitchen staff making your «slow food.» Score: 1
Service: More often than not, the service is terrible at best, and the staff is truly unapologetic about it. In my last visit, our server not only lied to us, but ignored us as much as possible. Getting a refill on a drink feels like being Oliver Twist asking for more. And don’t bother trying to complain, there’s no manager to complain to. Just accept it because it’s Casa. Score: 1
Food: Casa serves its version of Mexican style food. This is the major reason to come here, Sometimes they knock one out of the park. Pear/​Apple habanero salsa AMAZING. Burnt nachos to go with it… not so much. Overall the food is okay, but by the time you get it you’re so hungry you’ll eat anything, including their very sustainable paper napkins. But remember, it’s slow food using local ingredients whenever possible. So you should just accept it because… Casa. Score: 2
Price: Tips are included in the price of your food. And while some would argue that this model works, the reality of it fails. First, if the service is less than stellar, there’s no recourse. There is no motivation for the servers to do their job as best they can. The result is sub par service on most occasions. That said, local ingredients do cost more. So paying a little more for fresh, whole food does offset the tip thing. But given those two factors, it is overpriced. Score: 2
NOTE: If you do leave a tip it is sent to a local charity.
Atmosphere: It is very laid back, casual and hipster Their unresponsive slowness may be a misguided attempt at trying to slow the hustle and bustle of life to a crawl. Unfortunately, as many other reviewers have said, it is more frustrating than relaxing. Casa prominently displays art from local artists on its walls and rotates it monthly. Other than that, there isn’t much in the way of atmosphere other than what you and the patrons surrounding you make. There is some background music if a band isn’t playing on the Catina side. It’s generally an uncomfortable temperature in the restaurant, usually cold. Score: 2
Cleanliness: Surprisingly for a bunch of «hippie communists», some with questionable personal hygiene, the place is clean. The kitchen is clean. The restrooms are clean. Score: 5
Management: NONE. Casa is a worker owned business, and they owners all have an equal vote/​say. But if there is a problem, there is no one taking a lead to ensure customer satisfaction. And they don’t care if you’re not satisfied. They have beat down their regulars and the general public to accept that they are going to continue operating as they have. And as long as the faithful keep pumping money into their coffers, they have no reason to change any of their methods. Nor would they if they had to, they tout their hippy-​dippy selves as being the only place in Athens to get local food (which it isn’t) and that you should support them simply because they are Casa. Score: 0
Overall Score: 1.86
Summary: I am a local. I’ve been going to Casa for several years. But it is plummeting in quality, price, and service. After my last experience, I will not be going back anytime soon to eat in. Takeout, maybe. I hope that the collective can pull it back together and fix it.

Got here at 540pm, took until 715 to get food. On a Sunday. Food waaay overpriced for the portion size. Never never coming back. Don’t waste your time, go get a pizza. Oh and they couldn’t have cared less about the wait… they don’t take tips.

We were excited to visit Casa Nueva again; our last visit was about 4 years ago, and the food was a highlight of our trip to Athens. The location looks about the same as before, but some items on the menu had changed (they used to do this amazing green dip…). We had two custom infusions (the berry amarula — delicious; and the coffee bean vanilla root beer — bitter undertone from the coffee). We were happy to see that they continue to make some of the best salsas around. We had a chicken burrito and chicken enchiladas; both were good-​sized servings, quite filling. Our food delivery was also surprisingly slow, and there didn’t seem to be a good reason for that slowness. The restaurant was not crowded when we arrived, though it filled up within about 30 minutes. Our server seemed to be fairly new; he needed to consult with someone before responding to half of our questions.
In short, it was a good visit, but not the great one my memory had prepared me for. I wouldn’t turn down another visit, but it may not be at the top of my list anymore.

I am new to Athens, and have been excited since before my arrival to eat at Casa. I was disappointed — food was OK, and customer service was pretty terrible. It was clear that the staff was disorganized, and I had really been hoping to see a well-​run team, since the worker-​owned aspect of Casa was a selling point for me. Nope. I waited at the bar for 10 minutes before someone took my order (watching two other parties get service before me, even though I was there first). I was not informed that I had to specify that I wanted my appetizer BEFORE my main course, nor that I would get raw red cabbage on my nachos instead of roasted eggplant. An hour later, both my appetizer and my main course were ready. It would have been courteous, Casa, to tell me that the wait for food would be that long. They forgot the black beans on my nachos and the sour cream with my friend’s quesadilla.
The salsas were very good, and the vegan nacho cheese was delicious! The house margarita was great too. Everything else was about average. As I ate, I watched one of the bartenders pick his nose, then grab a clean glass with the same hand to pour somebody a drink.
I’ll be back on a less busy night, and hope for better service. For the amount this place was talked up, I really expected more.

This place is special. It’s weird. It’s hippie dippy. It’s not for everyone. And it’s special.
This is not authentic Mexican food. This is a hippie twist on it. They’re going to throw some weird vegetables on your burrito. Go with it. Zucchini is surprisingly good with salsa. They have meats too, but there will still be vegetables.
Their salsas are good and surprising. The BBQ is sweet and tangy with a lot of layers of flavor. The black bean is nice and mild. The red chile roasted garlic is also mild with a lot of flavor. The chipotle has a nice heat on the back end. And if there is a special salsa, give it a try!
Breakfast is great. Eggs just go so well with spicy peppers and onions. I kind of wish the tortilla chips were better since their salsas are so good. The chips have that dense, thick texture you find when they use natural ingredients.
There will be a wait, though. I have never gone and not waited at least 20 minutes. So get a beer and wait in the bar. The beer selection is very good. Try some local midwestern brews.
Do you hate vegetables? Do you like food that is predictable? Do you want authentic Mexican? If so, don’t come here. It is not for everyone. But for those of us who like it, it’s just amazing.

Incredible. Incredible. And incredible. I built my own burrito, and it was amazing. Fresh ingredients. No GMOs. Organic. Hippies. I can’t wait to come back!
And the Habanero Salsa is fire!!!

Absolutely horrible customer service! Came in on a Sunday and checked inside the windows before going inside. Several tables on the restaurant side were empty. When I went inside, the host never acknowledged me as I stood in front of him for several awkward seconds. Finally, I had to ask if I could get a table for two. He said that it would be a 45 minute wait. For what? There were at least 4 empty tables that I saw as I came in.
The host never mentioned that I could go to the bar or order from the Bodega (I knew that I could, but if I were from out of town, I’d have never known). You can’t order off the regular menu on the bar side, so you’re limited to appetizers from the bodega. I didnt come for appetizers.
Either they were woefully short staffed, trying to force people to sit at the bar to make extra cash, or the staff doesn’t know the first thing about customer service.
Our waiter seemed pleasant once we were finally seated 30 minutes later. But after nearly an hour waiting to eat, I was disappointed that we never received our chips and salsa that we ordered as an appetizer nor did we receive one of the cups of chili that we ordered with our meal.
I’m a local, and I have been to Casa many times over the years. This is not my first time waiting to be seated at the restaurant, but I can honestly say that service has gotten worse over the last several years. If you have 10 open tables, you should be staffed to serve more than 4 tables. The last several times that I’ve come to Casa I’ve experienced longer waits for a table, staff that is slow to respond, and long wait times for our meals.
I don’t know if it’s because they no longer accept tips so they don’t have any incentive to provide good service, or if it’s just poor management, but until they do something to make it better, I’m not coming back.

I’m not sure if I went on a bad day or what, I have had a bad experience from the beginning until I left the place. As soon as I walk in with my family it took them 10 minutes to seat us with an almost near empty restaurant. After being seated, the waitress took about 15 minutes to come and ask for our drinks. We immediately placed our order for appetizer and main dish. After 40 minutes of waiting we’ve decided to ask the waitress where the appetizer was and she replied it will be out in two minutes after checking with the cook. The appetizer came out and it was the wrong order. We did not say anything and waited for the main dish. After I total of 50 minutes The main dish finally came out and it was burnt for both my wife and I. There was absolutely no flavor to the dish. It seems like the place is run by college students who don’t really care about what they serve or what they do.

Grabbed lunch here on a Saturday afternoon. Were told the wait for 2 was 30+ minutes, but the bodega side was wide open. Sat down, grabbed the lunch menu and placed our menu at the bar. Quickly had our food (long before we would have been seated on the other side.
The food was good, although my burrito needed quite a bit of hot sauce to have much flavor. My wife’s was much better. If the wait is too long, I definitely recommend grabbing a seat on the bodega side; you’ll get your food quickly and be on your way.

Good food. Ridiculous service arrangement.
So…I go to the bar and wait to catch the eye of a bartender to order my drinks and food, pick up the food at the kitchen and bus my own table???
Just hire some servers. There have to be at least 100 college kids that are looking for jobs.

Wowzers! There’s really no other word to describe the food at hipster haven Casa Nueva. It’s a must stop spot for anyone visiting Athens.
My dining companion & I started out with the Queso con Chiles rich, a savory, spicy cheese dip served with thick whole grain tortilla chips. I savored every last bite of my seasonal enchilada, the most deliciously flavorful enchilada I’ve ever had in my life. It was garnished with the ultra fresh veggies and the House Hot salsa, adding a perfect spicy kick to the savory cheese of the enchilada.
The service wasn’t the best but the food more than makes up for it. They have a no tipping policy because the restaurant is employee owned.

I’ve long relied on Casa to cure hangovers when I’d visit pals at OU. The burritos are top notch with the seasonal salsa always being more deep in flavor than just tomato and spice. Hints of nuttiness, bitter herbs, and more really bring them to a new dimension. I love the no-​tipping element because the prices accurately reflect what you’ll pay. I also can’t help but be happy they give what they DO receive tipwise to local charities.
This is a solid restaurant ran by great folks.
And it’s great for booze-​induced self loathing the next morning!

Very fresh ingredients. Chicken enchilada was delicious. The food isn’t too oily or greasy. Sort of like a healthy Mexican inspired place. The tacos and the grilled cheese were also good.
You’ll feel pleasantly full. The brownie dessert was excellent. There’s metered street parking. Its a great place to dine in Athens, and theres occasionally live music next door.