Casona

We would like to thank all of our loyal customers, the Borough of Collingswood, our employees and everyone who helped Casona of Collingswood for the past 7.5 years be the great establishment it was.
We’re sorry to say we’ll be closing for business as of today, October 24, 2013. We’re devastated by this and fought the best we could. The problems that the owner, Mark Infantado has suffered from his former partner in 2009 (mid recession) and his two injuries made it impossible for Casona to survive.

One of my Cuban friends introduced me to Casona. The food was decent (I especially liked the empanadas) and the service was great.

We had arrived on-​time for our reservation. We were seated and waters were brought to our table immediately. It went all downhill from there. The seven minute mark went by and no server had came to our table. Since I used to work in the industry (both front & back of the house) I tend to understand the everyday challenges of a restaurant. After ten minutes went by, I walked up to the hostess station and advised her that we had not seen a server yet. Another three minutes passed and then a lady (manager/​owner?) comes to our table and tells us ‘sorry for the wait, we had a miscommunication, I will send over a free appetizer; a server will be with you right away’. A few minutes later, a server waltzes over to our table, introduces himself and then tells us he will ‘be over shortly’… and then walks away? WTF? He could have at least taken our appetizer order or opened our wine bottles. Another five minutes went by, the server never came back.
All in all, we were there about 20 minutes+ and a server never came to take our order. We were famished. Our wine bottles were never opened. Our water glasses were empty. After a manager/​owner came to our table, how the f*ck do you still not take care of the customer? We walked-​out.
NOPE.

Awesome Tres Leche Cake! (Skip dinner!) haha
Actually, I dined here today for brunch. Made reservations on OpenTable and sat on the porch enjoying the warm weather.
Seated immediately and had a nice waitress.
Definitely get the Café con Leche. I could drink this everyday.
Food was very good. There are no other cuban restaurants in the area (that I know of), however, I will definitely return to dine on the dinner options (which I hear are very good).
Chorizo sausage side was great. Good flavor.
Had eggs, skirt steak, arepas, refried beans (really good!) grilled onions and peppers. There were other interesting options that I would want to try next time.
Everything was enjoyable. Definitely recommend.

The food here is amazing and I love the fact that there is always parking since its not right in the main part of Collingswood. They have a great patio to sit on, definitely ask for a spot on the patio if you’re eating there.
The only downside was the service. Our waiter was really nice and friendly but soooooooo slow!
Save room for the tres leches cake!

I ate there for the first time a few months ago and was very impressed. As with all Collingswood restaurants, the restaurant was BYOB, something I love.
First with the bad. Waiter service was ok, hence the loss of a star. It is also not the best choice if you are with vegetarians.
Since I am not a vegetarian, I enjoyed myself. Very interesting flavors, delicious paella. I was very happy with the restaurant and will suggest it to friends for future nights out.

Food was great (lots of gluten-​free options!!! — I know this is standard for a Cuban place but still pretty sweet). Service was on point.
The place is small so be sure to make your reservations. BYOB was key for a reasonably priced gals dinner out.
I’ll be coming back. The veggie tacos were outstanding and I can’t wait to have them again!

This is one of my go to restaurants in Collingswood. First, I love the fact that it is BYO. Second, they also participate with
. If you are money conscious these two reasons alone are worth a trip here.
I have always had good service here. If it’s an nice day or night, I would suggest sitting out on the porch. A lot of the menu items are gluten free for the gluten intolerant!
Now onto the food. I have tried many things on the menu so here are my favorites; Yuca Frita, Ceviche Trio, Trio Guacamole, all of the Empanadas, Churrasco, Paella, Flan and Tres Leche.

I’ve eaten here many times – brunch, special occasions where the veranda was rented out or the upstairs dining area for special events and just plain old dinner
All have been excellent and delicious
I’m a huge fan of their empanadas – my favorite on the menu
They are also huge supporters of local businesses and the community at large and I think that’s a really commendable thing to do /​I appreciate the extra effort they make to help out the Borough

Do not forget that it is BYOB.
In fact, Collingswood is a dry town so none of the restaurants can serve alcohol. Which is something rather important to remember when you show up to Casona without a bottle of wine.
The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and our party was seated on the enclosed porch. This was something we initially wanted but would come back to haunt. Our hostess seated us without much of a wait despite the busy Saturday night rush. The porch is not a place to sit on an early spring evening. The restaurant’s heating apparently had two settings, blast furnace, and off, which on an early spring night meant freezing. At one point, and this isn’t exaggeration, my sister-in-law’s metal chair became hot to the touch, and yet minutes later after the staff turned the heater down my wife had to put her coat on.
Another problem was the lack of light at the table. Even a candle on the table would have been helpful. As it was I’m sure the chef made some lovely presentations on the plate. However, due to the lack of any kind of lighting we couldn’t see what they might have been.
We ordered the guacamole sampler which featured four different guacamole including crab, tuna and a shrimp, in addition to the standard. Ironically the table consensus was that the plain guacamole was the best, with more a of hint of lime and cilantro. Sometimes less really is more. However, but the time our appetizer arrived the dips looked indistinguishable in the failing light.
Service was friendly, but slow. This left plenty of time for conversation, which with our party, thankfully wasn’t an issue.
The saving grace of this place really is the food. I had Lechon Asado which was delicious pulled pork over white rice. Savory with just a hint of citrusy sweetness. It made up for the wait.
Casano’s is somewhat of a letdown. All of the ingredients are there for an awesome meal. There is nothing wrong with the food, but if they can just fix the little annoyances.

I’ve been meaning to eat here for years now and was recently reminded by a nice Living Social offer. We went for lunch on the weekend, and my first impression was how I wished it was much warmer weather because the outdoor seating area looked wonderfully relaxed and inviting. The atmosphere inside was pleasant enough and also relaxing on a chilly late winter day.
Our server, Denise, was superb. I ordered a pork dish, Lechon Asado. It was plated so nicely it was almost too good looking to eat. ALMOST. The pork was either finely pulled or finely chopped after cooking and it was absolutely delicious. Hubby got a Cubano which was so substantial he could not finish it. We also shared a side of maduros.
Without the Living Social special, the check would have been around $ 35 and it would have been worth every penny. We’ll definitely be back for lunch and dinner once the weather breaks. That outdoor dining area really beckons me back!

Seriously, only giving the four star rating because the food was BANGING. It literally saved my experience, because otherwise this place would have gotten a solid single star, soley for the fact that I liked the décor.
My mom and I went for lunch yesterday to use this Livingsocial deal I got. My mom raved about this place, so my hopes were high to begin with. When we got there, we were told we couldn’t use the coupon since they were serving only brunch. I am sorry, I hate when a place serves ONLY brunch for the ENTIRE day. I don’t want eggs benedict for lunch, I want options! Our «server» didn’t even give us the old line, «Let me ask my manager…» and then deny us.
Anyway, after that, we didn’t see her for about 15 minutes, and then she took our DRINK order. Ten minutes later, she took our food orders. Once we were served, she never once stopped by the table to ask how things were. She must have walked by 15 times since our table was right by the kitchen door. A friend of mine happened to be dining at the same time we were yesterday, and she told me that her service was slow, too. She is a VERY pregnant woman, who is a regular there, so she felt extra neglected.
Onto Casona’s savior, the food…
For apps we ordered the Yuca Frita which was to die for. They were perfectly fried, not heavy like potato fries and the sauces that were served with them complimented them in every way. I loved them so much that when my fries came with my entrée, I scoffed at them and didn’t take a bite. Our other app was the beef empanadas, another winner! They were full of flavor, not greasy and absolutely fresh.
For our mains, we both ordered the Cuban sandwich. I loved the tangy pickle with the spicy mustard and mild pork flavor all together. The bread was the perfect amount of soft and crunchy, and the sandwich was HUGE. I had to take half of it home, I was so full.
I will be back to use my Livingsocial coupon, but I hope to gouda that we don’t have the same server.

Things were much different the last few times I’ve been here since my original poor experience with the service. Service was very friendly, attentive and quick. The servers were helpful when answering questions and then left us along when not needed.
The paella is delicious, lots of seafood and very tasty. Serves two.
Pork dish is still good, but needs something. It really bothers me, like a mystery, part of the reason I keep ordering it.
I never really saw the appeal of sangria, but Casona’s is out of this world. Lots of fruit, and you can actually see how the fruit is changing the taste of the wine (an experience I have not had with other sangrias).
Tres Leche is freaking amazing! Delicious. Like, lick your plate good.
I have to thank my brother for forcing me to come back here a couple of times after my first bad experience.

Pretty solid place, but not quite perfection. Had their shredded pork over rice dish. It was very sour and citrusy, all one note. Needed more balance.
Their Tres Leches cake is always a home-​run though.

My wife and I decided to rent out the private room upstairs for a small wedding ceremony we decided to have with just our immediate families. We chose Casona because of the private room, which I had been in before for a 30^th birthday party, how much we love the food, and how connected to the community the restaurant is.
The rooms upstairs are great, one bar buffet room and three dining rooms as well as a game room upstairs. Its a great place to hold a birthday or other private event.
When we had the though to hold our wedding at Casona, we were able to contact the owner directly because he has a presence on the web, and belongs to several of the Collingswood related Facebook pages. He was responsive, accommodating and flexible about our party. We made the reservation and picked our options off the catering menu. We chose the lowest level which included 2 appetizers, soup or salad, a choice of 3 entrees, and dessert.
I’ll work from the end. I happen to see an unfavorable review of the tres leche cake in another review. This is completely ridiculous to me. I’ve had tres leche at many many restaurants, and Casona is one of the few that nails it. I have it every time I go.
For my entrée I chose the shredded beef and rice which was expertly seasoned. I had a Caesar salad but regretted it when I saw the clam chowder which I’ve heard they make only for the catering menu. The appetizers were fantastic, the empanadas are very authentic. The choice of cheese in that variety of empanada is certainly a variety that belongs in an empanada as compared to other places I’ve eaten which substitute more «American» Style cheeses. The yucca fritas are fantastic.
Mark was present when we arrived and had set up the room fantastically with little touches that helped make our quick marriage much more special. He made sure things were correct and was there as dinner got started and then left us to our devices as the server took care of our dinner.
We had a fantastic night and we were able to do so on such short notice because of Mark and Casona.
Thank you so much!

So I have a confession to make. This is a little embarassing.: Heavy sigh: Up until a few weeks ago when I visited Casona, I was a virgin.
A Collingswood virgin, that is.
I’ve lived in Philly for years now, have tons of friends who live in that area, and have heard rave reviews about the restaurant scene, but alas this was my first visit. Casona left me with a good impression of this cool little Jersey town.
My first impression of this restaurant was a good one. Casona is located in an old house, which in my opinion is super cool. We sat out on the deck, which they covered with tents and had heat lamps. I was OK with the temperature, but we had two preggos with us who were a tad chilly.
Let me preface my conversation on the food with this… I freaking love Cuban food. Cuban-​fusion, Cuban-​inspired, Cuban-​esque. I don’t care, I love it all. And the Cuban scene is severely lacking in our corner of the world in Philly. So I was stoked from the get-​go about this meal.
We ordered the guacamole sample to share and I ordered the Tuna China Latino. The guacamole sampler was amazing. The sample has four different types– crab, ahi tuna, tomatillo, and shrimp/​grapefruit. It comes with these plantain chips that were super tasty (albeit a little difficult to scoop the guac with). You know how when you are out with friends, no one wants to take the last scoop/​item of something that you are sharing? With this guac, I did not even care– I was scarfing it like a champ.
My entrée was seared tuna, on top of a black bean risotto, mixed with this sweet tangy sauce and topped with a nest of fried sweet potato strings. Honestly, it was one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in a while. And the portion was just right– not too large and not too small.
Alot of reviewers have comments on poor service. For us, the service was fine, nothing to write home about. We did wait a while for the check, but we had a bottle of wine for the men and me, the only non-​pregnant female, so it wasn’t a huge deal.
Wait, how did I not mention that bottle of wine we were drinking from was brought FROM OUR HOUSE? Yes, this spot is BYOB, Holler!
So… my verdict on the Collingswood-​cherry popping-​Casona? It was so close to a five star experience. So close. But they missed the mark on two areas– first, the prices are a bit steep. The guac, while amazing, seemed a bit high at $ 22.50. And my entrée was $ 30– if it was priced maybe $ 5 lower, I’d be more inclined to make Casona a more frequent dining destination.
The second area is a personal bugaboo of mine– they have a $ 15 charge for sharing plates. Why charge people if they are trying to save money/​trying to cut calories/​want to save room for dessert or appetizer/​happen to not be super hungry that day? There are a multitude of reasons why people share entrees and you can’t seriously tell me that it costs your business $ 15 to wash another damn plate. Give me a break.

I scheduled a Meetup event here after a couple of people suggested it. Then I crossed my fingers because the reviews here are so mixed.
Boyfriend and I arrived a little early to get the table and get settled. I let the hostess know that this was for Meetup, and that some people might not show up. She got flustered and gave me attitude, but then I think she realized I told her so she (1) had fair warning and (2) knew we were willing to give back tables because it’s Saturday night. As it turns out, everyone showed up.
The food was delicious. I shared the yucca fries with guacamole and mojo sauce. The guacamole was very fresh. For my entrée, I opted for the cubed pork with rice and beans, tamale, and plantains with avocado salsa. I boxed up half and left the table satiated. No complaints on portion sizes here.
Service was adequate. No one waited an epic amount of time for their meal, and everything came out at the same time. But, although our waitress was nice enough, she mostly ignored us. At no point did someone ask the group, «How is everything?» or, «Do you need anything else?» At the end of the night, one dessert was missed entirely, and there was never a chance to chase it down. I would think a restaurant would like to make a big group feel welcome.
The food was good enough that I would come back if the opportunity arose. However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to hop the PATCO to come out JUST to come here. It’s certainly convenient, and sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city, but I can easily walk to places in Philly and get the same quality of food and far better service.

Mmmm… Casona.
My friend took me here for my b’day dinner about a week ago. I must say, I LOVE their food. This is a numbered review type place.
1) We got there, the computer went down, they had no record of our reservation but they quickly apologized and sat us right away.
2)It’s a BYOB, so we went tequila in hand and they made us Margarita mix. It was, so good!!!
3) Appetizers:
–Tuna and watermelon ceviche: SOOOO GOOD! I don’t even eat seafood.
–Empanada trio: I loved the cheese one and the beef one, chicken one, was ok.
–plantain chips and guacamole: HEAVEN! It was so good… so so good.
4) Entrees: My friend ordered Ropa Vieja, it was really good. I had Arroz con Pollo and it was pretty good. Great portion sizes.

Geared up with 8 of my favorite friends and a bottle in hand each = a fantastic night at Casona. This BYOB offers seating for large parties, drink mixers to go great with tequila AND most importantly, satisfying appetizers/​entrees for a decent price. With left-​overs in hand I even was able to feed the boyfriend later. Zing!
October 2013: casona has sadly, closed.

Where to start with this place?
We had a reservation, but they were waiting for a couple of tables to finish. No biggie… they opened our wine, and we were totally sated. We were eventually seated at a corner table on their very nice deck, which unfortunately, still had plastic sheeting down for the winter. In any case, we ordered the shrimp ceviche and a sampler platter for an appetizer. The ceviche was amazing, as was the sampler; the empenadas were too good to be true.
Fast forward to dinner… I got the seafood paella was better than what I remember getting in Spain. The rice was perfect, and it was loaded with chicken, shrimp, mussels, clams, and a half lobster tail. Way more than I could finish. My wife had the churrasco steak, and it was perfectly rare, well seasoned, and the mushroom ragout was one of the best side dishes I’ve ever had!
I’ll ding them a couple points for not having proper red wine glasses, but they made those points up everywhere else!