Casa de Lara

Tasty, however I had the steak fajitas and I was bummed that there were VERY LITTLE steak or peppers, just a lot of tomatoes.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. We had a reservation for 10 and they wouldn’t seat us because they were too busy.

The theme of my last casual stroll down State Street ended up being «go to places you haven’t been to in years and years and years.» While out and about we decided we wanted margaritas to help stave off the cold and windy afternoon and so I suggested Casa de Lara. I remember liking them in college and that they usually had some sort of decent marg special.
When we went in, it was dead — there were two other people in the whole restaurant. Our waiter started out very attentive, but as our time wore on he got more and more backed up by being the only person outside of the kitchen.
My gent and I each ordered a margarita — pineapple for me, orange cream for him. I’d never seen either of those flavors as margarita choices, and was excited to give them a try. My pineapple marg was fine. I couldn’t really taste any pineapple, which was a bummer — if you had blindfolded me I’d have just guessed it was a house lime. The orange cream was very different — it literally had cream in it so it was rich and sweet. Next we sampled strawberry (probably the best of the bunch) and tamarind. I’ve only had tamarind candy before, and this was quite a bit more bitter than that — it had the same bitter quality that citrus rind has.
We didn’t get food on this trip, but were given chips and salsa immediately upon being seated. The chips are topped with pickled veggies and sprinkled with spices. The salsa had a nice kick but was the thick, sweet variety that reminds me more of tomato sauce/​paste than salsa.
For four margaritas with tip and tax it came out to around $ 35 — not terrible, but for the quality and ambience there are better places around town both in taste and value.

This place was great. Being from Chicago I was skeptical of Mexican food in Wisconsin, but this place delivered. The flavors were spot on. The only thing missing was the heat. I had the enchiladas verdes and the little chile on the menu meant that the meal was spicy, but it wasn’t. Maybe it was Wisconsin whitey spicy, but not authentic Mexican spicy.
Overall, very pleased

Was craving Mexican and glad we gave this place a try. Waiter was so friendly and quick, margaritas were delicious and food tastes great! Got enough to bring home for a second meal as well. Definitely won’t be the last time we visit.

Great atmosphere, fantastic tasting food with great flavor and spice. The free chips and salsa are delightful. The waitstaff was also very nice and allowed you to pick where you sit. It was my first time here and I got the shredded chicken burrito plate. I would definitely return to try something else. I cleared my whole plate and was greatly satisfied. Just the right amount of food if your craving a big sized meal for a good price.
You can’t go wrong with eating at this place!

The food is pretty standard gringo fare, but nothing wrong with it! The sauce on the cilantro enchilada really was pretty tasty, and the daily margarita special made that a deal. The best part was the service: with a group of 22, we were pretty distracted by our conversation and wanted separate checks. The server never even missed a beat. He kept us all happy and didn’t even seem to think it was odd. It was State Street in Madison, after all, but I still appreciated the seamless service.

Great! A must-​stop between Ohio and Minnesota.

You those restaurants that just use really subpar ingredients for everything? Well, Casa de Lara is one of them. While their food is not terrible, it is very expensive for the cost. Which, I should clarify, is not even that high. It is just that subpar. Frankly, I could get a better burrito down the street at Chipotle for a much lower cost.

I went in on my lunch break and the waiter seated me right away. I knew I wanted to be quick so I didn’t ask for the menu. Told him, before I even sat down, that I’d like one chicken taco with a glass of water. Shortly after he seated two other families he brought free chips and salsa while I waited. When my food arrived it was beautiful and I used the salsa from my chips to put on the taco. He brought my check and the taco was reasonably priced. I left cash and a sizable tip. In and out in 15 minutes. Very happy customer! The taco was delicious and I will be returning again and again!

The burrito suizo was good, but not fantastic. We loved our server, she was the only one and dealt with everyone in a quick and polite manner.

The place was empty except for a couple leaving when I came in Monday night. I asked what the couple recommended as I was an out-​of-​towner and he said the fajita wrap, she said the taquitos. So I tried the chicken taquitos and they were wonderful. They were covered with lettuce, tomato and black olives with rice and beans on either side. The rice was perfectly seasoned with a perfect amount of veggies. The cheese on the beans was perfect and made a great dipping sauce for my chips.
The chips come with salsa and some pickled jalepeno/​carrot slices — so traditional! Great to see this as it’s a rare find. They also have some kind of seasoning sprinkled on them — I forgot to ask if they are homemade but they are very good. I was too busy chatting with the waitress about how to say olive in Spanish — I truly appreciate when I get a little language lesson with dinner.
Very nice people and wonderful food. If you’re in Madison, you’ll eat good here!

Madison, WI is not necessarily known as the epicenter of great Mexican food. However, Casa de Lara is a solid option if you are really craving some. While the service won’t knock your socks off, everyone is nice and the food is pretty darn delicious.
Insider tip: Try one of their margaritas. Then have another. Repeat this process until you leave with a smile on your face.

Do not waste your time. I hate to be negative however… horrible service. The waiter did not get our order correct but we could not tell him because he did not come back to our table until we were done eating. When told of the mistake he said, «Oh you ate it.» We said yes we did after not seeing you we decided to eat it. We were looking for $ 1.50 off for not giving us the steak. That was all. But no apology. No nothing. I’ve never been to a place where they don’t come check on you.
You cannot beat the location.
The food is average. Chicken was good though.
Service terrible.
Décor is a joke.
I really wanted to like this place but it just isn’t possible. Go to any other Mexican place in the area but avoid this place.

There is nothing better than spending a Saturday with a good friend, good food and a margarita to spice it up! ;)
My friend Ale had never been to this restaurant so I decided to take her there. After I gave her a quick tour through the menu she decided to order the steak (rajas) which comes in a red chile sauce (pasilla and ancho chiles) with the steak, poblano chiles and chihuahua cheese on top, it was presented in a cute iron skillet. My friend liked it. I ordered my favorite one, plato caribeno (chicken), small chicken pieces with red, yellow and green bell peppers, the sauce it is sweet and tangy with pineapple undertones, the accompaniments are rice, black beans, small piles of salad with diced pineapple and sweet plantains. I loved the combination, it screams Caribbean! For me it’s a piece of my dear country in my mouth because this restaurant is not 100% mexican, it has some Caribbean influences. I recommend this place, it has a homey feeling once you are inside.

I discovered this magical place my freshman year — almost 8 years ago. I’m not in Madison anymore, but every time I come back I have to come here (if I am financially stable to do so at that moment in time). That being said, please do prepare yourselves! Both for the excessive amount of spending and eating. Huge portions = huge chunk of my wallet. This place is pretty expensive, BUT it’s well worth it for unique blend of american and traditional Mexican food. You will not be disappointed. I’ve gotten almost every dish here and I have never regretted any once. They take a much longer time than an average restaurant when getting food out — which just goes to show that the food they prepare is fresh and detailed. You can taste that in the food. My favorite dishes? The Rajas, hands down. If you’re looking for a mix of sweet and salty go for the Beef Caribbean Plate. Those are the two that I get most often. Among the other dishes there I’d also recommend the Plato Azteca and Carnitas.

Mexican food at its best. The restaurant atmosphere is family friendly. Great place to dine before or after badger games. The staff is friendly and attentive. However, when the restaurant is full of badger faithfull, you can bet you will need to be patient. It gets loud with excited fans ready to munch on some delicious mexican food. I love the enchilada verdes with a side of mole. All the burritos re great and they cater to vegetarians and vegans alike.

This place is worth it for their Mexican-​style Friday fish fry special. I usually don’t like very bready batter, so I thought I was taking a bit of a risk when the menu said «beer battered.» But, I was really in the mood for fish and Casa de Lara pulled through. Crispy, fragrant, fresh, under $ 12, and lasted me two meals. Also came with fresh avocado, tots (?!), and well-​seasoned rice and black beans.
To round it all up, their salsa and chip basket was fresh and refillable. Their Jose Cuervo 32 oz margarita pitcher special for $ 14.50 was strong enough for three people to responsibly enjoy and two people to less-​responsibly enjoy.
I’m almost glad I have to be on State St. every Friday now that I know this option exists. Al menos los viernes, la Casa de Lara es mi casa.

Sometimes you’re better off with a happy memory of something than the reality of how things are in the present. I haven’t been in Madison for a while, but remember how much I liked the food and service when I was a starving student and they were pretty much the only place on State Street that wasn’t serving Gyros, Burgers, or Pizza.
Our party arrived around 7PM, midweek. It wasn’t crowded– there were maybe three other people in the restaurant. It took ten minutes or so for anyone to greet us. When we were seated, our tables hadn’t been bussed and we had to ask for someone to clean them and bring us some menus. Things picked up when we finally got a waitress to notice us. The food arrived fairly quickly– I had a combo platter of soft tacos, with mole on the side. The tortillas and fixings were good for the most part, but the beans and rice were dried up to the extent where I wondered if it had ever been cooked completely, or just sat out somewhere for a few days. After getting our food, the waitstaff vanished. No water, no follow-​up, no nothing. We actually had to look around for someone to give us our bill. Well, someone else’s bill. We did get things straightened out, but sheese, how can you not want to get paid what you’re owed?
I probably won’t ever come back again if they’re somehow still in business next time I’m in the area. All in all, a very disappointing visit.

Worst experience from start to finish. Came in the day after Cinco de Mayo. Place was trashed. No one greeted us at the door. Finally someone came. Took forever to get the food (It was 5pm & only 2 other couples in the place).Food was luke warm. Waiter never came around to check. Plus I had order the Plato Caribeno. Wanted it cause it came with plantains. Received it. NO PLANTAINS. Told waiter he responded «yeah were out of those». Didn’t care to mention that when ordering. Manager never came out and when we got the check they only too $ 0.50 off the bill. It was a $ 15.95 dish. Could of at least taken half off or all. Nothing like my parents remembered it to be. Ian’s Pizza here I come.