Editor Pick
La Casita
- August 24, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
ssullivan from Atlanta, Georgia
Ask anyone in Alpine where to go eat good Tex Mex, and it's a sure bet that they'll recommend La Casita. Located on a residential street off any of the main highways that run through town (you will probably need directions to find it the first time), La Casita is almost exactly what its name translates into English as. Quite literally it is "the little house." The restaurant is in an old house, which has been expanded several times, and dining here feels somewhat like dining in someone's home. The dining room is small, and during lunch, crowded. There's no formality of a hostess seating you; you simply walk in, find an open table, and sit down. And if there's not an open table, just hang around and wait until one opens up. Or, you might even get lucky and be offered a seat at one of the tables occupied by a friendly local resident. La Casita is one of a number of places in town that exude a laid back West Texas vibe, from the informality of seating yourself at an open table, to the friendly locals you'll find in the dining room, to the formica topped tables and mismatched chairs. Chances are your dining room at home is more formal than La Casita's, but hey, nobody eats here for the atmosphere. They come for the food.
And what good food it is. La Casita is traditional Tex Mex, cooked with a noticeably northern Mexico influence. The menu is full of all the favorites you'd expect – enchiladas, tacos, burritos, and more – typically served with a side of homemade Spanish rice and refried beans. It's hard to go wrong, as everything I've had off La Casita's menu has been very good. If you're really hungry, the Mexican plate is top notch, but so enormous it takes two plates to serve it all. It's a rather simple combination of three cheese enchiladas, two crispy shredded beef tacos, rice, beans, and a garnish of lettuce and tomato. It's really enough food to split between two diners. Other great choices include the green chicken enchiladas (green not because the meat is bad, but because they are topped with a delicious verde tomatillo sauce), beef enchiladas, beef burritos, tostadas, guadalajaras (flat tacos topped with the restaurant's incredible guacamole), and fajitas. There are also several off-menu items and specials sometimes available; be sure to ask your waitress about these. And, for menudo lovers (personally I'm not a fan), the soup is served every Sunday as a lunch special.
As is traditional with Mexican restaurants in Texas, and now much of the rest of the country, diners are served complimentary baskets of tortilla chips and homemade salsa while they wait for their food. The salsa, like just about everything else at La Casita, is homemade, and quite delicious. Diners from other parts of the country who are used to a more mild form of Mexican food should be warned though; La Casita's salsa is a little on the spicy side. As a native Texan who grew up eating this food, I think it's divine, but I know coworkers from other parts of the country who've eaten here have commented to me that the food was a little too spicy for their tastebuds. Also, expect to be pleasantly surprised if you've mostly eaten Mexican food in national chain restaurants. The food here is very fresh and made from scratch, and as such, has a much more traditional flavor to it than the mass-produced commercialized Mexican food you'll find in most chains.
You'll also find a decent selection of bottled cervezas (beers), with a great selection of Mexican imports. An ice-cold Mexican cerveza is the perfect compliment to the spicy food here.
One warning about dining at La Casita – they do not accept credit cards. That's right, it's either cash or a local check to pay for your meal. The good news is that there are several easy to find ATMs in the middle of town next to the two or three local banks. And, prices at La Casita are so reasonable (expect to pay less than $10 for most entrées) that you want need a large wad of cash to eat here. But as the handwritten sign on the door says, they don't accept plastic. There's also a possibility you'll encounter an employee or two who does not speak much English, but that's all part of the charm of dining here.
There are some great choices for dining in the area, ranging from truly fine dining to quaint, homey places that serve great, basic food. La Casita is one of them, and if you're in the mood for Mexican food while visiting the Big Bend and Davis Mountains region, it's one of the best places to get it.
From journal Alpine, TX: Gateway to Big Bend Country