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Casa De Lara
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 8 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Laura H. said: "I've been there twice, both with the Groupon for a meal, side, and margarita. I'd definitely pay full price here though. They have GREAT specials- last time I had pulled pork. They also had amazing crab-stuffed peppers which my…" read more »
16 reviews for Casa De Lara
16 reviews in English
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Review from Alper S.
Madison, WI
3/18/2012
Good, standard Americanized-mexican food. I almost equated it to Azteca (if any of my Seattle fans are reading this). However, their service and food went above and beyond what I expected! I got the combo and everything had that great, non-microwaved taste. Score!
Their strawberry margarita was not boozy enough. The lime margarita, however.... YOW! -
Review from Meg G.
Madison, WI
12/21/2011
I added a star because of the thoughtful touch of actual veggies in the veggie burrito.
Other than that: I ordered delivery. $11 for guacamole? Uhg, I've had two glasses of wine already and I'm hungry. Ok, ORDER. What arrives? Two puny tiny little plastic cups of guac, and about 15 tortilla chips in a small paper bag. The cups were about the size of the sour cream side that came with my burrito. And, nothing to write home about either. Pretty bland food all around. My husband got the enchiladas with mole, which sounded pretty kick-ass from the description (pumpkin seeds! cinnamon! five different peppers! omg yum!) but it turned out to taste kind of like it looked: brown and runny. He was also feeling pretty sick about half an hour later....
Way overpriced. I've had much better Mexican food for much less money elsewhere. If this is what passes for good Mexican food in Madison, boy are we in trouble. -
Review from Mike P.
Broadview Heights, OH
6/15/2009
Casa de Lara is located on the second (the top) floor of a building in downtown Madison. We got there just before the dinner rush, so we got a good table by the window!
The decor and colors and music of this place give it a festive, Cinco de Mayo look and feel. The people who work here keep the place clean and work fast to have tables ready for guests.
The people who work here are friendly, eager to please, hard working, and attentive.
Each table gets ONE free order chips and salsa. The salsa was a bit on the soupy side, though it was spicy and good enough to cling to the chips. If you want more chips and salsa, its 75 cents extra per order.
I had the "Fiesta" Enchilada with ground beef, and topped with melted cheddar cheese, chili con carne and their specialty Mexican corn salsa. It came with a side of Spanish Rice and refried beans.
The Enchiladas tasted great, though not as spicy as I expected. I should've requested a little more spice. Regardless, I could tell this dish was freshly made. They gave three Enchiladas for this dish, though with food this good they should give five Enchiladas! Compared to many other Mexican Restaurants, this place is close to 'authentic' Mexican food!
Avoid the chains and come here for the food and out the window views. -
Review from Dan L.
Tempe, AZ
7/30/2010
NOTE: For this review, I'm getting in touch with my roots as a Madisonian, not a transplant to "Mexican Food Heaven" Phoenix, AZ.
Casa de Lara can be a little pricey, but the quality of the food and drinks are definitely worth it. I am a bigger fan of CDL than Frida's up the street (which is also decent) because I love the unassuming exterior and the authentic feel to the restaurant.
The food choices are very much within the lines of an Americanized joint, but it's prepared immaculately and every dish is full of flavor. When visiting, I usually take the opportunity to deviate from traditional food and grab the Western Burrito which is HUGE. I usually finish it even though I feel like I'm about to explode.
The margaritas are surprisingly strong - especially when you split a pitcher with someone special, and they usually have reasonable prices if you stick with the olde school Lime on the rocks. -
Review from Erika B.
Seattle, WA
2/28/2009
Good, solid Mexican-American.
I had the Verde Enchilada, which was rated on the menu as a 7 for heat/spice. I would disagree with that, and call it closer to a 3: not much heat at all, and a little bit of spice, but definitely not a 7/10. I was surprised by this, because another reviewer claims that the verve dishes are really hot. No way, Jose. If it tastes like burning, I want it, so I was disappointed that it lacked real bite.
That aside, the portions were manageable (not too little, not too much), and the complementary chips and salsa were delicious. -
Review from Jon G.
12/17/2009
My group ended up at Casa De Lara because every other restaurant near State Street was packed on Friday night.
It was a gamble that paid off as the free chips and salsa were good and the meal of burritos was even better.
We also met some "tricks" at the casa who we later hung out with at Brothers Bar and Wando's... we got numbers. What can I say. Thanks Casa De Lara.
Notes: Beer was a little expensive, food came out quickly, restaurant is upstairs. Also, this is the second-best Mexican eatery I have been to. -
Review from Jaime C.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2006
YUM! My boyfriend and I frequented this place when we used to live in Madison. Their food is probably the most "authentic" Mexican food you'll find in the downtown area. I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food (it usually makes me sick) but I always enjoyed the things I've tried here. If you knew me you would know what a credit that is to Casa De Lara's food.
Pros: You get an bottomless basket of tortilla chips and salsa before your meal. Great margarita deals!
Cons: The verde stuff is so hot it'll burn you mouth and you won't taste the rest of your food. -
Review from Thom Z.
Normal, IL
2/11/2010
I used to date a girl who went to UW. I always dragged her to this place. She was only "ok" with it, I loved it.
The margaritas weren't the best you could find, but they were definitely good. They got you drunk fast, except for when they were the drink special. Then they weren't as fast.
The food? Oh god, the food! It was delicious. I'll never forget the burrito suizo or the chimichanga from this place. It was just... delicious. And filling... I never had left overs from here. It was just too good to not eat.
The restaurant itself looks very upscale. By that I mean that it's a very nice looking restaurant, but doesn't have a snooty feel to it. The decorations are authentic Mexican, yet it still retains the "American Trendy" look. The waiters and waitresses are always super nice and make great recommendations.
I highly recommend Casa De Lara! -
Review from Arthur S.
Madison, WI
8/20/2007
Grade: B-
It was good but I was also hungover... Great service, decent prices. -
Review from Honey C.
Chicago, IL
9/11/2011
Great for downtown Madison. Walked by this place a billion times and finally decided to try it. I assumed if it wasn't on Park Street, it wasn't going to be good (ethnic food-wise). Sure enough, it really was. Now, I'm not saying this is the most authentic Mexican place (do they have cheddar cheese in Mexico?) but they are relatively close in many respects. Multiple sauces and they really do a fantastic job with making things flavorful. They have some great specials and their margaritas were very good. I didn't find it to be that expensive. Plates were $8-15 (most around $10) and drinks weren't horribly over-priced. The ambiance was nice, as was the service. If you are seeking a good dinner in the area, I'd definitely recommend it.
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Review from Tom F.
Rogers Park, Chicago, IL
7/13/2010
Good food, but pretty overpriced. Dinner for two with one round of margaritas was $50. Enchiladas Verdes had a really enjoyable amount of heat, but I'm not sure I'll be able to justify the cost again. Warm in there too--in June--like they didn't have the air on.
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Review from Blair S.
Wheaton, IL
7/8/2011
In Madison for the weekend and found this place on Yelp. Located in the heart of State St. On the second floor, nice, clean, and family friendly. Ordered guacamole which was great, horchata was good as was everyone's entrees. Not fancy, but if you want good food in Madison, I highly recommend. Service was very good, and it was reasonably priced. Would for sure recommend and will come back next time in Madison.
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Review from Gabriel S.
Middleton, WI
5/30/2010
Queso fundido is something you might not know to ask about, but Casa de Lara's was a big hit, shared around the table with our group of three families. Queso fundido is different at every restaurant, but this one is really nice. -- Give it a try.
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Review from David A.
Eden Prairie, MN
4/6/2011
Chips and salsa were good. We had 2 dishes, one was good, the adalita was tasty. The Verde Burrito wasn't, absolutely no heat and very little flavor. I has the verde burrito (as recommended by the waitress) with pork, it had very little sauce, it just wasn't worth eating.
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Review from Megan T.
Philadelphia, PA
2/4/2011
I like Mexican food, so I would search for it from time to time. This is a eatery kind of place. Their Beef Enchilada is very good. However, i like Qdoba much more.
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Review from Annie K.
Madison, WI
6/23/2010
I love Casa De Lara because I have never had bad service there. That is really important to me. The people are always friendly and I can count on it not to be too busy, usually. It is a nice place to sort of "duck away" from the business on State. I always get the nachos, and they are good, but I can't really speak for anything else.
