My dad worked for Conoco and we were transferred to OKC in summer1968, 68-69 being my senior year in HS. The original Casa Bonita (at 39th & Portland - about 5 miles from our house) had just opened and back then it was all you could eat for $1.25 The place was a monster hit and often the lines were insane. As a teenager, I could eat 3 or 4 platefuls of their great food with my favorite being the cheese enchiladas. As their popularity grew, they expanded into nearly Tulsa, Little Rock, Ft. Worth and Denver. The original was not nearly impressive like the Tulsa and Denver locations. At first it was just food and service but later evolved into having (sometimes) live musicians and a costumed monkey that sometimes scared the crap out of the little kids. But it was all fun. The service was so so good. You had a little flag on the table. Raise it and someone would pop over immediately to get whatever you wanted. After the OKC store closed (in 1993 I think), we would often come up with excuses to travel to Tulsa just to eat at Casa Bonita. We were quite impressed by the difference in the Tulsa location and the OKC original. They had caves, cliff divers, puppets, magicians, etc. The food was just as good too. Really bummed us out when that location closed down. After I found out there was still a Denver location, I started looking into it and found the story that it had been on South Park and the guys there had purchased it. Kudos to them and I have to get there for another taste. I can't ever remember happier meals anywhere better than Casa Bonita. Like everything, prices have increased through the years, but I wouldn't hesitate to go to Casa Bonita. This movie reminded me that not all good things have to come to an end. I'm planning a trip there soon.
