If you're looking for Mexican food in Bloomington the Casa Brava/La Charreada mini-chain is the way to go. They have three locations; Casa Brava on the West Side, La Charreada on North Walnut, and the brand new Casa Brava on the East Side. There are also locations in Bedford and Indianapolis. The menus are roughly the same at all three Bloomington restaurants. Aand it is huge, like 8 pages. They have tons of varieties of Enchiladas, Burritos, Chimichangas, Fajitas and pretty much any other Mexican specialty you can think of. There is also a large selection of combination platters and a la carte items.
I crave Casa Brava salsa when I haven't had it in a while. This is kinda odd because I don't really even like salsa. But their salsa is perfect in its simplicity. I'm pretty sure it's just tomatoes, garlic and onions blended into a smooth sauce. Served with a bottomless basket of fresh chips, I pretty much always eat so many I'm too full to finish my entree. But they're ridiculously addictive. Especially if your order the cheese dip too.There are two things I order the most; the Enchiladas Taxco and Combination 17. If you're in the mood for cheese heaven, order the Enchiladas Taxco. Three cheese enchiladas smothered in cheese sauce with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream on top. Plus a side of rice. It's delicious. Combo 17 is a burrito and an enchilada with rice and beans. You get to pick the insides, I usually get a beef burrito and cheese or bean enchilada. I should really branch out but they're both so good!
If you like salsa verde, try the Enchiladas Verdes. You get one chicken, one cheese, and one beef enchilada smothered in cheese and a tomatillo sauce. Mariann sometimes gets the Enchiladas Yolandas which is three chicken enchiladas and cheese sauce. She also likes the tamales, though I've never tried them. The one thing that could make Casa Brava better is margaritas! I guess they don't have the right license because they serve beer and wine. LaCha serves margaritas (they make a yummy peach one) so I'm assuming it's in the works.
Most of the Casa Brava restaurants, especially La Charreada have had health code violations. Fair Warning. But it seems like lately they've made an effort to clean up a bit. LaCha recently renovated and added a swanky lounge last year and the east side Casa Brava is brand new. In my opinion, they're worth the risk (though I'd steer clear of the one in Greencastle...)Casa Brava
410 S College Mall Rd
Bloomington, IN 47401
Bloomington, IN 47401
ate there a few weeks ago based off this review and enjoyed the chimichanga and queso for the most part
ReplyDeletethe service was AWFUL though, he only checked up on us once during the entire meal and it took around 30 minutes to get our food. I ended up only tipping 3 dollars (which is pretty low for me)
I'll stick to carry-out there
Yuck, sorry about the bad service! The food has always come really fast every time I've eaten there. Service has ranged from great to inattentive, but never too bad. :/
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