I have much respect for Casa Nueva caring about the worker. It's been worker owned since it opened. The service though could use some work. It's really slow as if that's not any of their concern. They are worth trying for the eclectic menu, and have lots of vegan and vegetarian choices. Casa Nueva was opened in 1985 by some unemployed restaurant workers. They formed a worker owned co-operative. In 1987 they started to sell their own salsa in stores. It's expanded since then now having the Bodega and Cantina. The menu has lots of vegan items. Most items can be made vegan by request. The soy cheese can be substituted for free. Breakfast has some good choices. The Basic is 2 eggs or peanut-soy tofu, with home fries and whole wheat toast. It's about $7, which is one of the cheapest items. The appetizer menu has many choices. The build your own quesadillas are about $7. It includes choices like black beans and poblanos. To add tofu it's another $2. A good but expensive item is the tofu fries. These are tossed in Cajun spices and come with a spicy soy mayonnaise sauce. It's $9, which is quite costly for something like this. Salads are also overpriced. The Rice Salad is about $10. It comes with a choice of dressing. The sesame soy and the shiitake ginger viniagrette are the best. A few soups are offered, with a cup at $3 and a bowl at $5. The vegan ones are the tortilla soup and vegetarian chili. Both are good and spicy. There's a Vegan Platter that is about $15. It comes with a 2 layer enchilada with peanut-soy tofu, and sides of black beans, rice, and a salad. The service is really slow. Be prepared to wait over an hour for your food. There's also no reservations taken. It's a community place so they feel it should be open. They also will not accept tips. I like the food but some of this costs too much. The service is also poor and very slow. The wait is probably not worth it so go at less busy times. read more

Casa Nueva - Vegan Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

A long-time Athens staple, Casa lives up to my expectations. It's been many years-- almost, ahem, 20 since my last visit. A few things have changed including the bar area, the menu (ever-so-slightly), and the new no-tipping policy. What hasn't changed is the charm and quality of the food! We loved everything from the guacamole and fresh salsas to the main dishes and the ever-favorite house margs. Do yourself a favor and get to Casa next time you're in town! After all, there's a reason they've had such longevity & success! read more

Very fresh ingredients. Chicken enchilada was delicious. The food isn't too oily or greasy. Sort of like a healthy Mexican inspired place. The tacos and the grilled cheese were also good. You'll feel pleasantly full. The brownie dessert was excellent. There's metered street parking. Its a great place to dine in Athens, and theres occasionally live music next door. read more

We felt very comfortable eating here last night. Our meal was delicious. You have to get the Queso. Not once did I feel unsafe. Thank you. read more

The waitress never did deliver our queso dip. Dinner took a while. Our drinks were empty for some time. So how does this place get five stars? Honestly - just go there and check it out. If you're reading this review, you're probably in Athens already. Your choices are limited. You've already hit Jackie O's. So just go to Casa Nueva. I'm chalking up a lot of the service to the fact that we visited on Thanksgiving weekend. It's a college town, and nobody is there over the holiday. Still, they under promise and over deliver on the food. The building is charming, the decor is quirky and cool, the music was mellow but funky, and the experience was unique. Casa Nueva servers do not accept tips. They'll explain why, but it's more fun to go there and experience it. I'll make sure this is a stop on every visit to Athens for me. If you go there and disagree - let me know why! read more

This place is special. It's weird. It's hippie dippy. It's not for everyone. And it's special. This is not authentic Mexican food. This is a hippie twist on it. They're going to throw some weird vegetables on your burrito. Go with it. Zucchini is surprisingly good with salsa. They have meats too, but there will still be vegetables. Their salsas are good and surprising. The BBQ is sweet and tangy with a lot of layers of flavor. The black bean is nice and mild. The red chile roasted garlic is also mild with a lot of flavor. The chipotle has a nice heat on the back end. And if there is a special salsa, give it a try! Breakfast is great. Eggs just go so well with spicy peppers and onions. I kind of wish the tortilla chips were better since their salsas are so good. The chips have that dense, thick texture you find when they use natural ingredients. There will be a wait, though. I have never gone and not waited at least 20 minutes. So get a beer and wait in the bar. The beer selection is very good. Try some local midwestern brews. Do you hate vegetables? Do you like food that is predictable? Do you want authentic Mexican? If so, don't come here. It is not for everyone. But for those of us who like it, it's just amazing. read more

so many fresh tasting great options, verde salsa is amazing, amazing margs, and the food is also just so good.

Amazing tacos. Great drink selection. One of my favorite places to eat in Athens. read more

This past weekend I returned to Athens with my gf to meet up with some friends and go back to my college town so of course we had to go to Casa! This is a staple for any return visit. It's really neat to know that this is a no tipping restaurant and that not only do the employees earn a living wage but they have a stake in the company so they all care about being there and delivering great service to you. One thing I have never understood is why they have to have the Bodega side with the bar where there is a limited menu to order from. When we went on Sunday, the Bodega side was almost completely empty yet we had a 45 minute wait to be seated. Now, it didn't matter much because we grabbed a few beverages and caught up with friends, but you'd think they could do something better with their seating arrangement to cut down on that wait time. Maybe it's because they don't have enough kitchen staff to pump out that mass amount of food (more on that in a minute) but it just boggles my mind whenever I go. The food took AWHILE to get out to us but it was hot and fresh and sooooo delicious. It was definitely worth the wait but it seemed like a long time for it to come out. Now, we did have a relatively big party from what they're used to and like I said earlier, I dont know if they have the staff to pump out mass amounts of food which i think is probably a good thing because the quality of the food is incredible! They locally source almost all if not all of their ingredients and salsas are made in house. The burrito I got was humongous and delicious. I probably should have saved some but I just wanted to finish it all. Even after finishing all of it (and it was a BIG burrito), I didnt feel like crap the way you do at a chain restaurant when you overeat. I think that has a lot to do with the fresh and natural ingredients and not being stuffed with mounds and mounds of cheese and other crap. Such a good visit to Casa and to anyone who doesn't know, take a peek at their salsa wall where you can buy their canned salsa by the jar. The stuff is delicious! read more

I try and visit Athens Ohio at least once a year, Casa Nueva is one of those reasons. The food, drinks, and service are always perfect! I have dreams about their margaritas and Bloody Mary's. read more

Every time I go to Athens, I want to import Casa Nueva back with me. I wish such a cool, hipster-ey, and goddam delicious restaurant existed in Cbus. If you've never been there, it's a cross between Northstar Cafe sensibilities with a dash of Starliner Diner craziness. This time around, I tried an excellent seasonal breakfast burrito with tofu AND scrambled eggs, havarti cheese, onions, chili spiced mashed sweet potatoes, and the red chile roasted garlic salsa. Yum! My friend and I also split a vegan gingerbread pancake as an "appetizer cake" (the adorable term our awesome server used while telling us about pancake--what a great upsell!). Overall, food and service was top notch as usual. You can really notice how relaxed and efficient the wait staff is--could it be a product of the fact that the restaurant is a co-op? In sum, the food at Casa is so delicious that a trip to Athens is totally worth it even if you have no other plans in the town. Though a hike in the nearby Stroud's Run area is a good idea after a smashing good meal. read more

See all

We come ever time we visit Athens. Healthy, hearty options. It's become "our little spot." Parking can be a bit difficult, although we've never had to walk more than a block. Some of it is uphill on brick plaved roads.. My girlfriend has a troubled knee, so sometimes I drop her at the front door and then go find parking. We've only had to wait for a tablet once and that was on a Saturday at dinner time. While you wait, you can sit in the large bar area which has a trational bar and additional table and both seating. There is also a stage in this room for live acts, however I've never been lucky enough to catch one. There are two separate dining rooms as you go back towards the kitchen. We always sit in the furthest one back, up by the front windows. The windowsill is filled with some wonderful plants. Service is great, friendly, and swift. The food is hearty. I would describe it as hippie hearty, Latino inspired dishes with a strong local twist. I've never had a dish I didn't like. One of the best parts is that the tip is included in the price of these check, and the cost of food isn't expensive. We get two meals and share them both, leave with a small box of leftovers for about $25. Full and happy. TRY THE VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE BISCUITS AND GRAVY. Super wonderful brunch dish that I could dive into and roll around in the delicious gravy. Hearty pond wonderful with two poached eggs. read more

Casa Nueva - We always sit in the back dining room, by the front window. - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Really nice place with big portions. The tofu fries were really good and the breakfast enchiladas were very flavorful. read more

Casa Nueva - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Holy whaaaat? Out of sight! I had breakfast sammich w soysauge, dipped in the tomatillo sauce, and, especially as a vegetarian, it rocked me. Like, Harley Quinn breakfast sammich stoked. Killer biscuits and gravy, also! Do not miss this place. Killa gorilla fo shozilla read more

I stopped in to visit with some friends on my way home after Thanksgiving, and they suggested we try Casa Nueva. They said that although they're frequent visitors, they'd only been there for breakfast so it was a new experience for us all. The first thing I noted is that they're a "no tipping" establishment. What a refreshing change! And no, there was no drop in the level of service because they weren't being tipped...we had great service! On to the food.....I don't remember what everyone ordered, but I do remember seeing a lot of vegetarian and vegan options, and a very lengthy list of salsas in all flavors and varieties. I ordered the "seasonal special", which was an enchilada with chicken (your choice of stuffers), cabbage, and some other stuff plus rice & black beans. My friend also ordered some poppers of some kind as an app, and they were delicious! Prices were reasonable, about $15 for an entree. The only parking is on the street, so if you can't parallel park you may have a problem. Otherwise, it's definitely worth checking out. read more

I first visited Casa (when it was Casa que Pasa) in 1977 as an OU student and it was immediately my favorite. In the past 10 years have visited a few times a year and always a treat. This time disappointed: Huevos Rancheros served semi-warm, stuck to plate, and we waited at least 30 minutes for the food. They no longer use the old school heavy platters but cheap plastic trays. We sat in the middle dining area (on a cold rainy morning) and there was no heat. Very uncomfortable. Other diners were also cold. The restrooms are now Unisex and not very clean. So overall a big disappointment. For me, the restrooms may be a deal breaker on my not coming back. read more

I've been mentally avoiding writing this review because this is our favorite place in Athens and we are moving :( But here it goes... Casa is the whole package. The food is amazing (I call it "hippie" Mexican), the drinks are serious (this is not your chain Mexican margarita, so be careful!), the music scene is great (check out the free early show on many Saturdays), and the staff are friendly and hard-working. In terms of the food, this is not your average Mexican restaurant, which is good to know going into your meal. But it is a locavore's dream! The food is very high quality and they don't skimp on the fillings, the cheese, or the salsa! I am constantly impressed by how much meat comes in the enchiladas or the amount of seasonal veggies on the rice salad. My top recommendations are the verde salsa, the rice salad, and, if you happen to be in town on a Wednesday, the puerco pibil (I wish it was permanently on the menu!) When you consider that the restaurant does not accept tips (any tips are donated to a different charity each month), the prices are not bad for what you get. You do have to wait to eat in the restaurant side, but many options are available in the cantina where you order from the bar and pick up your food at a window. And, although people have told me from day one in Athens that the service is slow (once you get a seat), I have never found this to be the case. I highly recommend Casa to anyone who is visiting and looking to get the true Athens experience! read more

Love the flavors, the atmosphere and staff. Always a favorite - annual pilgrimage for 21 years!!

Super good vegan options! Everything we had was great. Vegan chili, adapted taco salad, and a plethora of amazing salsas and fresh chips. Definitely recommend the food. The drinks (cocktails) and definitely college town appropriate but cheap so I was okay with that. Bartenders are a little grumpy, but the servers were wonderful. I'll return anytime I'm in town! read more

Casa Nueva - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Great employee cooperative college town restaurant - went for breakfast, lots of fresh local vegetable based mexican cuisine inspired choices . We had the seasonal huevos rancheros and a root vegetables stuffed quesadilla. The local roasted coffee was great - bought a pound of the beans for a morning treat for the holiday season and lots of great tea choices too. Definitely recommend stopping here when you have time for a leisurely meal. read more

I'm not even a Karen...don't waste your time. The food here can be made at home. Far from authentic. Taco Bell tasted better...

Was disappointed. Several things were wrong. For the salad, I got the ginger vinaigrette dressing. There was no ginger flavor...it tasted like sesame oil with a little white vinegar added. It was terrible. I also got the pulled pork enchilada. The pork was good but it has been kept under heat and was dried out. The only moisture was the oil from the over abundance of cheese and a tablespoon of salsa that was dehydrated. My companion's experience was worse. They set her main dish in front of her, and she got a serious burn when she brushed against the edge (no warning that it was very hot). Hers was also very dry. It looked like they had spread a teaspoon of Verde sauce on her enchilada which was very dried (you had to look very closely to see what hadn't evaporate). read more

This place is ok--the service is never quite up to par, for one. It always feels like the customers are an afterthought. If your server comes by, make sure you ask for everything you could possibly wish for, because you don't know when they will be seen again. Maybe it's because everyone hyped it up for me because the food in Athens in general by comparison is nothing to get excited about, but the food at Casa has always been mediocre every time I've gone. It's not true Mexican (which is actually not the problem)--it's a local foods and vegan/vegetarian interpretation of Mexican food. But the dishes themselves are nothing special. They do make their own flour tortillas though, and those are pretty tasty. tl;dr: Go here to get a consistent but ordinary meal, and be prepared for slow and indifferent service. read more

Excellent food and service at friendly Casa Nueva. The breakfasts are fantastic, truly homemade.

My wife and I went there for dinner about 8pm on a Saturday, had a 20 minute wait, but it was well worth it, friendly service and great fresh food, the enchiladas are amazing. read more

Casa Nueva - Enchiladas verde - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Nice people & staff. You'll get a taste of what Athens is all about at Casa. Don't expect to dine and dash as the service is a little slow. Great signature drink menu & beer selection. Burritos are very good and big. Love the chips. Several salsa flavors to choose from. Price point seems fair. read more

I have been to casa twice, the first time was a pleasant experience. The second time however was awful, we ordered and then proceeded to wait 45 mins for food that never arrived. When one of our party mentioned to the hostess that we are on a time table the hostess gave her an attitude. The hostess then went to check on the food and told me it was because of a new chef even though parties that were seated after us got their food quickly. Needless to say it was a terrible experience, not to mention our server never once explained to us why it was taking so long and even went out of her way to avoid us. I will not be returning anytime soon, the food is good if it ever gets to your table though. read more

Whenever I'm back in Athens, breakfast (and possibly dinner) at Casa is at the absolute top of my list of things to do. First, know this: The service is slow. If you're not OK with this, don't go. You're going to hate it. You almost always have to wait to be seated and it's going to be another few minutes until someone takes your order. But! If you're patient, it will be rewarded. Salsas are made in house and they even have new seasonal offerings. They have rotating featured vegetables (kinda unique in my eyes) and those can be added to any dish. Specialty iced teas are some of my favorite items on the menu and the signature cocktails from the bar are satisfying, if not innovative. But the food is the main attraction. As I said, the big salsa selection allows you to really customize your food, as salsas can be added to dishes to give them a real zing. Mild, spicy, they have it all. Breakfast is my absolute favorite and I wolf down their delicious potatoes, which always leave me wanting more. Best of all, the restaurant is worker owned. The pride everyone takes in their work is obvious. You don't need to tip here, as everyone is fairly compensated for their work. Casa is one of the places that makes Athens Athens! Don't miss out. read more

Great Margarita Picante!!! Casablanco was good too but I had drink envy for my daughters picante..... i ordered que pass quesadilla off Classic menu. They added chicken for me. Yum!! I also picked roasted garlic and chili salsa. Delicious. Great atmosphere. Great service! Especially since they refuse tips...... read more

Pretentious and snobby with tasteless food. Last meal I had hear I walked out on. I took one bite and server never came back so I left. Over priced and lousy. read more

Such a wonderful treasure. Great food, drink and people. The salsas are amazing. Love the burritos and overall co-op concept. Reasonably priced and delicious. read more

The wait to the actual restaurant was 30ish minutes, so we decided to sit at the bar. I ordered the street burrito with black beans instead of refried beans and it was very good, and I appreciated that it was vegetarian. however, in the description of the burrito it specifically said it had Monterey cheddar cheese in it, and I can assure you, none was in my burrito. while it wasn't a big deal, I was disappointed in the lack of communication on the restaurants part. read more

Casa Nueva - street burrito wrap with black beans instead of refried, with chips and barbeque salsa - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Great margaritas, amazing quesadillas, lively atmosphere and more sophisticated (read: older) crowd than most bars/restaurants on Court St. Their salsa sampler is a great way to try all their amazing salsas, with our favorite being the Verde (the guacamole is amazing, too.) I love that you can order bodega style on busy nights - plus the room with live music is the place to be! A must-stop every time we pass through Athens. read more

The food is good, and it's nice to have vegan options in this part of the world, but the service is incredibly lack luster. We were seated at 1:30 and did not receive our appetizers until nearly 3pm. Then it was another 20-30 minutes before our main course came out. Furthermore, at least one of the people who served us (there were several, yet our drinks remained empty for a while) smelled strongly of body odor. I don't recommend coming here if you don't have a good 3-4 hours to spare. read more

To be honest, I came into this place with low expectations. There were very few people there and the whole lack of service thing was a little interesting. The menu also lacks serious variety. However, the quesadilla I got was phenomenal. It was on some sort of tortilla I had never encountered and the cheese was so soft and melted. It was amazingly delicious and relatively fast. I mean not the quickest, but the food makes up for it hardcore. My stepmom had a salad, but wasn't raving about it. Though, she says it was delicious. In all, I'd hit up this place again. read more

Casa Nueva - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Ohio

A party of 20 walked out due to SSSLLLLOOW service. We waited for over an HOUR AND A HALF for 4 tables an a Sunday afternoon. We arrived at 2:15pm and was seated 3:45pm. We didn't mind if we sat seperate and we made that clear to the hostess. Once seated, we waited another 15 minutes becaue it was "shift change". We explained that we were under a time restraint and 2 hours should have been MORE than efficient for 4 tables on a Sunday afternoon. I asked to speak to a manager and it was explained that they were a cooperative with no management team. Maybe they should reconsider their structure and become more efficient to service their customers. Excuse after excuse after excuse. We never ate and can not rate. ALSO should I mention that I stuck my head in the kitchen and noticed that all of the employyes were just standing around. There was no food on the grill being cooked and everyone was just talking and hanging for their PAID social hour. NO FREE CHIPS AND SALSA. We will never be back. read more

Consistently crappy service, I must have a sign on me that says, "ignore me and treat me bad please" as that is all that happens EVERY time I go here. The last time I went I was asked to wait in the "cantina" where you get ignored by bartenders unless you basically grab them and demand service. Next I watched as several groups of people that came in AFTER me got seated while me and my date got thoroughly ignored and awful service. Once we got seated, we got about 5 oz of water and asked if we needed a "minute." Had I known this was code for, "I am going to go on a long walk to nowhere and never come back to help you" I would have ordered right then and there. Yes, they use locally grown and raised food however, it is nothing special or tasty. The food is ... meh. The service is beyond reproach and the prices are ridiculous. If you are looking for good food and/or service, go ANYWHERE else but here. This story has been repeated EVERY time I have gone to Casa in the 16+ years I have lived in Athens, just sad. Avoid this place at all costs if you can! read more

Okay -- really guys -- four and five stars for Casa? What are you -- drunk? The odds are people who rate this place with high marks had one too many from Casa's bodega, which is the best part of this place. If you're looking for quality food and service, then head down the road to consume the pre-packaged foods of the Bob Evans chain restaurant. You'll be a lot happier, because the quality of the service and food is much higher than Casa. You'll also get an entertaining earful by eavesdropping on the Republican clientele conversations as to why the Obama campaign will never succeed. I digress. Anyway, Casa prides themselves on creating foods with local produce, but I can't see paying an extra $2 to $3 for each item just because it's produce locally. Okay -- maybe I would pay the extra -- but it's just plain wrong when they deliver your breakfast items LUKEWARM. WTF? IT'S NOT GAZPACHO -- IT'S FRENCH TOAST -- SERVE IT HOT! Then, they almost always unintentionally serve your meals in courses -- ie: the French toast course, the sausage course five minutes later, etc. because they can't get a complete order out of the kitchen instantaneously. I've been here to Casa four times (once for dinner, twice for lunch and today for breakfast). I feel as if I had a locally-produced cucumber unwillingly put into a bodily orifice for the fourth time and am being told things will go much easier when I relax, they're doing it because they love me and will never again let me down. The problem with Casa is that MANY of its "employees" are actually "owners" of the restaurant. So, you can't tell the staff when something goes wrong, because it goes in one ear and out the other. With the churn of students in town, they don't value their clientele, because they know a new batch of students will be on campus in a year. Food service employees are the worst abusers of illicit drugs, compared with workers in other industries, according to a government report titled "Drug Use Among U.S. Workers." The study found that more than 4.2 percent of the industry's total work force -- use illicit drugs. If they did this study at Casa only and used the findings to represent the entire US food service industry, they would've found 90% of the employees using way too many illegal substances or ignoring the dosage instructions of their prescribed medications. I don't mind if the person serving me is a crack addict or has a heroin needle sticking out of their arm -- JUST GET MY FOOD TO ME ON TIME, TAKE A BATH PERIODICALLY -- oh, and a periodic smile would be nice. Ugh! Never again. Casa "owners" -- please clean off that cucumber before you decide to use it on another unknowing victim. You told me you loved me, but it's clear that we now must go our separate ways. You can keep the house. read more

I would say that Casa is probably the best food in Athens. It stands up to a normal city as really good food =). Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, I don't care what you're getting, it's going to be good here. On the bar side, it's a great place to hang out for some bloody marry's and margaritas as well. Usually have great bands playing, one of my favorite spots in Athens. read more

Enchilada? more like enchil-NOT-a! I am not sure what the demographic is in Athens, but this could very well be some of the worst Mexican food I've ever had. it's like someone heated Annie's burritos by leaving them in the sun on a rooftop of a burnt out rubber factory in downtown Cincinnati. the salad is confused. it's like the lettuce is the fat, ugly friend who was left out of a girls night out. and the chili. this isn't chili. this is sadness. this is Picasso's blue period in chili form. I died inside when I ate this. the margaritas were cheap. I guess that's a plus. I think it's a marketing ploy. I see what you did there, casa nueva. but you can't get this girl drunk enough to eat this food. This place needs more than just salt in their cuisine. They need Jesus. I'm planning on dropping off the bible in my hotel room tomorrow. Spare yourself the misery and drive an hour north to steak n shake. Godspeed. read more