The excitement around Casa Bonita’s grand reopening was evident this week, as tens of thousands of hopeful diners lined up in virtual queues to book a coveted reservation.
On Monday, Lakewood’s famous Pink Palace opened reservations to the general public for the first time under the ownership of “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Even though the restaurant has technically been open since June 2023, fans had to win a lottery to be able to get in.
That’s why many were understandably eager for their chance to see Casa Bonita’s famed cliff divers while noshing on its equally as famous sopapillas. And I mean a very many – virtual lines exceeded 40,000 and 50,000 people at certain points throughout the day.
Casa Bonita reservations opened at 9 a.m. to longtime fans who signed up for the restaurant’s newsletter list over the last year-plus. Stone and Parker previously told The Denver Post that the list includes more than 900,000 email addresses, though that assuredly includes some individuals who registered more than once.
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The 9 a.m. queue ballooned to more than 50,000 people before the allotted reservations sold out around 11:30 a.m. At 3 p.m., reservations opened to the general public and again hopeful diners seeking reservations logged into the website in droves. Within minutes, the number of people in line surpassed 31,000.
Many took to social media to share their enthusiasm about booking a table, while others shared their frustration. In some cases, hopeful diners could not complete their reservation because of a system error. The website then timed out and sent them to the back of the line. (That also happened if you refresh the reservation page; ask me how I know.)
By 5:30 p.m., Casa Bonita had closed the queue. A message on its website stated, “All current reservations have been taken.” Those reservations were for October and November, and it’s unclear when new dates in December and 2025 will become available.
A consolation prize: Three Alamo Drafthouse theaters are showing the documentary “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” for several more days. See where and when here.
GUESS WHO GOT TICKETS TO CASA BONITA!!!! pic.twitter.com/XflbQmaIhU
— Charlene♡ (@misslucidfae) September 16, 2024
@CasaBonita
Made it to the check out, but then it crashes. Then, I got kicked from queue. Super bummer. Anyway to find out if the payment actually went through? https://t.co/4Dz646qEfo
— D B Coolper (@D_BCoolper) September 16, 2024