Casa Don Juan’s suburban expansion makes sense

By HEIDI KNAPP RINELLA LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

10 years ago

Waiter Oscar Vega takes an order to a table at Casa Don Juan, 1204 S. Main St., March 12, 2015. (Bill Hughes/View) (Click for more photos)

The exterior of Casa Don Juan is shown at 1204 S. Main St., March 12, 2015. (Bill Hughes/View)

Maria Elena Cortes makes tortillas at Casa Don Juan, 1204 S. Main St., March 12, 2015. (Bill Hughes/View)

Cook Jose Antonio puts a finished dish on the pick-up counter at Casa Don Juan, 1204 S. Main St., March 12, 2015. (Bill Hughes/View)

The interior of Casa Don Juan is shown at 1204 S. Main St., March 12, 2015. (Bill Hughes/View)

It’s been a while since I’ve been to downtown stalwart Casa Don Juan, and hearing it had opened a second location in the ‘burbs nudged me to give the mothership another look. Turned out to be a good move: I noticed some changes, and they were positive ones.

Improved decor, for one. Casa Don Juan always was a fairly comfortable place, but the imagery has been ramped up. I don’t remember which of the pieces have always been there, but in the current iteration, framed artworks virtually cover the walls, banners are strung across the dining room, and a “tree” of leaf-shaped mirrors covers most of a wall in the bar, with colorfully lit Mexican star lanterns suspended nearby.

There’s also been an expansion of the menu — something that’s necessary for a Mexican restaurant to stand tall in Southern Nevada. Salads, for example: Mexican-American restaurants never have been big on salads, a reflection of the native cuisine. Casa Don Juan, though, offers a number of entree salads that I would guess particularly resonate with the downtown crowd at lunch, such as shrimp on romaine with mustard-tinged dressing.

We decided to go with the fajita salad ($8.99), though, because I’ve always found the traditional combo particularly appealing on a salad, and that was the case here. We chose beef (chicken and shrimp are options), and the marinated chunks were served hot atop a generous mound of crunchy fresh romaine with sauteed onions, green peppers and a dollop, as they say, of sour cream.

Chicken enchiladas ($12.99 for two) were a respectable version of a dish found in every Mexican restaurant. The meat was tender and plentiful, and the sauce possessed lots of depth and character instead of just being knock-your-socks-off hot. The rice on the side was exceptional, tomato-tinged and well-seasoned, but the beans were too runny.

That surprised us because the warm bean dip served with the chips before our meal was just the right consistency, creamy and smooth. A chipotle-tinged salsa was, like the enchilada sauce, deeply flavored without being gratuitously hot. And the guacamole ($5.99) with which we started was delightful, ultra-creamy and zesty. It was served in a cup formed from a green tortilla, a novel touch that held far more than it appeared.

So, yes, it makes perfect sense that Casa Don Juan has expanded its brand beyond downtown. This is no longer the cult favorite it once was but a Mexican cantina with far broader appeal.

Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Email Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at bestoflasvegas.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.