Food was exceptional. Service & staff were above & beyond. Nice quiet atmosphere. Very pleased. Will definitely go back!

I went to the dentist today and had oral surgery so I needed some "soft" food. After running an errand at Lowes, I spotted this place in the same neighborhood on a map app so my sister and I ate lunch here about 12:30 and found no crowd. Our overall service was great with prompt seating, drinks and food service that included timely bill settling at the end. I ordered the Dinner "Pick Three Choices" deal and chose Rice & Beans, a Ground Beef Enchilada, and a Ground Beef Soft Taco. I was worried about bitting the inside of my mouth while still numb so I emptied the contents of the enchilada and taco and mixed them with the rice and beans so I didn't have to chew that much. It was great eating it that way. I finished the entire plate. I had to pass on the chips and salsa but my sister liked them very much. She ordered the Ground Beef Chimichanga. She got rice and beans too. She said her meal was great as well. She said and I quote, "it was excellent." We're both ready to return again for lunch anytime. We were able to find a parking place directly in front of the restaurant. There was ample parking available. The restrooms were clean and stocked. read more

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Food is amazing and portions are large! Ask for red hot salsa for a kick! Wide variety! Fast and efficient with a qualified wait staff!

I'm vegan and asked for some modifications (no cheese/ dairy, no meat). They were able to compensate perfectly. The cook even came out and confirmed that that's what I wanted. Everyone was super nice. Decoration cute too. read more

Never order delivery from Casa Brava! My cousin's enchiladas were a tortilla with unmelted cheese!!! Not even cooked. Tacos with no meat, just blobs of fat. I'd never go there or get delivery again. read more

If you've read my reviews before you know how much I love Mexican food. In Bloomington we tend to be creatures of habit who eat at El Ranchero South and Juannitas - close to home and just what we are used to. Deciding to shake things up and being on the west side of town led us to Casa Brava. We hadn't been in years and we enjoyed our experience! Service was quick and on point. It wasn't too crowded for a Friday night but still busy. No wait. Perfect! When it's too empty i start to get worried but I also hate waiting for a table. Chips and salsa were good - nothing special but good. We had the bean dip with queso which was a tad bit soupy but great flavor. Wife ordered tamales and the tiny bite she allowed me to sample was good. She said they were great and given I wasn't allowed much she must be telling the truth. I ordered arroz con pollo and it was fantastic. Chose flour tortillas and received only three so added a side order or corn tortillas to sample and add. Both were fresh and good. A great experience and we will return! read more

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We've been back several times since the waning days of the pandemic, and tonight is a good example. The food here isn't as manufactured as other Mexican-American restaurants in Bloomington. It has good flavors and preparation. Service isn't amazingly fast, and the decor isn't dazzling. It's a neighborhood popular restaurant where two can dine well without liquor for under $30 for both, including tip. The varieties are good, and some of the dishes are predictable and good. There are no competing noise sources to distract you. We like it because it's good every time, and isn't the product of a half-dozen microwave ovens. It's reliable, tasty, cost-effective, and has a decent variety. Most dishes arrive not very spicy, so if you'd like it hot, just ask. We like Casa Brava and La Cherreada above the others in the greater Bloomington area. In Morgantown, Los Dos Abuelos is realllllly good. p.s. There are a good number of meatless dishes and vegetarian combos. I can't vouch for the liquor. read more

Great service excellent ceviche. Atmosphere and location are pretty good! Great salsa and drinks

My spouse and I attempt to try out different restaurants throughout Southern Indiana. i have seen the sign for this restaurant and decided to try it out. The strip mall for this restaurant is way back behind the crew car wash. They add almost 3 percent to the bill if you use credit cards. These are the negatives. As you wend your way back to the restaurant you will discover a cozy little Mexican restaurant. My spouse and i ordered different types of taco Salad. My spouse's taco salad was the typical ground beef variety. i wanted something different from your average chicken taco salad. So I ordered the chicken fajita taco salad. As I tasted it I experienced chicken fajitas in taco salad bowl. in both cases the taco salad bowl itself was delightful. Well worth the adventure to discover this restaurant. read more

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The portions are large, and their food is very very good. I'd recommend it highly! Was gone a few times now and we've always left pleased. Thanks so much for the good service. read more

This was near our hotel when we were looking for places to get dinner. The prices were a little higher than portrayed online when we ordered takeout for pick up. However, there is a generous amount of food provided, so I guess it evens out. The food was very good! read more

Casa Brava Authentic Mexican Cuisine - a variety of dishes - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Decided to step out of my comfort zone today , hahaha Knowing my friends at my local Mexican food spot would be frowning at me . It was just like I remember over 15 years ago . Very clean and the staff was great ! Very kind ,quick and accommodating. Now to the food ...... it was pretty good ! Great chips and salsa , and nice portions I got the pick 3 witch was cool because they had plenty to choose from . But even though I will stay true to my local spot !!! Haha I would eat here again read more

I thought this was the worst Mexican food I have had in town. The server/service I had was bad also. This was a one and done for me.

First of all, you aren't going to find real Mexican food in Bloomington. The best and the closest you are going to come is here at Casa Brava. The flavors, the spices and options provide a yummy experience. I tend to prefer chicken and seafood dishes which they have quite a few. My husband on the other hand tends to like their beef and steak and is often able to find something that is big enough to not only eat for dinner but, also take home for a snack later. They have all levels of spice and provide great customer service and interaction. They are a little less expensive than Juanita's restaurant and they provide more of the Mexican feel. I like that this location it's close and easy to park at. It is close to several other shops and they are open for lunch and dinner. Their other location is located on the east side of town and also provides all the perks this location does. It's definitely the best Mexican restaurant in Bloomington. read more

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It takes a lot for me to fall out of love with a place I count on for great food. Casa Brava may have done that. The single caveat of this is that my girlfriend enjoyed her food. I was disappointed at a number of things. It appears that during busy times, they use the easiest method possible to handle and/or prepare various dishes. I understand that you can make a big batch of rice or beans and serve 'em up, and that probably works for a lot of things. Not everything. I had the pollo chihuahua and we shared a bowl of cheese dip. Check that. We shared a bowl of cheesy water dip. I couldn't believe how thin it was. Based on the random chunks in the bowl, I have go guess that either a batch was thinned out to make it last or it just wasn't heated evenly. Then it probably sat under a heat lamp to keep it warm. Proper cheese dip should thicken as it cools. You should get big gobs on your nacho. This just dribbled off, even when it had cooled. I requested a replacement, which did the same thing. I'm pretty sure the guy just went and grabbed another from the same batch. I've had the pollo chihuahua before, and it was pretty good. This came out sizzling, but after the cheese dip I didn't know if it was genuinely cooked that way or just something they did for effect. It's basically chicken and ham with a cheese sauce that goes in a tortilla. The chicken was super thin. It tasted OK, and it seemed filling. Maybe there was more than met the eye. I have loved having this so close to home on the west side. I think next time I'll try out the new El Rancho in the old Pizza hut or head up north to La Charreada. This visit was just way too disappointing. read more

Terrible lunch today. No spice , no taste, very bland Mexican food. If I could give a negative star I would. Usually pretty good, the person cooking today should never do it again.!! Clearly no worth the money today. Waiter was excellent. Table was clean. Chimichanga lunch read more

Excuse me but it says authentic Mexican food, but it really is Texmec food, I ordered a Quesadilla with little meat and cheese, they brought it to me with very little cheese, I gave it back and I asked for more cheese and it does not matter that they charge me more and they brought me more cheese, but Very poor quality cheese looked like liquid cheese, because if it is authentic Mexican food and the quesadillas are not with liquid cheese from Nachos and I ordered two toriafos chiles that is authentic too and they brought me those horrible chili that do not bite anything, I did not like anything Thank you and sorry but you should not put Authentic Mexican Food. A soy Mexicana. read more

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My coworkers and I come here for lunch every Thursday. The staff is always on their feet, and we never feel neglected. There is a reason that we come back every week to have our meal here. Some of us even come twice a week. read more

My wife booked this place for my 40th birthday with the restaurant manager two weeks prior to the arrival day for 16 people. When I arrived I had to wait 10 minutes by the hostess table to even be acknowledged . To add insult to injury they gave our tables away to a walk-in group of 20 people even though I showed up early . No apology received . Host simply walked away like it wasn't his problem. The staff here are clueless and could care less about there jobs. I can't even imagine how the food would have been had we actually gotten the table we reserved . Run away from this place as fast as you can!!!! read more

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Bloomington. It isn't authentic Mexican like I know it (I'm from California so I've had a lot of Mexican food) but the food is still delicious. They recently changed the menu and what I would normally get isn't on it anymore but I still love the staff and I look forward to trying new things. read more

GREAT food! Fast service, tasty large portions and the salsa is the BEST EVER! Try it. It's worth it!!!

For sit-down Mexican in Bloomington, this is good stuff. The carnitas are just what you want, a generous helping of tasty pork with plenty of lettuce/guac/tomato to fill up the tortillas. The Salmon Mexicano is also great. read more

Save your money very poor quality of food. Even the cheese dip is terrible like water, and they raised prices. Its not worth it

Friendly staff, large portions, varied menu and great tasting food. Highly recommended.

So I've been here a few times. The restaurant is always clean, the service is usually friendly, and the food is usually good. They make good drinks and overall, they're not bad. However, the experience that led me to writing this was not a positive one. Do not go here and order a salad. I ordered the "Brava Salad," described on the menu as "Slices of grilled chicken, garnished with lettuce, onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, cheese and topped with your choice of dressing." Basically, their house salad. As you can see, in the description, they mentioned there was onion on it. However, they did not explain exactly what that meant before this monstrosity was placed in front of me. The rest of the salad was plain, but fine. Slightly overcooked chicken, bell pepper that wasn't cut all the way through so the pieces were still connected, but plenty of cheese and tomatoes. And onion. Huge petals of raw white onion. Completely raw. One chunk hadn't been cut properly, so it was a slightly mangled quarter of a raw onion, and then just huge petals and pieces of completely raw onion. I started pulling it off after tentatively trying to eat a piece or two. My boyfriend and I were stunned. I had a huge pile next to my dish of just raw onion. Altogether, I pulled off what was basically an entire raw white onion, roughly chopped. It was disgusting, ridiculous and inedible. It's a great restaurant, except I've lost all faith in their salads, and it doesn't seem right that I feel like I can't order from an entire category of food. read more

Real good authentic Mexican food here. Nice rich red enchilada sauce like it should be. Poblano was excellent. Pretty good margaritas as well. Ask for all three salsas they have other than what you just get when you sit down. Supper yummy. Service was great as well. Kudos. read more

Best mexican restaurant in town, the queso is amazing. Great prices, great service, great food. Can't go wrong here!

I went to Indiana University and ate dinner at this spot on the regular. Unfortunately it didn't open until my junior or senior year, but in retrospect that's probably a good thing because my freshman 15 would have easily become my freshman 30. Now I live in Miami and I have yet to find a place that can even hold a candle to Casa Brava. Don't ask me how Bloomington, IN has better mexican food than Miami, FL (it baffles me) but Jean-Claude-Van-DAMN their nachos are FINE! Casa Brava's delicious queso, and fresh ingredients...mmm mmm mmm! I have considered going back to Bloomington for the food alone. Surprisingly the whole town is full of ethnic and yummy treats. Who knew? read more

The only thing missing is margaritas. The salsa is very tasty. It has a nice smoke flavor to it. The chips are fresh and hot. The prices are great. Quick Tip: Lunch Enchilada is $4.49! read more

I don't think this is the best Mexican restaurant in Bloomington, but I certainly don't think it's the worst. The main issues I had were with the service and the lack of an authentic feel. The first strike was when we arrived and the two servers argued in front of us about who would serve us. Then, Dave's tacos didn't come out with the rest of the meal...and then about 10 minutes later the chorizo that was supposed to come with them came out. The food, overall, was very good, albeit salty. I ordered the fish tacos, which was blackened tilapia with cheese and generous portions of onions and cilantro. Dave ordered tacos that came with beef and chorizo..the chorizo was beyond salty. We also ordered a tamale to go with it, cause that's how we do. Again, very very good, but very very salty. I do have to say, though, that the salsa was spot on. Overall, I can see myself coming back but probably not as my first choice. read more

All in all a good place to eat. I've had this at other restaurants and was no better or worse. Good service. Clean. I'll come back. read more

Casa Brava Authentic Mexican Cuisine - Burrito Casa Brava - Mexican Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Casa Brava is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Bloomington and I honestly haven't found anything close to this good in Chicago. Its a warm clean atmosphere with giant booths and you typical Mexican decorations all around. You sit down and are immediately given a big bowl of super warm crispy tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Order a coke and you get a frickin 40oz tub of fountain coke and ice - the perfect compliment to some salty greasy mexican food. Check out the menu - it is an eight page book with more combinations of meat, cheese, rice, and tortillas than you could ever imagine. This place is NOT healthy but why are you going to a Mexican restaurant if health is a priority? I usually found myself here after a long night of drinking - wake up get some fajitas and Casa Brava and then take a nap. You really can't go wrong with the fajitas or burritos. read more

This is a real treat! A true gem located on the west side of Bloomington. I've been coming here for years and always love the food. Excellent Mexican cuisine. Great menu selection and authentic environment. Love love love the chicken and shrimp fajita read more

We ate there a few weeks ago on a Saturday evening and it was above-average for Mexican fare in Indiana. Plenty of staff that made sure our drinks and chips didn't go empty. The food was hot and tasty, and quick. I'm not considering it in my rating, but it's important to know THEY DON'T SERVE MARGARITAS, as they only have a license to sell beer. (I think that's why the restaurant wasn't overly busy on a game-day Saturday.) We will go back again for lunch when we aren't allowed to drink alcohol anyway. read more

Definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Great food, always hot, and good service.

Really loving this place. They offer a lot of the traditional fare, but the real appeal is the little stuff I don't always see. Hubby loved the tamales; I can't say much about them as I just don't like tamales, period. The blue-eyed guy at the bar pours a nice margarita--no skimping on the tequila--and the lunch specials are well priced and huge. read more

The tastiest most authentic Carnitas I've eaten. El Norteno was our favorite in Bloomington and we were disappointed when it closed. Casa Brava is our new #1! read more

Ever wonder what Mexican food would taste like if midwesterners had invented it? Spoiler alert: not spicy at all. This place really is the worst. The service I received when I went was actually okay, but the salsa was so tomato sauce-y Chile Relleno was so pathetically greasy this place gets one star. read more

We ate our meal and ask for a left over box. They brought it and we filled it and then a roach crawled up from the bottom of the box. They still charged us for the meal and acted like it was no big deal. They brought us more chips or it may have been the same chips in a different bag. We did NOT eat the chips and I will never go there again. read more

Rarely do I ever have anything negative to say about a Mexican restaurant, but this place was just altogether disappointing. Went in with two friends, one of which only wanted a margarita- only to find... They don't have margaritas! Only beer..? That was a first. Next, we ordered a $5 side of guac that was so incredibly runny and bland we couldn't eat it. Finally, I got a $9 taco salad that had no cheese whatsoever in it (despite the menu saying it came with queso blanco and shredded cheese). And, even worse, it only had one lone tomato slice lazily thrown on top of the salad. All in all, spend your money elsewhere for Mexican cuisine in Bloomington. You'll spend around the same amount at La Cha or Juanita's and get way better food (and margaritas!!). read more