Casa del Mar

I cannot being to tell you how excited I was to find out Casa del Mar was related to Canyon Café out at Plaza Frontenac. Canyon Café is one of my favorite places to enjoy Tex-​Mex and a Margarita. When I worked in Plaza Frontenac, CC was my go to for lunch and Happy Hour after work. Let me tell you, Casa del Mar is the redheaded step-​child to Canyon Café. They are no way near the level of quality in food or service as my beloved Canyon Café.
I should of known that I was going to be let down when I entered the restaurant around 2 PM and there was only 1 other diner. I’ll start off with the positives points first. There are only two and neither of them had anything to do with the food or beverage. While sitting at the bar, I sneezed and the bartender said, «Bless, you.» That is positive point 1 and the second positive point was giving me an orange pen (orange is my favorite color) to sign my charge slip when I was ready to leave.
I ordered a top shelf Margarita and 3 Street Tacos. I wasn’t offered any chips and salsa, so I do not know if they are complimentary or if you pay a small fee. If I had to pay, I would have done so and I would have enjoyed munching on them while I drank my Margarita and waited and waited for my tacos. Yes, I meant to write waited twice. However, I guess the conversation at the other end of the bar with other employees was more important.
My tacos arrived and one was incorrect. I ate it any way, because trying to get the attention of the bartender and having to wait again, was something I just did not want to deal with. The tacos I ordered were; Fried Fish, Crispy Chicken and Spicy Beef.
Fried Fish: Instead of Fried, I got Blackened. The Blackened Fish I actually liked, but the condiments it was served with distracted from the flavorful fish.
Spicy Beef: Mushy pulled beef and not spicy at all.
Crispy Chicken: Reminded me of Orange Chicken at Panda Express in a soft shell taco.
As I shopped the Galleria after dining, I asked the sales associates what they thought. I did not get one positive comment. One point that they all made, is one I noticed as I looked at their website. Their hours are not accommodating to shoppers or employees getting off work. They close at the same time as the stores. Why not stay open longer so employees can relax with a drink or snack and a shopper can recharge before going home.
Been here and I will not return.
When: September 15, 2015
Why: Lunch while shopping

The three pepper cream sauce… bathe in it! I ordered the Panchos Enchiladas… and…oh yes. The sauce stole the show. There was enough of it to mix into the rice. Meal was great. Intertwined with the Pool Side Margarita… made with pineapple ciroc, crown apple and a coconut liquer… oh yea. Awesome meal on some random eat here type of vibe… I sat at the bar and CJ was very attentive. Food was out fast and the right temp.

Who knew such a gem existed at the far end of the mall? We didn’t know, but now we do! So, we had a
certificate and we wanted to give Casa Del Mar a try. I’m so glad we did. As we walked in, we were greeted by friendly faces and seated quickly. The space is nice and airy and the atmosphere was great. Our server was wonderful, and in fact every person on staff was top notch. The manager came and talked with us and he was great. But, the food. Start with house made chips and a unique roasted tomato salsa, very tasty. Each of the four of us ordered something different. Chicken enchiladas. Taco combination. Beef fajitas. Lobster and shrimp enchiladas. They were ALL VERY GOOD. If you like seafood, order the lobster and shrimp enchiladas – the best! If you like beef, the fajitas were really great. If you like chicken, the enchiladas were also fabulous! Also, my husband ordered a sangria and it was huge, very strong, and very tasty.

Modern take on Mexican cuisine. Pleasantly surprised. Crispy chicken taco was sweet and spicy. And the lobster shrimp enchiladas were tasty too.

I really wanted to like this place since it is my understanding that it is local, and it would fill the empty void at Galleria. Let me first say that there was many things that this place did right. The things that were off were just that, off. Nothing terrible. Now that I think about it this place was the purgatory of Cali-​Mexi food.
This place did offer nice sized portions, and the prices were slightly higher than I would like but they weren’t outrageous. The salsa had a nice heat to it but the queso that my daughter insists on getting at every Mexican themed place was so bland and try as I might could only eat a tiny bit. The tacos we shared offered a great portion size for the fillers, but the sauces were a little… off. Almost as if it was trying to be something great and then the chef just forgot what he was doing and moved on to the next thing. I will say that the service that I experienced was great. Our server was warm and friendly which is why it received 3 stars.
I will say this as a city dweller with access to Cherokee I am a little spoiled. If this was close I could see myself making this work. But I don’t have to, so I probably won’t go out of my way to try it again.

If you like Mexican, you need to check it out the next time you’re near the Galleria.
I had the enchilada combo: one spinach & mushrooms, and one shrimp & lobster with rice, lettuce tomatoes, and black beans on the side.
My husband had chicken quesadillas. He said the salsa could have been hotter. Everything was good.

Ran into this place while at galleria mall. Chips and salsa were ok. They’re free so what can I say but thank you! Salsa was smokey, and chips were the big kind. We had the table side guacamole, it was good. My girlfriend had the house margarita, she said it was ok a little sweet. We shared the enchiladas I had the poncho enchilada (I think that’s what they were called and she had the lobster and shrimp and they were ok. Overall the food was just ok not great not bad. But what made a difference is the service, as I read the Unilocal reviews I was a little concerned and some people had commented on the slow service. We did not experience that at all, our server which I didn’t catch her name but I believe she was a bartender who picked us up as a table was very helpful and made us feel welcomed. I guess she’s from San Antonio and came up here to help train at this restaurant. Were from Tampa and she gave us some pointers. So thank you to her, and that’s the reason I give 4 stars instead of 3. In my opinion great service goes a long way in a good dining experience. They go hand in hand!

I came here for lunch today and I was not very impressed. The service was decent and the food was just ok. I had the chimichanga which was ok but I’ve had better. The prices are about $ 10 to $ 12 for each entrée. The menu was not that extensive. They offer free chips and salsa, but I was not a fan of the chips or the salsa. The salsa tasted like salsa mixed with Ragu spaghetti sauce to me. The restaurant is huge with a large bar.

The food here is delicious and unique. And the restaurant itself is beautiful. I love eating here!

Chef Sandra, Thank you! I’m lovin the rice! I tried the shrimp and lobster enchiladas. Yes, we will be back! My husband tried the chicken burrito and would get it again. But, we’ll be trying more things next visit (soon).
Adding this to our regular dinner places.

Just finished an amazing dinner! Be sure to order the guacamole! It is prepared at your table and is so very good! The margaritas were great as well!

I was hoping to be able to give a higher rating, but I really can’t for this visit.
We stumbled on this restaurant in between ball games at Clayton High School.
Being a part of the Galleria we didn’t think twice about it.
Other Unilocal reviews are a mixed bag so we gave it a try.
We were in on a Wednesday at happy hour and sat at the bar.
None of the happy hour specials were offered to us.
The bartender made us feel like we were a bother. Rolled her eyes when we asked for more chips and salsa as our queso dip was delivered. I guess we were supposed to use a spoon and eat the queso?
Honestly, the queso was too thick due to not being warm enough, and tasted like a Velveeta dip from any old tailgait gathering.
We chose not to order a dinner since the first 45 minutes were below average at best.
Including a tip we spent $ 30 for 2 Margaritas (one made wrong by the inconvenienced bartender) and queso dip. A bit much for «happy hour». Especially since one of the happy hour specials on the board was a «queso bar». Never saw it but paid full price for the dip.
The décor is open and fresh. The high ceilings are modern and nice.
There is limited outdoor seating.
I can’t say I would never go back but I don’t know that I would recommend it.
Just another below average Mexican cuisine restaurant in St Louis.

Pretty terrible experience today. The service was probably the worst I’ve ever had eating out. I was there two hours with my group. It wasn’t that busy. Took an hour before our food order was taken. I never got my food. A drink took an hour to come after we went and got it from the bar ourselves. Food was coming out one at a time way late. We had to get our own silverware even after asking. And we never received an apology from the staff nor did they try to make up for our service.
I should add the table next to us had the same experience where they canceled orders because they were tired of the wait.
Never going back.

The food is soooo good here, wish I had taken a pic. I had the steak fajitas and my friend had the chicken enchiladas. Waiter was very friendly and quick and I loved the upbeat Spanish music playing (even though I don’t understand it lol.) I had the flan for dessert, also very delicious
I will def be coming back when I’m in the area.

Probably more like 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up for the unexpected uniqueness.
The (free) chips and salsa is a mix corn chips and housemade (I think) potato chips. And maybe one other kind. The chips seemed fresh and were great vehicles for the delicious fire-​roasted salsa. The salsa managed to have a solid kick without being spicy.
The chicken fajitas ($ 12) are done a bit differently. Instead of a hot skillet with meat, onions, and peppers, you get a hot skilled with with meat, rice, pinto beans, onions, and peppers all served together (along w/​a plate of the usual fajita toppings. There was a good amount of meat, and food in general. Everything was nicely seasoned, including the rice, which had good moisture and flavor. I would order this again.
I tried out two tacos ($ 8), the al-​pastor and the lobster. Both were pretty damn good and nicely sized. The al-​pastor was filled with pulled pork and diced pineapple. A bit greasy, but good. There were other interesting taco choices like a chicken mole and a blackened mahi. The tacos came with a small amount of the Casa slaw. I think the slaw has some guac in it. It was decent.
The service was courteous and attentive. We had to wait a few minutes too long for the food, but it wasn’t that bad, and the chips and salsa kept the hangry feelings at bay.
The two of us ate well for $ 22(w/tax) and had a decent amount of food to take home.
There was also some festive Mexican music playing in the background which added a nice upbeat vibe. All in all a good experience.

My fiancé and I visited this place a few weeks ago and we were surprised by the low ratings previous Unilocalers had given them. We had a great experience and would definitely visit again!
The service was fantastic, we ordered the giant margarita and it was delicious. Not too sweet and great size for two people to enjoy! I normally don’t love chips and salsa but enjoyed their version. It was smokey and had depth in flavor.
We did not order any apps, just enchilada and tacos and thought it was well priced and both were good in tasting.
Definitely worth trying!

I’m told this is a spinoff from owners of Canyon Café at Frontenac, which is one of my favorite restaurants in town, so I couldn’t wait to go!
First of all, I wish they promoted the place more, cuz it was open almost two months before I knew about it and only heard about it through Unilocal.For a place this good, I want people to know about it, so the place does well and stays busy.
Chips and salsa = ⁵⁄₅ (similar to those at Canyon Café)
Shrimp and Lobster Enchilada = ⁵⁄₅ (covered in lobster sherry sauce, sooo good)
Based on my friends’ comments on their tacos:
Seared Tuna, Chicken Mole, Carnitas al Pastor, and Lobster tacos all good.
Something lacking on Steak Rancheros taco.
Appetizers seemed all over priced. We usually order some type of queso dip at these type of restaurants, but priced at $ 8.95, we just couldn’t justify it. That was the cheapest appetizer; they just went up from there for guacamole and quesadillas. That being said, I did get a look at our neighboring table’s nachos, and it was HUGE! Practically the size of ½ the table! Must have the been the large $ 15.95 size.
See pic of enchiladas.

This place deserves a five star for their service and their food alone. On the service, we had such an amazing experience. From the very beginning they were friendly, walked us to our seat and the restrooms, always kept our drinks filled and the manager came by not once, but twice to see how we were doing. The food was quick to arrive and presented very well.
On the food, the salsa is amazing. It has a deep, smoky flavor. Not your typical sweet salsa. They give you two types of chips. They have their own chips (not a huge fan of them) and they have regular tortilla chips. I ordered two tacos, one was a fish taco and one was a carnita. Both were great and had plenty of meat. My fiancé had a lobster burrito and loved it. We also ordered a margarita. It was bigger than average and tasted great.
The only drawback is the atmosphere. The place is big and they keep the lights up fairly bright which makes it look even bigger. Maybe dim them by 15%.
It is just a few blocks from our apartment and we will certainly be back.

Not quite ready? We had a quick lunch here last week and it was OK. We ran into some of the same issues as noted by others about the slow and very nonchalant service. Everything took longer than it should and none of the servers seemed to care. A group of servers stood near the front door chatting and one was sitting in the back on her cell phone. The food and drinks were OK, better than we expected for Mall Mexican, but management had better really get to work here or it’s not going to make it. You won’t get referrals with 2.5 star rating on Unilocal.Plus, it’s not well advertised at the mall nor online. the actual signage at the mall (inside and out) was poor. In fact, when walking through the mall, people could not tell what it was and the little door from the mall itself was not welcoming. The location at the Galleria and open space could do well (look at how great Canyon Café does), but they need some help based on what we saw.
Pros: Location. Salsa and drinks were good.
Cons: Slow and bland service.

Casa del Mar is the newest concept from the proprietors of Canyon Café. The restaurant is situated at the furthest end of the St. Louis Galleria Mall by Dillard’s; that area has significantly less traffic and less visibility compared to the rest of the mall (a possible pro and con).
The atmosphere is wonderfully warm with vibrant colors and great music plays that puts you in the mood for a margarita or something with rum straight away! The service was above par; my primary server, Liz was great (5 Star Service)! At many new restaurants no one can speak to what’s on the menu but it was clear from having a conversation with her that the Owners made sure that all of the Associates tasted items and could speak to the dishes that they will be serving people. With that said, I took her suggestion and tried one of the «Limit 2» Margaritas, The Pool Side (pineapple Ciroc, pineapple juice, rum & other deliciousness). Soo good and soo fresh, after only a few sips I was in a man down situation and can see why they limit you to two!
This place has the same modus operandi as other tex mex places, you are given complimentary ships and salsa. The salsa was very delicious, lightly smoky and just the right level of heat. We ordered the queso and I was rather surprised by it. For what it costs I was expecting something fresh and great and to be honest it taste like jarred queso that that they just sprinkled fresh cheese and tomatoes on. It was ultra salty and not what I was expecting at all.
I went for the street and beach taco trio. The street tacos are almost the exact same ones at Canyon Café and in that same respect no changes can be made to the tacos or the toppings that accompany them (you cannot add but you can have items removed).
My trio consisted of mole chicken taco, blackened mahi taco and crispy chicken taco with beans and rice. The rice was very mildly seasoned and I was expecting more yet it was far from horrible or hard. I was nervous about the mole chicken only because everyone’s mole is totally different but I was very pleased with this mole. The trio was so good, I wished I ordered an extra of all three of my street tacos to have for snacks later on (I always need yummies for Frasier and the Golden Girls).
When it was time for dessert, I was uncertain if they served it because nothing was on the menu and there was no separate dessert menu. I was told nothing was settled on but they would see what the kitchen could make. Uh oh, at the point I knew that whatever I chose would be something that they winged and that is the impression that I received when it was presented. I ordered Sopapilla, now I have had it several times at other establishments and this is not what I expected. It’s was deep-​fried puff pastry sprinkled with honey and powdered sugar and instead of giving an ample amount of ice cream I was given three melon ball scoops of ice cream. Was it enjoyable? Yes but I think I expected more for what I paid.
They are not serving brunch yet but seem to have a nice selection for happy hours. It definitely felt like they rushed to open to catch holiday business. The floors were not completely done and the menu was not completely executed (no dessert list and fly by the seat item prepared). In sum, I certainly recommend Casa del Mar and will be back soon. This place has a great location or a location that can be great. They need to work on building strong guest demand and putting themselves out there in the community (no FB, Twitter or website at time of this review) but I can truly say Casa del Mar is a welcomed addition to Richmond Heights and the St. Louis Galleria Mall.