But based on one terrific visit, I’m happy to report that the end result definitely rewards the wait — at least from a patron’s viewpoint. The food and drink do not disappoint, and perhaps even more interestingly, the entertaining ambiance of the restaurant’s many varied spaces adds a level of engagement that puts Casa Figueroa in a class by itself in Cincinnati.
Well before you sip or bite anything, you’ll be wowed by the artwork and décor — from displays of Mexican folk art to wall-sized murals (mostly on the façade outdoors) painted by Danny Babcock and a gorgeous dried-flower creation adorning the main upstairs dining room, handmade by Dana Burton.
Those two artists, with close collaboration from owner Heather Byer, have crafted an eye-popping experience everywhere you look. And with a patio, a bar/dining room, a larger upstairs dining room and a basement decorated like a boho 1950s living room, there are a whole lot of places to look.
Chef Matthew Schroeder, most recently sous-chef at Anchor OTR, developed a menu that so far skews mostly Mexican (heavy on really good tacos), with eventual plans to move toward a more pan-Latin cuisine. As of mid-June, the menu includes three salads, along with appetizers such as fried calamari and steamed mussels. There were seven tacos and three entrées ($14-$24): pork chilaquiles, grilled shrimp and asparagus salad, and pan-seared scallops.
Although there’s a greater variety to the Casa menu than I expected, somehow my companions and I ended up sticking to the basics: chips with guacamole, and tacos. Not that we regretted any of our choices, and in fact our lack of adventurousness just gives me an excuse to visit again for further exploration.
We settled in with drinks and chips and didn’t feel any pressure to hurry our meal. I tried a couple of house cocktails, while everyone else had beer. My husband thought the name of his beer was perfect — Yum Yum American Session Ale by Indiana brewery 3 Floyds ($6 on tap) — while our friends Jim and Cathy each had a Tecate Light Lager ($4).
As for the cocktails, the Casa Fig ($10) was a refreshing, tall drink made with limoncello and red wine, while the Mezcal Old Fashioned ($10) had a satisfying smoky flavor and was my favorite of the two. Margarita lovers can choose from basic citrus, blueberry or prickly pear versions ($8-$9.50).
Wine options surprised me, in a good way, with Spanish whites such as verdejo or godello as well as a couple of unusual reds, also mostly from Spain. And I’ve never seen St. Mayhem wines on a local list; this Napa Valley winery infuses sauvignon blanc with jalapeño and habanero or ginger and peach ($12 for a glass; $40 bottle). Sounds weird, but next time I might have to try one.
With our more recognizable drinks we enjoyed housemade chips and guac ($6 or $9, depending on size), which showed us right away that the Casa does simple very well. The chips were warm, full of corn flavor and not at all greasy; the guacamole had a chunky consistency and few if any ingredients other than avocado.
In retrospect, I feel somewhat apologetic that our foursome didn’t venture beyond chips and tacos ($5-$6 each), but at least we did sample six out of seven of those. The tacos we loved best included Baja fish (fried cod, cabbage and herb slaw, grilled ramp and avocado), smoked duck confit (with parsnip and radish slaw, charred carrot and queso fresco) and chicken and chorizo (with smoked garlic aioli and shaved romaine). That last one was my fave and it wasn’t even on my plate — my husband let me try a bite of his. The chicken was crispy, the chorizo housemade and an extra hit of crispy meat flavor came from a sprinkling of chicharrónes (fried pork skins).
Most of the tacos were very mildly spiced, although the chicken and chorizo had a little more kick. When I asked our server for something to spice it up, all she could offer was a small container of “hot sauce.” They might want to reconsider making sauces or salsas available for ramping up the heat factor of the food, especially the tacos.
Casa Figueroa offers an option with your tacos: beans, rice, feta and herbs ($6). Get it! The rich flavors made this side dish one of the big hits at our table, with three of my companions all going for it. I selected the green salad instead ($6), a refreshing accompaniment to the savory tacos with arugula, shaved Brussels sprouts and a little avocado and pumpkin seed.
This restaurant was a long time coming, for sure. A server said she had been hired last summer and waited until late April for the job actually to start. In a follow-up conversation, general manager Zach Zuke told me that owner Heather Byer “was willing to put in time so that the restaurant is exactly what she wanted it to be.”
“We wanted to be a destination,” he added.
Mission accomplished. It seems evident that folks from around the metro area will find their way out Montgomery Road to spend fun, appetite-satisfying evenings.
Casa Figueroa
GO: 6112 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge; CALL: 513-631-3333; INTERNET: casafig.com; HOURS: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4-9 p.m. Sunday.
