Pricing:
The full size entrees cost $10-15 apiece. The enormous fish bowl sized margaritas are about $5-8 apiece.
Distance:
A Carlsbad restaurant. Though I count this portion of Carlsbad as part of Encinitas. It's in The Forum shopping center. Right off Encinitas Blvd., you can use either Lucadia or Calle Barcelona to enter this mall.
Thoughts:
Formerly a fixture in Old Town, Casa de Bandini moved to Carlsbad and got a face lift. The atmosphere changed ever so slightly from Old Town charming to suburbia dining. But it's still a fun place to go. The waitresses walk around wearing flamenco outfits and expect to be serenaded during your meal by the resident mariachi band.
The food is good but could best be described as generic Mexican. It's really not all that different from El Torito or Garcia's flavor-wise. One nice thing about this place is that they do have whole parts of their menu devoted to various diet needs such as vegetarian or gluten-free.
I only have one major gripe about Casa de Bandini: they barely put any alcohol in their margaritas. Yes, they serve fish bowl sized drinks. But it's basically just a really expensive slurpee. And it's not just me. I have been to this place with people who barely drink at all and were actually worried about ordering a margarita so large. Every single person ends up saying "is there any booze at all in this?" I feel kind of ripped off on this point. I mean, this place is making money hand over fist. Skimping on the booze is just tacky.
Other than the questionable margaritas, I enjoy going to this restaurant. It has a fun atmosphere that makes it a perfect outing on a warm evening (good patio seating). Do keep in mind that there is almost always a wait there of at least twenty minutes. So plan accordingly.
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