Casa Sanchez
After my hike to Kroenke Lake in the Collegiate Peaks I was trying to find a good place to eat before the long drive back to Denver. I almost missed Casa Sanchez as it is just off of 24 but luckily I stopped and had a great lunch!
I want to start by talking about the staff. I don’t always do this but I have to hand it to the folks at Casa Sanchez. They were some of the nicest, hardest working and professional wait staff that I have encountered in my travels. Kudos to you all!

Casa Sanchez is a smaller place with some outdoor and indoor seating. I sat inside on a hot day and had a great time.
Chips and Salsa
Now to the important part…the food! I was brought some chips and salsa when I sat down and then I ordered some Guacamole as an additional snack. The first thing that I noticed was that the Salsa was really dark. Usually it comes out as a red or green color but this was a darker almost brown. That didn’t stop me from jumping in! The salsa was really good. It has a bit of a smoky flavor to it and was loaded up with cilantro which gave it a sneaking bit of spice that hit towards the end of the bite.
The Guac was somehow both really creamy and had large chunks. It wasn’t really spicy but the coolness was great after a long, hot hike.
The Main Course
After the appetizers, I asked the waiter what most people order and he told me the Carnitas de Puerco. This dish has a “Best Plate” designation on the menu so I felt pretty confident it would be good. Here is what Carnitas de Puerco is according to the menu. Tender pieces of slow cooked pork served with beans, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, green chile, and tortillas.
I am not exactly sure what the pork is cooked in but I know it had some tremendous flavors. I know I tasted hints of limes kind of as a kicker but couldn’t even guess at the rest. There were also onions and tomatoes mixed in with the super tender meat. It fell apart as soon as the fork touched it but was still moist and delicious. The beans and rice were also very good. I don’t always jump into the beans especially but I think I ate about 90% of them. The only thing I could have gone for was a bit more lettuce.. I used the tortillas to make the meat into a little taco and I think the crisp cool lettuce would have added a bit more crunch. Overall really really good. This pork was pretty amazing.

If you find yourself in Buena Vista and have a good appetite I would strongly suggest you give Casa Sanchez a shot. They also have another location in Leadville as well. I know I will be coming back when I have a chance.
Finding Casa Sanchez
Casa Sanchez is located on the west side of 24 in Buena Vista. Kind of on your way out of town and headed to the 285 junction. There is a small side street called Charles Street and some limited street parking available.
I have added this restaurant and all of the restaurants I have been to on my interactive map that you can find here. If you have a suggestion for a restaurant or any comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Bon Appetit!
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