Downtown favorite Casa Don Juan brings authentic Mexican fare to west side

A longtime downtown staple of the Mexican dining scene can also be found on the west side.

Casa Don Juan, a favorite at 1204 S. Main St., also has a Summerlin-area location at 1780 N. Buffalo Drive, offering authentic south-of-the-border fare.

Family owned and operated, the restaurant contains a lot of ambience, with Mexican horn music playing, stucco and brick accents, tile flooring and traditional decor. The recipes stem from family ones, so there’s a heavy accent on traditional items.

A placard outside of the entry offers that day’s special. Inside, the colorful menu lets you pretend you speak the language by including English subtitles, a nice touch for that high school Spanish you never got around to using. It includes appetizers such as camarones mariposa (shrimp butterfly style), quesadillas de queso (cheese quesadilla), and the Casa Don Juan Platter — mini chimichangas de pollo (chicken), flautas de res (beef rolled tacos), quesadillas de queso (cheese quesadillas), nachos de carne asada (asada nachos) con guacamole, crema y pico de gallo (with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo).

Breakfast has items such as huevos rancheros (ranch-style eggs), huevos con papas (potatoes with eggs), huevos con chorizo (Mexican sausage with eggs), and huevos con machaca (shredded beef with eggs). For those who just want to order in Spanish but have an American breakfast, there are pancakes and hashbrowns.

As for comidas y cenas (lunch and dinner), the extensive menu covers fish fillet, served grilled or steamed, and tilapia in garlic sauce, ranch style or Veracruz style. Shrimp can be cooked in hot sauce, grilled or breaded and fried.

Can’t decide among tacos, enchiladas, chili rellenos or tamales? Order a platter with a mix of all three. For other items of note, Casa Don Juan offers a few soups, a handful of salads, various styles of burritos, including a vegetarian one, and chicken, shrimp or fish tacos.

Other entrees include a mixed fish, shrimp and octopus platter, chilaquiles with steak, carne asada made with grilled flan steak, chimichanga made with beef, chicken or pork, tostada fiesta (also made with your choice of beef, chicken or pork), or carnitas with guacamole.

Speaking of guacamole: If you have an allergy to something such as cilantro, tell the kitchen, and they’ll see that not a speck of it touches your food.

Hours at the Summerlin-area location are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call 702-483-5609 or visit casadonjuan.vegas.