“Hechos con amor, servidos con estilo.”
That translates to “made with love, served with style,” a promise the Alvarado family is making at Casa Verde, their new Mexican-inspired restaurant on Tulane Avenue.
Opened Aug. 21, 22-year-old Ermis Alvarado Jr. manages the restaurant along with his sister Jessie Fuentes. Fuentes, 32, is a paralegal by day but was involved in every step of the restaurant’s conception.
Casa Verde
What
Casa Verde
Where
3811 Tulane Ave., (504) 354-8344; casaverdenola.com
When
Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue.
How
Dine-in
Check it out
Mexican favorites in a bright new Mid-City spot
“We work collaboratively,” Alvarado says. “Everything you see — our menu, our ideas, our design — we did together.”
Alvarado’s parents, who moved to New Orleans from Honduras more than 30 years ago, stay in the background. They owned businesses in Honduras and previously owned El Patron on the West Bank.
“Hospitality means a lot in our family,” says Alvarado, who also has experience in construction management. “Whether it’s the way our mother cooks for us or the way we love to dine out and try new kinds of food, we’ve always been focused that way.”
The restaurant is bright and cheery, with large windows facing Tulane Avenue letting in natural light. Formerly Three Palms Bar, the space was transformed with natural wood and rattan, real and silk plants and a mural of verdant banana palms.
“We love plants,” Alvarado says. “They are so calming.”
But Casa Verde’s main draw is its scratch kitchen menu of modern Mexican dishes with a twist, he says.
“We make everything in house, including the queso and all the sauces and marinades,” he adds. They buy the tortillas from a local maker.
The menu hits plenty of high notes. Birria tacos are filled with slow-cooked beef, permeated with garlic and spice and served with a bowl of jus for dipping and warm tortillas, salsa, cilantro and lime. Verde enchiladas are plump with shredded chicken, Cotija cheese and bathed in a fresh tomatillo verde sauce.
Caribbean tacos add the sweetness of plantains into a mix of steak, beans, melted cheese, avocado sauce and cilantro. A trio of street tacos can be mixed and matched with options including al pastor, vegetables, steak and chicken.
The al pastor burrito is a winning dish filled with pineapple-marinated grilled pork with crispy bits. There’s a straightforward taco salad in a tortilla bowl and even a burger, dressed with melted cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickle with fries on the side.
Bar manager Natali Ramirez oversees a sprightly menu of drinks, from tajin-rimmed margaritas garnished with orchids to tropical-inspired sips, including a tasty blueberry mojito.
Guests can also dine on the large patio with a central fountain, all under the shadow of a giant billboard, which speaks to the commercial strip’s bustle.
“We were drawn to Tulane Avenue,” Alvarado says. “Our family has a strong commitment to our faith and Christian values. We wanted to bring more community together in this space — to offer affordable dining options and welcoming vibes.”
So far, they’re drawing diners from the hospital and courthouse corridor, as well as residents from the surrounding neighborhood.
“Dinner is our busiest time right now,” Alvarado says.
Alvarado says they will eventually expand with brunch service, making use of the vintage espresso machine that gleams behind the bar.
“We are blessed,” he says. “And looking forward to serving our community.”
Dining and Cooking