Casa Linda Cafeteria - No More!

I heard the Casa Linda Cafeteria is now closed. :(

While I have not been much of a patron, my in-laws and my father both were frequent weekly diners and had nothing but great things to say about the food and service. It has been around for so long in some identity (Highland Park Cafeteria before this) that it is sad to see it leave.

I am all for revitalization of Casa Linda Shopping Center, but this is not what should be closing down in the Center.

Comments

[Joel Trout]

Why close so abruptly? That's what I don't understand. That and the fact that any time I went there it was always very busy. I know the new landlords said they were "disappointed," but I still wonder what role they played in this. The newspaper story was pretty uninformative.

[Ann]

I was extremely disappointed to go to Casa Linda Cafeteria this past Monday to take my mother out to dinner only to see a tacky hand-written note taped to the front door apologizing to the cafeteria's loyal customers "for the inconvenience" and that Casa Linda Cafeteria was now out of business.

There was no indication whatsoever on my previous visit there that going out of business was a possibility, although I had concerns when I read that the shopping center had been sold to new owners and that an increase in rents for the tenants was likely.

Still, the way this was handled totally sucks. What a shock.

I feel for both Casa Linda Cafeteria's longtime customers (including all the elderly people who don't have too many options for high quality low cost dining) and the cafeteria's terrific employees, many of whom had worked there for years and who deserved much better.

I wish some investor could come to the rescue, but I don't see that happening.

And now Dallas has one less place to go for delicious inexpensive food. My mother and I drove to Casa Linda Cafeteria all the way from Richardson twice a week. Over the years we met customers there who would drive much longer distances, including residents of Denton, Plano, and other far-flung locales.

RIP, Casa Linda Cafeteria. This was the last vestige of the wonderful and unique Highland Park Cafeteria, which my parents, grandparents and I frequented for decades before its demise over 10 years ago. Sad.

[BILL WHITE]

IM VERY SHOCKED THAT THEY WOULD BETRAY ALL THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS,..HOWEVER THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A COLD NASTY REMINDER THAT ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY...NOTHING ELSE BUT THE MONEY...IN ALL REALITY--THE MANAGEMENT/OWNERS/LANDLORD COULD NOT CARE LESS ABOUT ANY CUSTOMER--THEY CONFIRMED THIS WITH THEIR ACTIONS BY LOCKING THE DOORS WITHOUT NOTICE...& I ALSO WAS TOLD THE THE MANAGEMENT WAS TERRIBLE WITH ZERO MANGMT SKILLS & RAN THE PLACE INTO THE GROUND.(SLOWLY BUT VERY STEADILY).THEY HIRED ANYBODY THEY COULD & THE EMPLOYEES WERE REALLY STRANGE WEIRDOS THAT LOOKED HOMELESS & WERE VERY VERY RUDE MOST ALL THE TIME.....THERE IS MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY THEN ANY OF US WILL EVER KNOW...THE BLAME MAY BELONG TO THE MANAGEMENT--WHEN MY WIFE & I ATE THERE-WE LIKED THE FOOD---BUT THE VIBES WAS QUITE STRANGE...-BUT I REALLY CANT BE SURE..?

[Ann]

I can understand why people would say that the cafeteria's employees were a little bit on the eccentric side. In my experience, however, the majority of them were unfailingly warm and eager to help, especially with the senior citizen clientele.

As far as I could see the cafeteria's management and owners didn't do much to keep the place up. The interior was showing its age and needed renovation. Not surprised to learn they ran the place into the ground. With the definite exception of one older manager who had been with Casa Linda Cafeteria since it was part of Highland Park Cafeteria, I never was all that impressed with the managers I encountered there and got a don't-give-a-damn attitude from them. If the owners had hired competent managers, maybe things could have turned out differently. Who knows?

Sorry to go on about it but I loved this place and wish someone could bring Casa Linda Cafeteria back to life. Many of its regular customers have no place to go now for inexpensive nutritious meals. I invariably saw the same faces there no matter which day of the week I visited, and I'm sure many of the older folks were living on fixed incomes and relied exclusively on CLC for their lunch and/or dinner every day. With the dearth of appealing low-cost dining options (i.e. non-fast food) in Dallas and environs, the sudden closing of CLC is an irreplaceable loss to the community. I expect some generic chain restaurant will open in its place and close within months.

[LA]

I will miss this place alot. Like many, I saw the same folks in there every time I visited. I would have liked to go more often, but I live almost 30 miles from the cafeteria. I have never found another place that can match their spinach salad, desserts and zucchini muffins. I waited in line many a Thanksgiving for my turkey dinner. Very sad! I truly hope they find a way to re-open in a new location or come out with a cook book or something. Many of those recipes need to go on and on!!

[Julie]

I will miss this place, terribly! The staff was great, as far as I am concerned. It was nice to see the same faces on the other side of the counter, many were there for years! Does anyone know what has happened to Jackie, the cashier? She was great!

Julie and Donna

[Lon T.]

I heard from a fairly reliable source that Casa Linda Cafeteria would be re-opening in a few weeks. I hear that one the customers bought the building and business will soon be back to normal. I hope this is true.

-Lon

[Gego]

My family has eaten at Casa Linda Cafeteria since it opened and at Highland Park Cafeteria before that. My, how disappointed we were to find that they had closed! There is no other place in Dallas that served food as good as there and we will miss it terribly. I can't help but feel that it had a lot to do with the new center owners and I will have a very negative feeling about shopping Casa Linda center.

[shelley everett]

does anyone know if they are FOR SURE reopening somewhere else?? i certainly hope so!!!

[shelley everett]

does anyone know FOR SURE if they are reopening somewhere else?? i certainly hope they are! if so, where???