One Of The Best Restaurants In Ohio Is Hiding In This Small Ohio Town
By Sarah McCosham|Published August 28, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
It’s no secret that college towns offer some of the best and most diverse restaurant options. Coeds like to eat, and whether it’s a late night pizza delivery, #TacoTuesday takedown, or fast casual sandwich shop, college towns are treasure troves of global cuisine and accessible restaurants. What college towns aren’t known for, generally, are an abundance of fine dining options. I was pretty broke as a college student — as was pretty much everyone I knew — so for me, fine dining wasn’t often in the cards. But fine dining doesn’t have to break the bank, as evidenced with today’s feature restaurant. In Athens, Casa Nueva is a worker-owned co-op featuring Mexican-inspired flavors and locally sourced fare, making for an elevated dining experience at one of the best and most accessible restaurants in Ohio.
Mexican food is so much more than burrito bowls and Taco Bell. It's full of fresh produce and bold flavors. It's veg-forward and colorful -- the kind of fare you eat with your eyes first and enjoy with all of your senses.
Like many of the region’s restaurants, Casa Nueva celebrates the local terroir, incorporating the freshest local ingredients to build out its Mexican-inspired menu, letting what's abundant and in-season inform what's for dinner. BLT Enchiladas featuring fresh-grown heirloom tomatoes? Si!
Mexican food aficionados will face quite the delicious dining dilemma at Casa Nueva, so I recommend ordering chips and salsa whilst perusing the menu's main dishes.
Regulars rave about the Enchilada Verde, a dish comprised of roasted green chilis, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, filling, and salsa verde, all packed in a local Shagbark Seed & Mill tortilla.
In addition to the restaurant being a place that warmly welcomes all, the menu offers something for all dietary needs and preferences, too, with lots of vegan and gluten-free options.
This restaurant truly is the kind of establishment that welcomes families, college students, professors, and folks from all walks of life -- and its employees are regarded just as highly. Casa Nueva is a worker-owned cooperative that puts its staff first.
Everyone, from bussers to servers to chefs, is an equal part of the operation. To that end, waiter tips aren't accepted, and the restaurant donates any money left on the tables to local charities. Salud to that!
Have you dined this small-town superstar before? If you’ve yet to enjoy a meal at Casa Nueva, you’re in for a treat. The same can be said for Athens, Ohio, a place with oodles of charm and lots to see and do — why not book a night in town and explore?
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