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Casta Rasta
Mexican and Caribbean Flavors in Beechview
Posted: Jan. 5, 2011
Photos and Story By Heather Mull

With the holidays nearly over and the temperatures dropping, it's easy to feel Ol' Man Winter closing in on us. I have been feeling this more intensely this year because I decided to take a vacation to sunny Costa Rica in the first 12 days of December, which made coming home to cold, snow and the "Pittsburgh sky" even more noticeably dreary. As a pasty northerner, it's thrilling to have a suntan for Christmas and depressing to watch it peel and fade before the New Year.

Lo and behold, however, my work travels brought a little ray of sunshine back into my world yesterday as I cruised down Broadway Avenue through Beechview and spied a cute little building that appeared to house a brand new restaurant: Casa Rasta. The shop, which is a few doors down from the perennially beloved Davio restaurant, used to house a pizza shop, but has been given a makeover that connotes a cheerful Centro American cabina, with bright colors, bamboo on the walls and little hand-carved wooden sculptures milling about. All of a sudden, I felt like I was back on vacation.

Friendly young owners Laura Ruiz-Fraga and husband Antonio Fraga said they've been open for business all of two and a half weeks, but slowly word has been getting out and customers are coming. They will be putting a sign up in front soon, so the place has more visibility for the passing cars and trollies full of South Hills commuters.

Casa Rasta's menu is blissfully simple: a combination of Mexican and Caribbean flavors in convenient taco, tostada, burrito, torta, quesadilla formats, featuring filling of your choice. The fillings are comprised of carnivorous and vegetarian combinations, the preparation of which come from recipes in Antonio's family. Steak, pulled pork, citrus-marinated fried pork (carnitas), chorizo or soyrizo, Jamaican jerk chicken, or a vegetarian poblano chili with potatoes. The three tacos I sampled were delicious, with gorgeous house-made accompaniments such as mango salsa (on the jerk chicken taco), creamy guacamole on the carnitas, and vivid fuschia pickled radish (I think
they were radishes?!) atop the pulled pork. All were garnished with bright, crunchy cilantro that was not even remotely wilted, which makes me think of summer and my own garden. Cilantro is my favorite herb for creating instant freshness.

The corn tortillas are not made in-house -- too labor intensive for the new business -- but they were very authentic and tasty and doubled up under the tacos, which is the mark of a "real" street taco to me. (No sad taco-splosions as your tortilla ruptures, spilling your carnitas for a crowd of waiting stray dogs!) And I got the feeling that Chef Antonio could probably whip up some mean Mexican-grandma-style tortillas if he had the time.

There are side dishes of black beans and Mexican rice, as well as specialties: Jamaican jerk chicken wings, thin breaded steak (Milanesa) in a torta or taco, and on Fridays and Saturdays only, spit-roasted pork (al pastor) and some TBA specials. And prices are VERY reasonable, with tacos and tostadas at $2.50 and burritos and tortas at $6.

While I scarfed down my mid-afternoon snack, the couples' young daughters were playing behind the counter, which reminded me of so many family-run "sodas" that we visited in Costa Rica, where children of the owners are well-behaved and pitch in to help clear plates from tables. (Note to the PA Department of Labor: the Ruiz-Fraga girls WERE NOT put to work or engaging in any visible child labor infractions!)

I will definitely go back for the jerk wings and I can already sense impending hankerings for a taco fix pretty much any time I find myself on the other side of the Liberty Tubes.

Casa Rasta: 2102 Broadway Ave., Beechview. 619.227.2377.
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.