WILLIAMSBURG — La Casona Mexican BBQ & Grill, located at 1784 Jamestown Rd. in Williamsburg, has announced that it has closed its doors for the final time.
On the restaurant’s Facebook page, the ownership issued the following statement:
“Dear friends,.[sic.] Today our beautiful Restaurant closes its doors forever. unfortunately life teaches us to accept fate no matter how bad or good it may be. The fight against the adversities of our existence are many, and each one of you fights a daily fight. La Casona wants to thank each and every one of you for the support and the good times we spent together. your families, friends … we celebrate marriages, the arrival of new members to the tree of life, birthdays, anniversaries, or simply a meeting of loved ones … there we were giving the best of ourselves. I know it is not easy to say goodbye, but the circumstances of life, the pandemic and the high inflation, ended up annihilating us. I hope that this experience will be the pillar to continue in life and give a revenge for this fall in the future. One day my parents taught me that humans fall to learn how to get up. well it will be. With the blessing of God, how the phoenix will rise from the ashes and this Restaurant, which was a dream, will be reborn and will become strong. We will never forget you, I only ask all my friends, do not stop supporting little dreamers like me. that all we want is to live, give what is ours and continue living. Thanks again, God bless you and we’ll see you one day. Our Facebook page will always be open, in case one day we accept the challenge again and give them back what we know how to do… The best Mexican food and the best Margaritas in all of Williamsburg… forever. La Casona Mexican and BBQ grill.”
La Casona Mexican BBQ & Grill was opened in 2019 by Christian Illanes and his wife, Marcela Guzman. Illanes immigrated to the United States in the early 1990’s, bringing with him influences from Latin America. Guzman made numerous trips to places like Peru where she learned to combine technique and condiments with Mexican cuisine.
Receiving at least four out of five stars across multiple platforms including Google, Grubhub, and Facebook, reviewers noted the restaurant’s friendly service and delicious dishes. The unique menu, artistic bar including a master understanding of tequila, and excellent location near the Jamestown Beach Event Park and the Virginia Capital Trail brought customers to the restaurant over and over again.
However, like many others in the restaurant and hospitality industry, La Casona Mexican BBQ & Grill struggled with the odds of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other reasons.
It is not certain what Illanes’ and Guzman’s plans are moving forward.