WILMINGTON — The restaurant group behind Wilmington’s El Cerro Grande has added a new concept to its growing portfolio, on the heels of also closing two of its restaurants.
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Casa Encanto, located at 5120 New Centre Dr., opened April 16, with the goal to elevate traditional Mexican fare with modern flair.
“We are trying to be as authentic as possible but still bring something new to the area, with more variety for everybody,” co-owner Emmanuel Ibarra said, noting this is restaurant number eight or nine. “I lost count.”
Ibarra is one of many restaurateurs in a group of family members who operate multiple eateries in town. It started with El Cerro Grande more than three decades ago, but has grown with the addition of Zocalo, El Mariscal, El Arriero Taqueria and Amanacer Cocina and Cafe.
They’ve opened a new concept almost every year since 2019 (sans the 2020 pandemic year), Ibarra said, but just last month decided to close the seafood eatery, El Mariscal, in Landfall Center. Also shuttered was one of its fast-casual street-food eateries, El Arriero, on Market Street, located closer to downtown (the Gordon Road location is still open).
The group wasn’t planning on launching another restaurant last year when the Applebee’s space became available, but Ibarra said the opportunity felt right. They took over the lease at the same time they procured a Gordon Road restaurant, which became their second popular brunch spot, Amanecer, having opened in October 2024.
“We went with the easiest one first,” Ibarra said of renovating the two businesses, noting the New Centre Drive restaurant — larger at 5,500 square feet — needed a complete overhaul.
Long gone are the burgundy and green striped awnings that once welcomed customers to the chain restaurant; the outside veneer is more clean with a coat of white and black paint on the brick building. Inside, the Wilmington memorabilia — large-scale photos of area attractions like the Battleship and Cape Fear Memorial Bridge — once adorned the walls is replaced by an LED screen showcasing various land- and seascapes.
Another screen is installed above the bar, setting the mood by changing from an undersea world of floating jellyfish to rolling clouds against a blue sky before changing to a night sky amid a galaxy of stars.
Vibrant pink walls accompany teal-green tiles, along with greys in the furniture and flooring, accented by natural wood, gold sconces, woven basket chandeliers and neon octagonal lights. Large-scale faux trees with leaves draping over tables and tucked away in corridors are dressed in lights and foliage covers every square inch of the ceiling tiles.
Ibarra said the goal was to invigorate the space and make it indicative of what he and his colleagues were seeing in some of their favorite popular restaurants in Mexico City.
A lot of the items were ordered from Mexico as well, from the tiles and trees, down to the eccentric glassware. While Casa Encanto, which translates to House of Charm, serves expected top-shelf margaritas in varied flavors — some even come in 100-ounce towers — Ibarra praised the artisanal menu. Made up of roughly eight signature drinks, each comes served in a fanciful vessel just as gobstopping as the decor.
For instance, an 18-ounce Frida Kahlo mug is filled with Casamingos mezcal, Aperol liqueur, passion fruit puree, citrus juices, and agave nectar. The Gold Watcher features silver tequila, dragon fruit, prickly pear, lime juice, and an agave nectar, in a 16-ounce gold owl. There’s even a mini clawfoot bathtub, called the “Jacuzzi,” complete with a rubber duckie floating atop. It’s made with tequila, Malibu rum, coco puree, lime juice and pineapple juice. It is bartender Dulce Martinez’s favorite.
“I love coconut,” she said. “It’s so flavorful and refreshing.”
The restaurant boasts a large tequila menu as well. The Tiki on Fire comes with a show tableside, delivered on a wooden board and set afire as it’s being served. It’s concocted with silver tequila, banana liqueur, wild berry purée, pomegranate juice, citrus juice and agave nectar.
The food menu is separated into sections, with expected tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, burritos and the like. However, the shining stars come in highlighted seafood items from the raw bar, or octopus ceviche or whole snapper.
“It’s all the best plates from El Mariscal,” General Manager Andres Angel said.
Angel has been with the company for two years, starting as a server but working his way up to assistant manager at the College Road El Cerro. He said the group’s passion for food and dedication to staff is unmatched, so when the opportunity became available to help open Casa Encanto, he jumped at the chance.
“Everything is homemade,” he said, “down to all the purees and juices, hand-squeezed daily, including the limes and lemons for the homemade margarita mix.”
While Angel oversees the customer experience at Casa Encanto, he also ensures the traditional Mexican flavors are complemented by a contemporary approach. For instance, it boasts a new steak menu, featuring ribeyes, a porter house, short ribs, and more.
However, Casa Encanto’s signature item can be found in the baseros. Similar to barbecue trays filled with smoked meats, baseros consist of food served on a metal skillet outfitted with its own heating element, ensuring the items stay hot.
“It’s enough for one if you’re really hungry but also can be a shared meal for two,” Angel said, calling it a fan-favorite since opening.
The house variety is filled to the brim with ribeye steak, grilled chicken, chorizo and smoked sausage, Mexican street corn, cheesy corn quesadillas, fajita onions and peppers, served with roasted tomato salsa. There are four baseros variations, one featuring seafood, another which is a surf and turf combo, and a vegetarian version.
“Every section has something for vegetarians,” Ibarra clarified.
Such can be found in the primavera chile relleno. The Mexican restaurant has an entire area of the menu dedicated to stuffed poblanos, featured in various ways, such as with expected skirt steak or chicken tinga.
“We also have birria — a trend that’s going on right now,” Ibarra said, referring to beef slowly cooked in spices and braising liquid, then normally stuffed into tacos or quesadillas, with its au jus served alongside for dipping.
In the last two weeks, the restaurant has welcomed a steady stream of customers since the group low-key flipped on the open sign. Ibarra said they prefer a soft opening with less fanfare as to ensure their 40-plus employees at Casa Encanto become acclimated with the menu and processes.
The almost 200-seat restaurant is open seven days a week and also has a room that can be reserved for parties with customizable menus to fit varied budgets.
Ibarra said they’re assessing an outdoor patio space, which if it works out would be installed to the side of the restaurant.
“We want to perfect everything first so our customers don’t have a bad experience,” he said.
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