REVIEW: CASITA at Mass MoCA

Jul 22

Casita at Mass MoCA. Photo credit: Susie Davidson Powell/The Dishing

CASITA Berkshires

1111 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, Mass. | casitaberkshires.com

We like it for: Lunch while visiting Mass MoCA; dinner before Williamstown Theater or Film Festivals. Date night, group meals, all-day dining with a taco-forward lunch menu, between-service snacks + dinner specialities. Summer patio.
Must try: Order the Sexy Lil Marg with chile-infused Elvelo blanco tequila, or a classic mezcal + Mexican Coke with a squeeze of lime. Don’t skip Casita’s rare to see sour fermented pulque or ceremonial Mayan pox. For dins, share the day’s ceviche, crispy battered shishito peppers, and Italian-Mexican “street corn gnocchi” with soft potato gnocchi parcels in queso fresco, charred corn and Mexican crema. Their arrachera (grilled flank steak) is rubbed with toasted and ground ancho, morita, cascabel and pasilla chiles mixed with garlic, Mexican oregano and salt. Save room for a dessert empanada like a guava-filled version with tamarind-hibiscus chamoy and piloncillo sweet cream.
The Vibe: A love letter to the tiny villages of Mexico by way of the Berkshires. Natural Wines. Mezcal. Margaritas. Cervezas.
Sound: A mix of cumbia inspired by Chef Justin’s favorites. Sometimes the crew spice it up so later evenings might switch over to Tom Tom club radio.
Style: Light-filled and tropical with retractable doors on the patio. Vintage furnishings, leafy plants and cacti, murals by a local tattoo artist, birds-of-paradise wallpaper and a brightly tiled bar with orange paint and wicker bar stools.

Chef Justin and Mariah Forstmann spent a chunk of their careers in Portland, Ore., much of it at Nuestro Cocina where Justin was sous chef until the lockdown brought them home to Mass. They opened Chingon as a Mexican food cart (the name loosely translates to “badass”) on the forecourt of Mass MoCA in North Adams. In 2024 they moved into a permanent brick-and-mortar space on the museum campus and grew into Casita which means “little house” in homage to the tiny villages of Mexico. It’s a light-soaked, plant-heavy, super vibey restaurant with cocktails inspired by their visits to Oaxacan mezcal producers.

At Nuestro Cocina, the Forstmanns were immersed in Mexican culture and the breadth of Mexican cooking with dishes from smaller villages shared during the nightly family meal. Its no surprise to find Oaxacan tlacoyo and tlayuda on Casita’s menu alongside pollo asado from the Yucatan and Mexico City’s famed braised beef quesabirria tacos and consommé dipping sauce. Justin says he didn’t want to “do the expected” and focuses instead on the moles and signature dishes from small pueblos (villages).

Parking: Ample Mass MoCA parking lot
Nearby: 1. PUBLIC eat+drink 2. Bright Ideas Brewing (at Mass MoCA) 3. BIGGGDaddy’s Philly Steakhouse at Mass MoCA) 4. The Airport Rooms restaurant + cocktail lounge at TOURISTS hotel 5. Mezze Bistro + Bar