Southern California has a bounty of venues that have oodles of indoor character, those cozy dens of plush and velvety lushness.
There are also notable regional venues that feel particularly outdoorsy, thanks to breezy spaces that are open and bright.
Casa Vega has always been on the “cozy den” end of the local restaurant equation, and any person who has slid into a booth at the Ventura Boulevard bastion o’ margaritas and savory combination plates knows the space’s snug and stylish vibes.
Even if you’ve never enjoyed a chile relleno or plate of shredded beef tacos at the 70-year-old restaurant, you’re likely familiar with Casa Vega’s textured brick walls, romantic paintings, pressed tablecloths, Christmas lights, and low-lit charms from movies such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and a host of TV series.
Now a fresh chapter has just begun at the restaurant, one that includes all of those yummy tacos and enchiladas and margaritas but in an alfresco setting.
A sizable patio, measuring some 3,000 square feet and occupying two former parking lots, opened in early March at Casa Vega. And the area’s name? It’s a meaningful tribute to the legendary founder of the flavorful landmark: Welcome to the Ray Vega Patio.
One hundred seats fill the new patio area, as well as a bar that has 18 seats, a center fountain, and a retractable roof that gives diners the opportunity, on fine evenings, the opportunity to admire the stars while they sip a Guava or Grilled Pineapple Margarita.
The Vega family gathered on March 7 to celebrate the patio’s grand opening and reflect on the major contributions that Ray Vega, who opened Casa Vega in 1956, made to the Southern California restaurant scene.
The celebrated eatery, which has been in its current location since 1958, is billed as Ventura Boulevard’s first sit-down Mexican restaurant, and a bustling place that has attracted Hollywood luminaries over seven starry decades.
“Casa Vega has always been more than a restaurant,” says Christy Vega, third-generation owner and CEO.
“It’s where Los Angeles comes to feel something — where Chicano culture, Old Hollywood, and a Mexican family’s dream intersect.”
“My father and grandparents built this place with immigrant grit and relentless discipline. The Ray Vega Patio is my way of honoring that foundation while ensuring we remain relevant for the next generation.”
While odes to Casa Vega’s 70th anniversary are flowering at the Sherman Oaks gathering place, the family will also be looking further back to when Rafael and Maria “Mary” Vega opened Café Caliente on Olvera Street “… at a time when Mexican-owned businesses operated on the margins of the city’s dining landscape,” shared a representative for the family.
That was in 1936, giving the Vega family a 90th anniversary to honor this year, too.
Lovers of Los Angeles restaurant history may want to swing by in the months ahead to raise a margarita to the family’s double-milestone year, either from one of the traditional indoor booths or a seat on the brand-new Ray Vega Patio.