Casa Vega is fully booked for reservations but still welcoming walk-ins as it marks 70 years with a throwback price.
The Sherman Oaks staple, located at 13301 Ventura Blvd., is serving its “Uno #1 House” combo for $2.15 on Thursday, matching the exact price from its 1956 opening day. The plate includes two items — enchiladas, tacos or tamales — plus Spanish rice and refried beans, available from 11:30 a.m. To midnight for dine-in only with a one-discounted-plate limit per person.
Owner Christy Vega framed the milestone as both a family triumph and a Los Angeles story. “To have a restaurant last 70 years is pretty incredible, so my family and I, we take none of it for granted. We’re humbled, we’re honored to be such a big part of Los Angeles. This is where our roots are, and this is where our love lies, is in this city,” she told KTLA.
Those roots trace to 1936, when Vega’s grandparents immigrated from Mexico and opened Cafe Caliente. Two decades later, her father, Rafael “Ray” Vega, launched Casa Vega in 1956. The family’s immigrant-to-institution arc drew official recognition this May, when the intersection outside the restaurant was renamed “Vega Square” on Cinco de Mayo.
“It’s incredible, when you know, Casa Vega was immigrant-founded. So when a little Mexican restaurant and a little family all of a sudden gets an intersection named after them in L.A., it’s pretty special,” Vega said.
The family added another permanent tribute in March with the opening of the “Ray Vega Patio,” an outdoor bar and dining space seating more than 100. Vega noted that building a patio had been her father’s dream.
The anniversary deal has already driven reservation demand to capacity for Thursday, though the restaurant is accepting walk-ins. The throwback pricing applies to one of Casa Vega’s longest-running menu combinations, unchanged in its core components across seven decades.
The Vega family’s multi-generational presence in Southern California’s restaurant scene spans nearly 90 years, from the Cafe Caliente era through Casa Vega’s current operation. The Sherman Oaks location has remained the flagship throughout, with the street renaming and patio expansion marking its most visible recent growth.
Thursday’s $2.15 promotion runs until midnight for customers willing to arrive without reservations.
