Welcome to Eater Scenes, a Classics Week series that captures the essence of a timeless L.A. restaurant at one particular moment of the week. Here now, celebrity haunt Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks.
The roots of one of the San Fernando Valley's oldest Mexican restaurants actually goes back to Olvera Street, where founder Rafael "Ray" Vega's parents opened the famous Cafe Caliente, which had opened back in the 1930s. Ray himself opened Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks back in 1956, serving traditional Mexican fare like burritos, enchiladas, and stiff margaritas.
Now, his daughter Christy Vega Fowler manages the day to day at this bustling Valley institution, where families and people of all colors and types pack into the small space ordering plates of guacamole and crispy beef taquitos. The celebrity-heavy is known to regularly serve the likes of Matt Damon, Kim Kardashian, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis, in addition to a slew of younger Hollywood starlets who can appreciate the old school vibe. Wander around, soak in the packed dining room, and order up a shot of tequila for the night.
