Casa Vega has occupied the same stretch of Ventura Boulevard since 1956, and the interior looks like it has not changed its mind about anything since. Red leather booths glow under low light, murals of old Mexico watch over generations of Valley families, and the bartenders free-pour margaritas with the steady hand of people who have done this ten thousand times and intend to do it ten thousand more. The food is solid, unpretentious Valley Mexican, but the bar is the real institution here, a place where the margarita is served in goblets that could double as baptismal fonts, and the chips and salsa arrive free, endless, and dangerously good.
Location
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles
Map
Insider Intel
The margarita, obviously. Served in goblets of heroic proportion. The chips and salsa are complimentary and endless and better than they need to be. Do not attempt to eat dinner elsewhere afterward.
Happy hour from three to seven on weekdays, when the booths are still available and the Valley exhales. Late night on weekends when you want to feel like a local in a place that has outlived every trend.
Parking is easier than most LA spots. They do not take reservations for the bar. The restaurant side is more family-oriented; the bar is where the magic happens.