Casa Vega

07/11/07

Good margaritas / Good food / Forget about friendly service

by bilsof at Citysearch

I was happy when I moved back to Sherman Oaks so that I could again go to Casa Vega on a regular basis. The margaritas are great and I have never had one bad meal there. However, the hostess are so rude and it is amazing how some people who show up after you seem to get seated first. Hmmm!! I finally confronted the hostess and of course she had an excuss, they always do, apparently this guy showed up earlier and then left to get his girlfriend. Funny thing though .. listing to the guy talking to hostess when she told him the wait was 20 min. and handed him the buzzer, he never said anything about being there earlier. After waiting 25 min when we told it would be 20 min (I know it is not an exact time) the guy, who had been there maybe 15 min, proceeds to go inside and about 5 min later comes out to get his girl because there table is ready. I waited 45 min for a table for two (because a party of two can only sit at a table for two I've told) the couple was at a booth for four. So allegedly, from talking to other customers waiting outside, is for the "right price" you too can be seated quicker than everyone else that has been waiting for hours. Do not bother complaining because they could care less and always provide some lame excuse. If you want to complain to a manager do it in person or be prepared to fax over the complaint .

• Pros: Great Margaritas
• Cons: Hostess

02/19/07

bad service but good, authentic food

by criticjrb at Citysearch

i live close to this restaurant and eat here often, but i was appalled at my experience last night. we were initially told the wait would be an hour to an hour and a half for our 9 person party. naturally, we waited at bar to have some drinks. we had been waiting for about 15 mins when we noticed that there was an empty table for our size group. however, we were not seated and continued to wait. after another 20 mins or so, one the members of my party began speaking to the waitress in spanish and asked her whether we could have that table. she turned to another waiter and said "he's mexican" and we were instantly seated!!!!! had we not spoke spanish, i assume we would have waited MUCH longer. of all the times my boyfriend and i eat here, we have gotten BAD to almost horrible service. the wait staff does not seem to care much for the patrons, and they are usually rude, apparently, unless you speak spanish. i now understand the reason we always had horrible service. as bad as the service is, i will go back here because i do love the food. i am a big fan of authentic mexican food, and this is top quality. i have never tasted a bad dish. my boyfriend likes the chicken mole, the burritos are amazing, the tostada salads are good, the rice and beans are excellent. we try to go on low-key nights or during the day on weekends, but plan on AT LEAST a 15-20 min wait no matter what time or day of the week you go.

• Pros: authentic food, ambiance
• Cons: wait time, service, rude waiters, sometimes they don't let you wait at the bar, no parking lot, they don't take reservations

01/11/07

Toilet with mariachis

by benwaugh at Citysearch

i used to get carpet-bombed on a regular basis at this el-dive-o. the only thing worse than the food was the service. the place always smelled of burnt fat and chender. my advice, do your quality drinking before you show up - and then pay with your "shoe-leather express".

• Pros: staff too underpaid and unmotivated to "dash" out after you
• Cons: what goes down must come up

01/02/07

Casa Toilet

by ninom at Citysearch

I can only say if you think Casa Vega has anything to offer you have never left S.O. or the Valley. Over priced terrible food, worse service. Do yourself a favor don't ask questions as to what is in the Marg. you won't like the answer. May be some day a up-scale operation will take the place over ! spare me.

Try Don Cucos. in Brbk. Los Toros in Chatsworth, Pick up food at Vive Fresh and make your Margs at home. Yippe!

12/23/06

It's 35 degrees out, please wait in the parking lot

by lorifrank at Citysearch

I live very close to Casa Vega and have been there many many occasions on a friday or saturday when I was packed into the bar to wait for my table. Last TUESDAY I went to the restaurant with my husband at 8pm. The bar was only half full (I would say between 2-3 people deep), 45 minute wait, and was told by the hostess AND manager on duty that we would need to wait outside in the cold. There was plenty of room in the bar, much more room than I ever remember there being, and yet she wouldn't accomodate us. We would need to wait in the cold outside with no beverage for 45 minutes if we wanted to eat there. There were only 2 of us, and it would have been easy for her to let us in. Not to mention that there wasn't anyone else waiting outside, it would be only us.

I've been a restaurant manager for 15 years, and this experience was unbelievable. Perhaps the owner should train his management in effective customer service. Otherwise, this time next year he'll have PLENTY of room for everyone in his bar.

We will never go back to Casa Vega.

• Pros: decent margaritas, good location
• Cons: poor management, average food

12/16/06

Homophobic Owner

by sketer54 at Citysearch

First of all, we all know the food is just o.k. We were in the area and decided to have a few margaritas just to take the edge off of a long day. We had extra time to hang and wait for a table, so we did. After @ an hour a table was ready. After a few bites of my nasty 15 dollar combo, i began to lean back in our booth while enjoying a hilarious story my friend was telling me. Half way thru our meal the owner comes up to us and says " You are making me very uncomfortable!..... can u please sit up?" "What does that mean?", I ask. After watching everyone else get a lil cozy while enjoying dinner, and keeping in mind that this is a place that serves alcohol,........... I had no other reason to believe that I was being discriminated against because we were the only two gay guys in the middle of the restaurant comfortably enjoying each others company. That clearly made him "uncomfortable" enough to interrupt our dinner to correct our behaviour. Was he trying to maintain the 5 star level of service like such places as Chateau Marmont? Was he trying to keep me from falling asleep and chocking on my meal? Or is this his way of getting all his clientele to return???................... You be the judge.

• Pros: Margaritas
• Cons: Homophobic Owner

12/08/06

Unfair criticism

by mswstein at Citysearch

I have been going to Casa Vega for over 20 years. The food and service is always great. I personally know the owner and to throw out baseless accusations against him is totally unfair and innappropriate, not to mention hurtful. If the previous reviewer is indeed a gay man I would hope that he would understand that.

12/07/06

Homophobic Owner

by theothernite at Citysearch

First of all, we all know the food is just o.k. We were in the area and decided to have a few margaritas just to take the edge off of a long day. We had extra time to hang and wait for a table, so we did. After @ an hour a table was ready. After a few bites of my nasty 15 dollar combo, i began to lean back in our booth while enjoying a hilarious story my friend was telling me. Half way thru our meal the owner comes up to us and says " You are making me very uncomfortable!..... can u please sit up?"

"What does that mean?", I ask. After watching everyone else get a lil cozy while enjoying dinner, and keeping in mind that this is a place that serves alcohol,........... I had no other reason to believe that I was being discriminated against because we were the only two gay guys in the middle of the restaurant comfortably enjoying each others company. That clearly made him "uncomfortable" enough to interrupt our dinner to correct our behaviour. Was he trying to maintain the 5 star level of service like such places as Chateau Marmont? Was he trying to keep me from falling asleep and chocking on my meal? Or is this his way of getting all his clientele to return???................... You be the judge.

• Pros: alcoholic beverages
• Cons: rude staff

11/22/06

What am I missing here?

by kkmw36 at Citysearch

I'm confused, why all the hype about this place? The food is average at best, nothing truly new or inventive or even all that flavorful. Its definitely a place to see and be seen but other than that, its not really worth the long wait and the shoving and pushing as you try to find a place to stand and drink your drink while you wait. And yet they all come...I don't get it but I won't be back to figure it out.

• Pros: Good value
• Cons: Long lines, average food, average service

10/16/04

Like Margaritas?

by reyrey333 at Citysearch

If you like margaritas, this place makes pretty good ones. All kinds of flavors and all kinds of tequila. Tables are reserved for diners only and the bar area is kinda small on the weekends. Even smaller when people are coming in cause the entrance/exit is 10ft from the bar. Really more of a locals joint. Try closing your night here about 1a on the weekends. Any earlier, it's pretty crowded.

• Pros: Margaritas