About Us

October,1961 Casa de Carlos restaurant opened its door. Eisenhower was our most recent past president. Gasoline was 24 cents a gallon. Cigarette vending machines included two pennies change inside the cellophane wrapper after inserting a quarter. Sections of Ventura Blvd. in woodland Hills still had no sidewalks! memories of days gone by. But those were the most exciting days for a young married couple Carlos and Dolly. Carlos was born in Puebla, Mexico and had always yearned of one day opening a restaurant and sharing the family recoils he grew up with. He always helped out in the family kitchen and became quit skilled at helping out his Mom.

When Carlos was in his early thirties he embarked on a life long dream of travelling to Spain to visit the land of his ancestors. Well, as young men are prone to do, he ran out of money. He was now in New York City and landed a job in a restaurant to get the money needed to complete his journey. Cupid must have had other ideas about this trip to Spain. Cupid introduced Carlos to his future wife, Dolly. In the early 1960s the couple returned to Los Angeles and opened their first restaurant at the world famous corner of Hollywood and Venal It wasn't a large restaurant at all. In fact it only had stools. Carlos and Dolly turned it into one of the most popular entries on Hollywood Blvd.

This was the stepping stone to Carlos's dream of opening a larger restaurant. Then in 1961 his dreams were realized. His restaurant became a reality. But one thing he didn't realize was that Mexican food had not yet become the popular food it is today. Hard to believe but true. It was a struggle Carlos had to got a part time job washing dishes elsewhere Just to pay the bills. But with the delicious family recipes and the caring service of his wife, Dolly ,the restaurant began to catch on Business Increased with word of mouth advertising and within six year the restaurant needed to expand four times Carlos and Dolly worked at the restaurant for some twenty years before retiring.

Their son Lorenzo, took over the chores of running the restaurant for the family. Some years later, blessed with a talented and enthusiastic staff. This talented staff was headed by the externally talented man named Fred Villavarde. Fred brought his experience from restaurants nationwide to Casa de Carlos Fred has worked in some of the finest restaurants in the country. He has been maltre'd at the Hotel Montelenone in New Orleans. He was a manager of Banquet operations at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle.

Fred has been a chef in several very popular local restaurants, even including the not-so-local San Francisco area. These days all the local clientele are greeted at the front desk by the jovial Fred. Hardly a guest comes in to Casa de Carlos that doesn't know Fred's charm. But despite Fred's long history in the restaurant business and the forty year background of Casa de Carlos, Fred can still be heard asking each and every guest on their way out of the restaurant.."How was everything tonight?" The answer is always a resounding "WONDERFUL, AS ALWAYS" Thanks, Fred.