Silverlake Treasure Casita Del Campo Celebrates 57 Years

(Gerry Furth-Sides, all photos except of this author courtesy of Casita del Campo) Casita Del Campo celebrates 57 years in the same location this month.  The restaurant will begin Anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, May 15^th, 2019 with music, specials and a few surprises.  

There is good reason for the cheer.  The original recipes and cooking practices have stayed the same since the day the restaurant opened 57 years ago. Every morning, fresh vegetables are chopped for the tasty salsa, the guacamole and chips all made fresh daily as evident in the enormous amount of food carried out from the kitchen. The new vegan menu items such as the tacos and fajitas, already popular with customers, reflect the current health-conscious times and neighborhood’s gentrification.

This Silverlake neighborhood has always been the ideal location for Casita Del Campo.  it was true when the sleepy, artistic area housed Disney staffers and when it became the culturally diverse bohemian equivalent of Greenwich Village in New York and Hyde Park in Chicago.  Locals, such as six of us neighbors, frequented the place at least one weekly.  It was one of our favorite Newsweek magazine hangouts, and I remember even to this day trying to nonchalantly “walk” to the door after two margaritas!

It naturally follows that Rudy Martin Del Campo, a dancer from West Side Story, opened sunny, welcoming  Casita Del Campo as a gathering place for his industry friends.  The unique venue that used to be a house would continue to feel like a home to him many years later. Although Rudy passed away several years ago, his legacy has lived on in the West Side Story pictures throughout the restaurant and  the original art pieces.  This gem has also been maintained through his family’s love for the continuously growing loyal customers.

Rudy and Nina’s son, Robert Martin Del Campo, is the current proud owner and can be seen strolling through the restaurant on a daily basis, welcoming the customers and making sure everything is on point. As Robert puts it “this place was made with love and that is the most important ingredient of how it still runs to this day.” His creative passion for the arts is evident in all the pieces you see in each room and his wife, Gina Martin Del Campo, an artist who studied at UCLA is the incredible mastermind behind all the stained-glass patio tables that are unique and stunning.

Some of the frequent customers even refer to the tables they want to sit at as the name of the picture she recreated on them, including Frida Kahlo, well known Diego Rivera paintings and portraits from the famed Mexican bingo game, Loteria. These creations bring life to the outdoor patios that are perfect for an afternoon cocktail and of course have become popular for that Instagram photo.  The sound system, new art pieces and menu improvements may be new but the staff and the vibe has truly remained the same as the day it opened.

Not just a restaurant to come and eat; this is a second home for some or a “first home” as late owner Nina Martin Del Campo would tell anyone, a family gathering venue, a welcoming and artistic melting pot hosting a theatre downstairs and an oasis that transports guests to the more leisurely lifestyle of Mexico.

According to a family member, the fitting motto at Casita Del Campo that is probably said more than a few times a day, “VIVA LA VIDA” connotes a well lived life, celebrating life and loving life. The Del Campo family would like to continue to sustain this “landmark” for “100 more years” and keep it in their family forever to continue to serve this loving community and family they have created here in Silverlake.

Casita Del Campo is open every Monday through Thursday from 11am to 11pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 12am.  Sunday hours are 11am to 11pm. A special lunch menu is offered in the afternoon on weekdays, and a week-end brunch menu that includes a cocktail.  Rooms are available for parties and celebrations. For more information please visit www.CasitaDelCampo.net or call 323.662.4255. The address is 1920 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027.