“We love great food, and sharing the experience of it with others is what it’s all about!” That’s Café de Olla, a family-owned and operated restaurant established in 2015 in Burbank, California.
The idea of starting their own restaurant came about one day when the family was sitting around the table, talking about how it’s hard to find food that will stand up to their standards (particularly the ladies of the family). Then the thought came, “why don’t we start our own restaurant.” In pure bootstrap fashion, after a year of saving, they built their very humble Café De Olla. But little ol Café De Olla aint so little anymore.
They have clearly outgrown their little spot, and when the wait time for a table came to be about an hour or more, they realized, its time to grow with the demand. Now, there are talks of opening a second location.
Known for their famous Chilaquiles Poblanos and the popular cinnamon laced coffee “Café de Olla”, they offer Traditional Mexican/American food. Their passion is to serve a traditional home-style dish that brings memories and creates a story in every dish that they prepare. The secret, as they say, is that they cook every dish individually for all their guests and take extra care to ensure the freshness, quality and taste for their guests to enjoy.
The place is pretty small but the food is exceptionally good. Such a cozy restaurant , it makes you feel like you're at home! It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also have kids menu and a green menu for healthier options. This is the best go-to place if you want something new, delicious, and an array of options to choose from. Not to mention, it always feels good to support a mom and pop. The staff is friendly, and the food is worth the wait.
The café de olla is something I would totally go back for. It is quite unique, a recipe brewed to perfection, already sweetened by the cinnamon and brown sugar. My coffee snob companion even loved it. Not to mention, you get free refills on the hot coffee, but the iced coffee is also worth trying as well.
I don't think you can go wrong with what's on the menu. They offer generous portions for a reasonable price. I like to try things I’ve never had before, so I went with the Mole enchiladas. As a cook, one of my favorite things to do is to try to guess what ingredients are used. I was completely stumped on this one, but a quick google search tells me the main component are different types of chiles.
Another dish I ordered, based on uniqueness was the machaca. If you are like me and don’t know what that is, get this….it’s a dried beef that has been rehydrated, usually served with eggs like an ommelette. This was a method of meat preparation back when refrigerators did not exist. I liked it enough to try it one time, and I do recommend it at least once in your lifetime. I’m not a huge fan of knowing that I’m eating dried meat, but if you can get past that, this is an adventurous type of dish.
As my third entrée, I went with the chilaquiles, again because I had never had that before. I haven’t had any others to compare it to, but it was truly delicious.
Watch out for Café De Olla because their dedication to their craft and authenticity is resonating loud and clear. To new rising stars!
