RESTAURANT REVISIT CASA VEGA SERVES THE MASSES.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

When Ray Vega opened Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks more than 43 years ago, soft tacos and fajitas were popular items of the future. But the basics were the same as today.

Southern California diners loved the idea of moderately priced, chile-seasoned, spicy Mexican food, cool margaritas and a comfortable environment with a south-of-the-border theme.

Ray Vega provided it. And they've been crowding into Casa Vega ever since.

Today, Casa Vega at night is one of, if not the busiest of all the restaurants on Ventura Boulevard.

Night after night, it's packed with diners and imbibers. The bar at its peak hours is often jammed at least three deep while a throng of waiting customers spills out into the parking lot.

From the '50s through the new millennium, spanning six full or part-decades of major changes in almost everything in life, Casa Vega carries on in much the same way it did when it first opened its doors.

And amazingly, it's still as much a hit as it ever was.

Name: Casa Vega.

Address: 13301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

Phone: [phone].

How long in business: Opened in July 1958.

Menu/cuisine changes: Though the kitchen has traditionally used the same recipes throughout the years, it has bent to the public's increasing health concerns and dieting interests. ``We don't use lard anymore,'' says owner Ray Vega, who notes that vegetarian tacos and burritos have been added along with black beans.

Vega says that there are more seafood items now using both shrimp and crab. ``Years ago, we never thought of fish tacos.

``And we even have kosher tequila.''

Decor/physical changes: A dining room was added in the mid-'70s and there have been cosmetic changes over the years. According to Vega, plans are currently under way to install an outside patio.

But the dim, almost dark, candlelit interior remains, shielding couples who are engaged in a secret rendezvous and aiding celebrities averting attention like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

Personnel changes: Vega is very proud of the longevity of many of his employees. He says the average length of employment by his staff is 19 years. At the most recent employee gathering, 23 watches were presented to employees, 13 with more than 20 years service and 10 with more than 30 years. His daughter Christina Vega-Fuller is now manager and is being groomed to take over the restaurant when Vega retires.

Recommendable dishes: Guacamole ($6.25) here, blended with tomatoes and onions, is not only a respectable rendition, but it's served with delectably light, crispy, flour tortilla chips, squarish in shape and easy to scoop with. The usual triangular corn ones, also served crunchy and warm, come with a good and spicy, nicely thick-textured complimentary red salsa. Fajita tacos ($12.75) are recommendable and the sopes con carne ($11.25) are worth trying.

Service quality: With a staff of 66, many of them veterans, Casa Vega runs pretty smoothly. Because its constant popularity results in night after night of filled rooms, it doesn't take reservations, but works on a first-come, first served basis, even using those light-up, vibrating gizmos that tell waiting customers when their table is ready. Occasionally, a server becomes lackadaisical, but most of the time staffers are jovial and helpful. And to its credit, a bar tab can be transferred to the dining table without the bother of signing separate credit card checks. Many restaurants today put their needs first and demand that bar bills be cleared before waiting diners can begin their meals.

Pricing: Owner Vega says his customers average around $20 to $25 per person for dinner and drinks. He believes his 16-ounce double margarita for $6.95, Casa Vega's No. 1 drink seller, is a relative bargain these days. He remembers that when the restaurant first opened in the '50s tacos were priced around $1 each. Today they're about four times as much. Currently, starters run from about $4 to $8, entrees are ticketed in the $11 to $13 range, and desserts are priced between $3.50 and $4.

Wine list/service: Wines are minimal here, not considered the best accompaniment to Mexican food. The bar, says owner Vega, goes through some 70 to 80 cases of tequila for margarita-making a month (not counting the premium tequilas) and sells about 25 cases of Corona beer - the restaurant's best-selling brew - per week.

Policies worth mentioning: Casa Vega's kitchen produces its own tamales. Ray Vega says that ``everything is made from scratch,'' but concedes that tortillas are not made in-house. Dinners (Nos. 1 through 16 on the menu) include black or refried beans, Spanish-style rice, and soup or tostada salad.

The restaurant serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday and dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily.

Miscellaneous comments: Restaurateur Ray Vega is an expert at mass feeding. Until 1990, he ran the dining hall at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, a job that amounted to approximately 65,000 meals per month. During this period, he was named Honorary Mexican Consul-General of Southern Nevada, a post he held for 12 years. His Nevada business activities, since concluded, never interfered with his proprietorship of Casa Vega.

Our latest ratings: Two stars food: Three stars service.

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Photo:

Manager Christina Vega-Fuller and her father, owner Ray Vega, sit behind some huge portions of food (and the 16-ounce double margarita) at the venerable Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer