Does anyone remember The Red Onion or Casa Maria?

[HastaLaPasta]

Hi all - does anyone remember The Red Onion or Casa Maria Mexican restaurants? Back when I was a kid I think they both had locations all over Southern California - though one might have been more limited to the LA area but I sort of confuse them a little bit in my memories.

Are there any still around? I can't find anything for Casa Maria on Google. For Red Onion, I can find one "The Original Red Onion" in Rolling Hills Estates. Is this the last remaining location of the chain I remember, or is this something different?

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

[reality check]

Where the new El Tepeyac Cafe, is suppose to open, off the 60 freeway, just east of the 605, didn't that used to be a Red Onion?

[SilverlakeGirl]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that the "Red O" on Melrose is from the Red Onion of yesteryear.

I can't recall how they ended up with the name ... bought it or inherited it.

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

[WildSwede]

That's funny you should mention that. I immediately thought Red Onion when I first heard the name of the restaurant.

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

[WildSwede]

OMG! I would choose Red Onion (Woodland Hills location) every year for my birthday dinner when I was a kid. It was my absolute favorite. I really, really miss it. Many great memories were made in that maze of rooms. Thanks for the reminder! ;-)
Thanks, wienermobile, I will have to check it out. I always loved that they gave hot bean dip along with the salsa and chips. They treated me like a princess when I would go for my birthday.

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

[The Chowhound Team]

Sorry Folks, but we have removed a number of off topic posts from this thread.

Chowhound's mission is to help everybody eat better right now, today. Nostalgia threads are fun, but they usually end up chatty, taking a lot of space and diluting Chowhound's effectiveness.

If there's a special dish or ingredient you remember and would like to know if anyone's currently making, feel free to go ahead and ask that question. Hot, current chow tips are what make the board thrive and make Chowhound the great resource we all know and love.

[wienermobile]

The Rolling Hills location is the last remaining Red Onion and it is still owned by the original Earle family.
http://www.originalredonion.com/famil...

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

[mc michael]

Red Onion hit the skids after it got hit with a large racial discrimination case.

-----
Red Onion
736 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274