We Began in 1991 when Dave bought a run down cantina on P.C.H. in Malibu.  Other locations followed:  Pacific Palisades in 1992; Brentwood in 1995; and Culver City in 2009.  Before starting this business, Dave was a lawyer who didn't enjoy wearing a tie, sitting behind a desk, or dealing with stacks of papers.  So he decided to give business a try.  Within a few months of leaving law and taking over the Malibu spot, he ran out of money and maxed out his credit cards.  He also realized he had no talent for waiting tables or managing staff.  So he focused on his customers, listened to what they wanted, and tried to assemble a staff that could help him offer a good meal at a fair price in a friendly environment all-day every-day.  In the early years, Kay played a big role in running the restaurants.  Had she not, Dave is pretty certain they would have suffered the doomed fate of most other start up restaurants.  Kay moved to Portland Oregon in 1999 to pursue art.  Today, Dave runs the business with his wife Jintana.  Or better put, Jintana runs things and Dave does all he can to stay out of the way. 

Our Food is traditional Mexican and then some.   We make our corn tortillas and tamales by hand.  We don't use lard.  We buy top quality ingredients and have them delivered daily.  And our recipes are made with fresh ingredients.  Many of our dishes are the creation of our head chef, Alejo Grijalva.  Alejo was born in Oaxaca, Mexico.  He moved here when he was 17, and his first job was as a dishwasher at our Brentwood location.  Alejo is a "self-taught" chef, and he loves what he does.  Most of what he knows he learned from his mom.  As a little boy, he loved cooking, and sat at her side in their humble Oaxacan kitchen learning how to make all the family recipes.  A few examples are our hand made corn tortillas, banana leaf wrapped tamales, lamb birria and chicken suisa enchiladas.  Our food isn't gourmet, nor do we aim to be cutting edge in creativity.  But we do try hard to deliver authentic Oaxacan tastes with quality ingredients that are made fresh and healthy to eat. 

Customer Service is something we try to deliver all day, every day.  Can't say we always do it well; but can say we're always trying.  Everyone who works here has a good heart, and a genuine knack for trying to make our customers happy.  One need no experience to work with us; just a good attitude and a good work ethic.  If interested in joining our team, please apply.  We conduct open interviews every Thursday between 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm at our Culver City restaurant.  Everyone is invited, and everyone gets to meet with one of our hiring managers.  For more information, visit our jobs page. 

Having a Party?   Keep us in mind.  We have our own catering department that can help with parties at your home or office of any size.  And our Culver City location can acommodate parties of up to 200 people.  For more information, visit our catering page, or contact our catering director, Debbie Lingard, by email (debbie@kayndaves.com) or by phone (310.721.4900).