Kalaveras — Restaurant in Los Angeles

First, I remember when this is tropical buffet not a lot has changed inside, except for the paintings on the wall, and the buffet line is still there There’s a lot of blank empty wasted space this spot is too big for this restaurant. There’s literally 100 or more tables but still a ton of blank empty spaces where they could put community tables or large party tables the bars empty empty just a bar counter and stools like big wasted, empty space behind it I don’t know, but.

The drinks were really really good and really cheap. The service was really good and attentive and friendly. The food was really really good came out really really fast even too fast. I had the quesa Barria tacos the consome was good The tacos were really good lotta flavor probably the most flavorful birria I’ve had my wife had a burrito. It was really good. I tried it. Everything was fresh fresh hot melting yummy. Good It’s hard to decide what I wanted. I definitely want to go back and get the chicken Tinga tacos. Definitely try this spot out before it closes cause it’s way too big of a space for what they’re doing. We get dinner time those maybe 15 out of 100 tables being used. They just have too big of a space if this was my spot I’d have like search lights in the front and the DJ inside and drinks going like crazy and community tables and a dance floor and they have the space for it. Why not they’re under utilizing the space It’s nice it’s new. It’s clean. It’s...

We stopped by Kalaveras in Northridge on a quiet Monday afternoon. The place was pretty empty, but that’s understandable for the day and time. We were seated right away, and our server came over almost immediately—great start with friendly and prompt service.

We ordered drinks and appetizers to kick things off. I got the mango slushy, which was refreshing and not overly sweet—just right. For appetizers, we chose the taquitos (Tinga and potato), and they were excellent—crispy, flavorful, and seasoned really well. The real standout, though, were the Asada nachos. The carne asada was marinated beautifully, bursting with flavor. Honestly, those nachos set a high bar for the rest of the meal.

For entrees, I ordered the Carne Asada plate, and my husband went with the quesabirria tacos. His dish was fantastic—rich, savory, and full of depth. Unfortunately, my plate didn’t quite hit the same mark. I was expecting the same flavorful asada as the nachos, but it seemed like a completely different preparation. The seasoning was flat in comparison, and it just lacked the bold taste I was hoping for. It felt like a missed opportunity.

Overall, the experience was mostly positive. The service was fast and friendly, and the appetizers and my husband’s entrée were top-notch. My only real disappointment was the inconsistency with the carne asada. I’d absolutely return—but next time, I might just stick with the nachos or try something new...

I had a disappointing experience at Kalaveras. After waiting 45 minutes for a table, I was frustrated to see the car next to me get seated immediately. I had to go ask the status of our table. When I approached the host, they recognized me and seemed flustered for skipping us, which didn’t set a great tone for the evening.

Once seated, we ordered and only received one drink instead of the two we ordered, causing another 10-minute delay for the second drink. The same with our meals. My partners meal got cold waiting for the second order to arrive. Our server didn’t write down anything, we repeated our order three times. He came back to ask again. It still came out wrong. It took an additional 20 minutes for the lomo saltado to come out and honestly, the service felt unprofessional, as if the staff were poorly trained. Overall, a very disappointing dining experience. I had very high hopes for a Kalaveras in a very popular area. Will visit again but not...