Our Story
Don Jorge’s mother Doña Christina Torres de Olamendi learned the art of cooking from her mother Doña Conception Reyes in the state of Puebla, Mexico. From her, she learned the authentic way to prepare the regions famous dishes like Mole Poblano and Chiles en Nogada. Besides her mother’s home-style cooking, Doña Christina learned to prepare flavorful dishes from the nuns of the Convent of Santa Clara, which were known throughout the area for their culinary arts. When Jorge Sr. was a little boy he would watch his mother cook and enjoyed the delicious meals. He dreamed that one day he would be able to open his own restaurant and serve meals the way his mother and grandmother used to prepare them.
Established in 1973 by Don Jorge and Doña Maria Olamendi, Olamendi’s Mexican Cuisine is one of the founders of authentic Mexican Cuisine in Southern California. Our delicious and traditional meals were created by our great great grandmothers and passed down from generation to generation.
Doña Maria was raised in a small town in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. She was still a little girl when she learned to prepare delicious wholesome meals. As the years went by, Doña Maria perfected the art of careful arrangement of the large variety of Mexican herbs and spices together with fresh vegetables, meats and fishes. She created her own unique style of cooking and up until today this special style is represented in the various dishes of Olamendi’s Restaurants and throughout the United States.
When you visit our restaurant, you become part of our family. We share not only our delicious cuisine, but our memories and special moments with you, as you can see on the various pictures all over the walls.
What Don Jorge and Doña Maria have created is a unique blend of spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits, together with different meats and fishes which cannot be found anywhere else. It’s this special, authentic and natural cooking style, which gives Olamendi’s its renowned reputation. President Nixon, whom we served for over 30 years, always said that Olamendi’s Mexican food is the most authentic and delicious food he ever had.
We would like to thank our many very loyal customers and all the people that helped us reaching our dreams. Without them it would never been possible.
God bless you all and God bless America!
The Olamendi Family
The Olamendi Family
