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Lucio’s, a beloved traditional Mexican restaurant in Old Torrance which features such specialties as birria and carne asada Guadalajara, still pays tribute to founder Lucio Gonzalez. Photo
Lots of restaurants are named after their owners or founders, and locals have been accustomed to dining at Scardino’s, Norm’s, Gaetano’s, and Rosa’s without knowing anything about the person whose name is on the sign. This is understandable, because most people want a meal rather than a history lesson, and the staff wants to sell food rather than regale visitors.
Occasionally, though, you find a place where the person who started the business is commemorated in some way. A particularly affecting tribute is at Lucio’s in Old Torrance, where the décor of the restaurant is a shrine to the man who started it. One wall is festooned with pictures of Lucio Gonzalez, the Mexican immigrant who started the restaurant in 1978 and whose family still runs it.
The restaurant is oddly shaped thanks to its location on a triangular corner, and the building was already an antique on the day that Lucio got the keys. The interior looks like something from the early 1940’s with only the most minimal of updates. If it wasn’t for the mural of Mexican heroes that extends along one wall this could be any American diner along Route 66. It’s anachronistic but spotless and maintained with pride.
The menu fits the decor, old-school Mexican specialties made with no hint of modern trends. The chips arrive warm with a thick salsa that has bits of onion and cilantro and a respectable chili heat. It’s not going to scorch your tongue, but there is the suggestion that it could if it wanted to. If you order guacamole to go with it you get a big portion that contains chunks of avocado and bits of scallion.
The combination plates include albondigas soup or salad, and if you like that soup at all it’s the thing to order. The soup is mildly seasoned and packed with vegetables along with the fluffy-textured beef meatballs, and if you have someone in your party who is spice-averse they may make a meal of this, a salad, and a basket of chips.
The combos include the standard tacos, enchiladas, tamales, and the like, and I recommend the enchiladas because they’re a good vehicle for the ranchera sauce that is brick-red, thick, and zippy. Of the various meats, the carnitas is my favorite as it has nice notes of oregano and cumin instead of being just fried roast pork. They give it some time on the grill to get a bit of a chewy crust with a tender interior, which is the way I like it.
Lucio Gonzalez grew up near Guadalajara, and a few specialties of the state of Jalisco are on the menu. The most distinctive is birria, a stew traditionally made with goat meat and onions in a peppery broth with cumin, oregano, and other herbs. Birria is still relatively rare in the South Bay, and this is a great place to try it if you have been wary of it before. Lucio’s makes theirs with a mix of beef and goat so the heavier goat flavor is mellowed, so even if you didn’t like it elsewhere this one may work for you.
Carne asada Guadalajara, New York steak topped with stripes of mild Ortega chile and jack cheese. Photo
Another must-try item is the carne asada Guadalajara-style, a New York steak topped with stripes of mild Ortega chile and jack cheese. My memory of carne asada that I had in Guadalajara includes lots of grilled scallions but no jack cheese, but I’m willing to give this the benefit of the doubt as regards authenticity. It’s a very decent steak with a slightly smoky flavor from the grill, a bit tougher than you’d get at a high end steakhouse but far less expensive because it costs just twelve bucks and change. This includes rice, beans, a dab of guacamole, and an enchilada in that tasty sauce, so it’s a winner in my book.
Lucio’s has a limited but adequate selection of beer and wine at subterranean prices, plus soft drinks, homemade horchata, and wine margaritas. This isn’t a place you come to just drink, but it’s nice that they keep a variety in stock.
As I left on my most recent visit I passed that memorial to the original Lucio, and marveled again at his career. It inspired me to know that after only eight years of working at restaurants he was able to buy one. The fact that his family keeps these memories fresh in his restaurant shows their devotion to him, and the quality of the food shows that they haven’t forgotten his recipe for success either.
Lucio’s is at 1605 Cabrillo Avenue in Torrance. Open daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., street parking only, wheelchair access OK. Beer and wine serves, some vegetarian items. No website. Phone 310-328-9810
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