Riviera Village’s Casa Pulido Calling it a Day.
Bashie “Momma” Pulido, Lisa Pulido Garcia, and Ruben Pulido in front of their namesake. Ruben and Bashie “Momma” Pulido, owners of Casa Pulido, announced they are retiring and closing the beloved Mexican restaurant December 20. A staple in Riviera Village since 1969, its red tuft booths, dark interior, and black velvet paintings of mighty matadors in the heat of bullfighting, harken back to a bygone era that’s fading in South Redondo. “I worked in restaurants all through college,” said Ruben Pulido. “My wife and I would patronize a restaurant that’s across the street from the current Casa Pulido, so I bought it.” Ruben’s story fits that classic South Bay success story. He was a part of the burgeoning aerospace industry in the 1960s, working for Xerox when he started started Casa Pulido. “I worked as the cook and Momma was the waitress,” he said, laughing at the memory. “She had to learn fast, as it was her first time as waitress.” Casa Pulido took off and Ruben quit Xerox to focus on the restaruant. After ten years, the Pulidos moved the restaurant to its current location on Avenue I. “A lot of the locals from the beginning take pride in calling themselves the ‘brown bag crew”…
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