Item Specifics
Type: Restaurant Menu
Restaurant: Chili Villa
Location: La Cienega, Los Angeles, California
Era: World War II / 1940s
Date: Circa 1943
Cuisine: Texas / American / Mexican
Theme: Restaurant / Food / WWII Home Front
Original/Reproduction: Original
Country/Region: United States
Description
Original circa 1943 WWII-era Chili Villa restaurant menu from La Cienega in Los Angeles, California, advertising:
“TEXAS – THICK STEAKS – THIN PANCAKES”
A fantastic piece of wartime American restaurant ephemera packed with period food, pricing and World War II home-front history.
The menu offers an extensive selection of Texas chili, tamales, steaks, hamburgers, sandwiches, spaghetti, ravioli, salads, breakfast foods and daily specials. Period prices include hamburgers and sandwiches for around 20–35¢, luncheon specials around 50¢, and complete dinners beginning at $1.50.
Especially noteworthy is the WWII rationing information printed on the reverse:
“Due to A New Serious Cut in Points to All Restaurants We Are Now Serving A Complete Dinner for $1.50”
The menu also states:
“All prices are listed at or below our ceiling prices – By O.P.A. Regulation.”
It further identifies the restaurant's ceiling prices as its highest prices during April 4th through April 10th, 1943.
These references relate to the wartime Office of Price Administration (OPA) system of price controls and food rationing, making the menu an especially interesting artifact of the American home front during World War II.
Among the many period offerings are:
- Texas Chili, Chili & Beans and Tamales & Chili
- Chicken Fried Steak
- T-Bone, Sirloin, Filet Mignon and Spencer steaks “When Available”
- Ham Hocks & Lima Beans
- Enchiladas with Spanish Rice & Beans
- Hamburgers and sandwiches
- Hot cakes and Sunday breakfast
- Local and Eastern beer
An excellent collectible for enthusiasts of vintage restaurant menus, Los Angeles history, La Cienega restaurant history, Texas cuisine, WWII home-front memorabilia, OPA price controls, rationing and 1940s Americana.
Condition: Original vintage menu showing age-related toning, handling and wear consistent with an approximately 80-year-old restaurant menu. Please examine photographs carefully for exact condition.
Please Note:
Many of our antiques, collectibles, vintage ephemera, manuals, farm-related items, and paper goods come from long-term stored collections and may show age-related wear, including dust, discoloration, edge wear, creasing, small tears, stains, writing, rust, or general storage wear consistent with age and use.
We perform only minimal cleaning, usually just a light wipe when appropriate, in order to preserve original condition and avoid any accidental damage, paint loss, staining, or over-restoration. Because many of these items are unique vintage finds, we prefer to leave any deeper cleaning or conservation to the buyer’s discretion.
Please review all photos carefully, as they are an important part of the description. Thank you for your understanding, and good luck with your bidding!
