Old Hollywood's Biggest Stars Once Made This Steakhouse A Favorite Stop On The Way To Tijuana

Celebrities are just like us in that they also love a pit stop on the way to or from a getaway. The right kind of spot can get you excited to officially begin a vacation or can even extend it by another few hours. During the glamorous Old Hollywood era, a slew of stars had found just such a spot in the Café La Maze, a steakhouse still standing in National City, California.

Café La Maze lies in San Diego's South Bay and describes itself as the area's oldest steakhouse. There you can feast on surf and turf with a side of glitzy history, potentially sitting at the very table or booth where Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn, Marlene Dietrich, or Jane Russell once dined. But how did a restaurant over two hours away from Hollywood attract such a well-heeled set? Well, there was originally a location in Hollywood, where owner Marcel Lamaze buddied up to stars like the Marx Brothers and Jimmy Durante.

The steakhouse became one of Old Hollywood's favorite restaurants. Eventually, Lamaze's famous friends asked for a Café La Maze closer to the Mexican border. Tijuana had become a popular getaway destination during the Prohibition — in just a few hours, Los Angelenos could be in the Mexican city where they could drink and gamble. Wouldn't it be nice, these celebs figured, to have their go-to Hollywood haunt closer to their preferred weekend locale? Café La Maze opened just 12 miles from Tijuana in 1940, and it's the only location still in business.

After the Prohibition was repealed, it wasn't long before Mexico outlawed casino gambling. Still, many continued to find their way to the south-of-the-border destination favored by the movie stars for attractions like the Agua Caliente Racetrack. To break up the ride there from Hollywood, weekenders had one of the best American steakhouses in Café La Maze — and they could even gamble there, too.

Eventually, Tijuana faded out as a Hollywood-favored jaunt, though Café La Maze lived on. It was sold to new owners in 2025 but continues to honor its entertainment history with classic red banquettes, elegant golden accents and warm lighting, and black and white portraits of stars from that period lining the walls. These days, you can enjoy steak and classic steakhouse sides like asparagus and baked potatoes, as well as sea bass, bacon-wrapped scallops, seafood pasta, prime rib dip sandwiches, crab cakes, chocolate cake, and one of the restaurant's signature cocktails.

On Yelp!, one reviewer calls Café La Maze's atmosphere "deliciously retro," while another remarks, "Café La Maze still has that old school Hollywood glamour." Others note that the steaks are "amazing" and the service "wonderful." If you're interested in experiencing some of the older restaurants in the United States that are rich in history — especially if you appreciate that "Old Hollywood" magic — Café La Maze delivers tasty dishes and drinks to boot.