The Best Mexican Restaurant You Never Heard of

The restaurant is so small it only has four tables. There's no room for any more, the place is about 50 feet square. But Deli Mex, at 14446 Magnolia Boulevard has legions of customers who have become so hooked, they won't eat Mexican food anywhere else.

"Once you bite into the hard shell taco loaded with fresh warm chicken,  avocado and sauce," you'll be back for more," said Stella Zielinski, a manager at Trader Joe's in Sherman Oaks who has lunch at Deli Mex several times a week.

"Lots of my co-workers at Trader Joe's come here because the food is tasty and fresh," added Zielinski,who was dining at one of the small tables next to the wall.

"Everything we serve is fresh, the chicken, meat, avacados, all the vegetables," said Abraham Sanchez, the middle aged man who created the business over ten years ago.

"It's a family business," said Sanchez,"my sister Magdelena works here with me."

He pointed to his nephew working in the kitchen.

"When people come here, it's like they are guests in my home," said Sanchez standing at his grill. " I like to make them happy with good food and then they will return and bring their friends. We've lasted a long time,"he added smiling.

"It's the kind of great, clean wholesome food you get at home," said Esmarelda Hernandez, who works at the BMW store on Van Nuys Boulevard.

Herandez placed her order for sopas in Spanish,  "My favorite here is shrimp cocktail. It's not on the menu, but he makes food to order."

Not being part of a chain, Abraham Sanchez will cook something  special-off the menu- for a customer if he can make it.

"All our food is prepared in a heathy way," said Sanchez who is from Central Mexico." We use vegetable oil, natural ingredients, nothing frozen.No lard. We shop for the food in the morning, and serve it that day," he added.

"It's authentic Mexican food," said Sylvia Freeman, finishing off a couple of soft beef tacos. "The meat is seasoned very nicely, tastes homemade."

People who live in the north Sherman Oaks area have been talking about Deli Mex for years, but the tiny place is hard to find even if you have the address.

The entrance is on the south side of Magnolia about 50 yards east of Van Nuys Boulevard.

From the outside, it looks like a grocery store. There's a big 'A' on the front window indicating the restaurant meets the highest standards in cleanliness. Once inside, you can watch Abraham prepare food in a kitchen that is spotless.

Deli Mexi is open for breakfast, and closes at 5:00p.m. There are colorful photos of Mexican dishes on the wall, but the actual food served here looks better than the pictures.

Breakfast specials, including huevos rancheros start at $3.99, lunch specials $5. It's hard to spend $10 for a meal in this place.

Deli Mex may be the best Mexican restaurant that many people in Sherman Oaks never heard of.