OPEN: 1953–1992
LOCATION: 570 W. Avenue 26 Los Angeles, CA 90065
ORIGINAL PHONE: (213) 224-6850
CUISINE: Mexican
DESIGN: Saul Bass and Associates
BUILDING STYLE: California Garden Mission
CURRENTLY: Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
A mariachi band serenades diners at Lawry’s California Center.
IT ALL STARTED WITH A SEASONED SALT. Lawrence “Lawry” Frank created the now-famous Lawry’s Seasoned Salt for the Tam O’Shanter Inn (see page 45), which he had opened with his brother-in-law and business partner, Walter Van de Kamp. The two men went on to open Lawry’s The Prime Rib and began selling Lawry’s Seasoned Salt in stores.
By then, Frank and Van de Kamp had become restaurant royalty. In 1953, they opened Lawry’s California Center, a garden oasis close to downtown Los Angeles and a few blocks from Dodger Stadium. Over the years, the center grew into a seventeen-acre site that included three restaurants, a wine store, and gift shops. It was also the home of the Lawry’s general offices and a factory for packing Lawry’s brand spices—including Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
Because of its proximity to downtown, Lawry’s California Center became a favorite spot for business lunches. If it was sunny, like most California days, the Los Portales Patio was the perfect place to bring colleagues from the East Coast. In the 1960s, businessmen could enjoy a few margaritas there before heading back to the office. On Sundays and mid-evenings during the week, live mariachi bands played traditional music tableside at the Fiesta Dinner and La Cocina restaurants. In the 1960s and ’70s, weddings were held at the California Center gardens almost every weekend.
In the 1970s, Lawry’s opened a cooking school at the California Center to boost the sale of the products in its test kitchen. Most of the dishes prepared at the school used at least one of the Lawry’s spices.
In 1979, Thomas Lipton (of Lipton tea) bought the Lawry’s Spice brand and the California Center. In 1992, Lipton closed the center and moved the manufacturing facility to San Jose, California.
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt can still be found on the tables at the Tam O’Shanter and Lawry’s The Prime Rib. 
The restaurants at the California Center were surrounded by beautiful scenery.
