The Mexican Caesar wrap at Casa Vega started out as a one-week special but proved so popular it was added to the permanent menu.
(Casa Vega)
12 L.A. spots reinventing the classic chicken Caesar wrap
- Share via
In the 1990s, chicken Caesar wraps dominated lunchtime menus. Aside from the comforting hit of nostalgia for a simpler time, I don’t remember them fondly. Often soggy, laden with too much dressing and scant, dry chicken, it was the kind of unfortunate premade meal you’d eat alone at an airport cafe.
So you can imagine my surprise to see the Y2K-era sandwich having a sudden renaissance at popular restaurants around Los Angeles. But this time, it’s back with some much-needed upgrades: Reputed L.A. chefs and sandwich shops are finally doing the dish justice by using high-quality ingredients and adding their own signature touches — from organic fried chicken to chunks of falafel instead of croutons.
While Angelenos’ love affair with the Caesar salad has been ongoing since Italian chef Caesar Cardini debuted it in Tijuana in the 1920s, the inventor of the chicken Caesar wrap is a bit more mysterious. California Chicken Cafe opened in 1991 on Melrose Avenue and added a chicken Caesar wrap to its menu soon after in 1993. In 1997, fast food chain Wendy’s added its take to the menu (they’ve since been discontinued), giving the wrap nationwide exposure.
From East Coast-style delis to Israeli-inspired sabich, L.A.’s rising sandwich scene reflects global influences and makes good use of seasonal produce.
At Ggiata, an East Coast-style deli with five locations across L.A., the chicken Caesar wrap is inspired by the ones that co-founders and childhood friends Noah Holton-Raphael, Max Bahramipour and Jack Biebel grew up eating in New Jersey sandwich shops.
“Every neighborhood sandwich shop had a Caesar wrap on the menu — and if they didn’t then, they definitely do now,” said Holton-Raphael.
Since Ggiata launched its viral version in March 2024, the trend has picked up serious steam, inspiring iconic restaurants like Mini Kabob and Casa Vega to add the wrap to their menus.
No longer an afterthought, L.A.’s chicken Caesar wraps are made to order with ingredients like herb-blackened chicken, grain-free tortillas and house-made dressing that borrows inspiration from the salad’s Mexican origins. Here are 12 excellent chicken Caesar wraps (including one made with a baguette) to try around L.A. right now.
Showing Places
Alfalfa
Larchmont Breakfast/Lunch $$
(Taylor Mahon)
This New Jersey-born cafe known for farmers market produce and bone broth first set down L.A. roots in Santa Monica in 2021. Since then, the fast-casual destination has expanded to Larchmont, adding a chicken Caesar wrap to the menu in recent years. “We’ve always loved the flavor profile of Calabrian chiles, so we wanted to bring that bold, vibrant taste into a classic Caesar,” says co-founder Andrew Arrospide. Alfalfa’s spicy Calabrian chicken Caesar wrap was the spiciest version I tried and features free-range roasted chicken, hot cherry peppers, croutons made from Jyan Isaac bread, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, crispy shallots, house-made spicy Calabrian Caesar dressing and organic romaine, wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Barney's Beanery
West Hollywood Bar
(Kelly Dobkin)
This historic West Hollywood pub dates back to the 1920s, used to be an Old Hollywood hangout during the Golden Era and has long been known for its signature chili. These days, it has expanded to five locations around L.A., and the original WeHo location has gained surprising popularity as a Gen Z hangout. The menu has expanded considerably in recent years with a range of American classics like nachos, pizza and other bar food-inspired snacks. Its no-frills chicken Caesar wrap is as classic as it comes: made with romaine lettuce, shards of Parmesan, your choice of grilled or cajun chicken and Caesar dressing wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Bodega Park
Silver Lake Coffee Sandwich Shop $
(Bodega Park)
Silver Lake’s popular sandwich shop Bodega Park, known for its Korean American influences and NYC-inspired deli sandwiches, added a spicy fried chicken Caesar sandwich to its menu in July 2024. “We love Caesar salads,” says chef Eric Park, who owns the shop with his wife Miriam. “We’ve had a Caesar salad on the menu for a while as well as our Korean-style hot wings, so we were thinking about how we could bring those bold flavors to a sandwich.” It’s been a rotating special for a year now, but the item has become so popular, the Parks are thinking of keeping it on the menu full-time. “It’s become one of our top three sellers,” Park says. The wrap is made with boneless fried chicken thighs dusted in their secret spice mix, fontina cheese, croutons, kale, Parmesan, mayo and house-made Caesar dressing. One thing that sets it apart is that it’s served on a baguette versus inside a wrap. Park says the hefty filling needed the structure of a baguette, and they preferred the taste over a tortilla. Look for it on their lunchtime menu and check their Instagram for updates.
Show more Show less
Route Details
California Chicken Cafe
Hollywood Chicken $
(Wonho Frank Lee)
The longstanding fast-casual restaurant that originated on Melrose Avenue made chicken wraps “a thing” when it opened in 1991. Its take on the chicken Caesar wrap is still reliable, featuring rotisserie chicken, crunchy greens, crispy pita croutons, fresh tomatoes, mayo and house-made Caesar dressing wrapped in a toasted tortilla. It’s also one of the most affordable you’ll find, priced at $11.75.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Carla Cafe
West Hollywood Sandwich Shop Coffee $$
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Aria Dreis)
This pandemic-born pop-up sandwich shop originated out of creator Avi Ahdoot’s home after a viral Instagram post and used to host weekly sandwich drops out of WeHo nightclub Bootsy Bellows. As of 2024, the shop went from DM-order-only to brick-and-mortar, now boasting two locations with one in Beverly Grove and another in West L.A. at Colony food court. Its chicken Caesar wrap is served warm with panini-style grill marks and made with herb-blackened chicken, romaine lettuce, crunchy whole croutons, shaved Parmesan, fresh corn and house-made Caesar dressing. Ahdoot originally began working on the wrap in 2021 with creator Owen Han. “At the time there weren’t any desirable chicken Caesar wraps in L.A. that we knew of,” Ahdoot says. “And that’s what tends to drive all of our creations — holes in the L.A. market for food we want for ourselves as consumers.”
Show more Show less
Route Details
Casa Vega
Sherman Oaks Mexican Cuisine
(Casa Vega)
Legendary 69-year-old Sherman Oaks Mexican American restaurant Casa Vega is known for its storied history, kitschy decor, cheesy enchiladas and towering margaritas. But recently consultant chef Royce Burke came on board to make upgrades to the existing menu, including a makeover of their Mexican Caesar salad. After incorporating a chile spice blend, he figured the dish would also be great as a wrap. It was added to the menu in mid-June as a one-week special with proceeds benefiting the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a group that owner Christy Vega works with frequently. After the one-week stint, it was so popular it has since been added to the permanent menu. Available for both lunch and dinner, the wrap is stuffed with seasoned grilled chicken, crunchy tortilla chips, romaine lettuce, the house Mexican Caesar dressing and cotija cheese, all wrapped up in a griddled flour tortilla.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Dialog Cafe
West Hollywood Breakfast/Lunch $
(Jason LeCras)
A West Hollywood fixture since 2007, this family-run cafe led by Narbeh and Tadeh Ghazalian underwent a menu rebrand during the pandemic, turning it into one of the most viral cafes in L.A. Dialog recruited seasoned chefs from the likes of Doubting Thomas and erstwhile Bicyclette to consult on the new menu. Frequently on calls in his office just behind the restaurant, Narbeh yearned for a version of their Caesar salad that he could eat with one hand. The tiny kitchen and nonstop production made it a logistical challenge, and the notion sparked up a debate between him and his business-minded brother, Tadeh. “After fighting about it for two months, we put it on the menu,” Narbeh says. Originally part of their “secret menu,” the chicken Caesar wrap became a permanent item in 2024 after blowing up on TikTok. Their version features house-made sesame croutons made with Jyan Isaac bread, radicchio and chicory greens for crunch, organic chicken and an olive oil-based Caesar dressing, all wrapped up in a griddled Mejorado tortilla.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Erewhon
Venice Grocer $$$
(Erewhon)
High-end health-food grocer Erewhon is known for its large grab-and-go selection of prepared foods, celebrity smoothie collabs and clean-ingredient ethos, so it was only natural that its chicken Caesar wrap would draw from a similar theme. Erewhon makes its wrap with organic chicken, crispy romaine lettuce, sprinkles of organic crostini, Parmesan and creamy Caesar dressing, served chilled and wrapped in a whole-wheat spinach tortilla. It’s a solid option if you need to grab something ready-made before heading to the beach or a nearby picnic.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Ggiata
Hollywood Italian American
(Jakob Layman)
The NJ deli-inspired chainlet started by three childhood friends is already known for its crispy chicken cutlet-based sandwiches, so social media lit up when they decided to do their take on the chicken Caesar wrap as a monthly special in March 2024. “The spark for ours came from a conversation I had with our friend Eduardo, co-founder of Mejorado by Burritos La Palma,” says Ggiata co-founder Noah Holton-Raphael. “He mentioned they had started wholesaling their tortillas, which I truly believe are the best in the city. That’s when we knew we could finally bring one of our favorite sandwiches from growing up to life — elevated through something uniquely L.A.,” he adds. Originally launched using a crispy chicken cutlet, the wrap now comes in two varieties: crispy chicken or grilled balsamic chicken. Made with chopped romaine, house-made Caesar dressing, herbed sesame sourdough croutons, shaved Parmesan and chopped pepperoncini, the whole thing is wrapped in a grilled Mejorado flour tortilla.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Goop Kitchen
El Segundo Health food $$
(Goop Kitchen)
The chicken Caesar wrap trend has even penetrated Gwyneth Paltrow’s health-centric Goop Kitchen, the delivery-only ghost kitchen chainlet that delivers to most parts of the city. Here, the wrap gets a clean-eating makeover. “We created our Caesar wrap to bring bold flavor and clean ingredients together in a way that feels both comforting and elevated,” says chef and Vice President of Culinary Kim Floresca. Its version is made with organic hand-pulled rotisserie chicken, little gem lettuce, garlicky croutons, avocado and Parmesan and tossed with house Caesar dressing in a grain-free Coyotas tortilla wrap. The signature Caesar dressing swaps out anchovies for briny capers and a spicy Calabrian Caesar dressing is also available if you’re looking for more of a kick.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Leora Cafe
Beverly Hills Mediterranean $
(Cara Harman)
Located within the sleek UTA offices in Beverly Hills, Leora Cafe pulls from chef Leor Klein’s Israeli heritage for its Mediterranean-inspired menu. His take on the chicken Caesar wrap started as a daily special but proved so popular that Klein decided to give it a permanent place on the menu. The grilled chicken is marinated overnight in fresh lemon juice, Inez olive oil and a house-made Mediterranean herb blend. Then it’s cooked and chopped and tossed with crunchy romaine, house-made sourdough croutons, salt and olive oil. The Caesar dressing is egg-free and lemon-forward, made with anchovies, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan and cracked black pepper, and each wrap is made to order and served in a griddled flour tortilla. Insider tip: Order the “secret menu” version that swaps out grilled chicken for crispy fried and breaded schnitzel.
Show more Show less
Route Details
Mini Kabob
Glendale Armenian $$
(Mini Kabob)
Glendale’s family-run Armenian staple, Mini Kabob, has recently added a chicken Caesar wrap to their menu. The Martirosyan family has owned and operated the spot for over 20 years, serving up high-quality Armenian staples (with both Persian and Egyptian influences) like Shirazi salad, ground lule kabob, falafel and classic shish kabob. Inspired by the trend, son Armen (also the mastermind of Silver Lake’s fusion-forward MidEast Tacos) decided to add a Cesar wrap to the menu (yes, spelled just like that) in late June as a Thursday-only special. The item has been selling out in preorders every week since (sometimes in under a minute!). Made with Egyptian-style falafel croutons cooked in beef tallow, grilled chicken thigh, crispy lettuce and served with a side of spicy Aleppo toum, it’s wrapped up in a grilled Mejorado flour tortilla. Make sure to preorder starting on Monday nights at 7 p.m. via their website.
Show more Show less
Route Details
No matching entries.
Please reset filters to see all entries.
No matching entries.
Please reset filters to see all entries.
Eat your way across L.A.
Get our weekly Tasting Notes newsletter for reviews, news and more.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Most Read in Food
Top