With hundreds of restaurants offering tacos in Santa Barbara and the greater County lines, it’s safe to say that we’d better set some parameters here. Think of this blog post as a one-stop shop for eating the best of the best during your weekend visit. Bring cash, don’t be afraid to splurge on jarritos, and stay active (so you can stay hungry). Get ready. You will be eating tacos at every meal.
Kick it off right at Lilly’s Tacos
Asada and adobada and veggies, oh my! With each taco coming it at $1.50 or so, you can comfortably try as many as you like. Your stomach may say otherwise. But the self-serve salsa bar keeps us coming back for more; you can spice things up to your heart’s content. Do not be ashamed when the salsa-to-fillings ratio reaches 1:1. We’ve been there. We love it. We bought the T-shirt and wrote the Yelp review.
La Super-Rica Taqueria is the real deal
Their handmade tortillas are the stuff of legend. Word on the street’s that Julia Child was their #1 fan. Expect a line, but things move plenty quickly here. Tacos may run you $2.50 apiece, but oh, boy, are they worth it. Go for the tacos de bistec and chorizo and stay for a second round. Get the horchata. Savor this beautiful day in Santa Barbara. Count your charbroiled blessings.
And please remember to order something — anything — with that signature Super-Rica queso. You will wish you could buy that dream sauce by the pint.
En Corazon Cocina, “tradicional” es el nombre del juego
For a Santa Barbara taqueria to charge upwards of five bucks for a single taco, they’ve got to be doing something pretty special. And you’d better believe that Corazon Cocina is special. Near and dear, even. These guys just don’t slack on the traditional methods of preparing tacos. The meat comes fresh from a real rotisserie pit, the tortillas are all made in-house, and don’t get us started on that ceviche. This place is nice.
If you order only one taco, make it the Al Pastor: spit-roasted pork marinated in adobo, topped with two kinds of salsa and a very generous dose of cilantro. If you can swing it, get the fried plantains and Tia Juana taco too. P.S. They have vegan and vegetarian options!
What do we love? Tacos! When do we want them? Now!
Have you tried any of these Santa Barbara taco joints? Did we miss your favorite? We’d love to hear about it. Find us on Facebook and Instagram to follow along with the rest of our Santa Barbara adventures.
We hope you’ll come visit us soon.
