It’s no secret that Southern California has some of the best Mexican food around and with Santa Barbara’s intertwined history and culture with Mexico and Spain, it’s only natural to highlight some local taco spots. Because we think we have some of the best taco spots!! Taco lovers from all over visit our little city for many reasons, some of which have to do with the abundance of restaurants and killer taquerias. Serving a wide variety of authentic street tacos and Mexican food and upscales Mexican and Spanish food and food with a newer vibe.
Whether you live in the area or are visiting, don’t get overwhelmed by all the taco options! To get you started, we’re sharing a few taco spots below that we love and will be sharing more of our favorites in the coming months (yippee!). Another great way to check out Santa Barbara’s taco scene is through our taco tour!
Some of Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours Fave Best Tacos in Santa Barbara
Los Arroyos
With multiple locations in Southern California, this Santa Barbara restaurant is the original Los Arroyos location! It is a family-owned restaurant that has been preparing awesomely authentic street tacos (and Mexican food!) around since 1999 and if you haven’t stopped in yet, MAKE IT A PRIORITY! Not sure what to order? We love the rajas con queso tacos, tacos al pastor, and of course, the tacos del mar. The protein burrito is pricy but worth every single penny.
Taqueria SB
Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Taqueria SB has so many meat and salsa options (the pineapple salsa is our fave) for their authentic street tacos – they make it easy to switch up your order every time you visit! And when we say they have a bunch of meat options, we mean there’s 10!! Taqueria SB also has four different salsas to pick from, ranging from mild to extra spicy. Do not turn your nose up to their veggie tacos – the Tacos de Papa are our faves, but the corn and mushroom are close seconds. Out of all the meats the chicken Tinga is different and delish. Don’t take our word for it – try it out yourselves.
Super Cuca’s Taqueria
Self-proclaimed as the first taqueria in Santa Barbara, no taco list would be complete without Super Cuca’s Taqueria! Huge portions, heart ingredients, and the ongoing winner of SB’s “Best Burrito” contest every year, make sure to add Super Cuca’s to your taco list. We obviously love the tacos (the shrimp taco, taco combo, and super taco are our favorites!), but the nachos are all to die for.
East Beach Tacos
Located blocks from the beach, East Beach Tacos literally next door to the batting cages, this is a great spot to try if you’re looking for a taco with a contemporary twist. YUP, you read that right! Think ahi tuna, spicy crispy shrimp, and banh mi. We love their triple play option, which allows you to customize your order with three different tacos, perfect for testing out new-to-you flavors!
Walking Taco Tour with Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours
Ready to get your taco on but not sure where to start? Join our team for a walking taco tour of Santa Barbara!! During the three and a half hours we’ll be spending together you’ll learn some fun local Mexican and Spanish history and eat a lotta tacos and drink all the drinks at some of our favorite taco joints in downtown Santa Barbara. Alcohol options at three locations, non-alcoholic options are available at all the tasting locations.
So what do you say? Are you ready to join us on our taco tour? Book your tickets today!
