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Seriously. With all of these reviews, you really think I can add something -way- different? Um, prolly not. I've visited this joint several times over the last 15 years and haven't had a bad time yet. The only bad thing on rare occasion would be the lines and the limited seating if you go at a peak time. This has only been a problem for me a handful of times over all these years, so that's really nothing worth complaining about.
Damn good food. Damn good prices. Damn good service.
Go here.
Werd.
This is santa barbara's most reviewed restaurant? really?
I have to say I'm not very knowledgeable about different types of mexican cuisine, although i have had my fair share of tacos since i'm fromt LA, and some from SD too. I love my tacos with carne asada, cilantro, lime and hot salsa, i hate taco bell and del taco is whatevers. i had mexican food at least once a week for the past 4 years (that's what living in ghetto south LA does to you, your options are limited! but hey, mexcian food there is good fast and cheap)
this place is interesting. first impression, how is this so randomly popular?
the food was pretty good. i got the carne asada taco, and the special which was a carnitas with zucchini and in a bunch of sauce. the tortilla is also hand made and made to order, definitely fresh!
the carne asada taco was pretty freakin good
but the carnitas taco was a lil too much. kind of filling
$3 for guac. really? REALLY?
the mexican rice was apparently pretty good, i cannot appreciate mexican rice tho, i love my rice white and chinese =p but my friend said they're good, and they seem to be better than the others i've tried...
however, this place is so over priced, it's unbelieveable! a meal for two came to be $24!! how?! and we didn't order that much! how can a taco be $2.50?!?!
i thought it's supposed to be cheap mexican food. how is this so expensive, especially given the location and decor.
i also paid like $2 for a dinky little shot of horchata. i didn't know people take shots of horchata!?
i've had better horchata for half the price and triple the size. can we say stingy?!
i just feel like this place is a rip off. but i'll give it 3 stars for its unique cuisine.
tip: try their specials i guess? bigger portions
favourites: fresh tortilla, solid food
do not want: steep prices....not worth it
last words: a rip offffff, but at least it's unique, give it a try, but i'm not gonna be a regular customer, with the same kinda money, i can get waiter service by getting a main course from another decent restaurant.
Sorry to be the odd one out here but frankly I have had better on several occasions at several different places.
I have been there 4 times as I really wanted to see what made people such fans; but I have yet to experience the "greatness" of this place.
Maybe I am just missing the point here, or just hitting them on their "off" days but after 4 tries I give up!
"Seriously, the BEST horchata!"
"Them FIGHTIN' words."
"Yeah, well, it's TRUE!"
Not to mention the tamales. Enchiladas. Super RICA. Cafe de Ollo.
WOW. This was my second time around with a second set of those I keep closest to m'Heart --- and WOW.
W
O
W
It's not just the sauce. Not just the texture either. The flavors are indescribable.
SO?
W
O
W
Who in SB doesn know this place!!!
Even in LA i get people asking me about here.
Ive found better in LA, but when trotting back through
SB this is a stop on the way.
Love it. Haven't been in years as I am not from the area. My visiting Columbian friend wanted authentic Mexican food. Bingo!
Still the same, still amazing and cheap! Weird that the whole place is filled with middle aged gringos. Try the soup made with cheese and a thick strip of smokey bacon...OMG.
Wow. We went at 3pm and the line was a 30 minute wait, so go on a day that you are feeling rather patient. It is well worth the wait.
I ordered the pork, peppers and tortillas combo, boyfriend got the chicken with bell pepper and onion, and we shared the quesadilla and chile relleno. The chile relleno was the special of the day and was amazing with potato, zucchini, green beans, cheese and tomato stuffed inside of a long, deep fried chile. The pork pastilla dish I got was unreal- the flavor of the pork was fantastic, and the homemade corn tortillas had the best flavor and texture I've ever had in a corn tortilla. The maza was so fresh and you can see them making the tortillas and grilling everything on the grill, which is really nice.
Their pico de gallo and guacamole rock. This place is out of this world and very unique style of food. I wish we would have gotten the tamale special. Their mexican rice is also fabulous and not too greasy or heavy. The quesadilla was rather bland and was the one thing we probably would pass on in the future.
Yes...its that good. Who says food has to be expensive to be good? Been here many a many times....Julia was right. Most delicious Mexican I ever had. Very very reasonable.... So not fancy....self serve picnic style....& no margaritas.....but a must stop for lunch, snack or early dinner if you are in Santa Barbara....or passing by on the 101.
We drove up from Los Angeles just to get these tacos again. We waited for 40 minutes and when we got our food... we were greatly disappointed. Where did the fabulous tacos in our past memories go? It was disappointing and a major let down. The masa didn't taste right or was undercooked.
I always think of this place as the epitome of the perfect taco. What we were served the other night was mediocre at best. We could have gotten better eats at home at a King Taco. La Super-Rica what happened? I have to admit that having no choice but to put up and listen to the stupid, self-important conversations of the boorish crowd before us didn't help.
The first time I stepped foot at La Super-Rica was in 1989 - it's good to see that the menu hasn't… Read more »
Any chance you guys can open up a secret NY joint?
I hadn't been back here in years and being away from CA for so long, I had almost forgot how great solid Mexican food is. I was only here on my last trip, one day, but because my rental car broke down while at lunch, I stayed and ate a 2nd plate.
The Adobado and Chorizo were the stars here. I was disappointed by the Bistec. Get the tamales here as well, unfortunately there were sold out when I was last there. I'll be back when I'm in town again.
Over two years after my last visit, and I finally made it back to La Super-Rica. TWICE! Yes, I am the luckiest girl in the world.
I must say, La Super-Rica is just about the only 'legendary' cult favorite restaurant that I have ever felt lived up to its reputation. Heck, I'd say it exceeds its reputation. Its menu is innovative; they have unique and frequently-changing specials, like a tamal wrapped in banana leaf, stuffed with chicken and raisins. This is not some two-bit taco stand, though it is priced as though it is. Well, tacos are a touch expensive at $2.50 a pop. But still, yum.
Today, I am salivating with the thought of my las rajas-- pasilla chilies, cheese, caramelized onions, and herbs on two tortillas. It was really ugly on the plate, and I worried that I ordered incorrectly. But alas, it was amazing. Flawless. Yum.
I love you.
Umm, yum! My boyfriend & I stopped here on a little road trip from LA, and so glad we did! We… Read more »
I love that someone actually compared this place to King Taco and even worse in an unfavorable light. First of all, this is Oaxacan food, its a regional Mexican cuisine. Its like comparing southern food to Chicago Deep Dish pizza's, its just not the same.
The homemade tortillas, seasoned grilled meats on their taco's, their quesadilla's, their guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, and the specials are all amazing. It has been hyped up quite a bit over the last 10 years and there are other places that are also comparable in quality with less wait but they are damn good and damn consistent here. Everytime I am in SB I am coming by.
Wine Trip Conclusion:
You don't want to believe it!
You just Don't!
How is it that the town of Santa Barbara gets a place like this.
Lines out the door! (see below)
http://static.px.yelp....
On our way home and being that I was travelling with my Best buddy. Who happens to be a Mexican Boy. I decided that La Super Rica was the place he just had to try. One look at the freakin line an my pal said. These better be the best f@cking Tacos I ever had John.
We waited for an hour before we even placed our order. The tacos come plain! I mean really plain. Nothing but 2 homemade tortillas that the lady is handmaking right in the kitchen and the meat. Then you add the salsas, Green, red or Pico de Gallo. Either way the meat is just so perfectly cooked, juicy and tender that the tacos do scream puro Mexicano. We also got another form of taco that I would have to say is a cross between a quesadilla and a taco. Delicious!!! But the very best taco they have has to be the raja con queso tacos. Roasted Pasilla peppers and jack cheese all melted together. Damn Good Man!!!
The Meat
The Tortillas
The Salsas
100% Mexican Taqueria.
Give them a try!
Wine Trip Over!
Cheers!
What Can I say.. Taco Stand in Santa Barbara! Check! 122 Reviews on Yelp Prior to me with a 4 star… Read more »
Ok after a few returns, i have actually found something that i'm not crazy about... the Frijoles Gordita. It's supposed to be spicy but it's really kind of boring... sorry. Pretty much everything else on the menu though, is freakin delicious. I love their specials.
Other than that, this place is worth the wait, the price, and the experience of wanting to order the entire menu all at once. Long live Super Rica!
i'm going to try every item on the menu and report back. this shit is delicious....
Wow, let me start off by saying how surprised I am that most of these reviews are from tourists who visited SB once for a weekend. Granted, it says that I live in Seattle, but I lived in Santa Barbara 6 times longer than I've lived in Seattle.
So let me give you all some context and a history lesson, and hopefully it should clear some things up. First, Mexico is a big country. So "Mexican" food does not just mean burritos, rice, and beans. De acuerdo? This food is the most authentic Mexican food you are going to get. Second, tourists hang out on State Street. What do you find on State Street? Bad restaurants, tourists, and stores that sell tourist shit. If you want to see the real Santa Barbara, cruise down Milpas. If you want to eat where the locals eat, go to La Superrica. Or if you want your rice and beans and your big Sunday brunch, then stay on State St and go to El Paseo.
Why is there a line out the door? 1) Because the window to order is right inside the door. It's a small place. So you stand on the street. But it's not like it's cold, or hot, or rainy, or windy. So enjoy the sunshine and get your vitamin D while you wait. 2) There is also a line out the door because it's freaking good food.
Why does the line move so slowly? They make the food when you order it. I know, novel idea, huh?
Now for the history lesson- the owner of La Superrica was originally a grad student at UCSB. At some point he decided grad school was not for him and so he went back to Mexico, learned how to cook, then came back up to Santa Barbara and opened La Superrica. And I would say he's a lot more successful than other students who ended up getting PhDs. Because no one's writing about them on Yelp.
Viva La Superrica!
Came in last night at 9:15 pm on our way home from Monterey. They were getting ready to close. They were out of rice and beans, darn. BUT...they made some fresh guac on the spot for me! It was like butter...amazing. I love La Super-Rica!!!
For all my O.C. Yelpers who might take a trip to/thru S.B., this is worth the pit stop!!! Dayum,… Read more »
Their food is good and all the meats have a nice smokey quality, but WTF does their ridiculously long line inch along so freakin' slowly? It's as if there's absolutely no pity for the hordes of customers on their feet waiting for food for more than an hour. Then, get to the front of the line and they're out of every single one of the specials??? That means no enchiladas or tamales as there are no offerings on the regular menu!
I get the impression they take their popularity for granted, otherwise they'd be more hospitable and offer something to drink or nosh on in line, or maybe even hire some more help to move the line along at a reasonable pace.
Last time I ate here I felt pretty foolish for waiting so long, I'll be looking for an alternative.
Armed with an endorsement from the late Julia Child, I made La Super Rica a mandatory stop during a recent trip down to SB. I am so thankful; I would call this place the real deal.
What joy it brings to walk up to the window of a taqueria and see someone hand pressing fresh tortillas. The salsa fresca is divine...so much so that we saw many abandoning the plastic ramekins and piling their portion onto a dinner plate. This food is simple unadorned Mexican, as it should be.
I also appreciated the laid-back vibe of this haunt. We went for an early dinner, skipping the crowds and cracked open a bottle of Schramsberg to cut through the richness of the meal. No one bats an eyelash at such an activity.
It may be sometime before I make it back to SB, and California for that matter, I will look back at this meal as the last time I had great Mexican food.
I arrived Santa Barbara extra early for breakfast before making my way to the California Wine Festival. I thought perhaps my friends and I will pick up a bagel and some coffee at Jack's Bistro & Famous Bagels for a "quick bite". Then one of my friends informed me of a place that Chef Julia Child loved to go to for tacos when she visits Santa Barbara. I searched for the address on my blackberry and off to La Super Rica Taqueria we went.
What a cute little restaurant with a large outdoor patio for seating. We arrived 20 minutes before the restaurant opened. By 11:00AM, there was a line outside and around the corner. Glad we were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in line. What did we order...we ordered some tacos, the quesadillas, and some chile rellenos. To describe the food, it is fresh, flavorful, delicate, and definitely gourmet. The prices are reasonable and comparable to the other taqueria a few blocks over. This was a surprise to me, because the food quality is much better and less greasy at La Super Rica Taqueria than the other taquerias a few blocks away.
The tortillas are hand-made right in front of you. You can ask them to cook them a little longer. The chorizo is homemade because I saw the cook pull a handful of it from a container before plopping it on the grill. The marinated pork was light, not greasy, and it had a hint of smokiness. The chile rellenos can't get any fresher especially when the entire bin of chiles are sitting in the kitchen right in front of you to see that they are indeed fresh. Unfortunately I can't say much for their salsas because it was basic. I can imagine that if additional attention was made to upscale the salsa, it would elevate the flavors of the tacos even more.
In all, La Super Rica Taqueria is a must for a Foodie in search of real ethnic food far from the commercialize State Street. It's outdoor covered patio seating only with a few limited tables indoors. The lines are always long. The prices range from $2.50 to $12. It's paper plate and plastic forks so don't expect any servers. A "must go to" if you are in town. It's great simple food at it's best!!!
Don't let the long queue drag you away from this delicious place- ordering goes by pretty quick, it's the wait that feels like FOREVER. Fair enough though, I mean i can litterly see the woman making FRESH tortillas for my taco- ball of masa+ tortilla press= delish. The prices are off the wall cheap, for the incredible quality, honestly don't be a punk at Chipotle...EVER awesome taquerias like these are a gem in anytown, and despite my whatever attitude over santa barbara yuppiness this taqueria itself redeems the enitre city. i had the shreadded marinated beef tacos "descebrados" i think is what they're called...yumm, highly recommend ($7) & the guacamole sauce was on point! also i recommend the Jamaica juice, it's like a really nice passion fruit tea, that works so well with the mouthful of flavor of the food.
I can't say anything that hasn't already been said.
Worth the wait.
Very casual and friendly atmosphere.
As a vegetarian I was able to eat a yummy cheese gordita and some guacamole tacos. Basics, but still awesome.
When I told my brother that we were headed up to Santa Barbara for a short visit, he immediately recommended that we visit La Super-Rica Taqueria. So, what do we do? Make it our first meal in the city.
We pulled in as the sun was setting and were immediately surprised by the smallness of this place. About the size of a garage, this little taqueria was extremely busy. We had about ten people ahead of us in line. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but with a toddler along, I wasn't so sure. After entertaining her with the kitchen antics inside, we eventually made it through the doors...only to wait a few more minutes while we perused the menu. We eventually decided to try several items: tamal verduras (filled with chayote, corn, zucchini, potato, chile strips, and cheese), tacos de chuleta (grilled strips of pork steak), tacos de adobado (strips of marinated pork steak), and the Super-Rica Especial (roasted chile pasilla stuffed with cheese; served with marinated pork and three tortillas).
My favorite, by far, was the taco de chuleta. The meat is super tasty, cooked thin and crispy, and served up on two of the freshest corn tortillas you'll ever shove down your throat (they're probably twenty or thirty seconds old by the time they make it to your table). The tamal was tasty, but had a slight bitterness that nearly ruined it for me. I found the taco de adobado to be just okay, but the Super-Rica Especial was pretty memorable. The roasted pasilla chile strips atop the marinated pork and tortillas gave a nice smokiness to the dish. It was well-balanced and deserves a try in my book. Overall, I found the food to be really good. I just hate long waits and trying to eat when people are constantly checking out your food. 4-1/2 stars really.
If you're ever in the Santa Barbara area, you should definitely check out La Super-Rica. Just be forewarned that this place is always busy.
I love the Super rica especial (roasted pasilla, cheese, marinated pork)! Enchiladas de Pollo con queso. I hate the long line it sucks un chingo!
Tacos de rajas , Tacos de Tri-Tip, y los Tacos de costilla are muy buenos. The Sopes de pollo or papa are authentic and made fresh on the spot with fresh masa. I really miss not living there anymore. Santa Barbara is muy bonito !
It was a long ass line but the food was not bad. Now compare that to King Taco and well that place would be crap against them. But in a white boy town and everybody white boyish yeah the food aign't that bad. I ordered the maranaded pork taco and it was a little bland. I also ordered a chorizo quessadilla which was not bad and a bacon butter cheese something that was actually pretty darn good. Though I should have eatten it first because it bacame all gooey buy the time I got to it.
My companion ordered the pork soup that was filled with greesy stuff was okay except I myst be careful because too much grease can give me the thumbs down for the day if you know what I mean. Also ordered was I think a carne asada and a veg tamale.
Friendly peeps in line. We met a cool Apple blogger/ photographer/ reviewer guy and his son who where on there way to the Apple's developer speech thingy.
Ya, this place rocks. Homemade tortillas to order - you can't go wrong. I've been many times. The first few times I kept thinking, "it can't be as good as I remember from the last time." And sure enough - it is. Every time. Consistent, comforting, delicious.
Some favorites: Rajas tacos (roasted chiles & cheese), Super-rica Especial (same as rajas only with the addition of marinated pork), and Frijol Super-rica (stewed beans with bacon and chiles).
And sometimes on the specials board: Psole & the veggie tamales (I have to say it - the best tamales ever!).
Also,the Horchata is legendary and they serve beer too!
Only drawback is the dreaded line of people waiting to order. Sometimes not so bad, sometimes painfully long. How bad do you want it? Most of the time, pretty badly.
I must be living a charmed life. Everything on my recent SB trip went so right. Including my visit to La Super Rica. Hubby and I popped in on a cloudy Monday afternoon for a late lunch and there was NO LINE!! I mean NO line. We parked the car with no problem, walked right up to the counter and placed our order. And then we chose a table from among several vacant ones. Maybe there's something to be said for not traveling during prime tourist season. And eating lunch late. On a Monday.
I had the #16 Super Rica Especial - roasted chile with cheese and pork on corn tortillas. It doesn't sound like much, but each ingredient on its own is top-notch. The melding of them together was heaven. And the homemade tortillas didn't hurt any either. This place is definitely worth trying. I'd go again even if I did have to stand in line!
You folks that live in SB are so lucky (sigh...).
My boyfriend and I stopped here as one stop on the tour of Santa Barbara wineries and we loved it. The pico de gallo has little jalapeno seeds so watch out for them. The tortillas were so soft and fluffy. They were out of this world. Really, they didn't taste like a regular tortilla or anything from this earth. Especially when they had a huge gob of green guacamole, which my boyfriend ate as a guacamole taco, because the whole thing was so deliciously edible. We had the steak and carnitas tacos. My boyfriend picked number 11 with the yummy green peppers. The whole thing was delicious. The horchata was so Cinnamon-y.
Not very vegetarian friendly but what they do offer is pretty awesome. Fresh tortillas are worth coming back for. It hit the spot! Definite worth returning.
Always has a line, go for an early lunch to avoid too much of a wait. Whenever I drove by La Super-Rica there was always a line.
I loved watching the tortillas being handmade in the back while I waited in line to order. The menu is extensive and the salsa is great. Quite possibly the best taco I've had - very authentic. A Santa Barbara must do!
Street style Mexican food at it's best.... it's a locals favorite that is know throughout the area as being one of the best.
Just GO!!! As Arnold would say.... Do it... Do it now!!
Beware.. most anytime you visit La Supa Rica there will be a line, most often times, a line out the door, and down the street... your patience's will be rewarded.
My friend Sohrab introduced me to this place after we watched Children of Men a few years back. Came here at 5 PM or so, and there was no line or wait. It's a nice little hole in the wall for a quick cheap bite to eat. I think the 'cute' authentic feel is mostly why the affluent residents of santa barbara and the ucsb crowd has been clinging to this place, and I'm a fan too...it's very charming.
I ordered some sort of very basic taco with meat, tortillas and some grilled veggies The tortillas and the avocado were great here, but the chicken and veggies were a little bland. sure it's a decent value, but I prefer more flavor and spice in my mexican food than this. I'd eat here again anyway to check out what else the menu has to offer.
I mean, come on. How can you not love this place? La Super-Rica is the one place I go to at least twice every time I visit Santa Barbara. Sure, there are crazy long lines. Sure the service is ridiculously unfriendly. Sure, you probably won't find a table and you'll have to eat on the ground. But the grub is so good that you won't care one way or another.
For cheap, authentic, mexican food, this is the place to go.
Crusin' thru So-cal last year, we rolled up on this taco joint.
With a hunger in our bellies, and wanting to try all Santa Barbara had to offer, the line out the door beckoned to us.
This was one of the best taco stands I've eaten at. The menu was unique, the food was delicious and the open air, covered permanent-temporary seating in the back made the Tecate taste exactly as it should in the warm pacific air.
The green chili at Ralibierto's in Westminster Co reminded me of that trip and of this place.
Word.
Not bad at all. They don't really have much but meat - cheese -tortilla based combos. I was thrown off that there was no burrito option. I tried a tri-tip bacon onion and pepper combo.
On a whim ended up here after a wine tasting trip in Solvang. A girl at the UPS store recommended this to us and we were highly impressed. After reading reviews I ordered three different items and that definitely was too much food to finish. I really loved the veggie tamales and the homemade tortillas. We did wait in line for about 40 minutes at 2pm on a Saturday. Also, be warned ... this is no bathroom at this place and they only take cash. If you're adventurous and not starved, this place is highly worth the stop.
We read the raves on Yelp and made a special trip to try it out, but were disappointed. Lack of flavor and limp greasy tortillas were what we got. We ordered the Beef tacos special of the day -not bad but a little chewy. Super Rica especially and guacamole were flavorless. We ate at Lily's yesterday and LOVED IT! We recommend that you go there when up in Santa Barbara and looking for good tacos! We finally gave up on this meal and returned to Lily's and it was GREAT!
Lived in SB for years and was never disappointed by La Super-Rica! Cash only though.
Glad that Julia Child was willing to review a taqueria!!! This restaurant is an amazing find in the high rent Santa Barbara district.
The tortillas are FRESH and TO DIE FOR!! Many restaurants have a good marinade, but the tortilla makes it extra special.
My only nit is that they don't offer chips and salsa as an appetizer. Otherwise, it's the best restaurant of it's kind.
Delicious and cheap. We didn't have to wait in line at 2pm on a Saturday.
This place is a little over rated. I will agree that the tortillas are awesome! No doubt about it....just like my mom makes em. And their daily specials are usually very yummy. But I LOVE chorizo and theirs is basically sliced hot dogs...defintaly not yum.
The gordita was alright, but very spicy. Enchildas were very good as was the spanish rice.
Not real mexican....but good enough.
Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Restaurants
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