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I'm always on the search for awesome Mexican food in NorCal. My one day vacation with my family made it an opportunity to do so. I found out about Taqueria Santa Cruz on Yelp. Everyone generally loves it, and I agree.
That al pastor is pretty damn good. The best I've eaten so far. It's spicy and there's a distinct crisp. I've had other spicy pork variations, and they were either not so spicy or a little too heavy on the pineapple flavor. The thing that really made my day was that they also served super nachos. I couldn't resist so I ordered the nachos with al pastor. The big disappointment was that the size was not that great when compared to other super nachos or even super fries from SoCal. On the other hand, the taste was phenomenal! Therefore, it merits the four stars.
The service was great. The place is just what I expected from any other taqueria, a tad dingy but still acceptable. This is most definitely a place where the common man and woman can eat. If you're around the Santa Cruz area, this is a definite must try and away from all those pesky tourists (even though we were tourists ourselves).
After a full day at Boony Doon Winery for their Day of the Doon celebration, KTPower and I were starved and needed some "real" food. After hearing about this place from two different people, we figured we couldn't go wrong... Well, just shows you can believe anyone especially after they have been drinking really great wine all day!
Sadly, this place is one of those we will not be going back to. It was OK at best and maybe that's because we live in SF and the Mission and all it has to offer is a staple in our diets???
Taqueria Santa Cruz is a really great place to get lunch or dinner. They are inexpensive and have a lot of different meals to choose from. They also have specials sometimes, like 4 tacos for $7 with a choice of any meat in any taco (oh, yeah).
Their burritos are also good but the nachos are my favorite item. They have a salsa bar with 4 different salsas that all taste great poured over pretty much anything you get there. This is a taqueria I wish I could go to more often, but when I do it is a great treat.
I think this place is okay. I got my food in 10 minutes and I was behind 10 customers. I ordered th super nacho with goat meat which was 8 dollars which is a little bit too much price wise and I did not get too much nachos. The ironic thing is that I got chips and salsa with it as well. Anyways I ordered it to go and the food was still warm when I got it. The nachos were not as described, they were missing the lettuce but it was okay I guess. It had the beans, goat meat, which they flooded it which was a good part. It had avocado salsa and plenty of onions and barley any tomatos. I guess I would come back here again if I have a craving for mexican food.
Today I spent the day working in Santa Cruz. It's a rare event. Today was the first tme I had my new Garmin GPS. I was worried about snow on the Santa Cruz Mts. Unfounded. But I actually put my destination address in. The voice guided me to a parallel street, and I saw the Santa Cruz Taqueria. So when I had a break in my schedule, I decided to check it out.
A typical Taqueria. You order at the counter, from the menu board, you pay, get a number, sit at a table, and they will bring your order. There is a salsa bar to get condiments.
My ceviche was about a "B". Good quality, style, but it could have used more lime, salt, spices.
The tacos al pastor were an "A". Not dry, not tasteless, but saucy, moist, and flavorful. I didn't even have to put any salsa bandera/salsa mexicana/pico de gallo on.
I'd make this a regular if I lived there. And they have Caldos and even birria and octeles!
Good veggie burritos & tasty horchata. Also a decent salsa selection. Nothing to scream about but tasty.
Open late, take credit cards, have a wonderful selection, and I'm in love with their shrimp super burrito. Mmmmmmmmmmm
Greasy Mexican food.
For some reason, this location is way better than the one on Mission, which I really do enjoy. My friend kept telling me I have to try this specific location out, but I just kept thinking that it's all the same sh!t--I was pretty wrong. The meat here tastes way better and has more flavor. The restaurant is also bigger than the other location and has a nicer TV, so you can watch whatever they're playing on there.
The prices are fair, as Mexican food usually is. I wish they'd move this closer to campus since it's slightly out of the way for those of us who don't have cars...but that's what friends are for!
THEY HAVE REFRIED BEANS. and their al pastor is SO GOOD.
the nachos here are delicious but i would go for the salsas. super spicy and fresh. also, they have… Read more »
Great neighborhood taqueria. Always good service and great food. They offer horchata and agua fresca, as well as sodas and beer.
Great burritos without any clumps or empty spaces. Delicious carne asada tacos. And a wonderful salsa bar, with radishes and pickled veggies.
Best of all is "carne en su jugo." It's not on the regular menu. It's just posted on a piece of paper behind the counter. It's a soup made with carne asada, bacon, and pinto beans, with diced onions and avocado. Freakin' amazing!!!
Good place to catch a futbol game, and they are open late.
Whether it's Santa Cruz, San Jose, or San Francisco, there's such a selection of taquerias that I basically have a mental map of which place I'd go to depending on which city I'm in, and what dish I'm craving.
If it's a savory taco that I'm in the mood for, and I happen to be in Santa Cruz, I'll get a taco al-pastor at Taqueria Santa Cruz. It's the best thing they have to offer, as far as I'm concerned. It's prepared on a rotisserie (like good shawarma) and in the taco packaging it's a perfect explosion of savory goodness. The al-pastor burrito is a bit too much, though still good (but prepare to suffer, because it's impossible to stop eating.)
When it comes to a lengua taco or any burrito I prefer Tacos Moreno, which oddly enough has a sub-par al-pastor offering. The two places complement each other, and are just a 5 minute walk apart.
Taqueria Santa Cruz is also the better place to bring a large group/kids as the seating at Tacos Moreno is elbow to elbow and the line often snakes out the door.
I come here for the lime water.
Great place. I found them using google maps on my BlackBerry. We went there and had some burritos, chips and salsa, and Arizona iced tea. The place is very authentic. The food very very nice. The chips and salsa are FANTASTIC. All of that and it is cheap.
The portions are TOO BIG and I always leave here feeling sickly full, but the food keeps me coming back time and time again, even though I know I'm going to eat too much. I lived in Santa Cruz for a while and right down the street from this place, but I KEEP coming back over and over again since I moved to San Jose!
I always get the super pollo asado burrito. It's hella good and huge. The toppings are plentiful and it's just packed with flavor, especially when I pack in the verde sauce. My husband always gets the super pollo burrito (not asado) with no rice. It's funny watching him eat it because he's constantly sucking the juices out of the burrito. I keep saying I'm going to bring him a straw! He loves it too.
I have had the nachos, which are awesome but I try to avoid them because they are just too packed with greasy goodness. I've also had the covered burritos which are also great. The shrimp burrito is also fantastic, as are the tacos. The horchata is delicious, but it adds to filling me up when there, so I'm going to try to avoid it next time to leave more room for burrito.
They have a huge variety of beverages in the fridge, but I guess my ONLY complaint is I wish they had fountain soda... and I wish the portions were smaller, but I kinda don't wish the portions were smaller too. Ya know what I mean?
They give out chips for chips and salsa before the food (which also fills me up). The salsa kicks ass! And THEN they offer pickled vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peppers). Those are awesome TOO and SPICY (which I love)! How do I have room by the time the food comes? I don't know, but it's delicious!
Honestly, the burritos at Tacos Morenos around the corner are better. They're a better size and the burrito is just BETTER. However, there's something about Taqueria Santa Cruz that keeps me coming back all the time...
I go here all the time for lunch..... The choice for today was the Veggie Burrito. It was great, Everything was perfect. I just wish they had a hotsauce/salsa.
I love that you get so much food for the cheap price you pay. I recommend that if your in the Midtown and want Mexican stop by and pick something off their great menu.
In all honesty, it's hard to love the taqueria action in Santa Cruz when I work in Watsonville, Latino Capitol of the Central Coast. There are times, though, when I get a serious hankering for "Messican", and I've promised myself that I will try a new SC taqueria each time.
My latest foray into Hippie-taco-land took me up the street to Taqueria Santa Cruz (henceforth referred to as TSC). Thanks for the tip, Mark. The NYG popped in around 9:30 one weekday evening and noted how empty the joint was. Conversely, we also noted that they're open LATE - 'til 11, 7 days a week (BONUS), AND they take credit cards. THIS IS A BIG DEAL PEOPLE. We're talking about Santa Cruz, after all, where 98% of eateries close shop by 9:30, and credit cards are accepted about as often as teenaged acne-ridden redheads at high school dances.
Also: Mexican Coke. A necessity.
Those bonuses aside, the food was pretty unremarkable. I will say this, though:
1. SPICY!!! NOT FOR WUSSY WHITE-MEN. This is some serious spice they put in their food. Good stuff. Unfortunately it also kind of wiped out most of the flavor. The use of excessive spice to mask bland food is often referred to as the "Ninja Flavor Replacement Waza", but I wasn't fooled. Years of training in the jungle known as Los Angeles had tuned me in to these dubious red-herrings. Be warned!
2. MONSTER SIZED. My burrito was about the size of my head. It's really a shame that it was so full of salsa (and no guac, even though the menu said it was there, grrrr) that it literally exploded with tomato juice rather than taste.
Delicious!
My review can only be so in-depth because I always get the same thing, but here it goes anyway.
At any taqueria, I always get some number of carne asada tacos (1-5 depending on the place and how hungry I am) and a Mexican Coke. Here I almost always get two and struggle to finish the second one. They don't skimp on the meat, that's for sure! The steak is very delicious and the tacos are made hot and fast.
To me, $1.90 is pretty pricey for a taco, but for how much meat they give you here it's practically like getting two anyway.
The people at the cash register are always extremely friendly; I was short 5 cents once and the guy didn't even hesitate to say that it was totally fine and not to worry at all. I think the lady is starting to recognize me too, so kudos for good memory.
My boyfriend got the carnitas once and he said they were so bad that he couldn't finish them, but having never tried them, I can't judge it. My experience here has always been positive, especially on Sundays when they have the TV on and all the little kids are running around. It feels so comfortable and the food is so good and cheap! It's my favorite taqueria in Santa Cruz.
EDIT: I'm not sure what happened to them, but their meat quality has gone WAY downhill as their prices went up. I'll only knock off a star because the place has sentimental value for me, but they really aren't that good anymore. :(
This place is very VERY dangerous. Why, you ask? Because it is cheap, delicious and lives at the end of my block. MAN it's hard to not stop by just before I get home to pop in and get some scrumptious tacos or a big fat super burrito. I'd be a very VERY big man if I came here as much as I wanted to.
One of the things I like about this place is that they have a very extensive menu. I come here when I don't feel like cooking, need something fast or when I'm drunk so I usually stick with the easy stuff but their chili rellenos are really good and I've heard a lot of their combo plates are great. They get a gold star for having a really great salsa bar too. I love coming in and getting a whole heapful of spicy pickled carrots.
A lot of families come to this place too which I like to see. It looks like there are a bunch of regulars who come in here to hang out and watch the melodrama of a spanish soap or yell and whoop at the futbol games. I like to make faces at the little toddlers while I wait for my food.
The food itself is staple. I find that this taqueria is the basis for all of my comparisons for other places. I like going to other places to eat but I always end up coming back here. Their tacos are really flavorful and with the many different meat selections they have, a simple dish has many different combinations. I love their burritos as well but man, make sure you are done with your day before you eat them because you're not going to be doing any kind of heavy lifting, sophisticated reasoning or anything requiring complex motor skills. Basically you're gonna be drooling a lot in a pure state of food coma and waiting to poop. You've been warned.
Mmm, all this talk about taqueria Santa Cruz is making me hungry. I think I'm gonna stop by there for dinner tonight. If you chance to call me post burrito, I'm sorry for the slurred speech.
Taqueria Santa Cruz was one of my boyfriends favorite taquerias during his time at UCSC. He just HAD to take me there as we were visiting his old stomping grounds, and I have to say, I see why he loved it. The free chips and salsa were great. My carnitas super burrito was fat, I could barely finish it. The carnitas was prepared differently, chopped up into chunky pieces versus the usual shredded pieces, which I surprisingly liked. Ingredients were fresh and plentiful.
Will definitely go back when we head to Santa Cruz again...as if I had the choice...
Every time I come back to Santa Cruz I gotta hit up the Taqueria SC. This is the best taqueria in Santa Cruz, hands down.
This location is a bit better than the Mission location because it's bigger and the person at the front is more helpful than those I have experienced at the other local.
Some of my favs here are Chile Rellenos, chicken enchilladas and the absolute best, Super Shrimp Burrito. You must try it because it is absolutely divine!
Chips and salsa are good too. Reasonably priced and open late. If you have to choose one taqueria in Santa Cruz, this is the right choice. Possibly the most authentic of them all also. Whatever you do, don't go to Taqueria Vallarta. That place is like a franchise taco shop. This place is just plain good.
I LOVE TAQUERIA SANTA CRUZ. They make a mean shrimp burrito. I started going there regularly when i was in high school and have never had a bad experience here. They make some BOMB pollo asado nachos =) YUMM!! (that's my fav) and my boyfriend always gets their 49er or any of the shrimp goodness. This place is family owned, gotta respect that. They have some BOMB ASS guacamole salsa. YUMMMMM.... My favorite taqueria in town. no question. This was also one of the homeboy Gato's favorite places to eat. RIP Gato!
Solid 5 all the way.
This taqueria nurtured me during my times of stress and need.
It nursed me back to health when I was hung over (menudo).
It gave me brain power when I needed to do school work (burrito)
It was a perfect munchie food before or on the way from a party (nachos)
Or a nice place to take my parents for some family owned mexican food (taco plates).
NEVER disappointed after eating here. The only reason I would refrain from giving them business was because my stomach begged me for something different.
My fav was their Asada Burrito. Their Al Pastor burrito kicks ass too. The horchata is always fresh and the staff is friendly.
mmm Taqueria Santa Cruz FTW! By far my favorite Taqueria in Santa Cruz.
Why? I'm picky about my chicken, I won't eat it when it's dry, slimy or dark meat - eeew! The pollo at Taqueria Santa Cruz is always up to my standards and it's well seasoned. Since it's cooking in seasoned broth, the pollo burritos can get pretty messy. It's totally worth the tree's worth of napkins I use, since it just tastes that good. My husband likes both the carne asada and carnitas a lot. They also have a number of other meat choices. The super burritos are densely packed with meat, beans, rice, generous amount of cheese, guac, sour cream. They also do veggie burritos, tacos and all kinds of choices like enchiladas and such.
This is not a fancy place by any stretch. It is family owned and they make some kickin horchata too. Despite being busy, the food comes out pretty quickly. The take out business is bustling, but there are a lot of tables and they're open until midnight! You can also brush up on your Spanish watching the tv here. It's really reasonable - two of us eat for about $13. A little known secret is the kid's size burrito is great for lunch and under $3.
Yummy tacos...I get the al pastor or carne asada. The salsa on the tacos has some kick to it, but not too much. Soft tacos are piled high with tasty morsels of meat, onions, cilantro, salso...they're not stingy with the meat. I like that it's cheap, quick, and not too far from the motels I stay at while in Santa Cruz. So what if there are bums hovering around...they always leave me alone.
If Tacos Morenos is the place to go for burritos, then Taqueria Santa Cruz is the place for tacos. Their asada tacos are twice as big as your average street taco and just as yummy. Nachos are great to, if you're into that sort of thing. They also serve menudo on weekends, a sign of a great mexican joint. Sometimes you just need a bowlful of tripe and hominy. I was definitely a regular here during my SC years.
I love Taqueria Santa Cruz. In fact, it has become a longstanding joke between my friends and I. I refuse to cheat on my favorite taqueria at other sub-par taquerias (Vallarta? boo)
Why? Because the chips and salsa are fresh, spicy and salty. The al pastor is unrivaled. Seriously. It is not dry and is packed with tasty, barbecued flavor.
The burrittos are huge. Tacos are so juicy they require loads of napkins. And the people rock.
You know you are at a good taqueria when most of the patrons are Latino and the tv is tuned to Spanish novellas or a soccer game.
Love this place. Love the booths. I could eat every meal here.
'Nuff said.
This place is absolutely ghetto and a total dump. I cannot even believe the positive reviews this place has gotten. People in Santa Cruz must be seriously deprived of decent Mexican food to consider this place such a jewel. It's freakin' dirty inside and the crowd is seriously dirty ghetto weirdo homeless hippie Santa Cruz type...need I say more?!!. It was about 10:30pm and we wanted to eat Mexican food. We could not find a place and when we did it was a tiny hole in the wall and all three tables were taken. We asked a stranger for directions to a good Mexican restaurant in the area and he pointed "taco bell is that way". WTF..what a moron...but he was serious!! We drove around and finally found this place. I should've known it was ghetto by the trashy bar across the street and the bum in the front asking me for a quarter. I felt like a dirty crackhead stabbing my arms with needle's while in this establishment. The food was caca and it was overcooked. The salsa bar grossed me out. The taped up seating area is nasty. The restrooms are filthy and smell like dung. My nachos had more grease than cheese. Also don't expect to find fountain drinks here...but maybe that's a good thing in this case. Seriously now that I think of it..this is a perfect place for janky ass Santa Cruz but not for me. No thanks!!!NEVER AGAIN ~ On the plus side the the lady at the desk was friendly. A sign said they catered but HELL NO!! To top it off my stomach started to ache on the 17 near Los Gatos...si pero NO Taqueria Santa Cruz..son tan cochinos y me dan asco. !Nunca Jamas!
i have been eating here since the day it opened (literally on opening day) when i was still in college. i don't want to eat at any of the other of the eight thousand taquerias in this area because i'm just crazy for the salsa bar. i love the green salsa and the marinated carrots and jalapenos. and the tacos al pastor are the best i've ever tasted -- it's all about the juice. i also credit their shrimp burrito for finally kicking me into labor when i was pregnant with my 2-year-old daughter. (i was sent away from sutter because my contractions were too lame. and then the husband and i stopped off to have a burrito and by the end of my regular shrimp i was in full labor.)
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Food Stands
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Restaurants
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Mexican
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Mexican
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