Today, I was very excited to go to one of my all time favorite Taco places....only to be so disgusted by level of the sevice from the lousy lady behind the counter who was very upset on the number of salsa condiments I had for three burritos. Two salsa per burritos and that is normal by any standard. For crying out loud.....it's just Salsa!!!! It has neven been an issue if customers sit and eat and go back and forth for more salsa while eating their food on premise nor take out. But today, this useless lady with no common sense or professionalism or customer service had to make a scene for salsa simply because she was not having a good day. For years I have been going to Cal Taco rather than SB Chicken Ranch or others around Goleta simply because I wanted to give my buisness to local buisnesses and never have taken advantage of them and always tipped accordingly....but to make a fuss for salsa! The sad part of all this is that there were many other cusotmers that in manner of speaking were lot worse than me in taking multiple salsa condiments but she only took it upon herself to rant at me. I can assure you lady, that I will never step into your shop and in fact the Los Agaves burritos are lot better from ingreditents stand point and about the same price. CalTaco, you are a lousy place. read more

I go to Cal Taco all the time with my family and I am never disappointed. The burgers are juicy, the fries are perfect, the Mexican food is awesome. There is never a line and it is cheap. Better than The Habit. read more

Some people bring sandwiches to the beach, but smart people bring burritos. Here's why. Swimming in the ocean builds up an appetite like no other. Burritos fill the belly, and they come in a neat little wrapped-up package. Bing! Bam! Boom! Needless to say, this is our spot when going to the beach. I typically order a vegetarian burrito for myself, a chicken burrito for my husband and a bean cheese n rice burrito for my daughter. They offer chips n salsa for all orders, so that's an added bonus since so many others are charging for what use to be complimentary chips n salsa. Way to go, Cal Taco. We heart you. See you next beach day. read more

Absolutely check this place for the Tacos. Service is fast. Prices seem a bit high but worth it. Sweet salsa bar.

Great food - great service -good prices . If you're in the mood for casual wide variety - they will make anything the way you want it - salsa bar ( great - small but great ) . read more

Love the place ! One of my go to spots for a quick lunch or dinner . The customer service is top notch.

Was a great place before they added hair to their food. Was extremely grossed out and disappointed especially bragging to guest about this being a local favorite. First they started skimping on their ingredients like one slice of a tomato and a pinch of sprouts on my turkey burger and thank god they did cause I had to Open my burger and so did my company to add mustard ketchup etc and we both discovered a strain of hair in each of our burgers!! How likely is that first of all let alone disgusting. Won't be going back. Sorry for this review but it's unacceptable. read more

Cal Taco - Hair ! Also in our Double burger same type as in the turkey burger - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Well, whille I am happy that after calling the manager the employees did honor the check-in deal, but I know some of the employees have been around for quite some time and they did not know about the Yelp check-in deal for the free cone. Nor do they actually have cones anymore, and the soft serve does taste good but it sure would not have stayed on a cone. I would highly suggest taking that deal down as it's false advertisement and not fair for the customer or employee, I know what it's like to be an employee that has no idea about something going on because management did not communicate or make it clear and a customer comes in expecting something that no longer applies but it's posted that it does, and it puts a lot of pressure on the employee. Thanks guys for honoring it though, much appreciated! read more

Cal Taco - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

This is my spot for burgers and steak sandwiches whenever I don't feel like driving too far from home. This is a little low key spot in ellwood that serves tasty burgers and fries. I came here to get a steak sandwich and fries. It was good and a decent size. They definitely hooked up the steak and a lot of fries for a good price. read more

See all

Best french fries ever! Always hot and comes with side of ranch! Love their entire menu and salsa bar. Friendly fast service.

This is my favorite place to get a breakfast burrito in town! It used to be the Cantina in IV, but after they shut down, I've been searching for a place that would do breakfast burritos the same and this is it! (Only thing they are missing is some pico de gallo inside) I really like the way they mash the potato, rather it be in chunks. I usually get the bacon breakfast burrito, add rice (I think it's 75 cents to add) and cut in half!! About $7 total for one and 1/2 of one burrito is enough to leave me satisfied. They have a self serve salsa bar with only 3 to choose from, but I just go with salsa verde. I usually call in for pick up and they are quick, takes about only 10 mins. The manager usually remembers me b/c I always order the same thing. Overall my go-to for breakfast burritos in the Goleta area~ read more

Cal Taco - Eggs, bacon, Spanish style rice, cheese, and potatoes wrapped in a grilled tortilla! - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Cal Taco is always a good call when you have a group of friends that want to enjoy some good food together. A few friends and I decided to go for dinner tonight and we were not disappointed! Upon arriving I checked in on Yelp and to my surprise....I received a free vanilla soft serve for checking in! I ordered my food, the steak & fries nachos, and began to check out the salsa bar. They had spicy, mild and verde options at the bar. All three were great quality and full of flavor. We were a party of four and all of us received our food in under 10 minutes. Not to mention the customer service was fantastic! This was not my first time at Cal Taco, but it was my first time trying the steak & fries nachos. The fries were crispy, the steak was well cooked and seasoned and of course the gooey cheese that held it together was amazing. My friends decided to get the chicken nachos and a veggie burrito which they enjoyed as well! We ended our meal with that delicious and thick vanilla soft serve which hit the spot after our food. Although we are inside, there is outside seating available and it has an awning to keep people in the shade. Thank you Cal Taco and cannot wait until my friends and I eat here again! read more

See all

Cal Taco has always been a mystical place for me. My first memory of Cal Taco was my coworker raving about how the best burger was at Cal Taco. I thought that was strange because it's called Cal Taco. For awhile I spoke of Cal Taco as a wonderful hope for a good burger. My best friend and I finally descended on Cal Taco one day and discovered the burger was in fact not the best and the tacos were average at best. I later would meet the original owner in Santa Maria, the name coming up again 70 miles away made me curious again. Were my expectations too high? Living in Goleta now, I thought it would be good to try Cal Taco. I wanted breakfast and a burger. Decent breakfast burrito but one could do far better in Goleta/Santa Barbara. Fried zucchini is 2/5. The burger was much better than I remember but it's definitely like average too. It's actually Habit burger! Habit burger is served here! The two are indistinguishable. Not a bad place to eat overall, they have some good deals. Cherry Coke too. read more

See all

Was in town visiting my folks for the day and decided to get a quick lunch. Cal taco is near my parent's home and was always a hidden gem to the neighborhood. Ordered three steak tacos, a cheese quesadilla, and a steak sandwich with no mayo and no onions to go for my gf and I. Get home and start grubbing. Steak taco was good. Opened up the steak sandwich and didn't see any jack cheese that should be in there based on the menu description. Bite into the sandwich and immediately notice there is onions and man-sauce (mayo). Childhood memories SHATTERED. read more

Cal Taco - Btw, what is a "Harburger"? - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Ok burger at a cheap price from a place who's name is taco. Not sure how I've missed this place, working down the street from it for years. I read reviews claiming the Cal-Taco burger is an acceptable replacement for The Habit. I can't get behind that statement. Let's see why. Location This all depends on where you're coming from, right? So I'm looking at parking and there's more options at The Habit even if it does fill up at lunch. Atmosphere This too is not a strong point between the two. Cal Taco is sterile with no character and very limited seating inside with better seating options outside. The Habit's backdrop is Old Town Goleta with only cramped, outside seating. No winner in this category. Before I get to a taste test, lets discuss the bottom line. Burger comparison, dollar for dollar, Cal Taco/Habit (2015/05) Single $3.50/$2.95 (CT increase of 18.64%) Double $4.50/$3.95 (CT increase of 13.92%) Cheese $0.50/$0.50 TIE Single Combo $6.95/$5.95 (CT increase of 16.81%) Double Combo $7.95/$6.95 (CT increase of 12.58%) Taste Cal-Taco adds fresh lettuce, tomato and onion on a cheap bun but there does not seem to be any seasoning in the charpatty. It is juicy and drips down your arm so that's a good sign. There's just not much taste to it. The fries are good. I like a larger fry and these fit the bill. My final thoughts on Cal-Taco is they are no way a substitute for the highly regarded Habit by price alone. Toss in that I feel there's less seasoning in the meat here, I'll give it a solid 2 where the description fully fits, "I've experienced better." If you need a quick fix from a mediocre burger and are West of Los Carneros Road, it will be easier to hit up Cal-Taco. But is your happiness worth it? I think not. read more

See all

Excellent place to go for breakfast lunch and dinner there's alcohol basically it's all the alcohol you can drink read more

Cal Taco - Excellent place for breakfast lunch and dinner - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Not responding well to opening up. You get the food but they have strict limits on condiments and no drink refills. Hard to understand everybody with masks but when the employees act dumb it makes it worse. No evidence the clean tables between customers which would help more than not giving me a refill. Well just have to drive down to Mesa Saves the employees a lot of time but now I have to drive down to Mesa Burger or over to Home Plate across the freeway. Sad because this is right in the neighborhood. read more

This review is after breakfast which was excellent. We used Axxcess to get BOGO. Love the breakfast burrito. If I say one thing about it... The mashed potatoes can be over whelming so I'd like hash browns instead in there but I still love you, be it I'll mean. Cal Taco has the best burgers in town. I would say identical to The Habit burger. Who established that burger 1st? Cal Taco opened in 1987. I'll leave the rest of that thought to the readers. JRB read more

Cal Taco - From the street - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

First thing first the lady working the counter was nice/friendly. That being said I ordered food to go even though I live a min away due to self quarantine. It was obvious my burger was not made fresh and was made earlier for an order that probably wasn't picked up. It was stone cold all around and the buns were hard as rock. The fries were hot and the Gf's burger was warm/good but I couldn't couldn't even get pass the first bite of mine. Really disappointed as this place used to be good but has gone down hill. Shame. read more

Good food! We ordered to be delivered at work during the COVID-19 shut down . The food arrived on time and was delicious. Thanks for being open and office your services during this difficult time. We will order again soon read more

Came in because we saw there was an axxess BOGO deal and always passed by wondering how Cal Taco is. We ordered an adobado breakfast burrito combo (comes with coffee and hash brown) for $14. The service was fast and the restaurant looked clean, however, we weren't too impressed with the quality and taste of the food. The potatoes in the burritos were undercooked and there were large chunks of pineapple in the burrito. The pineapple is understood because we chose adobado meat, but the chunks were way too large and hard. Lastly, the hashbrown had a taste to it that we couldn't put a finger on but was not particularly good. Saw all the great reviews so sorry to say that it wasn't our cup of tea. Try it for yourself! - Jess H. read more

It's been a long time since I've been here and the burgers were very tasty and the ingredients were fresh. Not as laid back as it once was but neither is Goleta. The prices here are still a notch lower than the Habit. read more

Cal Taco - With cheese! - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

Came in for a breakfast burrito. Never got to find out how it tastes. The guy working the counter finished taking an order for the woman ahead of me, then, as I approached him, spent over a minute just poking at the register and the POS system. No greeting, no "Hi, one second please." At one point he printed a receipt from the register, slowly walked somewhere else, wrote something on the receipt, set down the receipt, slowly walked back, and continued poking at the register. I waited another 30 seconds. He continued showing me the top of his head. I left and went to Starbucks. Weird vibes at this place. read more

I ordered a taco salad and got extremely sick that evening. Will never eat there again! I don't want to take a chance! Basically, a fast food place not a good ambiance. They have other items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service is ordered by the cashier and pick up to take out or eat there. Take a chance, but not me.... read more

Food is amazing great service usually BUT 30 mins ago had the worst experience a young lady took my phone order she was so rude I heard her cussing under her breath then I went to pick up my food order was wrong she fixed it but made me pay the original bill she rung up gave her a forty she gave me my change she was gonna reimbursed me but didn't know math for shit and argued with me I just said whatever got tipped off 6 dollars read more

The food is a one. The customer service is below that. I go there and the females are really rude to me. They practically throw the bag of food at me. I think they could use some help in the customer service department. read more

After a day at work, nothing sounds better than dinner without having to do dishes. My significant other and I didn't know what we wanted as per usual, but burgers sounded great. Despite being called Cal Taco, they serve a variety of burgers here including turkey, veggie, and even chorizo, in addition to Mexican foods like quesadillas, taquitos, and burritos. The chorizo called out to me whereas the double char sounded better to my dinner companion. My chorizo burger came with two patties and traditional burger condiments - lettuce, tomato (thought I went without this), onion, mayo, etc. What stood out to me was how fresh the ingredients tasted. The onions were crisp and sweet while the chorizo patties had good flavor to them. I took a bite of the double char as well and was struck by how moist the patties were, in contrast to the perfectly toasted sesame bun. It came out to be ~$9 for two burgers and a drink (after Axxess deal which was buy one burger, get one free), but worth it because the burgers tasted great and were filling, too. I'll be back to explore the rest of the menu! read more

Cal Taco - Chorizo burger on the left, double char with cheese on the right - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Great food and lovely workers. I love coming here with my boyfriend since we live just down the road. The carnitas tacos are a must!

Fact. I love the Habit. Fact. I love Mexican food. Fact. Cal Taco has both. The closest Habit to work is in IV, and nobody likes driving through IV with all those cyclers everywhere and no place to park. Luckily, Cal Taco has the same charburgers as the Habit. It also has dank Mexican food. I came here with a coworker last week, and she got the regular charburger with onions. I ordered the adobada burrito, and both were great. Ya'll probably know what a charburger is, but that adobada burrito was amazing. Decently sized, and I definitely felt full after eating. That adobada has pineapples in its marinade that really brings out a sweet kick to the flavor. Really dig it, and I might just stick to burritos for a while when coming here. Onion rings are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, as they should be, and I think you get a good amount for the money. Also, use your Axxess Card here for a buy 1 entree get 1 free for your first visit! You'll get 10% off your bill for subsequent visits. Great place to stop by for a quick lunch. read more

See all

Love me some CalTaco. Their Steak Fries are the definition of comfort food and delivery is always quick and easy!

If you haven't had Cal Taco before, you are MISSING OUT! I took my friend here today because he told he had never been here before and I was so shocked! I drove all of the way from the east side of Santa Barbara to Goleta just so he could try a Cal Taco burger! He got the double char burger combo and I got the regular char burger combo. The burgers taste so fresh and the fries have the most perfect crisp! I add jalapeños, bacon AND avocado. (Also I like extra pickles). They are always SO accommodating to make your order just the way you like it. They serve you quick, prices are on point and have a very friendly staff! I would eat at Cal Taco over "The Habit Burger." ANY DAY!! read more

Cal Taco - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

My daughter and I had breakfast here yesterday because every other place in town had a long wait time. It was our first time at CalTaco and, although there were only two other patrons in the place, we were hungry and didn't want to wait elsewhere. Boy, we both wished that we had waited anywhere else. Haha! We each ordered the meat breakfast plate. She had sausage, I had ham, each of which tasted like the cheap stuff you can sometimes buy at a gas station convenience store. However, it was the potatoes that would have been laughable if we hadn't had to buy them (it?). The scoop of watery freeze-dried wannabe hash browns was the biggest let down. However, the bathroom was very clean, coffee was good and the counter person was very sweet! They have a covered patio which was enjoyable on of those gorgeous Santa Barbara mornings. read more

Cal Taco - Potatoes - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

This taco place is tasty however the shells they use for the hard shell tacos seems store bought? Not a actual fried tortilla. Only complaint. read more

Coffee was good and service was friendly and quick.. Sadly can't say the same for anything else. Although the price was affordable we soon realized why. We got served the most bizarre excuse for "hash browns" I've ever seen. They were watery almost like a flavorless mashed potato and covered in cold cheese. The egg was dry and half way through I got a raunchy bite of them which tasted of fish. Sausages left a lot to be desired tasting like the variety from a hotel continental breakfast. Best part of the actual food was probably the warmed tortillas. Needless to say I won't be back and I'm pretty confused about all the good reviews. read more

Cal Taco - We dubbed these sad "hash browns" mashed whites - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

The first few times we went to Cal Taco, i ordered taquitos and such- which i think are good! BUT i've heard/ read that the burgers are really where its at. So the other day Ryan and I stopped here to try the burgers and we were NOT disappointed. I would say its up there with The Habit- i especially enjoyed the grilled onions (upon request) I would definitely recommend trying the burgers, you may be surprised with how good they are! read more

3.5! A nondescript joint in a nondescript section of Goleta/Ellwood Hollister. I certainly don't feel "the magic" in its ambiance. However, the food is perfectly good, and they make quick work of getting it channeled straight into your mouth once the order is placed at the counter. They have burger prep down, it was ready before I'd even settled into my booth. Fresh, hot, juicy, with a side of fries. After tax, a mere $5.17, leaving me stuffed and stupified in food coma the rest of the afternoon. The burger, fries and drink combo is $6. Dining friends got the fish tacos and steak burrito - they took longer to serve up and that was fine by us - hooray for fresh prepared. The Mexican items were a few dollars more than my burger, and were also more amply portioned. I tried some of the tacos myself recently. The chicken taco came with a crunchy shell, and the seasoning left the chicken a little dry and a little bland. The fish taco was very juicy, and not fried, and came with salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. I ate about a third of it with a fork before I was comfortable picking up the tortillas and eating it as a taco. Personally, I think the burger and fries is the better option over tacos. Clientele, like the business itself, was nondescript. Soft pink business park folk, some weathered blue-collar types, mostly gringos. Ah, Goleta. Current special: $1.49 charburgers on Sundays. So stop by there after you buy your pallets of mayonnaise at Costco down the road. Finally, I asked the main guy behind the counter - was Cal Taco short for California Taco, or is there some guy named Cal back there. Answer: the former. Mystery solved. read more

See all

This is one of the best "hidden" burger joints in Goleta, hands-down. I've been coming here ever since I can remember. The restaurant changed hands recently, but the food is as good as ever. There are a lot of goodies in addition to the standard burgers (which are amazing, by the way). I'm partial toward their fish tacos, which I believe are made with thresher shark! They are loaded high with toppings and taste as heavenly as they look. I do know that Cal Taco recently started serving beer again. You can't go wrong with a $4 pint of Hoppy Poppy to accompany their tasty food. I'm also a fan of their pineapple milkshake, though it's sometimes a bit too milky for my taste. Service is usually pretty prompt and friendly. They operate with an older POS system, but that doesn't affect the time spent at the register. The dining room is clean and hasn't changed since the '90s. There's also a nice front patio. Personally, I'd recommend placing your order to-go and driving a few short blocks to Haskell's beach. If you're a fan of The Habit, you'll see that the burgers and fries are rather similar. Definitely give this great spot a try if you're in Goleta and looking for a juicy burger to indulge! read more

Cal Taco - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Biggest and best ground beef burrito I have ever eaten. Feeds me for two meals. Nice atmosphere if you want to eat in. Otherwise takeout is fast and customer service is perfect. There's a cooler full of beer and some wine. It's very cozy and Family-Friendly. Try them out. read more

Great food and very friendly staff. Very casual food to go type ambiance but we always bring it home for lunch or dinner. I love their chicken Monkey Bowl similar to a taco salad but fresh! read more

"Beef Jerky Burritos" I'm gonna chalk this up to the cooks being too lazy and having a bad day. I ordered 2 steak burritos and the mean way unbelievably dry! Also clumps of stale burnt rice. I tried the first one and then the second one. I had throw them both away... waste of 20 bucks at least the chips were good... I'm pissed and disappointed read more