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    Cal Taco

    3.8 (253 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Cal Taco Takeout or Delivery

    Cal Taco Photos

    CAL TACO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Cal Taco

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    Walk up counter to order.
    Desiree P.

    Cal Taco Fresh Grill in Goleta is a popular fast-casual spot known for quality Mexican-American food, particularly their carne asada fries, large burritos, and char-burgers. It offers a casual atmosphere with covered outdoor seating and friendly service, often praised for its fresh ingredients. Freshly grilled, flavorful meats. Known for large, filling portions. Small salsa bar and a small selection of beer on tap.

    Cheeseburger
    Mark Y.

    The prices are cheap here. Super cheap. There's a decent menu selection, with a small salsa bar and a small but impressive selection of beer on tap. Staff was very friendly. I was told I had to try their Char Burger and I'm glad I listened. They even give you a choice of cheese to top your burger. Well seasoned, comparable to Chubbie's or The Spot. I also tried a beef taco and it was very good. Her taco combo came with decent rice and refried beans. Not canned, real beans. OK, these were dang good beans. Our only complaint? Too much topping on the burger and tacos. All that lettuce, tomato, onions, etc., makes it a little harder to bite into and a little harder to taste the meat.

    Tina S.

    My husband and I decided to give this place a try. We were happy that it did not disappoint. My husband got the cheeseburger (for the cheese, you have to pay .75 cents). And we aslo ordered steak nachos and steak taco. The serving was just right and price is reasonable. The steak nachos and steak tacos were both flavorful. Customer service was also good. We most likely will be visiting this place again.

    I get them with salsa and ranch on the side (no ketchup). BIG.
    DoubleBubblez Z.

    Excellent fresh grilled Mexican food and burgers, a must-try! I got the carne asada fries and they were absolutely delicious. Tons of fries, tons of AMAAAAZING grilled steak all over! Big slices of steak packed with flavor...best I've had in years! This is some REAL CARNE ASADA, BABY! Their burgers are also as good as the habit if not better. The char makes it stand out and you taste it in every bite. Don't sleep on the burgers bc they are a Mexican place, trust me. Thank you Cal Taco, your steak is soooo good!

    steak and nacho fries

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great burgers. The chicken quesadilla is my favorite, it's fulfilling, and delicious.

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    If want an ok burger and a beer this is a good place to eat. Next door is a liquor store so you can get one for the road.

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Very sub par breakfast burrito. With a side of frozen/reheated hash brown and old orange juice.

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    Page 3 of 7

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    Los Agaves

    Los Agaves

    4.0(637 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Los Agaves is a Santa Barbara staple and I've never had a bad meal here. It's a casual but not too…read morecasual place with lots of outdoor seating and situated in the courtyard of Camino Real. The line always moves fast and the food comes out quickly too. What compelled me to write this review was because I had a delicious pescado a la diabla, which was a daily special. The fish was a huge portion -- a whole filet with a delicious spicy sauce, perfectly cooked and flaky. The rice and beans are always great, perfectly seasoned and cooked. I also had a passionfruit margarita which was big and well balanced. The salsa bar is very good; the habanero salsa is really tasty but their old version without cream was one of the best salsa I ever had and I'm so sad they don't offer it anymore. It was legitimately spicy. I always love coming here with my friends after a movie so we can discuss the flick over some great mexican food.

    Coming from the Bay Area, I definitely had pretty high expectations for Mexican food and Los Agaves…read morewas rather impressive! My friends and I came on a busy Taco Tuesday. You order and pay at the register, grab a number, seat yourself, and your food (along with complimentary chips) is brought to your table. There were plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options. Everything else is self-serve, including drinks and salsa/toppings. Their salsa bar had a great variety and I honestly loved every salsa I tried! You can't go wrong with whatever you choose, but I recommend the avocado salsa. My friend and I swapped a taco from each of our plates, so I was able to try their tacos al pastor and tacos del mar with halibut. The al pastor was particularly flavorful and well marinated, and to my surprise, I enjoyed the pineapple bits in the taco. The halibut tasted fresh and the chipotle sauce on top paired nicely. I also love a good side of rice and beans and I can't even put my finger on it, but it was just so tasty. It got pretty busy during the dinner rush and I was seated right along the order line, but nothing too disruptive to our dining experience. Overall, the food was solid, the staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the vibes were upscale-casual and lively.

    Photos
    Los Agaves - Salsa bar!

    Salsa bar!

    Los Agaves - Burrito CaliforniaCalifornia

    Burrito CaliforniaCalifornia

    Los Agaves - Agaves Burrito

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    Agaves Burrito

    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant - Tacos de la Hacienda

    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant

    4.2(93 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    The food is amazing. The service is excellent and comes with a smile! We started with chips and…read moresalsa, from the salsa bar. My dad ate the chilaquiles with steak and it was delicious. The Menudo was outstanding. I got all the fixings and my MIL got it with limes. The old world charm, on a Sunday morning... perfection! To the cook, thank you!

    We came here on a 4th of July early evening to grab a quick dinner. The space is a bit run down and…read moreold. Also it was sort of dog friendly with their outside patio. The spot was empty but we figured it was probably due to the holidays. We got chips and salsa then looked at the menu. The chips and salsa were NOT good. the chips were very stale and the salsa tasted watered down. I knew instantly I didn't want to eat here plus the pricing was quite steep. However, I gave it a chance... but we were waiting for over 10-20 min at this point waiting for the waitress to come by. We were confused given the spot was empty, she couldn't be that busy. My husband went in and saw her talking to somebody else. Guess we were forgotten. My husband got the chimichanga to go which came with rice and beans on the side. Overall a decent meal, it wasn't much food. His rice and beans were OK, I got Mexican food elsewhere for cheaper and the rice/beans tasted much better.

    Photos
    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant - Bar area

    Bar area

    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant - Enchiladas

    Enchiladas

    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant - 2 crispy tacos combination, one of carnitas and shredded beef beans & rice.

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    2 crispy tacos combination, one of carnitas and shredded beef beans & rice.

    FB Isla Vista - Freebs Nachos!

    FB Isla Vista

    4.1(1.5k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    born and raised santa barbara so there are certain things you learn early…read more you drive down the 101, take that turn toward isla vista, and something shifts. air changes a little. priorities adjust. time becomes more of a suggestion and then there's freebirds the original one on embarcadero del norte sitting there like it's seen everything because it has i've walked in there wearing flip flops, still sandy, hair doing whatever the ocean decided, salt drying on my face, no shower, no plan, just following the internal signal that says burrito and that's when it works best these burritos operate differently in that state. they're bigger. warmer. more correct. like the whole system is calibrated specifically for post-surf decision making line is long. always has been. mix of people who know exactly what they're doing and people about to learn something important foil everywhere. tortillas moving fast. someone at the front making a choice that will define the next hour of their life guy behind the counter was dialed. didn't catch the name but i'm pretty sure it was barron sawyer. had that calm confidence like he's built a few thousand of these and understands the assignment at a deeper level you step up and it's muscle memory rice, beans, meat, things start stacking, someone folds it like it's a practiced skill passed down over time and then you walk out sun still out. flip flops still on. burrito in hand like a completed mission you take that first bite and everything aligns for a second this place has been around 30 years and it makes sense because it isn't trying to be anything else it already figured it out five stars if you know you know

    I used to come to freebirds all the time in highschool - nearly 15 years ago- and it was the best,…read moresuper tasty and always hit the spot. I recently returned and got exactly what I used to get and was disappointed in the lack of seasoning/flavor in general. I saw someone else comment that chipotle has more flavor and I'm inclined to agree-especially when it comes to the chicken. Service is always friendly and fast and I always want to support a local business over a national chain, but I'm sad to say I don't know if I'll be returning after spending $25 for a bland experience.

    Photos
    FB Isla Vista
    FB Isla Vista - Chicken Nachos

    Chicken Nachos

    FB Isla Vista - Interior

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    Interior

    Cal Taco - mexican - Updated August 2026

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