Culichi&#x27;s Zone

This was surprisingly really good. I ordered the huarache and a fountain drink for total of $10…read more The food was very filling and delicious. I never tried a huarache before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The base is like a crispy dough, and I got it with all the toppings (no meat). I really liked the sauce they put on top of the dish. The service was very quick and nice. Inside is a very causal dining seating. The surrounding area is a little confusing, and it was hard to find via google maps.

Really wanted to love this place and give it the glowing remarks that they seemed to have on here…read more We passed up a few other places because of the reviews on here. We decided on this place because it stated that they served menudo/pozole on the weekends and that is what I was in the mood for. As soon as we walked in we noticed it was a tad warm. As if they didn't have the a/c on. However, they had their front door open. We walked up to the counter, and my husband was giving the cashier our order, but she seemed like she was in a hurry. Which was weird because no one was behind us. We chose a table closest to the front door, so it was cooler. About 5 minutes past and our number was called so my husband got up to get our order and as he started walking back towards out table I could tell on his face something was wrong. He set the tray down that had chips, salsa and his plate of chicken taquitos, rice and beans and says "apparently they no longer have anymore pozole so she didn't charge me." So why did not one come to our table and let us know and see what we wanted instead? Why did they wait until this was done to tell us knowing this was a dine in order? So then I say ok well can I just get what you ordered? By this time there was about 6 people ahead of my order. So now my husband's food was getting cold even though I insisted he eat but he refused to eat until I received mine. As I said, we wanted to love this place. We've learned that little unassuming hole in the wall places such as these are gems, but when customer service fails like this, you don't make people want to come back. It was just really careless. No one was behind us when our order was submitted. There was at least 5 minutes that past before a line formed after us. There were only 3 items on that order between the front of the house and the back of the house no one caught that one of those orders was an item you ran out of, and you should probably fix that sooner rather than later? Being in the restaurant business is being of service to people and in that moment I the customer and my best interest was not a priority and that's disappointing.

Free sauce instead of the 2 green I paid for

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Current Menu as of May 2025

Mariscos El Picosito

4.4(105 reviews)

0.7 mi

With so many options for Mexican food here it is hard to really go wrong. This place is a no frills…read morerestaurant. I love it. The food? Is spot on and very tasty. Quick service also and very friendly staff. I have been here for Breakfast and Lunch and will always return when in town. I sat across the street and watched people look in and walk away presumably because it wasn't busy, just to watch them go stand in line at the busiest place on the street. That's like putting your towel down next to all the other people on the beach while it is completely empty 20 yards away. If you appreciate really Mexican meals without the drowning of cheese...try it. You'll be back

No matter what, I will always get the Picosito taco. It's 2 tortillas with melted cheese in between…read morewith seasoned shrimp on top!! We ordered the ceviche this time, but the aguachile always hits the spot! The restaurant is really small and there's limited seating, so be prepared to take to-go! The cashier is always so sweet and nice whenever we order from her!!

Menu

Carne Asada Burrito

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Menu part 2

El Palenque Mexican Restaurant

3.8(183 reviews)

1.2 mi

We love it at El Palenque!! One of the best Mexican restaurants in SM. The service is warm and…read morewelcoming. Immediately sat down with warm chips and salsa. I always get the Burrito Supremo, it's flavorful and massive. Don't forget to get a margarita also!!

Great food and service El Palenque tostada recommended…read more Beans are delicious Vegetables are fresh

No 8 wet Burrito chile verde and cheese enchilada

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Beef chimichanga

Lo Mejor De Jalisco

4.0(200 reviews)

1.2 mi

Great food! I had…read morethe enchiladas de queso, my husband had a cóctel de camarón and my daughter had a mojarra frita! Food was amazing and chips and salsa re so goood!

Lo Major De Jalisco might not be the fancies place, let me tell you they are extremely clean, and…read morethe food is authentic Mexican food and the most delicious food you'll get on the central coast, if you haven't tried it. You need to. The waitress was very attentive and very kind.

Inside.

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Outside.

Maya Mexican Restaurant

3.7(352 reviews)

0.7 mi

My favorite place to be on a Friday night! The live music and vibes never fail. We love coming for…read morethe great authentic food. I got the shrimp cocktail that was portioned just right. Our server was great. He kept our drinks filled!

Service was pretty slow for dinner time. Stayed longer than expected and to even get drinks. Pazole…read morewas not the best, my hard taco and enchiladas were okay. The michelada was great. Probably would not come back.

Restroom Signs

Lunch special of chile relleno, beans, and rice

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Front of restaurant

Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ

4.3(986 reviews)

2.4 mi

Great food, great atmosphere, terrific staff! It's been Hard…read morefor me to move past the best bacon sandwich on the central coast, but the shrimp cocktail is worth the effort to take a BLT break! TUACA!

I've known about this place for several years. I always wanted to come here. Everything sounded…read moregreat. So on our little trip up to Central California I decided to stop here for lunch. Oh boy, real Santa Maria BBQ! Woo Hoo! Tri-Tip is the name of the game in these parts so that's what I'm doing. Got the Tri-Tip Dip and a side of BBQ sauce so I could have it both ways. I was really looking forward to these West Coast Chili Beans too. Wife wanted BBQ Chicken so I got her the BBQ Chicken Combo. I asked the girl at the register if we could get dark meat with the combo. She looked a little confused and said "You mean like Tri-Tip?" Oh boy. No, dark meat chicken like a thigh and drumstick. "Oh, do you want a breast or a thigh?". Let's roll with the thigh, thanks. Our food came out pretty quickly. I asked for horseradish for the Tri-Tip Dip and was politely told they don't have any. Silly me, why would they have horseradish when they sell a French Dip Sandwich? The Tri-Tip Dip was decent. Not going to lie. The West Coast Chili Beans were a disappointment. I expected so much better. The BBQ sauce was runny and tastes like molasses and maple syrup. Nah, Stick with the Au Jus and you will be fine. The Chicken Combo was a train wreck. Beans cold, rice cold, chicken overcooked by a mile. It's not easy to overcook the hell out of dark meat chicken but they found a way. Wife not happy, at all. It's another one and done. Sorry Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ.

Brisket sandwich

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Catering Set Up

El Herradero

4.1(109 reviews)

1.1 mi

Let me start off with saying we've been here living in the Central Coast for about 4 years now, and…read morewe say we have not found a good Mexican restaurant...until now. This spot was very tasty and reminded me of my mom's cooking. I had the 2 taco Fritos of pollo and we had the 3 choice, taco frito and enchilada with shredded beef and the star of the show was the chile relleno. Food, nothing fancy but good cooked Mexican food. We came in about 8pm and they were kind and ready to serve. Their service, the two waitresses were on it‼ Restaurant itself was older but clean and stocked with all the right salsas and fresh salsa as well. We shall come again!

At El Herradero Mexican Restaurant In Santa Maria Visiting My Brother And We Came To Eat Haven't…read moreHad Breakfast Yet Starving..!!!I Ordered The #8 Combination Two Hard Shelled Tacos One Beef And One Chicken With Beans And Rice..!!! My Brother Ordered The Bisted Relleno With Rice And Beans. He Ordered A Modelo Especial And I Got An Agua Fresca De Tamarindo.

My Brothers Modelo Especial

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3 choice platter

Rancho Viejo

4.4(234 reviews)

5.1 mi

Delicious food as usual Whether you dine in or take home!…read more Always authentic and tasty

Located in the cowgirl, La Placita market, is Rancho Viejo. The parking lot was full, had to park…read morein the back. The restaurant was filled as well. I ordered the wet Chile Relleno Burrito. I thought the chile Relleno was good (cheesy and nice coating around). The sauce was also pretty good. The burrito definitely could've been bigger and the tortilla was pretty dry underneath and not warm. It was actually kind of stiff. All of it was kind of just lukewarm. And the flavor could've been a lot better. Chips were OK too. *Overall, it's ok*

Quesabirria tacos

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Taqueria La Coqueta

3.7(122 reviews)

2.1 mi

Recently went for the Pompanator burrito (with some spicy salsa in the side) and it was BOMB AF…read more 10/10. I do recommend it. I also want to add that the service was excellent as well! Good job to the guy who took my order he was very nice and cheerful.

Quality and decent prices. Still haven't tried their menudo on the weekends.. heard its a must…read moreearly birds! 8.7 rating!

Seating

The only menudo in town

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Menu

805 Tacos

3.9(146 reviews)

1.0 mi

Over ladt few weeks n months , I have repeatedly call to place orders and no one answers the phone…read more I dont live close so im not wasting time driving only for it to be closed.

The waitress was playing cards and drinking on the job with the men at the bar. Waited forever for…read moremy bland tacos. I noticed kitchen floor was filthy. Too much clutter on the counters, tables were ALL wobly. Just run down. Wouldn't recommend.

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Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

4 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Angela Q.

5

2

8

9 years ago

Culichi's Zone , sin duda mi Restaurant favorito , a mi me encantaron los suchis, me tocó esperar un poco pero vale la pena la espera todo es recién hecho lo mejor q he probado en Santa María se los recomiendo ... oh y olvidaba el lugar super limpio .. era hora de tener un lugar digno de nosotros los mexicanos ... read more

Miriam A.

9

1

0

8 years ago

La comida es deliciosa, vale la pena esperar por esos platillos que no se consiguen en toda la costa central, es un precio justo. Se los recomiendo, tuve un buen trato de parte de las meseras, muy buen ambiente y un buen lugar para comer con la familia, vale la pena se los recomiendo. read more

Kim M.

30

1

0

8 years ago

Uno de los mejores restaurantes con comida mexicana, lo recomiendo mucho. La comida está súper deliciosa

Xxadrian09 X.

3

1

0

8 years ago

Muy buen servicio y la comida fenómenal sin duda uno de los mejores restaurantes de comida mexicana

Culichi's Zone - seafood - Updated September 2026

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Haven't Been Here In Years. We Came To A Car Show In Guadalupe, CA Yesterday And Stayed Next Door…read moreAt The Radisson So Decided To Have Breakfast Here At Pepper Garcia's ..!! So It Sounds Like They're Menudo Is Supposed To Be Good But So Far I'm Not Impressed With It And I Haven't Even Had It Yet. I Asked If They Had Pata And Waitress Says No..!! That's A Red Flag Already..!! We'll See..?? My Fiancée Ordered The Travelers Express Meal Which Consists Of A Cheese Enchilada And A Beef Taco With Rice And Beans. I Ordered A Lemonade And My Fiancée A Michelada. And Of Course We Ordered A Taco Of Asada Plain For SANCHITO.

Came here for dinner as they actually serve margaritas with tequila. Its a rare sighting in Santa…read moreMaria. Margaritas were good flavored but not strong. Prices were fair. Food was solid. I had the flautas and was happy with the plate. The place has a great setup being in the airport so you get a great view of the planes coming and going. It also looks like this place has a cool bar. Service was standard. Noting over the top good. Definitely check this place out if your using the airport or just need a margarita with tequila but I recommend asking for a double .

El Herradero

4.1

(109 reviews)

Let me start off with saying we've been here living in the Central Coast for about 4 years now, and…read morewe say we have not found a good Mexican restaurant...until now. This spot was very tasty and reminded me of my mom's cooking. I had the 2 taco Fritos of pollo and we had the 3 choice, taco frito and enchilada with shredded beef and the star of the show was the chile relleno. Food, nothing fancy but good cooked Mexican food. We came in about 8pm and they were kind and ready to serve. Their service, the two waitresses were on it‼ Restaurant itself was older but clean and stocked with all the right salsas and fresh salsa as well. We shall come again!

At El Herradero Mexican Restaurant In Santa Maria Visiting My Brother And We Came To Eat Haven't…read moreHad Breakfast Yet Starving..!!!I Ordered The #8 Combination Two Hard Shelled Tacos One Beef And One Chicken With Beans And Rice..!!! My Brother Ordered The Bisted Relleno With Rice And Beans. He Ordered A Modelo Especial And I Got An Agua Fresca De Tamarindo.

Maya Mexican Restaurant

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My favorite place to be on a Friday night! The live music and vibes never fail. We love coming for…read morethe great authentic food. I got the shrimp cocktail that was portioned just right. Our server was great. He kept our drinks filled!

Service was pretty slow for dinner time. Stayed longer than expected and to even get drinks. Pazole…read morewas not the best, my hard taco and enchiladas were okay. The michelada was great. Probably would not come back.

Las Cazuelas Restaurant

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10/10 as someone who really likes Mexican food…read more This place is phenomenal from start to finish. The salsa is super tasty with a nice kick and the chips are always fresh Their menu has something to please everyone and they have a rotating daily special along with a happy hour. The staff is really friendly as well and they are well staffed which is always nice to see. The atmosphere is really nice as well inside and outside. This is a hidden gem of a place and will be our regular spot They also have an expansive tequila section and even tequila tastings if that is up your alley. Something unique I haven't seen at other places

The food is genuinely fresh and flavorful, great portions and fairly priced, the restaurant is…read morealways clean and everyone is friendly.

Lo Mejor De Jalisco

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Great food! I had…read morethe enchiladas de queso, my husband had a cóctel de camarón and my daughter had a mojarra frita! Food was amazing and chips and salsa re so goood!

Lo Major De Jalisco might not be the fancies place, let me tell you they are extremely clean, and…read morethe food is authentic Mexican food and the most delicious food you'll get on the central coast, if you haven't tried it. You need to. The waitress was very attentive and very kind.

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Our new favorite Hawaiian BBQ place. Fast, friendly service, casual atmosphere and the food is…read moreexcellent. We miss Jaffa cafe that used to be in this location but we have no complaints about this place. The mac salad is delicious and I don't even like mac salad. The short rib is also top-notch.

I give it a solid three stars the barbecue beef had a good flavor, although the meat was slimy…read moreversus giving a barbecue Krispy texture that I was hoping for for a barbecue beef plate. The macaroni was ok The rice was just plain rice. There was nothing special about it. Overall, I probably will not come here if I want Hawaiian barbecue I will probably go to Zoe's but I wanted to try it out to try it out because it was a new place. The portion size I got was a decent size. Lastly, the crab raccoons were probably the worst crab raccoons. I've had it was like a fake flavor from the cream cheese and they didn't even have any red sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. That's strange for having this style food and not even offer that but only have duck sauce. Those are two completely different sauces.

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