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.

Simplemente delicioso!!! Pedí unas enchiladas con huevos y…read moreagregué carnitas, y fue una muy buena combinación!! Mi esposo pidió unos huevos rancheros y también estaba deliciosos!! El arroz con leche, el chocolate abuelita también estaba deliciosos, Todo es una explosión de sabor!! Claro que volveremos a este lugar!!

I have never heard of a birria bagel so naturally I was intrigued. We visited el Zocalo on a…read morerecommendation and since we were in IV, decided to try it out. We ordered a breakfast burrito and the BBB bagel. My husband really enjoyed the breakfast burrito and salsas they provided. The birria bagel with consomé was a unique combination that oddly worked. The bagel soaked up the consomé nicely and although really hard to eat, the flavors of the birria, fried egg, and cream cheese went very well together. I got a couple of pieces of inedible fat in my birria unfortunately but the flavor was really good. I wouldn't get this again as it was way too filling for me and instead would opt out for the taco or quesabirria next time. Service was friendly and quick. I really enjoyed the vibe in there and understand why it's a recommended spot.

Hubby was craving tacos so stopped at Lilly's, on our way home from Solvang, based on some trusty…read moreyelp reviews. Located in a plaza so parking was easy and restaurant easy to find. Menu was really easy, no crazy amount of options - just tacos and you pick the meat. I ordered carne asada tacos and hubby got pork tacos. Tacos had a ton of meat, not fatty and there were many salsa options which were really good. You have to pay extra for grilled onions and jalapeño but it was worth it because it was such a great compliment to the tacos. You get your food pretty fast, can take it to go or sit and eat at one of the clean tables in the restaurant. Would definitely eat here again!

They serve one item - small street tacos…read more The taco's come with a basic small corn tortilla, and it's on you to top it at their bar which basically only includes cilantro, onions, radish, and 3 choices of hot sauce. If that's what you want, you're in luck, but they were a bit expensive for what you received, and I'd rather have a fat flour tortilla burrito or authentic crunchy taco with cheese. The inside of the restaurant feels cold. Just a bunch of tables that you find and seat yourself to while you're waiting for your food to be made.

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.

A decent place for Mexican food in Goleta…read more We got their Vegetarian Enchiladas (verdes): 3/5 was alright, nothing extraordinary Vegetarian Quesadilla: 4/5 was quite good, especially when we added the salsas to it. Great salsa and seasoning bar. Complimentary chips and salsa. Quick service: we went at 8:45 pm and there were still quite a few people there. Our orders were brought out very quickly Ambience is nice. I liked their decor. Parking: street or in lots nearby (90 min) Go here if you need a quick fix of Mexican food.

Probably the best chicken alambre and cheese enchiladas I've ever had. One of my favorite Mexican…read morerestaurants in Goleta that serves traditional cuisine using amazing ingredients. Parking is a little difficult but it's worth the struggle. Service is very nice and getting your food is easy. I'm looking forward to my next visit!

Brunch at Los Arroyos in Goleta with the fam and we definitely ordered like we were starving…read more Short stacks, breakfast enchiladas, chilaquiles, carne asada and eggs... no regrets Everything was solid but those handmade tortillas were the star, super fresh and worth it alone Good food, big portions, easy spot to just hang out and eat with the family.

The block is NOT hot. Omg I've been coming here for YEARS, and I order the same thing every time…read more.. over the weekend I went with my friend for her birthday and the server should not have served my chile relleno. There was an unmelted block of cheese inside my the chile. The manager did not admit that anything was wrong he said "the cheese doesn't melt" doesn't the cheese melt in a chile relleno? I'm sorry! That like my chile relleno this business is crumbling, but standards need to be held. Continuity with product is key in the town, that is saturated with amazing Mexican food. Step up or step aside. My business is going to Corazon from here on out

Cozy atmosphere, i've been wanting to try this spot for some time now . I went at 6 pm on a…read morethursday and it wasn't very packed , Inside / outside seating . Both with natural sunlight . Wow the food in phenomenal, truly taste authentic like i am back at my grandmas in texas , Friendly quick service . Coffee bar was closed at this time so it will give me a reason to come back ! Carne was so juicy and well seasoned , paired with the beer it was a perfectly comforting meal after a long day. Got a breakfast burrito to go for later , which i couldn't resist trying some + the chips that were included. This may be the best breakfast burrito i have ever tried . It's perfect, i got the bacon option . That one bite refueled all my hunger it was delicious and perfectly balanced . will be coming back :)!

The food wasn't bad, the tamarindo agua was pretty good. I waited quite some time for my ford to…read morefind out the lady didn't tell the cook I was sitting on the bench in the front door. She knew where I was because she brought me my drink. Apparently the cook thought I left and waited for me to come back then saw me after I sat there for almost 20 minutes. It's a nice little place, but it was hot out and they didn't seem to have ac, so I took my food to go. I'd go back on a cooler day. I didn't care for the combo being the torta and chips. I really wanted some fries but I got what I got. I originally went because of the price for the tortas but they were definitely outdated. They were more expensive than I planned on.

When I went in all the staff were nice and gave me attention with a kind greeting. It smells a bit…read morelike cleaning products in here but I wasn't mad at it everything looked clean and fresh salsa bar was great woth salsa, some pickled jalapeños and onions, limes. All the works really. Today I got a regular burrito, and it's loaded. There is rice beans, chicken, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo. My total was about $16 without a drink, which as a student is a bit pricey. however I felt like I got good value and it seems like they get slow buisness. I don't prefer it to free birds in Isla Vista but I found it to be filling, cheaper, and with a salsa bar I really enjoy. Maybe I'll stop by before work another time!

Ambiance is typical walk up and order taqueria. No comments on service since we were leaving Santa…read moreBarbara and heading back to the Bay Area so we wanted to grab something (other than fast food) that we could eat in the car. The burritos were generously big and tasty, but mostly rice and beans. It was a good grab for a road trip and everybody was satisfied. So, while nothing to rave about solid 3 stars for just good food.

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.

My husband and I came here recently and had a tasty meal. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich,…read morethough I had fully intended to order something more authentic. That's what caught my eye and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I also loved the seasoned chips and fries. the portions were good, and the atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed. I had trouble with the bathroom because at first i was given the wrong code, but I wasn't sure if it was me or the code so I tried a few times until it locked me out, and then I was given the correct code but I was locked out and the employee said I had to wait a few minutes. I ended up just leaving because I wanted to get on to my next errand and I knew I could go there. Anyway, good food, polite and professional staff, clean restaurant, easy to find location, parking behind the restaurant, and fair prices. I would stop here again!

We ate here for the first time tonight. SUPER yummy and excellent service!…read moreI got the barbacoa sopes and hubby got the steak enchiladas. Everything was so flavorful and delicious! Will definitely return!!