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    El Sitio

    4.1 (166 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:30 pm

    El Sitio Photos

    EL SITIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Sitio

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    Timothy A.

    This is the third El Sitio I've tried in the SB area. I like all of them. Here, I tried a veggie burrito, which was quite satisfying. It wasn't overly cheesy or rice-centric. The red salsa was hot and flavorful. I also loved the elaborate Christmas miniatures.

    Adobado plate
    Lianna M.

    Good amount of food for the price. I've ordered many different items from here in the past, from tacos to burritos, but this time I ordered the lunch special with adobado. Their adobado pork is so yummy! I love that the plate came with a half of an avocado. Made the plate super filling. Their salsa is also really good, I'm bummed that the salsa bar is closed! It is what it is, for now. The staff here is really nice, and the restaurant keeps it at a maximum of two customers at a time. I felt safe ordering from here. I'll be back!

    Exterior
    Carol K.

    Why are there so many locations? Uh HuH... it is delicious. I love the pasilla pepper burrito (beef) or Pasilla pepper torta. The burrito has the exact amount of rice and beans so you are not overwhelmed with filling food and you can savor the fabulous flavors. They do Mexican food right and there is really no reason to go anywhere else. Ever.

    Take-out nachos. Enough for two!
    Liana C.

    I called ahead to order nachos and wow, they are HUGE! Very quick pick-up, reasonable price, and you get a lot of food. Actually big enough for two. When there's a bunch of people waiting outside, it must be good, right?? Don't let the a hole-in-the-wall vibes deter you! Thanks for making my absolute favorite food so well SN: Please update the health score for this year on the Yelp page.

    Mixto Especial plate. Shrimp, cheese and rajas served with rice and beans.
    Eddie V.

    We were staying at the Lemon Tree Inn, which happens to be property adjacent to El Sitio. We were in the mood for some Carnitas, and I found El Sitio on Yelp, with good reviews AND a short walk from the hotel (approx 450 feet)! Amazing food! We ordered a breakfast burrito with ham and eggs and the Mixto Especial plate. My wife and I had a Ratatouille moment where we swept into our memories of home cooked meals. The beans are wonderful. The burrito was packed with scrambled eggs and diced ham slices. It was exactly what my wife's grandmother would prepare at home. The tortilla had great chew and held the burrito together without tears or crumbling. The Mixto Especial plate is a shrimp, rajas (julienned strips of Serrano and Bell peppers) and cheese dish, served with rice and beans. It was very flavorful and exactly what I was looking for. This is a true hole in the wall. There are only 4 tables, and most of them are 2 seaters. This is primarily a to-go business, but we got lucky and got a table, so we ate there. They offer fountain sodas for beverages. All of the food is prepared to order, so they have a little sign that asks for each customer's patience on the food prep. They do not consider themselves a fast food establishment. If you're ever in the area, give this place a try. The other burritos, tacos and torts looked pretty good. They've got steady business, so you know this place is legit.

    Adobada tacos close up! Soooo yummy
    Angela R.

    I've written a review for the location on Fairview but the food to me here tastes way better than their other locations. My go to choices on the menu are usually the carne asada burrito, and brocheta de pollo which is chicken sautéed with mushrooms, cheese, onion and bell peppers. It also comes with corn tortillas so you can make yummy tacos from it. On my latest visit I tried their nachos suggested by Javier J. who raved about them so naturally I had to try it. Well he was right they were pretty bomb and massive in size! It was a mountain of nachos and they didn't skimp on any ingredients. For $9.99 I'd say this was well worth the money! They also have a taco special for only $6 bucks and you get two tacos & your choice of meat served with rice and beans on the side. There's a small salsa bar with pico de gallo, salsa verde (my fave), red salsa, and grilled jalapeños. The inside of this restaurant is very small and can get stuffy inside but there are a few tables outside. It's not the cleanest place but I've never gotten sick here and the food is good. Give it a try!

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    6 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

    It's not what it used to be. I want to give a good review so bad pero ni sabor tiene. The meat was so dry.

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Absolute legend in the Santa Barbara Mexican food game. Best (meat) taquitos in town. Best adobada burritos. A must try if you are visiting

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    9 years ago

    Good food, friendly people. Giving it 4 stars b/c it was a bit pricey.

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    6 years ago

    Always hits the spot, their burritos and nachos are our go-to's. Their horchata and hibiscus drinks are great too!

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    5 years ago

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    El S.

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Love this spot. The adobadas is a go to and I love the rajas burrito. Awesome and affordable Mexican food in SB

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The food is consistently good. The salsa bar is always fresh. Great Pico.

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    Page 2 of 5

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    Boathouse at Hendry's Beach - Coconut Shrimp

    Boathouse at Hendry's Beach

    4.1(3.8k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    Came here last Monday for lunch with my family before we all parted ways to different parts of the…read morecountry. They don't take reservations so we knew we would have a wait, but that wait turned to be less than 10 minutes. We were seated on their patio which has a front row view of the pacific. There were six of us. Several of us started with a wedge salad - delicious. Lobster bisque - outstanding. For entrees we had mussels, fish & chips, tuna melt, shrimp cocktail, ceviche and a lobster roll. All of our food came out the same time, nice and hot or chilled. Everything was tasty. We all loved everything that was ordered. The service was excellent too. We'll definitely be back. Highly recommend this place if you are in Santa Barbara.

    As a caveat, I visited this establishment on an extremely busy UCSB graduation weekend. However,…read morefrom my experience, I could not imagine the food is good even on a normal day. Given the circumstances of the busy weekend, I'll skip the details of the wait. The staff here was incredibly kind and accommodating (except for the small mistake of serving up our food before utensils but they were quick to fix this). Now, the food! My table ordered a Cioppino, seafood pasta, and a tuna club. None of which I enjoyed! Tuna club: the fish was dark and tasted of literally nothing. Cioppino: sauce / soup was super underwhelming and seafood not fresh. Seafood pasta: the pasta noodles were overcooked and sauce tasted like it came from a can. The view with ocean backdrop is nice BUT you can get a similar view at other establishments in the area (such as the various restaurants on the Santa Barbara pier).

    Photos
    Boathouse at Hendry's Beach - Inside of the restaurant

    Inside of the restaurant

    Boathouse at Hendry's Beach - Boathouse Signature Breakfast with pancake

    Boathouse Signature Breakfast with pancake

    Boathouse at Hendry's Beach - Cioppino

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    Cioppino

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Norwegian Benedict with rainbow potatoes

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant

    4.4(706 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    4.5/5 Kind and friendly staff! Amazing food! And…read morepicturesque outdoor seating! Placed right on the beach front, Jeannine's has the perfect combination of ambiance, service, and taste. The wait can be a tad long (but nothing longer than you'd expect for a brunch spot). Instead of placing your name on a waitlist, you stand in line outside along the beach while staff begin handing out menus. Once inside, it's order at the front and self seating afterwards. I highly recommend sitting outside if possible. The calm ocean winds and sunny atmosphere is just perfect for a nice brunch. My table ordered 4 dishes and enjoyed each one. The lemon poppyseed pancake was not too sweet and had paired perfect with the fresh blueberry jam. And the Norwegian benedict was lovely. I would highly recommend these two items! Overall, this is a must-go brunch spot in Santa Barbara.

    4.5 Oh this place is niceee, you must secure outdoor seating…read moreto enjoy this place to the max. The cashier umm they're okay, the person outside while we were waiting was super kind and passed out menus to us while telling us everything but the items and constantly updating making the wait not miserable. I like the staff. Now onto the food and drinks, so I didn't take a photo of my drinks but I did get the chai latte and lowkey I think it was pretty good, not the best but good. My family members also got drinks such as the house brewed coffee and the latte, all pretty good I can't lie but again, still not the best but it adds to that brunch experience. They do charge for hot water (0.5 cents) and then another 0.5 for lemons in there... but like okay... They do give out free water!! You go up and get it yourself. So Eduardo's omelette: I personally just am not a big fan of all the omelette action but my dad liked it and you can tell it's a good portion of food, tasted decent Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes: VERY STRONG, wasn't expecting a very strong lemon poppy seed taste but it kind of hits you in the mouth. With syrup and the whip cream they give, it tastes good! Lobster Benedict: best thing ever, lobster is good tasting and doesn't taste fishy, eggs perfectly made to how you custom it (for all dishes) Norwegian benedict: delicious

    Photos
    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Jeannine's inside. Really cute. This is the second line once you are inside.

    Jeannine's inside. Really cute. This is the second line once you are inside.

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Norwegian Benedict with rainbow potatoes

    Norwegian Benedict with rainbow potatoes

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Turkey cranberry with coleslaw (great coleslaw with olives)

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    Turkey cranberry with coleslaw (great coleslaw with olives)

    The Shop Brunch - Tugboat - Eggs Benedict with a buttermilk biscuit, two poached eggs, smoked tomato hollandaise, fried chicken, and side of potatoes

    The Shop Brunch

    4.3(1.5k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Super cute breakfast and lunch spot which is located close to one of my favorite Mexican…read morerestaurants, "Los Agaves". My friends and I sat outside as the weather was beautiful over the weekend. Staff was friendly and when we got there, it was already busy. You can tell it's popular as the line in the entry was pretty long. The food was so fresh! I had a sweet hibiscus tea with an egg, bacon & avocado wrap. Everything was tasty and they also have their own hot sauce which was a nice touch.

    Thought I'd try a new restaurant in Santa Barbara this weekend. It's the strangest thing. It's…read moreright on the corner. You can get new tires next door, but while you're waiting, you can catch breakfast or lunch. Outdoors, there's a lot of seating. Wooden tables and wicker chairs. Awnings and large umbrella coverings. You pay first, and then they seat you. There's some seating indoors, but it's limited, compared to outdoors. I ordered a latte ($5.50) and avocado toast ($16). They add a 3% surcharge if you use a credit card. There is a window for to-go orders, but if you're dining in, you place your order with the gal at the podium. I have to say, although there were two staff working on drinks, my latte took a while. Luckily, it came before the food. There was a staff member waiting at the counter and delivering just drinks. Once I got my latte, it tasted good. Strong. I felt the caffeine. The avocado toast was good, too. It was served in a shallow metal dish. Thick, high quality, Artisan bread. I enjoyed the toasted pumpkin seeds. I would definitely order it again, but open to ordering something else on the menu next time. Staff are friendly, welcoming, and efficient. There was another gentleman standing in the back, immediately clearing tables. It's better if you come earlier on the weekends. There was a line of people when I was leaving. There's plenty of free street parking. I parked across the street.

    Photos
    The Shop Brunch - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    The Shop Brunch - The Frenchie with Chicken, Chilaquiles, Hibiscus Mimosa and Horchata Latte.

    The Frenchie with Chicken, Chilaquiles, Hibiscus Mimosa and Horchata Latte.

    The Shop Brunch - The Rolex

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    The Rolex

    Chad's - California burrito

    Chad's

    3.9(1.9k reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    What a beautiful diner right across the street from the beach! The food was fresh and the…read morepresentation was impressive. We went around 7am on a Saturday so it wasn't too busy but they do have a small parking lot in the back and if you want pleasant outdoor seating, I'd recommend arriving earlier in the day.

    We decided to give this place a shot because the reviews were glowing, but it turned out to be mid,…read moreas the younger kids would say While we waited, they offered some muffins that were so delicious, I almost considered moving in. Once seated, we started with the muffins, but unfortunately, that was the highlight of the breakfast. It was like the rest of the meal was just there to make the muffins look even better. The food had all the flavor of a cardboard box. The only thing that saved the day was the pancakes. We ordered the Q steak quesadilla, which was colder than my ex's heart, but we were hungry, so we just went for it. We also got some pancakes with eggs and ham, and the ham was so mediocre, it tasted like it had been living in the fridge since the dawn of time. The service was friendly and quick, which was a blessing because if I had to wait any longer, I might have started gnawing on the table. I wouldn't wait over 30 minutes to eat there. It's definitely not worth the wait, unless you're really, really hungry and have nothing better to do than stare at the menu.

    Photos
    Chad's - Sharing the mini muffins with some friends

    Sharing the mini muffins with some friends

    Chad's - Mimosa Tasting Flight

    Mimosa Tasting Flight

    Chad's - The Bloody Mary is soo good

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    The Bloody Mary is soo good

    Happy Cat Eats - Cinnamon roll YUM

    Happy Cat Eats

    4.6(163 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    A waterfront location that serves a little bit of everything from breakfast, lunch to drinks and…read morehappy hour. This was my first stop of the morning and I was hungry and didn't want to wait too long anywhere else. Therefore, I stumbled upon this cafe which was not crowded. Their menu is diverse, they include dessert, lunch, alcoholic drinks, etc. I ordered the breakfast burrito with sausage: W/GRILLED POTATOES, MAC & CHEESE, SCRAMBLED EGG & SAUSAGE Very flavorful, unique and the mac & cheese was a new one to me. A high carb burrito to get me going while I continued to explore downtown SB. 5/5 I also ordered an orange juice, really delicious and fresh. 5/5 loved it. I sat facing the beach and it was very relaxing. I enjoyed my breakfast here and overall a nice experience.

    So happy we found something close to the water that wasn't all seafood and that my husband could…read moreenjoy. He is not a big seafood guy, and when you're by the water, it feels like every restaurant usually specializes in seafood. Happy Cat Eats had a chicken sandwich that looked really appealing to him. After we got our food from the wharf, we drove over and sat at their outdoor tables while we waited for his order. The chicken sandwich was DELICIOUS. I actually liked it a little more than my own food and almost traded with him. Too bad he doesn't like clam chowder! The onion rings he ordered were just as good. The tempura batter was a 10/10. It wasn't oily at all, which is the key to a good tempura fry. We loved the weather, and all the tables had cover, which made it even better. It was a beautiful day made even better by their food.

    Photos
    Happy Cat Eats - Patio área

    Patio área

    Happy Cat Eats - Carnitas fries

    Carnitas fries

    Happy Cat Eats - Shrimp po boy

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    Shrimp po boy

    El Sitio - mexican - Updated June 2026

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