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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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    16 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

    This place has the best burritos in SB. Always consistent. Staff is always friendly. Salsa is always fresh. 5 stars. Gracias

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    8 years ago

    Cheap and delicious. I got taco bistek and the meat was crispy and flavorful. Good salsas too. Nomz.

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    9 years ago

    When you're the only one ordering in English, you know you've found a 'spot' that's muy auténtico.

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    6 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    This place has the best burritos and tortas. I've never been unsatisfied with this place.

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    11 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Great food. Huge burritos. Magical tortas. Good people. This will always be my favorite Mexican food in Santa Barbara.

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    13 years ago

    Great authentic Mexican food. We go there every time we are in Santa Barbara.

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    19 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

    This place is the spot in Santa Barbara for bomb Mexican food at a really good price. Taco or burritos it don't matter it's all good

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    13 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    One of the best and truly authentic Mexican rice in SB! Prices are reasonable and food never disappoints!

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Way too salty. So salty you cannot enjoy the food. Make sure you grab a beverage because you will get thirsty.

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    11 years ago

    Great Mexican food. I love how they sear the burritos on each side after wrapping them.

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Great people. They know how to make authentic tacos and big ass burritos.

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    Page 3 of 5

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    Los Agaves - Burrito Mojado Con Extra Carne

    Los Agaves

    4.5(4.6k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Absolutely best Mexican food I have tried in USA. Their Salsa options are amazing and food was…read moreabsolutely delicious. Ambience is pretty cool and they have outdoor seating as well. Service is great. 100% recommend it when you are in the town.

    Los Agaves On De Lavina St. -- A Rare Review from Someone Who Hates Writing Reviews…read moreI spent 25 years owning a business. I know what good service looks like, and I know what entitled looks like. I never write reviews -- I watched Yelp destroy good people over bad nights, and I swore I'd stay out of it. Tonight changed that. I sat at the bar. It took the bartender over five minutes to acknowledge I existed. Another five to ten to deliver a Coke. I ordered dinner and waited forty minutes -- which I might have forgiven, except getting his attention was nearly impossible the entire night. No eye contact. Body language that made clear I was an inconvenience, not a guest. Every interaction felt like I was interrupting something more important. When I finally got him to check on my order, he went to the computer and discovered he'd never placed it. I walked out. I noticed the people around me weren't faring much better. The slowness wasn't just my experience -- it was the room. Los Agaves appears to be a popular place, and maybe on another night with another bartender it earns that reputation. But entitlement has a way of spreading when nobody checks it. I hope management is paying attention -- because a beautiful restaurant dies one invisible guest at a time.

    Photos
    Los Agaves - Inside

    Inside

    Los Agaves - Ceviche Tostada (amazing!)

    Ceviche Tostada (amazing!)

    Los Agaves - Margarita Flight

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    Margarita Flight

    La Super-Rica Taqueria - Tamal De Pescado

    La Super-Rica Taqueria

    4.0(2.1k reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Get the special (adobada, peppers, cheese), it is spectacular. That's all I tried though. Prices…read moreare reasonable. Be sure to order what you need because the line gets long and you don't want to get back in it if you didn't order enough beers. Bring cash. I didn't realize how hard it was to find a cash machine in SB. I found more bitcoin atms than cash atms which is wild. I stayed at a hotel near state st and walked back from here and it only took about 30 min, but I would recommend driving or taking a $6 uber.

    Came here on a Saturday around 2 pm. We were planning to go to Los Agaves just a block away but…read morethey happened to be closed. Parking was very easy on the street and free. There was a line of people waiting. Took us a little over 30 minutes from getting in line, to ordering and receiving the food later. CASH ONLY. Their specials menu seems to change every day or so. We ordered a taco de hongo (sautéed mushrooms with epazote in a light cream sauce w/ 2 homemade corn tortillas), enchiladas de plaza (chicken breast, potato mushroom, red chile sauce, topped with cheese, chile pasilla strips, cream sauce, avocado and radish), a tamal norteño de puerco (pork tamal), #16 súper-rica especial (pork on 3 tortillas, a modelo, and a piña pepino agua fresca. All for around $63 without tip. They had a tomato salsa, salsa rojo, and salsa verde options. All were delicious. All of the food was excellent and super flavorful. I would say my favorite was definitely the tamal. So savory and the masa was the perfect texture. The pork tacos and mushroom taco were close behind, also delicious. The enchiladas were my least favorite. Still good but I just don't think I can be an enchiladas fan no matter how hard I try!! I just am not a fan of the texture of the tortillas when sauced up. Nevertheless, everything was finished up and nothing left behind. The agua fresca was also super good and refreshing. Very sweet and a little thick so we thinned it out a bit with some water. They have limited outdoor seating but a lot inside. A single bathroom right by the parking lot entrance. Nice and cute spot with hard workers. Would definitely come again!

    Photos
    La Super-Rica Taqueria
    La Super-Rica Taqueria
    La Super-Rica Taqueria - Menu and counter to order December 2025

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    Menu and counter to order December 2025

    Lilly's Tacos - Carne Asada Taco

    Lilly's Tacos

    4.4(1.5k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $

    We asked for carne asada tacos and they said, "Say less, I know just the spot." That's how we ended…read moreup at Lilly's Tacos. You order at the counter, grab your toppings at the side bar, and wait for your freshly made tacos to come out. They call your name when your food is ready. They also have a small fridge with canned drink options. The tacos were really good! I usually stick to carne asada, but they also offer cabeza, lengua, and cachete -- cuts that are more unique and harder to find, so definitely try those if you want something different. It definitely feels like a local favorite. The line can get long but it moves pretty quickly. I went on a Saturday afternoon and street parking was easy to find.

    If you're looking for some quick tasty tacos, this is the place to be! When looking up for some…read moretaco options, this place came up on the search list, and boy did it deliver. A small counter to take orders, a limited selection but very selection delivered. One section had the order station and the kitchen, and two more sections were for seating. They had a kind of sauce station, which was nice as each customer can customize per their preference. This place was buzzing with people even on a Thursday afternoon, can't imagine on weekends. We got 3 tacos, each being $3.49, very affordable, but extremely tasty. I personally preferred adobada which was delicious. Chicken fajitas were great too. Definitely recommend this place for a quick bite or a full fledged meal.

    Photos
    Lilly's Tacos
    Lilly's Tacos - Cachete taco, they are delicious!

    Cachete taco, they are delicious!

    Lilly's Tacos - There is plenty of seating inside.

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    There is plenty of seating inside.

    Loquita - Gambas Al Ajillo

    Loquita

    4.4(1.7k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$

    Excellent higher-end Tapas restaurant well worth a visit. Be warned, the serving size is…read moresignificantly more generous than you would expect from tapas. We over ordered by 2-3 dishes and if you aren't starving I'd say 2 appetizers and 2 tapas is more than enough for any two people. Cocktails were great, service was highly attentive and considerate. As a Patatas Bravas enthusiast these were perfect, the sauce was more pepper forward than most which was a great touch. Jamon was delicious, but the bravas would have been great on their own. The croquettes with mushrooms were rich and filling, packing a whole lot of deliciousness into a small bite sized package. The prawns were lovely as well, but the Bravas stole the show. Next time I am coming back for just those and a couple of cocktails.

    This place is hyped as a date place…read more It's in a fancy location near the beach, nice patio. It is good food but overhyped IMO. $16 for patatas bravas is a bit on the silly end. lts also one of thoses places that defaults to 20% tip on the low end. I have no problem with paying a 20% tip but the service was poor on my visit. We gave one instructions/request that were just completely disregarded. Very little in terms of service other than attempts to upsell with more Tapas when we were done. Sorry, just being honest.

    Photos
    Loquita - Cake table set up by staffers.

    Cake table set up by staffers.

    Loquita - Piquillos Ahumados

    Piquillos Ahumados

    Loquita - CROQUETA DE JAMÓN 3 FOR $16  paprika aioli, crispy potato nest with  Add truffle manchego $5

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    CROQUETA DE JAMÓN 3 FOR $16 paprika aioli, crispy potato nest with Add truffle manchego $5

    El Sitio - mexican - Updated June 2026

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