If you can only eat at one spot in Santa Barbara, pick here. We stumbled upon this place while driving around California for the week, touring colleges with our kids. This was rhetorical culinary highlight of our trip. Lovely outdoor patio. Food for five and two cocktails was $210 or so. read more

Very nice beach front restaurant. I made the mistake of sitting outside the happy hour zone but my fault. Lots of heaters for outdoor seating. Food and drinks rocked. read more

Nice spot for elevated Mexican fare that includes a menu that has ceviche, vegetarian, meats and seafood options. I think this place would appeal to anyone that enjoys Mexican cuisine and looking for something in SB that also has a nice bar and ocean view. They also have a small patio if you want to bring your dogs. Stopped in with my wife and I opted for one of my favorite dishes Chicken with black Mole and this one delivers for the price. You get a full plate of well cooked chicken and black Mole which is accompanied by equally well cooked rice, plantains and corn tortillas. Tables get a basket of chips with a green and red salsa which are definitely good to kick off the meal. They have an only me wait-list for busier rushes if you're looking for a table. If you're in the funk zone, it's worth a visit read more

Flor De Maiz - Pollo Negro (Chicken with black Mole , plantains, rice and 3 corn tortillas) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Have not stopped talking or thinking about this place. We came for lunch right after getting married at the courthouse. We were chatting with the sheriff and he highly recommended this place, and so happy he did! The place itself is beautiful, the staff is the friendliest and the chef was so attentive, he kept checking in and spent quite a bit of time talking to us about the menu, the recipes, etc. When I say this was the best filet mignon I've ever had... cooked perfectly, and the mole over it was to die for. The presentation??? Unreal! It was truly art. My husband ordered a shrimp dish that I truly must return for. Impeccable service, they made our first meal as a married couple the best!!! They were also kind enough to bring us a plan to congratulate us gracias a todos! read more

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oh my gosh!!!! this place is amazing this is like nice mexican. high quality, fresh, and overall the whole experience feels nice. everything we and the people around us ordered looked so good we had such a hard time deciding. our server kaila was so so kind and amazing. we got the guac, shrimp tacos, tuna tostada, oysters, and chicken negro mole absolutely everything was amazing. nothing was off. even the chips and salsa they bring u when you sit down was amazing. if i wasn't here for only two days i would definitely come back. the menu has such a wide variety aswell i need to try more!! the house made tortillas are so unbelievably soft and delicious the shrimp tacos were unlike any i've ever had before. the chicken mole was so flavorful. oysters were so fresh and so so good. tostada was HUGE i did not expect it. but i ate it all. so. freaking. good. i got a side of black beans with my tacos and they were also house made and so so wonderful. we had the best seats ever aswell right outside. but the whole restaurant was so nice inside and out. new favorite place for sure. read more

Flor De Maiz - chicken negro mole - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This restaurant is truly exceptional, receiving a perfect score of 10 out of 10. As a connoisseur of fine dining, I desire the complete package! I seek top-notch, delectable cuisine, outstanding customer service, and a visually pleasing atmosphere. The dishes were incredibly flavorful. We sampled a variety of items, with the avocado green salsa standing out as a particularly spicy and delicious accompaniment to my chips. The meat was exceptionally tender and juicy across all our selections. I opted for a Jamaica margarita that was perfectly balanced, not overly sweet. Our server, Javier, was personable and attentive, ensuring our every need was met. In fact, all the staff at the restaurant were exceptional. The ambiance was precisely what I was seeking - a stunning oceanfront setting that was visually appealing. The added bonus of complimentary valet parking was the cherry on top. It goes without saying that I will definitely be returning to dine at this restaurant. Reflecting on my experience at Flor De Maíz will undoubtedly prompt me to make the drive from Long Beach to Santa Barbara more frequently. I just realized we did nit take pics of our dishes. My phone die after I took the group picture read more

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Good place to eat and have a relaxing drink by the water in Santa Barbara. The host of an AirBNB recommended Flor De Maiz and their shrimp tacos. The friendly hostess sat us down right away and we were greeted with great service throughout the experience. I did try the Shrimp tacos and they were delicious. My Honey had the Chamorro de Cerdo and it was fire! Big portion so that she even shared with me. It was a good crowd for a Tuesday night with a big bar area to relax along with outdoor seating. We will definitely come back when in the area. It's located within the Funk Zone. There is a public area nearby within easy walking distance. Stay blessed my friends read more

Flor De Maiz - Shrimp Tacos! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Was craving tacos, and I'd been recommended to try Flor de Maiz while staying in SB for the weekend. We arrived for an early dinner, and it wasn't too packed. Our server was kind and was nice to stow our beach umbrella and make sure our table wasn't too wobbly. We had some complimentary chips and salsa and we also got the guac: all delicious, and I especially enjoyed the guac and chipotle salsa: the former was creamy with just the right amount of bite from the avocado bits and the latter was super smoky and earthy, not too spicy, either. I opted for cauliflower tacos and they were pretty good: the cauliflower was a bit undercooked, but the creamy sauce on top was delicious. I also ordered the blackberry cassis margarita, which was okay: it wasn't as blackberry in flavor as I'd hoped, but otherwise refreshing and beautifully-presented. Flor de Maiz is pricey, but for being on the waterfront, it's not much different from its other competitors. If you want Mexican food by the ocean, this is it! read more

Flor De Maiz - Tacos de coliflor with blackberry cassis margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Flor de maiz is one of my favorite stops in Santa Barbara. It has the best location right on Cabrillo and in the funk zone. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. I have been here many times for dates, meeting friends and large gatherings. The food is great! I love the tacos or any of their dishes with a good sauce like the enchiladas. It is a bit pricier but it is a great treat. The staff is so nice and quick service. Highly recommend if you want some good food near the beach! read more

Flor De Maiz - Margarita sayulita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Wonderful cocktails, food and atmosphere. Beautiful location across from the beach. Churros were lovely read more

Flor De Maiz - Mole Negro - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The best Mexican food I've ever had. Period I've lived on the planet over 50 years and the place gets the gold medal read more

Flor De Maiz - Enchilada verde - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

so disappointed the service was awful No one came to ever fill my water up after I asked 2 different people others at the table got a mixed drink and strawberry lemonade those drinks were never asked if they needed replenished , our quesadillas trio was dry and didn't really have any cheese the other food enchiladas and steak tacos and rice were just okay nothing special no flavor... at the end I payed with cash he asked if I wanted changed I said yes he never returned after 38 mins of waiting we decided to leave , Never returning it seems to be for tourists anyways. read more

Flor De Maiz - disappointed. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place has the views. We came here on Memorial Day. Our fav spot was closed. They have a lot of options on the menu so I thought it would be great for a picky, dairy free, pescatarian like me. First item was the margarita. It was watered down and lack luster. Ahi app was way bigger than expected and delicious. There was random pieces of cheese that made their way on the plate. I asked the waitress about it and she came back from the kitchen and said it was coconut. BS. We both had the halibut fish tacos. They were fine. Maybe they have other options that are more spectacular. read more

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I'm such a big fan of Mexican food and Flor De Maiz is delish! Definitely upscale options but also the usual favorites. Chips and salsa immediately came to our table when we sat down. I loved the green avocado-y salsa. I opted for the lobster tacos, which felt super fitting being right by the water. We stopped in on a Wednesday and it was super easy to get a table right away, plus had the option to sit inside or outside. The Guadalajara margarita was so tasty- has flavors of watermelon. Our server was awesome. We told her we were in a bit of a hurry and she seemed to ensure our drinks and food came out quickly. We will definitely be back! They offer complimentary valet parking behind the restaurant. read more

Flor De Maiz - Lobster tacos ($32) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Had to make a decision between Oku restaurant next door or Flor De Maiz. Went with Mexican this round. Friendly service from the entire staff. Sitting at the bar was a great experience from the bartender who were very attentive. Food - Taquitos de Pato en Mole Coloradito was amazing for the appetizer - Tacos De Rib Eye was good but felt they needed to chop the rib eye a little smaller, probably won't be getting again - Tacos de Filete WAS THE WINNER! AMAZING! Angus fillet strips, sautéed onions, yellow pepper, avocado aioli, cilantro, cheese, and radish. Next time I'll definitely be trying the Ceviche de Pulp, Tostada de Mariscos, Ceviche de Pulpo, Quesadillas del Huerto, and Empanadas de Langosta. Awesome job on the beautiful menu photos!!! read more

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Location is the most positive thing I can say about this place. Right across from the Santa Barbara Pier which makes for epic Sunset and pictures! Staff was hit and miss. Hostesses were overwhelmed and not professional. Food runners seemed confused and kitchen released food strangely. However our waiter was accommodating and friendly. Food was good. Tap water is absolutely disgusting and salsa was just overly spiced and aggressive. We sat outside was nice but our reservation meant nothing and it all became very complicated. I would probably never come back but everyone at our table did enjoy their enchiladas! read more

This place was fire. The service was great. Super friendly and quick. Sat down right away and took are time. Didn't get rushed. Had a variety of drinks. All were amazing. The Mitla had its own fire show. Shots were smooth. Food was delicious. The esquite was my favorite. The atún toreada so flavorful. Chips fresh. Meat tender. All delicious. Vibe was nice. We will definitely be back. read more

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Rib eye tacos? Don't mind if I do! So tender and seasoned to perfection. The Sayucito was the perfect compliment to my meal. Service was fab and the patio was lovely. read more

When in Santa Barbara we always go to the same quaint Mexican restaurant on the corner across from the beach but this time it looked completely different but the food was exceptional! The arroz con mariscos is a foodies must with large pieces of octopus & shrimps. The chicken verde enchiladas, shrimp (again the large shrimp) tacos, esquite corn with chicharrón again a foodie must! Had the chicken tortilla soup served by the waiter pouring the consume into the bowl with the ingredients, that was different but needed more of the consume & I found that a bit too thick but was tasty! The chicken empanadas was delicious, chef's kiss As a lover of "Old Fashion" cocktail, there was no maraschino cherrie, big no no, especially for a pricey restaurant. The flan for my birthday was delicious & free with a happy birthday song. Overall a definite place to have a special meal well worth the prices we all agreed! read more

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Flor De Maiz was a very popular choice for dinner that night because the wait outside was very long, I'm happy to have had a reservation. It was a little tight of a table for our group size, we had maybe 10 people, so I would suggest really focusing on seating arrangement. The service was good, our server kept all of our drinks and food orders organized in a timely manner. They do not allow to split checks, so be aware of that before read more

Flor De Maiz - Classic margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I went here again for the tiger shrimp !!! It's super delicious ! And huge ! I think the price is reasonable for the quality of the dish. It was super good I have to eat very last morsel of it. The scallops was also really good. It's raw scallops and tasted sweet and fresh. I will come back again and again for these !! read more

Flor De Maiz - Camaron Tigre con tetela - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Beautiful restaurant, great ambience and staff. With fun cocktails, the dish I got lacked flavor but it was beautiful. I enjoyed the salsas and the plantain chips. I ordered the spicy margarita but it was way too spicy. Although the food wasn't extraordinary, the restaurant and the pretty presentation along with the cocktails makes it a nice experience. I would recommend it! My friend loved the food! read more

Flor De Maiz - Ceviche - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

First time here and loved everything! The whole fish, octopus, and chicken mole were all amazing! The margaritas were delicious and the service spot on! We will be back soon read more

I've been to Santa Barbara 3x now and have never been disappointed by Flor de Maiz. Their drinks are on point, service is reliable, and more importantly, the food is super tasty and generously portioned. I had the ceviche; pro tip: if you don't like spicy food, just ask for the chiles on the side or removed, and it is super mild! The combination of the marinated fish (and there was a ton of it) with the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, corn nuts, everything blended together perfectly. It was fresh and delicious. I ordered a short rib empanada and it was huge! I would have preferred it a bit more salty and less greasy, but that's typical of short rib. My friend had the steak tacos; again generously portioned and well prepared. Wishing they could open a location near me - I would be there every weekend! read more

What a pleasure this restaurant is! I've been here a few times with several groups of friends, and it's never failed to be anything but top tier and to wow my guests. Today we had Quesadillas del Huerta ( added shrimp) , and Ribeye Steak Tacos. They were beyond delicious, as is every single item we've tried. It's a beautiful restaurant with a stunning view. Just as important as the food, is the excellent service. Very helpful and attentive waitstaff A total gem of a restaurant. One complaint: I wish they would open up a restaurant in the SF Valley or Agoura, Calabasas or Westlake Village. We NEED you. read more

Food was amazing. Service was amazing. Ambience was amazing. Jonathan at the bar was amazing. 5 stars in every way read more

Flor De Maiz - Chicken Mole - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We went yesterday Saturday March 1st to celebrate my Birthday a great experience, food was delicious , we order guacamole delicious, service was excellent our waitress was pretty helpful, drinks fantastic, was really pleasant not to loud the restaurant loos epic!! read more

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Came here for dinner on a Friday night before grad ceremonies at ucsb. The place was packed. We had a reservation and still had to wait a good 20 mins. The place was bustling. They served chips with two kinds of salsa. I ordered a skinny spicy margarita. It came out about 20 mins later after I reminded the server. I ordered the chicken pilla on the menu. It was a Cornish hen that I think was deep fried. It was a bit dry but came with a generous side of fingerling potatoes and half and avocado, raw onions and corn tortillas. My wife ordered the shrimp tacos which looked good but the taste was average. Overall the food was 4, ambiance is 5 and service was 4. read more

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Ambiance is great, very clean look yet design is true to its Mexican roots. The service is wonderful, their servers and even outside reservations stand were jovial and sweet, offering to be helpful. I recommend the tacos al pastor, which were a great size for an entree and delicious. I'm not normally a fan of mixing my sweet and savory, but the pineapple was added in perfect amounts to give the pork a nice finishing touch. Highly recommend! read more

Flor De Maiz - Flor de Jamaica - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This restaurant is beautiful and conveniently by the beach. The host's demeanor significantly impacted the initial perception. She looked bothered to have to service us never once greeting us. We got seated and didn't get serviced until about 15-20mins in. again it was about 11am about 10 other people inside. Sad to say but good food can be overshadowed by poor service. Would definitely recommend a host with more character and warm energy. The bar tender is who took our orders and serviced us. Wouldn't recommend if you want a nice lunch without feeling welcomed.For a Mexican restaurant I definitely left feeling like I didn't belong in there. read more

Flor De Maiz - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great food! Great atmosphere! Great drinks! I came here for a late Sunday dinner. They do not take reservations or call ahead seating so we were worried we would not get a table, but we were able to get right in! They definitely need to hire more hostess because it took a while for us to even get helped, but once we talked to the hostess, we were able to get a table right away. The guacamole is absolutely amazing. A good size for about three people. The chips and salsa they give you free before your meal are also delicious and spicy. I ordered the tacos. I was worried I would still be hungry because you only get two in an order, but the tacos are huge! It is definitely enough food. Me and my sister split two taco orders so we got to try two different types of meat. We got the pork belly and the ribeye tacos. The pork belly tacos were good and flavorful, but the ribeye was out of this world. The ribeye was significantly better than the pork belly. I wish the pork belly had more crisp and crunch. The rice was also very good and so were the black beans. I thought the tacos came with rice, but mine came with black beans instead. It worked out because we split our meal, but not sure if they just ran out of rice or not. I ordered a margarita, and they gave me the wrong one. They let me keep the margarita they made by accident, but they never gave me my correct drink. We had to ask for it about three times and finally they gave us the correct margarita. I'm not sure where the confusion went, but they were able to work it out and took the wrong margarita off of our bill without us having to ask. So we really appreciated that. Overall, it was a good experience but the food was definitely the highlight. I will definitely come back for those ribeye tacos! read more

Flor De Maiz - Inside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Food was fabulous especially the TORTILLA SOUP!!! Great atmosphere and staff was EXCELLENT! Look forward to eating there again

Worth every cent. We went with a large group and we couldn't help but share our food it was all so delicious! Best mole I've ever had.

The food is impeccable. The chips and salsa are amazing. All food really is all the way around exquisite. I do not recommend sitting at the bar, after several hopeful attempts. In fact I'd just suggest they do not allow that as an option as it's severly watered down service. Without the occasional bus boy stopping by who were grand, my visit would of been a bust in terms of service. The redhead man ponytailed man at the bar spent an hour prioritizing preparing mint and avoided eye contact when we were trying ready to order drinks or food. The other guy was busy making drinks for tables which made sense. Overall ambience of the restaurant is superb, just don't sit at the bar unless you want to beg for any service. I'd love to give 5 stars as the cooks and 90% of staff are lovely but the bar just isn't it. read more

Flor De Maiz - Tributo with bourbon instead of mezcal - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Sitting outside, seeing the ocean, enjoying a beautiful lunch. Came for lunch and what a great experience. Service is great. Then the salsa and chips is great, with two different salsas. The group ordered a variety of tacos - lobster, fish and chicken. Everyone was very happy with the meals! Drinks are amazing, their craft cocktails are well made and delicious. Definitely a spot to try in Santa Barbara! read more

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It was pretty good.. a little to pricey but amazing empanadas. The area is really nice

A very fancy Mexican food restaurant. They sat us promptly without a reservation and we had 7 people on NYE. It looks like they were decorated for a new year's eve celebration. They said they would have live music until 1am. We just ate dinner here. Food is very expensive but it is tasty. It is not very traditional Mexican food. It is more of an American version on Mexican food with some twists but like I said it is still good. I had the tuna ceviche which was very good and a hit at our table. The free chips and salsa are warm and fresh. They give free refills and my table kept eating 3 or 4 baskets of them. The traditional shrimp ceviche was also pretty good. The steak tacos I had did not seam like grilled steak but it was good. I asked for medium but I don't think it was prepared the way I asked because it was pretty well done. The flavor was good and came with rice. The corn tortillas taste homemade. Overall it is a nice place to go while strolling State street in Santa Barbara near the pier. Good service and good food. read more

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At Flor De Maiz, sitting at the bar elevates the dining experience with exceptional service and expertly crafted drinks. The food is outstanding, featuring very good flavors that highlight the culinary expertise. The attentive bartenders ensure a memorable visit, making it a must-visit for both food and drink enthusiasts. read more

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food was great as always but service was MEH honestly, took wayyy too long to bring the food out and the server felt like he was uninterested, plus the orders kept getting mixed around which is irresponsible because someone at the table had a dietary restriction! also do they not provide a complimentary dessert for birthdays??? just very unorganized considering how large my party was. would come back for something small but do NOT recommend for parties larger than 4 read more

I had dinner with a close friend, and the ambience was relaxed while the food was absolutely amazing! It was so good that my husband and I now drive 2 1/2 hours just to have lunch here. Their quesadillas, esquites are a great appetizer, enough for 3 people My husband had the enchiladas de camaron and he enjoyed them. Sadly I could get a picture to post. lol Can't wait to go back next month! read more

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