Mediocre food and WAY overpriced. $5 for one small soft taco? Burritos end up being about $12-14, and that's without any add-ons. Yes, the portions are pretty generous but it's just too greasy and doesn't seem like anything is super fresh. Staff is indifferent at best. read more

Yay! I'm a fan! I work around the corner from Rudy's and phone in a dinner order at least a few times a month. They have a great selection of all the classic Mexican dishes you would expect and the quality of the ingredients is consistantly high. I find myself ordering the Tres Amigos Burrito and their Flautas Verdes over and over again. These days I'm into their crunchy tacos. For the price, this place is simply amazing. read more

Food here stands out. Pretty good crispy tacos and chile relleno. Portions are amazing....but really the food just simply stands out...very tasty .....a great find if you are staying at lavender inn....its only a 5 min walk from there... read more

I had the wet burrito with carne asada It was huge It was flavorful It was definitely worth the price (~$10) First of all, I have never had carne asada without the chewy tendon parts, but they did a really good job trimming the meat, which was a pleasant surprise to me. The carne asada was tender (another pleasant surprise), and there was a perfect balance of meat, rice, cheese, and refried beans inside. The sauce was a bit salty, but the salsa and sour cream balanced it out, for the most part. (It also came with guacamole which was nice). I was full after only eating (almost) half of it! read more

They like to put big loads of sour cream on the food here! I'm a fan of that! Had the potato taquitos with at least 10 oz of sour creamy goodness on top! I was on sour cream overload and I liked it. read more

Huge portion sizes. Amazing service and great quality food. Rice, salsa, everything is incredible

OMG I love Rudy's. I have to come here everytime I am in Santa Barbara. I am so jealous of my fam that gets to eat here whenever they want. I mostly get the tacos, because they are crazy good and they are SO BIG!! They are with out a doubt the best thing on the menu! The way they stuff so much food into that shell is like a magic trick. Other items I recommend: the wet burrito, taquitos, quesidilla, and the nachos. The wait is a little long for the food, but it is worth it! Rudy's also has the most amazing salsa bar ever. I swear you could be at that thing for 10 minutes getting all the goods. How embarrassing hahahaha. read more

Ummm... I really can't describe this place. Try to imagine heaven, green fields, trees, tons of sick waterfalls, fools chilling everywhere in robes of light... now imagine that in your mouth. Well, maybe not directly but translate it to Mexican food and you have Rudy's. I happened upon this place on my way to Brewhouse which is right down the street and never made it any further. Brewhouse is delicious, don't get me wrong but you need to spread out those spendin dollars a little bit between beer and Mexican food... and brewhouse fries but that's another story for another day. Anyways when you walk in on a cold winter evening you may notice the place is just that... cold. Have no fear though, just cruise over to the salsa bar and mop up on of those little green peppers and you'll be set. Order up a combo burrito with enchilada sauce and peruse through an Autotrader while you wait. When you get that glorious beast of a burrito toss cilantro and onions over it with the smoked chipotle salsa (if you're lucky enough to get any, its always gone because it soooo friggin good). Then comes the best part... The first bite. If you so choose prepare your taste buds with a few chips dipped in that crazy ass enchilada sauce but be ready, the first bite of that blessed burrito with take you to cloud nine. I actually do a tap dance on top of the little counter where they put the napkins but thats just my preference. Thats about it. Buy it, eat it, become an addict (to Rudy's). Rock on. read more

Food has always been decent and huge portions. Salsa bar is tasty. Cashiers have always been very aloof and not very friendly. Biggest complaint is how terribly uncomfortable the chairs have always been. Even the ones they've had in the past before thes read more

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Ok so i was going through my reviews when i came across this one i wrote a few months ago....i lived by this place for a year, and i recently went back to the SB area and OH MAN OH MAN did i miss this place. For the life of me i can't figure out why i only gave this place 4 stars before....now it might be because living in SB i was spoiled by good mexican food...or living in SF now im craving great so-cal mexican food...but either way this place is DEFINITELY worth the visit. Don't go to the one at the mall, its definitely lower quality and the food is far far more bland. This spot is THE spot to get some good mexican. read more

Hands down the best Rudy's of all the Rudy's! I don't know why that is but I have a suspicion it's b/c of the old school cook manning the kitchen. Every time I see him in there, I know I'm in for a 8 lb. burrito -or- 2 very, very overstuffed tacos with the perfect amount of cheese. Seriously, they are good! I love the location b/c it always provides a scene for watching all the interesting, indigenous people of SB out for a daily walk. You can even spot the occasional person returning home with the 'Stride of Pride' look on their face. But this review is about Rudy's - and you should check it out when you're in the mood for SoCal mexican food. read more

Food was good but the service not so much. First of all, they were slow with our order. We were #78 and they were calling out the upper 80s before us. Second, I order a plain hamburger without cheese yet they still put cheese on the burger. Instead of giving me a fresh burger, they just simply took the cheese off yet there were pieces of it still on the meat. Third, they messed up my wife's order. They tried to claim I didn't give them the correct order even though I read it to them directly from a text message. Would probably not eat here again because of the service. read more

4 stars? Chick behind the counter, not friendly. "Special" Burrito, not special. Literally only chicken and rice. Table we sat at, dirty. Maybe I don't know what to order here, but what about the bad service and dirty tables? read more

This spot is not as good as the reviews say. There's no flavor in the food the rice is was horrible and way overpriced for quality of food save yourself the money and go to Taco Bell. read more

Rudy's is the dive bar of Mexican restaurants. They are not trying to impress you with their ambiance. No shame in that game! Portions are enormous and the food is good, but not great. I ordered a veggie burrito. It was lots of sour cream and refried beans and rice, but not a lot of veggies. It was tasty, but probably because of all the sour cream. My mom ordered the chicken taco special, but was unimpressed. The tacos were drowning in the sauce and the chicken looked mysterious. She wasn't pleased. Would probably try to visit another place for Mexican food next visit. read more

We were in town for my Son's graduation and we were looking for a good place to eat. We were walking to a local 7-11 when we noticed this place so we decided to check it out. We thought the prices were a little high, that is until we got our meal. At first glance you will notice that you get a lot of food for the money so you feel like you got the amount of food for what you paid. As for taste. This food is amazing!!! As we enjoyed our meal we noticed a steady flow of customers (a really good sign) that never let up. The ingredients are top notch and the food was extremely tasty. If you are in the area do yourself a favor and check this place out. Eat here!!! read more

Fast service and delicious eats at this laid back Mexican restaurant. Moderate prices, typical for Santa Barbara, but the large portions make every meal well worth it. I got the wet combo burrito with carnitas... fabulous! And will certainly last me two meals. They also have a great selection of salsas to have with you meal. Large venue with lots of seating so good for larger groups. Also have the option for takeout. read more

Went here after much drunken wine tasting and i will say that my enchiladas were awesome. I didn't feel so great afterward, nor did any of the 6 of us, but i'm sure it was the wine/food combo that did us in. Not the best mexican food (the mission in SF has you beat!) but pretty tasty. read more

OMG! I have eatten at this spot, aka La Placita, a million bajillian catrillian times and I love the Nachos!! The nachos are heeped up high with meat either chicken or carne asada and then there's guac, sour cream, lettace, pico de gayo, jalepenos and all that mess, man I'm trying to tell you something, this is the real deal friend. These nachos ain't no joke! I am getting hungry hungry hippo just talking about it. I want them to Fed Ex me an order to my doorstep, that's how bad I want these damn things!!! I would fight bums in the parking lot for these things, yes I would! Good, Good, Good, etc read more

No shortage of salt flavored food. Huge portion at least, and a bit more than I was expecting to spend. I came here because Yelp showed a single dollar sign indicating that the prices were really favorable. Nope! read more

My husband went to school at UCSB and worked near Rudy's. He returned for nostalgic purposes because it was the place he and his fellow gas station workers frequented. The menu and burritos weren't exactly what he remembered but we decided to order a barbacoa burrito and fish tacos. There's a toppings bar with a huge variety of things and plenty of small containers so you could take toppings easily to the table or home with you. He had the barbacoa and let me sample it. The meat was tender and spicy (it was cooking on a pot on the stove). The fish tacos were great and had just the right amount of toppings for the fish (ahi ahi I think). The fish tacos came with black beans, I normally don't eat beans but couldn't help but eat these. They were flavorful and perfect. The chips that came with both were the best I've had at any Mexican restaurant and maybe they make them there. It's not a place you'd dress up to go to but the food is really what counts and Rudy's has it right. read more

I just ordered the bacon breakfast burrito that I always used to order back in the day. I was expecting cheesey, baconey deliciousness. Instead, I got something with potatoes in it. NOT how they used to make them. Bitterly disappointed. And I think they charge more for them now, which is ironic because replacing the good stuff with potatoes would make the burrito less expensive to make . . . Bring back the old Rudy's! read more

For a taco shop with seating this place was great. Would definitely come back for taco shop style food

Love it, always get the asada burrito with extra sour cream. Always tastes amazing and the staff is always quick and efficient. 5 star place

We walked all over Santa Barbara looking for a Mexican Restaurant. (We had had a bad experience with a Mexican Restaurant in SB back in 2004 and my husband still hasn't gotten over it). By the time we arrived at Rudy's, we were hot, sweaty, thirsty, and extremely hungry. When I say this was the best burrito I have eaten in my life, you know how good it was! Huge portions which no human should consume in one sitting but we gamely met the challenge. Outstanding value for the price. Food prepared quickly. Clean atmosphere. Very sweet, efficient and warmly welcoming staff behind the counter. Delicious Salsa Bar. If they had booths, this would be 5 stars. read more

This is a therapeutic review for Rudy, if there is a Rudy. I just picked up my order of two fish fajita burritos, one with Mole sauce. Simple, no? Well, even this simple order was screwed up. My burrito showed up with red sauce, not Mole. Their mole is great! Especially on the fish fajita burrito. I get this semi-custom combo about every two months, on average. It usually happens no problem. How hard is it to make a burrito with a sauce, and get the sauce right? They offered to make me a new one, but I'm not about to drive another trip, miss my wife returning home, and get another hopefully correct burrito tonight. It's just so disappointing. It's sad that these details go unnoticed there. My suggestion? Los Agaves. Los Arroyos. ANY of the many other Mexican food places we love. Rudy? Are you awake? Still listening? Train your crew to give a dam! read more

Used to be so good, even just a short time ago. Just got home with the most paltry burritos of anywhere in town. That used to not be the case. This was one of my sons favorite places to get a BRC burrito and usually they were delicious and very filling. Tonight for some reason it was the thinnest layer of beans, rice and cheese and a lot of tortilla. The $11 veggie burrito was shamefully also the slimmest layers of beans, rice, cheese and some old, mushy tomato inside a tortilla. Potato taquitos were good so that's worth the two stars. I'm hoping it was an off night as I've never had this experience before, but to be honest not sure I want to spend 30 bucks to go back and find out. There are really too many great places in town to risk going back for the same disappointment. read more

A local favorite! Did this place on a culinary walking tour and it was awesome then so we looked them up when we came to SB again . Don't waste your time waiting in line at those other trendy Mex food places just go here and have a big appetite ! read more

Rudy's - Fish tacos , taquitos & pacifico beer in a paper cup ! ( because we sat outside ) awesome!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is definitely the Go-to place for an amazingly delicious, Mexican breakfast and it's absolutely huge - you won't be needing lunch - that is If you can even finish! We stumbled upon this jewel in a strip mall not far from our hotel. It's open at 8 and the menu is extensive. The service is excellent as well! Our food came quickly and we were floored as to how huge our plates were! We are traveling with friends so we texted them and they dined there as well once they were up and about! Prices are very reasonable as well! Fabulous place; we'll be there tomorrow! read more

Rudy's - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Yo. Straight up. Rudy's does Mexican food right. If someone tries to tell you that there's a better place to get Mexican food in SB, they're probably wrong. Sure, there's the place that makes their own tortillas on Milpas, but that spot is overrated. Crunchy tacos are jam-packed with the essentials. All the salsas are great, but my favorite is the smoked chipotle. Quesadillas are really good, plain and simple. However, my favorite plate from the kitchen, is the Charbroiled Chicken Wet Burrito--without the sour cream and tomato/lettuce on the side. This bad boy consists of a big flour tortilla, topped with enchilada sauce and filled with grilled pieces of tender white-meat chicken, spanish rice, refried beans, and cheese. When it's all said and done, you'll be back for more. read more

Wish I could have given Rudy's a zero, because It was that bad! I spent $70 on 4 meals! You might think, that's not expensive! So let's break it down! 2 cheese enchiladas, rice and beans, $14 and a soda, $2.50. That's $16.50 plus tax, comes to $18.10! Ok still no that bad you think? Try super bland, super greasy, mostly beans and rice meal! Try mostly in the trash, cause that's where the food went! Don't say you weren't warned! read more

Usually pretty good food but I think there is a difference between locations and kind of expensive. Montecito location is closest to my house. Uptown location I ordered a chicken burrito and potato taquitos were $9. Total came to about $25 but the burrito was huge and I had a second meal leftover. Just ordered a veggie burrito with a drink from Presidio and it was $17... burrito was bland and not that big for $13. There was no meat in the burrito so why is it the same price? I don't feel that full after eating it. Horchata was bland as well. Next time I will go to Super Cucas for less. read more

This was the place to get the best burritos in Santa Barbara. Things have changed and so did the service. I was so excited to eat lunch here and disappointed by the attention and quality of service. For the price of 3 hard tacos I should have received great service. Food was still good. read more

Very delicious! ! Next time we come to Santa Barbara we know where to stop and eat! Very good service too! The young lady behind the counter was very pleasant and cordial answering all all of our questions and patient. read more

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Came in for breakfast burritos and was pleasantly surprised. As I was ordering I saw corn tortillas being hand pressed and rice in a giant pot that had been cooking I'm sure for awhile. A great sign, showing hand mad ingredients. I had #1 chorizo, potato eggs and cheese. Potatoes were slightly raw and I usually order chorizo burritos without so my bad. Salsa bar was great. Had the mild red and the green sauce. Will def be back. Maybe tomorrow! read more

We were visiting Santa Barbara for the day and decided to eat some Mexican food. My mom found this location and although we were a bit skeptical of it, we absolutely liked it. The menu had a lot of yummy options and the flowers in the center of the table gave a cute pop. I got the steak fajita bowl and it was soooo good. Big portions as well. Don't hesitate to come here for good Mexican food. read more

Small unassuming restaurant with really tasty food. The three of us had, Taco salad, Tostado salad and Poblano Verde. All delicious food and generous portions. Two of us had beers. They do not serve wine. Will definitely return. All their dishes sound wonderful. read more

Rudy's - Walking to Rudy's on a chill Santa Barbara nite. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Good food, quick service, and always big portions. This place will always fill you up. Has a wonderful salsa bar as well. If you order any entree to go they pack your to go bag with fresh home made chips. The specials are mostly good as well, try the mile burrito! read more

Once you get over the rude disgruntled employee's piss poor attitude and miserable demeanor, let me tell you that crispy beef taco is worth putting up with her lack of Customer service skills. I really enjoyed the chicken enchilada as well, and the beans and rice were on point. Good value and good food. read more

Stayed at the Eagle Inn down the street and saw Rudy's on the way to the Inn. It didn't look like much from the outside, which gives it the appeal that it probably has some finger linkin, lip smacking, yummy tasting Mexican treats inside! Ordered the carnitas burrito and my friend had the chicken burrito. We should have just shared a burrito! They were huge! And super generous with the meat. It was a great balance of meat, rice, beans and cheese and the tortillas were fresh too! And they have a great salsa bar too! Definitely worth the trip and a trip back again and again. I don't think they open into the late night, but this would be the best meal after a night of drinking. read more