While in the High Desert for business with my partner, we stopped into Montecito Kitchen for lunch…read more She was craving Mexican food, which I'm always happy with, but I personally wanted something a little lighter and healthier--ideally a good salad. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first. In my experience, salads at Mexican restaurants can sometimes feel like an afterthought: a handful of greens with a few random toppings tossed in. That definitely wasn't the case here. I ordered the Montecito Chicken Salad, and it completely exceeded my expectations. The chicken was served warm (exactly how I like it on a salad) and seasoned perfectly. It wasn't dry or bland like you sometimes get with salad proteins--it was flavorful and clearly prepared with care. The portion size was also generous. Instead of a few tiny pieces scattered around, there was plenty of chicken, making the salad feel like a full and satisfying meal rather than a side dish pretending to be lunch. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. It's the kind of salad that reminds you a simple dish can still be done really well. Another thing that stood out was the service. The older women working there were incredibly kind and welcoming. You could tell they take pride in their work and in the place itself. That kind of genuine hospitality always makes a dining experience better. Music was at a tolerable level and reminded me of my childhood home, my mom played some great music when she cooked, cleaned or just vibed. Sometimes the most unexpected places end up being the best stops. Montecito Kitchen turned a quick lunch break into a really pleasant surprise. Next time I'm back in the area, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again--there are plenty of other dishes on the menu I'd happily come back to try. Great food, warm service, and a salad that actually delivers. Definitely worth the stop.

Birra tacos are now my fav! Consummé was very flavorful. I could detect a little grease, but it…read moremade it very authentic tasting. The meat in these tacos was outstanding, with not one speck of gristle.. Homemade and better than my homemade. Perfect little diced onions that were sautéed or cooked with the meat so every bite was delicious. Cilantro & onion in the consummé was ideal. Order at the counter but food is served to your table, usually with a little bowl of chips and salsa.

My fiancé and I were looking for a new place to try. We had driven past a different restaurant and…read moredidn't see good reviews. We ended up finding this place and I'm so glad we did! The restaurant is in the parking lot next to a tire shop so we missed it the first time however, not too hard to find. Lots of ample parking in the evening. Loved that their hours sign had they were closed Mondays to "recharge"! Made me want to go in even more. Upon entering, we were received with such a friendly and warm greeting by Anna. She helped take our order and had us sit. It is an order at the window inside, then take a seat (pay at the end). My fiancé got a shrimp burrito, I ordered the shrimp in garlic butter sauce. OMGGGG! Mouth watering. The presentation on my dinner plate was beautiful. Oh, and their tortillas are home made! I ordered an extra side. Really great food and service - can't wait to go back.

Their oysters are to die for. Their hot and spicy shrimp is so spicy but its really good. The fish…read moreand shrimp tacos are pretty good. The paella is definitely a must try. Their shrimp cocktail and ceviche are a little on the sweet side but not bad. It's a pretty good place. Great service. Nice little hole in the wall you should try.

I always come here for my carne asada. The marinade is delicious. Also you can order food and eat…read moreit there too. Its a cool little setup. Can grab your favorite mexican glass soda and grub. They have a good taco tuesday deal. I've had there carne asada, pastor, lengua n cabeza tacos. Really good. Torta de asada is solid too.

The tacos were delicious. I had the chicken, asada and buche. They give you plenty of condiments. I…read morewould go there again.

If you're on the hunt for some quick Mexican food, this is the spot for you! They've got breakfast…read moreoptions, birria, Taco Tuesday, and agua fresca!!! It's a small place, but it's fantastic. Just make sure to arrive early for Taco Tuesday because they run out of meat pretty fast. There's also a cozy little area where you can enjoy a more private dining experience. Come check it out; they serve freshly made TORTILLAS THAT JUST MAKE EVERYTHING TASTE EVEN BETTER!!

This place is a hidden Gem! Service was good, food is amazing. We live over an hour away and always…read morefind time to grab lunch!!!

Don't let the location of this little place (inside the gas mart) put you off. The food is quite…read moregood and the staff is very nice.

been looking for a good small mex. place that has good tacos. this place is that, located in a gas…read morestation, this is the sorta place that you know has great grubbin mexican. i go the al pastor and asada tacos and churros. i had ordered a horchata also, but they were out so i got a soda instead. the tacos were amazing, def. top quality street style tacos here, and not only loaded with meat, but lots of onions and cilantro which i love!! now, the tacos were the stand out item, the churros......hmmmm they were ok, at best. i think they might've been made earlier in the day, they def. were a bit stale(not really that bad, but you can tell) and were a bit over cooked. i will give them another try, since i could tell if they were fresher they would be really good..... i also had the asada fries, meh...no real flavor and i wasn't able to finish them, they were just flavorless and boring....and a fat man that doesn't like your asada fries, well, def. something wrong there..... overall, yea...this is a good place for tacos, i will try some other stuff next time and give the churros a 2nd chance, and hopefully they'll have horchata available. won't be trying the asada fries again, that was just sad in every way possible...... fat man approved for your taco grubbin needs!!!

Good food, great customer service , Ambiance was great …read more Definitely will come again

Started going here last year with friends and family. The kind service, the delicious food and the…read moreoverall ambience was extremely good! 100% recommend

BOMB FUCKEN TACOS. that's all I gotta say ^…read moreInstagram: @xtacocartel tiktok @xtacocartel

I don't know where to begin to write this review, I came here ordered a burrito of pastor and let…read moreme just say that the meat was sweet all I tasted was the pineapple chunks that they put the beans tasted like they were reheated up or just old. I also got 2 asada taco the tortillas for both the tacos and the burritos was good but for the asada tacos the meat was bland and chewy. I honestly don't think I'll be back even tho they did have good customer service and there tortillas are good.

Love this spot! The horchata here is bomb, perfectly sweet and refreshing. The chicken burrito is…read moregreat; juicy, flavorful, and super satisfying. Don't sleep on the side sauce either, it's killer and really takes everything up a notch. Friendly service and solid portions. Definitely a go-to for Mexican comfort food! The vibe is great and service was loving. Live, love and laugh. -Sha

Little restaurant with big flavors. Little place with indoor seating for maybe 15-20 people…read more Between a gas station and a motel 6. The service is really polite and friendly. Offered us specials and add-ons where applicable. We had the Fish Taco special and California burrito. The burrito is massive but full of flavor and tastes really fresh. Be sure to get the red and green sauces, they really help add flavor yo everything. The fish tacos were very tasty. We wish they had a bigger piece of fish or more fish but the slaw and sauces really added a flare to the tacos. I would stop here again and again. We love the red and green sauces.

First and last time visit. Food was too damn pricey…read more Chicken nuggs were some fake processed food that I had to toss. Wet burrito was decent. For our salad, it's was pretty big, but they gave us a single, small, dressing. I asked for sour cream. For this small container it wasn't 75c, not $1, but $2 freaking dollars??? $60-some dollar experience (no drinks) for those things mentioned

I loved this place for their authentic Menudo unfortunately it seems as they changed their recipe…read more Not satisfied.

Tacos were very expensive and service was not very friendly. They took close to 10 minutes to take…read moremy order and there was only 2 other people there waiting for orders. However, I LOVE that the tacos are made with handmade tortillas which really brings the quality up. I'm just still not sure it was worth $9 for just 2 tacos.

Best asada queso tacos I have ever had!!! Recommend 100%!!! Service was great ! The tortillas are…read moreamazing !