Old Mission, Santa Barbara, California
As I’ve previously mentioned, my husband’s family live in the L.A. area and so we travel to California often. Venturing just slightly north of L.A. to Santa Barbara brings you to another world – slower, quieter, beautiful Santa Barbara. But you still gotta eat!
When in Santa Barbara look no further than La Super-Rica Taqueria. Located at the corner of Milpas and Alphonse, this little no-frills hole-in-the-wall serves great, authentic Mexican food, recommended by none other than Julia Child. (So say many reviewers… she supposedly gave it a shout-out in 1985 on Good Morning America, but I couldn’t find any confirmation).
Line out the door at La Super-Rica Taqueria
It doesn’t matter whether true or not. Go anyway but not on Wednesdays when it is closed. Whenever you go, there will be a line. There’s always a line. But it moves fast and there was plenty of seating inside the small restaurant.
The tortilla specialist at La Super-Rica
The tortillas were my favorite thing at La Super-Rica Taqueria. Watching the tortilla chef shape the masa and griddle each tortilla to order was mesmerizing! And the tortillas were like none I have ever tasted. Earthy, corn taste but light and flaky as well.
Working the grill at La Super-Rica Taqueria, Santa Barbara
Although it is a “taqueria,” meaning it specializes in tacos, the menu includes non-taco items and specials such as chile rellnos. Everything was made to order, but the line moves quickly. When you reach the counter to order, be prepared! We only had a short time to get our thoughts together to place our order.
The prices are incredibly low. Tacos were around $3 each and nothing on the menu was over $8. So you can pick a few things to try and still have lunch for under $20. We tried the Tacos de Bistec (#1 on the menu) as well as the Pechuga Suiza (#12 – grilled chicken with melted cheese). (As you can see, we also ordered rice, which I would skip next time.) A variety of salsas were available self-serve in the dining room.
Lunch at La Super-Rica
All said, it’s a fun experience, great food, and maybe you are sitting just where Julia sat! Who knows?! Btw, I am a huge fan of the show Psych, which, though set in Santa Barbara, was actually filmed in British Columbia. Finally, we stayed at the Cheshire Cat Inn, which I would definitely recommend. We had a spacious room in the main house, which was walking distance to the shopping area. A nice appetizer hour and breakfast were both included.
