Tacos in Santa Barbara

Funky Fresh Pressed to Impress - a tortilla press and fresh tortillas on the griddle at La Super-RicaIn talking to folks from Santa Barbara (servers, concierges, bike rental guys, avocado farmers etc.) we got the impression that, as far as tacos are concerned, there are three places to go: El Bajio, La Super-Rica, and Lilly's. We ate at all three and found that each place weaves their own unique thread into the blanket of seaside taco options.

It was by chance that we happened by El Bajio. After a ten-mile bike ride into the foothills around Parma Park, we made our way back to flat land via Barker Pass Road. It turns into Alameda Padre Serra and spills out into a traffic circle. From there we cruised to N Milpas, a road riddled with food options. El Bajio was the first we saw.

El Bajio, a family-run taqueria, has a bit of everything: tacos (both hard and soft), quesadillas, burritos, tortas, fajitas, soups, sopes, tostadas, seafood, and a whole separate breakfast menu. We were on our way to meet people for lunch (tacos at Lilly's), so kept it to a carnitas taco ($2.99) and an agua fresca de sandia (watermelon juice, $1.75). El Bajio has a self-serve salsa bar, something we would learn later is the norm in Santa Barbara taquerias. It's a wonderful thing, and something you don't see in New York very often. The free-standing salsa counters are stocked with radishes, raw white onion, cilantro, limes, and an array of housemade salsas. As for the taco itself, it was delicious. El Bajio uses fresh, homemade, 5-inch corn tortillas and, for their tacos, dress them with nothing more than a ladle full of meat. The pork for the carnitas has a delightful amount of savory spice and is incredibly tender.

For the most part, Highway 1 is it's own freeway, seperate from Highway 101. It hugs the Pacific Coast and runs the length of California and up into Oregon and Washington. But there are stretches where 101 and 1 are one in the same. In Southern California, the two roads merge in Oxnard, 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and remain that way until Las Cruces. In Santa Barbara, where the two are one, the highway runs through the heart of downtown SB, a stone's throw from Lilly's. Waiting in line for what would be our favorite tacos of the trip, we could hear north and southbound traffic ripping by on the other side of a chainlink fence.

Lily's does tacos. That's it. You can see their menu hanging above the guys in the kitchen. You order at the register just inside the door and, before you know it, your order is plated and ready for pickup.

Beef, marinated pork, steamed beef, head, cheek, tongue, lip, eye. Those are your options. Lily's does the handmade tortilla thing and serves their tacos on smaller, 3.5 inch tortillas, which means they're cheaper ($1.60 each) and you can eat more, but that you'll have to come to grips with telling people you just ate seven tacos. We missed the lip taco somehow, but pictured from left to right, are head, cheek, tongue, and eye. The meats were all shredded super fine and, with the fresh, warm tortillas, were the best and most tender tacos we've ever had. The eye taco sounds weird, right? In no way could you tell it was an eye taco, but there was a certain gelatinousness to it, if you will. Damn good. Every one of them...

So we went back for more; the beef, marinated pork, and steamed beef (pictured with onions and cilantro that we added). With the exception of the steamed beef, the beef and marinated pork are sauteed, and the cooking method lends itself to a different texture. Unlike the soft, tender, braised meats, the beef and marinated pork are more of a crumble and have a slight crunch from searing in the pan.

In addition to the quality and value at Lilly's, we found their homemade salsas to be outstanding – bright, clean, and fresh. Our favorite was the dark, salsa de arbol – a particularly spicy rendition of salsa made from rehydrated, smoked arbol peppers. We could have drank the stuff.

We went to L.A. for a day after our first weekend in Santa Barbara, but stopped back in town on our way north for the taco trifecta and lunch at La Super-Rica.

Rather than attempt to explain the menu, just have a look. It's an interesting mix of traditional and not so.

That's our spread. From left to right: lomito suizo ($3.50, grilled, marinated pork with melted cheese btween two tortillas), tacos de chorizo ($2.50, two tortillas/tacos per order), and a gordita de frijol ($2.75, handmade thick corn tortilla filled with spicy, ground beans).

We're still craving the lomito suizo – a flavorful, textural, cheesey delight. Dunk that baby into a cup of any one of La Super-Rica's fine salsas and you've got quite the culinary experience on in your hands.

If you find yourself in Santa Barbara, and we hope that you do, a better-than-average meal awaits at any of the three taquerias we visited. If it's traditional, out-of-this-world tacos you want, hit Lilly's. If you're looking for a place that showcases fresh, hand-pressed corn tortillas to order in slightly unconventional (by New York standards) ways, head to La Super-Rica. And if you're looking for a variety of traditional Mexican dishes done well, El Bajio is for you.

Lilly's Taqueria | 310 Chapala Street | 805-966-9180 | map | www

La Super-Rica | 622 N Milpas Street | 805-963-4940 | map

El Bajio | 129 N Milpas Street | 805-884-1828 | map