La Super Rica Taqueria, Santa Barbara

La Super Rica is the most authentic Mexican food in town! Around lunch time is gets very buisy.. so get there early! It's one of those hole in the wall type of places. Rumor is that Julia Child ate here and loved it. So check it out!

The story I was told is that La Super-Rica was one of Julia Childs' favorite places to eat in Santa Barbara. I don't know if that's true, but it is one of our favorites. Everything on the menu is so good that I have trouble deciding what to get, and so usually order too much, but eat it all anyway. Realistically, you could get two or three small items, or one large item, for about $10 and be satisfied.

The food is mostly variations of soft tacos, with chile rellenos, tamales and some other items. Always check the specials, especially on Sunday, when they make the pozole.

The look of the place is slightly above a roadside shack, but don't let that fool you. If there's a long line, you can be sure that a) you're at the right place, and b) it must be good. Believe me, it's worth the wait. The kitchen is all windows on three sides, so you can watch the tortilla's (and everything else) being made.

Favorite Dish: La Super-Rica Especial is fantastic. It's pork with peppers and lots of melted cheese.

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An unpretentious shack, la Super Rica Taqueria serves some of the best Mexican food in southern California. Never without a queue, this restaurant is a goldmine, partly because it was endorsed by Julian Child, who claimed it was her favourite Mexican restaurant, and partly because she was right! Add to this the fact that it is quite cheap and one can understand its popularity.

This a favorite of all the locals. Great food at a very affordable price. The decor is a little rough around the edges but they make up for it in the authentic dishes they serve. This is also know as the late Julia Childs favorite restaurant. The popularity of this tiny gem is apparent in the long wait to get in the door. On a given night you can see a long line of patrons outside waiting. Oh, no reservations either..........cash only as well.

All ingredients are made fresh, no canned food here. The menu is not just simple "Taco Stand" variety and has something for all paletes. For the price and the flavors one cannot go wrong!

Favorite Dish: The Taco de Calabacitas! A wonderfully balanced dish of tender marinated pork and stewed zucchini with melted cheese. DELICIOSO!