I was recommended this place by an old friend and I had no idea it was there! I ordered their double char burger meal and a steak burrito and it was delicious! The fries were definitely the star of the show and I could eat them all day. Steak fries are hard to find unless you're eating at a steakhouse so having these so readily available. Their steak/carne asada in their burrito is also so good. I reminds me of the carne asada I would eat during a party at my Tia's house so having it whenever I have the cravings really helps! I'm looking forward to having more fries and more steak! read more

Burger with 3 patties and 3 cheeses.... So. Very. Yummy. Love that this is like the original habit style burger. I was in the mood for regular onions not grilled ... it had that fresh taste as well. Fries were super filling and enjoyed the salsa bar to add a little kick to my options of sauces. Thanks you for the great burger and friendly service! read more

See all

Cal Taco Fresh Grill in Goleta is a popular fast-casual spot known for quality Mexican-American food, particularly their carne asada fries, large burritos, and char-burgers. It offers a casual atmosphere with covered outdoor seating and friendly service, often praised for its fresh ingredients. Freshly grilled, flavorful meats. Known for large, filling portions. Small salsa bar and a small selection of beer on tap. read more

See all

Great local restaurant! My husband & I go there mostly for the yummy turkey burgers that are like ones that used to be served at the Habit (before they became a chain and took them off the menu). Delicious burger with lots of toppings, on a whole wheat bun, served with leaves of fresh butter lettuce and an orange slice on the side. Other good char burgers too, fried, onion rings and lots of Mexican food. All cooked to order. Nothing fancy, but just good food and friendly people! read more

Let me tell you the food is great never had an issue with the food it's great. The service is what is terrible only one employee makes this place not want to return. The young girl that works in the afternoon is terrible!!!! She has the biggest attitude and terrible customer service!!! She's always on her phone either inside or outside the restaurant thats how she messes up on the orders!!! She's always complaining about Sal not sure if thats the owner that she hates it when he's there cause he actually makes her work. The other two guys that work there are awesome they actually bring the food to you. She's calling out numbers without giving the recipe how are you suppose to know the number... she's too lazy to bring the food to you. It's 11/24/2025 5:30 pm the day she was working FYI JUST NOTICED some of the 5 star reviews are totally fake. Scroll through them and you can tell. read more

Amazing customer service and the food is always fresh and delicious. The milkshakes are soo good. I've tried the torta and a cheese burger and both were so yummy. Definitely recommend! read more

Nice young lady taking the orders. The food was not to my taste at all. Didn't like the fries or anything I ate there at all. I read in the reviews that the place has burgers that are nearly as good as in n out. Not so. Definitely not. Frozen meat patties. Has a decent salsa bar. The ranch dressing tasted pretty good. Prices seem low. Fast service. Bathroom not good. read more

I work nearby and this is my go to burrito spot. The adobada burrito is by far the best tasting burrito for the dollar in the area. The cashiers are extremely nice and always quick to get our orders out. The ambiance is casual and a great lunch spot when you want to get away from the office. read more

Cal Taco - Best Cheeseburger in Town! Cal Taco is hands-down our family's favorite spot in town, and their cheeseburger is next-level good--better than The Habit and even In-N-Out. The ingredients are always fresh, everything tastes high-quality, and the food comes out fast every single time. The staff here is incredibly friendly and efficient, which makes the whole experience even better. Even when there's a line, it moves quickly, and we've never had a long wait. There's plenty of seating both inside and outside, so it's an easy choice for a quick bite or a casual family meal. If you're looking for a consistently delicious burger and great service, Cal Taco never disappoints! read more

Love the service ,the Frys and the Pinnaple shake. Wow! Absolutely delicious. The place us clean w decent food.

I've left a review before but it's been over a decade. I've recently been back several times and it's consistently great. Cal Taco exists in its own category, and is a locals' favorite for decades. read more

The prices are cheap here. Super cheap. There's a decent menu selection, with a small salsa bar and a small but impressive selection of beer on tap. Staff was very friendly. I was told I had to try their Char Burger and I'm glad I listened. They even give you a choice of cheese to top your burger. Well seasoned, comparable to Chubbie's or The Spot. I also tried a beef taco and it was very good. Her taco combo came with decent rice and refried beans. Not canned, real beans. OK, these were dang good beans. Our only complaint? Too much topping on the burger and tacos. All that lettuce, tomato, onions, etc., makes it a little harder to bite into and a little harder to taste the meat. read more

Cal Taco - Cheeseburger - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

See all

We were driving by and thought it would be fun to try out a place that is new to us. I wasn't sure what to get but landed on the chicken burrito. It was yummy and I'd order it again. My boyfriend liked his steak burger too. It's a clean place and the service was sweet. Will go back! read more

Food is amazing! Phenomenal burritos, burgers, and torta's. My favorite burrito is the Adobada. Ingredients are fresh, prices are good, and staff is friendly. read more

My family and I love going here all the time! We love the food and we ALWAYS feel so welcomed by everyone. It's always clean and the vibes are always great. I highly recommend this place. read more

Tried to go for breakfast this morning. They're supposed to be open at 8. Doors were still locked at 8:15

The food there is amazing and delicious I like to come here with my boyfriend and he also loves it the customer service is great they are nice I like making conversations with them but I mainly love there. read more

My husband and I decided to give this place a try. We were happy that it did not disappoint. My husband got the cheeseburger (for the cheese, you have to pay .75 cents). And we aslo ordered steak nachos and steak taco. The serving was just right and price is reasonable. The steak nachos and steak tacos were both flavorful. Customer service was also good. We most likely will be visiting this place again. read more

See all

Was stared at waiting to order but pouring salsa was higher in priority. Stood there for minutes as they poured salsa disregarding me. No "be with you in a moment". I just left. read more

Love this place! It is my favorite Mexican Food takeout anywhere in the area. The Carnitas Burrito is by far my favorite burrito anywhere near here. The tacos and steak sandwich are also delicious. You also get chips and a salsa bar with some great salsas. The inside is always clean, if eating in, or quick service for carry out. This is one of my regular go-to places! read more

Excellent fresh grilled Mexican food and burgers, a must-try! I got the carne asada fries and they were absolutely delicious. Tons of fries, tons of AMAAAAZING grilled steak all over! Big slices of steak packed with flavor...best I've had in years! This is some REAL CARNE ASADA, BABY! Their burgers are also as good as the habit if not better. The char makes it stand out and you taste it in every bite. Don't sleep on the burgers bc they are a Mexican place, trust me. Thank you Cal Taco, your steak is soooo good! read more

Cal Taco - I get them with salsa and ranch on the side (no ketchup). BIG. - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Great spot for lunch. Quick, efficient with good service. This is a Mexican grill with excellent and affordable burgers. Shireen made my experience delightful from the beginning with her greeting and small talk. I was simply in for a quick bite while driving by. I had remembered about this place from a long time ago in my college days. It is still what I recall. I ordered the char burger with cheese. The burger had a nice toasted sesame bun which I always appreciate. As well as fresh, well-portioned ingredients. Burger was not over cooked and I liked the ability to select my cheese. I noticed they have a nice salsa bar and a lot of other decent options to choose from. I also remembered to check in and was surprised with a free ice cream treat. Perfect on a hot day! read more

Tasty food, speedy prep, convenient location. Always consistent and great for snacking after the beach.

Menu that includes your average fare of Mexican food and burger/fries options. Their breakfast burritos use French fries as their potatoes. That's a slight detail we weren't too fond of because it meant the fries in the burrito ended up getting soggy. We also ordered the steak and nachos fries which is uniquely an item on the menu with essentially fries and meat with sauces. The meat was a little dry, but these fries for being a thicker cut were crispy. That is a positive for me. read more

Cal Taco - steak and nacho fries - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

The hamburgers remind me of Char West (the one on State)! Great food and great memories read more

This place always hits the post for me when I'm looking forward to eating a taco salad. The charred burgers are really good as well, but that chicken taco salad reminds me of Tacobell when they had it part of their menu. Sadly the taco salad was removed butttttttt we can all enjoy it over here at Cal Taco! And they offer it in ground beef and chopped pork, chicken has been my favorite thus far. read more

Cal Taco - Monkey bowel - beef!! Eat it with the tomato salsa! - Mexican Near Me - Goleta, California

Food is great and they're quick! I've only gotten burgers and fries, so I can't speak to their other options.

BEST HIDDEN LOCAL BURGER SPOT. For over 10 years, I have been coming here! Perfect place to come after surfing/swimming/craving a good a** burger! Best: The delicious burger ofcourse with cheese and avocado !! The good: Presentation isn't the best but it doesn't matter when the food is so delicious . Only the locals really now about the secret spot The bad: The fries are cooked fresh but just need additional salt. It's a bit of a drive coming from downtown, only has one location; however very much worth the drive! They NEED to open another location! read more

See all

What unexpected find for an awesome burger. Fresh and hot made to order. The grilled cheeseburger was scrumptiously juicy, great char flavor. French fries were golden brown crunchy on outside and nice soft center. Just needed a little extra salt for my taste. It's a small space hole in the wall on side of road in a small center. But worth the trip for a great burger. They do have a Mexican menu with items that look delicious. If it's anything like the cheeseburger you won't be disappointed. I'll update for the other food. read more

I don't know how any one would give this place any stars. I stopped by and grabbed a to go steak burrito, and it was the worst burrito I've ever had. It seems that on weekends, they are too lazy to make fresh steak and refried beans. I still have bad taste in my mouth. On top of lousy food they had the audacity to charge a service fee without my knowledge. The price I thought I was paying was different from my receipt price. Don't this places need to let customers know when they add service fees or is this the new business model. I bet they do a better job on weekdays. read more

Steak is very flavorful., my chips were a bit stale but the overcome of the Mexican flavors are there. Portions are worth paying for if your looking to get full. I will comeback and hopefully this time my chips are not stale. read more

Best burger in town? Maybe so. Counter-service, quick takeout, but always always hot and good. Ask for the fries well done.

My go to spot for fast food when i'm looking for more than the same ol same at other fast food burger joints. I usually call in my order over the phone because i know what i'm gonna get. Staff is nice and helpful.My go to is the ground beef taco, I always have to have one on my order. I have tried the chorizo burger (recommend) the taco salad (recommend) love their fries! They have lots of great items to choose from, nachos burgers fries tacos and even breakfast and shakes! They are pretty fast at preparing the food. Try them out! read more

All I can comment on is there breakfast burrito which was supposed to be sausage and ended up being effectively a potato burrito with a few bits of sausage throughout the entire burrito. It had no flavor and was simply stuffed with breakfast potatoes. I didn't try anything else so I can't speak to their other food items. Their chips were decent and they're salsa was okay read more

The food is amazing, they have the best burgers and the customer service is awesome the two lady's in the front working in the afternoon are really nice and sweet I definitely recommend getting food from cal taco read more

I have to say 9/10 their French fries are perfectly cooked. This is mainly why I keep coming back or even go out of my way just to get good fries. Burgers are great as well. read more

I have been going here for the last 5 years and am never disappointed! Their burgers are great as well as the onion rings and zucchini fries. The service is very good they are always very friendly and they make the food really fast read more

The food is good, I like the beans and rice or bean rice and cheese burrito. And the lettuce is super good in the burrito. The servers are nice. Inside is nice, but outside is next to a busy street and it's loud. read more

If you like the spot in Carpinteria you'll like this place for burgers. Even though it has taco in its name people come here for the burgers. I like how they give a good amount of veggies and raw onions on the burger. You can chose to get a add your choice of American, cheddar, or Jack cheese. The burger is delicious. The fried here are fatter than McDonald's or other fast food so it has nice texture when you take your food to go back to SB. I like how the employee provided some suggestions when I asked what was good. I was recommended carnitas nachos but I opted for chicken. I wish I grabbed some salsa from the salsa bar.... bit the nachos came with one sour cream and one guacamole container. The nachos were a little salty compared to what I normally eat but I'm the flavor was good and had a nice lemon/lime flavor to the chicken. If you come by...I recommend trying out the burgers and maybe a pitcher of beer- I would have ordered it, but don't think they do it to go. read more

See all

Sadly to say the portion's and customer service has been declining. The last 5 times I have ordered been shorted an item. Last time the counter person was rude over the phone and when I was picking up witnessed the same behavior while taking phone order, proceeded the same attitude with customers in line waiting to order. To top it off I ordered jumbo Torta which basically was a large piece of bread a thin slice of over cooked beef (probably 1/16 " thk.) lots of lettuce, onions & 2 sliced tomatoes, all for $15.99. What a joke!!! Losing faith read more