Scam restaurant with confused employees who argue with each other in public, flies inside the kitchen (and I mean INSIDE the closed door area), and the gall to ask for a tip when you get buzzers and have to pick up your own food AND find your own table, if there's even one available (it's in a food court shared with multiple other places.) We paid over $80 for two tacos, a burrito, and two margaritas that were TWENTY SIX dollars each. They trick you by filling a mason jar with huge ice cubes and pouring diluted margarita inside. Even the mason jars weren't full; they're THAT cheap. If I wasn't here on a date and blinded by heart-eyes and the blissfully good mood that comes with that, I would have walked out when I saw the joke drink prices. Also the burrito was mediocre and had soggy small French fries inside as filler. Props to the owner of the business for getting all his personal friends to write the comically exaggerated 10/10 amazeballs reviews congratulating him by name on the opening. You guys don't even talk to your own mothers like that, get a grip Acting like the chef was Wolfgang Puck. Trash Mexican restaurant trying to look trendy by imitating the industrial building look, and serves the underwhelming experience to match. read more

The reason for my 3 star review is that I did enjoy the drinks and dessert but the food and appetizer I definitely think were not the best quality. I ordered a queso fundido for $15 and although the flavor was there and was very cheesy I did not like the presentation of the plate. It also looked like it was reheated in the microwave and for $15 I do expect more. The El Cali burrito was $20 and the skirt steak was bad quality. It should have easy to chew but the chewing was never ending. The burrito was a bit messy as well from the beans as it had too much bean broth. We also were not offered any salsas for our food. I also wish the burrito could have been cut in half. Moving on to the good stuff was the passionfruit margarita. Although it was not my first option I decided to try it since I was told their frozen margaritas were not available today. The drink was strong and had a great passionfruit flavor which I loved. Presentation was beautifully. The strawberry tres leches were $10.50 but it was delicious! It was flavorful, was moist, had a good amount of crema, and had lots of strawberries! I would return just for their dessert slice. Service seemed rushed as the employee did not offer us any utensils for our cake slice and customers kept coming back asking for utensils. The large open seating is great but they do need more shade as the sun hits pretty hard in the lounging area. They also have a beautiful bar. read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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I was excited to try the latest venture of chef owner Ramón Velázquez because of the buzz around his Santa Barbara location with Michelin Bib Gourmand award! Recently opened in Linden Square, Carpinteria's new food hall, Corazón Cocina Sur is a delight. Their bold, innovative dishes will have you rethinking Mexican food. The Coliflor Taco makes tempura cauliflower the star and accentuates the flavor and texture of cauliflower with delicious taco toppings. A winner! The Mole Taco features chicken in an unusual black almond mole with delicious toppings that complement the chicken. Another winner! I really wanted to try the Sweet Potato Taco, but they had run out, so I am hoping it is still on the menu next time I am in town. The fried sweet plantains topped with crema and queso fresco cheese were an absolute delight. A generous portion for $7.50, enough for two people to share as a side dish. With margaritas, beer on tap, and a wine selection, this is far more than a place to grab tacos. The seating area at Linden Square is a delightful place to linger over food and drinks and enjoy amazing food. read more

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Chef Ramon Velazquez has done it again!!!!Congratulations on opening up Corazón Cocina Sur at the new Linden Square eatery in Carpinteria. Anything Chef Ramon touches I instantly fall in love with. The aesthetic, community vibes, artistry, atmosphere and most importantly THE FOOD keeps me coming back for more. After seeing these lovely ladies - Jara, Adi, and Angela posting all about Linden Square and Ramon's new eatery here, I knew I had to come check it out. Such a lovely drive up the coast as always. Linden Square is everything you want it to be. Relaxed vibes, thoughtful decor while still feeling casual and inviting - this is definitely the new foodie destination as you make your way up/down the coast. This spot is now home to some powerhouse names in the food industry, and I love their ode to bringing local Santa Barbara based businesses further down south for others to enjoy. Great work! Back to Corazón Cocina Sur, a literal 10/10. The menu is exciting and hones in on some fabulous seafood inspired dishes. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach but at least I got to sample a few stellar bites and one dish that I am dubbing THE BEST BITE IVE HAD YET THIS YEAR. LA BAJA TOSTADA - Tuna tartare, spicy tempura shrimp, mayo, ponzu, avocado on a tostada, I am drooling reliving this bite. An emotional experience, it was beautiful and the perfect bite of everything that I love. I will dream about this bite and am eager to get back the asap for some more. Chef Ramon really outdid himself with this one. An honorable mention would also be their shrimp and octopus taco. Spicy, savory, and melt in your mouth octopus, an easy YES. I will end with saying I felt like I was a cool kid because at least five different people stopped at my table to ask where I ordered my food from and what dishes I bought. The food is always stunning, and it makes sense that it stops people in their tracks. So glad I got to checkout Liden Square today and to support another one of Chef Ramon's amazing eatery's. read more

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Corazón can do no wrong! Located in the beautiful new Linden Square in Carpintería. I have been twice since the opening and it's been phenomenal each time. I tried items that I love and have tried before and some new items too. Their taco norteño stays being a favorite of mine. Delicious beans, well seasoned skirt steak, and guacamole. YUM! On my second visit I got the aguachiles and it's now a dish I will also crave. Great shrimp texture, lime-y, and just overall delicious! I would enjoy some fresh pieces of jalapeño in there for a little heat but that's just my personal preference. Whatever you do, GET THE PIXIE TANGERINE FLAN! OMG! That was life changing! Service was wonderful! Such sweet employees and attentive even though it's a counter order and self seat dining experience. read more

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Delicious! We stumbled upon this delightful spot in Carpinteria and I immediately broke a Topo Chico on the floor - the woman working there couldn't have been nicer. It's a shared seating space, but very easy to find a great spot. The mole chicken taco was so good. I'd definitely return (and not break things next time). read more

We love corazon and I literally gasped out loud when I saw they had expanded and had one in the little town of carpinteria that we were vacationing in. The food is so so good, fresh and delicious flavors and fast(ish) service because you order at the counter but they are popular so waits can be long. My only disappointment was they didn't have their full menu, I love their queso tacos and they didn't have any on the menu. I went with the steak taco, guacamole and chips and plantains and black beans. The chips and guacamole is really good but they don't give you enough chips just a heads up. And the steak taco was delicious. Black beans and plantains was good, tasted fresher at the public house location in my opinion. We will be back! read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Steak taco and black beans and plantains - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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A really ideal location within the "new" beautiful Lindero Square. Unfortunately the service was uninspiring. The food (burrito) took forever to show up. The burrito was pretty awful. A greasy hot mess wrapped in aluminum foil. In summary, a beautiful facility in a great location with below average service and food. read more

Did not meet my expectations. What started out as excitement to eat here, slowly faded with a long line, unfriendly counter service, and slow food preparation. I tried a fish taco and a cauliflower taco. It looked fancy, but portions were pretty small. Both tacos were very greasy and just not as good as I expected for the price. I'm not into greasy food, and while I knew both would be fried, I was expecting a more gourmet, fresh experience. I probably won't eat here again. read more

What a fabulous new addition to Carpinteria! The Linden Square is new and absolutely beautiful, but the food at Corazon Cocina Sur really is the best part in my opinion. It is counter service, and I found it to be very quick. The menu is not huge, but it was so hard to decide what to order because everything sounded so good! We finally decided on the Tuna Tosada (tons of yellowfin tuna, spicy and delicious), Ensenada Taco (beerbattered lincod, also spicy but balanced with a yummy lime mayo crema), Sweet Potato Taco (big chunks of sweet potato, super flavorful) and Fried Sweet Plantains (with crema, queso fresco). The plantains were probably the best I have ever had. The plates were so colorful and satisfying. All the ingredients seemed very fresh. I was impressed with all of it. I would love to try their Passionfruit Margarita next time. I definitely recommend checking out Linden Square and Corazon Cocina Sur. read more

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So fresh, flavorful, creative, healthy, and satisfying. The staff is really kind too. On busy days at Linden square be prepared to wait a little though read more

I have been here in the past and it was good. This past experience made me not want to order from them again. They took 45 mins to make an ahí fish tostada( an item they didn't even need to cook) and the only reason I got it was because I asked and they actually forgot about the order. I asked the girl in front 30 mins in about my order and she said I had to just wait, and it would be out soon. Then when I finally insisted she check 15 mins after that, she came out with my food with no apologies. I asked if my order was forgotten and she just said "yeah". Why couldn't they have checked when I asked the first time? It was unfortunate because while the rest of my family was already done with their lunch, I was just barely starting on my tiny tostada. Also, I asked for a virgin margarita, was charged the price of a regular margarita and the drink was small and very much filled with mostly ice. I really would have liked to come here again or would have understood but the customer service was just so terrible and seemed like they could care less. read more

The energy here was great! Staff were upbeat and attentive and that energy came through in the food. And it was on a Friday! We sat at the bar which made for a fun date night spot while the rest of the room buzzed with families and friends sharing plates. La Baja Tostada was a YUM. Fresh tuna cubes with a bite of tempura shrimp, ponzu, guac sauce, and salsa. All on a tostada that stayed crisp to the last bite. I called it the Mexican poke. Absolutely delish! Norteno taco hit the spot. Juicy steak, guac, beans, and cheese wrapped in a handmade tortilla. Watching them press tortillas in the open kitchen sealed the deal. Must order again! Plantains were caramelized with crisp edges and beans were hearty and simple. Great spot, great staff, and will be back! read more

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Food was kind of meh for the price. We got two tostadas, three tacos, one margarita, and one topo Chico sparkling water and it was the same price as if we would have gone to flor de Maiz in Santa Barbara. There is no service because you have to get your own food and bus your own table. The ambiance was nice. It was a very inviting atmosphere with tons of people. It's a great place if you want to be social and bake in the sun. read more

It's part of the Linden Square food court. The set up is an open air patio surrounded by different eateries. I can't tell you about any of the others because we came here solely and specifically for Corazón. We stated with the freshly made guacamole that was topped with pepitas. The avocados were the sole focus. They didn't overwhelm it with onions and tomatoes to mask the lack of the avocado. The kids aren't big seafood fans so they ordered a Cali burrito and a bean and cheese. They both were happy with their food. The beans were "Peruvian" beans and were whole beans not refried, which is what we personally prefer. That was a bonus. The star of the show was the seafood. I'm not normally a seafood fan, but my wife is so we went here specifically for her. Let me tell you though if I had more seafood places like this I'd become a fan. I've always heard about how the best seafood is not supposed to taste fishy. This was my first ever experience with seafood that fresh. I ordered a fish taco because fried fish normally is a safe bet. I was intrigued by the yellow fin tuna tostada and my instinct was correct. I've never had a fish so fresh ever. It completely changed how I feel about fish. I'm now intrigued to try more seafood spots but I'm afraid they probably won't live up to my experience here. The front of the house was very friendly but as mentioned before this a food court and so each location will take your order, give you your food, and that will be most of your interaction. Don't expect anyone to come around and check in on you. There is no wait staff. Unless you're sitting at the bar getting drinks don't expect "service" and knowing that going in should quell those expectations. If you're ever near Carpinteria make it a point to visit this place. read more

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Just wow! While visiting with my wife, we stopped by Linden Square for a quick snack at Corazon Cocina Sur. We each had a taco Al Pastor and were not disappointed. One of the best I've ever had. Juicy and flavorful and just the right amount of heat, all in an incredible tortilla. Well done! read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Taco Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Service awful, after 30 min waiting for 2 breakfast burritos I decided to get a refund and leave. $33.60 for 2 burritos is the price point, patio seating and never got to try the food. Too many other options nearby, so doubt I'd come back. The service left a poor taste read more

Had a paloma ...it was good, ordered two tacos, one chicken mole, one asada steak...weird thing was they put rice or beans INSIDE the tacos. Kinda weird. I had ordered a side of rice n beans unaware of this quirk... Also the frijoles de la olla were really bland and pasty. I think if you want rice or beans with your tacos, put them in a side cup and dice in some jalapenos ...don't over stir them. read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Steak taco, Chicken Mole Taco - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

If a 0 was possible then this place would deserve it. This star is only towards this specific Mexican restaurant in the plaza. Starting from their rice and beans which has no taste, to them charging $9.50 for two spoons of guacamole! My boyfriend was outraged when he saw the receipt. At the same time he had ordered an amazing grass fed wagyu burger from the restaurant right across from them for only $0.50 more! When he brought up the price issue to the worker and asked to speak to someone in charge like manager or the owner he was told there is no one there. If you want to be ripped off and eat a bland food then by all means go ahead. But if you are like us and this is not acceptable for you, then please don't give them business. I will never get over $9.50 for two spoons of guacamole. read more

Don't waste your time or your money on this restaurant. I've ordered twice from this place and the first time it took them an hour and 45 minutes to get my order and the second time I went it took them about an hour and a half to get me my order. Also, the Mexican lady at the front is so rude and had to ask me three times what I ordered. Never again! read more

I had a delicious tuna tostada and a delightful margarita. Customers were over the moon happy, Corazon Cocina is 100% Freshness and flavor! read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Comfy area ti eat, drink & chill. - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Very over priced. $22 for a burrito. Service was very slow. took 25 mins to get my order. Burrito was very small. read more

If you are in Carpenteria and craving clean and fresh Mexican food then you gotta make a stop at Corazon Cocina. It hits on all levels! read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - Fresh & clean outdoor seating! - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I've been a fan of the Santa Barbara location for a long time so was excited they opened in Carp where I live. In the beginning, I overlooked the very poor service giving them a pass while getting the kinks worked out. Now that I've been more than six times and as recently as this week, I can't say that the service has ever improved. The cashiers are not friendly at all and when you pick up your food, they don't offer salsa, utensils, or napkins. I'm done trying for a positive experience here so moving on. read more

Prob wouldn't go back. Tortilla soup was inedibly salty. 3 bites was all we could handle. Line to order was very slow, getting the food was even slower. Others at our table ordered from Third window and Bettina's and all the other food came long before our Corazon order. The campechana quesadilla was good, as was the ginger chia drink they had. This was our second time and confirmed our feelings from the first visit. Better options close by. read more

As a local, I've tried this place three times, and each time my tacos were served to me on cold tortillas taken straight out of a refrigerator and not even warmed up to room temperature. I even told them about the issue, but it kept happening each time I went. It's very dissapointing for the high prices they charge. I really wanted to like this place, but I won't be back. read more

We went to Corazon Cocina for dinner last night My wife and adult son had the taco mole and liked it I had the ceviche with watermelon it was horrible. I thought it would be lots of fish with tiny watermelon pieces and I was up for something new but it was huge chunks of vegetables and watermelon. Who eats watermelon on tortilla chips?? I went back and asked the front counter where the fish was, and the woman had to point it out to me My adult daughter got the tortilla soup and couldn't eat it it was so hot ( we lived in So Cal and have Mexican food regularly we can handle our spices ). She threw it away and got the taco pastor ...also so hot she dumped it After spending a F'n fortune,we went across the street to Don Roge and enjoyed great tacos. We recommend Don Roge. read more

Food is super high quality. Prices are fair. Love the La Negrita Ceviche. Ahi tuna, mango, cucumber and a spicy/tangy sauce. Have returned over five times! read more

Corazon Cocina Sur - La Negrita Ceviche and 24oz Original Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

The space is beautiful in the new Linden Square. The service is counter service which was fine. You wait in line and order at the counter. The counter server was quite friendly and efficient at her job. I ordered the cauliflower taco and the octopus taco both were presented beautifully. My only issue is the taste. These gorgeous tacos I ordered looked like they should have been a flavor bomb of yuminess. Instead, Ifound them quite bland and the tortillas while made fresh were very chewy almost on the stale side. read more

The food is marginal, the service is non-existent, order at counter, pick up your food at the counter, then bus your own table back to the counter. The most unsettling part of this eating (definitely not dining) experience is this restaurant's horrible environmental practices, everything is disposable! If you care about our earth do not take part in this lazy, non caring attitude, I will never return because of the massive trash output of this restaurant. They don't have service people and they generate a tremendous amount of waste that goes to the local landfill. No food, including their food, is not worth the negative impacts of their practices. read more

All is overpriced. Margaritas in plastic cups with questionable tequila. Premixed. House margarita $21.00. tacos, single no rice or beans, 7.50-9.50.. order of guacamole, don't remember the price. The guacamole itself was ok but served with a meager amount of chips. $63.00 was the tot.... Everything is served in single use containers. Service was ok. In new busy plaza, seating can be a issue when busy. read more

Best tacos and ceviche! I say that because thats what I ordered. Tacos are big, not street tacos size. Ceviche is delicious with chunks of tuna are large, kinda like a Poke. Atmosphere was great, drink selection is good. Counter service with other restaurant options for everyone. Few Large tables available, we were able to fit 12. read more

I'd go back! Tacos are really good. I also shared a burrito with my husband and that was tasty. Beautiful outdoor ambiance. Service was great. read more

The food is great but takes forever!!! Went on a rainy day (wasn't busy) and waited 40 minutes for a quesadilla. Several people had to go check on their food in addition to myself. read more

Wow! Outstanding food and fresh seafood. We love their ceviche, tuna tostadas and the gringa quesadillas. We've been several times.

Awful experience. Horrible, overpriced food. Unfriendly, rude, service staff have never heard of customer service. We just had lunch there and the place was empty, so there was no excuse. Staff couldn't answer questions about the menu and didn't seem to care. Not once - from ordering to departure - did they say "thank you". The flank steak was old, overcooked and tough. The fish tacos were deep fried in old oil and were mushy. The chicken mole was tough, overcooked and the mole had no flavor. One has to order from the bar, pickup the order and then bus the table, I'm OK with that if food is good and prices reflect the lack of service, but the pay portal asks for 22% tip to start. For what? I've eaten here a couple times and it's gone from OK to mediocre to outright disgusting. read more

Extremely rude staff, not tasty food, told the staff about my dietary restrictions before ordering and still got food that I am not able to eat. read more

Really disappointed by this place. Came on a Sunday night and ordered two burritos to go -- one was for a child. Twenty minutes later, it still wasn't ready. Service was very slow. If you have an extremely long wait time, tell customers before they order so they can decide if they want to wait. Don't make people -- especially with kids -- stand around without knowing how long it will take. read more

In short: the food is tasty and the bar has been disappointing. Lively atmosphere. We shared the shrimp quesadilla (which was more like a healthy sized taco) and a couple of the ensenada (fish) tacos- enjoyed both with the green salsa. The bar: I've now been here on 3 separate occasions with intentions of enjoying frozen beverage but the machine was down every time. This last time I asked "any idea when frozen drinks will be available?" I received a terse "no" from the woman behind the bar. On one occasion I went to order a Paloma and was told they had no grapefruit juice. I had a margarita that seemed like a whole lot of juice... I am not convinced that the bartender didn't forget to add the tequila. read more