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    Lilly's Tacos

    4.4 (714 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Lilly's Tacos Photos

    LILLY'S TACOS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Lilly's Tacos

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    Reviews With Photos - Lilly's Tacos

    chicken tacos
    Shivangi K.

    Good price, quick and easy! Loved the toppings bar to amp it up with the salsas :) Lots of indoor seating, in a larger complex so parking is easy. Overall, smooth experience

    Tacos
    Mookie K.

    Some of the best tacos I've ever had and I've eaten thousands of tacos. I had the asada, abodaba and chicken fajitas and they were all delicious. I really liked the chicken fajitas ones the best. The salsa bar was awesome. The service was good. And the food came out really quickly. The prices were reasonable too.

    Raymond B.

    Service was pretty fast! We ordered Asada, Adobada & Lengua - Lengua was by far my favorite! All of the tacos were very delicious and flavorful. There's a small self serve bar where you can add your salsa, onions & cilantro. Always a solid staple for some tacos in Goleta!

    Meat can get dry from sitting on the grill longer than a while
    Emily C.

    A classic in and out taco place with a self-serve salsa bar yum! Easy enough parking since it's in a big plaza. Great portions for what you're paying for. Food is served quickly, because they already have some meat cooked on the grill. However, the con to this is that my meat often tends to be a bit dry from sitting out on the grill longer than needed and just getting slightly overcooked. This place is great for some quick simple tacos with the tortilla warmed to order. Help yourself to the 3 different salsas and the usual toppings.

    Brenda L.

    We were in the SB area when a local who claimed to be from the area for over 25 years said we HAD to go try Lilly's Tacos. We took that seriously and made it our dinner plans right after lol. There were 2 locations in the area, we opted for the Goleta once since it was more convenient for our plans. Upon arriving (Saturday around dinner), there was a line out the door! The line moves QUICKLY and ordering was a breeze. I only had their tacos, and tried a few of their meats: the tripe, asada, adobada, and lengua. All of the meats were packed with the flavor and the tacos weren't too soggy even after getting them for takeout / a long car ride. The tripe and asada were okay IMO, I probably wouldn't order them again since they were a bit dried out. The reeeeal star of the show to me was the lengua. SO delicious and tender! I'd go back just for the lengua. We had a large party and order and our tacos still came out probably within 10 minutes or less which was impressive. I'd definitely recommend! Lots of indoor seating and a sauce bar is available as well.

    Seating area
    Vanesa R.

    Wanted to grab a bite to eat for Dinner and we were craving pizza but ended up having some of the BEST tacos we've had in this area. A server from a restaurant recommended this place and well here we go. It was a pretty big space with lots of tables and the concept is easy and fast. You order Tacos and then enjoy the Tacos. Their meat selection is great and right after you order you get them like 2 min after they call out your number. They have a small space to serve yourself salsa, radishes and cilantro and onions. Their salsas are very flavorful and they have a kick so taste before you add to your tacos. Their best meat for me was their Lengua my goodness prolly the best I've ever had. Their asada was great as well. Over all amazing tacos and when we come back to this area we def have to come back but if you're in the area I def recommend this place. Like I said their seating area is big so if you come with friends and family ya'll will sit together love that it's spacious, clean and simple concept and amazing tacos! Gracias!

    Menu 7/26/25
    Jim P.

    This is the place for tacos. It is the absolute best for Tripas and Lengua. It has a big open cafeteria-style seating and a big taco bar in the center with salsas and onions, radishes, and Limes. It's all counter service for ordering (for here or to go). If you want good TACOS, you have to try this place. Cheers

    Pork tacos and grilled onions!
    David S.

    Always love Lilly's! Ordered three pork, one chicken, and one veggie taco and some grilled onions. The grilled onions are always a favorite and I take home half of them to munch on later in the day. All for under $20. No reservations in my recommendation. Wonderful. Friendly. Clean bathrooms. Easy parking. Yum!

    2 lengua, 2 adobado
    Pete M.

    Delicious tacos! Had the lengua and adobado, 2 of each. Loaded with lots of delicious meat, overflowing with it! Salsa verde is also bomb!

    Mexican bottle of Coca Cola soda!
    Gladys E.

    The location is spacious, with plenty of seats. Staff were friendly & answered our questions. Salsa bar is well stocked. I ordered a side order of onions & chile dorado. Our tacos were good. The meat was tender and everything was fresh.

    Hung L.

    Lilly's is one of those spots that's always worth a stop when you're craving authentic tacos in Santa Barbara. The menu is simple but solid, and they shine when it comes to the specialty meats. I tried the adobada and the cachete tacos this visit. The adobada had a nice kick--well-marinated pork with a smoky, slightly tangy flavor that paired perfectly with the fresh tortillas. The cachete was the standout: tender, juicy beef cheek that practically melts in your mouth. Both came topped simply with onions and cilantro, letting the meat really shine. Tacos here are reasonably priced, and the quality makes them an easy win for a quick bite. My only small gripe is that it can get a bit busy, so expect a short wait and sometimes limited seating. But honestly, the food makes up for it. Overall, Lilly's delivers some of the best tacos in town--straightforward, flavorful, and satisfying.

    Delicious authentic Mexican street tacos! Salsa is fire!!!!!Friendly and fast portion are great

    Chicken fajita tacos

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    2 months ago

    This is an amazing taco place. Very fast and the food is amazing! There is a great selection of tacos to choose from. Highly recommend!

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    3 months ago

    Great food at a reasonable price. Best Taco's out there and no waiting. Very impressed and great service.

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    2 months ago

    BOMB, excellent food. food comes very fast and isn't expensive, but very good food. It is kept clean

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    4 months ago

    Most delicious Carne Asada tacos. No sides, no chips..they just do tacos...right. Love it. Highly recommend.

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Absolutely delicious tacos. There are simple options and tasty salsa. It's cafeteria style, and the service was very quick.

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    Los Agaves

    Los Agaves

    4.0
    (637 reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    Los Agaves is a Santa Barbara staple and I've never had a bad meal here. It's a casual but not too…read morecasual place with lots of outdoor seating and situated in the courtyard of Camino Real. The line always moves fast and the food comes out quickly too. What compelled me to write this review was because I had a delicious pescado a la diabla, which was a daily special. The fish was a huge portion -- a whole filet with a delicious spicy sauce, perfectly cooked and flaky. The rice and beans are always great, perfectly seasoned and cooked. I also had a passionfruit margarita which was big and well balanced. The salsa bar is very good; the habanero salsa is really tasty but their old version without cream was one of the best salsa I ever had and I'm so sad they don't offer it anymore. It was legitimately spicy. I always love coming here with my friends after a movie so we can discuss the flick over some great mexican food.

    Coming from the Bay Area, I definitely had pretty high expectations for Mexican food and Los Agaves…read morewas rather impressive! My friends and I came on a busy Taco Tuesday. You order and pay at the register, grab a number, seat yourself, and your food (along with complimentary chips) is brought to your table. There were plenty of indoor and outdoor seating options. Everything else is self-serve, including drinks and salsa/toppings. Their salsa bar had a great variety and I honestly loved every salsa I tried! You can't go wrong with whatever you choose, but I recommend the avocado salsa. My friend and I swapped a taco from each of our plates, so I was able to try their tacos al pastor and tacos del mar with halibut. The al pastor was particularly flavorful and well marinated, and to my surprise, I enjoyed the pineapple bits in the taco. The halibut tasted fresh and the chipotle sauce on top paired nicely. I also love a good side of rice and beans and I can't even put my finger on it, but it was just so tasty. It got pretty busy during the dinner rush and I was seated right along the order line, but nothing too disruptive to our dining experience. Overall, the food was solid, the staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the vibes were upscale-casual and lively.

    Photos
    Salsa bar!
    Salsa bar!
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    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant

    La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant

    4.2
    (93 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    The food is amazing. The service is excellent and comes with a smile! We started with chips and…read moresalsa, from the salsa bar. My dad ate the chilaquiles with steak and it was delicious. The Menudo was outstanding. I got all the fixings and my MIL got it with limes. The old world charm, on a Sunday morning... perfection! To the cook, thank you!

    We came here on a 4th of July early evening to grab a quick dinner. The space is a bit run down and…read moreold. Also it was sort of dog friendly with their outside patio. The spot was empty but we figured it was probably due to the holidays. We got chips and salsa then looked at the menu. The chips and salsa were NOT good. the chips were very stale and the salsa tasted watered down. I knew instantly I didn't want to eat here plus the pricing was quite steep. However, I gave it a chance... but we were waiting for over 10-20 min at this point waiting for the waitress to come by. We were confused given the spot was empty, she couldn't be that busy. My husband went in and saw her talking to somebody else. Guess we were forgotten. My husband got the chimichanga to go which came with rice and beans on the side. Overall a decent meal, it wasn't much food. His rice and beans were OK, I got Mexican food elsewhere for cheaper and the rice/beans tasted much better.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Enchiladas
    Enchiladas
    2 crispy tacos combination, one of carnitas and shredded beef beans & rice.

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    2 crispy tacos combination, one of carnitas and shredded beef beans & rice.
    FB Isla Vista

    FB Isla Vista

    4.1
    (1.5k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    born and raised santa barbara so there are certain things you learn early…read more you drive down the 101, take that turn toward isla vista, and something shifts. air changes a little. priorities adjust. time becomes more of a suggestion and then there's freebirds the original one on embarcadero del norte sitting there like it's seen everything because it has i've walked in there wearing flip flops, still sandy, hair doing whatever the ocean decided, salt drying on my face, no shower, no plan, just following the internal signal that says burrito and that's when it works best these burritos operate differently in that state. they're bigger. warmer. more correct. like the whole system is calibrated specifically for post-surf decision making line is long. always has been. mix of people who know exactly what they're doing and people about to learn something important foil everywhere. tortillas moving fast. someone at the front making a choice that will define the next hour of their life guy behind the counter was dialed. didn't catch the name but i'm pretty sure it was barron sawyer. had that calm confidence like he's built a few thousand of these and understands the assignment at a deeper level you step up and it's muscle memory rice, beans, meat, things start stacking, someone folds it like it's a practiced skill passed down over time and then you walk out sun still out. flip flops still on. burrito in hand like a completed mission you take that first bite and everything aligns for a second this place has been around 30 years and it makes sense because it isn't trying to be anything else it already figured it out five stars if you know you know

    I used to come to freebirds all the time in highschool - nearly 15 years ago- and it was the best,…read moresuper tasty and always hit the spot. I recently returned and got exactly what I used to get and was disappointed in the lack of seasoning/flavor in general. I saw someone else comment that chipotle has more flavor and I'm inclined to agree-especially when it comes to the chicken. Service is always friendly and fast and I always want to support a local business over a national chain, but I'm sad to say I don't know if I'll be returning after spending $25 for a bland experience.

    Photos
    FB Isla Vista
    Chicken Nachos
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    Interior

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    Interior

    Lilly's Tacos - mexican - Updated August 2026

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