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    Lilly's Tacos

    4.4 (1.5k reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    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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    Adobada taco
    Lily W.

    It's fast and convenient and you can sit down and eat. There's free street parking by it. They have hand sanitizer near the cashier. There's a salsa bar where you can add your condiments. The spicy salsa was nice and spicy and very flavorful. be careful not to add too much. I like my meat to be slightly crispy and they do that right. But the tacos are not hot but still good.

    Celiac Clarisse W.

    Sooo yummy, delicious, quick and fun. Ate here after my elopement. I recommend to everyone visiting SB for some good and safe gluten free tacos.

    Lunchtime! Don't forget a side of cebollitas!
    Michael L.

    This place is a nostalgia staple. It's probably been twenty years since my first visit and not a whole lot has changed. Simple grilled and vapor style tacos. Even though it's only tacos they have a good variety of meat options (one veggie too). What sets this taqueria apart is its al vapor style tacos. If you have never tried cabeza or lengua tacos this may be your place to try. One of the few places I order lengua or my favorite, Cachete, tacos. Cachete is beef cheek. They also have labio (lips) and ojos (eyes) if you're more adventurous than me. I find them slightly chewier to my liking. What completes this no frills, straight up taco spot is its salsa bar. Salsas are tasty and I'm always throwing a lot of toppings on top. Quick and successful lunch!

    Kevin Y.

    Theres a reason why the locals love this place so much. Super quick, no frills super authentic taco spot. Great adobado!!

    Asada Marinated chicken Tongue
    Celine P.

    I love this taqueria a lot, especially when I have friends in town and they are craving tacos. I arguably think 4 tacos is the perfect serving sizes for someone who has been walking around state street all day. There is no AC inside so it's not ideal to eat during the summer heat, so we took ours to the wharf to eat with the ocean views. The cashier spoke English and Spanish and switch back between each with me and my friends. Very tasty, would absolutely come again!

    Tacos
    Rachel B.

    We went to Lilly's for lunch, and even though they had a line out the door, they were taking orders fast and moving people through. They have a small menu of different types of authentic tacos. I really liked the pork and grilled beef tacos. My husband tried some of the more adventurous tacos, like the lengua (tongue) and cabeza (head). The tacos were simple and delicious. We were happy with the meal! We really enjoyed the salsas and hot sauces, too.

    Asada tacos
    A M.

    No frills, quick service taco spot. I love this place for a quick affordable lunch and have been often, but if you're looking for a more in depth culinary experience this might not be your place. Tacos come with your choice of meat or veggies with a salsa bar that offers lime, cilantro, onions and 3 salsas.

    Steak & Grilled Pork
    Kyle S.

    First stop after landing in Santa Barbara? Has to be Lilly's Tacos. Rolled in here about an hour before closing and there were still plenty of locals ordering up some plates of deliciousness. Line was about 5 deep when I arrived but service was prompt and friendly. Plenty of indoor seating with two different salsa stations to choose your level of spice. The shop wasn't too noisy and was welcoming. If you're in the area for some authentic tacos run, don't walk, to Lilly's.

    Asada Adobada
    Anabel B.

    We stopped by to see what all the commotion was about and they were good tacos. The salsa were very good. Nothing mind blowing. The place was clean. The service was fast. The food was good.

    Patricia U.

    Absolutely hidden gem. Simple menu of Absolutely delicious tacos! Affordable! 3 pastor and 4 asada, filled to the rim of doubled fresh tortillas. Salsas on the bar were homemade and a great kick, spicy! Fresh chopped cilantro and onions. The place was packed and the line never ended.

    Asada tacos
    Mariya G.

    Fantastic experience at Lilly's Tacos! We came closer to 6 pm and didn't have to wait a minute to order. We ordered 5 asada tacos and one Jarritos which came out to $21! The tacos came out within minutes, they were piping hot and overflowing with meat. The salsa bar is self serve, along with toppings if you like cilantro and onions, as well as radish and limes. I believe the tortillas were homemade, they were soft and flavorful. The tacos were very good. Two is more than enough if you're a light eater which I am not, but they were plentiful for me. Some of the best tacos in Santa Barbara. I highly recommend it for a quick lunch or dinner!

    4x Asada and 2x Tripas Tacos

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    30 days ago

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    3 months ago

    Update: if I am hungry and in the area...this is the best place for a quick, affordable taco meal. I just wish the tacos weren't so bland.

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    9 months ago

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    16 days ago

    Tacos were good, price wasn't bad for the area. And the service was good. Food came fast. No complaints.

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    11 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Came here while driving thru town. Standard tacos- nothing special but affordably priced.

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Love the tacos. Ordered cabeza and cachete to try something different. The meat was tender.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 38

    Lilly's Tacos Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Lilly's Tacos

    Where do you park?

    There’s public parking towards Parker way.

    Do they have handmade tortillas?

    No...

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    La Super-Rica Taqueria

    4.0(2.1k reviews)
    1.0 mi
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    Came here on a Saturday around 2 pm. We were planning to go to Los Agaves just a block away but…read morethey happened to be closed. Parking was very easy on the street and free. There was a line of people waiting. Took us a little over 30 minutes from getting in line, to ordering and receiving the food later. CASH ONLY. Their specials menu seems to change every day or so. We ordered a taco de hongo (sautéed mushrooms with epazote in a light cream sauce w/ 2 homemade corn tortillas), enchiladas de plaza (chicken breast, potato mushroom, red chile sauce, topped with cheese, chile pasilla strips, cream sauce, avocado and radish), a tamal norteño de puerco (pork tamal), #16 súper-rica especial (pork on 3 tortillas, a modelo, and a piña pepino agua fresca. All for around $63 without tip. They had a tomato salsa, salsa rojo, and salsa verde options. All were delicious. All of the food was excellent and super flavorful. I would say my favorite was definitely the tamal. So savory and the masa was the perfect texture. The pork tacos and mushroom taco were close behind, also delicious. The enchiladas were my least favorite. Still good but I just don't think I can be an enchiladas fan no matter how hard I try!! I just am not a fan of the texture of the tortillas when sauced up. Nevertheless, everything was finished up and nothing left behind. The agua fresca was also super good and refreshing. Very sweet and a little thick so we thinned it out a bit with some water. They have limited outdoor seating but a lot inside. A single bathroom right by the parking lot entrance. Nice and cute spot with hard workers. Would definitely come again!

    Hmmm..... Where to start!?!…read more It was cool watching all the cooks in the open kitchen, the staff looked happy and I was so impressed with the scale of business coming out of such a small kitchen. I did notice that workers were going back and forth to a house nextdoor picking up stuff-- cooked food, veggies and such... The restaurant itself is pretty cute-- open seating inside, nice outdoor seating. The older gent who took my order was sweet and kind. I was looking so forward to this place. But sadly, it simply wasn't worth the wait or cost. This is a picture the remaining portions---yes we ate most of it because we chose to not eat ANYTHING before getting there and the hungry anticipation took over--- we really tried to like the food, but it was just not great. #1 beef taco-- on the white plate--dry dry dry. No flavor. Just dried out beef jerky shavings on a tortilla. Didn't eat it. #18 Julia child's favorite --on Black plates- weird pork meat with crunchy peppers, and globs of melted cheese-- not great. Over-hyped. No flavor, no sauce, pork was soft, had no chew- it was strange. We had a special tamale item on the banana leaf. Chicken mole-- way too sweet, no sauce on top, and somehow it was super wet-- moist and too soft. We ordered a chili releno, but the guy didn't hear, so we didn't taste that-- I asked for some of the crema that comes with it and was charged 75¢ for a small 1oz portion-- tasted like hot cream. Watery and lacking body. No flavor. Cinnamon coffee was served in tiny cups-- super hot, no cream. Asked for cream-- and one of the guys said " no cream" was rude and wasn't interested in helping ---we only got one lid, so I mentioned that there is no way to carry scalding hot coffee with no lid-- someone finally brought the smallest amount of milk. Old coffee with cinnamon stick flavor-- not even good. Guacamole was really sad. Super whipped smooth shinny avocado with tons of pico in it. No citrus, no salt, just crunchy pico-- zero avocado chunks or flavor. The avocado is served on and with fresh tortillas -- the tortillas were great, but they are served with everything, so it felt like a waste. NO LIMES!! The salsas were decent. But NO LIMES!!! Negro Modelo especial beers were ice cold, refreshing and delicious-- the beers had limes. We paid $68 for the food and drinks- I left $10 for a tip. I don't really feel like this was authentic Mexican food at all. I am not sure what to call it. It seemed like it has been "gringo'ed" down-- no heat, no chiles, no spice, no flavor, no limes, no love. Glad I can mark this joint off the list.

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    Flor De Maiz - Scallops chiltepin

    Flor De Maiz

    4.1(1k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$

    A Must-Visit in Santa Barbara If you're visiting Flor de…read moreMaiz, you absolutely cannot skip this place. We ordered the pulpo and the chicken mole, and both dishes were incredible. The pulpo was perfectly cooked--tender with a great char and packed with flavor. The chicken mole was rich, balanced, and deeply satisfying, with that classic complex mole flavor that keeps you going back for another bite. What really stood out, though, was the service. It was phenomenal from start to finish--attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming without ever feeling rushed. The staff clearly care about the experience they're giving guests. The food, the atmosphere, and the service all came together for a great meal. If you're in Santa Barbara, make sure this spot is on your list. Highly recommend.

    Server was super nice and attentive and food was absolutely delicious. Only flaw was after not…read morereceiving our order for a while. The waitress came back and asked what we had ordered. The food then came out 15 minutes later however one of the five items was the wrong entrée, and the rest of the items did not have.the right modifications. I believe the order wasn't put in at the time we ordered. We did not mention the modifications and were also missing a item that we did not tell the server about the second time around which is why I think the order wasn't placed originally:/ they did comp a dessert, but we were so full from the delicious food that we didn't eat it. Overall I would go. Back. Staff was friendly, and food was good, mistakes happen. Side note there was some "partying" happening in the restroom so if you go with your family don't let them go unattended.

    Photos
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    Romantic lit candles along steps

    Flor De Maiz - MOLE NEGRO   Jidori chicken| black mole | rice | fried plantains | sesame seeds | tortillas

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    Loquita - Gambas Al Ajillo

    Loquita

    4.4(1.7k reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    Visited Loquita on 04/11/26 for a birthday celebration and let me tell you I was blown away by the…read moreentire Loquita experience! From the food to the service to the ambience, all of it was truly an amazing experience. Food - We got the patatas bravas and the paella verde. Both were phenomenal. I have tried ~4 other vegan paellas and was originally skeptical going into this, but Loquita's paella was by far the best vegan paella I've ever had! The attention to detail is what made the dish shine. It had perfectly tender mushrooms and artichokes as well as the delicious vegan cream on top. They were able to make the dish smoky and delicious. Dessert - We got the crème brûlée and the pistachio ice cream. Both were truly wonderful, when I go back I will order both of these again! Vibe and Staff - Super cute and romantic vibe, perfect for a nice date. The staff was super attentive and even gave me a little postcard for my birthday! Definitely worth the visit :)

    This place is hyped as a date place…read more It's in a fancy location near the beach, nice patio. It is good food but overhyped IMO. $16 for patatas bravas is a bit on the silly end. lts also one of thoses places that defaults to 20% tip on the low end. I have no problem with paying a 20% tip but the service was poor on my visit. We gave one instructions/request that were just completely disregarded. Very little in terms of service other than attempts to upsell with more Tapas when we were done. Sorry, just being honest.

    Photos
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    Cake table set up by staffers.

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    Lilly's Tacos - mexican - Updated May 2026

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