The crispy chicken tacos are my new favorite thing to eat here. Cash only, hole-in-the-wall spot but the best Mexican food in Carp. No frills, just good food and good people. I used to order their burritos exclusively but once I tried the crispy chicken tacos, I've been eating those regularly! Super flavorful chicken mixed with cheese, topped with lettuce and tortillas crusted with more cheese! Paired with their spicy salsa and chips= perfection. Food is always out fast, fresh and hot. Perfect for a quick lunch. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Crispy chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Their chorizo breakfast burrito is the BEST I have ever had. Not greasy at all. Perfectly incorporated with egg and potatoes We enjoyed the chili relleno. The beans were delicious, but wished there was more chili rellenos within the burrito (only filled half of the burrito). Do t miss the freshly made carrot orange juice. Try the crispy taco with Parmesan on the outside - YUM read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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I was on the hunt for some crispy chicken tacos in Carp and found this spot on Yelp. The photos looked promising, and it did not disappoint! Luckily, I had cash on me since this is a cash-only establishment. I ordered four crispy fried chicken tacos ($5ea) for a flat $20 solid deal. Parking was a little tough for a Sunday. Even the 7-Eleven parking lot was full, so I had to park by their air pump and walk over, but they do have their own parking lot. I asked for chips, but the gentleman forgot to include them in my bag, my bad for not double-checking. There's no salsa bar, which was a bit of a letdown, but they did have pickled onions and carrots on the counter. The place definitely has a hole-in-the-wall feel, not the cleanest or most polished spot, so don't be surprised. But at the end of the day, the food was great, and that's what matters! read more

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Order at the counter, have a seat. Get your own chips and salsa. Delicious crispy tacos, had to order more. Tripas tacos were also in point. Will definitely be back. Located in a corner, on same lot as gas station. Lots of local coming and going from here, so that tells you it's good! read more

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Customer service is ridiculously awful on the right side of the restaurant. They made my burrito incorrectly and did not want to fix it and was yelling at me for not wanting it. The restaurant on the left has amazing service. This establishment has two restaurants, separate owners (father/son). The father's restaurant on the right side is awful! read more

Some of the best crunchy tacos durados ever right here, the hard shell was thin and perfectly crispy , the meat inside was juicy with a good amount of melted cheese it was perfect! read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Tacos durados - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

I regret not going to this little, local haunt in Carpinteria earlier! It was time for us to venture across the 101 for a try. I ordered the chile verde plate, and it did not disappoint. DELICIOUS. i can't wait to go back. Warning: CASH ONLY, it's a small hole-in-the-wall... but aren't those the best? read more

great veggie burrito. attractive and clean ambiance. very nice service. the go to spot in sb

Riquísimoooo! I came for lunch and got a chicken plate. As the other reviews mention, it is a cash only spot. I paid $17 for a full plate of rice, beans, cheese, guac, pico, chicken, and 5-6 corn tortillas. The chicken was super flavorful and didn't even need the salsa, though I still put some on. I will definitely be back! This spot is located right next to the 7-Eleven. There are about 4 spots in the parking area, plus parking at the gas station. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Plato con pollo - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Loved these tacos, fresh chips and their salsas. Only a few minutes from the Best Western hotel. I can't wait to stay in this area again and come back and try more menu items. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Fresh chips and salsas. - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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HIDDEN GEM !!! & my go-to spot for yeaaarrrssss !!! i live in so-cal but man when i tell you i drive my ass to SB at least twice a month to come here found these guys randomly one day while in SB for a client . You'll feel tempted to order regular street tacos or a burrito but PLEASEEEE order the crispy chicken tacos & eat them with the green salsa, TRUST meeeeee !!!! YOU'LL THANK ME LATER ! read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - crispy chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

On our drive back from Morro Bay we were a little hungry but didn't want to get junk food. I decided to look up a place that had burritos and came across this place. Looked like a hole in the wall so immediately I was sold haha. Nothing beats a hole in the wall! We decided to split a burrito because we didn't wanna eat too much and risk a food coma on the rest of the drive. Service was friendly and the wait time to get served was not very long. I'm all about the fermented carrots and onions and thankfully they had some. The red salsa was better than the green imo but still equally as delicious. Prices were fair and honestly for how fat the burrito was, I think it was just fine. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Good food fast and quick. Bring cash. Always fresh and fast service. I like the crispy tacos w/ chicken was my go to while working g out there. read more

Best tacos!! Soft or hard tortillas taste great. Consistently good. Plenty of seating.

Great spot and vibe to grab a quick bite! We stopped here on our road trip up the coast and got the super burritos which were delicious! I wish we tried their crispy tacos - maybe next time! Service is fast and nice. read more

Best authentic Mexican food in the area by far!! The crispy tacos are especially good!

My wife and I were staying in Carpinteria for January 2022 and this taco shop was recommended to us by someone in the know. It was a quick 5 minute walk there and I knew I was on a taco kick. The tacos in this area are amazing! I walked in and brought cash, which was indicated as the only currency they take. I ordered 3 tacos, a suadero (pork), asada (pork) and carnitas (beef). I handed over the $7.50 for the order, and it was ready in about 5 minutes. I asked for the spicy salsa to go with the green one. I brought them home and all three of the two shelled masterpieces were delicious. The suadero had a little hint of crispiness, which was out of this world. The other two tacos were just as perfect as well. The guys at the shop taking orders and preparing were all nice enough and it was a DELICIOUS lunch! read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Suadero, carnitas and asado tacos. Amazing! Great salsas too! Highly recommended! - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

The burrito was full of flavor, one of the best I've had! I ordered the shrimp burrito and my boyfriend ordered the steak. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Shrimp burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Crispy tacos! Enough said. Get the crispy tacos. This place is awesome, and their crispy tacos will one day be legendary. I am a taco nerd, and this is in my top five of tacos eaten. It's not fancy, it's next to a gas station, and doesn't look like anything from the road. But the food crushes. And that's what makes it dope. read more

Always amazing!! Bring cash and order away. Every time I bring someone they are blown away by how good Rincon is. Delicious crispy tacos always satisfy. read more

Cash only -- you've been warned!! After all the raves about the crispy tacos, dining here was a no brainer. I had two crispy carne asada tacos and three soft tacos al pastor. I loved the contrast of the crispy, tortilla chip-like taco shell against the gooey cheese -- like a miniature super-fried quesadilla. The al pastor tacos we're good too, but not earth shattering. The interior is bare bones, but clean, with some old local photographs on the wall. Service is pretty fast too. They have an array of different salsas, but the soft tacos had salsa on top already. Here comes the bad -- the tacos are small and pricey! My 5 tacos were $18 and I was still hungry!How hungry? Hungry enough to stop at Albertsons on the way back to get fruit and some snacks! Hungry enough that I could have put away another three tacos, which would cost around $30! For $30, I could have dined at a sit-down Mexican restaurant, had a nice taco plate with rice and beans, plus a margarita or a dessert, and left a nice tip. Ouch. As a result, I'm conflicted about giving this place a rating. Do you highlight the delicious crispy taco (4 stars) and ignore it's small size and high price (2 stars)? Ultimately, you'll have to make your own decision. This is a "one and done" place for me, hence my rating. If I take a step back and compare this place to La Super-Rica Taqueria in SB, it's even more clear. read more

Happen to stop by for the gas station and saw a restaurant next door so we decided to try some of their "famous crispy tacos" that we saw a sign for... best decision ever!! Food came out really quick and they were better than we expected and immediately saved to our favorites to stop by again. We've never had crispy tacos the way they made them. Definitely recommend!!! FYI, it is cash only. read more

The woman and the guy at the counter wanted $6 for a single veggie taco - their board claims $9 for 3 tacos I understand there's inflation but seriously this is gouging. They won't accept credit cards - only cash. Talk about running a business in 2023! Avoid this place read more

Good tacos but below average burritos. We took crispy chicken tacos which was good , however it was for ~$4. Long time I am seeing high prices for a taco. The veggie burrito was not so good. Big area and next to our hotel. We took togo but saw few ppl inside dining in. Many seating inside but shady one. It was not so clean too. read more

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The crispy tacos you're outstanding! Well worth the trip, service was excellent. Very friendly and welcoming, our photos are ready within minutes. Be sure to ask for a couple of each salsa, both were delicious! Prices in portions were fair, the tortillas are made in the house and some of the best around! One of our favorite cheap and completely satisfying meals when in Santa Barbara! read more

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First, I've been going to Rincon Alteno since the 1980's. For many years a real favorite in Carp. Haven't gone much in the last 10 years or so. Anyway, just had three "super" burritos last Friday. They were $15 each, which seemed high but I had faith they would be good from my old experience. 2 chile releno and 1 al pastor. They were terrible, almost all just beans, rice, and (worst of all) sour cream. Real Mexican burritos should never have any sour cream. The al pastor had something that looked like corned beef and the chile relenos had no trace of chili relleno. Terribly disappointed. Will never go back. read more

I don't want to offend a business, but this is your typical hole in the wall establishment. There's nothing negative about that description because the most unassuming eateries offer the best tasting food, Rincon Alteno is one of them. When you arrive at the restaurant, there's usually a long of people. Usually longtime customers. When entering the restaurant you're greeted by a young man who takes your order and gives you your golden ticket. Before Covid, you were able to dine in or take your order to go. They process orders pretty quickly and orderly. They have a broad menu, tacos, burritos, etc. My usual go to order is the carne asada and chicken tacos. The meats are flavorful and with a slight kick to it. They have an array of salsas, from mild to caliente ( for the adventurous few). I,myself, prefer the extra spicy. Don't feel like cooking and craving some good authentic tacos head to Rincon Alteno, they'll do right by you. read more

Taqueria Rincon Alteno - Carne Asada tacos. Drink NOT included - Mexican Near Me - Carpinteria, California

First off the cashier kicks butt! He multitasks like nobody's business! Best birrea and chorizo tacos!!!!!! Beans were bomb too! Carne asada and chicken were clean, no fat or grissel. I highly recommend! read more

Disgusting. Dirty. Food tasted horrible. There was absolutely nothing good with this place. First of all, I have never seen a dirtier restaurant. The floors have not been swept in months. The trash also looks like it hasn't been taken out in months. That might be semi-ok if the food was ok but nope. No flavor at all! read more

Two stars for the homemade beans and rice. Dirty bathroom, cheap on the meats and the guy taking orders doesn't have much of a personality. The older Hispanic lady was very pleasant but not enough to win my business. Will return to Reyes Market (Carpintería Ave) read more

03/06 Orderd 4 tacos 2 Asada and 2 Pastor. Half way through my first taco I find and metal screw in the taco!!! Almost broke my tooth. I was at work already so didint go back. Went to eat the asada and it was so burnt and disgusting I just threw it away. What is going on in that kitchen???? I'm sure this is a nice family owned restaurant but leaving a screw in someone's food is very dangerous and disgusting. I work down the street and will never eat here again. read more

Casi nunca hago un review pero hoy si El hombre de enfrente es una persona muy irrespetuoso no tiene educación ni los pantalones para faltarle el respeto a una mujer y una menor de edad. Al ordenar mis tacos el hizo un comentario bajito pensando que no lo escucharía pero se equivocó , yo pienso que si no está contento en lo que hace mejor busque algo más que hacer lástima de persona y de lugar regresar nunca prefiero ir a otro lado. Por favor no dejen que este individuo les falte el respeto hablen y reporten. read more

Meh.. maybe ok Mexican food for the area, but not worth it if you're visiting from LA or Northern Ca. Pricey for the quality of food. No credit cards read more

My taste buds finally stopped crying and thanked me heavily for coming to this establishment. read more

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Love the crispy chicken tacos, they are super tasty and unique. I think they're a little pricy at about $5 each though

I was disappointed that this was the only restaurant within walking distance of the motel I was staying at. It's 2024 and you're still cash only? How ridiculous. read more

Went to Rincon Alteno for a "to go" lunch for a working crew and my wife and I. We ordered two super burritos, four street tacos and four crispy tacos. The crispy beef tacos were almost inedible due to rancid greasy taste used to fire the tortillas. The beef inside the taco was dry and without flavor. The crew on site seemed to enjoy the burritos and soft tacos so I will assume they were pretty good. This location is a cash only site with less than clean appearance for onsite dining. Will most likely not return. Looking forward to other opinions and experiences. read more

I was in transit to Santa Barbara stopped in for a quick bite. Food was delicious. Service was fast and the red salsa was super. Super good and much recommended. read more

Super dive, cash only, next to a 7/11, limited menu, no ambience, messy as hell, I loved this place! First off, it was packed with locals; that's a real good sign. Secondly, the prices are very inexpensive for the size and quality of the good you get; that's always nice. Third and most important, the food tastes great. It's authentic Mexican cuisine; not that TexMex or California rendition of Mexican food. Listen, for a delicious lunch in a hurry with a great salsa bar (some sauces are blisteringly hot) for just a few dollars, you can't beat Taqueria Rincon Alteno. read more

This has been my favorite place to stop on the 101 for the last 12 years and they keep dishing up the best mission-style burritos outside of SF itself. You can't go wrong, but personals recommendation is the Al pastor super burrito. Come hungry because it's a big, rich flavor bomb you want to stop eating. read more