Santa Barbara · United States
The Santa Barbara food cheat sheet
One page from Chef Amazing · November 2026
The dish to eat
Soft corn tortillas filled with strips of roasted poblano chile, onion and melted cheese.
Best at La Super-Rica Taqueria, Milpas St. Get: Rajas tacos
Five places, and what to order
- Santa Barbara Fish Marketmarket · HarborGet: Live sea urchin, oysters
- Freebirdsfamily-run · Isla VistaGet: Build-your-own burrito or nachos
- Brophy Bros.classic · HarborGet: Grilled spot prawns in season, clam chowder
- Saturday Fishermen's Marketfor santa Barbara uni · Harbor (Navy Pier)Get: Urchin straight from the boats
- The Larkfor santa Barbara spot prawns · Funk ZoneGet: Spot prawns when they're on the menu
The market
Farmers market. Central Coast produce, seafood, flowers
In season this November
Uni · Spiny lobster
How it works here
Tip: Tip 18-22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at the bar.
Book: Book the hot places on Resy or OpenTable, often the day tables drop (2-4 weeks out); counters and slices are walk-in.
When locals eat: Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6-9pm; it gets late only in the big cities.