36 Best Mexican Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“I was coming down from San Francisco back to LA and stopped by to this place. Very colorful with art painted on the walls inside. Food was fantastic 10/10. After ordering I didn't have much interaction with staff but at the time of ordering my food the cashier/waitress seems pretty nice. They have a huge menu, so I'm sure there is plenty to try.
1.ordered fish taco 🌮...it's a very big tacowith double tortilla. If you're not a big rate this one taco should be enough (Forgot to take picture 😞).
2. I also ordered, a plate that came with 🐔 🥩 🍤🍚🫘. Huge plate enough to feed 2 people. I'm a fat ass so I ate it all 😆.
3. They have free unlimited self serve tortilla chips with a salsa bar you can have while you wait for your food.
4. They do have a wet bar. I had a beer 🍺 (it was a hot day 🥵)
5. Restroom was clean. Only one toilet 🚻.
6. Free agua Fresca refills. You refill it yourself.
If I'm ever up there again I'm Santa Cruz again I'm coming to this place again. Not sure why I didn't pictures.🤷🏽‍♂️“

“so delicious! everything we got was amazing especially the Quesabirria Tacos with consome!“

“This was honestly the best food truck food I have ever had. I eat healthy all week, but I know when I go to a brewery on a weekend, I’m gonna have to make some compromises! No compromises had to be made for this food, as they had tons of healthy options! But healthy doesn’t always mean delicious, but this place was truly some of the most delicious food I had ever had at a brewery! (Humble Sea beer garden on the Santa Cruz wharf) I'll search out this food truck anytime I'm back in the Santa Cruz area.

Vegetarian options: Absolutely delicious!“

“The secret is, this is the best mexican food around. The machete taco is the signature dish, but there are plenty of other good things on the menu. Ask for some green hot sauce, some salt and get at least two machete and a bottle of coke; you won’t regret it. I particularly think they do beef well here. I’m pretty sure the family that runs this place is from Isla Janitzio in Michoacán and they are honestly just the sweetest people. Don’t just get the same things as you would at some of the other popular taquerias locally that are Mexico city style.
I ate here about once a week for over a decade and having moved away I miss it dearly.“

“This was a great experience, I'm very happy we came here. Very reasonably priced, the guy serving us had exceptional service, attitude, etc. Maybe the only downside is minimal seating, but I think it's fine. We were the first customers and he gave us free chips, salsas, and guac! Other than that we got street Tacos and crispy Tacos with birria, shredded chicken, and El pastor, all good! And the churro was a good size. Come here!“

“The best taqueria in Santa Cruz!!! My family and I highly recommend this place❤“

“The Service is great !!! Beef taco is wonderful :) Also they do an American breakfast if you desire.Everything iv had is really good !!!“

“This food taco truck serves up a taco fiesta with excellent home made tacos, chips and more using abukea's (grandmas recipes). We tried delicious chicken tacos, fish tacos, crispy tacos, refried beans obviously slo cooked. And crispy flour tortilla chips. Excellent chunky guacamole
Great service and we enjoyed out meals with a guava Jarritos soda. We sat under an umbrella at an out door picnic table.
Accessible parking next to truck.“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“I used to eat here often in the 90s. On a recent return visit I was thrilled that the place was still run by the same wonderful family. The carnitas burrito is one of the best I've ever had.

Parking: Parking can be difficult at lunch time“

“This was our first time there and the food was great and the atmosphere was great.. also had great service. We will be back again..“

“I love The Boardwalk. It's always a good time over there. Everything about a beach town is always fun. Such an amazing vibe everytime I go.“

“Delicious jackfruit tacos. Great for vegetarian, vegan. And one of the only places to get gluten free. We asked and the chips are gluten free although I'm not sure about cross contamination but no reaction. Chips and guacamole make a meal though in a pinch“

“First time trying this place and was pleasantly surprised. Veggies were fresh and made to order, the chile relleno was cooked beautifully. The server was very friendly and helpful and very flexible with plate combos. I could have even had a breakfast burrito in the afternoon on a weekday! Super happy. Only negative was the tables/booths hadn’t been wiped down despite the restaurant being completely empty. Planning to return here ?

Vegetarian options: Chile relleno, sides, veggie burritos, breakfast burritos, quesadillas, plates, etc. also was willing to substitute and got a big plate of fresh grilled veggies on the side (asparagus, Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions)

Dietary restrictions: Refried beans not made with pork/lard for a change so and no chicken stock/stock in the Spanish rice so was able to get for once. Server was accommodating when checking that everything was vegetarian for me. ❤️“

“Staff was very friendly and I felt very at home. But most importantly the food is FIRE. Had to come back 4 times in one week. The Al pastor super burrito was the most phenomenal burrito I’ve ver had in my life, so flavorful. We also got the birra sliders and tacos, definitely the best tacos we had our time in Santa Cruz.“

“Staff was super friendly and they truly cared about the customers. I had the fish taco and it was amazing“

“Veggie burrito and most everything else is great. Atmosphere is meh. Don't skip the carrots or the salsa. Amazing. Perfect to-go place for either tacos or burritos. Spicy meats leave you wanting more. Come back. You will like it. Lots of locals here“

“This is a cozy cute place with delicious café de olla, and Mexican dishes, live music and kind owners, convenient location to have food before walking to the beach.“

“Los tacos de lengua mis favoritos con aguacate. Y mi coca cola mexicana,“

“Some of the best crispy tacos hands down the chicken are the best. Anyone that has no had them is missing out big time, definitely don’t be the person that orders a veggie burrito! It’s been the same since I was a kid skateboarding at the fun spot across the street! Nostalgic spot and family owned with great prices compared to other spots!“

“It sad to say the taqueria in my Town Tracy cannot even come close to the superior food .“

“Really great spot to get burritos. Other than Taqueria Santa Cruz on Soquel and the Pericos downtown, both this spot and the new one in Aptos are pretty good.
I gave it a 4 star because the last 3 times I've gone, I've asked for my tortilla grilled and they haven't done it once yet after confirming they would.
Other than that, great quality since it seems Michoacan across the street has gone down in quality.“

“Extremely fast food prep. Order at the counter, and they bring the food to your table. Really fast even when busy. Excellent burritos, ok chips, and a wide variety of salsa's at the salsa bar.

Parking: Has their own parking lot, but it is on the small side, and parking spaces are closely packed. Street parking is widely available if it's full though.“

“Best chicken enchilada EVER! Here I go to try something new!“

“Great place to meet up with friends, for breakfast or anytime! Great beach and lighthouse view, and casual, comfortable atmosphere! I highly recommend!!“

“When In Santa Cruz you got to hit up Tacos El Chuy. The food is delicious, people are great and friendly. Nothing like a hot meal and a cold beer. Tacos 🌮 are great and the Nachos are awesome.“

“Solid tacos here! I got a the carnitas, the pastor, and the asada. The best was definitely the pastor, then the carnitas, then the asada. The chips that came with the meal were a bit stale, but overall I was quite happy with the taco experience – would recommend overall!“

“Great variety and vegetarian options seven days a week!“

“First time checking this place out and I have to say I was really impressed with the pupusas! The chicharron con queso pupusas were delicious! I also really enjoyed the empanadas de platano. Definitely will be coming back soon :)“

“LOVE THIS TACO BELL! My absolute favorite I've ever been too. The food is consistently fresh and tasty and it is easy to eat vegetarian. The staff is super friendly, which is an added bonus. The dining room is clean, though it gets more crowded as the night goes on as this is the one place in Santa Cruz that is open after 10 pm onwards to midnight (it is really also good!) And it's one of the few affordable restaurants worth eating at, period.“

“Food is honestly delicious, a lot better than expected. The tacos are great, they hit the spot right after bowling. Took a little while but it was only 1 hard working man! He had great energy and provided great customer service. Would definitely come again!“

“Ate here a few years ago while visiting, and just had to come back on this trip. Drinks were amazing and fairly priced. Food was also amazing, a little steep on the price but not unreasonable. Eric was a fantastic server, with a great personality. I couldn't have asked for a better dining experience!“