36 Best Mexican Restaurants in Santa Cruz

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

“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 !!!!“

“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“

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

“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.“

“Delicious food, kind servers, true authentic Mexican food. No hassle, no frills - so far, I've had the Siete Mares and Pescado Fritos and both were the best I've tasted in all of Santa Cruz County. I got my order as To Go so the atmosphere I didn't really get into but there were people there enjoying their food and sports on TV. A nice surprise.“

“I ordered two crispy carne asada tacos rice and beans. It was really good and put together well. The crane asada was tender and of course it was all delicious. I go often and I do recommend Salsas to fam and friends. Five Star every time I go.“

“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.🤷🏽‍♂️“

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

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

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

“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 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“

“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. ❤️“

“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“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

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

“Been going there since the early 2020's and it's always has been good...
Good quality food, enough to fill your belly, and even with the plates, sometimes enough to even bring home, love it being close to walking distance, nice restaurant...“

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

“Great local spot for authentic Mexican food. The flavors are great and they offer a lot of different meat options that are all cooked, and seasoned nicely.

The place was populated with locals which made us feel like we chose the right spot.

Initially we were nervous about ordering, but the lady running the counter was so incredibly nice, offered suggestions, and walked us through the whole process with patience and a friendly demeanor.“

“Loved this place when I lived in SC. After retiring I traveled the country for a few years and moved to SC from Tempe to be a surf bum for a year. The dude who runs this joint was always super cool and he always had 2 tacos and a beer ready. If, like me, you have your stuff stolen by the shrubbery living under the wharf (IYKYK), you can always get a hot, free side of beans and rice before they open at the walk-up window by saying ‘beans and rice for Jesus Christ’. 11/10 need to go back and hit the Lane.“

“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.“

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

“Taqueria Santa Cruz has quickly become my go-to spot in town, and for good reason. The carne en su Jugo (Soup) is absolutely phenomenal—it’s my favorite dish, and I find myself ordering it every single time without fail. The flavors are rich, tender, and perfectly seasoned.

Their tacos are also some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the city. Fresh ingredients, great balance, and that authentic touch that keeps me coming back again and again.

If you’re looking for a taqueria that consistently delivers top-notch food, Chuhugo is the place.“

“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 :)“

“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!“

“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.“

“UPDATE..OCT 10TH. SERVICE SUCKED. THE LONG BLONDE HAIR WAS TAKING SHOTS WITH GUEST INSTEAD OF DOING HER JOB. TWICE I SEEN HER LOOK AT OUR TABLE AND IGNORE THE EMPTY DRINKS OR THE FACT THAT I WAS TRYING TO GET HER ATTENTION. TERRIBLE SERVICE. WILL NOT GO BACK.“