36 Best Mexican Restaurants in Santa Cruz

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

“Hidden gem! Be sure to do their 5-pounder burritos challenge, I thought it's either a typo or I was in Vegas. But it's a real thing, I was shock by the size of it (that's what she said), and If you can eat it in 10 mins then it's free!

Also shout out to Jonny what a great guy, 10/10 recommend this place“

“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“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“The Real Taco is THE place! The Mission location has a slightly more extensive menu and is always my go to whenever I make my way to Santa Cruz. The flavors are incredible, and they’re so generous with their portions of meat and toppings that I always leave feeling completely satisfied. It’s a spot I’m constantly craving and coming back to for more!

My must-orders: the Quesabirria Plate, Surf & Turf Burrito, and their nachos. You really can’t go wrong with anything!!!“

“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 !!!!“

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

“This is a fantastic neighborhood Mexican restaurant. It is family-owned, and everybody is very friendly and helpful.
The food is great! Wonderful dishes like machete taco or the super burritos.
They serve wine and beer.
We live in the area so we go to either dine in or take home. Always delicious!“

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

“Very clean market and mexican taqueria. The food is delicious with all the traditional options of a taqueria, including a help-yoursef salsa & chip bar. The market is small, clean, and caters items for quock neighborhood pickups and for beach goers.“

“My favorite restaurant in Santa Cruz when I was an undergrad at UCSC!! They make their tortillas fresh in front of your eyes for your meal. Everything is made in-house and with fresh ingredients, making your eating experience unforgettable! I will miss this place greatly but I 100% recommend anyone to stop by this place for a great meal!“

“10/10 — Definitely worth the hype!
TikTok really hyped up Taqueria La Katrina in Santa Cruz, so I had to come give it a try, and let me tell you, it was SO worth it! The food was delicious, fresh, hot, and came out super fast. The service was great, and the whole experience was amazing. Everything hit the spot, and I can definitely see why everyone is talking about this place!
If you’re in Santa Cruz and looking for some good Mexican food, you NEED to check this place out. I’ll definitely be coming back! 🌮🔥
10/10 recommend!“

“Where do I begin!? Favorite burrito spot since I was a child. The house sauce is literally the best in the world. I’ve yet to ever find somewhere else that has it. Everytime I come home to visit I go here multiple times. 12/10

Would recommend the pastor burrito it’s my favorite 🤩“

“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..“

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

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

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

“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...“

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

“Great part of Santa Cruz History Great Ride Food and Entertainment“

“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.“

“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“

“Delish thank you very much so Mexican it's almost as if a little piece of the border in the heart of America so if you're Spanish is not so good it's okay cuz their English isn't either however the order never gets messed up in the food is always up to par“

“Stopped in here for lunch with a group of friends. I ordered the flautas while others had the burrito bowl or street tacos. The food was very good and the service was quick, attentive, and professional. This is not a "fancy" restaurant but the food is fresh and tasty. I enjoyed the meal and will definitely return on my next visit. I recommend you try this restaurant.“

“The staff was friendly and amazing because the guy took the time to really explain the menu to me and really make sure that I got what I was craving to want to eat. I'm autistic and have ADHD so I'm very animated and love flavor in my food and this by far gave me an incredible food experience. I will keep coming back to this place every single opportunity that I have. I'm new to the area and this is definitely something that makes me want to stay after.“

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

“Food was good. We thought about going across the street to the grocery store and returning and they told us that if we did then we need to leave with our car. People were ok. But food was great.“

“casual eatery with phenomenal tacos! I ordered the crispy chicken taco and soft carne asada street taco and they were perfect. The carne asada was juicy and flavorful, and the crispy shell with chicken and cheese taco was so satisfying. Will be back my next trip to Santa Cruz!“

“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 :)“

“I was in Santa Cruz just stopping by and so I called my friend and he referred me to Taqueria Santa Cruz I was with 3 other friends and every order was great plus they offer multiple different salsas and toping highly recommended if your looking for some really good food“

“THIS IS BY FAR, I MEAN BY FAR THE BEST MEXICAN PLACE IN ALL OF SANTA CRUZ. My family and I had a long day at the beach the kids played for hours while my wife and I enjoyed the nice views and rides along the boardwalk and when we all got hungry we walked over since it caught our eye. Let me tell you that the customer service was splendid! It was beautiful to live in the moment and just be living around others, it was an awesome atmosphere and the music playing was just a cherry on top! We ordered pupusas, tacos, burritos and I personally ordered the pozole. Let me tell you that when I took that first bite it felt like being back in Mexico after coming home to my mom’s cooking. I genuinely shed a tear. The pupusas were also so good our daughter loved them and I couldn’t get enough of it! I would 100% recommend coming to try it out. We went back the next morning and the young man helping to take our order told us about their breakfast burritos and they are awesome. They aren’t on the menu but it’s a must!“

“Immaculately taken care of truck. The owner was so nice and helpful. Food was exactly what we wanted. A huge burrito with cabbage and almost an entire avocado, excellent rice and super tender meat. The Cali taco was awesome with onions, huge amount of avocado and great asada.

Litterally changed all of our moods from tired to excited and happy. Keep it up mate and thanks for a great meal!

Had this while at Buena Vista brewery and Santa Cruz Cider“

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

“The four of us ate lunch there a couple of days ago. Was honestly surprised at the portion sizes (those super burritos 😛)......WOW!!!
Aside of the food being plentiful and delicious, it was upstaged by our wonderfully attentive server, Fernando. That guy DOES customer service! (To the owner: Give this man a raise!)
So.......if it wasn't 2,300 or so miles from our home, we would eat here MUCH more often!“

“I was blown away by the customer service I experienced. Devante (hope I spelled it right) was amazing. Cheerful, punctual, helpful and relatable to the customers. I felt in need to acknowledge him for outstanding service. I have never seen anyone be so professional in this role. Consider yourself lucky if you come in and he’s working.“