17 Best Mexican Restaurants near Santa Ynez

“This place is a gift. My wife and I have tried most of the tacos. Pressed pork was our favorite. I had a Burro Visitadores and it was amazing. The tortillas are hand made and delicious.

Wheelchair accessibility: The tables are high for wheelchair use. All of the chairs are stools.“

“A perfect ending to a perfect day in Santa Ynez valley. Great company, great conversation, stiff drinks (Substituted Mezcal for Tequila in our Margaritas) and stellar service. My brother and sister-in-law are strict vegetarians. When we realized their vegetarian tostada's came with Mexican rice cooked in chicken stock, our hostess Kaitlyn was personification of equanimity and professionalism. Without skipping a beat and with grace took away their plates and remade their orders . Remained attentive to our needs , no awkwardness. It is said that salsas make or break a Mexican restaurant. The salsas for me were too mild but Kaitlyn and the rest of the staff had stellar service, were very welcoming, and their spirit and warmth more than made up for the lack of fire in the salsas... Though my brother found the salsa fiery too. And the drive back as the sun set and drenched the Santa Rita hills in amber glow was a cherry on top of the already great mood thanks to. Kaitlyn and the staff at Dos Carlitos (and the stiff drinks). Thank you.“

“Their breakfast burritos are delicious, and they’re friendly as well. Would recommend the habanero sauce if you love spice! 🙏 Perfect place for a quick stop or for a loaded breakfast ☺️“

“Amazing food friendly people must go spot !“

“I ordered some party plates and they were so good - everyone loved the food and it came with all the fixings! I was stressing over the pickup and timing and they called to ask if they could deliver for me to help out. Great experience and I'll definitely order from them again!“

“Very good food chips feshly made and salsa was good“

“This is an amazing spot with great food! Highly recommend“

“Great little Mexican restaurant not far off the freeway off-ramp. Good menu both of food and drink options. English & Spanish spoken. Cash & credit cards accepted.Their Tequila Nachos are good - very generous with the cheese. The steak option was very flavorful and tender and diced into very easy bite-sized pieces. Large dollop of guacamole on top and drizzled with sour cream. Definitely great to share or for a very hungry person! They have a nice little salsa bar with pickled jalapenos and onions, as well as diced red onions, cilantro, pico de gallo and several salsa options ranging from extremely mild to a habenero sauce with a good kick to it.Beers, margaritas and sodas available (both Mexican bottled Coca-Cola or basic American soda fountail Coke). Casual environment.

Vegetarian options: You can order things without meat (like the nachos) but clearly meat (chicken & beef) is at the forefront here.

Dietary restrictions: Inquire carefully.

Parking: Small spot and I think it's street parking only.

Kid-friendliness: Kid & family-friendly.

Wheelchair accessibility: Yes.“

“Amazing food and even better service!
Taco Roco is one of my favorite places to eat! The food is absolutely amazing, the prices are great, and the staff is super friendly and welcoming. When we came in, they took about 10 minutes to go over the whole menu with us, giving us different options and choices without ever making us feel rushed.

My family is big and we usually take a little longer to order, which sometimes upsets people at other places — but not here! Everyone was so patient and kind. Julian and Michelle were especially wonderful! They were incredibly friendly and helpful. Michelle even helped my sister take care of her baby girl so she could sit down and enjoy her meal. That meant so much to us!

The staff here is great, and a lot of them are local, which makes the whole place feel even more comfortable and welcoming. We always have a great experience here. Highly recommend Taco Roco if you want delicious food and amazing service“

“This is an amazing spot with great food! Highly recommend“

“We have a good experience with our young & Sharp bar tender, the German-American Lamar, he was so very attentive. The wine testing pretty good, tasted the industrial wine flight, We bought the bottle of Five Hearts.“

“Good Tortas & Great Birria!!“

“All i can say about the new Tonos in town is IMPRESSIVE, a great dining experience, clean. Staff courteous and helpful, reasonably priced. amd food awesome.. if you haven’t tried it you should, will definitely be back!“

“I've been through Buellton many times and have heard of Taco Roco but have never experienced it. The food was very good. I got the carnitas platter and it was huge!The chimichanga plate was good and very filling.If it wasn't for the owners having a loud vocal argument it would have been better. Good thing I was alone and know Spanish.....it was interesting ?“

“BBQ sandwich Pork and the Tru Tip sandwich“

“Pulled through the drive through the night before Lagerville 2025. An AI robot tries to take your order at first but me and my passengers outwitted it by asking for “everything” which cause a malfunction to the main frame. So after about 30 seconds a human responded. And even though we still had no idea of our order and my tallest friend that I've ever known was purposefully retarding the ordering process, the human employee had impeccable patience and exemplary service. I only understand the Untappd rating paradigm so I’d say this is a 3.25 out of five bottle caps.“

“I was a little concerned because I'd seen they had a 3.7 rating on one site but I wanted to try them. We were the only ones there sadly and the waitress was friendly and efficient. I tried a Danish sausage platter w potato pancake and red cabbage and I also had a bowl of pea soup. Husband had chicken picatta and roast potatoes and veg. All was delicious. I hope people look at the good reviews and try them. They hv a nice indoors and a patio.“