La Super-Rica: Super Fine Mexican Grill

During a rather last minute jaunt to Santa Barbara last weekend, Christine and I made our way to a celebrated Mexican hut called La Super-Rica. I remember reading Josh's review of the place on FoodGPS and drolling over the dishes he had. Other than his review and a high score in the Zagat guide, I hadn't heard much else about this Mexican Restaurant on a sleepy street in Santa Barbara.



We were met with a nice little line that crept out the door but didn't intimite like the line at Pink's Hot Dogs. The menu is written in on a large chalkboard and features much more than your standard LA taqueria.



We ordered many more dishes than we thought we'd need, figuring that if we had leftovers, we could easily pack them and munch on them during our escapades in Wine Country just a few miles north (and our destination later in the day).
When you see a kitchen like this, you are very encouraged. Everything grilled fresh (nothing deep-fried here) and the torillas made by hand, from scratch, and to order. That's commitment.





We got a few standard-issue salsas that did a good job of adding a nice kick to the dishes, but didn't overpower them with spice or acidity - which is what I prefer. I also ordered a large (which is only 16 ounces) horchata that was rich, creamy, and well-spiced with cinnamon.




The alambre de filete, a grilled stir-fry of marinated beef chunks, bacon (!), bell pepper, and onion was simple and meaty - nicely packed into the hot, fresh torillas that were doughy but pliable. The seasoning on the meat was slightly undersalted, but the only thing they've got on each table other than napkins is a salt-shaker, so just season to taste.



The tamal norteno de puerco was a fat corn tamale packed with tender pulled pork and covered in a creamy fresh tomato sauce. Superb, well-constructed, a marvel.



The super rica especial is a dish worth shouting and dancing about. Grilled strips of marinated pork (a la pastor, not quite al pastor but close) with roasted chile pasillo, covered with oozy cheese. It could make you cry too if you try hard enough, it's that good.



Another fantastic dish was the taco de calabacita, a taco covered in a rich creamy sauce (though the sauce was not heavy at all), fresh zucchini squash, and chunks of pork. Christine and I were raving about this one too. It was a special of the day so you may not see it on your visit.



The chorizo taco had nice crispy-burnt chunks next to the meatier ones that made for a nice, charred counterpoint to the other dishes.



Taco de chuleta was a marinated pork taco that paired perfectly with the salsa verde. A bit of sweetness lent the pork a lovely complexity while the slightly sour sauce gave it freshness as compared to the heavier dishes we had, though no dish was truly heavy. Almost everything was stewed or grilled with very little oil so the meal, while filling, wasn't "grossly" rich (which belies the name of the place). Of course, "rico(a)" in spanish means rich, but implies a deliciousness and unction which doesn't translate perfectly in English. Generally it's a very good thing (try complimenting your local taco guy/girl with "es muy rico" - they'll love it).



Prices were very reasonable, ranging $2.50 for tacos to $6.80 for a large plate. Our whole meal (easily could've eaten half) was $30 some dollars. And yes, it was so good, we just finished it all off before heading to Los Olivos. It was that good.

I'm dreaming about when we can come again.


La Super-Rica Taqueria
622 N Milpas St
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805) 963-4940