Santa Barbara’s
Burrito Week Is Back!
How to Celebrate Our Second Annual Seven-Day Stretch of $7 Burritos
By Indy Staff | September 22, 2022
Let’s be honest: Every week is burrito week in Santa Barbara. But when can you find 11 different burritos — from traditional to breakfast to vegetarian — all for just $7 apiece?
Ahorita, that’s when. Sí, mis amigos, Burrito Week is back!
Our second annual edible affair, which runs from September 22-28, includes 10 restaurants from western Goleta to Santa Claus Lane, each stuffing burritos with homemade formulas featuring birria, sausage gravy, falafel, zucchini, pasilla chile, or, for purists, simply beans, rice, and meat.
Here’s where to celebrate, what they’re making, and which restrictions apply, all compiled by our hungry team of burrito enthusiasts. Tell us what you think and tag photos of your Burrito Week victories at #SBIndyBurritoWeek on Instagram. We’ll publish our favorite experiences in next week’s issue. You might even win a $25 gift card to a participating restaurant!
First Up: Download Your Own Burrito Week Passport!
This is just for fun, so you can keep track of all burritos you’ve eaten. Pro tip: You can post a picture of your passport with the hashtag #SBIndyBurritoWeek to be entered into the gift card giveaway!
Super Cucas
Week Burrito
When I came in to try the delicious Super Cucas Week Burrito, it was during a wave of unusually high temps. The humidity was thick, rain was in the forecast, and a gray apocalyptic feeling hung in the air.
Ducking into Super Cucas on Micheltorena with the familiar side porch teeming with locals fresh off work and in for their favorite Mexican fare, I was instantly comforted. Even more so when I took a bite of their massive burrito special filled with rice, beans, onions, cilantro, and carne asada. The tender carne asada is my favorite, but you can choose from any of their mouth-watering meat options, including pastor, pollo, or carnitas. Whatever you choose, I definitely recommend slathering this beautiful creation in their perfectly balanced salsa verde.
As I continued to indulge, a tropical drizzle began to fall. Was the humidity breaking? Although I can’t predict the weather, of this I am certain: A Super Cucas burrito is sure to satisfy. The tasty taqueria opened in 1991 and now has three Santa Barbara locations. Winner of the Indy’s Best of Santa Barbara® Burrito year in and year out, Cucas remains a nourishing constant in a changing world. —Rebecca Horrigan
Available during normal hours. 626 W. Micheltorena St., (805) 962-4028; and 2030 Cliff Drive, Ste. 1A, (805) 966-3863; supercucasrestaurant.com
S.B. Food Connection
Birria Burrito
Santa Barbara Food Connection is now open where the old Dave’s Dogs was located near the top of Milpas Street’s commercial corridor. Joe Silva started the Connection as a food truck and ran it for six strong years before moving into a brick-and-mortar location this summer. He now serves authentic Mexican cuisine as well as bacon burgers and fully loaded fries.
The Birria Burrito came with the stewed meat’s traditional partner of consommé — which is the birria broth — as well as freshly fried chips and salsa. Silva wraps up his deliciously tender birria with a hefty amount of fried cheese plus rice, beans, cilantro, and onion into a tortilla that’s crisped on the griddle. The key to pairing the burrito’s light crunchiness is dipping it into the warm consommé, squeezing fresh lime wedge, and dolloping on some salsa de aguacate. Enjoy it with one of the ice-cold aguas frescas that Santa Barbara Food Connection regularly sells. —Xavier Pereyra
Available 1 p.m.-close. 900 North Milpas; (805) 869-2007; santabarbarafoodconnection.com
Los Agaves
Garden Burrito (Plus Meat Options)
It isn’t every day you take a first bite that effectively arrests all of your senses at once — rarer still to indulge in a burrito that manages to capitalize on that first-bite feel with every subsequent offering. Enter: Los Agaves’ Garden Burrito. The beloved Santa Barbara establishment (with locations on De la Vina, Milpas, and in Goleta) has turned out another noteworthy, tortilla-wrapped delicacy that deserves the highest praise from herbivores like myself.
As its name suggests, the Garden Burrito is full of veggies that walk the fine line between taste and texture. Grilled zucchini, green and red bell peppers, and carrots, all perfectly prepared, lend this burrito the utmost flavor with a subtle crunch to boot. Add pinto beans and Monterey Jack cheese to this melty medley and witness a burrito that is truly and transcendentally greater than the sum of its parts.
For those who can’t be without meat, Los Agaves’ al pastor, chicken, or carnitas burritos should satisfy your carnivorous cravings. Pro tip: Pair your burrito with a bottled Coke and Los Agaves’ legendary salsa bar for a superior dining experience at a Santa Barbara restaurant that importantly prioritizes quality food and service. This Burrito Week, one thing is unmistakably clear: Los Agaves understood the assignment. —Don Brubaker
Available 11 a.m.-5 p.m. for dine-in only, at the 600 N. Milpas St., 2911 De la Vina St., and 7024 Market Place Dr. in Goleta locations; los-agaves.com
El Zarape Mexican Food
Breakfast Pasilla Burrito (the #7)
Full disclosure: I have eaten more El Zarape breakfast burritos than any other to-go item in Santa Barbara, only partially because I live on the Westside. Usually, I opt for the straightforward egg, rice, and beans, so this Burrito Week variation is kind of like trading in your Hyundai for a Lexus.
Gone are the plebeian — if deliciously filling — rice and beans, replaced by potatoes that would delight as home fries all on their own. But the #7 burrito has more than just starch ballast on its well-plancha-ed tortilla. It stars pasilla chiles, grilled, but still giving that good green crunch. Then there’s a heaping helping of avocado, offering lots of nutty creaminess, and a healthy melt of cheese guaranteed to goo into strings. Egg also gets grilled and woven into the mix; El Zarape always serves its burritos portioned so you get a bit of every ingredient in each pleasing bite.
Owner Raul Gil and his team won a Foodie Award way back in 2016 and have been open for two decades, so their well-loved local joint isn’t the trendiest or prettiest spot. But if you want to kick off your day with a sigh of contentment, start here. And while all the salsas are stellar, the kicky green tomatillo matches the color and flavor profile of the #7 best. —George Yatchisin
Available Mon-Fri, 7-11 a.m. and Sat-Sun all day. 1435 San Andres St.; (805) 899-2711; elzarapesantabarbara.com
Home Plate Grill
Trainwreck & G-Town Breakfast Burritos
Home Plate Grill’s Trainwreck and G-Town Breakfast Burritos | Credit: Matt Kettmann
Hidden behind a 7-Eleven in the western Goleta neighborhood of El Encanto Heights, the Home Plate Grill is an elemental American diner. The kitchen’s sizzling griddle is not hidden from the smattering of tables and booths, nor are the extra napkin dispensers, shelves of condiments, and bulletin board of community flyers. There’s a sports twist too, with live games and/or highlight reels flickering on the TVs as ’90s rock music provides the soundtrack.
The formula feels perfectly functional as the restaurant approaches its seventh year in business. A former construction professional, Ken Johnston opened the restaurant in 2016 to be close to his brother, Rusty Johnston. Back in 2008, Rusty and his wife, Amanda, renovated The Falls, a longtime dive bar in the same strip mall, into the Roundin’ Third Sports Bar. But then Rusty died right after Ken opened Home Plate, leaving Amanda to run the bar.
Home Plate always participates in both Burger Week and Burrito Week, and this year’s two breakfast burritos are the Trainwreck — a peppery, creamy mix of eggs, bacon, sausage gravy, tater tots, and cheddar cheese that goes great with their orange salsa — and the G-Town, an avocado- and meat-forward combo of eggs, tri-tip, Italian sausage, Ortega chilis, grilled jalapeños, and cheddar cheese.
“That one’s more for hangovers,” Ken told me, pointing to the Trainwreck, and then aimed at the G-Town. “And that one’s more spicy.” Loaded with proteins, carbs, big flavors, and complex textures, they’d both work for hangovers, or just for starting your day deliciously, with no need for lunch. —Matt Kettmann
Available 8 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. 7398 Calle Real, Ste. C, Goleta; (805) 845-3323; homeplategoleta.com
Foxtail Kitchen & Bar
Falafel Burrito
Nestled between the Palace Café and Rascal’s on Cota Street, Foxtail Kitchen sits on one of the hippest little side streets in Santa Barbara, just around the corner yet worlds away from the hustle and bustle of State Street. When you step into Foxtail Kitchen, you know you’re in a locals’ joint, with twinkling lights, wood-paneled walls, and friendly bartenders. While they specialize in Mediterranean fare, there’s something for everyone on the menu, from the Make N Bacon burger to a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free items.
The only vegan selection on our roster of Burrito Week entries made my mouth water before I even arrived. I’ve had Foxtail’s falafels before, and knew I was in for a non-traditional treat. Savory falafel balls coalesce with tahini sauce (tahini, tomato, cucumber, and lemon juice), hummus, romaine lettuce, and cucumber, all wrapped up in a super-sized pita that’s grilled for a touch of extra crunch. Served with extra tahini and super-spicy habibi sauce on the side, the falafel burrito is a vegan delight that will satisfy the hungriest of palates. —Sarah Sinclair
Available 4-11 p.m., except Monday. 14 E. Cota St.; (805) 845-6226; foxtailsb.com
Los Arroyos
Runaway Burrito
It’s no surprise that the chicken and al pastor burritos are the most popular specialties served at the original Los Arroyos Restaurant on Figueroa Street — so much so that they’re known simply as the Runaway. Chef/founder Tony Arroyo prepares the classical Mexican meal-in-one with a perfect mixture of grilled chicken or grilled pork, paired with brown beans, rice, Jack cheese, onions, cilantro, and guacamole.
Be sure to accompany your burrito with at least one of the three salsas, made fresh daily: a mild pico gallo, the smooth avocado, or the spicier quemada. I would also recommend ordering one of their great salads. The Mama Ensalada is my favorite, full of seasonal veggies and refreshing flavors. It goes great with either of the burritos.
It’s always a joy to eat at Los Arroyos. The staff is friendly and efficient, and the kitchen crew turns out an amazing variety of dishes quickly and beautifully presented. But this is Burrito Week, so take a friend, order one of each — chicken and al pastor — and share. Whether you eat inside the pleasant, tiled dining room, or al fresco at the outside parklet, you will leave happy and satisfied. —Marianne Partridge
Any time of the day, only available at 14 W. Figueroa St.; (805) 962-5541; losarroyos.net
Taqueria Santa Barbara
Al Pastor Burrito
Sitting outside on Taqueria Santa Barbara’s curbside patio on State Street, watching people shuffle down the red-bricked sidewalk on a sunny afternoon, their signature marinated pork al pastor burrito somehow tastes even better than usual.
Ever since the family-owned restaurant opened its doors across the street from The Granada Theatre in 2020, it’s been one of my go-to spots when my al pastor craving kicks into high gear. The spit-roasted, spicy bits of freshly sliced pork stuffed inside a warm tortilla alongside beans, rice, cheese, cilantro, and onions comes with your choice of homemade salsas, but the must-try is their smoky, sweet, and silky pineapple-based salsa. Its slightly sweet but subtly spicy bite and creamy texture is a perfect contrast to the deep all pastor marinade, and a testament to the fact that pineapple and pork belong together forever.
Grab a burrito and a beverage — they serve beers, wine in a can, specialty cocktails, and aguas frescas — any day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. —Ryan P. Cruz
1213 State St., Ste. A; (805) 869-6618; taqueriasb.com
Yona Redz
Birria Burrito
At Yona Redz, the line goes out the door and down to the corner on busy nights. Expect no different during Burrito Week, when they’re serving an outstanding Birria des Res burrito from 5 p.m. until closing — or earlier, if they run out. The popular restaurant is on the State Street Promenade block anchored by Joe’s Café on one end and Hana Kitchen on the other. On a breezy September afternoon, the flowers and leaves from a tree overhead drifted down onto a savory example of what slow-cooking can do for a cut of beef shoulder.
In this secret family recipe from his mother’s mother, owner Jonathan Estrada would only admit to guajillo chiles, California chiles (a k a Anaheim chiles), “and some spices” as making up the deep-red broth where the beef simmers for hours. Peruano beans, Spanish rice, melty cheese, leaves of cilantro, and crunchy onions are tucked into the burrito, all wrapped in a tortilla, saffron-colored from being dipped in the broth. If you order consommé on the side for another few bucks, you’ll get a helping of the broth the meat was braised in for dipping. Out of this world.
The restaurant also has vegetarian options if you really must skip the brisket, as well as what looks to be a cheese-lovers’ menu of tacos, and even ramen. Only the Birria des Res is part of the Burrito Week deal, though they do serve Birria de Chivo on the weekend. —Jean Yamamura
Available 5 p.m.-close, or until supplies run out. 532 State St.; (805) 324-4039; yonaredz.com
Padaro Beach Grill
Nacho Burrito
Eating Padaro Beach Grill’s Nacho Burrito, I was confused. Not by the burrito itself — as a tasty, tortilla-wrapped composition of homemade chili, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, avocado, and cabbage, it made all the sense in the world. No, I was confused that the concept of a nacho burrito like the other categories of the handheld meal — breakfast, California, veggie, bean and cheese, etc. — hasn’t caught on as a more common menu item. The only other place that has one, at least that I can think of, is Taco Bell, and to say Padaro Beach Grill’s version is better is a criminal understatement. When asked if they would consider keeping it on their menu after Burrito Week ends (it’s that good), Padaro manager Javier said with a shrug and smile they’d see how popular it proved. So for all of us, go get one. Get two and save the other for dinner. Just don’t make us go to Taco Bell. —Tyler Hayden
3765 Santa Claus Ln., Carpinteria; (805) 566-9800; padarobeachgrill.com
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