Tips for Dining, Eating and Food Shopping in California (exc. LA, SF Bay Area, San Diego)
Start New ThreadWe're going to Super Rica (Santa Barbara) for the first time later this week after hearing about it for a long time--any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
By leydegeyer
on Feb 11, 2007 04:20 PM
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Please tell us how it was. I haven't been yet.
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It appears that the only stuff worth ordering at LSR will contain cheese as its primary ingredient. Veer away from that bit of advice, and you're on your own.
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Don't get the plain meat tacos...small and dull.
I love the #14, #16 and the specials...tamales, etc...
Also, guacamole, rice/beans are excellent.
PS. Remember...it's just a taco stand.
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Look at the specials first. Anything with the cream sauce, especially the tamales de verduras, is worth getting. As mentioned above, I give a thumbs up to the beans (charro style with bacon and cilantro) and the guac. Seeing as none of those contain cheese, I would discount the advice posted previously. That being said, the tacos with cheese (and anything else that strikes your fancy) are quite good. It's white cheese that is cooked long enough so it gets nice and gooey, complementing the grilled meats nicely.
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Ha! You and Manku just proved my point: They can barely execute a simple taco, yet slather a dish in some dairy product and watch 'em line up!
:-p
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It's more than a bit of exaggeration to say "they can barely execute a simple taco." A taco is meat and tortillas. Period. There is nothing wrong with their plain grilled meat tacos de chuleta or bistec. Do you have some kind of axe to grind? Yes, it's just a taco stand, but it's pretty good. Yes, it gets a lot of mileage out of its "hype" as well, but what's wrong with that? What's your alternative recommendation for amazing, superior, out of this world tacos, Mr. Blowe?
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I almost always order the "especial" which I think is the #16 and I loooove the rajas - chiles (poblanos?) and onions auteed very soft with some cream - more lush than I can describe. Beans are also very good and the toRtillas themselves, fresh, fresh, fresh are about half the draw for me!
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The tacos de rajas are just amazing. I also like the tamal de verduras, though the sauce is a little weak.
Get a side of tortillas. You will want them. Oh, and the horchata is to die for. Get the large.
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I second what is said above -- order whatever the specials are, and then whatever else looks good to you.
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#15 - The Tocino Special - melted white flavorful cheese with fresh fried bacon pieces served in a small dish that you spoon into one of your three fresh made on the spot tortillas and then put in a scoop of the fresh pico di gallo salsa, wrap it up and go to heaven while a bit of it invariably drips down your arm. Take a bundle of napkins at the counter.
I have been going here since this local restaurant started decades ago, well before its days of fame and I am stuck on the #15. Refuse to even try anything else anymore. Have fun.
Agree the plain meat choices are dull.
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This #15 is absolutely delicious, but WAY too greasy for my taste (bacon & melted cheese!), so be warned! I would get it again, but only to share with 3 or 4 other people, since eating an entire crock of that melted cheese would cause a night of gastric distress!
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Be sure to add the fresh pico de gallo salsa from the pick-up counter to the cheese and bacon which does glop into that sublime fresh tortilla. The pico de gallo cuts the simple richness of the cheese and bacon to make the most complex ambrosial combination ...ever.
Just had it again this weekend - and I don't think I will ever eat anything else on the entire menu other than this. Absolutely yummy.
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Thanks for jogging my memory...the Tocino is another fave. And you can't have too much grease!
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My favorites: Chilli Rellenos - great cheese & cream sauce ; taco with chilli's&cheese (its either a 6 or 8); Chilaquiles is also good.
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Tacos de rajas, chilaquiles (Monday and Thursday), and posole (Sunday).
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I second the #16, the rajas, and, although I didn't order it, the chile rellenos with the cream sauce looked fantastic. Was not thrilled with the beans.
I went by two weeks ago on a Wednesday night and they were closed. Is this normal?
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It seems like they have been closed on Wednesdays for about a year. It used to be a Chilli Relleno night. I miss being able to stop by on Wednesday.
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I'm not sure about now but in past years they closed on Wednesdays for a few weeks during the winter (slow business) season.
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Is that closed on wednesday nights or all day wednesday? We're already missing Hoppe's, I don't want to miss this too!
DOH! According to Citysearch, it's closed all day.
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I believe that it is closed on Wednesday, all day. That was their schedule in past years only for a few weeks in the winter.
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Sign implies all day. I have only tried at night. You might call to make sure.
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I was just there about a week ago, and if I recall correctly, I like:
#6 Rajas - I could eat this every day
#8 Chicken with grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms - a nice foil to all the cheesy things we order
I think it's the #12 or 13 that is kind of a quesadilla with chicken and cheese; I tried the cheese in a tomato sauce thing that was good enough but I didn't love it.
On the specials, I love the chilaquiles but am not a huge fan of the tamales with the veggies in cream sauce - it's a little sweet for me. I like the rice, too - it's very herby, thyme maybe? The rice is great to soak up the sauces. Next time I'll order extra tortillas.
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If they have the tamales (de verdura) or sopes on the specials board, definitely get those. I like the Pechuga Suiza (chicken w/ cheese), and I've heard from many that the Rajas are great (I just can't eat a lot of chiles). Those who say the plain meat tacos are "dull" ... well, I guess they are, but they also are pretty good because I can't eat an entire meal slathered in cheese. I like the Chuleta (pork) and Chorizo. A side of guacamole is also great. The greatest thing is that you can get several items plus beer or horchata and come away spending easily just $12-$15 per person. I'm looking forward to going there this weekend with a friend from out of town.
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BEST HORCHATA ANYWHERE - PERIOD!!! If you like horchata, try a large with easy ice, it's not that large. Refills are a buck each. As goodfeeder posted above, chilaquiles (Monday and Thursday), and posole (Sunday) are excellent, among the best that I've had anywhere. The salsa roja served only with the posole is vinegary, hot and wonderful, I ask for an extra. All of the dishes that I've tried on the 'Specials' white board have been good, I like the slightly sweet cream sauce on some of the tamales etc! I haven't tried the #15 bacon/melted cheese in years but the version with chorizo is cheesy/salty goodness if consumed soon after prepared. Don't let it sit and congeal! #16 La Super Rica Especial is my favorite dish on the regular menu, it's griddled marinated pork, pascilla chillis and cheese served with freshly made tortllas, ask for a few extra tortillas. A small guacamole goes well with it.
All in all, despite the hype (which is deserved), some yummy food in a style that is not available any where else on this side of the border. Las Ruinas was great and had a dish very similar to LSR's #16 but that place lasted about as long as a --- oh, nevermind!
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LA Hound finally making my way up to SB. Not knowing what to get, I ordered one each of the first 5 items (which included the bistec all the way down to the chorizo) and also had one of the specials -- calabacita.
All told, a great meal. I can see the reservations that some would have about it being "just a taco stand" but I think it's a delicious taco done very well and with great creativity.
Afterwards, my friends and I walked off some calories by trolling up State Street. I think it speaks volumes that during the lunch rush on a weekend, LSR has a line down the block while other restaurants that don't have a basketball game on are sparsely populated.
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The calabacita at LSR is one of my favorites. Great choice!
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Haven't seen a detailed discussion of La Super Rica for some time. This thread still seems current, so I'll revive it with a few thoughts on my drive through Santa Barbara last month.
I thought I'd timed it well to avoid a long wait, arriving for my third lunch of the day at about 2:45p on a weekday. Well, the line still went around the corner to the edge of the driveway and it took about 45 mins before I could order. Two young women waiting patiently behind me asked, "What is this place?" and said that they'd driven by earlier when the line was 3x longer and decided they needed to check it out. I shared with them the collective Chowhound wisdom on what things to order (e.g., specials, rajas, anything with cheese or cream, and no need to get a plain taco).
When I finally got up to the window, I could see the ladies working with fresh masa. One patting out the handmade tortillas and the other working on the Tuesday special of the day, chicken sopes. Later a friend would admonish me for not ordering the sopes, his favorite dish here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/6064181529/
I went the creamy things route, ordering a different special, the chile relleno with cream sauce. And I asked for tortillas too for mopping up the sauce.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/6064729882/
While I was waiting, I helped myself to the self-serve salsas. All three were rather anemic and watery. But this turned out to be a boon, as the chile relleno hit me as overly rich and in need of the acidity added by the salsas. Enjoyable, but a few mouthfuls were enough, and I wished I'd had someone to take it off my hands. The chile was beautifully roasted, moderately spicy, and velvety in texture with some firmness. As nice a job as can be in that regard. The handmade tortillas were tender as clouds.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniew...
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La Super Rica
622 N Milpas St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
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Unfortunately Melanie, your Flicker links aren't working, suspect it's related to the other rash of broken links at the moment.
BTW, Kathy at Hunan asked about you when I picked up an order a couple of hours ago.
Cheers,
Dave
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The hyperlink problem seems to be fixed, the flickr photo links are working now.
I had hoped to have a one-two punch in Santa Barbara following up this meal with a stop at Lilly's Tacos. But unfortunately, Lilly's is not open on Tuesdays, so no ojos for me.
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Lilly's Tacos
310 Chapala St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
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I can't get enough of the #15 - Tocino Special - melted cheese, bacon, and pico de gallo side all wrapped up togethe in those wonderful fresth home made tortillasr. Perfection. I think the same but with chorizo would be equally perfect but I am totally stuck on #15.
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Nothin' says Mexican food like cheese and bacon!! :-/
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La Superica is La Superica and does not present itself as a "mexican" restaurant.
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What is it then? A dairy restaurant?
I keed, I keed ;-)
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I think I see a man desperately in need of a bacon, cheese & pico de gallo fresh tortilla wrap. Take two, and call me in the morning. (IKEA-2 ;-)
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Feels like J Gold is reading over my shoulder:
http://twitter.com/#!/thejgold/status...
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Actually the cold horchata and the hot super al pastor nachos at SuperCuca's on West Micheltorena, across town from LaSuperica are pretty darn good too.
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This is # 1 on my list to try whenever I get over to Santa Barbara; I heard it was one of Julia Child's favorites!
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Stopped at LSR for lunch yesterday on our way up to Los Olivos...the special chile relleno was excellent and ginormous- stuffed to the gills with grilled carrots, onion, peppers, potatoes, and zucchini, a little melted cheese that turned into a great sauce, with a spoonful of roasted tomato on top. Also tacos - al pastor and chicken. (#1 and 8)... a side of guacamole and always the green and red salsas and pico de gallo. Good stuff. Very good stuff.
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