LA SUPER-RICA
The Taco Shack With
The International Following
By Katherine Stewart

How many street-corner taco shacks can boast an international following so enthusiastic that its fans – supplicants, if you will – drive hundreds of miles for a plate of enchiladas? How many have been famously adored by haute cuisine’s late leading lady, Julia Child? This modest and informal restaurant is the kind of place you’d think of as a hidden treasure…if so many people hadn’t gotten there before you.

La Super-Rica was founded by native Santa Barbaran Isidoro Gonzalez, who studied anthropology at the University of California Santa Barbara before deciding that his future lay in tortillas rather than the ivory tower. He researched recipes at taquerias in Mexico City before opening his bright restaurant, a one-story wooden structure accented with Pepto-Bismal green paint, on a corner of Santa Barbara’s own Mexican taqueria corridor, Milpas Street.

La Super-Rica has no menus; offerings, including the daily specials, are written on chalk boards. Most days you’ll place your order with Gonzalez himself before being assigned a number, which is called out when your food is ready. Aside from a few wooden tables in the front, most of the seating is in an informal patio covered with canvas.

The food is delicious, distinctive, and utterly fresh. Grainy corn tortillas are hand-made on the spot. When it comes to ordering, you really can’t go wrong. The adobado (marinated pork) delights with its moist texture and vivid spices. Taco de bistec features perfectly marinated, tender slices of beef. Alhambre de pollo is made with tiny pieces of moist, grilled chicken, whose sweetness is offset by the hint of bitterness in the peppers. Queso de cazuela is a heavenly cheese baked in tomato sauce. And a dish of tender pork, paired with melted Monterey Jack cheese and chopped poblano pepper, is a savory delight with the perfect amount of kick.  

Fore go the soft drinks for a tall glass of horchata – a sweet, milky-colored beverage made with ground rice, water, and cinnamon which is so popular on the streets of Mexcio. If you wish to spice up your food, a selection of salsas and other condiments are provided at the pick-up counter.

Portions are small and modestly priced, so it’s wise to order as multiple dishes and share with a friend. And if you want to avoid a long wait, show up early. By noon, the line from the ordering window snakes out the front door and around the block.