Los Agaves

Great place to enjoy drinks and food! Huge portion sizes for Santa Barbara and great quality food! I would recommend this place even for a casual night out or even after a sports game with your kids and grandparents! Its a place where all generations can enjoy the food! But even if you go as a date night its a fun place to share dishes as well!

This is our favorite place in town, doesn’t matter what you order, the food is excellent, the service is outstanding, the portions are generous, the prices are very affordable and the drinks are a whole experience. We love when they have the Pezcado Veracruzana, the ceviches are also delicious and big enough to share, favorite tacos are thw short ribs and al pastor, order the chimichanga burritos, are incredible good. The molcajete is a experience of flavors and textures, we love this one. Also, if you’re looking for little bits for happy hour, go early during the weekdays, they have an excellent happy hour menu and drinks… I forgot my favorite drink, the pepino margarita, and I ask the bar guys to make it with spicy tequila yum!

Fantastic taco Tuesday best in town. #1 salsa bar for all tastes. Terrific friendly service. Extremely professional and hard working staff. The brother owners are the best restaurant entrepreneurs in town. A+! Tacoooooo Tuesday!!!! Black salsa!!!!

Typical walk up and place your order and get your number. The menu is huge. I had the two beef sopes, and I think the masa was not the best I've ever had. The beef lacked depth. They have great beans but the rice is mediocre. My wife had the chicken taquitos and it was a large portion, the chicken is very well seasoned. We both loved the salsa bar and the different salsas available. Overall, I can't give it five stars but we will definitely be going back and trying some other things on the menu.

There's a reason Los Agaves has become increasingly popular over the years. The food is consistently GREAT!! Always fresh, always delicious, perfect portion sizes, excellent service. We have dined here since the first location opened on Milpas & we had dinner there tonight & again our meal was just perfect in every way. I recommend this restaurant with total confidence. Thank you to the owners & staff for maintaining such a level of excellence!

Very popular restaurant with a wide range of diners of all types. Good menu with a wide selection of dishes. Good value with generous servings and delicious food. Nice range of seating from the bar to pedestal tables to casual outside seating.

First-time visitor and thoroughly impressed! I placed a pickup order of the Blood Orange Margarita and Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas — both were excellent. The margarita is a must-try — perfectly balanced, refreshing, and not overly sweet. The enchiladas were flavorful and satisfying. Great service as well — they included complimentary chips in the bag, and the person at the pickup counter kindly pointed me to the salsa bar (otherwise I wouldn't have known to check it out!). Thoughtful touches like that make a big difference. Will definitely be coming back the next time I'm in Santa Barbara!

Stopped by this evening and enjoyed a delicious meal as Los Agaves. We started with chips and salsa. The green salsa was my favorite. We then shared the Los Agave salad which was a 10/10. My entree the halibut tacos was a little bland but I like the cabbage and fresh mango that was ok it. The Mexican rice was delish. Hubby had the steak tacos. He gave it a 10/10. The ambience and service was great. Wait time for delicious food was surprisingly short at 15mins. Note they do not take reservations so plan accordingly. I will definitely be back.

Taco Disappointment! When I order a taco I expect at least some tomatoes, lettuce and cheese and maybe even some salsa . But not so at this restaurant. What I got was a pile of chicken and that's all!! Granted they have a small condiments bar but it has mostly sauces, onions and chilies.

4.5 stars Probably the best Mexican dish we ate while in Santa Barbara for a few weeks was their seafood/fish enchiladas. The experience at this location is way better than the one in Goleta. We preferred it to sister restaurant Santo Mezcal as well.

Lots of good food options. It's an order at the counter type spot, so perfect for a quick lunch. The food came out very quickly, and service was good, tables were cleared pretty quickly after we finished eating. I got the crispy chicken tacos. Chicken had a good flavor, my only gripe was the taco shell was quite greasy. Other than that the meal was good, and the salsa bar was great. Lots of options.

We eat here about once to twice a week, the Mexican rice tastes like home, the beans are great. Our absolute favorites are Agaves Enchiladas, Fajitas Del Mar, Queso Fundido = OMG, Pescado Veracruzano, All Molcajetes are perfection, the crispy chicken and beef tacos are a guilty pleasure, Alambres are delicious, Ensalada Vallarta, Camarones Guajillo, Camarones Culichi are delectable as are the Pescado Culichi and the Chili Relleno is always a winner. I honestly can't think of one think on this menu that doesn't taste delicious. We're pretty addicted. The service and the staff are wonderful, great ambiance, excellent though overpriced margaritas, and the salsa bar is mouthwatering. The avocado salsa alone is worth taking cats home if you can swing it. You've been warned ;-)!

Los Agaves on De La Vina did a little remodel and it definitely makes the experience there even better. They now have a bar area and a terrific happy hour Monday to Friday 1pm to 6 pm, crazy. This place is fun, large menu, great for families, or friends or just you and your bestie. Food tasty, service great and friendly. Oh, and don't forget the fabulous condiment, salsa bar. I don't think any other Mexican restaurant around can top their salsa bar. They do get busy at the dinner hour but they still give everyone great service and food; you may just have a little longer wait. But, just sit back and sip on your drink and enjoy the chips and salsa.

I really loves this place. Any time we're in Santa Barbara, this is our spot. The quality of food and how clean it tastes just can't be beat. We've tried various items on the menu and it's all good. Also, you can go wrong with complimentary chips + salsa! There's plenty of space, great for large parties. Parking is limited, the shortcoming of the area, not the restaurant. Service was fast and friendly, they checked on us numerous times.

We really enjoyed Los Agaves over on N Milpas St when we were passing through Santa Barbara last summer, so we decided to check out a different location while visiting this month. The ambiance here at De La Vina is a little more modern and parking seemed easier, but more importantly, the food was equally delicious. I had the Agaves Enchiladas - the shrimp and fish filling was very generous, and the chipotle sauce was great. The salad was excellent, with mandarin oranges, and the rice was really good, too. I polished it all off for lunch lol so couldn't eat dinner that day. My husband had the 3-item combo and opted for 2 tacos and an enchilada - no complaints at all! Great to find a consistently good Mexican restaurant that is reasonably priced, with generous portions and very friendly staff.

Visited Santa Barbara and my first meal here was wonderful. I am no Mexican food expert so I can't tell authenticity, but food here matched well with taste buds. I love the fresh salsa at the salad bar. I got the steak Huarache and love it. I emptied the entire plate(I was super hungry too) and I think the best way to eat is to dump more fresh salsa on my plate! My friends ordered the taco al pastor and also really liked it. Their bar was also nice with lots of different alcohol offerings. Def recommend!

I've been lucky enough to eat at several locations of Los Agaves. It's pretty darn good grub. I've had almost the whole menu, but my favs are: chile relleno (best I've ever had), the Crispy taco (with shredded beef), Enchilada roja (with shredded chicken), and the Fajita Burrito (I sub for Carnitas...mmm). Clean, cute, small bar with bartender, nice indoor and limited outside seating -- this is one great place.

Excellent food, friendly service. Fresh, well-seasoned, great food. Ordered tacos Del Mar, short rib tacos, and the agave burrito.

So dang good! It is fast casual but food quality super elevated. Service is as friendly as you could hope. This spot is fantastic for a casual lunch or dinner.

I tried their pork tamale platter (16.95). Two big tamales served with a bit of Mexican rice and a mini tostada with a very small amount of pinto beans. Service was good. I didn't care for the smell of the cleaning spray they used to clean tables being used while I was eating. Salsa bar was okay. The cilantro didn't have much flavor nor did the pico de gallo, however the salsas were tasty. My favorite thing was the complimentary tortilla chips. They were super thin and fresh.

4.5 They gave us a lot of good chips and the salsas were delish. The fajitas del mar were really cool and the vegetarian garden burrito very tasty. We recommend substituting black beans for pinto beans. How we feel: full, happy, sleepy

Flavorful food, great service, variety of plates, fair prices, clean restaurant, and service is reasonable considering their volume/amount of customers and orders are constantly flowing. Would definitely recommend. I wish there was one closer to the Pasadena area.

So good every time! Love the fajita burrito. Every time I come to Santa Barbara this place is a must.

Very rude people. Too busy to answer a question. Always get the order wrong. Food is delicious, but not sure it's worth it. Similar experience most times we've gone.

First time eating here though it's been on my "list" for a long time! Super friendly staff and wonderful outdoor seating! Has all the luxury of a table cloth sit down restaurant with flowers at each table and excellent sliverware but you go up to the register to place your order! Best salsa I've ever had at a restaurant! Ordered the Los Agaves seafood enchiladas - amazing!!! The sauce alone was so unique and delicious and the shrimp and fish filling was perfection!

I've been sleeping on this place! The ceviche was so good! They put guacamole, avocado, and sea bass in it. The mushroom tacos are a great option put the chile in it was a little tough. Overall I really enjoyed the food & the service.

There's good, bad, and in between. Let me break it down. Starting with the good - Happy Hour prices and margaritas AMAZING. Guacamole delish! The staff nice and accommodating. The bad - my original order of the Agaves Burrito. It's smothered inside and out with a spicy creamy chipotle sauce that over powers the entire burrito. And the rice tastes very ketchup based. Not sure why there's a side salad, didn't try it. The in-between - the staff was really accommodating by taking the burrito back and bringing me a new burrito with the sauce "on the side". They forgot to mention the inside is smothered in it. The only thing I can think of is it helps hid the fishy taste of the shrimp and fish. I'd go back, but just for HH - margaritas, guac, and chips.

There is 2 things that you have to make decision yourself. 1st if you like to eat good tasty food so it is here But 2nd if you didnt like to find your own seat to sit after order at the counter so this is not the place. If it is busy here you might have to pay for your order then wait to sit on the spot you want. There is no hostage help you get the seat. The restaurant is in great decoration at lease. Food is absolutely great. All fresh from kitchen.

Working up in beautiful Santa Barbara I had the opportunity to once again return to Los Agaves. Brought the wife along and we both ordered chicken fajitas. Very delicious. Wife asked for a salad instead of rice and tortillas. Everything was great. Food was delicious salsa bar fantastic. Good positive vibes. Ordered a raja taco ala carte phenomenal! Can't wait to return. SoCal needs a Los Agaves.

So it's not your traditional Mexican food but it's still really good. I ordered one of each of their tacos: Costra Al Pastor - a great combination of cheese, meet and onion. I loved how they cooked the Al Pastor it was very tender. Porfirio - I would not recommend this one. Their mole isn't what they do best, it lacked flavor and the grilled chicken was too dry. Taco Gabernador - This is a must, probably my favorite. Perfectly done shrimp and cheese. It will satisfied the shrimp taco lover in you. Taco Azteca - The skirt steak is another must. It had so much flavor and the jalapeño dressing with elote was the perfect combination Taco Sonora - I thought this was going to be weird when it came out with the beans but cheese and steak are everything so I wasn't mad at the combination. Taco Campechano - This one didn't do it for me, the meat was dry and I needed to add salsa to it. The salsa bar makes this easily one of my favorite places in Santa Barbara .

Taco Tuesday at Los Agaves is always a win win! Great tacos at a steal of a price. Same quick service and great salsa bar. Grabbed a Santa Barbara Blonde beer on draft. If it's not Taco Tuesday, I usually order the Tacos del Mar with shrimp & their family meals are a great option for an easy to-go dinner for 4-6 ppl!

I was craving Mexican food and I wanted to try a Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara. Los Agaves had excellent reviews. The restaurant is very clean and spacious with both indoor and outdoor seatings.They have a station for toppings and salsa.The service was outstanding and the employees were very attentive. I ordered the following: -Los Agaves burritos 5/5 Fresh halibut, shrimp, roasted red peppers, onions,Monterrey Jack cheese, lettuce, guacamole, comes with rice and house salad topped with chipotle sauce -Fajitaa del Mar  5/5 Sautéed fish fillet and shrimp with onions, grilled green and red bell peppers. Served with rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and homemade corn tortillas -Tacos de hongo el Guajillo: 5/5 2 Soft tacos with mushrooms sautéed with garlic and chile guajillo. I just fell in love with tacos de hongo el Guajillo. It is well seasoned, very savory and delicious. My goodness this restaurant is a top quality Mexican restaurant. My family and I really  enjoyed our orders. It is a must visit restaurant in Santa Barbara. For sure, I will be back and hopefully very soon.

Really delicious food and drinks!! I got the tacos cabo azul and the shrimp and octopus was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Octopus sometimes is too chewy for my liking but they really prepared it well in these tacos, and it tasted fresh! The sauce and melted cheese on the tacos tasted amazing with the seafood, and the rice on the side was very well seasoned as well. Their sangria rose was very refreshing, not too sweet but light enough to make me want to down it in all at once! Fruity, sweet, and fresh. The lady who took our order was really nice, and the servers were busy but attentive. I also like their salsa bar!! Lots of options to choose from and eat with the complimentary chips. Casual dining experience as you mostly find your own seat after ordering at the counter, but still feels classy with the solid entrees and nice decor details. Parking is a bit limited at this location, but we were able to find street parking pretty close by!

Wow! Can you say delicious food. I will say this is more Tex mex style with the melted cheese, but oh man the flavors were excellent, the service was great, and the environment was fun. I can see why this place is so popular- a must try in Santa Barbara!

This place was listed as the best Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara in the r/santabarbara subreddit Wiki. I think they are right. Super friendly and helpful service. Mole was excellent (almost as good as Guelagetza in LA) and loved the beans and rice. Ambience was kind of slightly nice version of a taqueria Wish we had someplace like this at home ....

Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. You can't go wrong with any of their entrees from the nachos to quesadillas, they're all perfect. The black salsa and guacamole are delicious. Restaurant has a fun patio with heat lamps and there is parking on the side. Great for a casual meal or celebration. Service is very quick and efficient with a great staff. Can't recommend this place enough! I make it a point to visit every time I go to SB!

This restaurant has ample seating inside and outside. There's free parking next to it but it's kind of small. When we got there on a Sunday at around 1pm, the place was packed inside and out which is always a good sign. The manager told us that we place our orders up front, get seated and then they bring the food out to us. He was very friendly and nice. The whole wait staff was really friendly. I ordered the Agaves enchiladas which had fresh fish and shrimp, red pepper and onions, topped with chipotle sauce and mango pico. It was incredibly delicious! The fish was soft and plentiful. The portions are just right. My favorite was the salad that accompanied it. The salad consisted of mixed greens, cranberries, clementines, mango pico and their house dressing. It was light and refreshing. I would come back again just for this dish and recommend it as well. My husband ordered the Chicken Molcajetes which had homemade salsa with grilled nopal, chorizo, Monterey Jack cheese, grilled cambray onion, and avocado. He liked his dish. I wasn't really a fan of it but my husband enjoyed it with chicken. We got the blood orange margarita and the mango pineapple margarita. Both were good but the mango was my favorite. The presentation of all the food and drinks are very pleasing, the portions don't disappoint and the food is delicious. I would definitely recommend this place and can't wait to come back and try some of their other dishes. The food is great and it's very family friendly. There were also a ton of kids there too.

One of my all time favorite restaurants in SB. Consistent quality, delicious food, quick service, and generous portions. HIGHLY recommend.

My family and I been coming here for years including introducing friends that we travel from Los Angeles County and Orange County. My friend just drove up from Orange County to celebrate their anniversary here the other day. Anywho, I ordered a Oaxaca Mole Burrito, I love mole, however, I didn't realize it was sweet mole and therefore I hate sweet mole. I didn't know it would be sweet on the burrito, so when I went to eat it, after the 3rd bite I couldn't take it no more. I went to the front counter to let the manager know I didn't like the food and if I can get something else. He just shrugged and said they didn't make no error that it was my fault. Ok! But I am very dissatisfied, we just drove a 2-1/2 drive from Los Angeles on Labor Day and I was staving. I ended up ordering something else that I've gotten in the past and had to pay another $20. My family, friends, and I will never come back. The takeaway, that was just bad customer service. Instead of just sucking up the $20 to keep a guy satisfied, they just lost about 60 of my friends and family that go there every year.

I've only visited the Goleta location, but decided to see if the De La Vina location was any better. I think it is since it's been longer established. It just seemed more flavorful to me. More seating as well. It's the same concept of ordering up front and the serving staff taking your number to an open table. I wanted to venture beyond the usual burritos and go for something traditional like the molcajete, and a salad to refresh myself. The molcajete was bubbling hot. I added steak to mine and it came with some nopales (cactus), tons of cheese, chorizo, and an amazing sauce. It reminded me of marinara powered up with Mexican spices. I could imagine it in a delicious fusion pasta. Paired with their homemade tortillas and wow it was magic! I'd definitely get this again. As for the Vallarta Salad, the add on of shrimp was great. Large prawns and veryyy tasty, but the salad dressing was too sweet for my preference. I'd prefer something more refreshing. Good to try though + lots of mangos! Highly recommended!

New bar definitely leveled up the ambiance. The bartender is always nice and attentive. Fav place to go solo.

I went here for the first time and it was packed on a Monday evening! We also went for lunch a few days later. Not so packed. We did take out the first time so I can't speak to the service. That said, we did go another time and found genuine servers. The cocktails looked fabulous. While we didn't get front the first one. The first time I got the Agave burrito. There were a few crunchy pieces in the fish that I didn't care for. I also felt it tasted ok. The second time I got the taco with skirt steak. It was also ok. The Al pastor taco was very tasty! The great thing was the variety of salsa and the margaritas! We got the blood orange margs which were very tasty.

People love the food. Large portions. Busy sit down restaurant. No good for catering though! They are not set up for large orders. They don't understand catering events. It seems to overwhelm and irritate them. Just saying.

Holy crap. Such great food! It's super fancy Mexican food and it was amazing. Place your order at the counter and you go seat yourself. It's a very spacious and clean area, with outdoor seating as well. There's a cocktail bar, looks like they come to your table and makes it right in front of you. They have a salsa bar as well, all so great! Price was decent for the amount of food you got. Definitely coming back!

The steak huarache here was great! Fresh ingredients and the steak was perfectly cooked! Theres a salsa bar with a variety of options, our service was great!!

We always come here for their salmon tacos. They are best with the salad and rice along with the chips + salsa. Wonderful setting with quick service. Always a delight to dine here.

Lively & busy restaurant in a residential Santa Barbara neighborhood. Great ambience with lots of outdoor light & festive music. You order at the cashier & pick your table/seats. Outdoor tables are very pleasant especially with the warmer weather. The fish tacos were very good. I got the combo of fish & shrimp & the shrimp was definitely the better if the two. Large succulent shrimp in a corn tortilla with a cabbage slaw, delicious rice & mixed greens side salad with mango. The sweet salty combo was spot on. My husband & daughter each got the enchiladas & said it was very good too. They really enjoyed refried beans in the fried tortillas basket. Parking lot is small but we lucked out! Service was super friendly!

If you're in Santa Barbara and looking for an authentic and delicious Mexican culinary experience look no further than Los Agaves Restaurant. This gem is just an 8 minute drive from the Santa Barbara Pier. In the heart of Santa Barbara. It offers a casual atmosphere with a menu that is full of traditional Mexican dishes with a celebration of fantastic authentic flavors. The dishes are amazingly delicious. We had the chile relleno combination plate. The alambres shrimp, chicken enchiladas, beef and chicken tacos and more. Every bite of our dishes was an explosion of taste, with a perfect balance of heat and depth. Our whole family loved their dishes. The salsas are also vibrantly flavorful with an explosion of heat that will have your taste buds on fire. We enjoyed a few margaritas. The melon cucumber margarita was my favorite. The staff is attentive and friendly. The attention to hospitality and the commitment to food quality are evident in every aspect at Los Agaves Restaurant. Los Agaves has several locations. We always leave feeling happy and satisfied when visiting their locations. Big thumbs up!

This place is becoming our go to dinner spot. I've ordered the enchiladas Rojas, Flautas, Rajas con carnitas, Mole enchiladas, short rib tacos and many more without disappointment. I don't think you can go wrong with any menu item. So good! The service from the order taking to the meal/table/chip service is really attentive and personable. Doing it right for sure.

We visited Los Agaves for lunch when we were passing Santa Barbara. They have open concept seating with few outdoor tables & lots of indoor ones. We ordered guacamole, los agaves salad & mole anaheim (specials menu on the black board). They also gave complimentary chips & have salsa buffet. - Chips & salsa: the chips were crispy & I like the fresh tomato salsa the most - Guacamole: good but the portion was quite small for the price. - Los agaves salad: delicious. The combination works well with the dressing & the portion was good - Mole anaheim: it came with 2 pieces of jalapeno with chicken & cheese with mole sauce on top. The mole sauce was deliciousss! It also had fluffy rice & pinto bean. This was my favorite.

Every single time I am in Santa Barbara visiting my friends, they already know we are going to Los Agaves for dinner! It is always packed and well deserved

5 stars Food Was Delicious!!! Presentation was amazing Enjoyed chile Rellano lots of flavor ..

So, so good. Everything we had was delicious and perfectly prepared. Staff is friendly and pleasant, and the feel of the place is casual but not plastic. I'm just passing through town, but I'm already looking forward to my next trip here so I can try more of the menu.

We came to this place on a whim and found it to be such a cute spot with great food and great service! We will definitely be back!

This is the best Mexican restaurant I have been to in years! Why: *Value for the price - The food is amazing and reminds me of the far more expensive and pretentious Javier's restaurants. The food is also beautifully presented. If you like mole, the mole enchiladas are as good as I have ever had anywhere. Even the rice and beans are the best! Almost every Mexican restaurant I can think of has either rice or beans that are nothing special, but both are outstanding here. No waiters, no fuss, get your own drinks and salsa, and no need for big tips. But the staff are super nice. The atmosphere and decor still feel very upscale casual. Los Agaves does exactly the things I want most in a restaurant without the things I don't want.

We stopped here based on some recommendations from a YouTuber but I think this restaurant is the second branch of the original. It was not very crowded though so that was a positive! TLDR: The food here was pretty decent, but nothing that really blew me away. We ordered the veggie burrito and the fish tacos. They start you with chips and you are able to get as much salsa as you want from their self serve salsa bar (highly recommend the avocado salsa!!). Service was crazy fast--we had barely sat down when the chips were served and then our mains. The veggie burrito was decent but a little bit too cheesy for my taste. I did really like the small salad at the side with a very generous dollop of sour cream!! The fish tacos were okay as well, but I loved the mango cranberry salad they had at the side. Overall, the serving sizes were good enough for a second meal (mostly because you fill up on the chips haha!). Note, there were a bunch of flies flying around indoors so I would suggest the outdoor patio!!

Easy parking. Great food! You order at the counter and then they bring the food to your table. It can get quite busy and loud in here.