The one restaurant I never miss during one of my frequent trips to SB is Super-Rica on Milpas Street. Super Mexican food at super affordable prices. Montecito matrons at picnic tables under the tent next to construction workers.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/santabarbara/D43652.html
No offense to Messrs. Bill and Alex, but while I do appreciate La Super-Rica, often when I have tried to eat there I have encountered a very long line (oftentimes 1 hr. plus, no kidding) and more tourists than construction workers. That is the price you pay I guess when eating at a restaurant who has gotten more mileage out of Julia Childs that Mr. Childs ever could have, and which is prominently listed in the likes of Frommers and every other guidebook. Who knew Julia Childs was an expert on Mexican food?
No doubt the food is often top notch, but the setting is a bit of a dive and the food has its off days. Nothing worse than waiting an hour wait for dry, chalky conchinita pibil. I often wonder if it wasn't more of a find twenty or thirty years ago when Americans (including apparently Julia Childs) were first discovering that Mexico City taco cart fare could be excellent and not really that unhealthy. But then I live in Southern California so I am a bit spoiled for this sort of thing. I honestly think some of the taco stands and construction crew food trucks in Los Angeles are just as good or even better. (This isn't necessarily a knock on Super-Rica, some of these are phenomenal.)
Not that Rose Cafe doesn't have its off days, but I give it a break because I like fact that its been around since the 1920s and in the same location since for over a half century. Everything is made fresh and last I was there the proprietor, now in her 90s, was still involved preparing much of it each morning. They have an old menu on the wall from the 30s or 40s, and except for the prices, the menu is similar today. Surely the food shouldn't be good for you, but somehow it seems like it must be.
Really you can't go too wrong with either, and it depends upon what you are in the mood for; ala carte taco cart fare, or homey mexican cafe food with all the unhealthy fixings (don't miss the pickled carrots and peppers if you really like heat.) They aren't so far apart distancewise, so why not try both?
La Super-Rica
Rose Cafe
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Jon is correct about staying at San Ysidro, especially if you are traveling with someone other than a golf buddy, and if price is no object. He is correct about the golf as well.
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Andy, I agree that if one wants to see something completely different then Lost Canyons Sky is that, but give me free golf at either Sky or Sherwood, and I'd still pay to play eight out of ten of my next rounds at Rustic, at least.