El Pollo Rico

It had been about 2 years that, I did not show in that place for a lunch , so this time I saw new people, I asked if it was in to new ownership, they say yes, so I ask for a dish called carne asada sopes, then I went to the restrooms, to wash my hands ( only an excuse) I noticed they were remodeled and very clean, that's an invitation to eat there. The food was very well done 😉

This place closed up for a month for renovations or something and I practically starved to death. Their meats are fantastic and the house salsas are perfect. I think this is the only place I can go to get a full plate of nachos and not feel sick by the end of it.Pretty much every other burrito and tri-tip/chicken joint in Goleta is a joke compared to this place in terms of food quality. Even The Habit across the street has a hard time comparing to the burgers you can get here, and even then they don't offer up nearly as much variety.

Proving once again that the best Mexican restaurants are often humble, unassuming places, El Pollo Rico shares its shabby-looking building with a laundromat. Many would overlook this book based on its cover, and that would be a major mistake. El Pollo Rico is for real, their food is awesome, and although I am not a local, I suspect this place is criminally under-rated by those who are. Make no mistake, there is nothing fancy here, this is pretty much the opposite of the nouvelle cuisine that dominates Santa Barbara. There's a walk-up counter where you order and pick up at the same place. But while you wait, you'll catch the savory whiffs of meat meeting "plancha" and you'll snack on the complimentary tortilla chips and salsa bar, and you'll know this place is legit. I had the "3 Tacos Special," which included three different tacos with beef tri-tip, chicken, and carnitas, all made with an identical balance of meat, cilantro, onions, tortilla, and green sauce. Tacos here are neither art or science -- they are thrown together hastily onto double white corn tortillas spilling meat juices and dripping sauce. These tacos are "finger food" for the bold, but "fork food" for those with spread-collar dress shirts and silk ties, my uniform for my lunch trips here. I loved all of my tacos, but enjoyed the chicken tacos the most. Here, the dark chicken leg meat is marinated in spices, and the taco is at least on par with any chicken taco I have had in my tacolicious city of residence, San Diego. My 3 tacos were served with a scoop of addictive refried beans, a pat of piquant guacamole, and some salty tomato-tinged rice. On another visit, I ordered the "Sopes" with beef tri-tip, and I much enjoyed those as well. Here, the picaditas are painted with a layer of El Pollo Rico's excellent refried beans, then covered with a layer of sliced crispy tri-tip steak, then topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and media crema. This served as tremendous relief to my mouth, which was on fire from the complimentary tortilla chips and salsa. Moreover, these sopes brought flavors to bear that encapsulate what Mexican cuisine ought to be about: delicious marinated-then-charred meats and earthy, creamy refried pinto beans combining to create a home-cooked taste that your good Mexican friends will brag that only their "abuela" can create. Out of the half-dozen Mexican restaurants I have visited in Santa Barbara (including that similarly-named very famous one), this is the place I believe is the very best, and the only one I would get off the highway for if I were just passing through.