In our Dining Reports, we share a firsthand perspective of a recent restaurant visit, covering everything from the vibe to must-get dishes. See more in the Eater app.
The Santa Ynez Valley is Southern California’s preeminent wine country, a stretch of manicured vineyards and oak-dotted hills that unfurls as you descend Highway 154 over San Marcos Pass from Santa Barbara. The bucolic serenity draws a sharp contrast from the asphalt metropoleis to the south, and, in recent years, the valley has also become a culinary destination. Many of the celebrated restaurants in the area are designed to serve affluent travelers and the winery owners who love them, but for casual Mexican antojitos there is one stellar choice for smoky grilled meats, citrusy al pastor, and fresh corn and flour tortillas — the gleaming roadside airstream of Highway Tacos.
- Earthy adobo on the al pastor stains it a rich crimson; the pollo asado, at other places an uninspiring choice, has a chile-inflected snap and the gentle perfume of grillsmoke. Corn tortillas are a true highlight, pressed thicker than most with leopard spots of char and served hot enough to lightly sting your fingertips.
- For variety’s sake, check out the gorditas: the hefty split disk of masa gets crisped on the outside but remains supple inside, a clamshell of corn packed abundantly with beans, guacamole, salsa, cheese, and the protein of your choice.
- Vegetable fillings deserve the spotlight, too, particularly the taquería’s smoky mushrooms, which also work well in the burros (indistinguishable from burritos) dressed with salsas and wrapped in a large, fresh flour tortilla.
The crowd here is diverse — farmworkers and locals mingle with wine-buzzed tourists on the bistro-lit gravel, sitting on stools around oak-barrel tables and at the bar facing the stand’s namesake highway. It’s an egalitarian, refreshing change from the upstairs-downstairs vibe around the valley…