Altamirano's Mexican Grill - Goleta

If you're looking for a late-night food spot in old town Goleta after a few drinks, this is the place for you. With a true Mexican experience and a closing time of 11 pm, which is two hours later than other restaurants in the area, this spot is a gem. Upon arrival, they even offered me a beer, which was a nice touch. The wait for the food was worth it, especially after devouring my delicious enchiladas de mole. I even ended up ordering a couple more tacos. On Fridays, they make their tortillas by hand, adding to the authentic experience. I highly recommend this restaurant! ??

I enjoy supporting small family owned businesses and was craving some fried whole fish (bones still inside more flavor! and saw that they offered fried tilapia per other Yelpers ' photos. The dish was Mojarra Frita and came with a really large fried tilapia, seasoned with salt. A side of beans and cotija cheese on top, some pico de gallo and cabbage, a side of Spanish rice, and two limes. Price was $13.50 which was very fair for the amount of food and size of the fish! They also provided us complimentary chips and salsa and I love how the chips were freshly fried. We enjoyed the meal with a M Special Sabado Tarde (tangerine ale as a refreshment. It took a while to eat but we were able to finish and leave really full. Overall would come back for this dish as the value, price, and taste, were all worth it! I don 't see any other places offering this type of dish when scrolling through options in the SB area. The employee was very nice as well and the store was practicing social distancing during this time. It 's the first restaurant in 3 months that I 've physically sat in.

There are 11 different meat options available at this restaurant. I have tried them all separately inside the large quesadillas. Here are my ratings: Adobada (Marinated Pork) 10/10, Cabeza (Beef Head) 9/10, Chorizo (Pork Sausage) 8.5/10, Carnitas (Pulled Pork) 8.2/10, Birria (Beef Stew) 8/10, Lengua (Beef Tongue) 7.5/10, Tripas (Beef Stomach) 7.3/10, Buche (Pork Stomach) 7/10, Vegetarian (zucchini, tomato, peppers, mushrooms, onions) 6.5/10, Asada (Beef Steak) 6.5/10, Pollo (Chicken) 6/10, Chicharrón (Fried Pork Skin) 5.5/10. I recommend ordering the Adobada when you get tacos, tortas, nachos, quesadillas, etc. As for the drinks, here is how I rate them: Piña Colada 8/10, Jamaica 8/10, Tamarindo 7.5/10, Horchata 7/10, Michelada 5/10, Orange Juice 4/10, Coffee 2/10. I have always received good service and enjoy the chips and salsa that are provided after I sit down. I appreciate that this place stays open 2 hours later than other Mexican restaurants in Old Town.

Great spot! I'll definitely be back to try more options off of their massive selection of menu items. at his time around I got the Enchiladas de Mole: chicken enchiladas blanketed in a sweet chocolate sauce, with guacamole, sour cream, rice, and beans on the side. D E L I C I O U S ! I'm. huge proponent of sweet and savory combinations, and just absolutely loved the balance of flavors in this dish. So good. Honestly I might come back just to order the same thing because WOW. Other than that, the restaurant itself is very homey, decorated beautifully, and has a great family vibe. I knocked off a star because it took over half an hour for my food to come, and the chips I got on the side were a bit stale. Otherwise a great establishment!

The most positive aspect of our meal at this restaurant was its affordability. We ordered enchiladas and a chimichanga. Unfortunately, my wife became ill after eating half of her meal and had to discard the rest. I hurriedly finished my food due to hunger, but now feel nauseous and disappointed in myself. Leaving the nausea aside, the Mexican cuisine served here is comparable to what one might expect from a diner in Wisconsin, prepared by someone named Kyle who is unfamiliar with fresh California avocados. The beans lack flavor and the tortillas have the texture of thawed frozen flour. I have had tastier leftovers from Chipotle that caused less digestive distress than this meal. The taste, lack of creativity, and overall poor quality of the food here is something I could never recreate, even if I attempted to do so.