“When you’re far away from your culture, food is one of the only ways that you can get that connection,” said Keyla Garcia, a co-chair of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán de UCSC (M.E.C.h.A.). “When I would go home for the weekend and come back, I would bring a lot of my mom’s food, and that’s a way for me to have dinner with my family when I can’t actually be with them.”
Food plays an essential role in every culture. It not only sustains us, it connects us. As Latine students, entering higher education and being far from our communities is already isolating. In an environment that feels alien, surrounded by academics that don’t understand our Spanglish, or our cultural experiences, we are outsiders.
Pair that with a lack of access to familiar cultural food, it’s easy to feel like we don’t belong.
UC Santa Cruz was officially recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2012, with enrollment of Latine students reaching 27 percent. As of Fall 2024, 27.5 percent of students enrolled identify as Latine/Chicane. While the steady number of students reflects a presence of Latine culture, the food on campus and in Santa Cruz does not always feel reflective of home.
As Latine students who have experienced this disconnect, we made it our mission to find tacos that taste the most like home in Santa Cruz.
Before compiling our criteria for the most comforting taco in Santa Cruz, we asked ourselves: What feelings arise when we enter a taqueria, take a bite of a taco, and wipe grease from our hands? The answer: comfort, and a reminder that no matter how out of place we may feel, we can connect with our culture through food.
Based on ratings and recommendations, we narrowed our list down to: Los Viejones Taco Truck, Taqueria Agave, Taqueria Vallarta, Taqueria Jalapeños and Taqueria Los Pericos.
In this process, we refrained from focusing on rating the tacos based on authenticity, as finding Latine food in Santa Cruz that feels representative of our culture is another challenge in itself. Because of the diversity in Latine food across continents, countries, and even regions within those countries, finding the perfect “authentic” taco means something different to every Latine you ask.
So, instead, we chose to focus on the experience of eating the taco and whether or not it brought memories of sharing meals with our familia and made us feel closer to our people.
When imagining what this experience would look like, we knew that the tortilla had to be hecha a mano and the meat must be flavorful and juicy. The toppings, of course, should include onions, cilantro and salsa. The classic sides we were looking for included radishes, a lime or two, as well as pickled jalapeños and carrots. If you’re not leaving the taqueria with greasy hands and a stained shirt, you did not have the true experience of eating a dependable taco.
While presentation was considered in our evaluation, ultimately, flavor and feelings of home remained our priority.
A carne asada taco from Taqueria Santa Cruz, topped with cilantro and pico de gallo with a side of peppers, radishes and a lime.
The criteria list we accumulated for finding our most comforting taco in Santa Cruz is as follows:
- Tortilla hecha a mano
- Meat-to-topping ratio
- Tenderness of the meat
- Balance of cilantro and salsa
- Onion: fresh or carmelized
To keep the review consistent, our order remained the same for every taqueria: a single taco de carne asada with onion, cilantro, salsa and lime. The cheapest taco we found was $3.75 at Taqueria Agave, and the priciest coming in at $4.50 at Taqueria Jalapeños.
Los Viejones Taco Truck: 236 Ocean St. $4.92
This vendor provided typical sides like carmelized onions, radishes and jalapeños. As we dug further into the veggies, we were pleasantly surprised by cucumbers that provided a fresh palate cleanser. Los Viejones were the only location to provide tortillas hecha a mano. They’re listed on the menu for an extra dollar, but they had just run out. Though the taco had all the proper fixings, we were searching for a more intense flavor profile. For it to remind us of home, we were looking for more spice, a smokier taste from the meat, and the feeling of it melting in your mouth.
Taqueria Agave: 1836 Soquel Ave. $3.75
Taco from Taqueria Agave, also providing an all-you-can-eat salsa bar and chips.
As we approached Taqueria Agave, we could hear ESPN Deportes updating us on the latest score of the Monterrey vs. Pumas UNAM soccer match. Those who frequently visit taquerias know that noticias playing in the background is always a good sign. The tender carne asada, fresh pico de gallo and classic toppings did not disappoint. Overall, we ranked Taqueria Agave as one of the top contenders for the most comforting taco in Santa Cruz.
Taqueria Vallarta: 608 Soquel Ave. $3.99
When on the hunt for a dependable taco, there are signs that can help point you in the right direction. On our journey to Taqueria Vallarta we were confronted with many of them. Before entering the establishment, we were greeted by a Virgen de Guadalupe hat sitting in the rear dashboard of a car in the parking lot. After we ordered, we sat down at a table by a TV also playing ESPN Deportes, situated above a rusty gumball machine.
Soon after, a large family entered the taqueria, which indicated that we were closer than ever to completing our mission. All that was missing was loud music and two or more screaming children running around. While these signs are not foolproof, they led us to the closest we had come to finding the most comforting taco in Santa Cruz. The tenderness of the juicy meat accompanied with flavorful salsa provided the perfect kick of spice. The toppings, lime and pickled carrots and jalapeños only enhanced the rich aromas of the taco. More raw onion, cilantro, and some caramelized onions would have enriched the experience.
Taqueria Jalapeños: 206 Laurel St. $4.50
Taqueria Jalapeños offers carne asada tacos for $4.50, with a side of chips and salsa.
Located in a tiny building with only a large counter and a couple of stools, the experience of Taqueria Jalapeños is similar to that of eating in your abuela’s cramped cocina. Taking the first bite into the rich and greasy meat brought us memories of sitting outside with our primos on a hot summer day while our tías chismeaban about family happenings, and our tíos grilled and sat around watching the soccer partido on TV. While their salsa could never top your abuelita’s, its savoriness provided just the right amount of spice to have you reaching for your Coca.
Taqueria Los Pericos: 139 Water St. $4.50
A carne asada taco from Taqueria Los Pericos, a spot on Water Street, close to Downtown Santa Cruz.
We knew we had to end with the well-known Taqueria Los Pericos. This taqueria holds a significant rank among UCSC students, as it is one of the more accessible taco spots near campus. However, the taco did not entirely live up to its reputation. The taco’s fillings were on the drier side, but the finely diced carne asada gave a crispy charm.
Ultimately, based on the criteria, our findings concluded that Taqueria Jalapeños is home to the most comforting taco in Santa Cruz. In our opinion, there is a notable absence of cultural food options that we as Latine students feel accurately represented by.
Before writing this article, we casually discussed the importance of feeling connected to our culture through traditional Hispanic food options in Santa Cruz with our friend, and first generation student, Lesley Lugardo. For her, food also plays an integral role in feeling closer to home as a Latine student in higher education, and it’s been difficult for her to find this connection in Santa Cruz.
“Having something that represents you and that is integral to your identity, [while] being at an institution like this makes you feel a part of the campus,” Lugardo said. “It makes you feel a part of higher education.”