Flor De Maiz - Santa Barbara (CA)

5 /5 Mariano Saldaña: Fantastic Mexican restaurant with a warm and vibrant ambiance that immediately makes you feel at home. The food is truly authentic—full of rich, traditional flavors that are hard to find elsewhere. The tacos are absolutely amazing, packed with fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned. If you’re looking for a genuine taste of Mexico, this place is a must-visit!

4 /5 Leah Klinge: Flor de Maiz is a beautiful spot with an upscale, eclectic twist on Mexican cuisine--definitely not your standard fare. We came with a party of 10, and across the board, everyone loved their food. The only hiccup: dishes didnt all come out together, and my husbands entrée lagged more than 10 minutes after the rest of the table. Highlights: * Empanada - Perfectly done and flavorful. * Tortilla Soup - Loved the tableside pour-over of the broth; rich and full of flavor. * Ceviche - Generous portion and well-balanced acidity. A touch heavy on the pineapple, but otherwise delicious. * Risotto (Seafood & Steak/Mushroom) - Both were great, but the seafood option edged out as the favorite. * Shrimp Tacos - A must-try! * Lamb & New York Strip - Both cooked beautifully and full of flavor. Skip: * Side of Baby Carrots - Served plain and steamed with no seasoning or sauce--definitely underwhelming compared to everything else. Overall, a gorgeous venue with creative dishes and great flavors. Just hope the timing in the kitchen improves because the food itself is worth coming back for. And service was spotty

5 /5 Heather Martin: Fantastic! Food and ambience were top tier. We enjoyed cocktails, wine, tacos, enchiladas, and churros. Everything was delicious. Portions were also generous including complimentary chips and dip. We would happily go back to try more items on the menu. I also like that they only do reservations for large parties. This is helpful for travelers like us who don’t know exactly when they’re going to be ready for dinner. We went on a Monday around 6pm with no wait for 2 people. However by the 7pm dinner rush the restaurant was full which was impressive for a Monday. So, I’d expect a bit of a wait on the weekends. The food was worth it for sure!

5 /5 Giustizia Tower: Today was our first time dining at Flor De Maiz but wont be the last. Its a great spot for lunch, enjoying the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront from its outdoor seatings. My husband and I shared the quesadillas del Huerto and the pork shank. The quesadillas were served in the home made corn tortillas, three different fillings, mild but flavorful. The only suggestion I have is to lay the three quesadillas in the order from the most mild (zucchini blossoms) to the most robust(green chilies) so that the diners can start from the most mild one first. The pork shank was cooked in a robust sauce but not spicy. It came with the delicious refried black beans and tender home made corn tortillas. The serving size is generous enough to be shared. The service was warm, attentive. We left with the desire to return in order to try more dishes .

5 /5 Andrea Sawyer: My friend and I met in Santa Barbara for a three day girls’ getaway. We ate here twice! Once for lunch and once for happy hour. Great happy hour menu, excellent service and lovely location. The lobster tacos and ceviche were amazing!