Flor de Maiz is located a short walk from the beach and pier in Santa Monica, making it a perfect stop along the beach for some food. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the interior was so beautiful. We sat outside and enjoyed the ocean breeze while we had our lunch and margaritas. We for the tuna ceviche and verde ensalada, both of which were super fresh and refreshing. The Guadalajara margarita was light and delicious as well. Highly recommend this restaurant as a stop on your Santa Barbara vacation!

We had a lovely meal here and one big part was Our server whose enthusiasm really added to the meal-seriously great service. We enjoyed several different dishes. My husband had this incredibly tasty dish which was a cross between a paposa and a tamale. I had the cactus tacos which were delish! My daughter had the mole negro which she enjoyed. We also had guacamole to start and a side salad which had this quince paste which was to die for! Servings are enough for two. We have leftovers to enjoy. We ordered the house special dessert-corn cake with ice cream and caramel sauce. I'm general the menu is inventive and different than your run of the mill US Mexican restaurant.

great location in santa barbara just across from the pier with a beachside view! we dined here on a friday night, and had no problem being seated. after being seated, we received complimentary tortilla chips with red and green salsas. the green salsa is a must try! it's creamy and has a nice kick of spice to it, whereas the red salsa was lacking flavor. there's a couple vegetarian options, including a taco, enchiladas, and quesadillas. i opted for the enchiladas de hongos which had mushrooms in it, and i liked the overall flavor, but overall wasn't anything special. i felt the same about the rice with corn as there wasn't too much flavor to it. i got the guadalajara to drink, which i loved! the watermelon added a nice sweetness with the black salt balancing it out :) overall, a good mexican place in an ideal location, but nothing too special

Came here on a recommendation as I just finished driving 4 hours and never been to Santa Barbara before. I was dining alone and was sat at a table in the bar area. The view was nice and service was exceptional. When asked for my order, I gave my likes and let them choose for me. The chicken tacos were appealing and delicious. I had multiple people check on me during dinner and even received a recommendation for dessert. Since I was on vacation, I decided to indulge and was not sorry, although I did take half back to the hotel with me. Great service, great food and a nice dining experience. My turn to recommend it to others.

Flor De Maiz was recommended to us & we were very happy with our experience. We started with the Burrata Azteca & the red mole was very good. This was a very tasty appetizer that as a mole lover, hit the spot! We also ordered the chicken enchiladas & they were absolutely amazing. The enchiladas had a homemade feel to them & highly recommend them. We also ordered the mole negro & it was just perfect. The flavor was not too sweet but just right & reminded me of homemade mole that a friend's mother frequently made growing up.! We sat outside on the patio with an ocean view & heat lamps to keep the air temperature just right. Our server was friendly as were all of the staff that we encountered. Next time we find ourselves in the area Flor De Maiz will be on the agenda. Sorry no photos we were busy eating :)

Great decision to dine here! Flipped a coin on whether to dine here or across the street & the coin toss came through. It was packed Saturday early dinner but didn't need to wait for a table. It's modern, clean, and an overall lovely set-up inside. Service was lovely. Food was delicious! Ceviche Costeño (5/5): This is my favorite of all the ceviches I've tried. The sweet fruit, acidity, and the fish together was delicious. Ribeye Taco (5/5): Waiter recommended, table next to us recommended, I loved it! Ribeye was so juicy, tender & packed with flavor and the bonus was it's in a taco. This blew my mind. Fish Taco (4.5/5): Hard to compare after having the ribeye taco. It was good though. Definitely would come back.

Another restaurant, on Cabrillo Blvd, that is worth a visit, if and when you visit Santa Barbara. I like the fact that you can walk here after disembarking at the Amtrak Station. No secret that I love traveling the Amtrak Surfliner to come to this gorgeous seaside town, often called the American Riviera. The restaurant sits on Cabrillo Blvd, with captivating beach views that are just across the street. Walking and entering the restaurant, there is elegant inside and outside seating. It was slightly chilly, so I asked for an inside seat. But they gave me a lousy table, so I walked myself to a hybrid, inside outside table. The best of both worlds. The complimentary salsa chips were half raw, really uncooked. Others have made similar comments. The salsas were good, a red and green. The latter was unique, with mayo consistency, blended smooth with garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. My entree choice was the shrimp enchiladas. Really well prepared, super optics and loaded with small but plump shrimp. Piped in music was fantastic. Service was good. But can they fix the complimentary chips?

Came here for a friends dinner. It was a massive group and everything was perfect ! The food was absolutely delicious. The menu was varied. The tacos were massive. Everybody's dishes looked fresh and tasty. The service was on point. They constantly asked if we needed anything else. To note you need to order the churros. Best churros I've had ! I loved the view from the restaurant. Can't beat the Santa Barbara Pier. Highly recommend this gem of a spot. Great for a nice dinner !

We went to the SB Bowl to try to get last minute tickets for a show, which didn't work out, but one of the young guys working security recommended Flor De Maiz and said they had killer Mole. He was so right. The place is great and the staff could not have been any nicer. The location is perfect and on the edge of the Funk Zone, right across the street from the ocean, so that doesn't suck. The chips and salsa were even fantastic. Seriously. This was the best avocado salsa I have ever had. I said I could drink it and I would have, but it did have some kick. The Ensalada Verde was supposed to have arugula, but had mixed greens instead and the walnuts listed came as candied pecans, but the spinach, pear, avocado, cucumber, goat cheese and balsamic were all there and delicious. The Mole Negro features Jidori chicken, black mole, rice, fried plantains, sesame seeds and tortillas and was tender, flavorful and phenomenal. They knew it was my birthday and brought out a beautiful flan, which was the perfect way to end such a delightful lunch.

My family surprised me for my Birthday weekend (17th is my day) with a trip up to Santa Barbara. Little Bit had seen this restaurant featured by someone on IG. The ambiance is top notch from the outdoor dining patio (with plenty of umbrellas) to the additional seating under the awnings that face the beach and including (where we sat) the interior booths and tables. Comfortable place if you have a group of 6 or more and the service was attentive and friendly. My Hibiscus Margarita was refreshing and delicious... so much so that after I down that first bad boy I ordered another! (sssshhhh don't tell nobody!) Little Bit had a Blackberry Margarita that was tasty too. For num-nums we ordered the Chicken Enchiladas Criollo Mole, Fresh Catch Ceviche (could've used more lemon or lime), Ribeye Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, and (for my grandson) Cheese Quesadilla. All of our entrees were good. The salsa they serve with the chips at the table had just the right smokiness to it -- SO GOOD! They had valet parking in the back of the building but it was packed when we got there (Saturday around 1:00 pm) if you go on a weekend you might try to park across the street at one of the beach lots and walk over or look for street parking. We only waited about 10 minutes for a table and the hostess was very friendly when we walked up to the podium... none of that pretentious air of "Do you have reservations?". If I ever feel like dealing with all of the traffic on the 101 or perhaps taking the Amtrak Surfliner up here again I am ABSOLUTELY returning here. Respectfully Reviewed.