El Palomar
El Palomar is a family-owned Mexican restaurant on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, California, opened in 1983 by Jose and Emilia Espinoza in a converted 1929 hotel, with a taco bar and handmade tortillas.
History
Jose and Emilia Espinoza founded El Palomar in 1983, and it remains family operated. The restaurant occupies a 1929 hotel building downtown. Good Times readers named it Santa Cruz's best Mexican restaurant in 2023.
Menu
The dining room serves a full-service carne asada taco plate with handmade tortillas and à la carte tacos, while a separate taco bar offers street-style tacos. Baja-style fish tacos are a happy-hour item, and the restaurant is also known for margaritas. Visit Santa Cruz County lists it as a downtown mainstay on the county's taco trail, which pairs it with older beach-area counters such as Las Palmas and newer spots like Lupulo Craft Beer House.
Reviews
Reviews on WikiTacos open at launch. Until then, read what diners say on Google and Yelp.
Google Maps reviewsYelpSee also
References
- "The Santa Cruz Taco Trail". Visit Santa Cruz County. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Best of Santa Cruz County 2023: Food & Drink". Good Times. Retrieved 2026-10-10.