Since my friend began managing downtown's newest mexican restaurant, he hasn’t quit calling me to come in.
Being the good friend that I am (or at least think I am), I decided to give into his hype.
Tony Ray's, tucked away behind the State Street clamor, took me nearly twenty minutes to find, but in the end was worth the hassle.
My friend and I chose to sit outside on this overcast Tuesday afternoon, mostly because the dribbling water of the patio's fountain – complete with plastic roses and hibiscus buoyed among its three tiers - was almost therapeutic.
The restaurant's menu serves up your every day Mexican food, stuff you can find at just about every other taqueria or cantina in California. And like most other Mexican restaurants reaching out to their American counterpart, you find your burgers, steaks and chicken tenders served alongside fried papas.
Munching on my chicken burrito, but more so picking at my friends steak fajitas, I recognized that there’s a lot to appreciate from this hole in the wall.
No. 1: the patio seating hosts a great view of the Riviera and De La Guerra Plaza; a popular hangout for Santa Barbara’s homeless, but I digress.
No. 2: The place is kind of a secret. With no front entrance to State Street, you’d never imagine a restaurant ever existed here.
No. 3: This sit down lunch, complete with ice tea and more chips and salsa than you can handle, came to about $20. Nothing on this menu costs more than $10, except for the filet mignon, $24.
Tony Ray's also holds karaoke night on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Hosting a full bar that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the hole in the wall tries, and is worth giving a try. So if and when you go in, ask for Rony. Tell him I sent you.
Price: >$10
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