The Real Taco

Name: The Real Taco
Address: 1204 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, US
Telephone: 831-331-0038

Mexican

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Sun 11am-8pm; Mon 11am-9pm; Tue Closed; Wed-Sat 11am-9pm

1204 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-331-0038
Last verified: August 2026
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Tacos

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Regular Taco$4.00+
Choice of meat, grilled onions, 1 serrano pepper and coriander
Super Taco$5.00+
Choice of meat, guacamole, cilantro, onions
Veggie Taco$4.50
- Vegetarian
Rice, beans, pico de gallo, red cabbage, avocado
Fish Taco - Baja Style$7.25
Ono fish, red cabbage, pico de gallo, chipotle sauce
Shrimp Taco$7.25
Pico de gallo, red cabbage and avocado salsa
Taco Estilo Gobernador$7.50
- Signature
Crispy shell tortilla, shrimp, mozzarella cheese, red cabbage, avocado, and chipotle sauce

Burritos

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Birria Burrito$13.95
Birria, rice, beans, mozzarella, cilantro, onions, & salsa
Super Burrito$14.00+
Choice of meat, rice, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, salsa, red cabbage, guacamole
Vegetarian Burrito$12.95
- Vegetarian
Rice, beans, pico de gallo, red cabbage, sour cream, avocado, salsa
California Burrito$13.95+
French fries, avocado, cheese, chipotle salsa, choice of meat
Surf and Turf Burrito$17.95
- Signature
Shrimp and Asada, french fries, mozzarella cheese, avocado salsa, and salsa verde
Mar y Costa Burrito$18.00
Shrimp and Fish, rice, beans, pico de gallo, red cabbage, avocado sauce and chipotle sauce
Fish Burrito$17.75
Ono fish, rice, beans, pico de gallo, red cabbage, chipotle sauce

Menu items and prices are approximate and may have changed — call the restaurant to confirm.

Dishes to know on this menu

Burritos: A flour tortilla wrapped around a filling. Northern Mexican burritos are often relatively slender and focused on one or two fillings such as beans, machaca or a guisado. In the United States, the form developed in several directions. San Francisco's Mission burrito is large and typically includes rice, beans and numerous fillings. San Diego's California burrito famously adds french fries. A wet burrito is covered in sauce and eaten with a knife and fork. On this menu as: Burritos · Birria Burrito · Super Burrito.
Torta: A Mexican sandwich, usually made on a bolillo, telera or another soft roll. Fillings can include milanesa, ham, carnitas, al pastor, eggs, avocado, beans, jalapeños and cheese. Several regional sandwiches belong to the larger torta family. Guadalajara's torta ahogada is "drowned" in sauce. Puebla's cemita uses a distinctive sesame-seeded roll and may include quesillo and pápalo. A pambazo is dipped in red chile sauce and griddled. On this menu as: Tortas & Gorditas · Pambazo · Super Torta.
Carne asada: Grilled beef, chopped or sliced for tacos, burritos and plates. Skirt, flank and other relatively thin cuts are common, with seasoning ranging from little more than salt to marinades containing citrus, garlic or other ingredients. Carne asada is particularly associated with northern Mexico and is also the name for the social tradition of gathering around a grill for a carne asada cookout. On this menu as: Asada Fries and Nachos · Asada Fries.
Nachos: Tortilla chips topped with cheese and usually chiles, with modern versions ranging from a very simple snack to a fully loaded plate covered with beans, meat, crema, guacamole and other toppings. Nachos are generally credited to Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, who created the dish in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, near the Texas border, in the 1940s. The heavily loaded version became a fixture of Tex-Mex and Mexican-American restaurants. On this menu as: Asada Fries and Nachos · Super Nachos.
Birria: A richly seasoned meat stew associated with Jalisco, traditionally made with goat but now frequently prepared with beef as well. The meat is braised with dried chiles and spices and may be served in a bowl with broth or used as a taco filling. Modern birria tacos are often griddled after the tortillas are dipped in the cooking fat. Add cheese and you'll commonly see the name quesabirria. A cup of consomé for dipping often comes alongside. On this menu as: Birria Burrito · Quesabirria Plate.
Baja fish tacos: The classic Ensenada-style fish taco pairs battered and fried fish with a corn tortilla, shredded cabbage, creamy sauce, salsa and lime. The style is strongly associated with Baja California and has had an enormous influence on Southern California taco culture. Menus may also offer grilled fish or similarly prepared shrimp tacos. On this menu as: Fish Taco - Baja Style · Fish Taco Plate.

How these dishes compare

Burritostypically $11 across 316 menus
Nachostypically $12 across 278 menus
Carne asadatypically $13.99 across 275 menus
Baja fish tacostypically $13 across 260 menus
Flautas & taquitostypically $11.25 across 195 menus
Birriatypically $14 across 145 menus
Moletypically $16 across 131 menus
Churrostypically $7 across 129 menus

The Real Taco on our other sites

TacoMenusMexican menus, with a glossary of Mexican dishes

The Real Taco

Menu

Tacos

Burritos

Breakfast Burritos

Plates

Tortas & Gorditas

Asada Fries and Nachos

Sides

Drinks

How these dishes compare

The Real Taco on our other sites

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