Mole Negro
Photo: GPE.garcíaglez · CC BY-SA 4.0

Los Agaves on Milpas Street has earned a Michelin Guide listing in part for its mole negro: a complex sauce built from dried chiles, chocolate, spices, nuts, and charred ingredients that requires hours of preparation and produces a deep, dark, bittersweet result served over chicken or pork with fresh handmade tortillas. The preparation at Los Agaves follows family recipes from traditional Mexican cooking.

Mole negro is the most complex of the canonical Mexican mole sauces, originating in Oaxacan cooking and requiring 20 or more ingredients and a multi-day preparation. The dish arrived in Santa Barbara through the Mexican community on Milpas Street; Los Agaves has served the family recipe since opening and the Michelin Guide recognition has drawn attention to the quality of the preparation.

1 editor pick for Mole Negro in Santa Barbara, ranked by editorial score. All Santa Barbara signature dishes · Mole Negro across every city.

Also in: Oaxaca.

Los Agaves ★ 4.0

$$MexicanMilpas Corridor

Michelin Guide Mexican on Milpas Street. Freshly made tortillas, complex moles, and ceviche from family recipes. Loyal neighbourhood following since opening.

OrderMole negro, Handmade tortillas, Carne asada

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Mole Negro makes more sense with someone from Santa Barbara explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

Book food experiences in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara: Funk Zone Food & Photo Tour★ 4.9 (8)

Guided tour · 3 hours

Santa Barbara: Funk Zone Food & Photo Tour

Feast your way through Santa Barbara's award-winning Funk Zone neighborhood while you learn about local history, discover local street art, and pick up a few easy food...

from$160 Check dates
Santa Barbara: Wine Country Tour with Lunch★ 5.0 (14)

Day trip · 6 hours

Santa Barbara: Wine Country Tour with Lunch

Join the group as we explore wines from boutique, family-owned wineries. We give you the full wine tasting experience by visiting a mixture of vineyards and small prod...

from$225 Check dates

See all 55 bookable experiences in Santa Barbara