Spencer Makenzies - Best
Seafood Burrito in Nation

Santa Paula resident and owner John 

Karayan reflects on the early years, saying, “At the time, there were no other gourmet food trucks...I was ahead of my time doing seared ahi salad at the Ventura County Fair.” 

Known for their giant fish tacos, local hangout Spencer Makenzies has now garnered national attention for their burritos. Their shrimp and fish taco recently placed in the top 20 best burritos in the nation, according to the website FiveThirtyEight.com.

In June 2014, FiveThirtyEight set out to find the best burrito in the country, convening a Burrito Selection Committee that compiled data from Yelp, word of mouth, and personal experience to create a national, 64 restaurant Burrito Bracket.  

With such a high concentration of great burritos, the state of California was awarded it’s own bracket, while the rest of the country was divided into three other regions. “I think as a reflection of burrito culture in California, it’s a fabulous list. We have everything from the obvious ones: San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, to places that deserve a little more respect, like Inland Empire, Ventura, Sacramento,” said committee member and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, Gustavo Arellano.

After the brackets were established, journalist Anna Maria Barry-Jester traveled the country to sample burritos from all 64 restaurants, including Spencer Makenzies. The juicy shrimp, tangy Spencers sauce, and the house made salsas wooed her, earning Spencers a final score of 86, beating out many of the California burritos and others nationwide, and settling at #18 in the country. In her blog, she writes “Come to Ventura for the burrito, but stay for the peaceful ocean air.”