La Cantina Restaurant & Bar - Santa Barbara, California

Royce L.

Well I am happy to report that this place rocks. Super clean and yet it feels cozy. I went in on their opening day and let me tell ya… wow!

First of all the wait staff was awesome!! Shout out to Ana our server, she had to have table touched about 5-6 times. The manager came by and also asked how we were and got us some freshly (still warm) chips. They had some great salsas as well.

We ordered 2 cocktails from the bar and wow!! First of all they are beautiful. Second, the taste was to die for. It had enough alcohol that you could taste it in the drink but yet it did not over power the drink making it a wonderful experience. 10/10 great job to the bar staff.

Now for the food. Honestly, I thought the proportions were looking small but I left totally full! So… in my opinion it was exactly the right size! The thing that stood out to me was the WIDE verity of tacos. I don’t know why but I have been having a hard time finding a good fish taco. While I did not order them on this visit, this will be what I order on my next visit. The shrimp and quesadilla we got were made to perfection.

The seating was great and there were 5-6 TVs showing football and they have Sunday ticket. They also seem to have a full bar as well so that’s a plus as well.

I’d give this place 6 stars if google would let me.

Perfect food✅
Perfect and BEAUTIFUL drinks ✅
Amazing wait staff and management ✅
Wonderful atmosphere ✅
Kid friendly ✅

Update. The fish tacos are fire!!!!!

Angela 3.

La Cantina is located just off Turnpike in the Vons shopping center. They offer a variety of Mexican cuisine, and the presentation is on point! Prepared by chef Adriell Colli who brings his wealth of experience through the culinary world.

We started with fruity margaritas, such as the watermelon, passion fruit, cucumber and mango. All made with fresh ingredients. No artificial flavors here. Ted was our bartender and the drinks he prepared were well executed.

For food the zesty ceviche, creamy guacamole and fresh housemade tortilla chips got my taste buds going. An explosion of flavors in each bite.

The mains such as the mole con pollo, was a beautiful & creative presentation resembling sushi. This rich mole sauce was well balanced, not too sweet or spicy. It was flavorful and delicious. This won my heart!

The enchiladas la Paz packed with fresh seafood and topped with a rich creamy chipotle sauce was chefs kiss delicious. We also tried the Quesabirria, made with goat. I’m always hesitant to try goat meat, but this wasn’t gamey at all. The meat is tender, melts in your mouth and flavorful. I appreciate that the Quesabirria wasn’t greasy either, and the consomè was the perfect dipping sauce. Well done chef!

They also offer veggie tacos here. Hongos aka mushrooms and fried avocado; which BTW is upon request and not on the menu. To end this amazing experience; we tried the Pan de Elote. Think cheesecake meets sweet corn cake with a moist tender texture. It wasn’t too sweet, which made this enjoyable.

Overall, a great place to check out if you’re in the area.

Andrew

AMAZING!!! Great experience from start to finish. The servers were friendly and attentive. The menu is robust. The flavors and textures of each dish were delightful. And the local SB sports cantina vibe is perfect for the area. It was obvious the owners are passionate about food and the overall dining experience. Each item that came out of the kitchen was hand-crafted, artfully displayed and tantalized my taste buds with every bite. Let's talk tacos. Wrapped in warm, pillowy, homemade corn tortillas and topped with a zesty cilantro lime Tajin aoli, the Pescado Tacos with grilled Rockfish were exquisite. And not to be outdone, the steak and shrimp fajitas were perfect as well. Fresh ingredients, talented chef, great menu, full bar, excellent service... What more could you ask for?

Bethany W.

Yay! So happy to have another local restaurant within biking distance from our house. For just opening, I think they are doing a phenomenal job. The service was better than some SB restaurants that have been open for years. We’ve gone twice and the last time our servers name was Stephanie. She was friendly, attentive, offered drink suggestions. Tried both the house margarita and a passion fruit margarita - both awesome. If you are going for the first time, you have to try the Asada tacos. They are outstanding. When we went the first night, staff nicely worked on figuring out the TV so that we could watch the Dodger game. We will definitely be back as we thought everything was great - service, food, location and ambiance!

Cody C.

First and probably last time visiting La Cantina. All of the negative reviews have already matched our experience. Food over cooked. Waitress was nice, but didn’t know anything. Manager randomly came to our table and with attitude said, “So there’s a problem with the cocktails?” We were all confused because we didn’t say anything to the wait staff about the cocktails. About $200 for 4 people after tip, which would be a reasonable price if the food and service was good. We understand that it’s a new place and they have many kinks to work out, but we will not be back for a while.

Tanya P.

Great new restaurant! We ate here last night. Friendly faces and great service. The restaurant was slow at the time and we often find that service is worst when it's slow (this is from experience as patrons, servers and managers throughout our lives). Luckily, that was not the case. We were well attended and our orders arrived perfectly and in a timely fashion. Our meal was quite tasty and exactly as described by our server. Price-wise, this isn't an expensive restaurant but don't expect fast food prices. The pricing was fair if you take the alleged economic inflation into account. They have to cover their costs somehow. We will definitely return for dinner and possibly lunch. Though we will likely avoid weekdays during school lunchtimes since they are across the street from San Marcos High School. All in all... a welcome addition to the Goleta landscape and a great option if you don't want to to downtown.

Beth S.

The management is clearly not putting the time in to properly train the staff. It seems as no one knows what they’re doing and although they are all polite and are trying, it appears that management is not supporting them. Having managed several restaurants myself, I can see that they’ve offered minimal training and just thrown them all into the pit to see who can survive. Not a good way to start a new restaurant, and gain a loyal following. A high end interior design doesn’t matter if the service and food are subpar. Good luck retaining any staff that cares to learn and grow. To the owners, I would invest in a stronger management team with more experience leading a new restaurant and willing to build up the staff’s confidence and knowledge. Once you’ve invested in a stronger team who’s investing in the young adults working there, you should announce new management and maybe we’ll try again. It’s entirely different running a new restaurant than managing an existing one. Best of luck.

Tina G.

First time there amazing food waiter the hostess the bartender big thumbs up!! Very attentive also