Robert Sankar

The beautiful restaurant served excellent authentic Mexican food. I highly suggest the Sizzling Chicken Fajita platter. My girlfriend got the Carne Asada Tacos.

Brenda Sutton

Found this restaurant on a busy day there was a wave of large crowd from a concert nearby that caused no table availability when we first arrived. The impeccable timing we made it a short less than 10 minute wait for a table and we were seated within 5-7 minutes of waiting. The food, ambience, decor, margaritas and service were great. The Bohemian Beer Battered fish tacos are perfection and very filling! The Shrimp and Steak Fajitas were also delicious. The shrimp were cooked to perfection also the steak was perfectly seasoned and tender. The hand made corn tortillas are perfect as well as the flour tortillas. The Casamigos Reposado margarita was strong and delicious. The chips and salsa are delicious. The churros were perfection and Im picky about churros. I definitely will be returning. Our server Joanas was great!

Will Heo

The ambience was excellent. I'd say their food is pretty good, though I prefer Los Agaves'. But compared to Los Agaves, you'd be getting more wait staff and slightly better vibes. Although there are a few parking spaces on site, finding a spot can be tricky during peak times.

+5

Kayla Garnet Rose PhD

Wonderful margaritas, really enjoyed the Winter Special "Paloma" as well as their shrimp tapas, Gambas Al Ajillo. Excellent chips and salsa with a side of black beans and corn. Friendly, efficient, professional staff, I felt very welcomed.

maco 60

Awesome place to dine at. I absolutely enjoyed the Chicken Fajitas, salsas, guacamole appetizer, tortillas, mango margarita, and vegetables. A must try place, I didn't even get to finish all of my fajitas, and they were so delicious. Highly recommended. They have both outdoor and indoor seating available. Parking looked available on-site but we parked across the street.

M.A. EatsArt

Get ready for the best margarita and control your mouth because portions are huge so don't give in to the waiters' suggestive sale. The giant guacamole appetizer was overboard considering that many dishes already come with guacamole. There is ample and relaxing outdoor seating that allows a great atmosphere to relax and people watch. The margarita is very strong and generous. You won't want to drive afterwards!

+1

I used to frequent this restaurant and the smaller Carlito’s Cava in Montecito 20+ yrs ago. I was pleasantly surprised that the signature restaurant was still open. I stopped in for a late lunch and sat outside with my dog. The venue is tired with cracked and chipped plates. The umbrellas are faded and dated. The outdoor heaters have seen better days. To me Santa Barbara is better than that. My waiter was great though. Kind and prompt. We talked about the old days of the restaurant and the owners. I ordered the veggie tostadas which was my favorite dish from the establishment 26 years ago. They used to make delicious in-house flour and corn tortilla chips…..not anymore The tostadas was still very delicious though! My only caveat is that the chop on the veggies was very big and it was hard to eat. The avocado crema was as yummy as ever. I understand that the owner’s son has taken the reins. I know State St property leases are ridiculous, but please stop cutting corners. I hope you can get back to the upscale Mexican that Carlito’s embodied!

Vincent Avila

Great atmosphere and seating. The food was good, I enjoyed the raw shrimp, soft tacos, except for the fact the taco fell apart towards the because of how much toppings it had.

Jon Magnani

Fantastic atmosphere, right across from the Arlington. A real treat of outside dining, especially at night. I've been going here for decades. Food is lovely, if not a bit underseasoned for my taste. I have a hunch they're looking for broader appeal than your authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Still worth a visit if you've never been!

Cynthia Bounds

This was a really cute little place to eat. We had just arrived into Santa Barbara looking for lunch. My husband loves Mexican food. Seated outdoors which was nice. Service was quick and the food was hot and delicious. The chips and salsa also came with a little bean salsa type thing that added something special to the regular chips and salsa.

Sabrina M.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you are in Santa Barbara, you have to check out the Margaritas at Carlitos! They are so GOOD! My friend got the Blood Orange Margaritas and I got the Cadillac. Both are very good. I do miss the big saucer-type glasses though. I had the Sizzling Steak Fajitas, yum! My friend had Halibut Tacos. The service was a little slow, and the waiter didn't check on us. But the quality of the food and drink made things pretty enjoyable.

+3

me tal

I rarely leave bad reviews, but this place absolutely earned it. From the moment I walked in, the woman working the front made the whole experience uncomfortable. She acted like taking my order was an inconvenience, didn’t greet me, rolled her eyes when I asked a simple question, and just overall had the worst attitude I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. The food didn’t make up for it either — everything was bland, lukewarm, and honestly felt like it had been sitting out way too long. For the price, it was definitely not worth it. Between the rude service and disappointing meal, I won’t be coming back. There are way better places that actually treat customers with respect. Avoid if you can.

S R

Unfortunately, we did not have the same experience as the other reviewers. Our service was not good. We asked for water twice and did not receive it. We had to flag down another server to ask for silverware after our food was brought to us. The food was also not good. The chips and salsa lacked flavor. The fish tacos were undercooked and flavorless. The tostada was soggy and full of lettuce and not much else. The classic margaritas tasted like straight cheap tequila and not much else. Wished the restaurant lived up to the hype.