La Cantina Bar & Restaurant

Elizabeth G

Great cocktails, the Paloma and passionfruit margarita were amazing. Tons of tvs, awesome spot to watch games and the food is delicious. Good happy hour menu too!

Angela R.

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.

Jennifer Summerset

We started with the guacamole which was creamy and delicious! We polished off a whole bowl of crispy, thin chips with that! The waitress told us we had ten more minutes to order off the Happy Hour menu! So we quickly ordered 3 more items off the HHM and we were not disappointed! The three other dishes we ordered were the Aguachiles, which was a light and refreshing dish of shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, onions and lime! The corn ribs were excellent! I have made these myself at home and it is not an easy task to get them with just the right amount of burnt grilled flavoring! Lastly, we got a chicken sopes. The house Margaritas are delicious but they make so many different kinds of margaritas that La Cantina is just beckoning us back! We are yet to taste the mole, ceviche and so much more! Our sombreros are off to Chef Hector! If you are on the fence about trying yet another Mexican restaurant in SB, my advice is to go for their Happy Hour, which is everyday from 3:00-5:30pm. We’ll see you there because we will definitely be back! Oh wait! I forgot to mention that we couldn’t resist trying the churros which were light and crunchy (not oily) and they were served with a chocolate sauce (which needs some improvement) and my fave… condensed milk! So yummy! These were as good or better than I’ve had in Mexico where I vacation every year!

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?

ExploreThe805

We had an absolutely amazing dining experience at La Cantina! Not only is the atmosphere stunning, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the food & drinks were authentic, flavorful and memorable! We highly recommend La Cantina!🍴🍹 💃🏻

Bethany Wood

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!

Caleb Binkley

Sit at the bar during happy hour and have Melissa make you the best margarita in SB!

Sol was our server. He was friendly polite and chill. My dad my wife and myself all came in for dinner and we were seated right when we came in. Everyone there was polite the restaurant was clean and the food was very good! All three of us ate and the total was around $60

We come here regularly and love the staff and atmosphere. The staff are friendly and personable, the food we've tried is delicious (esp the civiche and tacos) and the cocktails are strong. We love having this local spot to end the work week at!

Soooo glad we decided to visit this place. Only 3 blocks away from where we live. Ted the manager/bartender was super friendly and attentive. Melissa our first bartender was also very friendly and accommodating! We went there 2 times in the same week and will be going back this coming Tuesday with friends. The queso dip is awesome. My husband had the smash burger the first night and I had the ensalada riviera Maya...both were excellent. We shared the cheese enchilada dinner again wonderful. Some very inventive drinks and tasty. We will definitely be telling all or our friends about this place. Having lived here for over 50 years that is a lot of people to share with~

Great food, good indoor/outdoor design. Server staff needs additional training, but I would definitely go back. Very good tequila selection.

Taylor is the best bartender at La cantina. She makes a really good spicy passion fruit margarita. highly recommend

Convenient location for us, good atmosphere, good food. I like their guacamole, fajitas and margaritas. We sat both indoors and patio. Patio dining was nice with our dog.

I really enjoy this restaurant. The service is always great and the servers are incredibly attentive. I ordered the chicken tacos and they added a generous amount of chicken, which was delicious. Our server checked on us every few minutes to make sure we had everything we needed, and we felt very well taken care of. Parking is convenient, the location is great, and the overall atmosphere is welcoming. I highly recommend La Cantina Santa Barbara.

Gabriel Michel

Sol was our server. He was friendly polite and chill. My dad my wife and myself all came in for dinner and we were seated right when we came in. Everyone there was polite the restaurant was clean and the food was very good! All three of us ate and the total was around $60

Virginia Yvette Solano

I really enjoy this restaurant. The service is always great and the servers are incredibly attentive. I ordered the chicken tacos and they added a generous amount of chicken, which was delicious. Our server checked on us every few minutes to make sure we had everything we needed, and we felt very well taken care of. Parking is convenient, the location is great, and the overall atmosphere is welcoming. I highly recommend La Cantina Santa Barbara.

aspen jankowski

Taylor is the best bartender at La cantina. She makes a really good spicy passion fruit margarita. highly recommend

SL S

Great food, good indoor/outdoor design. Server staff needs additional training, but I would definitely go back. Very good tequila selection.

Kirsty Kenny

We come here regularly and love the staff and atmosphere. The staff are friendly and personable, the food we've tried is delicious (esp the civiche and tacos) and the cocktails are strong. We love having this local spot to end the work week at!

Nanci MK

Soooo glad we decided to visit this place. Only 3 blocks away from where we live. Ted the manager/bartender was super friendly and attentive. Melissa our first bartender was also very friendly and accommodating! We went there 2 times in the same week and will be going back this coming Tuesday with friends. The queso dip is awesome. My husband had the smash burger the first night and I had the ensalada riviera Maya...both were excellent. We shared the cheese enchilada dinner again wonderful. Some very inventive drinks and tasty. We will definitely be telling all or our friends about this place. Having lived here for over 50 years that is a lot of people to share with~

Aslihan Terzi

Convenient location for us, good atmosphere, good food. I like their guacamole, fajitas and margaritas. We sat both indoors and patio. Patio dining was nice with our dog.

Jim Beltran

I walked in and felt welcome. I was completely surprised to see a full bar. I honestly expected another Beer and Wine place. I ended up at a table as the chairs at the bar need to be higher. Or I need to be taller. The staff, food, and prompt service guarantee my return. A great new place to meet for HAPPY HOUR!!! I believe it is 3:30 to 5:30. If you like flan, try their "Cornbread" dessert. I also had their Mole and Red Sauce Chicken Enchiladas. Very good. The Mole was a nice surprise. Shout out to the Manager Leti (spelling)! Thank you for the warm welcome. Your staff is lucky to have you. Jim

The service was slow as they had only a waiter and the Manager for a Sat. Lunch. I thought the chips were stale, my enchilada was incredibly salty (confirmed by my son). My son liked the seafood enchiladas and thought the rice was good. Wife's Birria taco was bland. We'll try it one more time.

* dnainsb

The service was slow as they had only a waiter and the Manager for a Sat. Lunch. I thought the chips were stale, my enchilada was incredibly salty (confirmed by my son). My son liked the seafood enchiladas and thought the rice was good. Wife's Birria taco was bland. We'll try it one more time.

La Cantina came very highly recommended. And while the service and decor were exceptional, the food was just OK. The highlight of our meal was the sea food enchilada and the margarita. Both were tasty and a decent value. The burrito and nachos were just OK. Our server was very good. And the dining area was fresh and welcoming. La Cantina is worth a visit. We will be back for the enchiladas.

TJJ

La Cantina came very highly recommended. And while the service and decor were exceptional, the food was just OK. The highlight of our meal was the sea food enchilada and the margarita. Both were tasty and a decent value. The burrito and nachos were just OK. Our server was very good. And the dining area was fresh and welcoming. La Cantina is worth a visit. We will be back for the enchiladas.

While the food at this establishment was enjoyable, the overall dining experience was disappointing. The service fell below expectations, and it was evident that management did not prioritize customer satisfaction. Additionally, there were multiple children running barefoot on the water fountain statues, disrupting the dining atmosphere, yet no action was taken by the manager on duty. Given the high prices, one would expect a more refined and attentive experience. While we understand that the restaurant is new, improvements in customer service and overall management are necessary to justify the cost and ensure a more pleasant visit for guests.

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.

Miggie f

While the food at this establishment was enjoyable, the overall dining experience was disappointing. The service fell below expectations, and it was evident that management did not prioritize customer satisfaction. Additionally, there were multiple children running barefoot on the water fountain statues, disrupting the dining atmosphere, yet no action was taken by the manager on duty. Given the high prices, one would expect a more refined and attentive experience. While we understand that the restaurant is new, improvements in customer service and overall management are necessary to justify the cost and ensure a more pleasant visit for guests.

Cody Carter

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.