Caya Restaurant

One of my favorite hidden gems in Goleta. Great day ambience by the pool during the day, combined with a warm patio for cooler nights. The food and drink are always fantastic, with local ingredients and seasonal changes. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Perfect for meeting up with friends after work for apps, or a fun dinner date night.

The short rib Mac and cheese was exquisite, the service was superb. Reanna made good recommendations and was a joy during our interactions. I understand why the locals come back and I will too!

Great staff, delicious cocktails, scrumptious food!!!!! Ambiance on point also, especially after finding out about live music on Thursday and Saturday nights! Happy Hour is daily from 4-6pm.

I used to live right behind this place and sometimes (before covid) would walk there with my husband for a light meal and drinks. The ambiance there is so friendly and just very cool. Plus they have all these cool places around the hotel to take pictures. Its just an overall vibe being there. Now whenever I have friends visiting from out of town I always recommend this place.

I've dined at this lovely restaurant on a few occasions with my brother, a regular customer. The menu is varied, with many delicious offerings. Our server, Sybille, is so friendly and welcoming. She doesn't forget our preferences and asks after our family. I look forward to going there often in the future.

The best part of this restraint is the server Jennifer, so sweet and accommodating and very welcoming. I would love to come back! Thank you Jennifer.

This is honestly one of the only places I deem worthy of showing to friends in town. It’s also the only place I come out to eat brunch as the food is actually amazing! Absolutely in love with their sweet and savory options, along with their delicious Irish coffee.

Staying at the hotel the restaurant is in, The Let’s Santa Barbara, and tried Caya based on a recommendation of a local patron. I ordered some Margaritas at Happy Hour and they were excellent. For my meal I ordered the Salmon & Soba Stir Fry. It was phenomenal! Great flavor and the salmon was grilled perfectly. The superb bartender, Christina, told me the dish is new. It needs to be around a long time!

The cocktails were amazing, and priced well for being uniquely flavored and crafted with care. And the burger was probably the best hamburger I have ever had. Definitely worth visiting. Update- I returned on a recent trip through town, and was equaly impressed!

We had a fantastic experience at this quaint and beautiful restaurant. Our server Alex was simply amazing, impeccable and personable. Alex was so well informed about the wine list and pointed us in the right direction as far as the wines that we chose for our meal. The food was great, we ordered the steak and it was delicious, very tasty. Our wine was fantastic, we were both pleasantly surprised at how reasonably priced this wonderful restaurant is. We are looking forward to returning to this gem of a restaurant very soon and we definitely hope Alex will be our server, she was truly the best server we've ever had and we dine frequently, we are small business owners and definitely know great customer service when we see it.

Cocktails and vibe are really good for Goleta and had one of the best rib-eyes my first visit. Came back a second time on another day and ordered at least one of every appetizer. The egg rolls were meh, but everything else was delicious and the service was great.

We come to Caya and the Leta pretty often since it is around the corner from our house, and the food, service and atmosphere are always great! Martin behind the bar at Caya is always so attentive and friendly and provides amazing service every time. We will be back, thank you!!

The wait staff encourages a "communal" approach to eating. My friends and I each ordered a dish, and we all has a bit of each plate. I had the restaurant's version of the Moscow Mule. It was fantastic. A simple twist on a classic drink. I should add that while communal eating is encouraged, there are a variety of dishes built for the more traditional approach to dining. Steak, fish, and salads are available. The decor is a refreshing change from the neutral tones mainstream America has adopted. I work in a paint store and in a furniture store, so trust me when I say that the colors on the walls, the odd shaped chairs, and the choice of decor is a change that embraces something different from the norm, without throwing out the basic needs of atmosphere and comfort.

Great food, and cool atmosphere. My only critiques would be service, and cleanliness. 1st the server said he would bring another chair and forgot. 2nd two different servers brought lemon and lime garnishes to the table with their bare hands. Additionally, the bathrooms near the front desk needed servicing, and there is an accumulation of dust on all of their cute bojo decorations.

Had vouchers from hotel for breakfast. Overall, food was very good. Portions are very large. I recommend the farmer bowl, which came with nicely roasted root vegetables and a wonderful slightly sweet sauce. The steak chilaquiles are also very good. Staff are very friendly.

Nice cafe at a quaint hotel. We were traveling to SLO, and were glad we stopped. Skipped coffee (we made and took some for the car ride) so can't comment on the 'joe. He ordered the Denver omelette with fruit, I got the quiche of the day (spinach and something else. I honestly forget) with potatoes (with micro cilantro-a nice touch). Both dishes arrived hot and nicely plated. He really liked the omelette- nice sized, and the fruit was very fresh. I don't usually order quiche cuz it can be heavy, but this one wasn't! The eggs were like buttah - soft and almost custard-like. There was also a marvy sauce - cheesy and tasty. The waiter was very attentive, water kept full, checked on us. Next time we're driving by, we will definitely drop in.

Outpost does pretty good food. The environment is a unique dude ranch theme you don't see much outside of the SY Valley. The food is great, too. no real complaints other than you might want more quantity for your money. It's a really nice place to spend an evening at the bar or at a table with friends while being somewhat removed from the downtown SB scene.

Expected a more upscale restaurant since we had a reservation so the initial impression was disappointing and the menu selection was very slim but when the food came out is was absolutely delicious. I had the pork chop my husband had the steak and we shared the beet and pie. Service was great and friendly.

This restaurant is part of a hotel. The vibe is casual and eclectic. There was happy hour live guitar music on Thursday. Fish tacos, pizza style flat bread and strawberry salad were all tasty and fresh. Service was prompt and friendly.

My husband surprised me by taking me here. The atmosphere was beautiful. The food was good and the staff kept checking up on us for drinks. Overall a great place to relax on a date.

The food is creative without being bizarre. For example, the crispy chicken wings were light, tangy, and delectable, unlike any others I've ever had. The caramelized sweet potato was succulent and richly flavored without being overly sweet. On the whole the menu is fascinating and original. I would give this place five stars but for three quibbles. First, the way the menu is written gives no indication of what items are appetizers, or meant to share, or entrees. Second, the bread is a side order rather than complimentary, but is not distinctive or special in any way. Third, and most annoying, the hostess was brusque, stiff, sarcastic, and unhelpful to the point of being just plain rude. I'll give it another try, however, because the food was just that good. Second visit: Different hostess, who was much nicer. Had the guacamole, which was outstanding, although the chips that came with it were a bit too thin to stand up to dipping in something so thick. Had the "Summer Session" cocktail, delightfully concocted and very refreshing. Ordered a Pellegrino, but the only size they had was huge. They definitely need to offer smaller sizes of their bottled waters. Creeping towards five stars. Third visit: ordered the lamb burger, which was tastily adorned with harissa yogurt and watercress. Again, the bread seemed to be left over morning toast, and very disappointing, especially since you have to buy it! So many restaurants in this town provide complimentary fresh bread in a variety of styles; I am baffled why this one makes customers pay for bread that isn't even any good. I have now been served by three different waiters, Kade, Cameron, and Melanie, and they were all personable, friendly, and hard working. I don't understand, though, why it always takes so long for the drinks to arrive.

I thought the food here was decent. I had the seabass lettuce wraps and the kale salad. The food is definitely healthy and I like that it is locally sourced. I do have to admit it was a little bland. The service was excellent though and I thought the price points were good especially considering the ingredients. I've only been here once, and I might go back in the future. Its worth checking out.

It's a nice environment and sometimes there is live music. Food is very good but for some the small menu will feel limiting. There are sometimes vegan and vegetarian options, or you can (sometimes when applicable) request no meat on a specific dish. Tasty and fancy! Smaller portions, you'll probably want to get some apps as well to truly feel full.

This is kind of an odd place to find. If you actually enter the hotel it is on your left. The decor is great and has patio seating. The food is different. I got the breakfast burrito and my wife ordered the avocado toast. The burrito was pretty good except for the potato in the middle of it. Like a giant chunk of potato. The avocado toast is really guacamole toast. Not going to be my first choice for breakfast..

The Leta Hotel is a stylishly furnished hotel with an eclectic feel that works well. We went to their indoor/ outdoor restaurant for brunch on a Saturday. Pleasant outdoor setting but the servers looked over-worked and harried on a busy morning. I’d have to say the meal was average overall but still a decent option in the area for its outdoor seating, interesting decor and classy vibe.

The atmosphere was ok...food left a bit to be desired. Beet salad was the size of a side salad...$17. Water was lukewarm...poured from a decanter that didn't really look clean. Our waiter was very nice.

Not very many vegetarian options which isn’t in and of itself a deal breaker but the one entree they did have – mushroom pasta – was surprisingly bland tasting like kids pasta cooked without salt in the cooking water, coated with trace amounts of butter, and sprinkled with some lightly sautéed mushrooms and cheese. Under seasoned and unremarkable. Tempura cauliflower was fine but the sauce was sweeter than I expected but with none of the depth I normally associate with Gochujang. It wasn’t bad, just not particularly good, which is a good summary of the entire experience (including the service). I had higher expectations than what we got. As my wife said, “typical hotel restaurant”

My husband and I just went on a lunch date here. The service was completely disjointed; servers gone for long stretches, didn’t know what was on the menu, etc. We ordered a dessert, but after paying for it when ordering (their lunch operations are order and pay at counter) and more than a half an hour of it not coming, and asking multiple times, we had to give up and leave to make it back to work on time. Nice ambiance but completely disorganized.

Well, that’s was disappointing. Everyone who works here is completely miserable. I think they have a slightly toxic culture going on. The food was OK, but it certainly wasn’t a fun place to dine. We ordered the short rib mac & cheese, and one of the burrata pastas. Both were acceptable, but we really could’ve used that extra kick that sometimes comes with them. Our waiter was very unhappy and not friendly at all. And took forever to take our order, get our order, and then we had to ask for someone to help us get the check so we could get out of there. And it took him forever to bring back our change. Would not recommend this place anytime soon. Maybe if they get some new staff it would be OK.

I simply got an appetizer because I attended for a friends birthday and I am a college student. So eating out at places with prices like this isn't something I do often. I ordered the hummus appetizer, which is $16 and $22 with tip/tax whatever. Nearly all of my pitas were burnt. Tasted like coal. Why am I paying this much money for half of my food to be burnt ? Not to mention, everyone else had extremely small portions for dishes that were the same cost or even more than mine.. My food was good, but I don't think I would come here again or recommend it. It feels like a waste of money for the portions you get and the quality. They don't look too burnt in the photo, but they were burnt on the other side.

Very underwhelming all around. Stayed at the hotel and didn't feel like going further for breakfast/brunch. We were seated at a table that wasn't clean. "Home fries" that were whole potatoes? Lack of salt on most of the plate. I suppose I don't expect too much from an omelette, but I don't think I'd get this particular order again.

We came here for my birthday dinner. I was sad to see that the mix and match tacos weren’t on the menu anymore. I settled for a burger. It was edible. I really can’t understand why people love this place. The atmosphere is nice, the drinks are good, but the food is not worth the price.

Came here impromptu for our anniversary bc we didn't make plans and wanted to try the neighborhood place anyway. Not a good decision. The food is not good. Everything is bland, not seasoned well, not cooked quite right, and over priced for what you get. We had the hummus trio, spring rolls, carnitas tacos...all bad. The spring rolls were really bad with the rice paper wrapper bunched up at the ends so it tasted and felt like eating folded paper, and there are maybe 1-2 tiny shrimp per roll. One member of our party had the salmon and soba and was happy...at $30 I would hope so. Anyway, super disappointed and won't be back. Wish we had more good choices in Goleta.

The avocado toast was the worst I've had -- tasted like it was made with bad guacamole, and overpriced. Fair atmosphere despite odd choice of music (80s pop for brunch). Overall not impressed, might go back assuming I just made a poor choice from the menu -- others in my party were okay with their food.

Update: March 2023 We were a party of 4 and ate here before. We ordered spring rolls for appetizers to share. The spring rolls for $18 was pathetic. It was only 2 small pieces cut in 4 pieces and the server did not even give us small plates to put our food on. The menu did not have the pork chops that I enjoyed the last time which was disappointing. The most disappointing experience was when our food orders came from another server & my order was wrong. It took a while for our first server to come back & apologized to say that the kitchen staff got the orders mixed up. I ordered roasted seabass which I thought should not have taken time to make. Everyone finished their meals when my order finally came and it was another person who we thought was the manager who delivered it. By that time, I was STARVING and very annoyed. The restaurant does not provide bread nor was there an offer of compensation like a free appetizer or discount on the meal. I rarely give a 1 star rating but they need to get the message that this service for how expensive the meals are is unacceptable. Review 7 months ago when I gave them a 5 star We were a party of 7 and we wanted to take my mother-in-law out for dinner. This was my first time eating here. The ambiance of the hotel and restaurant was very nice. There was a singer playing guitar and he was good. Our server was attentive. We enjoyed our delicious dinners including the Brussels sprouts appetizers & dessert. My mother-in-law was very satisfied with her fish tacos, which was great.

We had a particularly disappointing evening at the Outpost. It was recommended as one of the best restaurant of the area but the service provided by our host was absolutely appalling. The food was good and the restaurant nicely decorated but we were shocked by the waiter taking care of us. He was avoiding us after we sent back a drink that, let's face it tasted like gas. He was very relunctant to serve us and not accomodating. Big disappointment from our side. Ps: the cocktail was the Park Ranger. Do not ever order it!

I had high hopes for this place based on Yelp and Google reviews, but I left disappointed. The atmosphere is beautiful—it’s located in a hotel, and we were seated quickly outside near the pool. Unfortunately, the service didn’t live up to the setting. We arrived at 8:00 PM and didn’t get our food until 8:55 PM. There were only six customers total, yet it took 15 minutes to see our waitress. She seemed a bit out of it, but we didn’t think much of it—until we waited another 15 minutes just for the appetizer (the hummus was okay) When the waitress finally came back, she asked, “Are you guys done?” then immediately put her hands on her face and said, “Oh just kidding, you guys ordered food, right?” before walking off without waiting for our answer. After another 10 minutes, the hostess stopped by, and I told her we were still waiting. She said she’d check on it, but another 15 minutes went by with no response. I finally got up and asked the waitress, who told me, “We got hit with a large pick-up order,” and then asked, “Wait, what did you order again?” At this point, nearly 50 minutes had passed. I spoke to the hostess again and explained how long we’d been waiting. I said, “Not trying to sound like a Karen, but it’s been nearly 50 minutes…” and she responded, “Do you want to leave then?” I said, “No, I just want our food.” She replied, *“Well you can leave

Unfortunately my chicken was raw. The server did her best to deal with the situation- however raw chicken is never an easy thing to overcome. Atmosphere was good though I think they were understaffed. Probably won’t return but drinks were good.

We came here very excited for a neat atmosphere and tasty small plates. What we got was a big disappointment. We were seated by a not so nice host, then ignored at our table for almost 20 minutes. Never even got water. Although the same person who sat us saw us leave - she didn't acknowledge our departure. Can't recommend and will not be back.

We came here for fathers day brunch and honestly every dish was some of the blandest food we have had in a long time. Each dish was either very dry and full of starchy foods or way to greasy. We all tried each others plates and not 1 out of all 5 different plates were any good. Perhaps the dinner is better but I would never come back here for brunch/lunch. Save your money and go elsewhere