We were seated right away, the server was very attentive. The food was delicious! I would visit again! Their samosas are amazing read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Samosa - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Ordered take out via DoorDash! The prices were are listed the same as their fine in menu plus you can schedule a pick up! Compared to other Indian restaurants the rice is included with some entrees which is a big plus. The garlic and cheese naan is sooo goood and always a must! Apna was pretty busy and when I went to pick up but the pickup process is very quick and easy. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Butter Chicken, Masala Curry (Tikka Masala), Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Roti, Cheese Naan, Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Amazing service and honestly might be the best food I've had in Santa Barbara let alone one of the best Indian spots I've had in the America. The flavors are so rich and complex in flavor. If you enjoy south cuisine you will love this place Recommended dishes: Butter chicken Wings Curry fries (insane) Nirvana Garlic Naan Punjabi fish fries read more

I've eaten at Apna three times. Twice at the restaurant, once as takeout. I think it's really really tasty. I mean, just look at this photo below. That was a helluva lunch. We asked for it to be spicy, 7/10 I believe, and it was perfect. The flavor of the tikka misala was out of this world. Truly. Also, the chai is really nice. It's rich food, no doubt. Probably a fair amount of butter, but if you've got a decent appetite and want some stellar flavor at a reasonable price (relatively speaking), go to Apna. It's one of my favorite spots in town, no doubt. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

In my opinion Apna is the best Indian food in Santa Barbara. The staff is always friendly and very attentive. I've never had any issues with food here their saag paneer and chicken Tikka are my favorites. If you've never had bhel puri I definitely recommend trying it once. I love dining in for dinner, I especially love all the votive candles that light up the place however if dining in is not your jam their takeout is an excellent option. Friday nights do tend to be very busy so come early or just order takeout! read more

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Came here quiet late and the host was kind enough to let us in. We ordered butter chicken and naan. The chicken could have been more tender. It was just ok. The service was remarkable though and everybody was exceptionally nice. The ambiance was very lively and hip. I am sure the other thing on the menu would be better than butter chicken. The meat was halal as per the host. read more

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Great spot at a great location right off state street. Try the curry fries!! Also they are HALAL!

I tried this spot recently and I had a very subpar experience that ruined this place for me which is such a shame because all the other times I've been here it was amazing! The service, the quality -- all amazing! The last time I came it was a bit busy so they sat us in the stool bar area which is fine. However, when I booth opened up and we asked to get switched they said no because it was reserved? which I didn't know was a thing which I guess is my fault. However, the people it was reserved for took a while to come which by that time we could have been seated, ate and left. Another spot opened up during that time as well and they still did not want to seat us in a different booth. That really messed up the experience because I feel like they just didnt want us to be seated in any booth and purposely trying to seat us in the stools/bar area (which btw are not comfortable AT ALL). it was just very weird. The food is delicious so definitely still try if you like Indian food! I won't be coming back because I was just utterly disappointed at the way we were being treated. 2 stars are for the other times I came and the food was amazing. read more

Absolutely Amazing Indian Food! If you're craving bold, flavorful Indian cuisine, this place is a must-visit! From the moment we walked in, the aromas of spices hit us in the best way possible. The service was warm and attentive, and the staff happily helped us choose dishes based on our spice tolerance. We started with the samosas, which were crispy on the outside and stuffed with perfectly spiced potatoes and peas. For mains, the butter chicken was rich and creamy with just the right amount of heat, and the lamb vindaloo was tender, tangy, and deliciously fiery. The garlic naan was fresh out of the tandoor and absolutely addictive-we had to order a second basket! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Joke of an Indian restaurant. Honestly the worst, least fresh, and least flavorful Indian food I've had in the United States; an absolute embarrassment to Indian cuisine. The owners ought to be ashamed of themselves and should shut down their trash restaurant immediately. read more

Apna has the best Indian food I've ever had in my life. I've been over 20 times (I'm not lying), and even after moving to Ojai, I still make the drive back regularly for my fix. On top of the incredible food, the service is some of the best in the area, hands down. Bublee is the kindest, sweetest person, always so helpful with orders and truly lights up the space. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

Aapna Indian Kitchen is an absolute gem in Santa Barbara. The customer service is beyond amazing, and the food is truly 5-star -- dangerously delicious in the best way. Every dish is packed with flavor and care. Bubblee is the sweetest, kindest lady -- my boyfriend and I always love seeing her. She has the warmest energy and makes every visit feel so welcoming. You can really feel the love that goes into both the food and the experience. Highly recommend -- this place never disappoints! read more

Apna the only Indian restaurant in the downtown of Santa barbara.They have the amazing ambiance and service. Definitely i will give 5/5 on food as well. We tried paneer tikka masla, mango chicken, samosa, aloo tikki and Amritsar kulcha. Everything was amazing. If you visiting santa barbara do visit this place. read more

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Both the fried fish and butter chicken were very tasty! Waiter was friendly and helpful. Restaurant was a bit small but cozy! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I will start off by saying service is excellent. Shoutout to our host, Raman. She was patient and checked in to make sure our food was good. We ordered the chicken pakora, butter chicken (came with rice), tandoori chicken, tandoori shrimp, and garlic naan. The chicken pakora was delicious & crispy. It wasn't the classic besan coating we were expecting, but I enjoyed the crispy surprise. The butter chicken was creamy, rich and the chicken was tender. It paired perfectly with the garlic naan -- so soft and didn't get hard like other naans we have had. The tandoori chicken was a treat as well. The chicken was tender and very flavorful. The tandoori shrimp somehow came out too salty, but the staff was quick to swap it out with a different item. They did not hesitate to quickly take care of things and ensure we had a good meal/dining experience. Considering the ambiance, location, service and quality of food -- this is a real gem in SB! read more

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Went here TWICE in one weekend! The fish nirvana is so amazing. Light, fresh and delicate while also being savory. Soooo so good. Also LOVED their garlic naan. Fair pricing... great quality. read more

the food here was seasoned so well and was overall AMAZING. the service was great and attentive. butter chicken: 5/5 -- SO CREAMY and amazing to eat with their naan. we scraped the bowl clean. chicken pakora: 5/5 -- a great appetizer with a nice crunch. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is so so yummy. I've tried many different things on their menu and they never disappoint. If you can't handle too much spice like myself, I'd recommend ordering the mild spice level. I've tried medium and wasn't really able to enjoy my food. Nonetheless 5 stars!! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Tikka masala with naan - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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AMAZING AMAZING food. Only -1 star because they are not the greatest in service. (Addressing at the front to put our name on the waitlist took 5 minutes, and then after being seated, had to wait 15 minutes for the waiter to take our order. ) However, the food came in a relatively timely manner, approximately 15 minutes after ordering, and everything was DELICIOUS! I would DEFINITELY come back again! Maybe next time, if the service is a bit quicker, I would give it a 5/5! read more

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Apna is so good I think about even while eating at other restaurants. I had mouth surgery on Tuesday and had a "final supper" of sorts before a few weeks of soft food. My mom came to town to help and suggested we go to our longtime favorite Apna. Not realizing they're closed on Mondays, we went to a different Indian food spot. The ENTIRE meal we kept noting, "it's good but it's not Apna" or "it's a nice spice and flavor but it's not Apna." We even talked about the service being fine but still... not Apna. Apna... it's true... we're in love with you! Apna perfects the line between flavor and heartiness. Their food tastes like getting a hug from your hero. Their service staff is attentive, considerate, and solid. It's as good curling up on your couch to eat take out as it is to enjoy a patio seat or indoor table. Give yourself the gift of Apna and, when you do, be sure to explore many things at once on the menu. We've never tried something new without being amazed. Worth recognizing-- really amazing GF options for certified celiacs. read more

OMG this place is amazing !!!!! Food came fast! Hot and delicious !! We visited from LA and found this place based off Yelp and it did not disappoint! I will travel here just to eat again 10/10 read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This place is amazing and I am craving it as I type!! We ordered butter chicken, naan (cheesy kind too) and a few curries, and everything was phenomenal. The curry especially stood out -- rich, perfectly spiced, and deeply satisfying. Just a heads-up: if you go for anything above "mild" on the spice level, be ready for some real heat! They don't hold back, and the spice definitely builds. We love spicy food, so we enjoyed the kick, but it's something to be aware of if you're not used to bold heat. The garlic naan was fresh and fluffy, and the chutneys and sauces were just as flavorful as the mains. 10/10 read more

Excellent food, service and location! We ordered the Chicken tikka masala, Vegetable tikka masala, Garlic naan and samosas. The flavors were rich and fresh. And do not pass up the perfect chai tea at the end, it is an excellent balance of sweet and spice. read more

Discovered this amazing restaurant in my last year of college at UCSB and I wish I had found this gem earlier. Amazing food with superb service - I recommend the chicken pakkora appetizer as a must try, and all curries always hit (especially a comforting Chicken Tikka Masala). Def worth eating at ! read more

Decided to drop by this spot as we were passing by but it turned out to be a super busy Saturday evening for SB. There was a long wait around 7:30pm due to graduation weekend so we opted for takeout. The host was personable and friendly. We took his recommendation to stroll around downtown while waiting for the food. It took about 45 minutes our order to be ready since they were busy, but the wait was so worth it! Samosas (2 pieces) were a crispy delight, fresh and piping hot so be careful when taking a bite. Tikka Masala was about a medium spice level for me and packed with flavor, pairing well with the naan. We had both the garlic naan and cheese naan. Cheese naan was most memorable for me and made this place stand out as I haven't had any cheesy naan like it! It was especially good with the Tikka Masala but I could seriously enjoy it by itself. The place is cozy inside, feels homey and authentic. They also have outdoor seating available. I will definitely pass by another time if I'm near SB and craving Indian cuisine. read more

This place is goated. 11/10 best food in Sb AND fairly price. Plus unlimited basmati rice. The waiters are very nice too and always say sir haha. And they have real candles which really add to the ambiance. I recommend the chicken tikka masala and butter chicken (basic I know, but good) and lamb saag read more

We've been ordering from this restaurant for a while now and usually get the food delivered! Today was a beautiful summer day so had to ride our bikes for dinner time. Service was excellent! We had at least 3 different people help us and check in on us. We sat outside and enjoyed the state street vibe. Live music nearby. Everything was spot on! Always love the chicken fingers (not sure if the real name of it! ) And of course our normal korma curry with shrimp or chicken, tonight it was shrimp! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Shrimp Korma Curry, cauliflower appetizer and garlic naan! - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I don't understand these reviews and they led us astray. This is one of the worst Indian restaurants I have eaten at. Maybe this is the best SB has but that is so unfortunate if this is true. But we were craving Indian food while visiting SB and landed on this restaurant based on the positive reviews. I cannot speak to ambiance as we ordered delivery but the only things that arrived hot were the curries. We received no utensils to eat our food, the "potato latke" is more like a doughy potato ball covered in shredded lettuce, and one of our naan orders had RAW dough throughout giving it the consistency of a cheesy bread and the flavor of play dough. It was honestly so gross and inedible. We immediately complained and DoorDash was quick to rectify our issues but this restaurant should honestly just make better food. If this is your standard your bar is already set pretty low so there is a lot of room to improve. The curries were probably the best items we had of our meal but we have had way better curry elsewhere. The people of SB need to make a trip up to the Bay Area and experience some quality Indian food. Even Copenhagen had delicious Indian food when we visited. Even Tucson had some great Indian restaurants...honestly the list goes on and on. But this place is not it. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I've been hearing about Apna for a while but hadn't yet visited. Well we sure have been missing out! Food was delicious! They have a good variety of proteins and dishes that suits various diets (vegetarian, vegan, etc), are flexible with their spices, and they were very helpful when deciding how much food we needed. We enjoyed butter chicken, nirvana curry with tofu (my favorite), garlic naan (omg so good), and samosas (such a treat). It was easy to get a table quickly, service was great, people were friendly, and we like their restaurant vibes inside and out. Don't miss out! Note: this felt expensive for a family of 4, but I feel that way many times we go out so I think it's just a general comment of the times more than specific critique of this restaurant. read more

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Some of the best Indian food we have had! Babli was such a great waitress, we had a great experience overall.

I ordered this some time ago, so I lowkey forgot what I ordered... I think it's the tiki masala. But anyway I LOVED this. Combination of savory and spice, plus the butteriness of the naan, paired so so well. Server was super nice too, 100% would come again! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Came here on a Sunday for an early dinner. No doubt, the food is tasty with well balanced flavors. Portions not particularly filling. The service was pretty good too up until the end. It's too bad I can't give half stars because overall, this place is at least a 3.5 stars. I feel a little bad for giving 3 stars but I feel it's required to be fully honest. Came in a party of five. We got $18 tandoori chicken, $18 butter chicken, $16 punjabi choule, $16 malai kofta, garlic naan ($4 per) and rice. Our total was 83.75 for all of that. The rice is unlimited. Splitting four mains between five big eaters was perfect. Tandoori chicken was the best portion size if the mains. You get six pieces of chicken that is red for some reason. Tender, juicy and professionally cooked. Not a ton of flavor on its own though. It came with a sauce that reminded me of asian spicy sweet fish sauce like the kind you get at a pho place to dip your egg rolls in. The rest of the mains were kinda small portions for what they costed. If we didn't get unlimited rice, we definitely wouldn't have been satisfied. The butter chicken was nice. Th sauce tasted slightly cheesy to me almost like a cheesy sweeter marinara sauce. The malai kofta was a little too sweet for me. And it only came with four veggie koftas which felt like nothing. The bowl was already so small but then they cheaped out on the veggie koftas too. For those who've never heard of a kofta, I hadn't either. But it's kinda like a potato and veggies ball? It chewed and tasted almost like a meat ball which was pleasant. I wish they would've put more in the dish. I wouldn't order this dish again due to those reasons. The punjabi choule was the highlight of all the dishes. It even impressed my friends who are meat lovers. One even commented that it was the best dish of them all which pleased my primarily plant based heart. I thought it was perfectly savory seasoned and yummy. It hit the spot. Would definitely want to recreate this at home. The garlic naan was good for naan I suppose. It wasn't especially flaky or anything. I expected it to taste like garlic bread but it wasn't very salty like garlic bread usually is. The garlic flavor was very prominent though so I'd say it's well made. The rice is perfect, although it could use more peas and herbs. Overall, the food is authentic tasting, nice flavors, small portions. 4.3 stars, definitely on the pricier side if you're not going splitsies with friends. I'd rather pay a few more dollars for a buffet experience and fill up on more curry and protein and less carbs. The service was great for the most part. Water was automatically given to us all. Server took our order quickly and accurately. Food took longer than expected but maybe that's because it's made fresh? Maybe a 15-20 minute wait for food after ordering but it might've felt longer because we were lowkey starving. Whenever we wanted more rice, it was easy to flag a server down and they brought over the next bowl of rice rather quickly. Finally, when it came time to pay, the waitress came over with the machine for us to scan our credit cards, placed down the machine on the table open to the tipping screen, and then started stacking up the plates in front of us. We were having a chat about rating the place at least 4 stars and we suddenly went silent when she got there. She was throwing the plates around a bit, and we had a few bones on the table which she grabbed a fork and spoon to claw machine onto the plates. It was really awkward how she was there for like 2 whole minutes just stacking plates in front of us. It felt like she was making such a huge show of cleaning up yet seeming like she didn't want to be there. It was so strange. The energy completely shifted. I'm not one to judge people like that but it was completely unexpected. She was reaching over us and everything, like she couldn't wait until we were gone. Man, it was the home stretch too. I'm sad it happened that way. Bathroom seemed clean, you can sign your name on the walls in there. Soap leaves like a moisturizer coating on your hands when washed off. Door has two locks for some reason. Pleasant. read more

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One of the best Indian restaurants in Santa Barbara! The service was very good, and the food is amazing. A little pricey for the portions, but has lots of flavor. They give you a lot of rice for each curry and I highly recommend the curry fries read more

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I have been coming to Apna for a while now and it's always great. The food is delicious and very fast service. Ambiance is great, they have inside and outside service. read more

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Best Indian food in Santa Barbara. Definitely worth the time to try this place out. Excellent service too.

Besides the price point (for a struggling recent college grad), I can't come up with a single drawback to this amazing restaurant. First off, complementary chai!! It was warm and hearty and cozy. Very traditional taste, a bit more earthy than Americanized chai's so keep that in mind! The butter chicken: mouthwatering. The chicken was marinated to high heck: tinged in red upon biting into it, with wonderful spiced flavors to match. No tendon-y or slimy bits to deal with, just quality pieces of delicious poultry. It and the sauce were simply delightful in both the fluffy garlic naan and with the basmati rice. Malai Kofta is something I've never had before; they are fried sausage-shaped vegetable balls swimming in an amazing creamy sauce. The kofta themselves were a bit reminiscent of tater tots, to be honest. I don't know if they were my favorite, but it was fun to try something new and the sauce 1000% made up for it; it was a treat to drizzle over both rice and naan. Yum! read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - complementary chai!! so good - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Best Indian in town . Butter chicken top notch. Great lunch special. Check it out authentic

Great Indian food in downtown Santa Barbara that is worth the wait! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, and explained different dishes that I had no clue about. They actually gave me samples of some of the food, which was a nice touch that made me feel good. The decor was very authentic and the seating was structured to where you felt like you were part of a big family dinner. The butter chicken, and the lentils were delicious. The samosas were some of the best I've ever had. They had a slight crunch and the filling inside was very flavorful. The garlic was crunchy, but yet soft, giving you different textures to match with your dishes. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Lentil Papadum, Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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One of the best Indian foods my wife and I have ever had. Could not get enough of the Chicken Tikka Masala. Everything else was 9 or above. Service was good. Highly recommend. Also you get complimentary Chai Tea. read more

I love this place! It's one of my top 3 in SB! The food never misses, always hits. The workers are the best and they recognized us from the various times we've came in. I adore their decor and wall art. It's such a cute vibe. Overall, amazing place with great service! I reassure you anything you order on the menu will be so good. We always have enough leftovers and it still tastes amazing after. The food is always authentic and served with love. Our table received hot chai tea and it was so yummy. read more

Apna Indian Kitchen - Basmati Rice, Garlic Naan, Butter Chicken, Nirvana Curry, Masala Curry (Tikka Masala) - Indian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California