I really enjoyed my experience here. We had a reservation so we were seated immediately at an outdoor table. We got started with complimentary chips and ordered drinks. The Love is Love drink (watermelon margarita) was so tasty. I also tried a couple of their other drinks and you really can't go wrong with any of them. For appetizers, we had the crispy brussel sprouts, and those were probably the best brussel sprouts I've ever had. I'd definitely recommend you get that. If you're a meat person, the tri tip and carnitas were pretty good. The rice side was also a good carb-y balance to those meat dishes. For dessert, the bread pudding was a perfect way to end the meal. While the food was amazing, the service was just as great. There were large flying beetles outside for some reason, and after 1 flew into my purse, I decided I couldn't deal with it anymore. They were very accommodating and moved us immediately inside. The meal was quite pricy, but I'd definitely recommend you try this place. read more

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Obsessed with this place! First of all, everyone that works here is super friendly. Second, the heaters are outstanding. There are side heaters and regular heaters and they bring the heat. Third, the drinks are great. Last, and most importantly, the food! The food here is incredible. For a starter we had the Ranchero Salad which is basically a skinner wedge salad. For entrees we had the Pork Shoulder Carnitas and the Santa Maria Tri - Tip. Both are outstanding. If you're looking for excellent food at a very reasonable price, this is your place! Come here with a group, on a date or with parents. Perfect for any occasion. read more

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Pancakes the best I've ever had and I'm not a pancake guy. Smashed potatoes, with salsa amazing. Atmosphere super relaxing, service perfect.

We had such a great time here! Loved Paradise Cafe so much and was so bummed when they closed. But La Paloma Cafe is a welcome replacement. There's a lower and upper patio and both are beautiful. String lights, plenty of heaters, palm trees, and a beautiful ambiance. The prices can't be beat (an entire half chicken- enough for 2 people for $20?) and our server, Amanda was so sweet, attentive, and knowledgable. Some highlights - Hibiscus margaritas (definitely opt for the pitcher) - Santa Barbara Mission Chicken - Santa Maria Tri - Tip - La Paloma Salad This spot is definitely a new favorite and we can't wait to return. read more

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Great lunch spot. The chicken wrap and Brussel sprout side was fantastic. For drinks, we had a hibiscus marg and Mo IPA. Service was excellent. We'll be back! read more

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Five stars for service for a bachelorette group of 12! Our waitress was on point and fun! She understood the assignment when taking on a rambunctious, sassy group of 30+ year old women, lol. We didn't get her name but she was slim, slender, and a beautiful brunette! Now for their food.. I ordered the chilaquiles and I was expecting something packed with more flavor! My dish was bland and too dry for traditional chilaquiles. I needed more sauce, chips were still too crunchy. Don't get me wrong, the plating was pretty and I didn't want to eat it. The taste just wasn't there. Sorry La Paloma! But the service was phenomenal! read more

Paloma - Chilaquiles - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Came here on a Sunday around 1230pm to a half full (if that) restaurant. Our server took forever to even acknowledge us and bring us water after looking at us multiple times. She finally came over and took our drink order. We then proceeded to wait 30 more minutes while she was just walking around helping all other tables except us. I normally would think that maybe she forgot about us (not that it makes it okay) but she looked at us and even made eye contact multiple times! She never came over or checked in on us. Hard not to think that racism came into play as we were the only asians in the establishment and there really was no other reason she couldn't help us. Never brought us our drinks, never came back to even take our food order so we just left. We will not be returning. read more

We held our wedding reception at La Paloma in May 2024 and it was absolutely amazing. Our wedding was on the smaller side -- 55 people -- so we needed a space that was intimate and the La Paloma patio was perfect. First off, the service is incredible! The manger Christy, who is a gem of a human, made sure we were taken care of all night long. Not only was she extremely attentive on our wedding night, but we had dined at La Paloma multiple times prior and she was always making sure we were taken care. The food and drinks are 10/10. Our guests and vendors were telling us it was the best wedding food they've ever had. The entire night was flawless and the staff was so attentive and kind. I definitely recommend holding your event here, or just stopping by for a meal if you're in Santa Barbara. Thank you to the La Paloma team, Christy, and Megan at ACME who helped us coordinate the event. read more

Paloma - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Choices on menu for lunch were disappointing; no creativity, unlike dinner's. Slow service too boot

Sweet location, great service, good portions. We all tried each other's food, so yummy. read more

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The most amazing Margaritas here. Smoky and refreshing. The food at this restaurant was my favorite of our five day trip to the central coast. They had something for everyone. Food was appropriately spiced and just incredibly delicious and fresh. Service was very good prompt and with good information from the beginning anticipating our questions. We enjoyed a chicken bowl, burnt ends bowl and a BLT with tomato soup. All were very good. We sat outside on the patio and it was lovely. Recommend read more

We hosted our wedding dinner at La Paloma and we could not have picked a better place! The venue is beautiful, drinks were amazing, food is outstanding and the service is unbeatable! The whole process was seamless and hassle free! A couple of our guests had allergies and this was handled with such care and attention. We also had a number of guests who did not drink alcohol and the non alcoholic specialty cocktail was a hit! Even with the kids! We were not planning on getting a cake but the restaurant partners with Helena avenue bakery who was able to make a ceremonial cake for us and that just put the cherry on top of an exceptional evening. If you are considering an event, I could not recommend La Paloma enough! read more

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Highly recommend stopping by this lovely restaurant!!! We didn't know what to expect when we ordered the salmon fries, but they were absolutely incredible and so unique. The chilaquiles were also delicious and a great serving size. Came for brunch on a Saturday and didn't even have to wait - the ambience is also very cute. A great brunch spot! read more

Paloma - Salmon Fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Too many great brunch choices on this menu. Bartender talked me into the biscuits with chorizo gravy. Dang! Finished with chocolate stuffed churros. Be back tomorrow. read more

Paloma - House-made biscuits and chorizo graavy eggs - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Wow. Rarely does a place live up to the hype in the way La Paloma did. Our group enjoyed our meal SO MUCH. We got margaritas, the tuna tostadas and brussels to start. We got the tri tip and carnitas as entrees and WOW. So incredible. Also had to try the flan and enjoyed it. Our server Erik was great and recommended great dishes! Overall great food and experience so I'll definitely be back! read more

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Dinner for four was outstanding. Lovely cocktails, fried Brussels for an app. We shared sides and apps, and each was outstanding. Dessert is a must. Chocolate tort will be memorable . Service was far above par. Quickly seated and had drinks while deciding our choices. Throughout the meal, our server and her back staff were attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. read more

My boyfriend and I love coming to Paloma. The food is amazing, but it's the atmosphere that keeps us coming back every time. The chef always brings treats for my dog and takes time to chat about the dishes. The staff are consistently attentive and welcoming, and the manager Kristy is incredibly kind. She recognizes us every time we visit and goes out of her way to accommodate our needs. This is my favorite spot in SB! read more

This place was so delicious! Everything we had was absolutely perfect. The flavors were out-of-this-world and our server was very sweet. The carnitas were tender and juicy and the salad was my personal favorite! Everything was fresh. I couldn't wait to take the next bite!! The only thing I will say that was a little disappointing was we wanted more ranch for the fries and our waitress told us it would be an "extra charge". For a nice place like this it felt very cheap to charge customers for extra ranch when it's already a fairly expensive establishment. It felt like they were nickel-and-dime'ing. Just felt off. But we will definitely be back- the food is so delicious and again the service was phenomenal! read more

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Best lunch! the tostada and burnt ends were amazing. The patio and garden are absolutely beautiful! Local wine to round out the lunch, great experience read more

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Food is soooo good. 10/10. Service was so nice. Would definitely recommend. The tri tip was cooked to perfection, the brussel sprouts were also amazing. read more

Paloma - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Came here for the first time ever this past Sunday evening for dinner. I've lived in SB since graduating UCSB in 2015 but never have tried La Paloma before. Was pleasantly surprised - ambience was on point (sit on the patio), food was delicious, and the cocktail was strong. Shared the crispy brussels sprouts to start (so good!! I could have eaten the entire bowl) which surprisingly was a large portion for the price. To drink, got the La Paloma. Not too sweet and very easy to drink. Could not taste the alcohol at all but wow I felt it (I am also a light weight and had spent the entire day at the beach). I ordered the pork shoulder carnitas - it was a little fatty but it was delicious. My dining partner ordered the tri-tip without horseradish which had a great taste but the texture was kind of chewy and slightly rubbery in the middle. The char on the edges was great though. Will come back again for another cocktail, the brussels sprouts, the cute patio, and to try the fish. The music level was perfect also - just chill background noise (I think they played Bob Moses when I went?) and I could actually carry a conversation at normal volume. I wish more restaurants did the same! read more

The food here was very good and we loved the outdoor patio seating. The service was disjointed and disappointing, which is the primary reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5. Our family of 3 shared the following: 1) Complimentary durros - delicious 2) Brussels sprouts - very good 3) Shishito peppers - tasty 4) Kids Mac and cheese - good, different from what we expected 5) Tri tip - very good 6) Carnitas - very tender, but lacking in flavor I loved my "Late Night" cocktail, my husband enjoyed his "Old Mission" cocktail, and my daughter loved her agua fresca. The service was, unfortunately, a bit of a disaster. There were two people taking care of us, and they didn't seem to coordinate at all. For example, 2 people asked us for our drink orders (the second not knowing we'd already placed our orders), two people asked us if we wanted dessert, and we had to ask both for our check before we got it. They took 30 minutes (after we were seated) to take our food orders. The service left much to be desired. The outdoor patio was elegant and well heated, which we appreciated. Overall, the food and venue was lovely. We only wish the service was not such a mess. read more

Stop scrolling the reviews on La Paloma and just get over there. 10/10 in all aspects. We were taking a tour of the top 15 restaurants in Santa Barbara. La Paloma was not on the list. The location we went to, from the list, was close out of business. So we started wandering the streets and came upon La Paloma. The best dining experience of the entire week. Each dish was full of flavor. Server Bobby was memorable and had a distinct way with words. Example - his introduction is. My name is Bobby and I will be with your table this evening. Who talks like that? The owner even stopped by to say hello because we recognized him from the website staff line up. This needs to be added to the list of Top restaurants in Santa Barbara. Divine! read more

Great brunch spot! Food - 4/5 Burnt Ends Bowl - 4.8/5 | Love it so much, I wish there was more. Nice saucy cubes of bbq brisket/tri tip/fatty pieces. I loved the slaw. I usually don't like beans but it was a great addition here. It was flavorful on its own so no complaints here. I recommend ordering this if you're on the fence! Sourdough Banana Pancakes - 3.5/5 | Lacking in the syrup/fruit to pancake ratio. We got the last serving of it on 12pm on Saturday (brunch is 10:30a-2p). Passion fruit margarita and blood orange margarita - 4.5/5 - liked the passion fruit one more. Note: If you're a Hotel Santa Barbara guest, their 2 for 1 margs are only for the original/classic marg. Service - 4/5 | Nothing to complain about! Ambiance - 4/5 | Outside patio was cute! There are lower and upper level covered patios. Lots of greenery and flowers. read more

This place has amazing food and also has the cutest outdoor patio! I got the seasonal limeade to drink it was very refreshing and sparkly. For dinner I had the Crispy Cauliflower and Potato "Chorizo" Tacos. These tacos were delicious! The presentation was beautiful but it seemed like they wanted you to eat the tacos with a fork with how they were placed on the plate. I found that to be strange but they were so good it did not matter much. read more

Paloma - Crispy Cauliflower and Potato "Chorizo" Tacos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've been to La Paloma about 5 times. The atmosphere is laidback/ cozy chic vibes. During my last visit, our server was friendly, the host almost barred my husband from coming in which was weird. The apps are great - Brussels and corn casserole were standouts. The Paloma chicken was served on a bed of cauliflower that was under done and the sauce was too sweet and didn't go well with the savory chicken. The vegetarian pozole lacked flavor, and was watery and disappointing. The vegetarian main ( mushroom) was also underwhelming. Overall, decent atmosphere, disappointing food, and questionable service. The place has so much potential they should pay chef Ramon from Corazon Concina to take over. read more

Came here on Saturday right when they opened at 11am and was able to get seated right away. It was memorial weekend so I was afraid they'll be a wait. My favorite dish was their avocado tostada. I also ordered a pitcher of their passion fruit margarita and it was refreshing. Ambiance was great and so were their service! read more

Wonderful food, funky atmosphere and fun neighborhood! We liked it for a special Mother's Day brunch.

warm patio heaters, nice service via Claire, decent menu and wonderful layered flavors. Tough to park. Sea Bass and Tri top beef our entrees. yes would order again. Chicken was buttery goodness to perfection. My tri tip beef fabulous. note we ordered sea bass then changed to chicken after too many onions for her in the fish, what a delight. it had that pressure cooker moisture character. A winner chicken. read more

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We strolled on a super hot day to La Paloma excited to finally get the chance to try it. A beautiful cafe located mostly outside with well manicured gardens and shade. It was Saturday during brunch so we expected a smaller menu with some egg dishes. We started with the Bloody Mary which was actually quite good! In fact, all the drinks we had were excellent. The food- not so much. There was another reviewer that called it bland and unfortunately, we had the same experience. We started with the TJ's salad with spinach, mixed greens, corn and a vinaigrette. The salad literally tasted like nothing. It had zero flavor. There was barely any dressing on it at all. I wouldn't recommend it. We shared the chilaquiles that was presented beautifully. However, once again, super bland. There wasn't any cheese on it. It was chips, salsa and egg. No flavor at all. We asked for not sauce and received the tomatillo sauce that was on the chips. I ended up ordering sour cream to heighten the flavor. It was better but it definitely was not the best chilaquiles in town. We would like to try it again but during dinner when there is more variety. We were bummed about the brunch food. read more

Paloma - Chilaquiles - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I don't every write reviews, but this was exceptional. I came here for the first time today with my mom to celebrate a recent achievement. This was an unbelievable experience to say the least. The atmosphere was beautiful; soft comforting colors as well as really pretty music. The service was better than I could have ever imagined. Every person I talked to cared. I was greeted with a card from the restaurant congratulating me for what I was celebrating which really touched me. They were extremely personable while keeping it professional, but I cannot say enough good things about how my mom and I were treated. They cleared the table right when I finished with something, but I never felt rushed. My water was refilled right away every time, never needing to ask. The food. The food was astounding. I looked forward to every single bite and wanted to savor the individual flavors each time. I got the ceviche as my beginner and the wagyu steak as my main course. The simplicity of each dish was what made it so incredible. They managed to pair flavors together perfectly and I caught myself melting in my chair appreciating how good everything was. I stopped my conversation with my mom to have her try the horchata and we both sat there in disbelief for what felt like 5 minutes not being able to explain how anything could taste that good. Words cannot describe how good my experience was here, I can only hope other people are able to get the opportunity to dine here. If anyone working there is reading this, thank you so much for tonight, I could not have asked for a better way to celebrate. read more

Paloma - Wagyu Steak, Horchata - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Our waiter(s) were knowledgeable, quick, responsive--but also respectful of us just enjoying a sunny patio with good food! I dreamt of the burnt ends later that evening and cannot recommend enough. Maybe they'll ship some frozen to my home state...? read more

Paloma - Burnt End Bowl, Crispy Fish Tacos, Palomita Spritz, La Paloma, Crispy Brussel Sprouts - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The heat of passion drink was really good. The place is clean and the service is great. They also change the artwork often as they are part of first Thursday read more

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This restaurant is not what it used to be. We used to go there for the Cobb Salad and delicious Black Bean Soup. This time, there were no salad options, no BB Soup, and the entrees lacked the "wow" factor. The Yellowtail and Roasted Brussel Sprouts were pretty good and the ambiance is still very nice. Unfortunately, while we expect a Saturday night to be busy, we had to wait almost an hour for our dinner. read more

Cute of them to have a holiday decor draw this year but the space is too small for it IMO and the waits too long! Yummy hot cocoa cocktail. Friendly service. read more

Such a nom nommy Brunch!everything we ordered was delicious but I think my favor was the huevos rancheros.....the hubs really loved his breakfast bowl. read more

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This place is amazing and the staff was so friendly and attentive. Service was great and the vibe here was so positive and good. They even have custom chef dog treats. My Snowball is so picky and he ate the swordfish treat like nothing. I ordered the Chile verde pork shoulder and the meat cut through like butter. The supervisor or waiter even gave us a free side of the hominy casserole to eat with our taco. Sooo delicious. I definitely recommend coming here for a night out or date night, especially if you have a dog! read more

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Super chill vibes, we didn't have a reservation but they were still able to sit us. I would say definitely make a reservation so you don't miss out on this great experience. From the moment you walk in everyone was super welcoming and nice I really enjoy a great smile on people makes everyone's day better. Our waitress was awesome! The food was really max really good I had the avocado tostada and omg I wish I had two it was super delicious to the last bite! My friend had the chilaquiles and he enjoyed every bite as well super filling. For drinks we had the horchata which coming from a Hispanic home I'll say this was better than my Tias! The Bloody Mary was spicy but good my friend enjoyed it! I think my only aww was that o saw they had potatoes and ranch for dinner and I really wanted to try them since I was only out here for the weekend but this only means I have to come back! Overall super chill and awesome experience I definitely think this place has it down from good to drinks to customers service 100/10! read more

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Seriously an exceptional meal! We started off at their bar which had the most beautiful wall art and vintage decor. The bartenders were especially nice and even gave us a free sample of their horchata. As for the food, we were thoroughly impressed with the pozole as well as the potato tacos. The wagyu tri tip was also super flavorful and perfectly cooked! Overall we had a fantastic experience here and will definitely be coming back soon! read more

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I visited La Paloma Cafe for brunch and got the burnt end bowl and the huevos rancheros. The beef in the burnt end bowl was not bad, but the cilantro slaw was bitter for some reason, and there were too many beans and rice. I also tried the huevos rancheros which had good eggs but again, too many beans. Maybe I didn't order the right thing, but in general, I thought the food was just okay. Additionally, the service was really slow. It took a long time for us to order and for our food to come out. read more

Paloma - huevos rancheros - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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