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Petra Cafe

4.1 (321 reviews)

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PETRA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Hipster
Intimate
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burger week falafel with chips
Roslyn L.

So good! Truly a fresh and delightful meal. Don't skip the chips and spicy sauce !!! Hollah at Falah for the food!!! Hang out and play chess or other games and enjoy a late night hookah session with your best peeps! Service food and ambiance is stellar! Super great place to chill and eat

Shawarma wrap
Diana L.

Hookah and bar available. Board games and delicious food available. They also make coffee Turkish style with the sand. The menu is Mediterranean cuisine. Shawarma, salads and hummus to choose from. All plates are pretty filling. The chicken shawarma is pretty filling enough for a hungry person or share. The hummus is delicious and freshly made. The only downside is that the pita bread is a little hard. The service is friendly and a cozy atmosphere.

Bingo night? Yes, you can host one here.
Katie J.

Dive bar meets Mediterranean cafe. It feels like a hole in the wall neighborhood bar, but inside is super spacious with lots of nooks and outside has beautiful fancy-ish wooden booths for outdoor dining. Menu marks gluten free & dairy free options. Which, strangely enough, I now care about because of my shift to healthier eating. Their delicious chicken schwarma bowls are 100% GF and you can ask for the garlic and other dairy sauces on the side. For $10 bowl at happy hour ($12 if not HH), this has got to be the best dinner deal in downtown Santa Barbara. Well seasoned chicken, roasted vegetables, flavorful rice and sauces galore. And with all the board games and even biscuits for your dog, they are set up to make you want to stay all night!

Warm beet salad - very good. Plenty for 2 people.
Harriet E.

Hubby and I came here after a movie and got a corner spot on the street patio. The street patio isn't level, so I found I felt like I was sliding a bit with the booth bench, but it wasn't too bad. Hubby got the shawarma rice bowl at Happy Hour price, which was lucky. I got the kofta (lamb) sliders. We also got the cauliflower bites, french fries, and beet salad. Between the kofta sliders and the shawarma rice bowl, hubby definitely won. The rice bowl came with a beautiful salad and the seasoning was lovely. The kofta slider patties were small - about 1/3" tall and too small for the bun and not well formed. I wondered if the lamb was off. They were topped with beautiful cukes and picked turnips, but there was way too much tahini. They were a big mess and poorly seasoned. I asked for salt and pepper, which comes in little disposable packets, like at McDonalds (maybe this is due to COVID - they don't want to put salt/pepp shakers on street?). The warm beet salad and french fries were fantastic, but no seasoning. The cauliflower was okay. I ordered a manhattan, which was great and they used a homemade walnut bitters in it. Yum! Highlights were the shawarma rice bowl, the beet salad, the french fries, the Manhattan and the excellent service. Both the bartender and waitress were lovely and helpful. I've heard so many great things about Foxtail and I would definitely come back for live music and a drink and fries. However, overall, I wasn't that impressed by the food and certainly not by all the plastic containers for sauces and condiments and the packets for salt and pepper. I definitely would choose Zaytoon the next time for dinner.

Mansef
Kathie M.

Let this be your sign to go to Petra Café right now! The grape leaves tasted like my mom made them, the mansef was delicious, and they even have Molkeah! The Kifta was spaced differently than I'm used to but it was still tasty.. I asked the guy working there if he would be my mom.

Emalee K.

Good food! Happy they reopened. Cute little outdoor seating area, very friendly staff. Beef dolmas felt most authentic to what my family made growing up. Selection of ingredients to buy as well. Hope to go back soon!

Erika S.

came here to try out the "burrito week" & and had a subpar experience. My food arrived as pictured (not the falafel burrito, it had chicken) and when I asked our waiter about it he did not correct the mistake & mentioned something about how the kitchen would be mad. I told him not to worry about it since his response took me by surprise. I ended up bringing the food to the employee who was at the bar and she quickly brought me the right burrito. The food was okay. My friend's cocktail was so bad that she couldn't finish it. Not a great experience... maybe it was just an "off" night but I probably won't be quick to return.

Mai tai
Lindsay W.

Santa Barbara definitely is lacking in in specialty food options so when I found good hummus, labneh, and a Felafel burger it was definitely plus to my week. For $7 during Burger Week, the felafel burger was an epic win. It is filling, huge, and has lots of flavor. I highly recommend adding the spicy sauce for that extra kick. Sitting outside in the front park-let, relaxing with friends, would always be a good way to spend a weekend afternoon. Bonus was the games, such as Jenga, that the kids loved and was a great distraction from boring adult talk. Can't wait to try more of the menu!

Three charges and never got our food. So basically I paid $100 for 3 drinks...welcome to Santa Barbara...

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Falah M.

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3 years ago

I had a great time here with friends. Service was very friendly and food was very tasty.

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4 years ago

Great vibe, excellent bartender, nice crowd. The lighting and space are super welcoming.

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

Amazing food and service, everyone was extremely friendly and the vibe of the place has me hooked. Ill definitely be coming back!

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Zaytoon

Zaytoon

4.2
(1.6k reviews)
0.4 mi
$$

I had come to visit Santa Barbara with family and was hoping to try out this restaurant during our…read morestay, as it came highly recommended by local friends. Unfortunately, the whole restaurant was booked out for a private event the only evening we had available. Thankfully, they were still taking takeout orders. They were a bit busy with the private event, and so they had forgotten to give us one of our bags of food (which we didn't realize was missing until we got back to our hotel), but the staff made up for it by delivering the remainder of our food to us! The food was very tasty and the service was top notch. I would love to return if I'm ever back in Santa Barbara.

From the moment you walk through the entrance, the restaurant feels like a hidden sanctuary tucked…read moreaway from the bustle of downtown. The greenery, courtyard setting, and relaxed atmosphere make it an enjoyable place to settle in and enjoy a meal. I ordered the Mashawi Combo, which included lamb, beef, and chicken. All three meats were cooked nicely, with each offering its own distinct flavor and texture. My favorite was the beef because it had a satisfying char. It's a great option if you're having trouble deciding between proteins and want to sample a little bit of everything. What really elevated the meal were the accompanying spreads and sides. The baba ghannouj was smoky and creamy, while the garlic sauce added a rich punch of flavor to the grilled meats. The hummus was smooth, and the tabbouli provided bright, herbaceous contrast that balanced the heavier elements of the meal. One of the highlights for me was the pistachio spread. It was refreshingly different from the usual mezze offerings and paired wonderfully with the warm bread. The addition of pomegranate seeds also brought a burst of sweetness and acidity that made each bit refreshing. The only minor drawback was some confusion regarding my reservation because they couldn't find it even though I called, which created a bit of uncertainty at the start of the evening. Fortunately, the staff handled the situation professionally and remained attentive throughout the meal. Overall, it was a satisfying dining experience with a chill ambiance.

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Zaytoon
Halloumi & Watermelon, Tzatziki, Hummus, Pita, Tabouli and Batata Harra (the best!)
Halloumi & Watermelon, Tzatziki, Hummus, Pita, Tabouli and Batata Harra (the best!)
Outdoor dining!!

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Outdoor dining!!

Petra Cafe - mediterranean - Updated July 2026

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