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El Paseo Restaurant
813 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 962-6050
- Category: Mexican
- Hours: Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm & Sun 10:30am-9pm
- Price: $20+
- Serving: Lunch & Dinner
- Map
- Write a review of this location!
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Reviews by the General Public
Fantastic wedding reception!!!, 7/17/2010
Reviewer: Adrienne
from Santa Barbara, CA
I got married at El Paseo last weekend and it was the most amazing experience! We wanted to do something that felt very "Santa Barbara" because we had a lot of out of state guests and El Paseo surpassed our expectations on every level. The space was breathtaking, the food was great (definitely not your standard bland banquet fare), and the service was extremely attentive. The terrific staff went out of their way to make sure the guests were having a good time (clearing dishes, getting drinks, etc. So many of our guest told us how great the venue/food was and a friend even said he wanted to copy our whole wedding because it was the best one he'd been to (the ultimate compliment). Paul, the GM, is laid back and can handle any last minute crisis with ease and experience. We felt totally relaxed and could dance all night because we knew that everyone and everything was being taken care of. We both couldn't have asked for a better wedding (or a better price!)
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Great Mexican Rest.!!, 6/11/2010
Reviewer: Florence Warwar
from Ventura, CA
We took our family and grand children there for dinner and it was fantastic. The food was the best Mexican Food we have ever eaten and we love Mexican food. The waiter was excellent and made our dinning experience "perfect". The setting was just lovely. My only complaint is I called ahead to get the address while I was driving (on blue tooth) and I needed your address to put in my GPS. She would only give me 10 El Paseo. I told her I needed the address with zip so I could put it in my GPS and she was unwilling to find that out for me. It made our getting there more difficult because we were in two cars and the other car needed it for their GPS also. I feel your restaurant should know your address when someone calls in. Other than that, It was just perfect. The waiter we had was just exceptional and nice and made dinning there a pleasure. We will continue to come back. Thank You
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Review for the buffet, 5/3/2010
Reviewer: Annette
from Santa Barbara, CA
Came here a little early and realized it was buffet not sit down, but we stayed anyway. It might have to do with us coming towards opening but there wasn't much variety that caught my eye. It felt overpriced for what it was $20 per person. There were waffles and a chocolate fountain and some fish but it seemed pretty generic. I feel like a buffet should show you what a restaurant can do to encourage you to come for a sit down dinner. The food wasn't particularly good. The bread was a bit stale and I kept sampling food without serving myself much of anything, it just didn't make me want more. Since it was self serve the service is minimal but the server was nice and attentive. Probably won't be back unless the reviews turn around..
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OUTSTANDING FOOD AND SERVICE., 4/30/2010
Reviewer: Alex Garcia
from Santa Barbara, CA
The service was very good,they have the most outstanding service in there wait staff.Plus the food was very good,every time I have dinner there.Try everything from the food to drinks.I believe you will never be dissapointed.There happy hour is wonderfull with there great finger food .very pleased to go out and eat there.Very personal outgoing manager.I can see why they have a great staff there.
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New Owner, New Chef, Better than Ever!, 4/13/2010
Reviewer: Tyler
from Santa Barbara, CA
Anyone who has been to El Paseo knows how special the ambience is but most of us stopped going due to mediocre food. Since Chef Alex Castillo came on board a few months ago, the place has done a total 180. The menu has been revamped and is really fun to look at. Every dish we had was spot on. The Rajas con Crema appetizer is amazing. The whole fish was perfectly prepared. The pumpkin seed mole made us very happy. It was evident that even the sides and the salsas are crafted with care. We loved seeing the woman in her special station constantly making tortillas. The drink menu is also new with several creative elixirs unlike anything we've tasted. Try the El Pepito which blends cucumber with tequila. Tequila aficionados will love how the different kinds are split by region with helpful explanations.
It was so good we went back for brunch and had another knockout experience. Their buffet is a great alternative to the Biltmore for less than half the price (including bottomless mimosas and margaritas). There was such a wide range of items including fresh fish, make-your-own omelet, a cutting station, excellent huevos rancheros, salads and a dessert bar with a chocolate fountain. We didn't want to leave.
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Still Disappointing , 3/17/2010
Reviewer: Glen Owens
from Santa Barbara, CA
I heard there was a new team in place at El Paseo so I gave it another try. It's such a great location but again the service lacked and particularly the food was poor. Our waitress had to "leave early" so we had to chase down the check from a manager. I had the El Paseo's self proclaimed version of Shrimp Louie but it was basically a plate of lettuce with a boiled egg and very little evidence of crab or shrimp...for $16.95 if i recall correctly ! Too bad... I was so hoping it would be a place to keep going back to.
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May we suggest you ask customers, 2/6/2010
Reviewer: Steve
from Santa Barbara, CA
Here's an idea, -don't just ask simply "how are things folks"-because if you are like us...we didn't go out to have to give a verbal critique during dinner)-just the waitress asked us this during the meal,- but have a manager engage some customers leaving to please fill out a questionaire later asking for how to make things better, and to mail it in with a free drink coupon included for next time.) (So much potential in a beautiful spot. $1.95 Happy hour margaritas sound tempting, and taste pretty good but a little sweetsy. Food slow getting out, and several things not good. In the Cocktail de Cammerones the shrimp were limp watered raw...not like a reasonable version. Chorizo was pretty good and not greasy, but the handmade tortillas were WAY too thick, and not cooked or grilled much at all....kind of pasty. Rajas was almost ONLY onions with little cheese to be seen at all. No grill taste like the nice one at La Superica. Taquitos had thin tortilla around them(make these the thickness for your reg. tortillas)....but the meat was bland. The salsas they served on the side were very nice and helped pump up the dishes a little.
Chips adequate, but nothing great like Altamirano's.
Service was good. Charming waitress who really watched out for us when the food was slower and got us drinks quick(in all fairness it was Friday at 5. happy hour during film festival)
Would go back, I suppose, for nice atmosphere, but ask for the drinks to not be too sweet, and the nachos we saw looked better.
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what was offered , 2/5/2010
Reviewer: Aaron Lustig
from Santa Barbara, CA
I used to work next door as a chef at wine cask. It isn't that bad, service is slow unless you are connected but that's why you work in your profession and expect the best. If you want real good street mexican every local knows la supa rica is the best on alphonse and milpas. normally a line at lunch but go after 2 and u will taken back to some of the best mexican street food ever. slightly pricey but hey fresca tortillas de maiz, meaning they have an old lady there all day just to make tortillas. This place is the real deal and you cannot go wrong with the # 16 marinated pork and grilled poblanos stuffed with queso. add as well two cups of pico de gallo on top and you are in heaven. The best tacos I ever have had. aaron lustig food lover and chef.
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Drink here, eat elsewhere. Good for private parties., 10/24/2009
Reviewer: Linda
from Santa Barbara, CA
Too salty! I'm not a low-sodium person, but the tamales, fajitas and rice were _way_ too salty. Stuffed Anaheim chiles with corn fritters were good, beans okay. Tortilla soup was like tomato soup--that was odd-- and it was excessively salty, too. Atmosphere unique and fun, and we had good service. I say come for a margarita (or the full bar), then walk a couple blocks up and eat at Los Arroyos or almost anywhere else. I wish they'd get a good chef to come re-vamp their recipes--it does have potential. I came to a private event here last year and it was ideal for that--festive, sparkly, special, and the appetizers were pretty good. They should leave the roof open more, as that is a big draw. Lack of clientele on a Friday evening was kind of creepy, doesn't bode well.
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Still Enjoyable Despite what Others Say...
Reviewer: Brenda Claire
from Santa Barbara, CA
I always enjoy El Paseo. The posting below sounds like a plug for the Cabo restaurant. Please ignore that posting--I honestly believe that it is a plug for another restaurant!
Even if the food is pricy, there are some things on the menu that are stellar. The waitstaff and barstaff are ALWAYS friendly.
It is not perfect. So what.
Just watch. During Fiesta, El Paseo will be the ultimate hotspot!
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Mexican?
Reviewer: Veronica Gutierrez
from Santa Barbara, CA
My husband and I have never been eaten at the El Paseo, but once went to have a couple of drinks at the bar before during Fiestas and the atmosphere was nice. On July 11th, 2009, we had family from Mexico in town for a visit and we decided to invite them out to eat and took them to the El Paseo. When we arrived it was about 3:00 and we were the only part there. It took the waitress forever to come and take our drink order. About 15 minutes later a group of 5 women came in and they started their drink order before ours. It took us 40 minutes to get our food and not once did the waitress come by our table to refill our water glasses and assure us that our food was almost ready. She didn't even bother to refill our chip baskets or our salsa. When the food arrived the Salmon had too much salt and The chicken fajitas did not have any flavor and it was very dry. My husband ordered the Tapiquena plate and he had asked for his steak med/rare and it was cooked well done. The rice was not authentic Spanish rice. The Margarita pitcher we ordered was terrible, and the six of us took a couple of sips and just had the water instead. I am a Hispanic and I know how Mexican food should taste and this restaurant needs to change their name. Money is usually no object with us, but when the food is so bad it hurt us to pay. All of us only ate about a 1/4 of our food and left the rest. We went to a resturant called Cabo Restuarant in Oxnard with our family from Mexico and it was very authentic. The service was so fast and friendly and this resturant was full to capicity with a waiting list. They have homemade torillas and everything you order is seasoned to perfection. Their bar is fantastic too.
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Always a Pleasure!
Reviewer: Bianca Evans
from Santa Barbara, CA
I do not know what the review below is talking about.
I go to El Paseo often and it is always a pleasurable experience. The waitstaff and barstaff are friendly, the restaurant is beautiful, and the happy hour is the best deal in town.
Seriously, please ignore that comment below. Swiss Enchiladas? They aren't even on the menu.
If you choose El Paseo, you will not be disappointed.
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Nice Location, BAD SERVICE, BAD EXPENSIVE FOOD.......
Reviewer: Bob
from Santa Barbara, CA
The waiter brought us wrong drinks, that we did not order. The chips were mixed, some crunchy some stale. I wonder if they were left from other customers. I had the Swiss chicken Enchiladas, HOW CAN THEY BE SWISS, THEY DONT HAVE ENCHILADAS IN SWitzerland!!!. They did not have any flavor, the rice tastes like is from a box; and the beans horribles, very expesive plate. We never get the right drinks, the blond waitress was flirting with the waiters, they never came to our table to ask if we need something. We will never go back to this place, Taco Bell has more flavor and cost less. By the way, they had a wedding booked and they were kind of upset because we came to eat.
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loud and crazy brunch at the el paseo
Reviewer: pam
from Santa Barbara, CA
we took some friends for their birthday for sunday brunch. I had made reservations for 1:00. when we arrived it was packed with about 60 loud and drunk college students.They quickley ran out of champagne, dessert, and the breakfast items disapeared about 1:15.The food was good lots of variety! I would call a head to make sure that the college scene is not a regular happening on sundays. Also the brunch was supposed to go until 2:30 at 2:15
the carts came and all the food was gone in a matter of minutes.
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Beautiful Place, Wonderful Atmosphere,Great Happy Hour Deal!
Reviewer: Jacqueline
from Santa Barbara, CA
No doubt about it, this restaurant is the most beautiful in all of Santa Barbara. The historic building, the trees, the open roof, it is the Arlington Theater equivalent in Restaurants!
The food is delicious--sometimes I can find it pricey though. Either way, the homemade tortillas and guacamole is wonderful! The waitstaff is very charming, and the bartender is friendly and very knowledgeable about the various types of tequilas they serve!
Happy hour is a great deal. If you buy at least one drink--you're able to take part in an appetizer buffet!! So, for just the cost of drinks, you can get unlimited gourmet appetizers!
By far my favorite place to go with my girlfriends!!
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wonderful atmosphere great service! delicious food
Reviewer: Roxana Lopez
from Santa Barbara, CA
What I loved about this place how we were greeted. The hostess was VERY friendly, she sat us(me and my husband)down right away. She gave us the choice to sitt where we liked and she even brought us chips and salsa right away. I had the "Pollo Rostisado Salad" and it was delicious. The atmosphere was amazing the open roof top gives a very romantic touch at night with lit candels on our tables. I will definatly come back again
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