A review of The Taj Cafe at Santa Barbara.com

The Taj Cafe
905 State St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 564-8280

Category: Indian
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am-11pm
Price: $10 - $20
Serving: Lunch & Dinner
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Reviews by the General Public

memorable experience, 7/5/2010
Reviewer: monique king from ventura, CA
we went there on 4th of july ,and decided to dine in at taj,we really liked the rack of lamb, and the guy who waited on us looked like the manager was really nice and gave us detailed information about about india,we really enjoyed everything at taj plus the fireworks were really good ,we will be back of course.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, 7/3/2010
Reviewer: ELIZABETH from Santa Barbara, CA
THE SERVICE HERE IS NON-EXISTENT AT BEST AND FLAT OUT RUDE AT WORST. I HAVE BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES AND I AM EITHER IGNORED, WAITING FOREVER FOR A TO GO ORDER (CALLED IN ADVANCE), OR INSULTED. THE ONLY REASON I WENT BACK WAS BECAUSE OF THE GINGER LEMONADE...I LOVE IT...BUT LIKE ALL ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS THIS ONE MUST END AND IT HAS I WILL NOT GO BACK NO MATTER HOW MUCH I MISS THAT SWEET TREAT!

Delish Food, Subpar Service, 5/26/2010
Reviewer: Shaon B from Santa Barbara, CA
Ok i took my G/F hear for our anniversary becuz we always pass by this place and it looks very fancy from the outside looking in. When we got in i must admit i expected a more of a upscale atmosphere inside. We were first greeted by a rude server. he said, "Were not serving the buffet rt now, if thats fine sit where u want" He was just rude and weird. The food was definitely the best thing about this place! Ive been to Chennai, India before and this is definitely Authentic India food. I will be back because the food was that good and very affordable...

Love the TAJ, 5/24/2010
Reviewer: monica Spier from Santa Barbara, CA
It is wonderful food, very fresh and great selections. We will drive to Ventura if we have to! PEOPLE HAVE SOME STRESS IN THEIR LIFE AND THEY CAN'T ALWAYS GIVE YOU EXPLANATION. It is obvious that that was the case on 5/18. I am sure the owner would have been happy to have you eat there. We were there on the same day and having been business owners ourselves, we understood that it was a difficult time for the restaurant. I hope they stay in business for many years, as they are one of our most favorite restaurants.

Taj unexpectly closed at 12:30 PM (noon!) on Tuesday 5/18/10, 5/18/2010
Reviewer: Miguel Checa from Carpinteria, CA
I had a date for lunch. I drove all the way from Carpinteria. When I was already inside the Taj restaurant, a fellow standing at the entrance told me abruptly --in an unpleasant disposition-- that the restaurant was closed. He didn't give any explanation. When I asked for one, he said, "You can go to our other restaurant in Ventura." We left and ended up walking to the Spice Avenue Restaurant nearby. How unpleasant!!!

Best Indian Buffet & Service, 3/21/2010
Reviewer: Marilyn Baseman from Sheffield, Ma.
Three of us stopped by for their lunch buffet on Saturday & had a wonderful experience. Their choices were not the usual fare, & any I'd had elsewhere were far superior here. The most memorable for me were the chicken masala & creamy spinach. Their condiments, especially the carrots & riata, were also excellent. The latter was thicker than I've had elsewhere & was made even better by their addition of some diced veggies. Service was excellent. Once we finished eating, after each trip to the buffet, the plates immediately were removed. Each member of the staff we came in contact with was very attentive & pleasant.

Very good food, service a hit and miss, 3/21/2010
Reviewer: Elizabeth from Santa Barbara, CA
We've eaten here plenty of times. The food is always quite good and it's plentiful. The entrees are usually enough to feed two people (though we never learn and always order too much food!) The prices are very reasonable and it's usually fairly easy to get a table even at peak times. You'd think: what's not to love, right? I'll tell you what. The service. The waiters themselves are pretty good, but the guy who manages the floor (he's there almost every time we've been in) is more interested in correcting his waiters on every tiny detail than actually attending to customers. And if, like we did last night, you get him as your actual waiter....watch out. Everyone around us had their orders while we still waited and we were literally there and had ordered some ten minutes before anyone else showed up. He berated a waiter when we asked for something extra and then that waiter was so overwhelmed with directions from the manager that he completely forgot our request. We felt sorry for him, he was trying hard but being stopped every few steps and berated must be awful. Anyway, the bottom line is that while we may return at some point, I think even the best food can't compensate for such poorly managed service.

Terrific Indian Cuisine, 1/4/2010
Reviewer: Brat from Napa Valley, CA
My husband and I always make certain to eat at The Taj Cafe when we are visiting in Santa Barbara. As we both enjoy Indian cuisine, this restaurant never disappoints us. Unfortunately, on our most recent visit, they were out of lamb vindaloo so I had to make another selection. Instead of spicy, I tried their chicken curry. The meal was terrific. The portions quite generous. Good beer, too! Recommend highly.

Rude host food good but will never go back, 12/23/2009
Reviewer: Marla wilson from Santa Barbara, CA
I have been her before for lunch & dinner. The food is good but this time the host was sooooo rude, I will never return. I don't think in this economy you ca afford to dismiss your customers. There are so many restaurants out there to spend your hard earned dollars in. I love Indian food I said thank you 4 times to this host 2 times when he brought the bill and each time he ignored it and never when he dropped off the bill did he smile or say thank you. I waited a long time for my lunch order and when I asked where it was, no apology just a very very surly it is comming. The waiter forgot my chai but at least he was friendly. I hope this guy is not the owner and if the owner reads this I hope he will tellthis guy that he lost a weekly customer/ I will go to one of the other Indian choices. All India, or something somewhere they want me to return, it is a shame the food is good. But Service is more important than ever!!

coconut chicken curry - alliterative bliss, 10/1/2009
Reviewer: ChrisC from Santa Barbara, CA
We always enjoy a meal at the Taj. On this visit we tried their coconut chicken curry along with a vindaloo for some spicy balance. The meal was excellent all around, plus very generous portions and some pleasant surprises. The condiments and sides are tasty, and the service was attentive and friendly without being obtrusive.

rack of lamb and buffet a great deal
Reviewer: jonathaan from Santa Barbara, CA
me and my friends went there specially to try there buffet and rack of lamb dish ,which our friends recommended us ,to try surprise the quality of food and portions were amazingly good ,we liked it alot and would recommend our friends too.

horrible staff... out plain rude.....
Reviewer: rakhi nagarajan from Santa Barbara, CA
horrible horrible service! the man who was handling the restaurant was just plain rude... he didnt even greet us... never gave a straight answer.. as soon as we walked in, all he could say was "wait outside... we will call u when we r ready!" hello.. who is the business giver and who is the receiver here? we found the restaurant temp. very cold... and when we asked him to close the door or something. he didnt even bother to stand and reply.. he was walking and gave a rude reply like " we dont close the door.. dont bother asking!!"... the other staff were friendly.. but this guy (I guess the owner), his attitude literally ruined our dinner.. would never carry my business to a place which disrespects customers... and all this to a group of 8 folks..!! cant even imagine how I will be treated if I went in a smaller group..

long wait, disappointing food
Reviewer: Greg from Goleta, CA
We eat at the Taj every so often and generally enjoy it, but last night it was really disappointing. First, it took 30min for our food to arrive. Then, when it did, the food was almost inedible. The chicken tikka was tough and completely tasteless. In fact, it tasted like the chicken was frozen and not defrosted properly, and so it didn't cook very evenly. The gobi aloo (cauliflower) had very little flavor, either. We usually take leftovers home, but not this time. Something was really off with the Taj last night. Hope it was just one bad night.

Very, very good, recommend to all.
Reviewer: Logan Lehman from Hesperia, CA
I visit my family in santa barbara often, and this restaurant is a must. I ate once, and I was hooked. The food is so authentic, and the flavours are incredible. The service quite good, but I think the english has to improve a little bit, but for America, this is expected.

indian resturant with a high quality
Reviewer: sandoval tom from Santa Barbara, CA
Food is great,serving staff very friendly ,great prices as compared with quality of food and service.i love it whenever i get a chance to go there.

Favorite SB Restaurant.!!!!
Reviewer: Melanie from Santa Barbara, CA
WE LOVE TAJ CAFE! We have been eating at Taj at least once a month for the past three years and are pretty much addicted. We have tried the other Inidan restaurants in town, and nothing else comes close to Taj. We are always greeted with smiles and nice conversation, seated in a romantic, private booth is a special experience like nowhere else in SB, the food is consistently excellent in both quality and flavor (even though, as a picky eater, I always ask chef to alter the recipe a little which they do for me without any hesitation), the spiciness of the dishes is done perfectly delicious, and the serving staff and manager (maybe owner?) assist with a very comfortable attitude. Cannot say enough about Taj...Love it! Love it! LOVE IT!

Rude Service!
Reviewer: CAksoy from Santa Barbara, CA
Food at the Taj isn't overpriced; their diverse menu is one of the few on State that students can afford. However, I have to say that some of its preparation was questionable (Pink Chicken!). Regardless, the service there was just bad. Servers did not seem to be assigned to tables. Therefore, you can't identify who to talk to about complaint or requests. Additionally, the owner was very cold and rude, and even went so far as to "hush" one of the people at my table with a question. I realize that this restaurant is busy, but the owner of any restaurant should act like a diplomat, and be the most personable one there. That kind of service was totally unacceptable. I'd avoid it, and go to "A Taste Of India" up the street, just for the friendlier atmosphere.

Great Lunch Specials and Lunch Buffet, Horrible Service
Reviewer: Cassie from Santa Barbara, CA
I work down the street from this place so I come here often for lunch. The lunch buffet is a great deal with great food--especially for a vegetarian. The variety is satisfactory and the price is reasonable. Also they have lunch specials which include a large amount of food for a relatively low price--especially when you compare the special price to the price of ordering these items a la carte. However, the service is very unsatisfying. I often am in a rush to pay and leave towards the end of my meal so that I can make it back to work on time, but the service is just way too slow. Also the manager is very cold and rude. When I went in to pick up my lunch special he was reading and took a very long time to stop reading and assist me. He did not smile once and just seemed very cold and unwelcoming.

buffet is the best deal in town
Reviewer: Suzie from Santa Barbara, CA
I always have the lunch buffet here when vacationing in Santa Barbara--everything is very fresh and healthy; and there is a good variety. Some of the dishes are a little spicy for my taste but there is something for everyone. Pleasant atmosphere, convenient location on State Street near the Paseo Nuevo. Never ordered from the menu, but service has been fine for what extras I've asked for. Quality of ingredients is top notch for a buffet meal!

Decent food, lousy service
Reviewer: Another Mark in Santa Barbara from Santa Barbara, CA
My wife and I ate here last week. The food is okay, the atmosphere is fine, but, man, what lousy service. We wanted to catch a movie after our meal, so we gave ourselves 90 minutes to eat. After 50 minutes, still no food. People who came in after us were eating. I asked two waiters to check on our meals, and neither one bothered to report back to us. I asked to speak to the manager; no manager appeared. I'll never go back.

Tasty food, but really slow and poor service
Reviewer: Mark from Santa Barbara, CA
I really like the freshness and the flavor of the food at The Taj Cafe, but the service has been consistently slow as if they are doing you a favor to eat there. The guy in the front insists that it is the best Indian food and he may be right. One last comment. Always go through the front door. If you go to the back door, you will find a smelly, dirty kind of atmosphere kinda like a dirty Indian hotel lol! It's true!

I will NEVER eat here EVER again.
Reviewer: Marjorie from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was okay; wasn't terrific, wasn't horrible. But the service was ridiculously crappy. When my friend and I walked in to eat lunch, we were seated by the manager with menus as is typical of any restaurant dining experience. We ordered our food and enjoyed our average meal. When we got the check, my friend thought she had been charged too much so she got up to ask for a menu. She was handed a lunch special menu, which was NOT what we were given by the manager when we walked in at 1:30 p.m. We had been handed the DINNER menu at 1:30 in the afternoon, which is much more expensive. When we questioned the manager about why he had handed us the more expensive dinner menu and not the lunch menu, he said that we should have ASKED for the lunch menu, even though we were clearly there for lunch! When we asked him to honor the much cheaper LUNCH prices (the dinner price were almost twice as much - and what we ordered was very comparable) he refused and would not budge, insisting again that at 1:30 in the afternoon, one must specially REQUEST the lunch menu. He never acted with grace or understanding towards us or the situation - never acknowledging his agency in the whole fiasco. Quite possibly the worst customer service I have ever experienced; not only was it bad customer service, we felt we had been deliberately duped so the Taj could make $15 extra dollars that day. I think if the manager had acknowledged that he should have handed us the lunch menu at lunchtime and honored the lunch prices because it was clearly lunchtime, we would have come away much happier.

worst of the worst places ever...
Reviewer: Deena from Santa Barbara, CA
My husband and I went to the Taj Cafe on a sunday evening since our usual spot was closed, after being seated we were given a glass of warm water with no ice, I looked around and everyone had ice besides us, nevertheless I asked for ice on the side and we ordered our drinks, snacks and dinner, we waited for more then 30mins and nothing arrived not even the dam ice or were we even aproached by the waiter.A couple came in sat besides us, immidiately they received snacks and dip and even got ice water..we waited for another 15mins and decided to leave, Disappoint and Hungry. The service sucks so does there additude. I will never go there even if im desperate.

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