La Playa Azul Cafe

I was seated promptly, brought chips and salsa, and ordered a drink and water and it was brought right away. It all went downhill from there. The waitress who took my order had difficulty understanding me. Then, when she brought the food, it wasn't what I ordered but she disappeared and I never saw her again. She never came back to check on me. No one ever came to refill my water or asked if I wanted anything else. I ended up eating the food. It tasted good, but it wasn't what I wanted. I did not leave a tip.

A warning to potential customers: I found a short black hair underneath a slice of tomato in one of my tacos. I have long light brown hair, so it clearly wasn’t mine. The item was removed from the bill, which I appreciated. However, when I asked to speak with the manager, he flatly denied it was even possible that it could have come from the kitchen and suggested it may have been my own hair. He then told me that if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to come back. Being dismissed and accused rather than taken seriously was far more upsetting than the initial mistake. I won’t be returning.

9/19/23 Update I continue to go to this restaurant because I love the atmosphere on the patio. The margaritas are good, and the shrimp enchilada ranchera I had today was excellent. Unfortunately, the chicken piccado was not edible. The chicken tasted like it was a few days old that they heated up and chopped into chunks, tough and tasteless. The manager said they have a new chicken distributor which doesn't account for this. The dish was replaced with the shrimp tacos, which had exactly two shrimp per taco for $20. Much better, but the shrimp was rather bland compared to my shrimp in the enchilada. And nobody bothered to check back with us until after the meal was over. But we'll continue to go back, for the atmosphere if nothing else, just keep in mind that it's going to be a 50/50 shot w

EXCELLENT service! Tasty food, yummy drinks! La Playa Azul Cafe is one of the oldest, and one of the BEST Mexican Restaurants in Santa Barbara! It's on Santa Barbara Street. I went with an out-of-town guest who wanted "good Mexican food " and this places checks all the boxes. Food=5 Stars, Service =5 Stars, etc. Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. Lots of things to see within walking distance. Check them out!

Amazing place in a great setting. Makes you feel like you’re on holiday. We had chicken fajitas which were super fresh and sizzling hot. Margaritas were great too. Free nachos and salsa are a great touch too.