|
Alcazar Tapas Bar
1812 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 962-0337
|
 |
 |
Reviews by the General Public
Amazing dinner, 8/26/2010
Reviewer: kelly
from Santa Barbara, CA
I went here with a friend last night and we had the beet salad, the roasted tomato sauce with goat cheese and brioche, and the filet with blue cheese mushroom sauce. Everything was great... the filet was cooked perfectly and the sauce was to die for. Wanted to lick the plate. Unfortunately there are only three dessert options, which I was bummed about, and none sounded good to me so we ate dessert elsewhere. But the food I did have was awesome!
|
Good Service - Inexperienced Cook, 8/7/2010
Reviewer: Edman
from Santa Barbara, CA
If you're going to offer sushi-grade seared Ahi, please bring me something other than an over cooked slab of tuna.
If you're going to ask how I'd like my filet mignon cooked, and I ask for medium rare, please bring me something other than a well done chunk of steak.
Although the service was adaquate, the cook's are not on their game. It's all about the subtleties in a great dining experience, yet in our case, Alcazar totally missed the mark.
Decent? I suppose for most. But when you've spent the money on the restaurant space, a cool concept, the right ingredients, etc., don't blow it all on the one thing that truly matters... Well prepared food as offered.
|
Brunch at Alcazar, 2/23/2010
Reviewer: C Bear
from Santa Barbara, CA
Found out Alcazar was serving breakfast on the weekends so we had to go and check it out. Food was amazing and the price was very good. The Mexican style coffee was awesome - sweetened with real cane sugar. Check out the Chilaquiles or the french toast.
|
Amazing! Delicious! One of my favorite restaurants!, 1/13/2010
Reviewer: Diana
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food here is incredible! I LOVE the chicken paella. It's not a traditional paella by any means, but definitely on my top 5 dishes EVER. Everyone I take here loves it and they either order the paella and love it or they don't and are totally jealous of my order. ;) The bacon wrapped dates and balsamic brie & apples are both great starters and never fails to impress my out of town guests. It's nice and quite so you can actually have a conversation without screaming and the atmosphere is mellow and welcoming. Great local place!
|
Best Place in SB!
Reviewer: Mikkele Curise
from Santa Barbara, CA
Hands down one of the greatest spots to enjoy an amazing meal with someone you love. You must try the En"chuladas" - it's the #1 reason I go... or if you like mole, go for the Enchiladas de Mole. The Ginger Mojito is a great drink to start off with, and the Habenaro Passion Fruit Margarita is spectacular.
Don't be fooled by the lame reviews listed on this site.
|
NOT WORTH IT
Reviewer: Koffee Marie
from Santa Barbara, CA
I had never before in my life seen what they tried to pass as a paella...but i was open. Unfortunately, not only did it not resemble a paella, it didn't taste like one, infact, it didnt taste good at all- the ingredients were poorly cooked and the sangria was watered down to the point where i ordered a cocktail, that tasted like bottom shelf liquor and made me faintly reminiscent of rubbing alcohol. The atmosphere was nice, and the film projection on the wall intriguing. Service was friendly, but a restaurant really has one determining factor of it's worth: it's food, and this one fails.
|
Three times and no complaints
Reviewer: Eric
from Montecito
I have found both food and service here to be outstanding - I probably spend 60% of my income at restaurants so I have some basis for comparison (and no retirement plan)
Delicious food and a cozy atmosphere make this place a keeper!
EMI
|
If looking for real paellas...don't come here!!
Reviewer: Aurora Querol-Perry
from Santa Barbara
I am a fan of paellas...and was very excited when I found paellas on the restaurant menu. I called and make an order to go, chicken paella and dates wrapped with bacon. When I arrived at the restaurant, the order was ready to pick up. (That was nice!). The restaurant was beautiful and cozy, with quite a charm...but
The cost of a tapa and the paella was expensive but thinking that I would experience a great paella, I said..."it's worth it!!!...but when I arrived at home...WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT!!...soggy and overcooked rice, and on the side a spicy (hot) chicken on a thick sauce (mole type). I don't know what was that but for certain, was NOT A PAELLA!!...NEVER a paella is spicy-hot....what makes a GREAT paella is the variety of flavors of the spices and the meat/seafood and vegetables you put on it...PLEASE...I beg you...look for a real recipe for a paella...then you can say you are really a Spanish (Spain) restaurant. The dates wrapped in bacon was delicious...THANK YOU!!
I ate the food because I was hungry and unable to complain...taste was average...
So, go to the place for the coziness and the charm, but don't expend your time and money ordering the paella...
|
Lack of skilled management sinks what could be good
Reviewer: Kim
from Newport Beach, CA
The atmosphere was interesting. The food was reasonably good. The service was extremely poor. There are two not too skilled waitresses and one (yes only one) overworked cook handling the entire restaurant. The cook is visible as there is an open kitchen. The poor cook hustles his buns off while the waitresses don't get basic things like providing set ups (forks, napkins, plates) for everyone, or clearing dirty dishes and empty glasses. We bussed our own table after our dirty tapas plates remained on the table for 45 minutes. There is no manager in sight. We waited over an hour for our main course, with one of our party getting his meal only after everyone else was long finished. Amazingly, they tacked on an 18% service charge for the worst restaurant service I can remember. I would never go back and never recommend. Also, I never complain about restaurant service, but felt I had to communicate this experience. Too bad, because the tapas venue and intimate interior could make this a fun restaurant.
|
Love it Love it Love it
Reviewer: Marlene
from Santa Barbara
One of my favorite places to go, I have yet to hear even a hint of negativity from anyone I've taken here for the first, or fifteenth- time. Everyone I've recommended it to loves it too. The best drinks for sure are the hand-made mojitos (none of that mixer stuff), and to really enjoy the tapas you gotta have at least one! It'll make you a believer for sure. Whenever I go, my first picks are always the Gambas Alcazar and the Filet Tips in sherry butter sauce, and I never leave unsatisfied.
|
The food itself? Meh...OK.
Reviewer: Dennis
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was...OK. Had a reasonable citrus fish dish and a not-very-good tofu mole. Prices weren't low but weren't unreasonable. Portions were pretty decent given the tapas theme. Server was friendly. Went at a quiet time, to ensure good service and avoid feeling like a sardine, but let's face it: busy times are part of the fun for most fans of this place. With the added buzz of pretty people packed inside and a couple of the much-loved cocktails, the food and the room seem more exciting than they actually are.
|
a little information
Reviewer: megan
from santa barbara
I recently came here for a birthday party on a Friday night, and granted the food took a while as the place was packed. But what I really valued was how the waitress sympathetically explained how this was a unique restaurant in that there is ONE cook. We all couldnt believe there was a poor soul in the back trying to feed 50+ people at once. Considering this notion, I think Alcazar, for its size and small staff, does an amazing job at pumping out food. When my friend asked if everyone always waits this long on Friday nights, the cute waitress winked and said "the locals will wait as long as it takes..." Cheers to loyalty!
|
Have you eaten here? Write a review of this location!
Terms of Service
|
