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    El Paseo Restaurant

    3.5 (335 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    El Paseo Restaurant Photos

    EL PASEO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Paseo Restaurant

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    Courtyard seating and hot entrees
    Michele G.

    Hey there Party People Was walking around in Santa Barbara and wondered into the most awesome Brunch spot in the old Mission Area. Just off State Street called El Paseo Restaurant. For the area it was very reasonably priced at $38 and for $10 more you could get unlimited Margaritas, Mimosas or Champagne. You can't beat the beautiful courtyard atmosphere puts you back in time. The wait staff was on it to refill your drinks before you asked My Hubby had to comment that the eggs Benedict was the best he ever had. The egg was poached to perfection. The food selection ran the gamut of classic Mexican to American breakfast fare with many tasty non- carb options for those wanting to keep it light. As a side note the desserts were a perfect capper to the meal. Actually let's call it an experience because it's so much more than a meal. If you are in the area on a Sunday this is a must stop for Brunch bar none Be kind to one another

    Brandy O.

    WOW! OKAY! This is how you BRUNCH! Large party, no kids, great selection of food and desserts, such great wait staff, and the ambiance is absolutely gorgeous. So relaxing and a beautiful arrangements of trees, sky and light. I will definitely be back, but with my family or friends.

    Carne Asada Bowl
    Kaitlyn R.

    Service was great! They got our drinks and orders taken quickly. They were able to accommodate our group of 20 comfortably. The food itself was amazing! Definitely can fill yourself up on chips and dip. Would recommend getting the guacamole! The atmosphere of the restaurant is great too! It would have been nice to have some background music because it was a little quiet, but overall we had a great time and would recommend.

    Pasta
    Amanda H.

    To celebrate my boyfriend's brother's engagement, our large party was kindly accommodated by the El Paseo Restaurant team! The courtyard was covered by awnings but they were reeled back to reveal the beautiful Santa Barbara skies. Our server recommended the spicy pasta and I'm glad I took his advice! My boyfriend ordered the salmon, which he says was "perfectly cooked and paired well with the mashed potatoes and veggies." El Paseo seemed like a wonderful for a first lunch or a romantic dinner. We can't wait to come back!

    Raspberry Rumble Cocktail
    Annie L.

    I tried this place for their AYCE Taco Tuesdays and it was pretty enjoyable! It was pretty busy on the day we went (joined waitlist around 6:30 PM) but we were seated by 7. The hostess was super sweet and all the staff were attentive and kind! The restaurant itself is kind of outdoors but shaded. It's super cute and I think most of the appeal is in the ambience. Everything was lively and nicely decorated which made the experience more fun. I ordered a raspberry rumble from the cocktail menu and it was yummy! As for the taco bar, the selection is good but I wish they had more than just stewed meats. The chicken, beef, and pork were all shredded and cooked in sauce (super delicious!) but I really wanted some carne asada or grilled meats. There was birria though, which is a plus for me! I also wish that they labeled the meats since it wasn't always super obvious which meats were which. They also didn't have any small corn tortillas which I found a little sad, but the flour tortillas are good. Hard taco shells were provided as well but I didn't have any. They have veggie sides and rice as well as condiments and toppings. Overall this place was fun! I would recommend the Taco Tuesdays but maybe in the daytime when it's probably less crowded and busy. The food comes out fresh and is delicious, but the selection might not be what's expected. This is definitely a great AYCE experience in downtown SB!

    The taco buffet.
    D B.

    We really enjoyed this place. We went on the land shark tour of Santa Barbara and the tour guide recommended coming to El Paseo restaurant on Tuesday for the all you can eat tacos buffet. When we got here, it was also early enough for happy hour, so we indulged in the taco buffet and $6.50 margaritas. The happy hour margaritas were surprisingly good. Usually, I am weary of those margaritas, but they were pretty tasty. Our server, Antonio, was very nice, quick, and attentive, as well as the hostess when we arrived. The ambience was great, and we really enjoyed our tacos. The taco buffet came with three different types of meat and every shell you could imagine. There were hard shells, corn, tortillas, and flour tortillas, as well as all the condiments. There were also several different sides. All this for $15 per person. Can't beat that. I recommend this place whenever you are close to State St. in Santa Barbara! Thank you Land Shark Tours for recommending this place.

    Half off apps aka bocadillos is what we were told was the HH deal
    Trish W.

    Bogus Happy Hour pricing: half off does not mean half off. They use their own creative math lol. When we inquired, the server dismissively told us she was "busy with a large phone order" and low key flung the check back onto the table. The manager later explained that the prices are set in the computer and we need to deal with it. Lastly, there was only one other table occupied in an otherwise EMPTY restaurant. Wonder why.

    We held our Wedding Reception and El Paseo Restaurant and there are no words to describe how magical it was. From the delicious food, to the support from their team throughout the night, the evening was perfect. Our guests were in awe of the space from the moment they walked in and couldn't stop commenting on the full experience. THANK YOU!!

    Cucumber Margarita

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    16 days ago

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    4 months ago

    Everything about our experience was great. Friendly professional staff. Fair pricing. Great food.

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    4 months ago

    Antonio was the best. We had a wedding event he was fantastic. Give him a raise. He made sure I made plenty of food and drinks

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food. Delicious condiments with good heat. Ambiance too good for family and friends. Service excellent and fast.

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    Ask the Community - El Paseo Restaurant

    For those who have had a wedding here... what are the best tasting food options for our guests?

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    La Super-Rica Taqueria

    4.0(2.1k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Came here on a Saturday around 2 pm. We were planning to go to Los Agaves just a block away but…read morethey happened to be closed. Parking was very easy on the street and free. There was a line of people waiting. Took us a little over 30 minutes from getting in line, to ordering and receiving the food later. CASH ONLY. Their specials menu seems to change every day or so. We ordered a taco de hongo (sautéed mushrooms with epazote in a light cream sauce w/ 2 homemade corn tortillas), enchiladas de plaza (chicken breast, potato mushroom, red chile sauce, topped with cheese, chile pasilla strips, cream sauce, avocado and radish), a tamal norteño de puerco (pork tamal), #16 súper-rica especial (pork on 3 tortillas, a modelo, and a piña pepino agua fresca. All for around $63 without tip. They had a tomato salsa, salsa rojo, and salsa verde options. All were delicious. All of the food was excellent and super flavorful. I would say my favorite was definitely the tamal. So savory and the masa was the perfect texture. The pork tacos and mushroom taco were close behind, also delicious. The enchiladas were my least favorite. Still good but I just don't think I can be an enchiladas fan no matter how hard I try!! I just am not a fan of the texture of the tortillas when sauced up. Nevertheless, everything was finished up and nothing left behind. The agua fresca was also super good and refreshing. Very sweet and a little thick so we thinned it out a bit with some water. They have limited outdoor seating but a lot inside. A single bathroom right by the parking lot entrance. Nice and cute spot with hard workers. Would definitely come again!

    Hmmm..... Where to start!?!…read more It was cool watching all the cooks in the open kitchen, the staff looked happy and I was so impressed with the scale of business coming out of such a small kitchen. I did notice that workers were going back and forth to a house nextdoor picking up stuff-- cooked food, veggies and such... The restaurant itself is pretty cute-- open seating inside, nice outdoor seating. The older gent who took my order was sweet and kind. I was looking so forward to this place. But sadly, it simply wasn't worth the wait or cost. This is a picture the remaining portions---yes we ate most of it because we chose to not eat ANYTHING before getting there and the hungry anticipation took over--- we really tried to like the food, but it was just not great. #1 beef taco-- on the white plate--dry dry dry. No flavor. Just dried out beef jerky shavings on a tortilla. Didn't eat it. #18 Julia child's favorite --on Black plates- weird pork meat with crunchy peppers, and globs of melted cheese-- not great. Over-hyped. No flavor, no sauce, pork was soft, had no chew- it was strange. We had a special tamale item on the banana leaf. Chicken mole-- way too sweet, no sauce on top, and somehow it was super wet-- moist and too soft. We ordered a chili releno, but the guy didn't hear, so we didn't taste that-- I asked for some of the crema that comes with it and was charged 75¢ for a small 1oz portion-- tasted like hot cream. Watery and lacking body. No flavor. Cinnamon coffee was served in tiny cups-- super hot, no cream. Asked for cream-- and one of the guys said " no cream" was rude and wasn't interested in helping ---we only got one lid, so I mentioned that there is no way to carry scalding hot coffee with no lid-- someone finally brought the smallest amount of milk. Old coffee with cinnamon stick flavor-- not even good. Guacamole was really sad. Super whipped smooth shinny avocado with tons of pico in it. No citrus, no salt, just crunchy pico-- zero avocado chunks or flavor. The avocado is served on and with fresh tortillas -- the tortillas were great, but they are served with everything, so it felt like a waste. NO LIMES!! The salsas were decent. But NO LIMES!!! Negro Modelo especial beers were ice cold, refreshing and delicious-- the beers had limes. We paid $68 for the food and drinks- I left $10 for a tip. I don't really feel like this was authentic Mexican food at all. I am not sure what to call it. It seemed like it has been "gringo'ed" down-- no heat, no chiles, no spice, no flavor, no limes, no love. Glad I can mark this joint off the list.

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    Flor De Maiz - Scallops chiltepin

    Flor De Maiz

    4.1(1k reviews)
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    A Must-Visit in Santa Barbara If you're visiting Flor de…read moreMaiz, you absolutely cannot skip this place. We ordered the pulpo and the chicken mole, and both dishes were incredible. The pulpo was perfectly cooked--tender with a great char and packed with flavor. The chicken mole was rich, balanced, and deeply satisfying, with that classic complex mole flavor that keeps you going back for another bite. What really stood out, though, was the service. It was phenomenal from start to finish--attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming without ever feeling rushed. The staff clearly care about the experience they're giving guests. The food, the atmosphere, and the service all came together for a great meal. If you're in Santa Barbara, make sure this spot is on your list. Highly recommend.

    Server was super nice and attentive and food was absolutely delicious. Only flaw was after not…read morereceiving our order for a while. The waitress came back and asked what we had ordered. The food then came out 15 minutes later however one of the five items was the wrong entrée, and the rest of the items did not have.the right modifications. I believe the order wasn't put in at the time we ordered. We did not mention the modifications and were also missing a item that we did not tell the server about the second time around which is why I think the order wasn't placed originally:/ they did comp a dessert, but we were so full from the delicious food that we didn't eat it. Overall I would go. Back. Staff was friendly, and food was good, mistakes happen. Side note there was some "partying" happening in the restroom so if you go with your family don't let them go unattended.

    Photos
    Flor De Maiz - Romantic lit candles along steps

    Romantic lit candles along steps

    Flor De Maiz - MOLE NEGRO   Jidori chicken| black mole | rice | fried plantains | sesame seeds | tortillas

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    Loquita - Gambas Al Ajillo

    Loquita

    4.4(1.7k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$$

    Visited Loquita on 04/11/26 for a birthday celebration and let me tell you I was blown away by the…read moreentire Loquita experience! From the food to the service to the ambience, all of it was truly an amazing experience. Food - We got the patatas bravas and the paella verde. Both were phenomenal. I have tried ~4 other vegan paellas and was originally skeptical going into this, but Loquita's paella was by far the best vegan paella I've ever had! The attention to detail is what made the dish shine. It had perfectly tender mushrooms and artichokes as well as the delicious vegan cream on top. They were able to make the dish smoky and delicious. Dessert - We got the crème brûlée and the pistachio ice cream. Both were truly wonderful, when I go back I will order both of these again! Vibe and Staff - Super cute and romantic vibe, perfect for a nice date. The staff was super attentive and even gave me a little postcard for my birthday! Definitely worth the visit :)

    This place is hyped as a date place…read more It's in a fancy location near the beach, nice patio. It is good food but overhyped IMO. $16 for patatas bravas is a bit on the silly end. lts also one of thoses places that defaults to 20% tip on the low end. I have no problem with paying a 20% tip but the service was poor on my visit. We gave one instructions/request that were just completely disregarded. Very little in terms of service other than attempts to upsell with more Tapas when we were done. Sorry, just being honest.

    Photos
    Loquita - Cake table set up by staffers.

    Cake table set up by staffers.

    Loquita - Piquillos Ahumados

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    El Paseo Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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