Came here for happy hour and had a great time. They have a lovely outdoor patio and as soon as we sat down, a server set down a huge basket of chips and salsa, which was much appreciated because I was pretty hungry. The chips were nicely fried and the salsa was tasty as well. The happy hour is a pretty good deal, I got a frozen mango marg which was tasty and my partner got a bloody maria, which had a really nice smokiness. If you order alcoholic beverages, you can get food from their happy hour menu. We got tostaditas with shredded chicken and beef taquitos. They were both good, but the tostaditas were our favorite: crispy, loaded with tons of beans, cabbage, chicken, sour cream, and salsa. Our bill came out to about 40 bucks and we left pretty full. Great happy hour option! read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Food is good Place is clean Service is excellent Every thing is so good that make me want to move to Santa Barbara read more

Parking isn't easy to find but this is such a cute location. There is an outdoor seating area and plenty of seating inside. I appreciated seeing the amount of staff working; everything seemed to flow quickly and easily. Our drinks were fantastic! Good amount of alcohol and not a ton of mixture/sweeteners. The chips and salsa were a major hit! We ate way too many but the salsa was delicious. My fish tacos were soooo good! Fresh, flavorful and quickly devoured. My husband enjoyed his dish as well. We definitely want to come back. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

My go-to when coming into Santa Barbara. Was a former house and has a great patio and indoor vibe. They have lunch specials and a generous happy hour 3-6 even on Saturdays. Margarita ( happy hour ) did not disappoint. I have had seafood tacos (halibut), guacamole, chicken enchilada suiza and quesadilla and their black beans are very tasty. Love it and go there:) Very reasonable and peruse entire menu. read more

See all

I have been to La Playa Azul 3 times. The first two I had excellent food and service. It was going to be my favourite restaurant in SB However the service was terrible except Oscar who was very efficient and kind. My first bowl of soup came cold and nobody checked on me. I had to find someone to warm my soup, the waitress never checked on me Then my soup came back hot, it definitely was mine. I could see the bite in the meatball. However so salty I could not eat it Again nobody checked on me , no one asked if I waited another drink or anything. They did not charge me for the soup but not even an apology. On the plus side the Chips, salsa and guacamole were excellent Also I do recommend the Hibiscus margarita That was almost worth the poor service But not quite. Did I say I was disappointed read more

It's in downtown, right next to The Presidio. We enjoyed our delicious lunch it was served hot & with warm flour & corn tortillas. Upon arrival you are greeted with chips & salsa. We ordered to eat indoors, I like my food to stay warm because I eat slow to enjoy every bite. It's beautifully decorated in a Spanish style very classy. It gets full fast so expect to wait around dinner hours. Parking is almost non-existing, around this area so we walked to this restaurant If you find parking it's only for 15 & maybe 75 minutes. Enjoy your Mexican food and you'll want to take extra for later too! read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised how good this was. I wasn't really looking for mexican food because I have it so often. But I truly enjoyed the beef fajitas and shared an entree with my daughter with leftovers to spare. Very tender and moist meat and the vegetables were cooked to a tender consistency - a nicer flavor than most of places I've had fajitas. You can tell they make effort to bring authenticity to their menu. Our server was attentive but did make a couple mistakes with my friend's order that was supposed to be dairy-free. I think he was just a bit frazzled and provided prompt service otherwise. Normally we would have sat out on the patio but it was raining torrentially so we were inside and it was still very nice with the talvera tiles on the walls. read more

See all

DAMN. When I say this place will blow your hair back, I mean it! I've been coming here for a while and should've written this sooner, but my world is officially rocked. What sets them apart is the service: If you're in a rush, they got you. If you're looking to enjoy yourself, THEY GOT YOU. The staff is so nice, attentive, and knowledgeable. David was the server for my section and safe to say he crushed it. He is also absolutely beaming with kindness. Again...great vibes. On David's recommendation, I had the Pescado en Salsa Verde and it will absolutely blow your mind. Pair it with the roasted pineapple margarita (perfect balance) and you're set. This is the vibe for a date, friends, or even a large group event. You CANNOT skip this spot. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

I'm an SB local and ashamed to say I had never been here before! I had dinner here with a friend a few days ago and absolutely fell in love! The server, Mario, was super awesome and attentive. Sitting in the patio area is a must! They are right across the street from the Presidio and the view is beautiful. I ordered the Caesear salad and it was a nice big portion. We also got flautas for the appetizer which was also delicious and whatever sauce was used (can't remember and unfortunately didn't get a pic because it went too fast!) was bomb! I would love to eventually come back and get a happy hour drink next time! Only downside is that there is not a lot of parking. Aside from that, this place is awesome! read more

See all

The patio is delightful with lush plants and flowers making for a very pleasant atmosphere. Service was friendly. The guacamole was good. Chile verde was fine, and I really enjoyed the beans. "Grilled" veggies weren't grilled, but likely sautéed. My friends enjoyed the cheese enchiladas. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Chile Verde - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

I really have tried them all, and La Playa Azul is my favorite Santa Barbara Mexican restaurant, period! Last night, on their patio, was perfect for a small dinner party of six. The food, the salsa, the margaritas and the service were exceptional (thank you, Jackie!). We're already looking forward to returning ..... soon! read more

DAMN. When I say this place will blow your hair back, I mean i. ! I've been coming here for a while and should've written this sooner, but my world is officially rocked. What sets them apart is the service: If you're in a rush, they got you. If you're looking to enjoy yourself, THEY GOT YOU. The staff is so nice, attentive, and knowledgeable. On their recommendation, I had the Pescado en Salsa Verde and it will absolutely blow your mind. Pair it with the roasted pineapple margarita (perfect balance) and you're set. This is the vibe for a date, friends, or even a large group event. You CANNOT skip this spot. It's the Holy Grail. read more

See all

My wife and I recently paid a return visit to the patio at Playa Azul, and it was fantastic! First of all, there's the chips and salsa, and when I say "salsa," it is one of the best anywhere with those great Central Coast tomatoes. Every taste was full of flavor from beginning to end, and we did ask for more. Next, we had the house margaritas, which were a good accompaniment for the meal to come. Based on past experience, we both enjoyed the Playa Azul Tostada with halibut, and it was just perfect. A real treat is getting down to the tostada and tasting well-cooked beans. Plus, the vinaigrette adds some deep flavor to the fish. In fact, we went back on the following day to have it again before leaving Santa Barbara. I'm already asking myself when we can return for a visit. When in Santa Barbara, stop by Playa Azul Cafe. read more

See all

We had dinner recently at La Playa Azul in Santa Barbara for the second time and it was outstanding! The tacos, enchiladas, beans, and rice were delicious. It is a quant older home turned into to a restaurant that offers amazing quintessential Santa Barbara Mexican style cuisine. read more

Quaint building ; grandmamas home converted to serving food. The basic chips and salsa is really good with fresh chips and tasty salsa. However those looking more kick/chilies in their salsa, this isn't it. Fish tacos were delicious as were the tequitos . Great rice and beans . This is a standard for SB read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Great beer for Mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great time! A little secret gem in downtown Santa Barbara. The food is delicious. There are many options to choose from on the menu. The drinks are great too! Everyone is super nice and friendly. They will offer to help you if you have any questions. The restaurant is located in a nice spot. There are options to either sit inside or outside on a nice sunny day. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Fun and special night with friends for dinner here. It was our first time to La Playa Azul. It's one of our friends' favorite places to go. All 5 of enjoyed all the entrees we chose. I had the albondigas soup and it was one of the most delicious renditions I've ever had. It was full of flavor and the veggies and meatballs were delicious! The service was also excellent throughout the evening-attentive and nice. It was very loud because the place was filled with boisterous guests on a Saturday night. Next time we'll reserve a table on the patio where our friends prefer when they come. read more

See all

Still some of the best Chili Rellenos I've ever had! Super sized servings and excellent, friendly service!

Hands down a great spot to sit outside and enjoy dinner with friends. Parking on street or find a lot nearby. The food options are wide but basically, every dish is yummy! They bring out chips and salsa. We asked for a spicy habanero salsa to kick it up a notch and ordered the guacamole. This is highly recommended. The shrimp or oysters with the ranchera sauce was the fav of the group for entrees and the tacos de papas was best appetizer. The service was quick and food comes out fast. We will be back again, perhaps for happy hour! read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Cocktel de Camaron - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

There is nothing better than the Mexican wild white shrimp tacos! The food is fantastic here, the service is excellent and I love the setting. read more

Cute Patio Lovely Family Great Happy Hour Start your night off at La Playa This is a place where old friends gather on the weight picket fenced in patio, around deep red salsa, rimmed adult beverage, and talk about their day while shaded from the Santa Barbara sun by big'ol trees. This is place where the family run business knows you and you ask about their kids. This is a place that serves up a solid dish with good cocktails. La Playa is a place that should become a staple in your Happy Hour line up or for lunch and dinner. Usually busy with reservations highly recommended for Fridays or Saturdays during the summer. I suggest the patio to take in fresh air and sun SB is known for. And as you know me, I'm looking for the deals which are Tuesday - Sunday: 3 to 6 from an extensive Happy Hour list of eats and drinks. I regularly enjoy the Grilled Steak Quesadillas $10 and will reluctantly share their deliciousness with the table along with the Rajas con Queso $9, and Tostaditas w/ chicken $10. Keep the Premium Margaritas $11.50 or Casa Margaritas $8 flowing! Off the Happy Hour menu I recommend their Steak Ranchero or Carne Asada both at $22.50 or their Chile Verde for $21. I don't recall ever being disappointed with my selection. Come early and stay late. I just might see you in the patio! read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It's the consistency for me! The margaritas are always delish. The service great. The food is flavorful & fresh. They always get it right. It's our Sunday vibe. They even have HH on Sunday's what more could you ask for? read more

See all

I have been several times over the years to La Playa Azul Cafe and became an instant fan of the restaurant...especially their Albondigas Soup! I would order this soup every time I walked in! This time, they really missed the mark! The soup was too oily and tasted very greasy! The taste of oregano was also very overwhelming that it completely changed what a true Albondigas soup should be! This wasn't the same! Now with the service, the service definitely needs improvement! The server managed to spill HOT food on my back and drenched my jacket that was resting on my chair! I did get burned...which made my experience completely unpleasant! The waitress did apologize, but the damage was already done! Another thing that bothered me was the fact that management never once approached us or appeared at our table! Management should have shown up to assist with this incident and they didn't! Very disappointing and appalling! I give this place now a one star for their behavior and also how the incident was handled by management! read more

Best authentic Mexican food and environment in town!! Strong, delicious drinks, incredible food and the owner is wonderfully kind and attentive. I love to support local businesses when I'm back in town. VERY extensive and large menu with a GREAT happy hour (3-6pm). read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Steak Chilaquiles Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Great food. Staff friendly. Got there 730 they started closing up at 830. Great location in old downtown

Great place to eat! Hundreds of menu items to choose from! I had the Chimachanga burrito fried, guacamole, sour cream. Refried beans and Spanish rice. Iced tea. They give a complimentary basket of fried tortilla chips, with red, or, green, salsa. The building looks like it once was a house, inside and out. Great food! Great prices! Great service! read more

Excellent food, great service and amazing ambiance! what else could you ask for!!! I highly recommend

Service was definitely friendly and we didn't have to wait very long but more than a few minutes. Food hit the spot! I enjoyed a skinny margarita which went deliciously with the chicken enchilada and beef taco combination plate. Ambiance was great with indoor and outdoor seating. We were lucky enough to get outdoor seating and it was just perfect on a summer Saturday evening with lots of laughter with good friends. read more

See all

I'm a fan, they can make their botanas vegan! Drinks are strong, with happy hour prices, you can't go wrong. The patio is cute, and has pillars of fire. Afternoon drinks? Yes, absolute-ly. After four visits, the place hasn't tired me. Free salsa and tortilla chips. Chips served warm, pico the perfect dip! Service with a smile, is sure to beguile. I've tried the rajas, and taquitos de papa, tostaditas are crunchy and guac is smooth. Margaritas de mango y guava, roasted pineapple is sure to soothe. So don't be a fool! Come check out Playa Azul! read more

See all

What a fun casual treat!! The vibes here are so relaxed and the service is super efficient. We came at happy hour and had some margaritas and nachos. The pineapple margarita was possibly the best margarita I've ever had! It was so delicious and perfect in every way!! The nachos were tasty! They actually gave more toppings than chips but it was ok because we used the complimentary chips with the nachos and it was perfect. Great place to meet with friends and grab a delicious margarita! read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Roasted Pineapple Margarita Amazing!!! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Excellent margaritas! And a beautiful patio to dine at. Service is very attentive and kind without being overbearing. The halibut salad is truly exceptional, and the steak tacos were good, as well! read more

I am really confused by any restaurant that lets their whole patio be reserved and yet an hour and a half later there's only a couple people sitting there. I don't have any problems with the food here, it's okay. The lack of service and the refusal to have anybody sit on their precious patio is beyond comprehension. They let people reserve it and not show up. I wish this restaurant much success but after this happening to me numerous times I will never be back. read more

Nice location, very lovely patio, and indoor seating has a fireplace and the ambiance is casual, friendly, but also nice. Chips and salsa were good. Drink menu was pretty big, nice options. Cheese enchiladas and fajitas were good. The vegetables in the fajitas were very fresh and came out sizzling, with 2 tortillas. They charged 2.50 for extra tortillas , and 2.50 for sour cream (which wasn't extra, because it didn't come with it in the first place). Kind of disappointed about that aspect. Waited a while to get our order placed, and had to ask a few times for water but they took care of it eventually. The place was pretty busy, which is a good sign in general. read more

See all

The restaurant is very cozy and looks like a house! Feels very homie and the food was pretty good :) I got the chicken tacos and they were like $15 for 4 of them. The staff was very friendly and we were able to get seating pretty quickly. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Tacos Asada or Grilled Chicken Horchata Casa Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had a great first experience at La Playa. Decided to go check out their Happy Hour for both food and drinks. Right off the bat, I'll say the style and ambiance are great. The outdoor patio is adorable. The indoor space is warm, stylish, and inviting. The staff immediately greeted us, and we were sat for our reservation immediately. Overall the service was impressive throughout the entire dining experience. The Happy Hour menu does require a drink order. They are famous for their margaritas, so we tried for different ones; mango habanero, melon, hibiscus, and premium. All four were delicious! They have an extensive list of food options to pick from. We tried the nachos and quesadilla, both with chicken. They were also delicious. Based on the experience, price, and taste of the Happy Hour menu, we will definitely be back to try their regular menu items. If you've not been, check it out! read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Happy hour chicken quesadillas and melon margarita - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Fantastic place for happy hour! The guava margaritas are so delicious and I love the apps that come with the happy hour deal. My friends got the chicken and steak quesadilla, taquitos chiquitos, and nachos; while I got the Tacos de Papas. I love a potato taco and these were just filling enough, not too heavy. The staff are so friendly, they even helped us add an extra table on when we had another friend join us. It's a relaxed atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating - I love when the lights come on outside, it's gorgeous at night. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Guava Margarita (top), Tacos de Papas (bottom) - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This restaurant is in a great location and is very nice if you sit outside on a nice day (which is pretty much every day). The menu is pretty standard for a Mexican restaurant in California. I ordered the carne asada plate (which is my go-to order) and I thought it was average. It wasn't bad by any means. It also wasn't great. The steak was thin and it didn't have very much flavor. I came here because the reviews were very good but I found it average. I would come back because it is in a great location and it is a nice space. Next time I will order something else to see how it goes. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - menu - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Shame on me for not trying La Playa Azul Cafe sooner! I regret not having their delicious food in my belly on a regular basis. The restaurant boasts plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, while could not be more helpful and courteous. A glorious bevy of beverages are on offer, and thus I chose the mojito. It was absolute perfection on the palate. They keep chips and salsa coming, and the salsa was sensational! I ordered the chicken chimichanga (we are in alliteration land with this review folks!) which is accompanied by rice and beans. (I dug in enthusiastically and consumed half of my delectable meal before remembering to take some glamour shots of my fabulous meal. Hence the half eaten plate of food featured.) The chimichanga was delicious, crispy on the outside juicy tender tasty inside. The rice and beans were the backup singers to the dish and delivered fantastic harmonies. Go eat here. Do it. What are you just sitting around for? ;) read more

See all

Went to lunch here after my daughter's graduation at UCSB. Had made previous reservations yet when we showed up they said we didn't have any. It was disappointing as we checked on the reservations more than once due to size of our party. Fortunately they tried to accommodate us and sat us indoors and in middle of restaurant. I wish I had photos of the delicious food. Was surrounded by a super hungry family who did not care I wanted photos for my Yelp. Lol they are usually patient but not this time. The drinks were also flowing and yummy margaritas. Have to say thank you Barbara for dealing with my demanding family with a smile. Hope you are still working there on our next visit to SB. read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - margaritas with the grandparents - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Oh! Where to start! We had the worst service ever! The waiter came around and took our order. The food came out. One specific plate came out that nobody ordered. The waiter then proceeded to argue with me that was a plate that I had ordered, which I know for a fact I did not! He stud there for a few minutes arguing with me, that I was wrong. Trust me, if I was in the wrong, i would own up to it and say it was my mistake. However, it was not! We felt discriminated! I don't believe he would have spoken to anyone else the way he spoke to us. After that, the waiter avoided coming around, and if we needed anything, we had to flag someone down. He would send someone else. He finally came around and asked if we needed anything else. He then provided us with some boxes and the bill. I noticed on the bill that he had charged us a gratuity charge. However, on the website, menu, and bill, it states that they apply that on party's of eight or more. It was my sister's birthday, so I decided I was going to call after and dispute that charge. Trust me if the service was great. I would not be disputing that charge. I would have even given more. I spoke to a very nice young lady and stated that she was one of the managers, she assured me that she would take care of that charge, she apologized, even offered a gift card of $150. However, I declined. I stated that all I wanted was my charge of that gratuity back. She said no problem. I haven't received my refund! Still waiting read more

La Playa Azul Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California