If you're looking for some tasty Cajun-Creole cuisine and a good time in Santa Barbara, definitely check out The Palace Grill! The decor of the restaurant makes you feel like you've stepped into New Orleans--murals, Mardi Gras themed items, and cards on the ceiling! I was so excited that they bring out complimentary mini muffins! They are SO good! They have a few different flavors like banana nut, jalapeno corn, a rosemary one, etc. Definitely a highlight! For appetizers, we ordered the Cajun Popcorn and the Soft Shell Crab. I haven't had a lot of crawfish before, so I really wanted to try the Cajun Popcorn. These crawfish tails are dipper in cornbread buttermilk batter and fried. They're crispy and fun to eat! They give a sherry wine dipping sauce, which was also yummy! Would recommend getting these! We also wanted to try the Soft Shell Crab, and you can get it as an appetizer or an entree. The appetizer comes with one soft shell crab that's been stuffed with Bienville crabmeat dressing, coated the cornmeal flour, and flash fried. It has just the right amount of crispiness! It's served with a jalapeno beurre-blanc and rice. For our entree, we shared the Crawfish Pasta Lafitte. We couldn't get enough of the crawfish tails so decided to get the pasta that had them as well. The pasta also had caramelized onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cream, and creole seasoning. Very tasty! Would recommend this pasta! For the fun part that I mentioned--they have a magician that walks around and does magic tricks at each table! It was entertaining and very cool to see some of the tricks up close! They also have a Sing-Along moment in the evening where they'll had out lyric sheets to everyone, turn on the music, and everyone sings the song together. They were playing "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong on the evening I was there, but the song changes and they ask you not to open the lyrics book until right before the song, so it's a surprise! read more

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The Palace Grill is a great spot to grab cajun food and share a meal. The service was amazing and they are dog friendly on their outdoor patio! That was a big plus in my book. The ambiance on the outdoor patio was cozy and gave New Orleans vibes. I absolutely loved the muffin sampler that they give as an appetizer. We had the hurricane margaritas, crawfish étouffée and redfish pontchatrain. read more

Last night was the first time in many years that I've eaten here. I cannot believe I waited so long to come back. Our food was phenomenal. Each dish had its own unique flavor. No dish seemed to have any crossed ingredients. Fortunately for us as well was that we were there at one of two times during the day when they have an entire restaurant participation sing along. Most Outstanding Dinner outing !! read more

The Palace Grill - Gumbo Ya Ya oysters and Pasta Pontalba - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This restaurant exceeded my expectations, from the food (No notes!!!), drinks (strong but enjoyable), service, entertainment and ambiance -- everything was a 10/10. My favorite part was the welcoming hospitality and their surprise song, making the entire experience dining there memorable and special. My favorite was the jambalaya, which tasted just like it would in NOLA. Their palace pasta and crawfish pasta were also delicious. You can't skip out on the bread pudding. If you celebrate a birthday here, they go out of their way to make celebrants feel seen. Definitely give this restaurant a try! read more

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Right after we checked into our hotel, we were looking online for a good place to dine. My son found this restaurant and it was 10 minutes away from our hotel. We were mostly in the mood for some good seafood with affordable prices. This Palace Grill restaurant is Creole/Louisiana cuisine. Walked in on the 6th of this month close to 6pm and was greeted by Angela (the host). She seated us at the corner and Brandon B came to take our order. We ordered 3 items from their menu to share: -Bayou Greens Salad that came with pecans, tomatoes, red bell peppers and creole vinaigrette. -Fried CrawFish Tails - For the main entrée we got Jumbo Grilled Shrimp with sautéed veggies, mashed potatoes, artichoke & mushroom rice pilaf. The bread basket had 2 different types of bread and they were: Jalapeño Cornbread & Banana Walnut with creamy butter. Thankfully it was complimentary!! Both breads were to die for. They were soft, warm and just delicious. The food was also pipping hot, fresh, delicious and came out pretty quick. Didn't get drinks nor any dessert. Our server checked on us about 3 times and everything was SPOT ON!! Ambiance gave me the Mardi Gras vibe and it was beautifully curated with nice lights, yet dim and vibrant colors, beautiful artwork all around and most importantly the place was clean. I would love to visit this place next time I go to Santa Barbara. It has a lot of entrées to choose from. It has no parking and was a challenge to find a spot on the street. Clean gender neutral restroom and that's about it for now.. Thank you all!! read more

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It's been a while since I've been here. I used to really love this place. The food isn't bad by any means, it's just not as tasty as it used to be or as I remember it. It's like they threw out the old pots that used to give flavor beyond any seasoning they shook in. The menu is much smaller. The food presentation is better, the plates are definitely more cleaned up and picture ready. Previously, the food used to all run together. We ordered my all time favorite all, the Cajun popcorn. The recipe is definitely different, the breading is fluffier and softer. Personally, not a fan, I prefer it a little crunchier to my liking. The redfish special was good, make sure to get it with the Pontchartrain sauce, it MAKES the dish. The lamb was good, prepared medium rare perfectly! The bread pudding soufflé was excellent. I'd come back, the food is good, just not as great as I remember it. Street parking is your best bet, but you can drive around the corner and find a public parking lot nearby. read more

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Nowadays, there are 3 main qualities I look for in a restaurants when dining out with family. Food quality, family friendly and service. The palace checked all the boxes. Reasonable prices, well seasoned dishes and their bread/ muffins are delicious. read more

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On a recent visit to SB, I wanted to try something different than the usual standouts and The Palace Grill was recommended - for good reason! Upon approaching the restaurant, I could tell it was going to be a good and authentic experience by the live Zydeco musicians playing outside. The host was very welcoming and showed us to a table in one of the two somewhat separate rooms in the restaurant. From appetizers through dessert, every single dish (Cajun popcorn, gumbo, blackened redfish and salmon, bread pudding soufflé and key lime pie) was outstanding and authentic. The highlight of highlights was the blackened redfish (aka drum) that was apparently flown in from New Orleans - a must for its delicate but firm texture and mild, somewhat sweet flavor. Everything was so good that only remembered to take one photo (the redfish, of course). Service was attentive yet unobtrusive and reminiscent of the famous hospitality in the Big Easy. Now I have another excellent SB establishment to add to the rotation. read more

The Palace Grill - Blackened Redfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It's not what it used to be. We had two servers taking our order. I couldn't tell who was training the other. They forgot to bring the muffins, bringing them after they had served entrée/platter for two. The filet Mignon lacked flavor. The place went from team service to having to flag down a server for a soda refill. The place used to be my favorite restaurant. I will not be in any hurry to return! read more

I quite literally have no idea why this place doesn't have the highest rating I have ever seen. It should be rated 5 stars, nothing less. The reviews said it was dog friendly but since the patio seating wasn't set up, they didn't let them in sadly. It's okay though, we came back without them and wow are we so happy we did! We celebrated our 6 year anniversary here and it was an absolutely perfect experience! We ordered the coconut shrimp and soft shell crab as an appetizer. Then I ordered the jambalaya and my fiancé ordered the redfish dish. Every single thing we ate was 10/10!! We also ended with their famous bread pudding and it was exceptional! Our server Star was so very nice and all the staff were friendly and helpful. The restaurant is super cute and looks like something you would find in the French Quarters of New Orleans. read more

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Wow. We've been coming to the Palace Grill once or twice a year for over 30 years. Never had a bad meal, never had a bad experience. .....last week was no exception. The food was on point. The customer service was fantastic. Everything was delicious. And they still sing the song and do the glass click. I think it's on every hour. I know they are under new ownership within the last year or so .... it was very sad to hear Errol, the long manager had passed shortly after retiring. But everything runs as it should and you will notice no changes whatsoever. Everything on the menu is delicious, every drink on the menu is delicious. Every dessert on the menu is delicious. What more can I say. Every time we get up to Santa Barbara from Rancho Mirage we make sure to stop at least once or twice at the Palace Grill. read more

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Oh my god this food was AMAZING!!! Everything was so fresh and hot. I loved the oysters!! Instead was decorated very cutely for the Christmas time. Our server was also so kind and knowledgeable about the menu. All the dishes we ordered were so good I can't even tell you what was better than the other. 10/10 highly recommend if you're in the area. Oh and there was a magician! read more

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Good ambiance and service. Food looked great, but the Creole flavoring was not New Orleans style read more

I was looking for something to eat before heading to the Hollywood Bowl for a show but wasn't too sure what to have. There are a large amount of Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara, but I feel like I can get that in LA pretty easily lol. The Palace stood out to me because of its emphasis on Cajun dishes. I remembered that it had been a long time since I'd had jambalaya so I decided to give this place a try and I liked it alot. I showed up exactly at 5, right when they opened, so they were able to seat me right away. The server, Brandon, was really cool and recommended a few of their best dishes. I ended up ordering the Piquante as he said it was one of the dishes most rife with flavor. Needless to say, he was right. The jambalaya piquante was delicious. Served on a bed of dirty rice with an assortment of meats like chicken, shrimp and sausage, I was really impressed by what I ordered. I tend to have jambalaya in pasta form but this was just as good. Also, the little bread basket of mini muffins they give you before the entree is awesome. I can't say I've seen that before at any other restaurant haha. I especially liked the jalapeño muffin and the rosemary one too. One other thing that I enjoyed about this place was the aesthetic. They play a lot of jazz and music relevant to the New Orleans/ Mardi Gras setting, and the decorations and paintings they have up are cool to look at. read more

The Palace Grill - Jambalaya Sauce Piquante Plate - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Got the Palace experience when we came to dine in before a night out. We were greeted by the friendliest staff and were delivered a warm basket of muffins to the table. They were delicious with butter! Louisiana style dishes are served here, and our waitress recommended the Crawfish Pasta. I saw pictures of the Cajun Popcorn Crawfish and it looked delicious! Upon ordering it and having a few, I was expecting them to be more crunchy, so if you are also expecting that too before ordering consider this! Their portions were fair to split a pasta between two and I would have loved to try more items, but the two items we got were plentiful in crawfish and we were crazy full by the end. Overall, this is a really good find for authentic Louisiana food! read more

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What a fun little spot in Santa Barbara! Unexpected creole food that makes you feel like you're in New Orleans for a brief moment. We ordered a handful of things on the menu but the highlights were definitely the crawfish pasta which had so much flavor and was seasoned just right! And another highlight was the bread pudding soufflé (make sure to order it at the beginning of dinner bc it takes 30 min to make). I also got the Cajun martini with pickled cherry peppers and it was delicious if you like those kinds of flavors. Service was great except they forgot about us at the end when we wanted to pay. Overall I'd go back in a heartbeat! read more

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I live the muffins and steak but once I Went here for my birthday and my brother and I ordered the same steak and when our food came my steak wasn't too big and my brothers was absolutely tiny compared to mine. Ordered A new one and it was still fairly small. Service is really good but sometimes when it's busy can be slow. The restaurant is really pretty! read more

Finally found a delicious spot for dinner in Santa Barbara. We came in on a Saturday night and the place was busy, but good thing we got sat right away since I made a reservation online thru yelp. Everyone there was super nice and friendly, service was 100% amazing. Delicious food! Before our meal ended, the manager handed us a little book and it says "do not open until you hear music" the music started to play and its a sing a long. Everyone there started cheering and toasting. It's a really fun cool place to be when you're craving for some delicious creole jambalaya food. Cannot wait to come back with some friends in a couple of weeks. read more

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Yummy food and the service is super friendly. I'm a big fan of jambalaya. I will say the jambalaya here is a bit different than what I'm used to, but it was still delicious!! And the complimentary cornbread muffins pair so well!! I also got the key lime pie for dessert. 10/10 read more

The Palace Grill - Jambalaya Pasta (substitute dirty rice) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We have had Cajun and creole food all over New Orleans and around the country. The Palace Grill just doesn't match up. The jambalaya tasted like the chef just threw a bunch of off-the-shelf seasoning in tomato paste. The food overall was heavy and rich, but simultaneously not flavored well. I really was stumped by all the good reviews. I really love Cajun and creole food. All I can think is that most of the reviews are from people who haven't spent a lot of time in the region of the country from which this food originates, or maybe it used to be better? They also serve you water in very small glasses and didn't refill them for the duration of our meal. I spent the latter half of the meal trying to get someone's attention just to get water. read more

Best dish was crawfish ettoufe (it's a stew). Great flavor. The popcorn crawfish was mainly batter. Jambalaya pasta was nothing special. The free cornbread they give is yummy! Specially the banana one. Service is fast and ambiance is casual read more

The Palace Grill - Crawfish Etouffee Cajun Crawfish Popcorn - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This place was absolutely perfect for our visit to Santa Barbara! The service was welcoming and comfortable for my large family of 12+ 2 kids. The food was definitely Louisiana fitting! From the Palace Royal filet mignon pastas to the New Zealand lamb chops it was everything. They also have a dark chocolate soufflé was omg to die for The aura was family oriented and just soothing calming and embracing! If you're looking for a place in Samara Barbara the Palace Grill is Cajun/Creole fr! read more

SOOO GOOD. Cajun martini: amazing, huge, spicy. Free muffins: yes please!!! Cajun popcorn: not my style but my boyfriend ate it all. Scallop special: so frickin good. Boyfriend loved his redfish. Bread pudding: AMAZING I was so full I wish I could've eaten more of it. Service was top tier and the ambiance is fun and one of a kind. Best date night spot ever! Check out the bathrooms for a laugh read more

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We've been coming here when we're in Santa Barbara for over 10 years now. The flavors are rich and delicious. And the service is fast and on point. Not a crumb is left on the table to ruin your dining experience. It's festively spacious yet cozy. There's only 1 restroom which has its own challenges. (Speaking of the restroom, if you have a curious young observer joining you in the restroom, be prepared to answer some questions about their tile choices.) read more

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I have been coming here for over 30 years (there was a lapse in ownership for a few years). The food is authentic and delicious. Always a fun crowd and great service. read more

Came back to try the Palace Grill after new ownership and it was great! We stopped coming here shortly after Errol passed away, as the food and service really declined (especially after covid). We decided to give the new owner a chance and extremely glad we did. Everything was excellent and we'll be back as SB regulars again. read more

Fun atmosphere and excellent authentic food and hospitality!! Feels like traveling to New Orleans right in downtown Santa Barbara! Issumy was sweet and thoughtful for our quick dinner and soufflé dessert stop. Can't wait to go back again. read more

The food here was fantastic. The crab was done very nicely, savory and crunchy. The rice and vegetables that accompanied the crab were fresh and flavorful as well. The pasta dish was perfectly cooked with a wonderful flavor profile. Just the right amount of spices. Our favorite was the palace oysters, they were so decadent and tasty. The service was on point, very attentive and friendly. The ambience was fine, with dark decor, and an open space concept. Would definitely recommend. read more

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TLDR: Tasty entrees - highly recommend their most expensive *signature* Best of the Bayou. Excited to return to try their Big Easy. - - - - -- My friends and I stumbled upon The Palace Grill, and we were delighted to have stopped by on a night with live music and singing on an 8:00pm Saturday. Our meal began with complimentary biscuits or muffins (banana nut, black molasses, jalapeno cheese). I was impressed that they were tolerable and tasty (Background: They don't often sit well in my stomach). We ordered their Cajun (Crawfish) Popcorn Best of the Bayou and a Jambalaya Pasta. The Cajun Popcorn was heavily breaded, with little crawfish, not too appetizing. However, their Best of the Bayou was impressive. The coconut shrimp was crisp. Salmon often has the issue of being fishy with a side of sauce; however, the salmon here tasted moist and marinated. Whatever their technique is, the flavoring seeped in, and I wish we ordered more of this! The crawfish etouffee was tasty with a variety of spices. Between these items, they had a variety of sweet vegetables that were otherwise a bit bland. The Jambalaya Pasta was tasty, but it was heavily flavored with tomato sauce and watery. Overall, it was like slurping sugar water with sweetened tomatoes. The chicken felt out of place, and overall this dish had a ton going on. The tastes and textures felt chaotic. Our meal concluded with a bread pudding souffle (included with Best of the Bayou). The bread pudding was tasty, with a hint of chocolate - though not too heavy. The sweet milk or cream provided made this a tasty dessert, and it was only lightly sweet - yay! read more

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The Palace Grill was so charming and fun! The service was great and my group loved the surprising restaurant sing-along at around 7:00pm. The New Orleans theming around the room added to the great atmosphere and the starting muffin sampler was such a treat! I would highly recommend the fried chicken salad, as it was honestly one of the best salads i've ever had and I will be returning just to order it again. This is a great place to go if you're looking for a unique dining experience. read more

We walked in for an early dinner around 5pm. There were not that many people at first but then before we knew it the place was packed. It got noisy but fairly tolerable. The food was delicious. The portion was generous. The assorted muffins in a basket were freshly baked. They were my favorite. The Jambalaya pasta was flavorful. The service is quite slow. It took a long while before we got our food. It was worth the wait though. The price is reasonable. Parking, as always, is a challenge in State street so you're better off walking your way to the restaurant if your hotel is within walking distance, otherwise just take the Uber. read more

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Great food and very flavorful' So disappointing that they are no longer open on Sundays. My husband I I like to go after church. Now we have to go find other restaurants that are opened for Sunday lunch after church. read more

Customer service was absolutely shaky, but the food was magnificent. I had the crabcake entrée that came with rice, zucchini, and squash, as well as the crabcakes themselves. The crabcakes were season wonderfully and were bursting with flavor that wasn't overwhelming. The zucchini and squash taste wonderful as well. I also had the gumbo side, which was definitely one of the better attempts for New Orleans, gumbo, nevertheless great, and I would rate it 8.5 out of 10. The crabcakes I would give it 8.7 out of 10 . My wife had a pasta that had blackened chicken, onions and bell peppers, it was absolutely delicious and I would give it a nine out of 10 and my wife gave it a nine out of 10 as well . The only thing they could do better on is sautéing the onions a little longer so they aren't too crunchy. So overall, my experience here has been great, I would come back for more. read more

Great food Great service Ambiance is nice Try everything they have not failed me yet. Parking is its only failure and that's not their fault. read more

Great food, fun atmosphere, and excellent service! It was our first visit to the restaurant and we were very happy with our experience.

Go else where folks become the the jamabalaya was a wet soggy mess. The softshell crab was a sponge, people who rate this place high are local who don't know real food. Sorry but this is the truth you need to eat real food made by real chefs. The service started off ok until after the food came and we got left behind. We wait 30min for our server only to chase after him to come back for a check. Then the shuffle that takes 30min to make 1hour later after all the other customers paid and left. Only to get a condescending tone that it's coming. They should have been honest and said we forgot making it now. read more

Loved, loved, loved our lunch at the Palace Grill! Food was delicious, service was amazing and the atmosphere was nice and welcoming. The only downside is it was hard to find parking on a Sunday afternoon. read more

The Palace Grill - The menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The palace grill is one of those Santa Barbara staples that one has try. Great for groups of all sizes and you do not leave hungry here. The service is spectacular and attentive. Make sure to order dessert first -the soufflé because it's 45 minutes and you will regret not ordering it. The jambalaya is full of flavor. The complementary mini muffins are different flavors and warm. The cocktails are generously poured and will get you a buzz. The crab cakes make an excellent appetizer. Make a reservation they get full. read more

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I had this place on my list for my brief visit to SB. We walked over for lunch (a late one) and stuck to one dish each to save room for dinner. I ordered the gumbo, and the coconut shrimp appetizer was ordered. I enjoyed my gumbo and it was very filling. It is in the spicier side (per good Cajun food) so I didn't finish the entire bowl. I think the shrimp portion was on the smaller side. They were butterflied but really it was 3 pieces of shrimp. He enjoyed the favor as is without the dipping sauce. We both thoroughly enjoyed the muffins/bread and butter that was complimentary. They were amazing. I enjoyed a three flavors; rosemary, banana nut, and jalapeño cheddar. In fact, we purchased a couple more to take with us. Service was quick, friendly, and attentive. I would definitely return when in SB again. read more

The Palace Grill - Gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Service was great! Louis made my experience here amazing with his great customer service skills and friendly personality. He provided in depth recommendations and explanations of the menu and was the overall best experience of eating at this restaurant. Regarding the taste of the food, it was an average experience. Thank Louis for being the best server! read more

The Palace Grill - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Santa Barbara, California