Carlitos Cafe Y Cantina

Albondigas soup. No.
Tamale trio. No.
Fish taco. Yes!
From the warm, soft, fluffy tortilla to the delicious bits of cantaloupe on top, it was the most decent thing we ordered here. I wish it was grilled fish instead of battered though.

Poor service, too many waiters standing around. Ordered guacamole, it was never brought to us. Food not that good. We asked the first waiter about breakfast items he mentioned about 3 – 4 items because none was on the menu. The 2^nd waiter said they only served 1 breakfast item. We will not return or recommend this place.

Friendly service. Nice outdoor patio. Huge portions. We could have split appetizers we got as entrees. The sopes carnitas went over well at the table. The shrimp empanadas were disappointing. I’m used to thin pastry dough. This was very thick and doughy. It overwhelmed the shrimp. Everything (guac, chips, empanadas, sauce) needed more salt.

Food was so so but setting is great. Live music, chips and guac and margaritas on a sunny day!

Carlitos has a really fun & lively atmosphere, its more AMERICAN mexican food, and expensive… nachos are good, staff is great, easy parking. Probably wont visit again unless its for drinks they do have fun drinks like jalapeño tini /​margaritas

Great food, wonderful atmosphere, excellent service. Just attentive enough but not annoying, thank you Edwin. Had Pozole, chicken, too wonderful. Big portions! Condiments on the side so add as you like. Hubby had tacos al carbon, liked a lot. Salsa perfect, just enough heat and not can tomato taste. Menu was not run of the mill Mexican food. Very interesting choices.
The guitarist, was amazing. I liked that they were close enough to enjoy but far enough so you could have a conversation. And not hovering over my table. Hope can return.

Awesome ribs. Huge portions. Stiff drinks. Great service. What more can I say other than start with the amazing guacamole and end with the caramel flan. Yum-​O!

This is a really great Mexican food restaurant. They have live music from 6 pm to 10 pm that gives a really nice ambiance. The dishes are well priced and come in big helpings. The burritos are huge and delicious! I recommend sharing this dish :)

Every time I visit Santa Barbara I visit Carlito’s. Even though there is usually a wait, they let you make reservations. I have always enjoyed the food in general that I have tried and so has my husband, children, and other family members who have eaten with us. The fajitas and home made corn tortillas are delicious. My kids didn’t like the tamale trio but everything else was great!

My favorite Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara! Whenever we are here from out of town, this is now our go-​to Mexican restaurant. The fajitas are arguably the best that we get in Southern California and this time we tried the albondigas soup. My wife said it tasted just like how her mom makes it. So that’s a plus!
Usually I get a Cadillac margarita but last night I tried a Carlitos ultimatos silver and was very happy with the choice. Simple yet delicious.
Love handmade corn tortillas!
And part but not least, on weekend nights there’s a great live band there that we almost hired for the cocktail hour at our wedding a few years ago.

This is one of my favorite sit down Mexican restaurants in Santa barbará. It was able to accommodate my large dinner party with ease, and the waiting staff was friendly and helpful. I ordered a stead burrito and the steak was well flavored and juicy, cooked to the perfect amount.
It was a little pricey but what else can you expect from Santa barbará? Would recommend.

I left here really disappointed, the food was very dry and bland and lacked the flavor you would have expected given the price on the menu. The service from the staff was good and very friendly but couldn’t help but feel cheated upon leaving as dinner for my wife and I (1 appetizer, 2 mains and a drink each) had cost almost $ 80. A similar amount of food/​drink at Los Arroyos for example would cost half as much but be 10x more tasty.
Looks fancy and high end from the outside, but not worth what you pay for.

Great location and great food! The place to go for film festival locals:-). Great margaritas. Long time Santa Barbara establishment. Can’t be a Santa barbarian if you never ate here!

This is a very good place to eat and recommend the fish tacos as they are filled with awesome halibut filet. Seating is a bit tightly placed and the music can be loud if your trying to have a conversation on music nights.

Bottom line is this.
We walked up to live music and a 10 year old salsa dancing (and he absolutely stole the show).
Phenomenal atmosphere and service.
The Food? Muy Delicioso.

So we are in Santa Barbara wedding planning so we decided to stop and try a new place! What a disappointment they had no seating inside so we sat outside and we thought it would be fine since they had heaters, but after asking 8 times we still never had the heater turned on, the worst part is that I asked multiple people. We are now done with dinner and still freezing as I am sitting here trying to write this review with frozen hands… the food was good but unfortunately the service was horrible and we will not be returning… if service is important to you then don’t come here! We seriously have been here for 2 hours at least their service is slow and the staff is not friendly at all…
They did not receive a tip from my party of 6 because of this horrible service.

It’s difficult to write a two-​star review when I know that this establishment is capable of so much better.
For year’s my family and I have dinned at Carlito’s Café y Cantina, Cava (Montecito) and Dos Carlitos (Santa Ynez). We have always LOVED all three restaurants and have admired the consistency in the quality and preparation of their food.
We stopped to dine at Carlitos Café y Cantina on Sunday as we made our way home to Long Beach from Solvang where we vacation every year.
We were seated quickly and the waitress was quick to greet us and bring out water and the chips and salsa they usually offer.
My husband ordered the Carne Asada dinner and I ordered the Grilled Veggie Tostada. The Carne Asada was perfect and according to my husband, everything on his plate was 100.
My tostada was a HOT MESS. Honestly, I was so disappointed with my dish because I didn’t think anyone could mess up a tostada.
In a nutshell, my dish consisted of two corn tortillas topped with a little bit of black beans, a PILE of green salad, three or four grilled vegetables, and two scoops of guacamole and sour cream.
I did take a picture of both dishes… you be the judge. My husbands Carne Asada plate looks fantastic. The other picture is my Grilled Veggie Tostada.
I was surprised as the word «Tostada» means «toasted»… hence the toasted tortilla most of us get when we order a tostada. There was no toasted tortilla. And the amount of salad completely overpowered the tiny tortillas and smidgen of beans. There were a few slices of grilled veggies but in my opinion this was not a tostada but a salad.
I’m not sure that we will return to Carlitos Café. If it’s up to me, I’d prefer to go to Cava or Dos Carlitos.
I hope management can consider the feedback and perhaps adjust this dish.

This place was actually much better than I expected. It looks a bit «gringo-​ey» but the chicken mole I ordered was very tasty largely due to the rich, delicious mole sauce. This sauce wasn’t too chocolatey or sweet like it sometimes is
My quibbles are the following: $ 19 for a few pieces of chicken, rice and beans is pretty damn steep. Also, I had a bite of my father’s stew and it didn’t have much taste. The ribs were pretty basic too
If you do come here — definitely get the mole

Fun, lively, great music and out door seating!
Took my sister here for her 16^th birthday many moons ago, and still coming back all these years later!
Great Cadillac Margarita! Yum!

Great food. Chips and salsa, nachos, tacos, salads, classic tex-​mex fare, beautifully presented and great-​tasting.
Great drinks. Full bar, margarita pitchers are a must!
Great service. Quick service, attentive staff
Great live music. Not too loud, acoustic guitar and singer, just right.
Great outdoor seating. Cool way to enjoy the SB weather, even at night. I got cold and they found a way to move the heaters closer to our table– thank you!
Everything is fresh fresh fresh! Would definitely recommend.