Paradise Cafe

We were on our way home from a camping trip and decided to stop in Santa Barbara for some fish taco’s last Tuesday! We were trying to find a good place and found out that this was #2 on the list for Baja fish taco’s. We were pleasantly surprised at our delicious our taco’s turned out to be. We did want to try the shrimp fish taco’s and asked if we could get 2 on the side. The kitchen was more than accommodating and gave us a whole platter of delicious battered shrimp. We sat outside on the veranda, enjoying our yummy food and the lovely December weather. The next time we are in Santa Barbara, we will definitely be making a pitstop here again. The staff is also very friendly.

Very cute place with warm outdoor seating. Service was great our waiter was awesome and very accommodating. Fruit was very fresh. Food was pretty good– a few breakfast options and specials.

Brunch on Sunday
Very bad service never got asked if we would like more coffee
I ordered bacon & eggs omelette
The bacon looked like it was bacon bits
I could literally count how many pieces
of bacon was in my omelette
And the tomatoes were cold
The egg was burnt.
Then to top it off they ran out of potatoes
So they offered us fries or fruit
We decided to get fries that were completely cold
The sourdough bread was hard ass a rock
And we noticed that everyone that passes us was asking where the restroom is
I really think they should put up some sort of sign

A good lunch spot with a diverse menu. I had the Grilled Shrimp & Spinach salad. It was a good choice — the shrimp was seasoned well, and the meal was light & tasty, but just filling enough to be satisfying.
I dined with a group of 7 outdoors on the patio. It was a sunny day, but there were plenty of umbrellas to provide shade for most of the table. The waitstaff was polite & reasonably attentive.

Delicious steak tacos!!! Nice wine selection, friendly service. Definitely worth a return trip!

Good food and drinks, laid-​back ambiance, great employees… Paradise is awesome!!!
Paradise burger and revenge omelette are MUSTS.
P. S. they have espresso :)

This place is REALLY neat!!! I love how it’s two stories, and they have a really nice patio!!! The bar is kind of diner style which is super cute, and like I say, the rest of the restaurant is really unique. We had drinks at the bar, then sat outside for dinner. I had the salmon and it was kind of status quo. It was cooked perfectly, but it was just kind of generic. Don’t get me wrong, it was good & I would get it again, but it wasn’t anything that you can’t get elsewhere is how I feel. The veggies were great, same with the mashed potatoes. I liked the variety on the menu as well, it was great! Overall a great job being done and I would come back!

My family and I had our pre-​wedding dinner here last Saturday and everyone loved their food and wine/​cocktails. The staff was friendly and even accommodated us to split a couple of our checks because of our large party. Thank you so much Paradise Café! You guys are awesome!

The service and food were both good. But I have a problem with a wait staff who walks up to the counter (in front of other customers) and talks about other customers. Save that for after closing… I know customers can be annoying, but it looks very bad when you talk about people while serving us food.

Stopped in on our way through town and decided to try a new place for lunch. First impressions do matter! We were surprised to arrive and be ignored by the waitstaff for several minutes. There must have been at least 3 staff that walked right past us without so much as a «Welcome to Paradise Café» or «Someone will be right with you» or even «How many in your party?» We waited some more. Finally what appeared to be a busser asked «How many?» We opted to sit on the relaxing patio for lunch. My husband’s chair had food on it when we went to sit down.
The weather was perfect outside, and we loved having the shade above the patio. I accidentally knocked my water over while the waitress took our order. Everyone at the table scrambled to mop up the mess with our paper napkins and the waitress said, «It’s OK. We have more napkins» and she left to check in with other tables while we dealt with a sopping table. We waited for awhile and finally she brought back some additional napkins but didn’t offer to help wipe the table nor take or our pile of wet napkins from the center of the table. Two of us ordered street tacos and two ordered sandwiches. Food was good, not great. Overall, I think the service aspect was what was lacking here, and it made our dining experience less than favorable. We’ll try another place the next time we stop in Santa Barbara.

I love this restaurant. I’ve been eating the club sandwich here for 25+ years. I remember when the Cobb salad had weird lettuce under it. I always asked them to leave that off. Today, it’s how it comes standard. They get it. However… I got my club sandwich today and it was toasted. The waitress said «oh ya, that’s the new way we do it.» I sent it back. I feel bad but I liked it exactly the way it was. I will remember to tell them not to toast it next time. Perhaps a heads up would’ve avoided the remake of the sandwich.

The patio is the place to sit here. Relaxing, shady and rustic.
Today I opted for the salmon with a salad as a side. It was a tasty piece of fish, cooked perfectly and the oak smokey flavor was nice. The salad was pretty basic. @ $ 16, not cheap. I have had the burger here (real good), the club (not so good).
Service is always friendly.

It honestly makes me upset to have to create a review for a place I frequent and have it be a mediocre one. The food is the only thing that keeps my coming back-I’ve ordered the same thing for years and I love it. Great burgers! You guys really need get it together with the service though! Really, really. There has to be a better system for handling customers in the lower section of the restaurant. I’ve waited 10 on some occasions to be seem! No menu, no water, no hello. How is that even possible when I have to walk by at least 3 people on my way to a seat? I do not want to have to the nearest employee and ask if I may have my order taken, ask for a check, ask for more water, to ask for silverware. Come on.

Paradise Café has been a consistent, wonderful place to eat for us for over 34 years. When we were first married we would walk here and eat at the counter for breakfast. Years later they added lunch and dinner and we have still enjoyed introducing visitors to a true local spot. My personal favorites are the Paradise Burger w Grilled Onions and Avocado and the Salmon Salad. Either way you need a side of fries, and, you need to eat them first and fast while they are still hot and crispy.
The outdoor patio is great for any-​time-​of-​the-​year dining in that they have forced air heating at ground level– brilliant!

The service was nice but the food can only be described as average and overpriced. I highly recommend sitting on the outdoor patio. We came with a large group so we got tucked into an unsightly back corner inside. The difference in décor and atmosphere is night and day. Decent place but nothing to write home about.

We came here on a random weekend for a friend’s birthday and decided to sit outside and enjoy some nice weather. Ordered the revenge which came with slow cooked beef which didn’t have much flavor. The fries taste a little stale.
Overall, overpriced place with an average food that would be a good spot to go if you are in the mood to eat brunch with friends without having to rush.

This place was recommended to us, along with the steak salad. The restaurant is really cute and I liked that it was indoor and outdoor. The steak salad was really good, big chunks of well cooked meat, lots of fresh veggies, topped with avocado. I had the salmon, it was sooooo good. It was cooked really well, not overly flavored either. It came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, which were amazing, and julienned veggies. Their garlic bread was pretty good as well.

I have been eating here for years and I can always count on a fantastic meal! Everytime with out fail. Now that I have moved from Santa Barbara every time I visit the first ace I go when I get off the plane is the paradise café for lunch or dinner!
The food is always fresh and delicious, what a treat!!!

I’ve frequented this restaurant plenty of times in the last decade, business and pleasure (including a delightful birthday dinner once) but recently I was so turned off by the service that I decided it was worth this post and further that they don’t deserve my patronage.
I came with a friend, physically a little rough around the edges, but great. Upon arrival we were guided to a table where the contacts from there forward were limited to the initial order and the bill. My straw never came, there was no beverage refills and my order was very incorrect (how do you confuse fish with shrimp). Directly across from us were 4 white middle aged women dining and they of course had full attention of our young server. It was very disturbing and upon exiting I planned to tell the host but he didn’t bother sticking his head out of the diner. Unacceptable.

Came here with a small group for an early dinner. They have decent deals for happy hour. Well drinks for $ 4, among other discounted drinks.
The portions of their food are just too small to be priced the way they are. And the flavor was a bit lacking as well. The (complimentary) garlic bread they serve is better than the entrée of shrimp/​chicken sausage. Everything needed salt. The mashed potatoes were the only part of the meal, besides the bread, that were really delicious.
The chocolate mousse dessert, which I’ve had a different time, is great though.
I’ll still come back, just to try the steak which is supposed to be the best in town. We’ll see!