Cava Restaurant & Bar

The rock shrimp tacos are off the hook! Mango salsa and fresh made corn tortillas. Chips and salsa are fresh and the quaint atmosphere is very inviting. Will be back when in the area!

Incredible shrimp and scallop burrito! Highly recommend! I’m from LA, but I can’t wait to go back!

Had the chicken quesadilla. the presentation was so pretty and the taste was even better. I also tried the shrimp empenadas. Those were amazing as well. Service was great and fast. Definitely will be returning for more good food

It’s simple: sunny patio, good service, high quality but most importantly, it’s the best guac we’ve ever had:)

Nice people but unfortunately did not enjoy the food. I am Mexican and I would like to think I know our food. Salsa was tomatoes and really plain and bland. Tortilla soup was ok. Salad was super plain. But did I say the staff was nice? Sorry

This was my second time here and was not disappointed. The flavors are all there. I had the steak burrito and the portion was very large but couldn’t stop eating. It’s not a cheap place but you get plenty for your money. Guacamole is good but make sure you have a few people to share with because it’s big.

Went here last month and had some of the best carne asada tacos ever! All I can say is YUM! The service was so-​so, as there was only one waiter and several tables. The food was something I would definitely go back for next time I am in the area.

Everything was delicious, perfect margaritas, great guacamole, and we ordered the rock shrimp empanadas (this, we agreed was our favorite), steak tacos and tamale trio. Great place to eat and lively atmosphere!

What an amazing dinner we had at Cava! Love this place! This was my first time in my Montecito. The food is delicious. We had small plates of Spanish food and white Sangria & Mojitos. The live guitarist was incredible. His music made the ambiance inviting. I can’t wait to go back :-)

My boyfriend and I were really excited to try this place after reading all the previous reviews and today we went for dinner and it’s really beautiful restaurant but I think I hyped it up so much in my head that when I finally got the food it wasn’t what I was expecting.
They start you off with tortilla chips and black bean dip and salsa, we ordered the tamale trio and taquitos de tinga and the beef was a little dry and the food was just too spicy but it was presented well and the service was good

5 stars for food, 0 stars for service. Drinks took a while, and had to ask for sweetener multiple times for my iced tea. Our waiter (a young gentlemen) never acknowledged or cared that half of our entrees took forever. After waiting 15 mins at least, we had to request the remainder of our order To Go.
The chefs on the other hand really know what they are doing! Everything we ordered was fantastic especially the lamb that falls off of the bone.
Only ordering for Pick Up in the future, cannot deal with the oblivious waiters.

Unfortunately, we may have hit them on a bad night. Shrimp in salad was old. Service was alow.

Came for lunch, seated by the hostess in a booth area by the window. As soon as I sat down the whole booth fell, I’m assuming it happens a lot since she was that surprised. Not very apologetic about it.
Sat somewhere else, our waitress was nice. Asked for extra Tortia bread for the fajitas ordered and she said «the order only comes with 3» ok so would it have been a big deal to add 2 more.
As we left, surprised to see a couple
Sitting at the booth I fell
From and the mother was feeding her baby on it.
Overall good food.

Just had lunch here… found it by accident. Everything was so delicious! I ordered the mussels which is a must-​have if you love mussels. It’s a man-​size meal and don’t waste time, ask them to bring you a spoon with your meal when you order because you’re going to want to it. The broth was that tasty! Enjoy!
Ps. Patio allows dogs. That’s the 5^th star!

Amazing service!
Hidden gem for a steak sandwich! Must try!
Cadillac Margies are always perfect as well!
Like sitting at the bar, good place to catch the races and catch up with friends!

Hands down one of my favorite spots in the Santa Barbara area.
The servers are all excellent, knowledgeable, and attentive. A special shout out to Carlos the bartender.
Ambiance is great. Cozy and upscale tho still casual.
Food is all made-​from-​scratch-​fresh. The homemade salsas are to… die…faw. The tamales are moist, not dry, the halibut ceviche… Mexican (or is it Spanish) ridiculousness. Homemade habanero tequila is great. And it does not make you angry or naked. You should try the steak torta… huge.
Only slight knock is there is a lot of Hollywood there. But, hey, that’s what you get. You’re in Montecito.
Some have said it’s a tad pricey for Mexican fare. I say rubbish. It’s worth it. And repeat after me: you’re in Montecito.

This place is terrific and they really know how to host a restaurant. They are accommodating, attentive, and the food is unique and great. To say it’s a Mexican restaurant is a misnomer. It’s more Spanish or Baja and wonderfully inventive .
We came here for the second time after accidentally stumbling upon it on our way to Santa Barbara. This time we passed up lots of other choices in S.B. to come here again, and were rewarded with another delightful dining experience .
Last time I had the paella — and it was great; real Spanish cuisine loaded with delicious flavor surprises. The atmosphere of this place is charming. We sat in the same little booth we had before, cozy & romantic, but California casual too.
We started with a shared bowl of tortilla soup –excellent flavors– and a shared ½ Caesar that was easily big enough to share. This time I ordered the homemade tamale trio and it was a thing of beauty. A real Chef prepared this dish, not just a cook, but these people do know how to cook. With the accompanying salsas it was divine .
K had the fish tacos — and to our delight it knocked our socks off ! We shot this after taking one big bite, because it looked so good we forgot to snap the photo first .
We were expecting a nicer version of the usual — little pieces of mahi mahi or some unknown pescado species wrapped in a tortilla with pico de gallo. However, this CAVA Tacos al Carbon came as a large piece of perfectly seared & very tasty halibut complimented with delicious mango salsa and shredded cabbage in a perfect entrée sized handmade tortilla. This was truly «fish taco» like something we have never seen or tasted before anywhere .
We didn’t have one, but the Margaritas looked great. I’m a stickler for good coffee, and theirs is good. The dessert — a combo of two sorbet w/​berries — was really good too, and the unique presentation made it even more fun to eat. Meanwhile, a young talent played Spanish Guitar from the back of the room that was so wonderful we bought to of his CD’s from him.
I wish there was a CAVA near us, like in Westlake Village or Calabasas, (please, please) because we’d dine there all the time !!!

Service was spot on and the food was really good. Fine dining price but casual wear is okay here. If it’s nice out, sit in the patio area… Inside was kind of dim.
I liked the guacamole dip. I LOVE the Mexican Burro. Quenches your thirst like Coke. The mojito was a bit strong (sour n bitter) for mi weakling taste. I enjoyed the pork pozole.
Thumbs up.

Cava is a local favorite for happy hour. My partner and I recently went for happy hour/​dinner and really enjoyed the discounted cocktails. The chips and salsa are decent, but nothing to get too excited over– they probably keep them just an inch above bland to appease all palates.
For our main course we went with chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and a beef taco– both were very tasty, seasoned perfectly, and very hearty.
We went all out and had their chocolate dessert which for me was the highlight of it all.
I ate way too much and will try to control myself next time. Wait a minute… I’m American! Next time I’ll have two desserts!

I stopped by Cava for a quick lunch before a work function around the corner at Montecito Country Club. Some positive signs: As I drove by to check into my hotel, I saw a fair number of people sitting outside. I also Unilocaled it, and saw that my yf Steph H. wrote a positive review.
I ordered off the tapas menu: Small tortilla soup — $ 8 and the tamale trio — $ 11 (chicken; pork; and chile & sweet corn). They also have traditional tapas like tortilla espanola (potato omelette), and entrees like enchiladas suiza or mariscos. You also receive complimentary chips w/​two types of salsa.
Unfortunately, the chips and salsa were disappointing. The chips were not fresh, and the red salsa was weak, although the corn and bean salsa was very good: 2 Stars. On the other hand, the soup was very good, and it was a large portion for being the small order. The broth was thin as it should be and there was just the right amount of chicken. The only thing that I would have changed is offering some lime on the side: 4 Stars. The tamales were also very good. They were the right size to just have a taste of each one. The masa was fresh and there was a fair amount of ingredients in each one. The only downside was the pico de gallo was not fresh: 4 Stars.
My waitress Katherin was really good also. I told her I was under a bit of a time constraint, and the food came out quickly. She warned me about the bowl being hot (just like her — lol!), so I didn’t burn myself: 4 Stars. The ambiance was OK. I liked the Latin music in the background, but the décor was nothing special: 3 Stars.
I would definitely come back here w/​a date or business associate. I would like to try more tapas, and have some drinks next time the way a Madrileno would do tapas!!!