Augie's of Santa Barbara — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

I really have little clue why people were disappointed in Augie's. It is, of course, a new restaurant and there are a few kinks to be worked out but absolutely nothing that would interfere with the dining experience. The ambience was beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious. They were doing a $75 fixed menu with a selection from 4 courses and I was pleasantly surprised with every dish. I started off with the tuna tiradito which was fresh, succulent, and beautifully presented. My fiancée had the pork belly. The pork belly was delicious and rich with a great crust and it went incredibly with their Spanish Gin + Tonic. The gin they use is super aromatic and delicious. Of course, I had to try some tequila out of their 300+ selections and, believe me, I'll be back to try more. The server was super helpful in navigating my options and recommending tequilas at different price points. I had a Llamalo which is a marg where you can select the tequila and you just pay the 2 oz price which I thought was really clever. I got the Tapatio tequila because I was looking for something a little less expensive and it came out to $12. The second course was probably my favorite. I had the gobernador {shrimp} taco. It was cooked to perfection and I haven't had a better taco in my life. My date had the octopus taco which was incredible texturally and very rich flavor-wise. My main dish was a carne asada and it blew me away just as much as everything else. For dessert, I had the jericalla which was presented beautifully with a little sugar globe on top. By the end, I was stuffed and was sent warmly on my way. I have told everyone in earshot about Augie's ever since. I wonder why some reviews have been negative because this is fresh, delicious food authentic to Guadalajara. I don't know if others expected burritos/ enchiladas but I don't think they would be so shocked by the price if they were walking into a fine dining French/Italian joint. I can't wait to go back and see what more they come up with...

TL;DR: Rating: 2 Stars

Summary:

Food: 5 stars Manager's Attitude (No Drinks Ordered): -1 star Manager's Attitude (No "Main Dish" Ordered): -1 star Service Issues: -1 star

Detailed Review: Let me start by saying that I met Augie last year at the Tacos & Tequila festival in Venice Beach. He was such a cool guy. I finally got around to going to SB and I wanted to check out the restaurant.

The food was amazing, definitely 5 stars. However, both my wife and I can't drink at the moment for health reasons. When we didn't order drinks, the manager or partner (the only Hispanic gentleman without a uniform) seemed displeased and gave us a look. Secondly, we had a 3-hour drive home, so we just ordered some tacos and empanadas, each priced at $20+. When the manager asked if we wanted any "main dishes" and we declined for the moment, he gave us another look. If you don't want customers who can't drink and won't order "main dishes" (even though what we ordered was MORE expensive than the main dishes), simply put up a sign stating so.

Additionally, I started chatting with a nice couple next to us who had been there for a while. They had a couple of drinks and were trying to flag down the staff for around 10 minutes to order more food and drinks. Their water (and ours) wasn't refilled at all during their time there.

I love Augie, but please work on training your staff and partner for better...

We were wandering around santa barbara looking for dinner and stumbled upon this place, which supposedly is in their soft pre-opening phase right now. Environment, decor, and ambiance are a 8/10. We started with a tequila and mezcal flight, which were very good. The agave spirit selection is a 9.5/10. Not sure if it’s just their pre-opening menu or if this is how it will be, but they have a pre-selected meal that is $70/person, you have 2-3 choices for each course. The food was sadly a 2/10. Sauces were tasteless, meat was either not good cuts or overcooked, dessert was tasteless, portions were tiny for the poor quality and high cost. I had the beet gelato that tasted more like earth than an ice cream. My girlfriend got the churros which were really undercooked and doughy - couldn’t even eat them. We expressed our concerns with our dishes to our server and we still got sent the full bill. Out the door we were over $400. Our server was amazing but even with the manager and owner in-house that night, we expected to at least be compensated a little bit for the poor food. Service was a 6/10. Overall rating 5/10 and would not return unless only for a cocktail or tequila flight. Very hopeful they figure out the food situation because this restaurant has the potential to be a great addition...