Very disappointing and lackluster tapas experience. To be very honest, confused as to why this restaurant is so highly praised.

I wanted to bring an old friend from out of town to a nice meal in Santa Barbara. Having recently moved to the area, I heard nothing but praise for Loquita. I am a big fan of tapas and always appreciate the attention to detail in presentation and food quality that tapas restaurants put into their dishes. I managed to book a Saturday night reservation for this popular restaurant weeks in advance.

Upon seating, my friend and I agreed that the interior design is BEAUTIFUL. I was a big fan of the lighting and open kitchen concept. Service was polite, but rushed and a little inattentive. It's ok, it's a Saturday night! My friend did not want paella, so we ordered 2 bocaditos and 3 tapas that were recommended by our server. While I know paella is the main star of any tapas restaurant, the dishes we ordered are still representative and commonly popular items. With the pricepoint and prestige of Loquita, I trusted that we could have a good meal regardless of anything we ordered on the menu.

Appetizer 1 - Pan con Tomate - A laughable portion for $9. For the price, I really thought it would be more than a SPLIT, half loaf of bread with tomato sauce. Please see the photo attached. I was disappointed by a taste that felt more like a quick snack a kid would make at home after school. Appetizer 2 - Croqueta de Seta - Everyone likes fried food! Definitely better than the first appetizer. The filling surprisingly reminded me of bitterballen (thick gravy and viscous). The crust was thick and well-fried, and I enjoyed the truffle taste. The crispy potato nest was fun to snack on as well. Tapa #1 - Crema De Calabaza Con Bogavante - Lukewarm soup served on flat dishware. Easy and fun to share. Very strong citrus taste from the syrups(?) drizzled on top. Tapa #2 - Borrego A La Brasa - Well cooked but VERY salty. The sauce was mediocre and just made the lamp chops too salty. I opted to eat them plain. Tapa #3 - Pulpo A La Gallega - Pleasantly soft interior, but the exterior was overly charred. No flavor from the sauce, so it really felt like a plain chewing experience. I read a few other reviews that agreed the octopus is commonly overcooked.

When dining at tapas restaurants, I do give grace and understanding that statistically, it is difficult for them to perfect every single dish on a vast menu. However, I always favor tapas as an incredibly joyful and unique, social experience where friends openly appreciate and share good quality food and multiple flavors they would never be able to try when dining alone. I was embarrassed to bring my friend to such a lackluster experience after I had been so excited to plan and share about this restaurant in the weeks leading up to their trip.

I would visit Loquita again to try the patatas bravas, paella, and ibiza chuleta. However, I hesitate to recommend this restaurant to others, much less bring my friends from out of town. I am not a fan of dining out to give one restaurant multiple chances, when there are already so many other options to try in Santa Barbara. If I want to dine at a restaurant with the branding, pricing, and prestige such as Loquita, I would want at least a satisfactory experience every time.