Santa Barbara Italian Cafe

02/01/06

Broadway Location

by dlrdragon at Citysearch

I was referred to the Broadway Location by a realtor from the area. I ordered the Chicken Marsala. One of my Italian staple foods. I know this dish well, make it myself at home. What returned was not Chicken Marsala. It had a somewhat orange sauce. As if they mixed Marsala with a Marinara sauce, thus forming a sauce that was inferior to both. When I asked the waitress about it; She stated this is the way Mama makes it. Well this is not the way my Mama made it. I do not think I will be going back again.

• Pros: Quick Seating, Quite, good parking
• Cons: service, food

01/11/09

We know Mama's secret ingredient!!!

by maestroman at Citysearch

My wife and went to the Broadway location based on the rating from CitySearch. We were not at all impressed at any part of the experience. To begin, they bring you bread and ran out of butter. If you wanted any olive oil or any other type of topping, you had to pay $3.99. For the meal, my wife and I ordered Chicken Piccata and Chicken Verona. The only thing recognizable about the Chicken Piccata were the capers and the lemony flavor. Generally you have a light butter-based sauce on the pasta, they served an orange concoction that was too cheesy and heavy. The chicken verona was to have a sun dried tomato basil cream sauce, I received a thick red-orange sauce that after about the second bite was so heavy it felt like I was drowning in riccota. Although we received a large amount of food, you can't substitute quantity for quality. We suspect Mama's secret ingredient is the powdered cheese packets you find in the Macaroni & Cheese boxes. The service left a little to be desired. During the whole meal, our waiter was inattentive and inexperienced. The place was dirty, tables were unkept, floors were full of crumbs....even if it was a busy day, you would expect a certain level of hygiene. The meal was overpriced. I would not recommend anyone if you want real italian food. For the same price and level of service, you could get a lot more from Johnny Carino's or Olive Garden.

• Pros: Quick seating & parking
• Cons: Unclean and Unkept, Poor Service, Over priced, Low quality of food, Not Italian

12/05/08

A wonderful and friendly restaurant

by satpc at Citysearch

My wife and I have eaten here at least 30 times. We always share the Chicken Marsala and order an extra Caesar salad. One dinner order is plenty for the two of us. The Marsala is different than other places. I guess that's why we love it. We've stopped ordering Marsala at other places because we're always disappointed. Bring your own wine; there's no cost. And the desserts made by Mama are fabulous.

03/11/08

Great food and cozy atmosphere

by jlynn26 at Citysearch

I went to this restaurant after a friend told me about it. It is really hard to impress me when it comes to Italian food, because I come from a family that makes it all from scratch! I have to say that the food is incredible! I loved everything and so did my husband. Our service was great and we were seated right away. We will be back here many more times I am sure.

• Pros: The food, service and atmosphere

11/30/07

Great meal at a great price

by robierocket at Citysearch

The guy who slammed the chicken marsala can stay away for good -- opens up a seat for those who know great northern Italian/Croatian food. Service can be slow at times, but the food consistently great in my opinion. My wife and I have been coming here for over 5 years. We will continue to do so. Highly recommended!

Editorial Review by Andrea Loera

by Contributor at Citysearch

Homey and inexpensive BYOB spot for homemade Italian cuisine with a Croatian touch.

08/04/05

Not bad

by peachykeen123 at Citysearch

I ate at the Friendswood location last night and the food was excellent. The bread was fresh, the salad was great, and the entree (Spinach Fettucini) was awesome. The service was so, so. The waiter was new, so we had to remind him constantly to refill our drinks and our salad came out with the meal. I'm definitely going back though, the food is that good.

• Pros: Excellent food, Good ambiance
• Cons: Average service

09/23/04

Mama needs to do all the cooking still

by makidwell at Citysearch

When Mama first opened Santa Barbara's and was doing all the cooking it was excellent. It is still great, but I don't think all the dishes have the taste they used to have. She still makes the best chicken caesar salad anywhere, but even it isn't as good as it used to be. She used to have the best bread, but over the years it has changed. She is still very small, but she is still good. I recommend this one for anyone that enjoys a good meal, even if a little pricey.

• Pros: Good Food, Good Service