Left at Albuquerque is a contemporary cool southwestern restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara on lively State Street. They have a nice decor with contemporary southwest art and neat colors throughout. In addition to their cool indoor dining room and bar, there is outdoor seating right on State Street, that we took advantage of on both of our visits on beautiful late-November days.
Left at Albuquerque has a large and innovative menu. It includes appetizers ($3-$10), salads ($4-$10), Tequila Grill (meat and seafood) Specialties ($12-$19), fajitas ($11-$19), Southwestern Seafood ($12-$15), Albuquerque Favorites (meats, ribs, enchiladas) ($10-$18). They also have a small range of lunch specials ($7-$12). They have a full bar. Very full, with 150 different kinds of tequila.
Both of our visits were in late afternoon as a break from sightseeing and shopping. We tried their specialty margaritas, which are served in neat martini-style glasses, and are very good. In our 2 visits, we tried their guacamole and corn cakes appetizers, Gaucho Steak Burrito (yum!), and Taco Twosome Platter (choose from chicken, steak, veggie, or pork). Fresh ingredients and spices make everything very tasty.
This location is one of a small chain of restaurants around California. If you live in the area, Left at Albuquerque has a frequent dining membership program, where you can earn points toward free certificates to spend at the restaurant.
This Left at Albuquerque is ideally situated on State Street among hundreds of boutiques, galleries, antique shops, restaurants, pubs, and nearby Paseo Nuevo outdoor mall (see other journal entry). It is located at 803 State Street, about 6-7 blocks east of the beach, and roughly half that distance from the Holiday Inn Express near State and West Haley Streets (see other journal entry). Their phone number is 805-564-5040.