This was my first time coming here & I had a good time. However, a few hours later.. I got a notification from my bank that the bar tried charging me AGAIN but for THOUSANDS of dollars... I took a screenshot for the exact amount. I'm completely appalled and hope nobody else had this happen to them, especially because it was SA Pride today. Not cool at all.. I'm never coming back to this bar ever again.. completely disappointed. Update: Yes, I called my bank & they are sending in a new debit card in the mail. I also noticed I was charged twice for my original amount.... additional Screenshot uploaded.
Belen G.
I like it fast service good performance ok prices Only they need more seating everything els is good.
Lizbeth B.
This review is for the downstairs venue. I came here last night for a show with my hubby and a few friends. The venue is very spacious and easy to move around in. The bartender with the sleeve tattoos was on it while helping us out! Very quick and a kind guy to be served by. The upstairs has a restaurant which you can grab a quick bite to eat before the show which is really convenient as well.
Mike G.
Club/venue review. I'll try and hit a lot of points. Started bad. Got there at 645 because doors open at 7. Come to find out they changed the time to almost 9! The guy was like check the website. Wtf? They changed it less than six hours in advance. Whatever don't know if that's the venue or show fault The place is pretty trash starting with what looks like management. While in line, what looks like a manager, was smoking and just throws his nasty cigarette on the ground when done. 95% of staff doesn't have any emotions or smiles. Only one server and bartender had a smile. Stage Security? What security? Guest started getting a little out of control with one of the female acts, to the point where the drummer had to throw not one but two drumsticks at him. Sound manager? Doubtful. You couldn't hear the vocals at all, so it made that part of the show a disappointment. Light controller? Maybe, but only after the performer asked 3 times to turn things on. Oh and make sure you don't try and sit on a booth. Because they will say you can't because it is bottle service. No signs or " hey are we having bottle service tonight. " they just assumed ( or maybe someone is supposed to guide you) we didn't want it.
Lamson N.
Soo good ! Been in Downtown Santa Ana for a while now and never came across a venue that does an octopus dish quite like this. Went in for a quick lunch and paired with some tacos. They have an array of mezcal and tequila selections too. Will definitely be back
Johnny L.
The WORST security in the entire city. Literally tried to fight me .. as I tried to enter the building to PLAY a show there w my band. Mind you it was an all ages show. They wouldn't let me in to play the show, until they realized how d*** that sounded . Then they had the "owner" the main manager he claimed come and then he "apologized" to me and at that point I was in no vibe to play for the venue. BADD VIBES .. They then created a fake Instagram account to try to insult and fight me. They are unreal. I hope no one ever goes in here. Sound man was on drugs for sure .. like heavy drugs .. and they were all cool with it. La santa is plain garbage .
Jenna C.
So when we came for brunch, Juan, our server told us "hey you should come for dinner. It's really good especially if you like fish tacos". So we did just that today. We had the shrimp tacos and fish tacos as well as the fish and chips and calamari. I had the shrimp tacos and OH EM GEE these had to be the BEST shrimp tacos I've ever had. The sauce on them was so delicious! My husband had the fish tacos and they were so good. We also had the calamari and for me I'm not a fan of calamari due to an incident in SD. The calamari didn't taste like calamari! It was so good and the mole sauce that pairs with it was chef's kiss! We ordered two of those because it was so good! We also ordered cocktails. My sister loved her Moscow Mule, I had the Margarita Tropical. So yummy. We thanked Juan (he was cooking this time) for telling us to come back and have dinner. Definitely gonna keep coming back for sure!
Dan J.
I drunkenly left a review for the wrong "La Santa" last time. They have both a restaurant and club, and my d*** a** left one for the club when it should've been for this place. I only gave a 4 out of 5 last time, but after eating here again, I'm moving it up to where it properly belongs. And, no, I am not drunk this time. Although I had already eaten prior to coming I today, I did order some chips and guacamole. As you can see in the picture, the guacamole was amazing. It was so quickly devoured that I forgot to take a picture until after the fact. Fresh avocados with some tomatoes, sliced tortilla chips and some sprinkled cheese, it was overly delicious! My Cadillac, as poured by bartender Juan, was simply amazing. This place would be overcrowded if it were on 4th street. But it being one block over, on 3rd, I consider this a hidden gem!
Erick C.
New menu is amazing! Torta sliders are a must try share plate, and do not miss the ribs!! Drinks were great as well thank you Dino for the great experience! Awesome DTSA hidden gem!!
Erica Chantelle V.
Tried this place for the first time. Server let me know it was a new menu. I was actually very pleased with some of the items I tried. First off, my cocktail was delicious. I had a cannon ball. Then from there, everyone I was with shared items! We tried the Al pastor torta sliders, the ribs, the ceviche, and the Al pastor carbonara. All items were really good! Great job on the new menu!
The service is so great here! Dino at the bar is awesome, but there's also some really great chefs here. I LOVED the Chorizo torta sliders! I uploaded photos of the menu - good ceviche too. Can't wait to come back to try more!
Andrew D.
La Santa is conveniently located in the heart of DTSA's East Village. It may seem fairly unassuming on the outside. But once you step inside, you know you're somewhere special. This is definitely a Downtown bar, so you'll find plenty of creative cocktails here. When I was here yesterday, I tried their twist on the old fashioned - with mezcal. It definitely had that classic old fashioned flavor, but the mezcal made it more multi-dimensional. I was very impressed. When we were here, they had their happy hour food menu. We tried the ceviche, which was incredibly satisfying and refreshing while also giving just the right amount of heat. We also tried the guacamole, which was very hearty and full of avocado goodness. We also had a quesadilla, which went quite well with the ceviche. I was very impressed with what we found at La Santa yesterday, and I can hardly wait to try more of their menu next time we're Downtown.
Norma N.
Brunch was excellent. Also highly recommend the barbacoa and cochinita pibil tacos, the calamari, and aguachile.
Myriam Y.
Omg! This place has completely changed it's food menu. I used to come here before and they really only had bar food but now they have brunch with mariachi on Sundays with mimosas and drinks plus good lunch menu. They have a new chef here and wow his food is definitely worth coming here. I had the Chile relleno divorciados with barbacoa meat and my boyfriend had the barbacoa omelette. Both were amazing! So much flavor! We also had a side of french toast that did not disappoint. Our drinks were Hotel Nacional and the Oxacan Old fashion and both were sooooo good! The service was good too everyone is very attentive and friendly. We will be coming again! I want to try everything on the menu!
Ortencia A.
Come for the food and stay for the drinks!! It was nice coming back to DTSA after quite awhile. I have my downtown go to's but wanted to try something new. The place was desolate but so was everything else on this Wednesday evening. I received a friendly welcome from the bar tender as well as from the patrons that were seated at the bar. I didn't even look at a menu, I asked the regulars to guide me between friendly conversation (my favorite kind of experiences). We started with a cocktail called Paraíso. The rum and pineapple/tropical flavors with a frothy finish make a refreshing drink lives up to its name. The cochinita pibil sliders are a MUST have. The chef is from Yucatán and this recipe is spot on! Tender, flavorful meat with a cebollas curtidas finish! Yum! The tacos, I don't have much to say about the tacos but they didn't shake me. I like food to wow me, make me close my eyes and melt or make me fall out of my seat. Didn't happen with the tacos. My review breakdown goes as follows: Ambiance 4 stars Service 4 stars Drinks 5 stars Torta sliders 4 stars Tacos 3 stars
This was my first time coming here & I had a good time. However, a few hours later.. I got a notification from my bank that the bar tried charging me AGAIN but for THOUSANDS of dollars... I took a screenshot for the exact amount. I'm completely appalled and hope nobody else had this happen to them, especially because it was SA Pride today. Not cool at all.. I'm never coming back to this bar ever again.. completely disappointed. Update: Yes, I called my bank & they are sending in a new debit card in the mail. I also noticed I was charged twice for my original amount.... additional Screenshot uploaded.
I like it fast service good performance ok prices Only they need more seating everything els is good.
This review is for the downstairs venue. I came here last night for a show with my hubby and a few friends. The venue is very spacious and easy to move around in. The bartender with the sleeve tattoos was on it while helping us out! Very quick and a kind guy to be served by. The upstairs has a restaurant which you can grab a quick bite to eat before the show which is really convenient as well.
Club/venue review. I'll try and hit a lot of points. Started bad. Got there at 645 because doors open at 7. Come to find out they changed the time to almost 9! The guy was like check the website. Wtf? They changed it less than six hours in advance. Whatever don't know if that's the venue or show fault The place is pretty trash starting with what looks like management. While in line, what looks like a manager, was smoking and just throws his nasty cigarette on the ground when done. 95% of staff doesn't have any emotions or smiles. Only one server and bartender had a smile. Stage Security? What security? Guest started getting a little out of control with one of the female acts, to the point where the drummer had to throw not one but two drumsticks at him. Sound manager? Doubtful. You couldn't hear the vocals at all, so it made that part of the show a disappointment. Light controller? Maybe, but only after the performer asked 3 times to turn things on. Oh and make sure you don't try and sit on a booth. Because they will say you can't because it is bottle service. No signs or " hey are we having bottle service tonight. " they just assumed ( or maybe someone is supposed to guide you) we didn't want it.
Soo good ! Been in Downtown Santa Ana for a while now and never came across a venue that does an octopus dish quite like this. Went in for a quick lunch and paired with some tacos. They have an array of mezcal and tequila selections too. Will definitely be back
The WORST security in the entire city. Literally tried to fight me .. as I tried to enter the building to PLAY a show there w my band. Mind you it was an all ages show. They wouldn't let me in to play the show, until they realized how d*** that sounded . Then they had the "owner" the main manager he claimed come and then he "apologized" to me and at that point I was in no vibe to play for the venue. BADD VIBES .. They then created a fake Instagram account to try to insult and fight me. They are unreal. I hope no one ever goes in here. Sound man was on drugs for sure .. like heavy drugs .. and they were all cool with it. La santa is plain garbage .
So when we came for brunch, Juan, our server told us "hey you should come for dinner. It's really good especially if you like fish tacos". So we did just that today. We had the shrimp tacos and fish tacos as well as the fish and chips and calamari. I had the shrimp tacos and OH EM GEE these had to be the BEST shrimp tacos I've ever had. The sauce on them was so delicious! My husband had the fish tacos and they were so good. We also had the calamari and for me I'm not a fan of calamari due to an incident in SD. The calamari didn't taste like calamari! It was so good and the mole sauce that pairs with it was chef's kiss! We ordered two of those because it was so good! We also ordered cocktails. My sister loved her Moscow Mule, I had the Margarita Tropical. So yummy. We thanked Juan (he was cooking this time) for telling us to come back and have dinner. Definitely gonna keep coming back for sure!
I drunkenly left a review for the wrong "La Santa" last time. They have both a restaurant and club, and my d*** a** left one for the club when it should've been for this place. I only gave a 4 out of 5 last time, but after eating here again, I'm moving it up to where it properly belongs. And, no, I am not drunk this time. Although I had already eaten prior to coming I today, I did order some chips and guacamole. As you can see in the picture, the guacamole was amazing. It was so quickly devoured that I forgot to take a picture until after the fact. Fresh avocados with some tomatoes, sliced tortilla chips and some sprinkled cheese, it was overly delicious! My Cadillac, as poured by bartender Juan, was simply amazing. This place would be overcrowded if it were on 4th street. But it being one block over, on 3rd, I consider this a hidden gem!
New menu is amazing! Torta sliders are a must try share plate, and do not miss the ribs!! Drinks were great as well thank you Dino for the great experience! Awesome DTSA hidden gem!!
Tried this place for the first time. Server let me know it was a new menu. I was actually very pleased with some of the items I tried. First off, my cocktail was delicious. I had a cannon ball. Then from there, everyone I was with shared items! We tried the Al pastor torta sliders, the ribs, the ceviche, and the Al pastor carbonara. All items were really good! Great job on the new menu!
Restaurantji Recommends
The service is so great here! Dino at the bar is awesome, but there's also some really great chefs here. I LOVED the Chorizo torta sliders! I uploaded photos of the menu - good ceviche too. Can't wait to come back to try more!
La Santa is conveniently located in the heart of DTSA's East Village. It may seem fairly unassuming on the outside. But once you step inside, you know you're somewhere special. This is definitely a Downtown bar, so you'll find plenty of creative cocktails here. When I was here yesterday, I tried their twist on the old fashioned - with mezcal. It definitely had that classic old fashioned flavor, but the mezcal made it more multi-dimensional. I was very impressed. When we were here, they had their happy hour food menu. We tried the ceviche, which was incredibly satisfying and refreshing while also giving just the right amount of heat. We also tried the guacamole, which was very hearty and full of avocado goodness. We also had a quesadilla, which went quite well with the ceviche. I was very impressed with what we found at La Santa yesterday, and I can hardly wait to try more of their menu next time we're Downtown.
Brunch was excellent. Also highly recommend the barbacoa and cochinita pibil tacos, the calamari, and aguachile.
Omg! This place has completely changed it's food menu. I used to come here before and they really only had bar food but now they have brunch with mariachi on Sundays with mimosas and drinks plus good lunch menu. They have a new chef here and wow his food is definitely worth coming here. I had the Chile relleno divorciados with barbacoa meat and my boyfriend had the barbacoa omelette. Both were amazing! So much flavor! We also had a side of french toast that did not disappoint. Our drinks were Hotel Nacional and the Oxacan Old fashion and both were sooooo good! The service was good too everyone is very attentive and friendly. We will be coming again! I want to try everything on the menu!
Come for the food and stay for the drinks!! It was nice coming back to DTSA after quite awhile. I have my downtown go to's but wanted to try something new. The place was desolate but so was everything else on this Wednesday evening. I received a friendly welcome from the bar tender as well as from the patrons that were seated at the bar. I didn't even look at a menu, I asked the regulars to guide me between friendly conversation (my favorite kind of experiences). We started with a cocktail called Paraíso. The rum and pineapple/tropical flavors with a frothy finish make a refreshing drink lives up to its name. The cochinita pibil sliders are a MUST have. The chef is from Yucatán and this recipe is spot on! Tender, flavorful meat with a cebollas curtidas finish! Yum! The tacos, I don't have much to say about the tacos but they didn't shake me. I like food to wow me, make me close my eyes and melt or make me fall out of my seat. Didn't happen with the tacos. My review breakdown goes as follows: Ambiance 4 stars Service 4 stars Drinks 5 stars Torta sliders 4 stars Tacos 3 stars