The Elephant Bar was a favorite of mine when I went to college in Santa Barbara. Maybe it was just a rosy memory of how it "used to be" or maybe the E-Bar doesn't compare favorably to some of the new restaurants such as the Rainforest Cafe, but we came away a bit disappointed. Not ripped off by any stretch, just wishing for more.

We ordered our Mai Tai in the bar area, while waiting for our table to be ready (warning: the E-Bar can be busy!). I could tell right away the bartender didn't know what he was doing... he fumbled around, eventually looking up the recipe in the computer. Then it was a game of "let's find the orange curacao and orgeat syrup." The bartender then called over the other bartender to help him. Ok, this guy didn't know what he was doing, but let's give him some credit for trying.

The $3.75 Mai Tai was served in a short old-fashioned glass, topped with a pineapple. The mixture was shaken with ice and a dark brown color. It tasted sweet initially, with an alcohol taste reminiscent of vodka rather than rum. The drink tasted almost like a Manhattan, and soon tasted very watery. Not bad for the price, and we hope the taste of our Mai Tai was just a rookie mistake.

The Elephant Bar is a pretty good slice of a suburban theme restaurant. This particular E-Bar has three distinct rooms. The attractive staff dress in khakis and seemed ready to lead us on a safari. All of E-Bar was friendly and efficient, even on a crowded day. Contemporary music played throughout, disappointing for those looking for something a bit more exotic.

The round bar room sits in the middle of the restaurant. Cool "fake blue sky" sits over the bamboo-lined bar, almost looking like a large skylight. The round bar and stools formed a circle around the bottles of alcohol and other accouterments. Tables and booths sit in a ring on the outer edge of the room.

The large main room has a large stone wall on one end, complete with carved elephant face, flowers, and running water. Large fans moved in unison to keep a gentle breeze throughout the restaurant.

We sat in the third room, which felt like a safari lodge. Lots of wood touches, and each booth had a distinct and different animal print fabric pattern. The chairs had a tiger print or leather covering. We could see elephants everywhere. Carved elephants of both wood and stone, and elephant paintings on the walls. Trunks (storage, not elephant) rested above each of the booths, reminiscent of a safari. However, if you took off these trinkets, the room would look like any other restaurant. That wasn't good enough for a high rating in our book.

The E-Bar isn't a bad experience. It's a great place for drinks (our Mai Tai notwithstanding) and desert. But it isn't up to the caliber of the finest in themed restaurant dining.

Taste:
Atmosphere:
Date Visited: August 1, 1998
Reviewed by: Kevin Crossman, Julie Crossman

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