Walking into the Matador restaurant, the dark red walls set a dark ambiance. The custom glass-blown lights are shaped as red capes that look like matador rings.

Brown velvet fabric lines the backings of booth seats across the walls of the room and small red candles add a minute, yet sufficient, glow for eating.

Joanie Vazquez graduated from UCSB with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. What she didn’t know at the time of graduation was she would soon own the Matador, a tapas bar and Latin steakhouse on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.

The restaurant was mildly busy for a Wednesday night. The bar was empty but seats in the restaurant remained full for the majority of the night.

It’s hard to find the perfect volume for music and it seemed as though the restaurant couldn’t decide between urban techno or Spanish style jams. Ultimately, both took turns projecting out the speakers.

The server, a timid yet amicable man, told us to his favorite dishes on the menu after we asked. The menu is large, with several different hot and cold tapas appetizers.

We opted for the “Matador Lamb ‘Pops'” which were exquisite in taste. A unique pomegranate sauce, sweet and slightly pungent, drizzled over three miniature lamb chops which were cooked just the right amount to keep the juiciness while maintaining a grilled flavor. And of course, the meat fell right off the bone.

Another tapas plate, “Frito y Pasilla,” of fried calamari with Pasilla chiles dusted in paprika flour and flash fried, served with a spicy tomato sauce. These have quite the spicy kick, with melt-in-your-mouth texture. Some people argue this is the best calamari in town.

A sip of “Sour Spaniard,” made with Agava wine, fresh orange and limejuice tastes like a margarita, and washed the spicy flavor down “rapido.”

I ordered the “Ensalada de Pepino,” a fresh cucumber salad tossed with ginger dressing and Spanish olive oil, thinking it would be refreshing. However, it did the exact opposite. I like heaps of ginger with my sushi, but my cucumber squares were drenched.

My friends ordered a pitcher of “White Sangria,” white wine with fresh fruit and San Pellegrino, which unfortunately lacked the fullness and kick traditional Sangria has.

Vazquez said the “Chimichurri Filet Skewers” and the “Halibut Ceviche” were most popular among her patrons.

The “Halibut Civeche”, a marinated Halibut with traditional lemon and limejuice served with tortilla chips was rich and zesty in flavor and is served cold at just the right temperature.

A colorful and unordinary dish “Salsa de Nopales”, a cactus salsa, is served in a colorful array of cilantro and tortilla chips. However, it seemed a bit dull in texture and in flavor. The tomatoes included in the dish had more depth than the cactus.

“Churrascaria,” a petit filet, could definitely be compared to Holdren’s Steakhouse. The meat was medium rare, as perfect as a traditional filet can be.

The Matador has a little jolt to their not-so-traditional cheesecake. The “Chipotle Cheesecake” packs some heat and the whipped cream and strawberries layered on top cleverly deceives the eye.

Tapas plates range from $4 to $15, entrees from $22 to $40. A meal for two including drinks ranges from $60 to $120, depending on what you order.