Make this a destination on your visit to Santa Barbara. The photos can't show what the wonderful spirit from coming here brings. Coming to Santa Barbara for the International Film Festival and seeing celebrities was surely a treat, especially on a rainy February weekend when watching the Super Bowl was not the top of my list. What was SPECIAL is Farmer Boy. So much so the two days we were here brought us here twice so far, but we are planning to return again before we leave on Monday. The initial mention to come to Farmer Boy after my friend Kevin asked about recommendations and listing what he was hungry for (pancakes, a breakfast burrito or something really special and known locally by regulars) came by way of local hotel staff. And are we glad we listened to their recommendation. Not only are the staff (Katie, Kim and Nick get shout outs from Kevin and me) but they were who we came in contact with. Warm and kind, personable, happy folks that truly enjoy serving people and making sure they are happily fed and enjoy their food was the compliment you get with an amazingly warm and down home meal, be that breakfast or lunch. The smiles on their faces show up in the food and that is contagious in today's need for truly genuine authentic love and happiness in our daily lives. We had the items in the photographs and the descriptions don't do them justice. But here are some real honorable mentions: fluffy scrambled eggs, a bagel that has a moist inside, perfectly toasted outside, country biscuits that were perfect...flaky and soft with a savory sausage gravy. The kind of biscuits that taste amazing with gravy, butter or syrup. Hard to find them unless you're down south somewhere. Fried chicken well seasoned and with the right about of flavoring. Not salty but well seasoned. The clam chowder was chocked filled with clam, potatoes and a silky broth. But the cinnamon roll was an amazing piece of bakery badness. Holy hotness. But also, PERFECT CUP OF JOE. The coffee was amazing. Hard to find a good cup of coffee. Because it's here! We need this place and you are missing something truly special. Several folks we saw leave said 'see you next time I'm in town' or 'so glad I came back'. You can tell they were happy they were here and Farmer Boy consistently hits it out of the park. A wonderful place to come. And affordable. Saw lots of groups and families here. COME HERE and you will continuously come back, just to try something you couldn't have the last time you were here. read more

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It a bad place but severely understaffed, to no fault Of their own but if your in a hurry then don't go for breakfast unless you want to spend 1 hour. read more

I think it's one of the better places to get a breakfast. I personally love the mimosas. While there is a line later in the mornings the service is quick and friendly. read more

Really nice service here Good job on the modern diner look. Pies on display. Bright and happy counter. Great comfy booths and individual tables. Ample food. Come hungry! Straightforward, arrives quickly I just wish they had more real diner prices. It is a bit expensive and nothing is organic. Always really busy but you'll be seated in a jiffy. read more

This place is one of my favorite breakfast spots! My two favorite options are the chicken and waffles or the chilaquiles! These two plates will not let you down! Also the large portions will leave you content and with left overs! Why not! Another amazing part is that they serve mimosas! The only down part is that they do tend to get super busy and the wait can be excruciating. read more

Farmer Boy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Stopped here on recommendation from bartender at Brophy Bros. Started with the best cinnamon roll for the table and had carnitas chilequiles. Hubby had the chicken fried steak with home fries. Loved all the flavors! The atmosphere was great with old school music playing overhead. Service was great and all the staff were helpful and welcoming! read more

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The food & service was absolutely amazing! Friendly service... Food and drinks were served rather quickly.. Great atmosphere!!

Tasty and generous portions - great customer service. We were headed north to Monterey from Orange County - googled eateries near me as we traveled and Farmer boy was a hit!! The a restaurant was clean , well lite and plenty of sitting inside & out read more

I love the pancakes here. So fully and just the right amount of sweetness. My husband likes the toad in a hole and I always get the farmer boy special. read more

What's happening here?? Hostess is abrupt and not at all welcoming. There were 5 open tables and 8 spots at the counter yet a wait for 2 of us was 30 minutes. Combo plate arrived separately, so it wasn't a combo at all. Food was OK. Sad experience. read more

Keep that coffee flowin' Kip! Now, usually I'm a cream and sugar kind of guy, but let's be honest, I could loose a few pounds, so I'm cutting back on the sugar, and I'm watching my sodium intake. I went with the kids scramble, and a black coffee. The music is always on point at Farmer Boy. Everything from The Beach Boys, to Donovan. Meal was on point! 5/5, talk about service with a smile read more

Farmer Boy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Fantastic diner. I had the salmon Benedict, latte, and their famous cinnamon bun. Everything was so so so yummy. The staff was friendly and efficient. Location and restaurant was super cute. Would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Casual, delicious, and unsuspecting. This little diner popped up when looking for a decent breakfast spot. Even on a Monday it was busy. Sat at the bar and was attended to quickly. The Cinnabon is to DIE for! That some coffee or a latte made to order is a perfect quick bite to share! The home fries were the best I've ever had! No onions or peppers! Just a perfectly seasoned smashed potpot! Crispy, trendy and hot! I had an omelette which was perfectly cooked! Fluffy and filled! We also ordered the Chilaquiles! Salsa verde was delicious and perfectly spiced! Biscuit was amazing! Would come here again and again! Must try when in town! read more

This is not your fathers Farmer Boy. Is this star reborn in the new and improved restaurant? What a difference some light makes. It's bright and beautiful in here but you'll pay for it. The Brophy's team moved in and it shows. The chicken fried steak & eggs with homemade gravy (was $8.99) is reincarnated as a chicken-fried chicken slider for $10.75 and you'll have to cough up four more dollars if you want two eggs. The breakfast burritos did not make the cut but cinnamon rolls can still be found for $6. The Farmer Boy Buttermilk Pancakes maybe the most notable change. Still on the menu but what used to cost you $4.60 for a full stack will now ring up at $7.00. Wow. The French Toast only increased by .25. New to the menu is the fried chicken and waffles for $11. Add more chicken for four bucks more. Another new item worth mentioning is the Carnitas Chilaquiles $11.95. I wanted the Chicken-Fried Biscuit Sliders with 2 eggs on the side for $4 more dollars (a little steep for a side of eggs that used to be .99ea.). Good thing the gravy is included. BUT "Breakfast served all day" is actually only until 11. How can you call that out on the menu and expect the caveat to fly? To be fair, there are a few items available all day but none I wanted. Went with the Philly Barbara for $12 with their rings. The bread was great and the meat tender and thinly sliced. I would order again if I make it back. Juice up. USB chargers in the booths! NOT Since 1958. Very cool Boy. I'm put back by the price increase and the limited breakfast menu hours. Seriously. You should not advertise Breakfast All Day. In the end, this Boy got a facelift, a much needed deep cleaning and a fancy new menu. Big changes, no longer old dark and tired. Better? Maybe. More expensive? Yep. I'll pass and my guess is, so will those who used to call this place home. It's a Farmer Boy in name only. Will this new venture strive or end up like Arch Rock Fish? read more

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The best service and it was on a weekend. You must order the cinnamon roll!! We will be back soon!

Food was great! Cinnamon roll is delicious and must try. Service was good, a little surprised on the prices. But overall highly recommended

Took a long drive from Los Angeles and was looking around for places to eat. Searched around for casual dining for breakfast. So glad we stopped by. Everything from the decore to the service to the food was exceptional! Every single dish we had was tasty and delicious. From the oatmeal, cinnamon roll, pancakes, BEST bacon ever. Highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

Farmer Boy - Pancake Combo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

one of the best breakfast places! The service is a amazing as well! I also love the Diner vibe I get, but lastly I would recommend the breakfast sandwich! read more

Went there for breakfast. The food was solid and not overcooked and our server was attentive even with a busy rush. The place is nice and clean. I'd definitely come here again. read more

Food was top-notch! Sefive was friendly but took quite a while to get out food. That's honestly my only issue with the place. They even had coffee out front for while you are waiting for a table which is something I never have seen before. Very cool place and Ill be back next time I'm in SB read more

Cinnamon roll for the table! Great place - cozy old-time feel, good staff. Everything I've had has been tasty.

Santa Barbara Farmer Boy. Had hamburger and fries. Fries ok but hamburger was dry. Menu says they put mayo on bun and grill it. It took a ton of catsup to help the dryness. Mustard bottle at table was empty. Pickle spear on side--hamburgers need to have pickles on the burger and it's hard to slice a spear. Just my opinion. I really wanted the light appetite burger thinking it would be smaller as it was $3 cheaper. Waitress said it didn't come with lettuce, tomato, or onion. read more

The service was pretty good for a weekday not much else to say about that. The food was pretty good and I would say it was definitely not bland. The fruit was okay and pricings decent. read more

I wish I had discovered this place sooner! When a friend invited me to brunch one morning, I hadn't heard of it, but little did I know that it was going to be the start of a beautiful relationship. Located on Upper State, it's right across from 7-11 in an unassuming plaza with plenty of parking. The menu is reminiscent to that of Cajun Kitchen's, complete with lots of choices of brunch and comfort food. I went with the chicken-fried biscuit sliders and less than 10 minutes later, they came out looking delectable! The chicken was fried really well and the batter reminded me of the batter at Brophy Bros, which makes sense because they also own this restaurant. The gravy was flavorful and complimented the chicken and biscuits well. Service was quick and friendly and the price was just right. Overall a great place to go and I'm sure I'll be back soon! read more

I'd give this place negative stars. We first called and they said they had a 10 minute wait, when we arrived 10 minutes later there was a 45 minute wait. We happily waited. When 45 minutes past we checked in with the list and they said we were next in line they then proceed to sit another family right in front of us. I want to be understanding especially given these times of covid but our family the only people of color waiting was very disappointed. read more

Farmer Boy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Awesome breakfast! My husband and I ate there two mornings in a row during our short stay in Santa Barbara for business. The best breakfast and the best hot cocoa ! read more

My husband and I were cruising through Santa Barbara on our road trip and found this gem on Yelp. I must say that I was intrigued by the menu item "2-eyed toad-in-a-hole sandwich". It did not disappoint! It was very tasty and they did not skimp on the avocado. It was well presented and the hash browns were nice and crispy. The dining experience was definitely enhanced by our server. He was friendly, funny and efficient. read more

Farmer Boy - Restaurant sign - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I'm a loving customer of Farmer Boy! The food is wonderful and the staff is the best around! Nick is like a son to me and my friend Ruby. Gina is much more like a friend than a waitress! The welcome is always as amazing as the plentiful portions!! Go see for yourself! You'll love Farmer Boy too! Barbara Keating read more

Farmer Boy is the way to start the day! This morning a couple friends and I wanted to get together and have some breakfast and naturally we picked one of our favorite diners Farmer Boy. A true gem in Santa Barbara and a place to get quality food and service. We were able to get seats immediately and coffee as soon as we sat down. This is definitely the place to come with friends, family or even solo for their bar seating. Looking over the menu, everything looked incredible. I went for the country sausage scramble and asked for gravy on top....which I cannot recommend enough! The flavor of the peppers, grilled onions and gravy with the seasoned sausage was to die for. The service again was impeccable and our waitress constantly checked in and brought us coffee which was truly bottomless as their menu described. This spot is a little on the smaller side so I highly recommend getting here early or even reserving a spot if your party is more than 4 people. If you are looking for a range of hearty to light breakfast foods this is your spot! Looking forward to my next time at Farmer Boy. read more

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Breakfast was so good. I ate some of my husbands eggs Benedict, I regret not ordering it. My breakfast was great. But his was bomb!

My husband was trying to call them today (Sunday) to do a to go order and no one was answering so he drove up there. The lady told him that they don't do to go orders on Sunday and he was bummed cuz it's my birthday. She said oh, let me ask and they made me the most delicious eggs benedict I've ever had here in S.B. and made a breakfast for my husband as well! That made my birthday morning for sure! Thank you so much for making my birthday special! You guys are awesome! read more

Excellent food and service. We usually share a 3 egg omelette because they are so big. Delicious bacon! And home make biscuits! Absolutely go and enjoy home cooked food. Excellent service as well read more

Farmer Boy restaurant has a simple setup: good food, huge portions, good service, good atmosphere. The throwback of chrome, formica, bright lights and young people quick stepping plates of perfectly cooked food to the tables creates an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement for enjoying the great food we all enjoyed in the 60's... er, if you were around in the 60's to enjoy that sort of thing... and if not, check out Farmer Boy! Real food. Real service. Tables have electrical outlets with usb ports! How is that for a thoughtful attention to detail? Charge your devices while you enjoy your meal. Farmer Boy is a place one will return to again and again simply because it's a 5 star experience: food, atmosphere, portions and service. read more

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This seems to be the place for grumpy old men to eat and scowl at each other. Not sure about the food because one grumpy man took the only large table. Waiter was less than helpful. I see mixed reviews and I'm leaning into the 1-2 star group. read more

It's becoming a routine... do laundry across the side street and come in for lunch! Great on the taste buds, friendly service, a little hard on the wallet to do it weekly... but I don't intend to stop. Maybe just go for lighter and cheaper dish. Love to Gina and the rest of the crew!! read more

The food here is uniformly excellent. There is a menu for breakfast and another for lunch, equally varied. It has the looks and vibes of an old fashioned diner. The portions are very generous. read more

Great food and even better service. We ate here when it was very busy, yet the service was excellent.

Great diner... friendly and attentive sttaff food was very tasty, brought out quick... Good portions and very attractive decor...very clean. Tables inside and out read more

Food was good service was good too. I would go again. I had the French toast and it was delicious. My mom and my husband had the Baja omelette, my mom liked it my husband didn't. read more

The food is outstanding. The wait staff are super! I have eaten here two times and both have exceeded my expectations!