Came to Santa Barbara for the first time and this was the first stop my friend and I made. Holyyyyy…read moreeverything was so good! Great way to kick off the trip. We ordered the nachos with pulled pork, Mac and cheese with brisket, and two burgers. We underestimated how much food was coming out . Not only was it huge portions, everything also tasted so good. The people taking our orders were also super sweet.

Funk in Public…read more Family-owned and operated local chain of restaurants and butcher shops that's been serving the Santa Barbara community for over fifty years (ca. 1973). This location is in Santa Barbara's "Funk Zone" district, which was formerly an industrial area that's turned into a wine and art district full of interesting places to gander. The Good: * Huge dog-friendly covered outdoor seating * Full lineup of their signature Shalhoob craft beers. They also have fermented grapes and liquor, if beer isn't your jam. * Service was friendly and welcoming. * Street Parking and City-owned lots, as well. The lots are your best bet, and they're free for a short while. * Prices are very reasonable for a BBQ place. * The Street Corn app might be the best thing we ate here as the corn was super fresh right off the cob, and the Chipotle aioli was superb. * BBQ Beans was more of a bean soup, but it was decent. * Mac & Cheese was also pretty good. Carrots enjoyed it more than I did, but I might've been grumpy from the shitty meats (more on that in a minute). The Meh: * Tritip was completely dry and tasted like it was cooked in the oven and then finished on the grill. But, I will say, at least it was edible unlike the ribs... The Ugly: * Maybe the worst ribs I've ever had. They were just completely hammered with salt and completely blew out my palate within two bites, which is a shame because they were tender and cooked well, but jfc, no amount of sauce or anything is going to save something this salty. Conclusion: Maybe we just caught them on a bad day because a place doesn't survive for over fifty years serving up meat like this. I'd be willing to give them another try someday, but I need my tongue to recover first.

630pm on a Sunday with reservations…read more It started to get really busy by 7:30pm. Outdoor fire pit and string lights make it a true vibe for casual outing or date night. Service was phenomenal! Everyone was extra attentive and went above and beyond to make sure my family was comfortable, including the baby! Fried chicken with the grits was excellent!! Orecchiette and lettuce salad were also really good. I would say the crudo (salmon) and fisherman's catch (bluefin tuna) were forgettable. Cornbread and shrimp toast are worth getting to try- good but not great. Come for date night or family dinner, but make a reservation for the weekends!

Best cornbread of my entire life…read more Whilst bar-hopping, we only stopped at The Lark for a bite, and a cocktail... (we were hoping to find something on the less pricey side for our main dinner) The whiskey fruit-infused cocktails sounded amazing, but just tasted like whiskey. Bit of a let-down, despite being good whiskey. But HOLY-YELP, if you're looking for THE best CORNBREAD you will EVER eat in your life... look no further. It's insane. We didn't explore the menu much beyond that, but it's honestly worth a stop for the cornbread alone.

My partner and I came to celebrate our one year anniversary and we had an amazing time!! We chose…read moreto do the 4 course tasting menu which was out of this world and incredibly worth the price. Each dish was so flavorful and made with so much care. My favorite dish was the pumpkin style gnocchi we had and the branzino fish, he loved the bone marrow. The soup I forgot to take a picture of was potato and leek with truffle was amazing as well. The restaurant is also very cozy with great ambience and we had fantastic service.

We were super excited for our Saturday brunch reservation for 3 at 11:30. We were greeted by a…read moreyoung child at the host stand, and while I absolutely adore kids I was a little confused by the very nervous child seating us and getting us water. She was about 9 years old and shaking while she poured us water, which made us feel badly for her and not really understand why a child was working at this upscale restaurant but watching the only server/owner running around on the floor it seemed necessary to have this child working the host stand. I understand they were busy or understaffed, but we had a variety of issues throughout our visit that went unaddressed with what resulted in a very odd outburst. The wait for drinks was 20+ minutes, and the wait for a food order exceeded an hour. One drink came out incorrectly. 30+ minutes after ordering our bread came out cold and without butter, and of our party of 3, one guest's entree took an additional 10 minutes to come out without any acknowledgement from staff. Overall the service was really disappointing and there was no apology at any point throughout our meal even though it seemed clear the service was lacking throughout our visit. When the server/owner came to drop our check he asked how our experience was. I truly tried to be as polite as possible while explaining our frustrations. In addition to the long wait times, we had a drink come out the wrong flavor, a rude bartender, and one crepe came out without the Brie as described, which I didn't get a chance to explain. I also mentioned having a child greet us was unexpected to which he told us he was teaching his child responsibility and that's why she was working. He seemed set off by the feedback I was trying to give and he then threw my credit card onto the table and he told me he didn't want my money. I didn't want a free meal, I wanted to give feedback into our experience which I would classify as the worst restaurant service I have ever had. I keep replaying the whole experience trying to figure out what I could have done differently to have had a positive experience but as a long time server in Santa Barbara I'm having a hard time reconciling this crazy experience.

We went to Finney's Craft House in Santa Barbara and had such a fun dinner! The vibe was energetic…read moreand lively, and our waitress was great and super attentive. We clearly came hungry We ordered the poke nachos, avocado egg rolls, spicy tuna crispy rice, yuzu buffalo boneless wings, crispy coconut shrimp, fries, and the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. Everything was fresh and really good, elevated bar food with lots to choose from. The spicy tuna crispy rice was probably my favorite! My sister LOVED the avocado egg rolls, which have mango in them and were definitely a fun twist. The only thing I probably wouldn't order again was the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. The prosciutto was sliced pretty thick and cooked almost like bacon, which just wasn't what I was expecting. And the margaritas!! We tried the skinny, guava, and spicy mango and ALL three were excellent. I also loved being able to split and pay the bill ourselves on the little kiosk at the table. No waiting around for the check, which is such a nice touch! Fun atmosphere, great service, good food and EXCELLENT margaritas. I would definitely come back! Only took pictures of the drinks because we were too hungry lol.

Prosciutto and arugula pizza (1/5) wasn't a quite what I was expecting. It is more like a bacon and…read morearugula pizza--the prosciutto was cooked. It is topped with shredded cheese, but the cheese is...firm? Sweet potato fries are perfectly crispy and salted!

This place was spectacular! I came here for my birthday and am so glad I did because this is a…read moreplace I'd come back time and time again. The ambience was lively, the service staff were warm, and the food was amazing. One of my favorite things they offered as starters were their assortment of mini muffins (banana nut, rosemary, cheese etc). They were so good! The staff was nice enough to give me some to take home at the end of our meal. As we were enjoying the muffins, there was point in the evening where the staff all came together and sang "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It felt special and was nice hearing everyone sing along. We eventually ordered a jambalaya pasta dish and fish with vegetables dish. Needless to say, the pasta was out of this world. It was creamy, savory, and perfectly balanced in flavor. I'd come back just for that pasta dish alone, and that says a lot as I am not a huge pasta lover. Since it was my birthday, they surprised me with an ice cream dessert with chocolate writing on the plate. I was most impressed with the quality of chocolate they used for the writing. It was not Hershey's syrup one would assume, they went an extra step and used high quality thick chocolate that they melted to write my birthday greeting in cursive. Thankfully my name is long so I could eat more chocolate lol. By the end of the meal, I left the Palace with a feeling of nostalgia and mild sadness because I had to leave. That's when I knew I experienced something special. I can't wait to go back!

If you're looking for some tasty Cajun-Creole cuisine and a good time in Santa Barbara, definitely…read morecheck out The Palace Grill! The decor of the restaurant makes you feel like you've stepped into New Orleans--murals, Mardi Gras themed items, and cards on the ceiling! I was so excited that they bring out complimentary mini muffins! They are SO good! They have a few different flavors like banana nut, jalapeno corn, a rosemary one, etc. Definitely a highlight! For appetizers, we ordered the Cajun Popcorn and the Soft Shell Crab. I haven't had a lot of crawfish before, so I really wanted to try the Cajun Popcorn. These crawfish tails are dipper in cornbread buttermilk batter and fried. They're crispy and fun to eat! They give a sherry wine dipping sauce, which was also yummy! Would recommend getting these! We also wanted to try the Soft Shell Crab, and you can get it as an appetizer or an entree. The appetizer comes with one soft shell crab that's been stuffed with Bienville crabmeat dressing, coated the cornmeal flour, and flash fried. It has just the right amount of crispiness! It's served with a jalapeno beurre-blanc and rice. For our entree, we shared the Crawfish Pasta Lafitte. We couldn't get enough of the crawfish tails so decided to get the pasta that had them as well. The pasta also had caramelized onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cream, and creole seasoning. Very tasty! Would recommend this pasta! For the fun part that I mentioned--they have a magician that walks around and does magic tricks at each table! It was entertaining and very cool to see some of the tricks up close! They also have a Sing-Along moment in the evening where they'll had out lyric sheets to everyone, turn on the music, and everyone sings the song together. They were playing "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong on the evening I was there, but the song changes and they ask you not to open the lyrics book until right before the song, so it's a surprise!

My date and I really enjoyed the Tomahawk dinner special. The chef did a fine job combining all the…read moreingredients to create such a tasty steak, and I especially appreciated that it was already sliced for us. My date, a steak professional and strict carnivore, rated it "good." I, on the other hand, thought it was super delicious! The booth seating was comfortable, too. Service was great overall--except that we were given someone else's tab. Fortunately, the total was about the same as what our steak dinner would have cost, so I didn't realize there was a mistake until I got home. That's when things got a little frustrating. I tried calling the restaurant several times to correct the error, but no one ever picked up. By late morning the next day, I finally got through, and a woman told me the manager would call me at noon to help sort things out. Unfortunately, noon came and went, and I never heard from him. I'm curious whether my message actually got through and whether the manager will eventually call me. Fortunately, I'm local, so I'll stop by the restaurant on my evening walk and take care of it in person. Overall, I enjoyed the dinner and would happily go back--but if you need to reach them, don't rely on the phone!

This is the on site restaurant at the Kimpton canary downtown Santa Barbara. It's adjacent to lobby…read morebar and lounge. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. We stayed here for a weekend so we had breakfast / brunch here in the mornings. This restaurant is very cozy and comfy. Except a bit of toddler crying here and now since this is a family restaurant especially in the mornings. For breakfast we have tried local fruit plate, breakfast plate and California style shakshuka. Also sides of fruits and smoked salmon. The food was delicious in healthy portions. The service was fantastic and very welcoming! We were very impressed with this hotel restaurant and will come back whenever we are in town!

I really enjoyed the halibut. The ingredients were well-balanced, and I loved the flavor. The…read morepresentation was just okay, though, and unfortunately, it doesn't look very appealing in my photo--especially since the restaurant had dimmed the lights. The waiter was very accommodating, and I really appreciated him letting me return the second glass of wine. It took me a little while after finishing the first glass to feel the effects, and by then, I was already getting tipsy. LOL. So I decided to exchange the second glass for a dessert of the same price instead. Thank you, Barbareno, for another pleasant dinner! I always appreciate the wonderful service and the lovely dining experience.

We had an absolutely wonderful time at Barbareño, from service to food to overall comfort level,…read moreeverything was fantastic. Our server did a great job of explaining the menu and we were able to ask questions to make our experience great. I started with a lovely aromatic orange wine, then we moved into bottles of red. Wine service was quick, elegant, and fit perfectly with the meal. All dishes were coursed so well, my favorites were the ones our server had recommended. Dumpling starters were absolutely a highlight, crudo was fresh and delicious, and pork was a perfect entree to share. The baked California dessert had such prominent flavors and was such a delicate and delightful way to end. Overall I am so happy with my experience here and would recommend for an upscale and comfortable experience

Over all these years, I have avoided the Funky Zone for various silly reasons. But for a while now,…read morewhen I visit my friend's auto repair shop downtown, he always gets Turkey Burgers from here. Always looking for places to have solo lunch, I finally ventured to FZ. There's no sign. I drove by several times and parked, determined to find it. It was next to Lama Dog. I ordered at the window from a very friendly and efficient staff member. I found a nice bar-height communal table inside a super cool restored warehouse with awesome indie music jamming, also surrounded by big screens and sporting events. I ordered a bottled Arnold Palmer from the bar, not realizing the bottled drinks are self-serve. Nevertheless, the bartender kindly got it for me along with a glass of ice. Now here's the best part: the very best Turkey Burger I have ever had--way better than any take-out before. It's topped with garlic aioli, avocado, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and crispy skinny onion rings, just perfect. I also ordered the fries with truffle and Parmesan--absolutely delicious, though a bit too flavorful, which overshadowed the turkey burger's flavor. I've tried both sweet and regular potato fries here, and they are excellent too. This place really hits the spot. Can't wait to come back.

We stopped by Lama Dog for a drink and were very happy to find this little "nook" inside serving…read morefood. Perfect for grabbing a bite to go with your beer. Got their Lobster Mac & Cheese. Was enough for us to share between two. Creamy and cheesy, but could've used more lobster. Would've expected a better lobster to macaroni ratio with this one. Prices are a little steeper here. It was $25 for the Lobster mac & cheese, which I would've been more open to with a bit more fish in the dish. Plus, when I go to grab a beer, I'm not necessarily wanting to pay $20+ for a burger without fries. That being said, it's still a good spot to grab some food while drinking a beer at Lama Dog.

5* experience to end a holiday weekend on a high note! I'll be honest, Opal was the restaurant I…read morewas "least hyped" for before visiting. Not because it did anything wrong, but because a couple other options had gone more viral. Just goes to show you can't trust social media for anything. Let's start with the service, which was excellent from our awesome server Sam to our hostess to all the other servers we interacted with. My husband and I commented on how insanely in sync the restaurant was -- SO friendly, going truly above and beyond. Whoever owns and manages this place has clearly chosen some superstars! Then the food.... Just incredible! I had the duck breast and was devastated when I ran out of pieces. The sauce was so delicious and the risotto was excellent. My husband had the ribeye, which was cooked to perfection. Cherry on top was a sweet dessert surprise for our anniversary! Opal, we will be back!

Our group of eight thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Opal. The service was outstanding! Our waitress…read morewas attentive, thoughtful, and incredibly helpful with the menu options, while also accommodating our individual preferences. We truly appreciated her care and attention. She also selected the perfect wine for me--beautifully balanced and full of flavor. I was very impressed! A special thanks to the chef who prepared my lamb chop dinner. I was served three large, thick, and incredibly juicy lamb chops. They were absolutely amazing--truly heavenly! I highly recommend this dish, especially for fellow meat lovers.

Food was delicious!! We had the roasted quinoa salad and cheeseburger. Omg! Our server was so sweet…read moreand attentive. We also still got a nice view of the ocean from inside.

Great Food Great view…read more Great service Reasonable prices Parking available on the south end of the building