Stopped by this cafe during our last visit to Santa Barbara. We stopped by the cafe to enjoy coffee and work on homework. The cafe has indoor and outdoor seating and wifi available for this who want to use their laptop or tablet. My only complaint about the cafe was that the tables were too small to have multiple people to place their laptops if needed. Either way, great place to relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee. read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Patio seating. Great for anyone who has a dog. - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Best spot in SB for a pastry and drink (solid ice match latte or espresso). I could be wrong, but so far not been challenged on this! read more

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Coffee really delicious here, a nice rich coffee taste. However place can be incredibly busy, long lines, and noisy. Sitting outside was much more pleasant, luckily they have plenty of tables outside. Opted for just a cup of coffee as one espresso machine was broke and line was really long and slow. Thank goodness they have separate line if just having cup of coffee. read more

Only had the chance to come here two times so far, but I will make it my mission when I come into town. Their iced coffee is really good, not as bitter and bold as the typical chains such as Starbucks and coffee bean. Their cold brews is comparable to portola coffee in irvine. Not as great since they don't do a straight Kyoto, but comparable. Definitely one of the best places in Santa Barbara to stop by. Affagotto is a must as well if you haven't tried it before. The vibe is also really good, bright and funny. Solid place in my book. read more

very good coffee shop in SB, it was crowded, seems to be the SB cyclist favorite. I couldn't find a pour over in town but handlebar's good cup of dark roast did the trick. Yes i would go back, came here after my first cup of coffee at another local favorite and that was totally disappointing. They offer some pastries too and Dog friendly outdoor seating. read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - View to the main counter from the line, plenty of seating to the left - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

No one does espresso drinks like Handlebar or Dune! They're expensive (but honestly, what coffee spot these days isn't?) if you're getting something fancier than a black coffee, but I'd say it's worth it to treat yourself to an oat milk cappuccino or vanilla latte. It's a guaranteed way to make any day better. In non-COVID times, this is also a perfect spot to chill out and do some work! Great atmosphere, friendly staff, always a joy to come here. read more

Such a cute and relaxing coffee shop. The line gets long in the mornings, but it moves pretty quickly! And if you only need a pastry or a regular coffee, you can go into their second line. The latte here is tasty and strong. The almond croissant had so much toasted almonds on top (most I've ever seen), and yummy almond paste inside. My only complaint is that the croissant was a little bit dry (might need more butter). Grab a seat outside to enjoy the sun, or a seat inside to feel the vibes of a busy coffee shop! Overall, I'll come back if I'm ever in SB again! Parking: Lots of free street parking outside. read more

It was a rainy morning. My sister was visiting from out of town and she was craving a really good cafe mocha or a vanilla latte. We decided to brave the rain and give Handlebar Coffee Roasters a try. The place was buzzing with activity, but our timing was perfect. The small two-seat countertop that faces out the front window became available at exactly the time we walked in. I quickly grabbed a stool there while my sister ordered at the counter. We enjoyed our coffees while watching a gentle rain shower the historic Presidio directly across the street. It was magical. The decor is casual, almost rustic. Cement floors, mismatched pattern tiles adorn the main counter, wood accents everywhere. An antique coffee roaster (that they actually use to roast their coffee beans) occupies an honored spot in the corner close to the front door. The overall effect is simple and charming. We had a fantastic first visit to Handlebar Coffee Roasters. I'm looking forward to visiting again, hopefully on a sunny day so we can try the outdoor patio. read more

Was walking around when by happenstance we walked upon this place and let me say it's awesome!! The service was great the barista was friendly and the ice coffee is off the hook too!!! I loves me some ice coffee with soy:). We are from Oakland and love little hole in the wall coffee shops and we will be back to this one next time in town. Come try this place out you'll be as happy as a gopher in soft dirt if you do!...Lol read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Frankie loves coffee shops and wine bars!!.:) - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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coffee shop with super cute asthetic and cool merch (i want a hat so badly). iced coffee was good, not too tart, and the charcoal latte with oat milk and a shot of espresso was insanely good (not too expensive either!). They also have organic and natural sugars/sweeteners to add to your drinks. craving a snack? the feta, spinach, and tomato tart was flakey and out of this world good. i just wish there was more! there aren't any plugs so charge up ahead of time, but the wifi is password protected which is a plus for me. happy coffee shopping! read more

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There are plenty of coffee shops in Santa Barbara. I have tried the majority of them, but Handlebar Coffee Roasters is the best choice. They have a beast of a roasting machine they call Hercules." Producing aromatic roasted coffee beans. I additionally was awe with their Kees Van Der Westen espresso machine. Many props to their baristas whom uphold the standard of coffee quality. read more

Delicious Quality & Excellent Service! We are avid Cyclists and I'm a die-hard espresso drinker... the Gibraltar espresso was PERFECTLY roasted & brewed, and served with gracious friendly service. A must visit for Coffee-Lovers! The owners are so adorable and inspirational and you watch their labors of love in action while they freely chat with you about their other passion, Cycling. read more

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Really beautiful coffee shop the owner takes good care of his location, plants outside are really well placed and beautiful, so if you want to stick around and sip coffee outside it's great for that. The coffee is fantastic, I really love the musty, earthy flavor similar to "sidecar doughnuts" coffee I keep forgetting the name of the actual company but it's sold at Sidecar doughnuts. Anyways handlebar has very attentive employees and really excellent musty Earthy strong delicious coffee. Ive had it black and in a cappuccino. They do the foam artwork for free too which is kinda cool. 5/5 check this place out If in Santa Barbara. read more

Awesome coffee, don't miss this place! I had the cold brew, it was delicious. They have baguettes which you can get with jam and butter, highly recommended they taste great, really fresh. They also have a sweet apparel an. Coffee stand. Drink bottles are reasonably priced; $10 for small and $13 for large! read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Awesome baguette with Jane and butter and cold brew - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Very cute & clean shop. The employees are welcoming and quick when it comes to making the drinks. The iced vanilla latte was good, just wish it had more of a vanilla taste. The environment is great for mingling with friends or even doing homework. read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Iced Vanilla Latte w/ Oat Milk - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Really great place to read a book or do some work. The nitro cold brew is delish. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating

Their cold-brew was good, though skewed a little acidic for my taste. The FRIENDLIEST cashier. Hate when you want a place to chillax but then the pretentious vibe is off-putting. Won't find that here. Aloha all the way. Great patio space out on the side (shared with the pickle sandwich place). Easy street parking. read more

We really, really liked this place. The owners are so friendly, the espresso is delicious, they have Renaud's pastries (yum!) and they've got a great sitting area outside. Protip - they close on the early side (2 pm) so try to get there before that! read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Cool craft coffee spot near the Presidio downtown. This place roasts their own beans and makes quality drinks. The espresso was good. The drip was a nice Colombian. They have baked goods for sale. The interior is laid back with a wood, industrial and bike vibe. There is plenty of seating to read, study or people watch. There is exterior seating. Our stop at handlebar was a quality coffee experience and some of the best I have had in Santa Barbara. The staff were kind and helpful. read more

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Really great coffee place with a bit of a Portland-ey vibe. Coffee is superb, the space if beautiful and the service is first rate.

When it comes to coffee in Santa Barbara there are two places that I will always recommend, The French Press and Handlebar Coffee, either way you can't really go wrong. Location: It's street parking and I'm not gonna lie it can be a hassle. The place has a very "hole in the wall" feel to it because it is located off the beaten path and it's not necessarily close to any major Santa Barbara attractions; its definitely a favorite spot for locals though. Once inside you are welcomed to the comforting aroma of fresh brewed coffee and a very friendly staff. When I arrived there was a guy manually grinding up some coffee beans, (or something,) in this big old fashioned machine thing. I thought it was great and I immediately felt reassured that this was the type of place that definitely pays attention to detail and serves up fresh, authentic, coffee. They have indoor and outdoor seating and the setting is great for people to drop by and do some work or studying, also the perfect place for a coffee date with friends or somebody special. Coffee/Food: I've tried many items from the menu and honestly I am always impressed. I wouldn't hesitate to send even the most critical customer to this little shop, they wouldn't be disappointed. One thing that I think is a definite must try is their espresso milk shake. It's a little pricey but I think its worth experiencing- so good! They had some pastries and other snacky type foods that I have yet to dry but will definitely be doing so. Service: Just the right amount of attention and friendliness without being overbearing. Very helpful and kind. read more

One of my favorite coffee roasters of all time! There's a lot of hype about different coffee roasters in California, and handlebar should definitely be up there. Their Gibraltar whole bean is amazing, and I've rarely found a latte that compares. This is a must try if you love good coffee. The location is also in downtown Santa Barbara and the space is lovely. read more

I checked out this coffee shop because I wanted something other than Starbucks while visiting Santa Barbara. Handlebar coffee was a nice trendy coffee shop that had strong coffees that perked us up right away. They were a little bit bland for flavors coffees but I'm sure they just needed a bit more sugar. The mocha tasted like cocoa powder and the vanilla tasted very lightly sweetened. The cup sizes were much smaller than Starbucks with the medium being the size of a tall and the large was no bigger than a grande (12oz) if even that. I assume the quality of the beans must have been high and I could taste the strength of the coffee when i drank it which confirmed this. The drinks were reasonably priced as the black coffee was less than $3 and our lattes were $5 each but I think we both weren't as satisfied with the drinks as we had hoped to be as they got super cold fast (the cups didn't maintain any of the heat) and they were not as sweet as we would have liked. Glad for the energy though! read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Two lattes. Mocha and vanilla. - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Service was pleasant and fast! Coffees and tea were top notch. Beagle was a tad dry and they make you toast it but what ever... Not a big deal. Would definitely go back! read more

I decided to give this place a second chance and the same thing happened. I asked for honey in my latte and they clearly wrote "honey" on my cup but didn't add the honey. Then, when I walked in to ask if they put honey in my latte, they said no. But one of the employees began to put honey in from of me in my drink and was like "you can have as much as you want" as if I should've been grateful. Ridiculous! It would be wise for people to just take responsibility for making mistakes. I do NOT recommend this coffee shop and will never return! GOOD RIDDANCE! read more

Love the people and the coffee is fantastic. My husband and I frequented this shop the entire week we were in Santa Barbara. read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This review is purely for the iced chai latte. It was really really bad. I've had a lot of chais in my life none as watery as this one :(

This is THE BEST COFFEE IN SANTA BARBARA. They are on par with any artisan roaster in SF, LA or NY. I love the cafe and buy the beans to use at home. We are so lucky to have Handebar in our little city! read more

Solid coffee spot offering an open space for whatever your daily duty is. Friend staff and consistently keeping the tables clean and even does some latte art! read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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First of all, if you go on the weekend, expect a wait. Not much parking in the area but we found a spot after circling the block a few times. Went on a Saturday morning and the line was out the door. Had to wait about 15-20 mins to get to the front of the line. Ordered a nonfat vanilla latte and an almond croissant. Waited about another 5-10 mins for my drink. For the amount of time I waited and for how many people were there, I was expecting a delicious drink -- wrong! It wasn't inedible, but definitely not worth the hype or the wait. The drink was very bitter and you couldn't taste any vanilla. It was also served in a hot coffee cup which I found odd. $7 for a latte that you have to wait 30 mins for? No thanks. The space itself was nice but very loud & crowded; again, to be expected on a Saturday morning. Only redeeming quality was the croissant. That was delicious. Staff were nice but nothing remarkable. I would not come back or recommend. read more

We were very happy we stopped in when we were in Santa Barbara. Handlebar did a great job on both the espresso and their iced coffee (which was good and flavorful even with cream). We had no issues getting a table outside. Definitely worth visiting and we'll be back next time we're in the area. read more

Dang I can only give 5 stars. First, I am a coffee snob and this place (both locations, although the Canon Perdido is more convenient for me) ...is the best coffee I have ever had. As others have said the Almond Croissant is ridiculous and the Hippie Cookie is also top notch. I have never had a coffee from any other coffee shop where the temperature was spot on...you can drink the coffee immediately...wow! They just opened the space next door for seating so loads of room. Enjoy this place! read more

Cappuccinos were literally perfect and we got the almond croissant and cheddar chive scone. Both were so good. Staff were friendly! Highly recommend this place based on my experience. read more

Cute little hipster-y place with a nice little outside patio for enjoying your coffee drinks/small bites. The courtyard patio area outback is shared with Three Pickles (or Corazon on Sundays), so make sure you snag a shaded area under one of the many umbrellas! The employees were friendly and the drinks came out quick! The inside of the shop was a little stuffy and I noticed a pretty substantial swarm of flies/gnats. I wish the drink sizes were a little bigger.. they were gone in a second! I also wish they would put lids and straws on the drinks for you, rather than slowly teetering over to the self-serve stand for a lid and straw whilst trying not to spill your drink. However, I really enjoyed my iced chai latte. Per my mistake, I wish it had less ice and was on the sweeter side as I definitely tasted all spice and no sweet. But, they give you the option, so now I know to ask for a little bit of both next time. Overall, positive experience. I would come back! read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - small nonfat iced chai. I'd get it sweeter rather than spicier next time. still good! - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Best coffee hands down in Santa Barbara. Great pastries too especially their pumpkin choc chip muffin. Usually a line but it moves fast. Quicker service at Cannon Perdido generally, smaller and less crowded. The owners are always at both sites so quality is consistent. I get med oat lattes every time. They grind and weigh the beans fresh for every cup! Super fresh. read more

Solidly good espresso. Always a long line but it moves quickly. Decent amount of table space (not during Covid, however). When sitting outside, as indoor seating gets swooped-up quickly, there's a lot of direct sunshine so maybe not the best environment if you're looking to study or do work. The shady seating adjacent to the brick wall is for the neighboring business. read more

Quality coffee. Fast service. My go-to coffee spot in SB. The cowboy cookie is super moist & chewy. Coffee is superb read more

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If you're looking for that hipster coffee shop, you've found it. And if you're like me, you'll enjoy it. One of the best almond milk cortados I've ever had. The espresso was super smooth and flavorful. Minimalist vibe, super friendly staff and plenty of seating inside and out. It's a few blocks off state street so it seemed like a local crowd. There was consistently a line but it moved fairly quickly. read more

IF YOU ARE ON VACATION and you need a place that has good coffee this is where to go. if you are looking for something that can serve a good cup like intelligentsia or handsome, come here. handlebar isnt as good but i think theyre on thier way. lattes are great. they dont offer pour overs here. but they have a decent drip machine that is above standard for a commercial drip machine. (we all know nothing beats a v60, chemex, etc.) read more

Handlebar Coffee Roasters - flat white - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Simply put...not really fond of a seemingly new Manager. I get it. The pressure right now is very high. Kindness should be the rule...not mean, un friendly & unkind. Coffee is good. Counter staff...awesome. Maybe he was having a bad day...most of us are having those.That is why we treat ourselves to things like Good Coffee.No excuse for rude. Nope. Zero. Nada. read more