Cathy is the best person in the service industry. She treats our 3 kids with the utmost respect and the conversations with Cathy over breakfast are the best! We love you and love Joes! read more

We went into Joe's Cafe at 9AM on Saturday morning. The host was clearly uninterested in her job. Despite there being open tables, she acted like it was an inconvenience for us to ask to be seated. They don't provide menus, which made ordering more difficult. Our food took 45 minutes to arrive, possibly because there was a large party of 12 before us. The food tasted good overall, but the home fries had a soapy taste. The restaurant was somewhat dirty, and the prices were high for the quality and experience. However, the waitress provided good service. read more

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Literally stood where the sign said to wait and 2 employees saw saw us... and walked right past us. No hello. No "we'll be right with you". Rude. You're not even that busy right now. read more

When I come out to Santa Barbara I normally come and eat here. But the prime rib is amazing over anything I've eaten there. A bit pricey but delicious. read more

My husband I made a spontaneous early morning trip to Santa Barbara for breakfast. We stumbled across Joe's and we are so happy we did! Amazing food and service! My first visit, will definitely not be my last! read more

Joe's Cafe - Mimosas - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Strongest drinks in town, gets really exciting after 9 PM. Highly recommend them if you like a strong drink and we will be back.

Apparently, this is a Santa Barbara go to and I'm glad we went because it was worth it. I got it. I got it.

Always good food and great service. This time we had the roasted chicken and fish and chips. Chicken was tender and flavorful. Fish and chips was not greasy at all. read more

We went to Joes cafe for lunch and it did not dissapoint. We had the smash burger, roast beef dip sandwich and the prime rib dinner. The food was delicious, the service was great and the restaurant was very clean. We highly recommend this place. read more

This place was just ok. My husband and I ordered French dip tri tip sandwiches and they were super bland. They forgot my mother's fettuccine but our son loved his spaghetti. It was pretty mid at best. read more

"It's a diner with diner food, it's not that good," that's what I told my husband before he ordered his frozen, processed, chicken sandwich that they just dumped in some grease. It was gross. The fries were not even that good, but I was hungry. I ordered frozen, processed, fish n chips, that was dumped in old grease, as well as the French fries, and I peeled off all that hard fried stuff and got the little bit of fish that was inside and ate it, lol. I was so hungry, I even ate the coleslaw on the side, lol. But all in all, it was NOT GOOD. Make Joe's a last choice or a desperate choice, lol. HOWEVER, THEY PLAYED AWESOME R&B MUSIC from the 70s to the 90s. Great stuff. I was bopping my head singing songs from Donna Summers to Rick James. The beautiful Rya was our server. She was great and fresh out of college, she told us EVERYTHING ON THE MENU IS GREAT, lol. That's usually a sign for, "just shut up & order." Lol. read more

Joe's Cafe - Fish n chips. Very diner food. - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Ambiance was amazing! The Philly Cheese steak was awesome! Great martinis and just a great overall vibe. Took our kid there for parents weekend at UCSB and we had a perfect time!!! read more

Yes, worth each star. This place presents as a classic American place or a chop house -- think The Grill on the Alley, or it's little brother, The Daily Grill. So, ambiance, excellent, check that one off the list. Waitstaff: top notch Deborah gave us great suggestions with a smile. Food: oh, yeah, food, which is Solid to excellent. Let's start with the coffee, shall we? The caffeinated stuff is warm and strong. The decaf (hey, I have to drink something after my first 4 cups of caffeinated), sadly, was too bitter, so I switched back to the leaded stuff. The pancake was exceptional, both in taste and texture -- a high rise center, accompanied by an outer crust with a perfectly proportionate balance of resistance versus give. Egg dishes: Huevos Cubano -- order these, they are excellent! My suggestion is to get the eggs over medium or poached, with home fries (oh, the crispy grilled onions are so good). The home fries edge out their version of the hash brown, which is interesting, but leans more to a mashed potato pancake than a confederation of shredded potatoes. Joe's breakfast sandwich: have it for lunch and eat it open face. It's basically a BLT with eggs (and cheese). Though tasty, it confused us at firs and we realized it's the lettuce that makes this better for lunch. On reflection we also believe we would have enjoyed it more had the eggs been scrambled, but overall we think our caloric intake would have been better spent on huevos rancheros or similar. The printed menu is a study in balanced graphic design -- a truly great salute to classic coffee houses of yore, and each of the actual dishes has a well deserved place on this culinary palate. read more

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My wife and her niece, who are timid and very polite Koreans, went here for lunch on 2/16/25 and they were treated very rudely by a server, a middle aged white woman with dark hair. Meanwhile, they saw this same server being very friendly and attentive to a table occupied by very demanding and fussy white women. My wife is too kind and refuses to put negative reviews, so I'm doing it on her behalf. This place employs at least one racist who treats Asian people poorly. read more

First time trying Joes. Very causal and better pricing than the usual over priced SB spots. The turkey pot pie and French dip were awesome! Service was great! read more

I've been so Santa Barbara a lot when I was younger but just found Joe's. The feel was old school and I love that. The staff was great. Joe ( not the joe as he told me lol) was super helpful and accommodating. The meal ( the Wednesday chicken special) was great. I will definitely stop in when I'm in SB. read more

Fun old style atmosphere. Bartender was quite good handling another busy night. I chose the top sirloin steak with mushroom/onions med-rare although was told they have higher quality beef available. Nice presentation and perfectly cooked "but" had a horrible burnt marks off the unclean grill which gave a bitter/burnt flavor and the meat was tough. In away I was happy I didn't splurge more on the cut of beef after tasting the grill taste. read more

Talk about a great spot to dine in A great nostalgic vibe to it.. I love the lighting in this place ( I went at night) This is my first time trying joes I only came for dessert and a cup of hot chocolate I ordered apple pie and ice cream Well, I got the apple pie and ice cream Ended up eating my friend's cheesecake too. You may be thinking ( that's a lot of sweets?) Well, I ate a lot of salty stuff before opening joes doors The pie and ice cream were standard The hot chocolate was great with whipped cream Tasted like childhood on a winter New York day I did discover a blob of unmixed chocolate At the bottom of my cup... Since I'm not much of a chocolate fan I simply showed it to my friend She frowned and I laughed. Regardless of that mess up The waiter was cool The experience was great And the cheesecake wasn't like ooo lala But it was good I will be back ( as the terminator once said) read more

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Amazing food. Great customer service. This place is a true dinner with over 97 years in business. I was so happy we came here and eat lunch. I will be back again and again. I had the prime rib dinner and it was on par with high end Vegas steak houses. Well done. My family got the smash burger combo and my son said it was as good if not better than in n out. Outstanding food and great old cafe feeling environment. read more

Food is always good and consistent and I always know what I'm getting service is very attentive and I always leave satisfied. Also good to watch sporting events, but the restaurant sometimes be loud at the bar. read more

We stopped here for lunch. LOCATION: This is located on a closed off street where you can find many places to shop, eat, snack, relax, mingle and even listen to music. ATMOSPHERE: we came around 2:30pm. It was nice and quiet. Music was great. It wasn't busy at all. Maybe like 4 tables had 2-3 ppl in each. The bar was empty at first but about 45min later about 3-4 ppl came to sit there. They also have outdoor sitting m. FOOD: Food was ok. They bring out a basket with bread and butter on a plate and salsa to start with. WINE: We ordered a glass of wine. My glass had lipstick on the rim so I had to ask to get another. The wine was tasty. STEAK: My friend and I ordered a steak medium well. My friends steak was overly cooked. Honestly, it was hard to cut even with the steak knife so that was disappointing. The fries that came with my plate seemed old and were cold. I ordered a side salad when we first ordered which usually gets brought at the beginning but it was never brought so I asked for it. It was then brought after. We ordered garlic bread for my friends mom who ordered spaghetti. I had to ask for these twice to other employees that worked there because when our server came twice to the table next to us she wouldn't look around she would just head straight to the back. So I asked one of the girls if she can help me get our server because we needed the garlic bread and she did. The server came and I again asked for the bread. About 10 minutes passed, so I asked another girl if she could check how much longer for the bread. My friends mother was waiting to eat her spaghetti with the bread. By the time the bread came her food was cold and she ended up not even eating it. It wasn't a good experience. The food and service from the person helping us was not good. I got to say tho that the guy that would pick up the dishes from the tables was a good worker and very nice and professional. The girls that I waved down to ask about the garlic bread and asked for a new wine glass were very sweet and helpful. We love to leave great tips because we appreciate servers and their hard work but the service here from our server was not good so we left an ok tip compared to our usual. read more

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Food was ok. The service was minimal. The Negroni was excellent. The 2 star review is based on the condition of the entire restaurant. The table had dried crust on it , the floors were littered with food droppings, the trashcan by the service table was overflowing, the bathrooms were completely unkept and the walls looked like they had not seen a cleaning in years. I noticed most of this after I had my meal. read more

I've been to Santa Barbar 50 times. We finally went in Joe's Cafe. WOW!! First, the service is outstanding. There were four in our party and they let us have a larger table just so we would be comfy. I appreciate that. The vibe is a younger crowd, no doubt from UCSB. To be honest, it made the ambiance feel more hip. I was expecting cafe food....boy was I surprised. The four of us partook in a wonderful meal with everything from fettuccine Alfredo a BLT a Turkey Dinner and a Cesar Salad. The food was superb. We will be regulars when in town. Love this spot. read more

Joe's Cafe - FETTUCCINE ALFREDO with CHICKEN - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This was a really sweet spot! It's a cute diner vibe. A friend and I drove to SB and were new to the area. I ordered the steak and eggs + an expresso martini. Our server was super sweet! No complaints. Got our food quick and was satisfied! read more

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This was second time here and it was happy hour. I ordered two white fish tacos and lemon drop , side wedge salad , two ice teas and philly cheese sandwich with fries. OMG So full and the drank that's right DRANK was stiff ..they're are not stingy with the food or drinks!! read more

Good late night snack. The chili is kinda weird but the cornbread is solid. Drop my name and they serve you way quicker. read more

Joe's Cafe is a historic fun place for food and drinks. They offer a great variety of comfort classics, daily specials, drinks and desserts. The atmosphere is friendly, energetic and inviting for all ages. The vibe is welcoming to all and makes you feel cozy as if you were dining at home. We were seated quickly on a Friday evening which was very unexpected in Santa Barbara. However it did appear to get busier shortly after we arrived. This is a family friendly restaurant with dining room seating and available seating at the bar with food service if desired. The menu offers a bit of typical diner/cafe fare. However there are some elevated pasta, seafood and steak dishes available as well. The dining room was buzzing with conversation and delight. It appeared there was a general sense of satisfaction with the food served. The service was friendly, efficient and extremely courteous throughout the whole dining experience. I love a good cup of coffee and they have good, no frills coffee served here. I enjoyed my meal of Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. It was served over penne noodles with a creamy, flavorful Alfredo sauce. I usually do not order pasta at non-Italian specific restaurants however with the checkered tables etc. I felt it would be safe here. I am glad my intuition regarding the atmosphere was correct. I will definitely return to try more items on the menu in the future. read more

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Lunch today was so good! We had the garden burger, green salad, and side of baked potato. Everything was fresh and very delicious. Cadillac Margarita was even better; very tasty and surprisingly not too sweet. Service was great. I will return. read more

Stopped in here for brunch before and evening wedding and it was so delicious! Huge portions and the coffee ever flowing and hot! We love it and all the food came out hot and perfectly cooked. I hear their drinks here are strong and delicious but we only drank coffee and water. The ambiance was chill and there is a bunch of tables both inside and outside. Would love to stop back in here again. read more

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If you're reading this because you're hungry, just get in there! Spacious and accommodating restaurant, comfy booths, and wonderful service. The hostess sat us and then came back with two coloring pages for our youngest offspring. A nice family friendly gesture that was very much appreciated. I adored our server, her name was Mayerlin (I think that's her name my mule had a LOT of tequila in it) - anyway I hope my husband tipped generously. He just learned exactly how much college tuition will be for one of four children . Yikes! THE FOOD, cmon Kimberly- talk about la comida! The menu has quite a variety of options: Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers, Pasta entrees, large plates, plenty of sides, Daily Specials, and it was difficult to decide. To start, I ordered a mexican mule. It didn't come in a copper mug, BUT it was very strong and delicious. I had the turkey french dip with a side salad and sweet potato fries. The turkey was tasty and the bread was fresh. The au jus was way too salty, and was lacking in the flavor department. The sweet potato fries were crispy and savory. The major risk with ordering sweet potato fries is that they may be soggy, and these were perfect! The side salad was also excellent, thanks for the croutons. My husband had the tri tip french dip, and he said it was great. Our kids said the chicken tenders weren't very good, and my hubby tasted one to report that they were just ok with a slight taste of old grease. The onion rings were excellent, and completely devoured. The other daughter had a caesar salad that was average. IMO it should come with some breadsticks or a little garlic roll. I ended my meal with a latte to go and I really enjoyed it. I typically drink overpriced flavored drinks with oat, soy, rice, or almond milk. I'm not even lactose intolerant- I'm just high maintenance as a side hobby. This latte was just fresh tasty full bodied coffee, and frothy lovely milk. They had some very tempting desserts- maybe next time. Thanks Joe's! read more

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Lets keep it Real, and lets after it! At Joes Cafe for me it's one and done!! The service was beyond terrible! The ambience their is none, has about as much warmth, and inviting atmosphere, as a mortuary!!! I had ordered an omlettte, the portion was small in size, I had ordered wheat toast that didn't come to the table far after I was done. They had made some reference to the kitchen. The server never came back to refill my coffee at any time!! I guess this is the Santa Barbara casual, laid back, cool service! It wasn't even busy! What happens if they really were busy, then what?? Another thing I had asked for fruit instead of potatoes, and it came with potatoes, the server melanie said, here are some free potatoes, in which I didn't eat one! Since 1928 its time to close!! Upon my departure I was able to speak to the manager had ,a personality like a wet mop! The Keeping It Real Guy, who always will, and has always have, keeping it Real for all my fellow yelpers! read more

Ordered the French Dip Sandwich. Honestly it was okay not great not terrible. Gives u a lot of food for your buck. Also drank the spicy margarita which was good. Can't complain. Service is also very good. Overall wouldn't try to come back, but I wouldn't complain being there with friends and family. read more

The service and the ambiance was great. The location caught my attention so I decided to stop here for a late brunch. However was very deceived because I was looking for a nice lil cafe with bomb food. Everything that we ordered was basic. If I have to compare to Denny's. You're better off at dennys. Also not to mention everything was really pricey for the quality you get read more

We had a terrific visit on a Saturday evening. We had been car shopping, and were hungry. I saw the Yelp entry for this place, and remembered and old song from my youth, Peter Noone's "Meet Me On The Corner Down At Joe's Cafe," so we had to try it. It's really good. My wife had a Mai Tai and Cheese Ravioli, which she said was the best she ever had! It's made with 4 different cheeses, and the marinara is very flavorful. I had the Prime Rib sandwich, which features a huge slab of meat open face, with fries and a side salad. It was to die! They said it was the "small cut," but it was huge, and simply divine. Well seasoned, properly cooked medium rare. Highly recommended. We got a slice of chocolate cake to go, because it sounded so good but we were stuffed! Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we liked that he had a good sense of humor. We will come back here intentionally next time. read more

Joe's Cafe - Full menu minus specials and dessert - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Ordered half a grilled cheese, received a fourth and gross tomato soup. Very disappointed in joe.

I can't give this place more than 2 stars. For multiple reasons: first,service was really bad,although our server was nice...we waited for our food for a long time,appetizers were served along with our main course. In fact 2 of our appetizers were served after our meals! I ordered fried chicken with a side of pasta but I got mashed potatoes,instead. And I didn't care for the flavor,also.It was nice of our server to gave me a side of pasta with meat sauce at the end of my meal. Turkey Pot pie,was a disappointment,too. Potato skin,was bland and too dry. Calamari is lacking flavor. Chicken Alfredo was good. Meatloaf is okay. The mashed potato is bland as well as the gravy. Good thing about this place...they are pet friendly! They even gave us water for our pooch. read more

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If I could rate this place 10 stars, I would!! Stumbled onto it after getting off the train from LA to Santa Barbara. Open since 1928 and there's a reason. Massive portions of comfort food, friendly staff and a full bar. I had the Reuben, not expecting much, but growing up in LA, going to Cantor's Deli, Nat and Al's and other Jewish Deli's, I can say that hands down, this was the best Rueben I have EVER had!! I will be back!! read more

Joe's Cafe - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We were passing by Santa Barbara on our way from vacation and decided to stop by this place for brunch on a Saturday. We were seated right away. Both the service and the food were great. The portions were pretty big too. The only thing that I wasn't very happy with it was that the utensils were not as clean. All in all, I recommend this place. read more

Joe's Cafe - Pancakes - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Joe's is a Santa Barbara institution. Alfredo the bartender is the best, but I had a disturbing experience yesterday at the bar. I walked from SBAC (Swell) while my car in the shop all day for shocks/brakes. I never walk anywhere here, so it was like a field trip or vacation in my own town. As Missing Persons memorably, and correctly, noted: "Nobody walks in LA." SB is sort of an LA annex; I drive to my nail salon, about 125 yards from my apartment. The breeze was blissful yesterday. And who doesn't love the old school decor and gigantic portions. They're Midwestern portions, for anyone familiar with what people in Illinois consider a single serving. Hint: 3X what anyone in So Cal or NYC does. I was having a lovely, relaxed glass of Qupe Syrah (only $12.50 for a generous pour), though I'm mostly off wine. But I was celebrating a lower-than-expected car repair (after a lower-than-expected vet bill), so had a glass with my chili. Last I had chili--at a cafe in Westchester--I regretted getting a cup so ordered the bowl, though I had no intention of eating the cornbread. More on that shortly. The bowl is enough for a family of three! Holy moly, that was a lot of food. It could have been spicier (and if you don't like beans in your chili this isn't the one for you). But I was having myself a fun little adventure at a place I've not been since 2012 or so. In walks a man decked out in full American flag regalia. No doubt he came on a Harley (if he could afford it, if not, another non-Japanese bike). I was so relaxed, having finished some work that morning by the pool and then written a long-delayed letter I had planned for months. He barrels in and says to the bartender that he'd like to "buy the lady" (referring to me) a drink. I was just enjoying this magical breeze and not paying much attention, but as a New Yorker (where everything except dry cleaning costs more than here), I'm conditioned never to refuse free alcohol. Boy, what a mistake that was. He starts talking to me and doesn't leave me alone. I soon realize he's a LOMPOC MAGA man and when he turns around, I see a t-shirt that makes my skin crawl. I'm afraid if I type this the ad will get flagged (pontyail, long gray hair, and deeply offensive/racist graphic). He starts talking about what a cesspool of violence and filth NYC is (I wanted him to go away so I said I was from New York). It ruined my lunch, which I promptly asked to wrap up so I could get away from him. Poor Alfredo has to be nice to this man, who apparently comes down from Lompoc quite a bit. I had to swim an aggressive, fast half-mile just to get the metaphorical stink off my body. So if you go to Joe's, AVOID the bar. And don't accept a free anything from anyone. The cornbread is delicious---a half a loaf, really, with whole kernels and a peppering of jalapeno, not enough to make it spicy but to give it a kick. I had two bites but brought home to take to Mom tomorrow. I'm sure Joe's attracts Lompoc folk because the portions are sized for people who don't watch carbs, calories, or cholesterol. It's also called "Traditional American," which those people likely regard as code for America First. All in all, I felt violated by this man with crazy eyes who wouldn't leave me alone. read more

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Smash burger was delicious and the french dip sandwich too. Service was exceptional- all the waitstaff was super friendly and helpful. Would eat here again. read more