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    Live Oak Cafe

    4.3 (412 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM

    Live Oak Cafe Photos

    LIVE OAK CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Live Oak Cafe

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    Hosai W.

    Came across Live Oak Cafe while staying nearby for the weekend and honestly, it ended up being one of our favorite spots in Santa Barbara. We stopped in on a Saturday for a late brunch/early lunch and were surprised there was no wait. The vibe is super chill--quiet, neighborhood café energy, not overcrowded or hectic like a lot of brunch places. Service was warm and welcoming, and the food really delivered. We ordered the lemon zest brioche French toast, eggs Benedict, and a classic eggs + toast with turkey sausage/patties, along with tea and coffee. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and just really well done. It's owned by a couple (they were even featured in a magazine a few years back), and you can genuinely feel that care and intention in the space--from the atmosphere to the team working there. Nothing feels rushed or impersonal. What really says a lot--we kept coming back every day we were there. It's one of those low-key, slightly hidden gems that ends up being the highlight of your trip.

    Avocado toast
    Madi S.

    Live Oak Cafe is a quaint restaurant attached to the Best Western Plus hotel just down the road from Downtown Santa Barbara. Plenty of seating with a view of the pool is available and service was fairly quick. The avocado toast was a miss, with very thin under-toasted sourdough bread and the lemon juice was overpowering and sour. The Live Oak Benedict was aesthetically pleasing with tender flavorful bacon, well cooked egg and overall satisfying.

    Avo Bacon Omelette
    Danielle J.

    Good service and there's WiFi. I had the avo bacon omelette with egg whites. Jury is still out on how I feel about it-- mainly because the bacon was a bit over powering and the omelette was greasy. I also had a green tea, which was pleasant. Love the look of the restaurant and the bar. Not sure if I'd come back but happy I tried it. They also have a TV at the bar playing sports which I appreciate.

    Maybe provide on request only, so as not to waste?

    All the employees are professional, they seemed happy to work there. From my seat I could see through he door window to the kitchen and the chef seemed to be smiling also. Like the cloth napkins, quiet atmosphere. They deserve more business. The hash browns were made exactly as ordered. Their brand of coffee has changed, the previous brand was a better, richer roast. More ecological and money saving would be to serve ketchup only when requested, instead of providing a container that needs washing. Overall, more locals need to know what a good place this is.

    Matcha Latte with Almond Milk
    Kearsy H.

    The service was great. We had a really nice waiter that morning. I wish I could recommend his name if I had only remembered. He was very honest, kind, and very considerate. The ambiance is so cozy! So cute! I would love to come here again. :) The lattes were so soothing and yummy. The french toast was great too. Only downside was the Santa Barbara Breakfast Wrap. It was good, had great nutrition and was yummy, but was very greasy/oily. It honestly felt like we were eating a soup burrito. But other than that, I would love to come back if I ever visit Santa Barbara again :)

    Went here with my parents and I really enjoyed it! I got the avocado toast with eggs and the eggs were really yummy. I also got a side of potatoes and they were cooked very well. Service was great and it wasn't as busy which was nice :) I will definitely be back!

    Two Eggs Combo: scrambled eggs, turkey sausage patties, hash browns, and wheat toast.
    Ronald M.

    The only negatives keeping me from giving Live Oak Cafe a perfect 5 rating, were my lukewarm orange juice and my wife's cold wheat toast. Live Oak is a part of the Best Western Plus, where we had spent the night. For breakfast it was the obvious choice after checkout. Very friendly and helpful staff. My wife ordered her favorite breakfast choice when dining out, the vegetable omelet. With sides of hash browns and wheat toast. And only a complaint of her toast being cold. I had the two egg combo, which included my choice of turkey sausage patties and wheat toast. As well as a side of hash browns. All very much done to my liking! Clean and inviting interior and outdoors, they even have their own aviary. Highly recommended when in the Santa Barbara area.

    BLT with maple bacon
    Coco G.

    Stopped by here to enjoy brunch on our way up the coast. Spacious cafe associated with a hotel that also has an aviary of tiny birds attached. Decent parking, comfortable booth seating, clean bathrooms. Friendly, attentive service, We ordered the West Coast omelette, Live Oak Eggs Benedict, BLT, and Steel cut oatmeal. Our order came out piping hot 30 min later. First of all the hash browns were actually brown and crispy and everyone said their meals were 8 to 9/10 for flavor. Prices reasonable for restaurants in Santa Barbara.

    Samantha A.

    Food was wonderful, small place but nice. Service was good very Good loved the drink and my burger was spot on!! After driving for 6hrs it all hit the spot. We stay at the hotel as well and love that it's right on property and not a far walk. They also have a rewards program so you can get discounts Signed up just today and already have #130 points.

    Our breakfast spread (room service)
    Czarina V.

    We had ordered our breakfast from this cafe for room service when we stayed at the Best Western Plus hotel. We had the live oak bendedict and pacific rim bacon fried rice. Our daughter had the steel cut oatmeal with berries. The fried rice was my favorite. It was delicious and flavorful! We also ordered a salted caramel latte and a honey oatmilk latte which were both good as well. We would probably try to eat at the actual cafe on our next visit in Santa Barbara.

    French toast combo, eggs Benedict, west coast omelette, pancake combo, and matcha lattes

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    2 years ago

    Cool bird sanctuary and amazing salmon dog treats! The service was awesome and the ambiance was thriving :)

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    3 years ago

    I'll just cut to the chase...LOC is the best cafe in town! Food, Service, Ambiance it's all there!

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    3 years ago

    Enjoyed the seating in the covered patio. Decent service. Home style food. Food came out fast and hot.

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    Page 3 of 11

    Live Oak Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Live Oak Cafe

    Do you cater a group of 50 for a post funeral this weekend?

    Hi Kitty, so sorry we do not offer catering at this time. best,… 

    Can you get just a buttermilk biscuit from here for breakfast?

    Yes we have buttermilk biscuits

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    Alessia Patisserie & Cafe  - Bacon Cheddar Chive Scone

    Alessia Patisserie & Cafe

    4.6(549 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    I was on the hunt for a classic French omelet when I came across Alessia Patisserie & Cafe, and…read morethis place far exceeded my expectations in every way! As soon as I walked in, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful display of desserts. They have a huge selection of croissants, cookies, tarts, cakes, mini cheesecakes, and so much more--and everything is just as wonderful to look at as it is to eat. Even though I originally came here for the French omelet, there was no way I was leaving without trying some of the pastries. So I ended up getting the salted chocolate chip cookie and the lemon & raspberry tart, and I absolutely loved both! The salted chocolate chip cookie was soft and chewy in the center with just a slight crunch around the edges. The salt sprinkled on top really enhanced the chocolate flavor and gave it that perfect sweet-and-salty balance. But the lemon & raspberry tart was what I would call a nearly perfect dessert. It had just the right amount of tartness from the lemon and raspberry, while the light, fluffy meringue on top balanced everything out beautifully. Now for the savory food! I was so sure I was going to order the French omelet, but for some reason, the Blue Crab Crepe was calling my name. So I decided to go with that along with the Veggie Quiche, and I have absolutely no regrets about either choice. The Blue Crab Crepe came with two crepes generously stuffed with fresh-tasting blue crab and topped with lemon hollandaise and chives. The Veggie Quiche does take a little longer to come out, but it is absolutely worth the wait. Mine came with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and basil, and it was delicious. The breakfast entrées also come with your choice of house potatoes, fruit, or a side salad. One thing to note: you order everything at the counter first before finding yourself a seat, and there is also a self-serve water station. From the beautiful décor and relaxed café vibes to the sweet AND savory food, I loved everything about this place. I originally came in searching for a French omelet and somehow left without even ordering one--which I guess just gives me the perfect excuse to come back!

    Wow. Can't say enough about this place. It is a must visit and I will definitely go back…read more The setting is delightful and gives French bakery, with a counter service and table service option. We arrived during a busy Saturday morning and were lucky to be seated right away. Our server Sidney was awesome. Arrived with a smile, patients made great recommendations, and very efficient. Props to Sterling, also her brother, and his excellent basing support as well as keeping our water glasses filled. We also had the opportunity to meet one of the co-owners who was humble and helpful! The food was some of the best I tasted! The pastries were amazing and sauces delectable. Everything was cooked to order and prepared with care. We were so happy with our food that we had to take some pastries to go. We will definitely be back to visit this charming place!

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    Alessia Patisserie & Cafe  - Our Seating

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    LOKUM

    LOKUM

    4.5(591 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    I'v never had Turkish delights but I do love baklava so much. Glad we came in to get Turkish…read moredesserts and tea to go. We stayed in downtown Santa Barbara so this store was 2 minutes walk from our Kimpton hotel. The store itself is very spacious and stylish. I picked assorted baklava, modern and traditional delights. The traditional ones are naturally gluten free. The Turkish iced tea was so delicious and strong. The desserts were amazingly tasty! I will have to order from their online store from time to time. The service was friendly and fast!

    Took a day trip to SB and wanted to try some interesting sweets. I like Turkish coffee, so I…read morefigured this would be an interesting option. They sell lots of flavors of Turkish coffee, and I was used to a sweetened and cardamon flavored version I had had in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, so I opted for the cardamon version. What they serve here was unsweetened, so I needed to add sugar, but it was good. On the sweets side, they have cheesecake, baklava... but the dominant sweet here is Turkish Delight. They have a myriad of flavors here, using various Middle Eastern nuts and spices as flavoring. They have the traditional cubed gelatin version, along with a rolled version that is a little softer and less chewy. It is all sold by weight, so you can mix and match.

    Photos
    LOKUM - Display counter

    Display counter

    LOKUM - Blueberry fig plum, saffron pomegranate pistachio, honey pistachio, lemon hazelnut. All amazing

    Blueberry fig plum, saffron pomegranate pistachio, honey pistachio, lemon hazelnut. All amazing

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    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Norwegian Benedict with rainbow potatoes

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant

    4.4(749 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Nothing like starting my birthday weekend in my favorite city in the world--Santa Barbara!…read more Finally made it to Jeannine's at the Shore, and Sabrielle recommended the summer special: peach French toast. SO glad she did. The French toast was incredible--thick, fluffy, perfectly cooked, and loaded with yummy local peaches. I can see why this is a must! I also grabbed a fresh orange juice to go. I need to mention that this is a restaurant where you place your order at the counter and then they bring it to you They have a broad menu, plus a great selection of baked goods, so there's plenty to choose from including gluten-free. Parking is easy with a lot down the street if you can't find beachfront parking, which is usually abundant but a little more limited right now because of construction. And State Street doesn't look like I remembered--it looks even better. I included some pics of the view and the walk there and their merch. Thank you, Jeannine's! Support local.

    Over the past 2 months, been here twice thus far. The food is delicious; it is fresh, well done &…read morethe staff is on point. Both times I had breakfast; eggs, tasty bacon, a homemade biscuit & hash browns. At the table there was also huevos rancheros, an order of the crab cakes Benedict & lobster Benedict. Fresh fruit, orange juice, lemonade & of course coffee. I must return & try a lunch item! Ambiance is casual; both in door & out door seating. In short, well done! Enjoyed the food & company, no time for pics; next time maybe.

    Photos
    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Jeannine's inside. Really cute. This is the second line once you are inside.

    Jeannine's inside. Really cute. This is the second line once you are inside.

    Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant - Piña Colada

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    Live Oak Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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