Mel’s Cantina

Locally owned & operated

11 years in business

this is a great dive bar at the end of state street in santa barbara. The pool table is a dollar a…read moregame. The place was kind of empty in the afternoon, and the patrons who were there were really mellow. A great place to shoot pool, relax and enjoy an afternoon. the cool latina (mattie?) bartender was funny and helpful.

I have never felt compelled to leave a review like this before, but my experience at Whiskey…read moreRichard's on May 23rd was so upsetting that I feel obligated to share it. My friends and I were sitting in a booth near the karaoke stage when my purse and white sweater accidentally slipped into the gap between the booth and the wall. Apparently, this gap contains part of the karaoke power setup, because the karaoke briefly stopped working when my belongings fell into it. If that area is truly that critical, it seems like a serious oversight that it is left completely uncovered and accessible to customers. The way the situation was handled was completely unacceptable. The karaoke DJ, Eric, came over to retrieve my belongings. Instead of simply placing them back on the booth seat or handing them to me, he threw my purse and sweater onto the floor while yelling at me and my friends. As a result, a bottle of perfume inside my purse shattered, my belongings were scattered, my purse was damaged, and my white sweater was dirtied. What bothered me most was not the accident itself, but the level of hostility and aggression directed toward me over something that was clearly unintentional. At no point was there any attempt to calmly explain the issue or address the situation respectfully. Instead, I was publicly embarrassed and treated as though I had done something wrong rather than accidentally dropping belongings into an exposed gap in the seating area. I was genuinely shaken by the interaction. In all my years of going to bars, restaurants, concerts, and other public venues, I have never had an employee throw my personal belongings on the ground while yelling at me. The response from management was equally disappointing. When two of my friends approached management to express concern about what had happened, they were threatened with being removed from the bar rather than having their concerns taken seriously. I understand that technical issues can be frustrating and that mistakes happen. What I do not understand is why a customer was subjected to that kind of treatment over an accidental incident that could have been handled with a simple conversation. The entire experience was humiliating, unnecessary, and completely avoidable. I hope management takes a serious look at both the exposed setup near the karaoke stage and the conduct of the staff involved, because no customer should be treated this way. If anyone from Whiskey Richard's would be willing to contact me further, I'd genuinely appreciate it.

The girls loving the rockstars ay Whiskey Richards!

Thank you emmet!

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Best bar in town the friendliest staff, who even have shots with you! We've had the best time and have even come back!

Test Pilot

4.4(425 reviews)

0.8 mi

Amazing definitely recommend, great service and food! The environment was amazing as well!read more

Test Pilot lands somewhere in the orbit of tiki without fully crash-landing on a bamboo runway, and…read morehonestly, that works in its favor. In a stretch of Lower State packed with breweries, wine bars, and roaming weekend energy-drink humans in vintage bowling shirts, it threads the needle nicely between cocktail bar and tropical escape pod. The menu leans tiki-adjacent rather than deep-cut exotica, but the drinks are smartly built and avoid the "every problem can be solved with more rum" philosophy. There's a solid spread of spirits across the board, which makes the place feel more welcoming to a broader nightlife crowd instead of strictly rum disciples clutching vintage Trader Vic's mugs. The Oaxacan Dead was the standout for me. Smoky, balanced, endlessly sippable. One of those drinks where every sip quietly talks you into ordering another without turning into a sugar avalanche. The Jungle Bird was also great, though presented more in the direction of a Negroni than the punchier tropical versions you usually see. Bitter, restrained, and easy to settle into. Crowd-wise, things tilted a little frat-floaty as the night rolled on, but the staff handled everything smoothly and kept the vibe from turning into full pirate mutiny. Service stayed friendly and composed even when the volume of the room started climbing like a malfunctioning theremin. Big bonus points for the location and outdoor seating. Being right in the middle of Lower State makes it an easy launch point or final stop depending on your evening trajectory. Grab a drink, people-watch, drift between breweries and wine spots, repeat as necessary.

Bananacapa and Oaxacan Dead cocktails

Inside

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Seasonal Slushy

Lovejoy's Pickle Room

4.3(122 reviews)

0.4 mi

The Pickle Room is the quintessential dive bar and I loved it! It has such a vibe with the vinyl…read morebooths, dim lights, and red lanterns above. There's a mural on the back wall explaining the history of the previous restaurant and it was a challenge trying to read it in the dark room. There's not a lot of seating available so we were lucky that we found a small table to sit at when we arrived - and we actually moved the other table next to us when the party left so we had room to put our food and drinks. The food is meh, but the drinks were awesome. Seems that a lot of locals frequent here, as I watched several people chatting it up with others in the room. Definitely a unique place to visit if you are in the area!

We come in for friend end of week happy hour and it's worth it! Relaxing in a booth while enjoying…read morespecialty cocktails is a great way to end the day. Plus, we always get the pastrami egg rolls and fried pickles. Order more sauce! I was trying dry January and they made me a fruity ginger drink that I'd prefer over a regular cocktail. They have wonderful recommendations and always something on the menu to find.

Previously Jimmy's Oriental Gardens

Veggie Egg Rolls w/ Avocado

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Historic Asian decor

Finney's Crafthouse - Santa Barbara

4.2(1.7k reviews)

0.9 mi

W Spot W Vibes W Taquitos…read more Came here for some apps and a drink and left with tremendous energy and a new found love for Taquitos. Probably one of the best appetizers I've had in a long time. They have managed to somehow perfect Steak Taquitos -- the crunch, tender steak, and gorgeous sauce amount to a beautiful bite and experience. Cant wait to be back for those bad boys

Visiting from out of town and decided to try something new. Our server Camila was amazing very…read moresweet and polite she took our order and got our drinks quickly without us having to wait. However I ordered sushi and there's no chopsticks. Seems like a small thing but what if you went to a restaurant ordered pasta and they only had chopsticks. If you're serving a dish that requires a certain type of utensil you should have it. Overall the vibe here is great we sat outside.

Happy Hour Time

Bacon & Blue Burger

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Stearns Wharf

Old Kings Road

3.8(105 reviews)

•$

Tara was the best!! A group of friends and I went in at opening and she lifted the atmosphere!!…read moreCome to find out her birthday was the night before, same night as my friends! Loved this place and will be back again!!

They don't respect the alcohol limits. Today I had a terrible experience. I went to pick up my…read moreboyfriend, who was already drunk, and the bartender, knowing that the alcohol level was already high and that he shouldn't have sold him any more drinks, did so anyway. A man even bought drinks for my boyfriend, and I told him not to! The man got furious and started yelling at me. I recorded him, the bartender, and the bar staff too! I had to leave the place. I would like to file a report!Four months ago, the same thing happened! My boyfriend ordered some tequila shots, and I put my hand over the glasses to stop him from getting them. I told him he couldn't see the alcohol level, and the bartender got angry. I told him it was illegal to serve them like that! He didn't get them, but I had to intervene; otherwise, he would have gotten more drinks!

The bar

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The Sportsman

3.9(64 reviews)

0.4 mi

•$

One of the best locals bars in town. Great people, cheap drinks, and awesome vibes. One of the…read moregreat enduring institutions of Santa Barbara.

Alice made our night awesome and played pool with us, best bartender ever…read more Drinks were great and she made us her special chaser for our vodka shots. Good atmosphere

The bartenders have flair.

Alice doesn't work at Jimboz any more

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The Press Room

4.2(128 reviews)

0.4 mi

•$

As a couple in our mid 30s, we really enjoyed the vibes at this pub/dive bar. It's a casual spot…read morewith all of the classics, nothing fancy. They have both indoor and outdoor tables and we were able to grab our own little secluded spot in the window. As quite a few reviews have mentioned, they're very dog friendly. It would also probably be a great place to catch a soccer match.

Overall customer service is great. Bartenders are friendly, and do a great job. Decent pours for…read morecocktails. There are limited beers on draft, but they do have a nice selection to choose from (tap, bottled, can). Smaller sized pub that welcomes dogs and people alike, super friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Sports playing. Biggest down side from my experience was; what I can only presume to be the bar owner's dog, urinating inside on the floor. The (presumed) owner of the dog (and bar) was oblivious/ignored it all. The bartender, when notified initially, ignored the wet floor when we called it out and dismissed it as a water leak. He later came out after the second report of wet floor, and mopped/sanitized the area where it was wet. Several people walked through the "wet spot" and went throughout the space. Whether it was dog urine or water, it is still a wet floor. Please note, I personally witnessed the dog actively urinating when she came over to me for attention because she wasn't getting it from her owner. Final opinion/review from me on this space is please go and support, the staff are attentive and do a great job, but also consider it is potentially may not be sanitary throughout.

Wet floor. DOG URINE being described as a water leak.

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The Red Piano

4.5(327 reviews)

Locally owned & operated

Certified professionals

We had a great time at the Red Piano! Jimi the fabulously…read moretalented piano player and singer was especially kind playing all our favorite tunes as we sang out of tune. Thank you for making our Birthday pal feel special!

Came here to see my partner's friend's band play for a bit and it was nice! Sound check was a bit…read moreloud and jarring, but that's understandable when you get there early (like we did for a good seat). There was a $5 cover charge - not bad - and our waitress was extremely attentive and sweet. My partner got a couple beers and I ordered the Creamsicle mocktail. It was SO yummy! I loved it and it was so cute! Great vibes with folks dancing and hanging out, though I do wish some folks had more self awareness/spatial awareness when standing around or dancing while other people are trying to get by... one woman dancing almost spilled another lady's drink, and another person almost crashed into a waitress trying to deliver a tray of drinks to a table. Maybe I should have gotten an actual cocktail so I wouldn't have been so cognizant! Overall, it was a really fun time and I enjoyed it.

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The James Joyce

3.8(188 reviews)

We just wandered into this charming, vintage bar on State Street & ordered Irish coffees!…read more They were the BEST Irish Coffees we have ever had...even surpassed the Buena Vista, purported home of Irish Coffees. Patrick (1st day here Bartending!) was a standout & added Gaetano Coffee Liqueur to the cold brew coffee. Excellent & highly recommend!

Nice little spot on State St. walked in and even with just a couple of folks in the bar you got the…read morepub vibe. Nice selection of Irish whiskey and they pour a proper pint. $9 Tulemore Dew Irish coffees too!

Live music

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Wildcat Lounge

3.4(346 reviews)

0.3 mi

If you're a local, this is the place to avoid. It's the "bridge and tunnel" club. Crowded, skeezy,…read morenot in the greatest state of repair, and so on. Though always skeptical of such consensus, unconsciously I bought into this for years. One day, a favorite bartender from another establishment wound up here. I started popping in early, more than a little wary, cautious to plan for an early departure. But slowly I got to know the other staff. The absolute nicest bunch of people in Santa Barbara. People I never went out of my way to befriend, who picked me out as a regular, showed me respect I never asked for, treated me with the utmost kindness even though I never did much to deserve it. Wildcat has become a place where I'm comfortable walking in, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night; and know I'll be valued, respected, and protected, even by people I barely know. And also served the absolute coldest draft beer in the city except for Lure which closes at 10. This sounds like an ad but I swear it's the damn truth. Be prepared to wait in line. The line is part of the fun. These are your fellow patrons, after all. Your friends and neighbors. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The overall club is great, and as a local I've been there multiple times and usually have a good…read moreexperience. However, I recently had an extremely rude encounter with one of the bartenders. I purchased a drink, and despite not being the person who made it, he repeatedly insisted that I leave a tip. He asked me and my friends multiple times to tip, which felt very uncomfortable and unprofessional. When I entered a $0 tip, he became sarcastic and started giving me attitude.I apoligized and I understand that tips are appreciated, but customers should never feel pressured or shamed for their decision. Overall, was shocked and disrespected by his attitude.