Tried one of the most talked about BBQ spots in Santa Barbara and ordered the 2 meat combo with tri…read moretip and beef rib. It came with a huge chunk of bread, baked beans, and two sides. We went with double macaroni salad. The tri tip ended up being our favorite. It was juicy, tender, and packed with smoky flavor. We were actually more excited for the beef rib, hoping it would be super juicy and fall off the bone tender, but it didn't quite hit that expectation. It was still flavorful, just a little tougher than we hoped. The half and half sauce also had more spice than we personally prefer. The baked beans were delicious and paired really well with the meats. The only side that fell a little flat for us was the macaroni salad because it could definitely use a bit more flavor and dressing. Also taking off one star because the silver skin on the ribs should've been removed for a cleaner bite. That said, for the portion size and quality of food, the price was honestly very affordable. You definitely get a lot of food for what you pay for, which makes it a great BBQ spot if you're hungry and want something satisfying without spending too much. Overall, still a solid BBQ stop in Santa Barbara and definitely worth trying if you're craving smoked meats.

Service was great. The cashier had recommendations for my indecisiveness…read more I went with two individual pork ribs and a side of veggies (cabbage, carrots, and broccoli) as I didn't have much of an appetite, but it smelled SO GOOD. The ribs were not very tender; however, the mix of the sweet sauce with spicy was epic. I could drink it. The veggies had zero seasoning but were instrumental in calming the heat from the sauce. The lack of tenderness and blandness outside of the sauce warrants a middle-of-the-road rating. I will try again.

If you have never been here, do it! Been here many times. I had their tri-tip sandwich. I asked…read morewith no BBQ sauce. I love the flavor of the meat. I did put some creamed horseradish on a couple of bites. My wife had the 3 chile samplers. Stage Coach, 3 game chile, and the chlle verde. All excellent. I upgraded my side to the 3 game chile. It cost a bit more, but worth it. Afterwards, check out the place and the surrounding forest area.

Food Went here after reading about it online and wanting to…read moretry the tri-tip sandwich. We ordered some nachos and a tri-tip sandwich and we enjoyed the food overall. Just outside the restaurant, you can see them smoking the tri-tip which added to the experience and to the craving of the sandwich. First, the nachos were pretty good, they were heavy handed on the chips and filling and made for an enjoyable eating experience and the flavors of it were pretty good as well. Now to the the tri-tip sandwich, we loved the sandwich as the meat was really tender to the point that the sandwich doesn't disassemble when you bite into it. The flavor of the meat itself really good and I would definitely come back just for the sandwich alone Service/Ambiance We had arrived right around opening time and the place was already starting to get packed. Parking is just along the road so take note of that and it was really full by the time we were leaving. For our party of two, we got seated pretty much right away inside the restaurant. The vibe of the place was really nice as it had that old style homey feel and being surrounded by nature added to the nice ambiance. The staff were nice and service of the food was relatively quick as well, overall a really great experience

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.

dude!!! the chicken and tri-tip here were just so effffffing good!! very tasty and juicy not greasy…read moreor nasty. the custom chicken and tri-tip burrito was (homer simpson drool). price wasn't too too bad. this is my new favorite place even though it's a bit out of the way but worth it. limited seating inside. service was great.

Actually devastating because there is no dessert on the menu. That is my only complaint…read more After a long day at work, we were grateful such savory restaurant was open so late. We got there around 9 and there was a decent amount of families having late night dinners like us. I only got tri tip because I wasn't that hungry but it was tasty, so juicy and flavorful I kept eating it. Presentation was simply uniform in shape and color. Love the grill marks. I also got pink lemonade. Classic. Guac tasted quite oily. Needs more salt. The burrito was certainly a two meal kind of dish. Pretty giant. Love the salsa bar. I would love to learn how to make the marinated onions. I could eat bucket fulls of it if I had the capacity.

Love Soul Food! @soulbitesrestaurants is sooooo sooo good! My baby sister and I stopped by. The…read moreowner, Stirling is the nicest man. The food he serves is a 5/5. I tried the cracklings ( not pictured), Johnny Sticks , mac n cheese, perfectly cooked fried chicken and potato salad.... all outstanding!!! I will be back for their RnB brunch! That's my jam as a 90s girl! Who doesn't love RnB and amazing food !? Um? Thank you, Imo for influencing me! Great spot. Def check them out! Located in SB. Cool locally owned spot. Chill vibes !

I didn't get the name of the proprietor who was so absolutely cool and lovely, and prepared me…read morethree fried chicken legs for midday meal to go to satisfy my craving for proper fried chicken legs. Thank you! This is the place for Soul food. I look forward to trying the sides. And dining in. But during a workday needed to scoot. So glad they're there. Good food! Eat here!

My friends and I stopped by here as we were waiting for our car to be inspected for a flat tire…read moreafter our camping trip. That flat tire was definitely a blessing in disguise because without it, we wouldn't have found this incredible spot! This place is located in a business complex, and from the outside, it looks like a quaint little place, but the moment you walk in, it is HUGE! Tons of seating, a pool table, and outdoor patio. It's even dog friendly! Such a hidden gem. Not only that, but the food was INCREDIBLE! We tried everything on the menu, and we were all blown away. Each of my friends had a different favorite, which means that there's something for everyone, and I'm still drooling just thinking about it. Haha It's hard to pick favorites, but I especially loved the ribs and tri tip sandwich. The staff was SUPER friendly and took their time explaining the menu to us. They made us feel like close friends rather than customers. It's been awhile since I left a review for anything, but I knew I needed to give this place one because they deserve all the hype. I'll definitely make my way down here next time I am in the Santa Barbara area.

Really good bbq. I had the tri tip sando, pork spare ribs and esquite. The meat was smoked really…read morewell, tender and still really juicy and Smokey. Located in The Draughtsman brewery in Goleta, the vibe is really cool and good beers on tap. Charles, the owner is really friendly and takes care of you. He's got some good bbq sauces and hot sauce is banging.

Big fan! I highly recommend pulled pork sliders & brisket sandwich! So fire…read more Give it a try

Everything was very tasty. We got the pork ribs plate, the pork belly tips, and the brisket and…read moreSanta Maria tri tip. The potato salad and cole slaw were delicious as well and tasted homemade, like grandma's potato salad. My kids enjoyed the ribs and pork belly especially, and the arcade games in the back. This was a fun and chill local spot for BBQ. The restaurant itself was very clean and well maintained. You can tell they take pride in their barbeque.

Good service, amazing food, best Korean food in town!…read more Angie and Fernando give us an excellent service, thank you guys.

Ate here again and still devoured like a hound dog but times 3 with my guests. Also great service!read more

My family recently hosted a rehearsal party on Friday night. The bridal party was a little late so…read morewe appreciated the kitchen, trying to catch up and making sure everyone has serve served before the bar and the kitchen were closed. The biggest highlight revolved around the staff working so hard making sure everything was cleared for us as well as making sure if any food orders were missing or there was someone missing their food. I ordered the chicken sandwich and I was absolutely blown away by how large it was and how flavorful their steak fries were. I'll have to try ther barbecue the next time I'm around!

Whatever you do, DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE TRAILER PARK BEHIND IT. You have to enter via the 76 gas…read morestation parking lot. I will update with a food review in a bit Update - the food was... forgettable. The oxtail mac and cheese had watery sauce. The duck confit had no red wine flavor. The french dip was surprisingly flavorless.

The restaurant has a really fun, lively vibe, especially on the patio. Unfortunately, my group and…read moreI ended up with an indoor table, but they were able to accommodate all six of us without any problem. My Santa Maria meal was tasty. The tri-tip had an absolutely delicious flavor, and everything tasted like it was made with fresh ingredients. The meat itself was okay, though it wasn't quite as tender as I would have liked. But it is tri-tip, after all, which isn't exactly the most tender cut of meat. Our servers got all our orders right and split the check for our group, which made paying much easier and more accurate for everyone. Thank you so much, Barbareno, for a pleasant dinner and for the mini ice cream treat for my friend's birthday. She was absolutely thrilled that the restaurant took the time to celebrate her, too. It was such a nice touch!

**An Unforgettable Anniversary at Barbareno!**…read more Wow, what a night! My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Barbareno, and it was nothing short of spectacular. He had reserved a table weeks in advance, and even though we ran a few minutes late due to the fiesta madness and Uber challenges, the staff was incredibly kind and understanding. Seriously, they turned what could have been a stressful situation into a smooth entry! Our server, Sierra, was an absolute gem--probably the best server I've encountered in ages! She kicked off the evening by walking us through the menu and setting the tone for our culinary adventure. Talk about being in good hands! To toast our special day, she even surprised us with complimentary champagne. Cheers to that! Now, let's dive into the food! We started with the **bread and butter**--trust me, don't skip it! Next up was the **bacon date preserve**, which was nothing short of incredible. Then came the acorn tagliatelle, made with wild mushrooms and acorn flour. I've never tasted anything quite like it! Unique and delicious! But the real star of the show was the **Santa Maria barbecue tri-tip**. Juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor--it's hands down the best tri-tip I've ever had. I'm still dreaming about it! To wrap up our meal, we indulged in the **dessert wine flight**--a must for anyone visiting! Each sip was a delightful surprise, and we finished with the **avocado mousse**, a light and unique dessert that felt like a perfect ending after a rich meal. As a dessert lover, I was thrilled to find something so indulgent yet refreshing! As if the evening couldn't get any better, the chef himself came to our table to check in. He was humble and genuinely cared about the experience he was providing. It's no wonder Barbareno is Michelin-rated! We can't wait to come back and bring the kids next time. Thank you, Barbareno, for making our anniversary so special and unforgettable!