Haven't been here for many years and this visit was just as good as when I was last here. Ordered the calimari and it was crispy and soft (not tough). The Gamberetti al Aglio e Olio Piccante was delicious and saucy. Just the right amount of spice for the shrimp and extra sauce to dip the wonderful bread into. Margherita pizze was good too- don't wait too long to eat it the cheese will solidify and lose that stretchy creaminess. Basil was a nice touch and not too spicy overpowering Mare chiaro pizze was a long time favorite. Unfortunately halfway through eating the pizza noticed there were no clam pieces to be found. We asked the server and she mentioned they had run out. To make up for this, a free dessert was comped. Added bonus order- crepes Crespella à la Nutella: this means heaven in your mouth lol. Was able to watch the cook make it from start to finish (such a friendly guy too!) server also added ice cream on the side and man this was amazing with added sparkles of goodness! Overall a wonderful reunion of flavor and good memories. It's always a delight to come and dine here- thank you for the friendly service and delicious food! read more

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The food here was on point, by the end of the night I was stuffed. The waitress we got was super nice and made us feel so welcome. Lastly the restaurant itself felt as if you had just stepped right into old Italy. I will most definitely be coming back. read more

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This place is a spectacular gem!! It's the casual, alley accessed, sassy little sister of the big shot Olio Restaurant which is attached but located on the main street. Service was top notch! Food was extremely good! We started with the charcuterie board (antipasto misto), pizza bread (Pane alle Erbe), and mozzarella caprese. The crust on the pizza bread will beckon you to get a pizza! Their version of pepperoni is the Diavola, it has some heat and the aforementioned delicious crust! The Bolognese pasta terrific too. Overall, a great experience and we will return. read more

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Another great meal at Olio Pizzeria. Their pizzas are the best in town and we love the Trota Al Limone (trout in butter, lemon and caper sauce). read more

Olio Pizzeria - Trota Al Limone (trout lemon caper sauce). Boscaiola pizza (fresh mozzerella, mushrooms and fennel sausage) - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Enjoyed a great cocktail - the Martini all'Olio- to start while perusing the menu. (Yummy concoction of vodka, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, fresh basil and EVOO...yes very different but delicious!) The Focaccia Al Formaggio (made with fontina and parmigiana cheeses) was delicious And the Spaghetti Con Polpettine ('Im 'picky' about meatballs) was superb! Compliments to the chef, the bartender Rose, and all for another super delicious meal in a causal yet upscale and lively atmosphere! Busy on weekends so make a reservation! read more

Olio Pizzeria - Focaccia di Fromaggio - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We ate at Olio Pizzeria when visiting Santa Barbara in April 2024. Ordered a gluten free crust but the pizza that was brought out looked too good to be GF. I checked with the waiter and he confirmed it was GF. I was still skeptical so I flagged down another waiter to double check. Turns out the wrong pizza was delivered to our table and it was not a GF crust. I'm glad I trusted my gut but this could have been an unfortunate incident. When we got the correct pizza it was delicious and fresh. We also had to wait an hour to pay because the credit card machines went down and we didn't have enough cash on us. Overall the restaurant is located in a cute venue but our experience was not great read more

Olio Pizzeria - Gluten free prosciutto and arugula pizza - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Awesome dining experience from beginning to end. Rose and Jennifer were so kind and added to the whole evening. The pizza is delicious (also tried pizza at Bettina during this same week visit to Santa Barbara and Olio's was better.) Unique menu with authentic Sicilian and Italian dishes and quality ingredients. Cozy casual atmosphere - feels like a small European restaurant off a cobblestone street. Wish we would have had time to make a second visit here, but will for sure make it again next time we're in Santa Barbara. read more

We came here for our anniversary and left really disappointed. The service was okay, but the food was a letdown. The $20 meatballs (only three pieces) arrived cold inside and had to be reheated. The sausage and polenta plate was even worse. It came with two thin slices of frozen polenta that tasted glue-like, mushy unseasoned vegetables, and sausage with an overwhelming fennel flavor that made me nauseous. When we asked for a manager or chef, we were told they had already gone home. We ended up leaving hungry and queasy on what was supposed to be a special night. Would not recommend. read more

our dinner was outrageous. It's the most gourmet pizzeria you'll ever find. Of course they specialize in some great pizzas and we have the seafood pizza which was outstanding. However, they have other great choices from the burrata salad, beet salad, white bean soup with a tomato base and our favorite was the grilled Branzino with roasted potatoes and vegetables. Just off the charts and definite must visit on your next trip to Santa Barbara. Don't miss the tiramisu to end your fabulous meal. read more

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Love this pizzeria! Pizzas are good but the other dishes are also. I feel it's one of the best Italian restaurants in town - hands down read more

Everything about this place was fantastic! The food, the atmosphere, and our Amazing server Luis!!! He really took care of us and made our night special! Thank you! read more

Pizza is good even though the oven brick is still fired with gas. We order take out, so we can't attest for service or ambiance read more

A pretty solid and cute dinner spot! We got the umbra & diavola wood fire pizzas and the gemelli luganega and they were all pretty tasty. the umbra pizza was our favorite - very strong mushroom and truffle flavor. The diavola pizza was a little on the salty side, but still solid. The pasta was pretty as expected - good flavor but nothing special! Each dish was around $25-28. If you're walking on state street and craving pizza, definitely check it out! read more

Olio Pizzeria - Diavola pizza, Umbra pizza & gemelli luganega pasta - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had a great dinner preconcert at the Arlington...Salads are fresh and large enough to share..and the pizza is to die for. But special Kudos to our server Jen...preofessional and friendly. Gave us great advice on our selections. Did not rush us. Even took time to take some photos for us. Even though we knew she was busy. read more

Wanna have an experience? Let me take you on this journey with me my friend. Dinner for two: Mezzo Litro of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo / La Quercia / Abruzzo / 2021. perfect to pair with any pasta pizza meats or seafood. Starter: Di Sanguinello (arugula fennel and blood orange) The sausage and mushroom pasta "Gemelli Luganega". Mare Chiaro pizza (just trust me) read more

Olio Pizzeria - Mare Chiaro - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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GIANT belated Thank You to Olio Pizzeria. They graciously let my husband and I squeeze in for dinner on their busiest ever Valentine's night. We had delicious wine, salads and pizza. It was such a wonderful evening. read more

Located next to their sister restaurant, olio pizzeria offers an extensive variety of appetizers and pizzas. They offer both beers and wine from Italy as well as other cocktails. The meats and cheeses is filling and enough to share as an appetizer for about four people-extremely filling for two. Do keep in mind that the bread is separate. Their carbonara pizza is one of the best in town. The tropea pizza has onions that are sweet along with sausage-the toppings are sufficient for the size of the pizza. Pizza size is filling for two persons as well. The service was good as the waiters were attentive and we were seated right away. They have both indoor and outside seating. There are heaters if seated outside on a chilly night. Their manhattan was more than enough just to have one and the amalfi dream is more on the refreshing side. read more

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Had a delicious dinner here before a concert. We ordered the prosciutto appetizer which was delicious and fresh. Dinner was wonderful, I had the Pollo piccata and my Daughter had pasta with meat sauce. I was impressed with the food and service. My biggest takeaway was how wonderful Rose was to us. My daughter accidentally forgot a pair of earrings on the table. I had just gifted them to her. In a rush to get to our concert she left them on the table. We phoned the next day and Rose answered and was so kind and helpful. She held onto them until we could pick them up. Thank you Rose! We greatly appreciate your kindness and wonderful customer service. read more

I really wish you were still open for lunch. We are old and don't drive at night. I miss your lunch service. We used to get the burrata and ham sandwich, a pizza, the fried black ink calamari , and a butterscotch budino! Will you ever open for lunch again? read more

My wife and I had a great evening at Olio Pizzeria on Thursday for our anniversary, which we have done in the past. As usual, our food was spectacular and beautifully presented. The cask aged Manhattan is worth the visit alone. Jennifer took good care of us despite being so busy and Rose is truly a class act behind the bar. Thank you Olio! read more

I brought my mom here when she was visiting Santa Barbara to get some good pizza and we were not disappointed! We got lucky and we're able to be seated right away at a table near the door, which was perfect for us. We started off with some burrata with prosciutto which was AMAZING and then had one of their pizzas which was also AMAZING. Great ambiance and definitely a spot I'll be returning to. read more

Olio Pizzeria - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've been many times and the food is always delicious and the ambience is cozy. Yesterday, however, their specials were chicken Parmesan and chicken Milanese. my son ordered the Milanese but the waiter goofed and brought chicken Parmesan. When we explained the error, he took the dish back to the kitchen, scraped the cheese off and returned with the very same dish calling it Milanese (which it certainly wasn't). Rather than cause a scene we accepted the meal but it was a bad experience. read more

The food is good here and the staff is nice! My friends and I ordered the calamari al nero, the margherita pizza DOC, pizza bread, and the tiramisu. The calamari was really good and crispy. They were really generous with the amount of calamari! I would come back for this appetizer. I've been to Olio before, and I knew their pizzas were pretty good, but the margherita DOC pizza really hit the spot! The fresh mozzarella was very tasty, and I loved the tomato sauce. It needed a bit more basil though. There was only one leaf of basil per slice. The pizza bread was pretty good, I just wish we had it brought to our table before the pizza, not after. It came plain, so we asked for some marinara and oil/balsamic on the side. The tiramisu was really good! I would come back for that dessert any day! Great experience, I just wish I got more pictures, but I was so hungry! read more

Olio Pizzeria - Calamari Al Nero - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Toddlers want pizza. Found this place with a "kids-friendly" tag. Ordered our food. Came out the wrong dish - no pizza. I let the waiter know and he went on arguing with me, telling me that I had ordered the wrong food. Telling me that the pizza I ordered does not exist and therefore came out something else. He went on telling me that I had caused the kitchen to "chew him out". I asked to see the menu and replayed how I ordered my food - I used my finger to point at exactly what was written on the menu and used my words. I know how to order. And I know, I needed to get pizza. I let them know that I am fine paying for the mistaken food that came out. But, do not tell me that I had made a mistaken, lied about your restaurant does not serve a dish that is clearly printed on the menu... and delayed my toddlers' meal. These kids KNEW what they wanted before I had even parked my car. Ambiance was bad. Dimmed lighting... romantic, right? No. It was dirty. My toddler pointed out that there was a layer of dust on his plate. I had to ask to get new plates. Food was a solid 5/7. Everything else brought it down to a Yelp 1/5. read more

Recently had dinner here. Open Table showed tons of availability, so we didn't book in advance. Big mistake - despite the many open tables, host (manager?) was grumpy and sat us at the bar without so much as a smile and then refused to make eye contact the many times that he passed by. It took 10 minutes to get water from the busser. Another 10 minutes for the server to show up, comment on the wait (not to be confused with an apology for the wait), to take drink order, and run before we could order food. Another 10 minutes before she came back without drinks, but at least took the food order. The restaurant was far from full, and seemed to have plenty of staff running in circles. Pizza is fantastic, but not worth the lousy service. read more

I had a fantastic time at Olio Pizzeria. I made reservations on OpenTable at 6pm and was seated right away. When I arrived it was practically empty, but at 6:30 it started getting packed. I didn't realize how much of a hot spot this place was, but it's for a good reason. My table of four shared all of the dishes. First we started off with the raved about Calamari al Nero which is squid ink calamari. It also came with this amazing lemon aioli to accompany it. This is a must try! Next, we ordered a Margherita pizza and two pasta dishes: Linguine Arrabbiata con Gamberi and the Spaghetti con Polpettine. My favorite of the two pastas was the Linguine Arrabbiata con Gamberi. The pizza was awesome! Also, the servers were very friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend coming here to satisfy your Italian cravings. read more

Olio Pizzeria - Calamari Al Nero - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I had previously visited Olio in 2019 and loved it, returned tonight and was incredibly disappointed with the service and the food. In terms of service, our waitress was no where to be found. We went so long without a visit from our waitress that even the bartender noticed and gave us new plates and cleared our table. Yet, when it came to every other individual in the restaurant, our waitress frequently checked up on them. Unfortunately, I believe that our waitress decided our party was too young for good service (although we were still expected to pay the price for it). In terms of food we ordered the bruschetta , Diavola and Calzone. The bruschetta was fine, nothing special. The flavors of the Diavola were good, but the texture was pathetic. Such a shame to have such a great oven and yet the pizza flopped over pathetically when picked up. The calzone flavors were fine but again the technical element of the pizza was miserable. The calzone was cooked unevenly and portions of the dough were raw. Overall, a very disappointing return and I do not plan on coming back. read more

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We love this place! Sitting outside near the fountain they always take great care of us. The food is excellent and the portions are generous. We have never dined inside, but the vibe and decor have an old world feel. The staff and the service our first rate. read more

Purchased a Diavolo Pizza and a Calzone. Sizes were okay, nothing to brag about. However, what I cannot tolerate is charging $55 for a pizza and a calzone, neither with any substitutions or additions. Pizza and Calzone tasted like chain pizza. Neither had truly authentic ingredients or anything special. Just another showing of someone attempting to be "authentic" only to focus on the bottom line. Will literally never be back and will absolutely be warning every man, woman, and child to avoid!! Owners should be ashamed of themselves. My food ended up I the trash. read more

Olio Pizzeria - $25 worth of Diavolo Pizza. Would you pay that? - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

For those Korean people, this place is JMT. Trust me. People who work here are kind and nice, food is really good, and even the restroom is clean. read more

Olio Pizzeria - Mare Chiaro (마레 키아로) - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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WOW. Added new patio in back where Scarlet Begonia had their outdoor seating. I have a new favorite table there ...one of my new favorites in all of the town for a 2 top. The veggie pizza was the best most flavorful pizza. Even my meat-loving family members were blown away. The veggies were fresh, red and yellow bell peppers (not the cheaper green ones at many pizza places), the roasted tomatoes on top were amazing... We shared my new favorite Santorini salad and got two pizzas with slices to take home. The salad of spinach, red onion, kalamata olives, cheery tomatoes, feta cheese (on side if you wish) and their yummy own dressing. Our waiter Juan was great...positive spirit and awesome eyebrows to boot, most importantly dialed up with his service. Our thanks to the whole team and especially the leadership at Olio. Elaine and her husband care about quality, service, ambience and you. We felt very safe given the precautions, correctly worn masks, and outdoor seating. Thank-you Olio! read more

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The term "hidden gem" gets bantered around a lot ( maybe by me :-) ) but in this case it's really true. Olio Pizzeria is quite hidden to the average citizen with its only entrance being a small staircase behind the main restaurant off the side ( Victoria St. ) entrance to city parking lot #5. Despite the narrow entryway there's a decent amount of space inside the restaurant and a comfortably large patio that extends into the back courtyard of Victoria Court. If you've found your way in, you'll be delighted by the rustic Tuscan decor and the classic "old school" bar area. And this is just the beginning of your delights. The menu is a credible selection of real Italian offerings with a few additions that feature a more local flare. I love the pizze with my fav being the Diavola. Such amazing flavors and a staunch spiciness to keep it lively. Other faves are the Parma pizze and the Lasagne Ferrarese. Drinks wise I'd ordinarily be all over the fine list of all Italian wine offerings but on this occasion I spied the (not so Italian) offering of a 90 day barrel aged Manhattan!! Well, I couldn't possibly resist that and it was epic!! Service was solid and our food arrived in a timely manner. We did have a reservation which I recommend, as I see a lot of reviews that mention issues as "walk ins". I could drone on, but here's my basic advice. Go there!! It's just so good! read more

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Been too many Italians restaurants in the 805 and this is one you must try. MUST. Perfect quaint environment and the umpa pizza + beet salad is amazing! Cleo is one of the best servers I have ever had and goes above and beyond for your needs. The serves are knowledgeable and know how to make you feel like you are at home. read more

Cute little Italian restaurant, we ordered the truffle pizza, Caesar salad, and chicken Milanese The food was decent, nothing extraordinary, felt like a lot of flavor was missing Chicken Milanese felt a little small for a main course :/ I would 100% return but maybe order something else instead. Service was 10/10 read more

Wonderful service by Sawyer eked our extra stars, but I wouldn't come back. The food was genuinely bad. I was totally jazzed by the menu, lengthy and innovative by pizza place standards. I ordered a grapefruit and olive oil martini that led with the spirit and had no balance. It did leave my lips pleasantly emollient, though, but the taste was hella "meh." Followed up with the Sanguinello salad, which was a half pound of tangled-up arugula topped with a damp nest of not-so-fresh shaved fennel. It had the texture of pickled fennel, but not the flavor - it was just wet and messy and flavorless. Ew. The salad was fully untossed and required chopping - ok, fine. But what I wasn't prepared for were the plentiful seeds inside the orange segments. Impossible to stay classy at a restaurant while you're pulling half-mascerated orange seeds out of your mouth. Ordered the elevated Margarita DOC pizza and it was severely undercooked. Pale on the bottom and heckin' doughy. The exterior crust had a nice golden color to it, but the same flavor I get when I nuke a lean cuisine pizza on a crisping sleeve. It was honestly gross. Buffalo mozzarella was cut too thick and slipped off the slices in big, rubbery chunks. Had it been cooked longer (properly), this might not have been an issue, though it's hard to say. It reminds me of when I bought an Ooni for at-home pizza and I couldn't get it hot enough to cook my 'za and I ate a pile of blonde dough and rubber cheese. Exemplary service by Sawyer, nice enough "italiano" restaurant vibe, but the food wholly lacks in its execution. read more

Came with some fellow grad students and enjoyed our meal compliments of the Econ department at UCSB. The meal was enjoyable, the company was great, and the service and ambience was excellent! read more

Olio Pizzeria - Calamari Al Nero - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

THIS PLACE IS RACIST! IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF COLOR, DO NOT EAT HERE. Three friends, myself and my 3-year-old son, went to Olio Pizzeria. The hostess, Molly, said it would be a 25mins wait. It was 7:15pm. We said ok and patiently waited outside in the cold because there wasn't an indoor waiting area. We see other people walk up and get seated right away. We thought ok maybe they have a reservation. More people arrived, and they were also seated before us. I look inside, and there are at least 3-4 empty tables. I go up to the hostess, and she answers the phone, didn't even bother to make eye contact, or even whisper that she would be with me soon. She finally gets off the phone, and says to me, "oh let me see if your table is ready." She comes back and finally we are seated at 8pm. 45min wait, not 25min like I was told. I guess she kept giving our table away. Another 10mins pass and finally, someone walked by. It was Molly again. I asked her if we could get some regular menus and waters for the table. (We were there for restaurant week, separate menu, but there weren't any kid friendly items.) She proceeded to tell me that she meant to bring us some, but she forgot. She starts to pour the glasses and completely skips over myself while she reaches over me to serve my friends. She only pours 4 waters. My friend says to her that we'll need another, and she then counts the glasses like she didn't know she only poured 4 waters for a table of 5. It is now 830pm, our waitress has arrived! I was told her name was Jennifer, none of the staff had name badges. She asks us how our night is and we say to her that we're ok but we have been waiting for over an hour to get seated and served. We also let her know that she served 2 other tables before us and they just were seated, so if we could get our order put in before theirs because we had been waiting to be served. She didn't acknowledge any of it and said back to us, "Oh, well, can I get something started?", in a condescending tone. My friends ordered, I did not. I let Jennifer know that I actually would not be ordering, and I'm leaving the restaurant. She rolled her eyes and with an attitude, asked my friends if that was it. We were the only people of color in this establishment besides our waitress at the time. There's a problem there. FOR A SANTA BARBARA LOCAL, BORN, AND RAISED, THIS IS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER HAD read more

I have never seen this 'fancy' parchment paper put underneath HOT cheesy potatoes to where you have to peel it off? The paper had stuck to the potatoes to where it was inedible which was sad because the one bite I had was flavorful. Very unfortunate. read more

Olio Pizzeria - The paper had stuck to the potatoes to where it was inedible which was sad because the one bite I had was flavorful. Very unfortunate. - Italian Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great pizza and authentic Italian in a casual atmosphere. Reservations through open table are a plus!

Definitely a spot you should check out next time in downtown SB. Location: in Victoria Court and nearby to State St. Next door is the sister restaurant Olio e Limone. Ambiance: casual but intimate. Easily could be a place for a couple to go for a date but also for a larger family to go enjoy some great pizza. Wine: good Italian wine list and some limited California varietal selections. We had the Brunello di Montalcino which was a great pairing with our pizza. Food: started with the polpettine de la Nonna (meatballs) and they were awesome...sauce was amazing; save some to dip the pizza crust. We shared two different pizzas: the Diavola and the Umbra. The Diavola was perfectly spiced and paired perfectly with our wine. The Umbra was a heavier pie with olive oil along with Crimini mushrooms and lots of black truffle...yum. I would say the Umbra was quite rich and ended up being a kind of nice savory dessert. Staff: while the aforementioned qualities could snag a 5 star review by themselves...their accommodating and kind spirit definitely sealed the deal. Long story short, we came in with our 10 week old infant son and given the smaller intimate space, we didn't initially feel comfortable with having the stroller there. We almost pulled the rip cord to leave as we didn't want to cause any disruptions to others' experience later if he started crying. However, they could tell in our behavior about our apprehension and instead asked "what can we do to make you feel comfortable and stay to enjoy your meal". This was above and beyond and am so appreciative of them. read more