UPDATE: Soup guy now runs the whole kitchen. Soup quality still good…read more The University Center has many food offerings. Now they are offering the Soup Guy and his soups. M-F, he makes two soups every day. He tweets about them so we can all learn in advance what soups are being made. The large soup comes to less than five bucks and it is very filling and healthy. The UCSB soup guy is one of the great new things about UCSB. Follow is twitter and instagram accounts for updates on the soups of the day.

Great flavorful soups with different varieties every week. Favorite food on campus…read more -- Large soup is $4.50, smaller soup is $4.10; you can ask for samples. There are two soups available very day-- one vegan and one non-vegan option. I first tried some of his soup during a cooking demo hosted by the Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills program. He had made chicken noodle and butternut squash then. Sooooooo good. I bought a large soup and tried the artichoke shrimp bisque (with Asiago cheese) and it was amazing (available in Romaine's Salad Bar and Coral Tree Café). Wish I had discovered the Soup Guy earlier. Hope to try all the soups on the menu eventually. -- I've now also tried the chili con carne, mac and cheese with ham, vegan pho, and split pea soups. Chili con carne is so good. I normally don't like peppers but it tastes great in the soup. Not bitter/spicy at all, almost sweet. Mac and cheese with ham is like slightly more soupy mac and cheese with lots of salty ham. Vegan pho tastes different from the pho you might get in a Vietnamese restaurant but it's really flavorful (with broccoli and tofu as interesting additions, I think it's a more Japanese broth flavor though). Split pea soups: they're good for split pea soups. I hate peas but somehow managed to eat most of a cup. Even the soup guy can't redeem peas for me.

My husband and I dined here for the first time last night and I have to say the food here was…read moreamazing!! The wonton soup, orange peel chicken, the eggplant, chow fun, and jasmine tea were all so flavorful. Not only that the service here was fantastic. Kudos to the one server that was juggling multiple tables at once, it's not an easy job however he was positive, friendly and upbeat. He got all of our orders out in a timely manner and also put our items in to go boxes for us once we were done eating. We definitely will be coming back!

We ordered a door dash from here. When we received our order, the bag was filled with juice from a…read morecontainer with our food, and it was dripping everywhere. It was Christmas night and it was raining, the poor drive. It wasn't his fault. We were still able to enjoy our version of Christmas dinner. The food was tasty and flavorful. The amount was perfect for 4 people. I was unhappy about the broken container juice dripped on my carpet. My original choice for dinner they were closed. I'm very grateful China king took my order at last minute.

Stopped in here on the way to our next destination. It's in a strip mall with a busy parking lot…read more We were seated right away and ordered one of the curated dinners. Food came quickly and arrived hot. Service was good. Some items were kinda mediocre, like the rice. The noodles were very salty. The kung pao didn't have the flavor and ingredients I associate with kung pao, but it was good. We were in and out quickly and would likely stop here again if we were in the area.

Let me start by saying this use to be one of our favorite places to eat over the years. We would…read moreeither stop in or order delivery a few times a month. However, the last we went three times we were shocked at how far far place has declined. So much so we decided this was our last. The food was marginal and extremely greasy. The service wasn't very good either. One of the employees spent most of his time on his phone. The other two were pleasant but never really bothered to check in with us to see how we were doing. They were quick to drop off the bill and disappear. The restaurant use to be clean. Now the seats are coming apart and it had a funky smell like grease and old food.

I love to order their Green Curry & fresh spring rolls. The food is delicious and consistent every…read moretime!

Wanting Asian food for dinner decided to pop into Tap Thai for takeout after Costco run…read more The place is inviting, modern decor, streamlined and clean. A nice outdoor patio, as well as inside seating. Service was excellent, friendly and served us water while we waited for our order. We ordered Drunken noodles with Shrimp and Tom Yum soup with shrimp and noodles. The food was expensive for the portion size: it was extra for the shrimp and the noodles. I am glad I added the noodles because the soup was mainly just broth with the lemon grass, pepper, kaffir lime leaves and galangal, none of it edible. I think I had four shrimp:( The Drunken noodles were a little better but really no egg or veggies in the dish. Disappointing for sure. Food served is definitely not as menu descriptors.

We used to go here all the time when we lived in the area until 10 years ago. It was my favorite…read moreChinese Restaurant for 20+ years, and the family and staff were always so friendly and helpful. I learned about off-menu vegetables and specialty items from going here and I always felt like a special guest. However the food quality and service at this point seems to have declined. Everything was good enough to eat, but not great. The staff seemed tired and uninterested or even impatient with us - we were a party of 8 persons and seemed to be the best customers they had that night, it was early (5ish) and the restaurant was not full even when we left at 7. We were all disappointed in our experience and in the food. There are so many great choices for dining in Santa Barbara, unfortunately we don't plan to go back again next time we return to SB. I think if you are a local or in need of take out close by this might still be an option.

This place is such a cozy homey spot. The service is amazing , the staff is so sweet welcoming &…read morefriendly. Also a go to for a quick pick up on my lunch break. They never fail , the food is always delicious warm & filling. They have great combos I love to get the family combos when I want a little taste of everything and can't decide or to share with a friend. Hardest part is always deciding what to order because everything is authentic and delectable.

This is a hidden gem. Indian people will know this place is the real deal! Not only is the food…read moreamazing, but the people who own this restaurant are part of a proud Indian lineage. Here you don't just get amazing g food, you get history and culture and love. I'm so glad this is Isla Vista. The young people of UCSB will gain so much more than great food. They will get family and love. The restaurant is humble and the beautiful spirit of India will be experienced here. It's like a vacation to India without leaving America. I hesitate to ever rave about this place because I don't want it to get overrun.

This place still hits the spot. Portions are huge, the food is tasty and hot, and the meat is good…read morequality. They allow samples from the hot trays so feel free to ask if you want to try something. The food comes out quick and the service is prompt. It's the only Indian option in IV and it provides much needed variety to the area. I honestly forgot how satisfying this place is, especially during a cold night. This place is definitely more of a takeout joint but they do have a few tables. All in all, I will be remembering to come here again if I want some quick and tasty Indian takeout that is more affordable than any other option in the area.

I find the ambience and food at China Pavilion to be great. And they have a bar as well…read more The service is very professional. I'd recommend it if you are craving Chinese food and in the Santa Barbara area.

Love the food and staff everyone so welcoming especially Helen! Will definitely come againread more

Only salad bar on campus (besides from the dining commons that are for the people living in the…read moredorms) It has a large selection of fresh organic vegetables, leafy greens, seafood salads, pasta salads, potato salads, greek salads, nuts seeds and raisins, hot soups, FRESH BAKED BREADSTICKS (all whole wheat, and there is a special bread that is 20 cents more, but contains cheeses, pesto, artichockes, etc. the ingredients are always changing) and hot cornbread made that day as well. the price of your salad goes by weight. so the way it works is that you grab a plastic bowl, fill it up with as much as you want, and then you pay by the ounce. ($6.44 per lb) If you spend more than $6 on your salad, you get a free breadstick!

Gotta love college food…read more Romaine's is a salad bar "restaurant" that also offers soup and baked potatoes. They have organic spinach, green lettuce and spring lettuce mix. There is a sign that warns you might find bugs in the lettuce. Beware! There are typical salad toppings, some pasta salads, etc. Some examples: egg, turkey, tuna, olives, tofu, cheeses, and so on. It's $0.50/oz, so don't get more than you can eat! Their soups are ok. I like the Cauliflower Soup. The chicken "Pozole" is more like chile verde (not very good). Their breadsticks are ok. Their cake-loaf slices are tasty. I have yet to try their cookies. Overall, because you can customize your meal, it's a good choice when you're hungry.