The chalkboard. Look at the chalkboard. This place is phenomenal! When you walk into a bathroom like they have at this establishment, you know it's gonna be fire. Service was great! The food was awesome, I had the short rib lasagna, she had the beef stroganoff. Both were excellent. Also we had a nice size cup of their corn chowder which was delicious. And we topped it off with tiramisu. All good. If you're in the area craving Italian this is a must go. Shout out to Tim our server, really funny guy!!! read more

The food has gone down hill with current owners. They put onions in the Spaghetti sauce. I grew up with Petrini's and food was great. Now, with current owners. Gone down hill read more

Authentic Italian Dishes; Quenches your cravings for Pasta & Pizza favorites on the Go or eat in. We decided to eat in as we found front parking 90 minutes or less. The establishment felt warm & cozy. Service was fantastic & efficient. We will definitely come back, the prices were more than fair and we stuffed ourselves with Chicken Alfredo @$22. Seafood Pasta @$24, the side green salad @$4.95 for a small & small side soup also @$4.95. You won't go wrong feeding the family & kids some hearty delicious meals. Come dressed up or casual!! read more

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This is the best Italian food I have had in a very long time. Amazing fresh delicious! This will be our go to from here on out!! The service was great! Family owed! read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I've been working in SB for the past several months and finally decided to try out this Italian place as I see it has a decent amount of customers just about daily. I ordered the baked meat lasagna to go. To me, the flavor was bland, the dish was watery and the bread portion was so small. Usually at other places I am served 2-3 times as much more of a bread serving. But more than anything, the flavor of the lasagna was very bland. I won't visit here again. read more

Came for the comfort food and it did not disappoint. The baked pasta was piping hot, loaded with sauce, and perfectly cheesy. You can't go wrong with the garlic bread on the side either. A total classic. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Found my new favorite spot for a hearty dinner. The lasagna was rich and authentic. Definitely coming back when I need a serious carb fix! - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is awesome. Classic local Italian joint where the food is good, the service is good, and the staff all seem happy to be working there. It's our go-to when we want a good, easy, satisfying dinner. read more

Great service. Great atmosphere. I enjoy local small places. Does not have the heavy sauce feel. Light n fresh. I plan to try more. I had the half spaghetti n ravioli. I ate the whole thing. Topped with meat sauce. It was not so meaty... light. Still i want more. 3.5 for food. Its good, but...that pizza crust was burnt. No harm done, theres alot on top. 6 for the service! Great atmosphere. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Pizza everything - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Petrini's is a cool spot. It's definitely old school in its decor and friendly service, and is a perfect place to take the fam for a reasonably priced Italian meal. Their ranch dressing is amazing and I almost always get a dinner salad with my meal. Tonight I had the meat ravioli, which is delicious and comes with tasty bread. My wife swears by the vegetable lasagna. I've tried a lot of dishes and can't say I've ever been disappointed: tri-tip sandwich, torpedo, pizza, fish piccata, pastrami, etc... they have a large menu with something for everyone. Plus, they give a generous pour with their wine and always have a good brew or two available. read more

If I still lived in Santa Barbara, I probably would make this my go to on a weekly basis. The food is good, the portions are very generous, and I love the wait staff One of my best friends and her husband used to go there regularly. Victoria always remembered them and always made them feel special. When my friend went in there by herself after her husband passed Victoria made it a point to take a break and to sit with her in the back of the restaurant and chat What a beautiful gesture because my friend had never gone out to eat alone If I should happen to order a small portion, she'll say that's fine but don't you want leftovers? She's always right and the leftovers are always superb Oh, and by the way, they make really good salad dressing... I encourage you to buy some and take it home with you read more

Ordered the 'Chicken Alfredo' and unfortunately I was very disappointed. There was hardly any sauce which made it inedible. I ended up not being able to eat the food for dinner and instead saved it for the next day when I purchased a jar of Alfredo sauce from the store to add to the noodles to make the meal edible. I will probably not order this meal again. Please do better Petrini's. Service was good but the restaurant, especially the bathroom could use a deep cleaning. read more

While recently visiting Santa Barbara to see Family on a quick turn and burn after driving six hours, we went to this restaurant and I must say it was not a good experience for a table of six and a bill over $100 the service with subpar at best. I live in the Napa Valley but I've lived in Santa Barbara and My Son was actually born. There lived there five years and never had an experience like I did visiting family the waitress although I don't know her name was rude abrupt assaulted verbally my 87-year-old grandmother by snatching her to go box out of her hand telling her she was doing it wrong this after all the food came in increments. My food came when everybody at my table had already finished. I reached out to the owner of this establishment and he never offered an apology. He did say that she's a little abrasive. She's been with them a long Time when you're an industry of service there's no time for abrasive whether you've got longevity or grandfathered in your serving the public and she was awful and her tip reflected that I reiterated that to the owner of the establishment he said that he would have a conversation with her and call me back that was two weeks ago going on three and I've yet to hear anything from him some businessman he is with making the customer happy after a horrible evening in his restaurant. I wouldn't recommend going there unless you're good with your service being rude.. I'd give this place 1 star I've had better food in Goleta . Shame on you for excusing bad behavior sats more about who you are . read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Creamy pesto shrimp pasta - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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First time trying with my family. Food is delicious and the servers are very kind. They have a wide variety of Italian foods and vegetarian options :) read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - chicken picatta - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Petrini's is a classic, old-school Italian joint, and we love their Meatball Sandwiches with a side of coleslaw! Served up by good people, you can't go wrong! read more

I was craving Petrini's pizza and Manny should be working so I swung by. They were closed because had to change their water pipes!

Haven't had mushroom pizza that bad and flavorless in...ever. Ravioli was ok. I can't imagine where all the amazing reviews, that got me in the door, are coming from. Meat eaters? It truly baffles. Our waitress was sweet, personable and efficient. Her talents are wasted... read more

I ordered the spaghetti with plain marinara sauce, and there was barely any sauce on the spaghetti. The garlic bread was also very dry. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Spaghetti - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Just tried to have dinner here at 8:05 a busy restaurant two other parties behind me trying eat and one more walking in all Denied because closing at 8:30 ...... that's 25 more minutes until close so then change your sign and your closing time. A bunch of kids trying to get out of work and not serve paying customers. Shame because we all wanted to eat here. Will bring our business elsewhere read more

Amazing service! Everyone was very attentive and friendly. The place was cozy. Plenty of seating and one of the things that my family noticed was the light bulbs had a dimming pant on the bottom part that made it so much nicer. Now the food! This place has officially ruined all other Italian restaurants for my family! We loved EVERYTHING we ordered! I don't normally like tiramisu but I even asked if they sell it a whole one because I would have ordered it for my birthday cake! I highly recommend going there and trying off everyone's order. We did soups, meals and shared desserts for 4 people and it was about $120ish. Very reasonably priced read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - a woman eating a meal - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Jerome, I prefer wine with Italian food. Just ordered here again the other night. This will always be my go to spot for Italian. Came here for the first time in 1973 with my pops and his softball team and have loved it ever since. Numero duo, spaghetti and meatballs and a sneaky good burger! I just wish you had a lunch special with a burger and a small sample size of spaghetti or numero duo salad. That I could get on board with! Keep up the good work your food is the best! I love Patrinis! read more

I have grown up with Petrinis and they have always been good through the years. Especially those that have worked there. Not today for me. Whoever was at the front today, it wasn't one of the cooks or wait persons, it was a maybe manager, wearing a burgundy shirt, was very rude. Maybe he should not be front staff. So sad to see another classic going downhill!! read more

The food is always so delicious and hot every time The service is always attentive the ambiance can be updated but this place is definitely one you want to come and enjoy. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Chicken piccata, and Alfredo was delicious - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The BEST service by far. The waitress was entertaining and so much FUN. Great food. The entire staff is on it.

One of the best things about being retired is the freedom of taking an unplanned road trip out of town for a delicious lunch. As I've mentioned earlier, Wednesday evenings are special for my husband and me as we consider it our date night. Last Wednesday, we decided to drive over to the Santa Barbara Coast for an early dinner or late lunch. We had not settled on a particular dining location. Therefore, we decided to drive around and do some sightseeing before deciding where to eat. After visiting the Santa Barbara Mission and the Botanical Gardens, we started feeling hungry and decided to search for a place to eat. We decided on Petrini Brother's Italian Cafe, as Italian cuisine appealed to us while scrolling down the nearby restaurants with four and five-star ratings in the area. The little cafe had a charming appearance from the outside. As we walked through the old wood-framed glass doors, the interior of the place looked like something straight out of The Godfather movie. The red and white checkered tablecloths and elderly men sitting in the booths eating their late lunches gave it that classic Italian-American feel. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed that there was no host or hostess available to greet us. However, a sign indicated that we should seat ourselves. We opted for a booth situated near the wall. Shortly after we were seated, a server promptly approached our table and handed us menus. We placed a drink order, with me requesting water and my husband opting for an iced tea. As the server handed us the menu, I asked her if they served a soup and salad combination. She replied, "No, we do not, but you are welcome to order a side salad with a bowl of soup." While perusing the menu, I asked my husband to clarify Special No. 4, which read Minestrone Soup and Salad, to ensure I wasn't mistaken. When the waitress returned to take our order, I ordered the No. 4, and my husband had a Cobb Salad. She realized her mistake and apologized, saying she didn't know the menu well. I accepted her apology. No problem. The food came out quickly. My salad was okay; nothing noteworthy. How much can be said about iceberg lettuce, two small slices of tomatoes, four croutons, and a couple of cucumbers? On the other hand, the minestrone was terrible; it consisted of 3 to 4 different types of beans and a few flat noodles. When I have had minestrone in other places, the soup has had some colorful vegetables, and the smell and taste were fantastic! But this was nothing like the minestrone I have ever had before. Even for bean soup, it was flavorless. The garlic bread was good. My husband didn't say nay or yay about the Cobb Salad. But he did have one comment or request, "Please don't give them more than a 2 rating on their review." The outside of the bathroom door was filthy, and I turned my nose up at the sight. The inside of the bathroom was worse. When we got in the car, I looked at my shirt where the tablecloth had rubbed up next to it, and there were black lines across the bottom of my new lavender pastel shirt. I am giving The Petrini Brothers Cafe 1-Star because they require work on the cleanliness and quality of their food. read more

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Memories go back 30 years! Always a treat. Authentic Italian. Wish we lived closer, we have moved. read more

My son made a surprise visit to Santa Barbara and so I took him to Petrini's, one of my favorites since childhood. It has a 1950s feel, and their pizzas have the best crust in town. Their portions are very generous and the prices are reasonable, so you'd better plan on sharing! My son ordered the spicy chicken Alfredo, and a large antipasti salad. It took him two days to eat it and he has a big appetite. The antipasti salad was full of veggies and meats... he said every bite had meat in it! It is definitely a meal by itself. Being a great cook and eating all over the country, I was surprised that he thought it was GREAT! No criticism at all. My chicken Parmesan was so large it made 3 meals for me. Very tasty marinara on the fettuccine side dish. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Spicy Chicken Alfredo - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Hands down and must go to! The waitress was saucy and knew her menu/how to treat her customers! It was not only fun, but kick back and casual ambiance that nailed this place for us even before our food came out! To start, the salad was a decent size for the price and fresh. We ordered the spaghetti and meat balls as well as the pasta Primavera. Both were spot on. Primavera had more than enough vegetables and the added chicken was perfect! Meat balls were a decent size and good as well! Definitely a spot that will be high on our visit again list! read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Pasta Primavera with grilled chicken - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Absolutely love this place. Fun beautiful atmosphere. All the staff was sweet and accommodating. Thank you for a wonderful meal. Tha best eggplant parmesan I have ever had. Keep up the good work. To all the staff 10/2/2025 read more

Food sucks. Hard to imagine a tasteless cheese pizza. Tomato sauce tastes like it's out of a can.

We first visited her when our daughter was a baby and for years I could not remember this restaurant's location. I remember really enjoying this place on our visit and was looking for an excuse to visit again. Now my daughter is 21 and attending UCSB and that gave us the opportunity to revisit this place. You are thrown back to an era of small mom and pop local restaurants with red and white plaid table clothes (which I remember from when my daughter was a baby). Our server was outstanding and our daughter who has serving experience really got a kick at how professionally she handled the moderate lunch crowd, joking with long time customers and took great care of us as well. We loved our Italian sandwiches and their dressing as well as the meatball. We are looking forward to visiting again. read more

Saw bugs crawling on the wall next to our booth. The food was ok but the waiter was grumpy and not friendly.

WORST experience ever in a restaurant. I was trying to enjoy a nice meal out with my family when we had a waitress (I believe her name is Victoria) come up and say "what do you want?" We were not even able to ask any questions about the menu. She was short with us, rude, and her tone was terrible. It wasn't just our table it was all of the ones around ours. It continued through our entire meal. She got ruder as the meal went on. Didn't come back after our food was delivered to see if we needed anything like drink refills. Another table near us asked her about the sauce on their dish and she yelled at them and continued to as she walked away. If you are having that bad of a day, and can't be respectful to your customers, call out. I don't know if we will ever return here. read more

Outstanding in every way, what I hoped from an establishment that's been here since 1958. They have a picolo pizza as appetizer that was very good light and tasty. The white fish piccalo with side dishes of vegetables was delicious!!!! The sauce was just right not heavy with capers. The garlic bread wasn't too garlicky just the right amount cheese as well. The service was excellent Tim know the menu up and down and made some great recommendations. Extremely reasonable for the high quality food. Next time I'll try the desserts. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Wine glass - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I have driven two hours to go to Petrini's and two hours back, just to eat their food! It has great soups, sandwiches, and pastas... I have yet to eat something that I don't enjoy. We usually ask for different plates and share everything so as not to miss out! The tiramisu tops it all out! My family recommends this restaurant! read more

Food was amazing! I had the pork chops with mushroom sauce. Delicious. Service was great, super fast and welcoming. The ambiance was family oriented. The cooks are the magic makers! read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Pork chops with mushroom sauce are 100/100! Take my money! - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Victoria is the draw. Oh and the food. What a fun place to meet friends for a casual dinner. We always feel welcome and are treated very well. read more

If anything I can say the kitchen staff are the only people that keep this place running .. if it were not for them the lazy owner would not have any ground to walk on .. way to go kitchen crew. Sometimes people don't even recognize what the driving force of there business is and it's pretty bad when your kicking paying customers out to pay your employees to sit on their phones as opposed to taking care of people who do want the food you provide . Running a restaurant isn't about the just the food it's about the experience.. the owner shouldn't forget why they got in the business.. wake up and get out of the office and see what actually happens on the floor of your so called dinning atmosphere.. and treat people with the respect they deserve not only customers but employees.. and not the stupid brats who sit on there phones.. the wait staff who work and the kitchen staff who are busting there ass to make u money .. wake up Mr . I've been in this business since 1958 you know better .. I gave u 1 star for for actually getting up and kicking me out cause I had something to say read more

Local, family owned Italian restaurant with great great food! Ordered the special Ravioli Antolini with a side of the best pork chops! Can't ever go to Petrini's without getting their pork chops. Always cooked to perfection and never dry. Ravioli was also delicious, filled with burrata and drenched in a rosemary lemon sauce that just hit the spot! Also had pine nuts, spinach, and tomatoes. Overall such a great place and the staff were also very friendly read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - Pork chops, Ravioli Antolini - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Hardcore old school New York Italian hole in the wall place. Complete with red checkerboard tablecloths. Good old-fashioned hearty homemade pastas dot off the cuff wait staff. This place is a gem! read more

With Petrini's under new ownership and some new menu items, I decided on a take-out order of a personal-sized (small) pizza, and beef stroganoff dinner. Upon opening the containers, I was thoroughly impressed with the quantity and fresh looking ingredients in both dishes. The chicken on the pizza were actual pieces of grilled chicken as opposed to deli chicken bits and the spinach topping wasn't over cooked and tasted sweetly fresh. The beef stroganoff was a hearty dish with lots of beef and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, all on a bed of noodles. read more

Petrini's Italian Restaurant - A hearty beef stroganoff with roasted bread. No need to ask "Where's the beef." - Pizza Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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