Roy's has been one of our favorite Santa Barbara spots for years. It's a true local staple, and stopping there after a show at the Santa Barbara Bowl has become something of a tradition for us. Last night, after the show, we headed over for our usual chicken marsala and an Irish coffee--the perfect way to finish off the evening. The food was great as always, but we were really disappointed to find out that Roy's had sold their liquor license, so no more Irish coffee. It may sound like a small thing, but that Irish coffee at the end of a Bowl night just seals the deal for us. Unfortunately, not having it might make us think twice about our usual post-show stop in the future. Still love Roy's, the food, the atmosphere, and everything it has meant to the Santa Barbara community over the years. We just really wish we could still finish the night there with that Irish coffee! read more

There was a piece of metal wire in my food. Would not recommend unless you want internal bleeding. They told me the equivalent of "oops yeah idk how that got in there, we're not gonna charge you for that dish specifically but you still gotta pay the rest". Pretty much a "sucks to suck, go fuck yourself" actually horrible. Might have to go the hospital because you never know how much was in there. read more

This is honestly one of the worst meals I've ever had in my life. I'm not one to complain much but these reviews do not do the dining at this restaurant any justice. We ordered the chicken Marsala and the pasta with filet mignon meatballs. The chicken Marsala just tasted like boiled chicken, the veggies and potato reminded me of school lunch from high school. The pasta tasted like it was from a can, and the meatballs were actually pretty decent. On top of the horrible meal, the price is simply outrageous. I wouldn't eat this food if I was starving and it were free. read more

Roy - Chicken Marsala and pasta with meatballs - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Stopped by because it was right next to our hotel. Super cute and artsy inside. The lady at the bar with glasses was super great and fun to talk to (sorry I forgot her name). The brought out bread and butter. The bread was great and you could tell it's super fresh. It tasted like cinnamon. Ordered the soup du jour ($10) which was tomato bisque. It was great especially with the bread. Got the cheeseboard ($22) but forgot to take a picture. There were 3 cheeses. A Brie and 2 different cheddars. Only gave us a few crackers and some dates. Incredibly overpriced for how little they gave. Grandma Tommie's apple pie martini. Tasted a lot like fireball. It was alright. Ambiance reminded me of Pulp Fiction and staff was great. I think food could be better but I didn't have an entree so maybe I'm being unfair. Really cute place. Need code for bathroom. read more

Roy - Apple Pie Martini. - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This eclectic restaurant was in a good location along State Street. We walked from our hotel and had an amazing dinner. Our waitress, Cecilia was courteous, knowledgeable and a lot of fun to talk with. We shared the large House Salad - it's a take on a Greek salad with feta, cucumbers and Kalamata olives, but the dressing, which was delicious, put it on a whole different level. For our entree we had the grilled pork tenderloin. My husband asked that it not be overcooked and it wasn't. It arrived moist & tender. The meal was rounded out nicely by a 'potato cake' and some snap peas. Although we live several hours away we drive into Santa Barbara often and this meal warrants coming back for. Delicious! Our complements to Roy, the chef! read more

Went to Roy's. Walked out. First we were not being attended to for 25 minutes after being seated. We were finally seated, no water, no bread, no menus. Finally the server came over with bread. Had to ask for water 10 minutes after bread came. Had to go find him to take our drink order. After at least 15 minutes, I chased him down again and he said the drinks will be there in a bit. Not sure what a "bit" is. Drinks never came. While waiting the server brought menus and quickly went away. We finally ordered....still no drinks. I told my wife, "we're out of here". I found the server and told him we'd were leaving. Besides the male server, there was a female bartender/server. No other wait staff. Terrible experience. They had the time to rectify and they bombed big time. The server might be the nicest guy in the world, but he was so unenthusiastic and not at all engaging. If they are simply under staffed, so be it. That's on them. Won't go back. What a shitty Saturday night. Thanks Roy's. read more

Roy has always been one of my favorite chefs. From his absolutely delicious soups to his salad dressing, every bite makes your mouth so happy. I have never once left his restaurant thinking this or that could have been done better. His creativity is boundless. read more

The food was amazing! And the meatballs, to die for!! Also Rhonda (our server) was the sweetest person I've ever been served by genuinely needs a raise! read more

Food was bad bland no taste and just left a lot to wish for and it took them like an hour to bring out the food but that's not even the worst part was THE SERVICE OMG I HAVE NEVER EVER EVER felt so discriminated against my partner and I (people of color) came in at about 10 pm when we walked into the restaurant there was no acknowledgment that we were even in the restaurant. We walked in and stared at the bartender and at the people run the restaurant and they stared back not offering a seat or anything kinda just wondering why we were even there. There is no POC in this restaurant and it is extremely uncomfortable for us they took a while to even acknowledge us or even try to seat us. Tho was the worst restaurant I have ever been too definitely do not go to this place is you are a person of color because you will 100% be discriminated against and it seems that your money is not worth the same as a white person who were greeting treated amazing by the staff and bartender. read more

Roy - Crab cakes - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Came here on a Sunday night with a few friends. We reserved a table although that didn't seem necessary as the place was pretty slow. We chose this spot because my friends have been there before and liked it. I think they still like it and appreciate the owner and their role as a staple in SB. With all that said, the food was not good. I ordered the tomato bisque on a recommendation and I'm a lover of a good bisque and I was disappointed. It wasn't thick and was lukewarm. However, even if hot it lacked flavor. I also ordered the crabcakes. The breading on the crabcake was really nice and well cooked. However, the interior was mushy and the consistency of the inside of a banana. That's the best way I can describe it. It was sitting in a sauce that was red and I couldn't place what those flavors were and I tried to eat around it. They had one of my favorite ciders in a can so that was a saving grace. However, after spending $50 on a meal that was really subpar the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Literally. read more

I found this place on Google after a late yoga class nearby and it's honestly a hidden gem. . Roy is a local Italian bistro that is open daily from 6 PM to midnight. When all the other venues are closing up for dinner service, they are just getting started. They have the cutest handwritten menu complete with appetizers, starters, a full bar, entrées and dessert. . I cannot rave about the space enough with all the cool artwork from local, late and great Santa Barbara artist Ken Nack and vintage design pieces. My friend & I both ordered from the starter menu. She had the huge veggie plate and I had the fish and chips, which was actually made with salmon that night, but surprisingly did not disappoint. Portions are fairly big so don't let your eyes fool your stomach. The fish was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the presentation was very beautiful. The chef Roy himself even came to the table to greet us and Morgan, who was the only server in the restaurant was doing a kick ass job taking care of everybody as the night picked up. . We're suckers for Italian food, so I have nothing but good things to say. Go try them out for yourself if you're in the downtown Santa Barbara area! read more

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Excellent bar. Very friendly service, quirky but pleasant vibes, well made drinks. What else can you ask for?

Do not waste your time or money at this restaurant. To start off I ordered a salad that was withered and the lettuce was old. Then we ordered our dinner, it took 2 hours for the food to come out and the food was cold. The steak was the worst I've ever had. The bartender was so rude and unprofessional. If I could give this place a zero I would. The ambiance was just ok but definitely not worth price that they charge. read more

The food was wonderful here. The service was spectacular. Our waitress was very nice and Roy even came out to fill our water glasses. The ambiance inside is like an art gallery. I have been coming here for years. Their soups and salads are also very good. Definitely a place to have a nice dinner or to celebrate a special day. The live band was great. They played a lot of Led Zeppelin and Tom Petty. read more

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Friendly staff with a great ambiance and superb food. Can't wait to come back on my next trip.

My husband and I dined at Roy this evening and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. At first glance, I wasn't sure about the place. It was empty and we thought about leaving. We were super happy we didn't. My husband had the bacon wrapped filet and I had the salmon. The presentation was great and the I highly recommended the potato cakes. Roy came out and introduced himself and that's pretty cool. He's the owner and chef. It's important to note he sources his products locally at farmer's markets etc. I would recommend Roy. read more

I really like Restaurant Roy, but I have to be in a certain mood. Relaxed is key--if I am in a hurry, I go somewhere else. If I want a quiet space where I can have meaningful conversation with my dining partner(s) without having to yell (or without feeling like I'm constantly being watched by wait staff), I come here. If I want a cozy, "home cooked" meal with delicious warm bread and butter to start, I come here. When I want farmer's market fresh food, I come here. And when I crave the chicken/pasilla/cream pasta loaded with fresh herbs, I'm at Roy. There's good variety on the menu without "trying too hard" like some places. A locals' haunt, good for evening and late night. It's a chill/retro vibe with changing art shows on the walls. Park on Carrillo, in lot off Canon Perdido, or walk if you're staying at the Canary. Consistently delicious. read more

I am a regular at Roy, it's one of my favorite go-to's when I'm dining alone. I love sitting at the bar, the bartender is always friendly and welcoming and Roy himself usually comes out to say hello. The food is always delicious made with farmers market local produce. Great service and ambiance! read more

This is the absolute worst restaurant I've ever been to, the service was horrendous the food took 2 hours to come out and it was all cold, we paid over two hundred dollars and then were asked why we wanted boxes for the food that was ice cold, the old lady with the glasses was very disrespectful and belittled us and screamed at us as she ran away into the kitchen. This was the most unprofessional restaurant and the food tasted like worst cooks in America. read more

Wanted to love this place but sadly everything fell short. We traveled to SB on Christmas Day. I made a reservation after reading reviews. When we arrived, we were seated with no menus. I thought someone might bring them but after 10 minutes I went to ask for them. 15 minutes later a waiter awkwardly arrived and seemed uninterested in taking orders or any form of conversation. We ordered 4 entrees; turkey dinner, bacon wrapped filet, chicken pasta and meatball la and handmade pasta. We also ordered two cocktails - Moscow Mike and an old fashioned. The Mike was straight up vodka. When I asked for more ginger beer the server was totally confused and had to go ask another employee if it was ok to give me more ginger beer. It didn't fix the flavor. The local Cutler's vodka had a horrible taste. The basket of "home baked bread" was sliced sandwich bread. The entrees arrived after 40 minutes and were "warm" not hot. The filet was cooked well but had no flavor. I salted it multiple times. The vegetables were waaaay over cooked I don't even know what they were. They were mush, The potato cakes were the best part of the dish. My son's chicken pasta tasted like bland cream of chicken soup. He didn't eat it. My daughter's pasta with meatballs was average. She loves pasta and left most of it. My husband enjoyed the turkey dinner but said it was comparable to cafeteria food. The service was slow and below average but they were very busy. The busser was nice and apologized multiple times. Our waiter never came back and we finally went to hand our credit card to pay so we could leave. Ambiance is cool and funky. I don't know it was an off night but for $270.00 I'd expect a lot better food and experience. read more

Roy, the owner and chef has been consistently making yummy food for more years than I can remember. (I still dream of the chicken salad with tarragon he served at Expressway Cafe). He has a subtle and crafty way of weaving in herbs and flavors. Dinner at Roy these days costs $20. That is for 3 courses of delicious and homemade food plus fresh baked bread. I can't think of a better deal in town. It's so nice to sit down, make 1 choice and then be presented with tasty, high quality food. Months ago, when the street "parklettes" were being built, I saw Roy out there on the tools. Last night, he was In the kitchen cooking. Santa Barbara is lucky to have Roy, a talented and dedicated chef. He creates a dining experience that is pleasant and affordable. No pictures as I was too excited to eat and didn't stop to shoot any! read more

I was excited to go here. The ambiance was great, the hostess was very nice, the owner even stopped by to check on us... But, I ordered a new dish they just started serving. The rack of lamb. It selled very off, but given this was not some I normally eat I thought maybe it was me. But the smell was so off putting I couldn't take more than a few bites. They wanted me to take it home to give you someone else, but thank goodness I didn't because I ended up with the worst food poisoning ever! I looked it up, and the #1 way to know if lamb has gone bad is by the smell. My question is how did the chef not know this? And how did he not notice?! My husband called to let them know so no one else gets sick. Hopefully they listen but it sounds like they were rushing and didn't say anything except "thanks for letting us know". All in all... I'd be afraid to go back. But if you steer clear of the lamb I'm sure you'll love this place. read more

Roy - Rack of lamb - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We called Roys to place a Togo order today 4/8/2020, we were politely greeted by the woman working and answering the phone. Our food was as always, COOKED TO PERFECTION. There is a deal going on today where each entree was $20.00! What a steal considering this chef knows what he's doing in the kitchen! I ordered the New York Steak it came with soup, salad, potato cakes, veggies and bread. My girlfriend ordered the Seafood Pasta which also came with soup and a side salad. And of course... we got their famous bread! During a time like this, us locals are very thankful and grateful that Roy's is still open and feeding the community. Thank you Roy for always working hard and putting your love and soul into your entrees. We will be back! -Breana and Carissa read more

Roy - Seafood Pasta - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I wanted so terribly to love this restaurant. I have been going out and intentionally trying to support local businesses during this quarantine and saw their menu and deal for $20 dinner and was so excited to get salad, soup, bread, and an entree for $20. The menu is written very well making it sound like extremely well thought out food and recipes. I ordered two dinners for take out and picked them up. The restaurant inside looked incredible like it probably has some great night life at the bar with lots of awesome art, lights, and things to look at which made me even more excited for the food and to potentially come back for drinks! I am going to detail each part of the meal below. We were not given napkins or utensils so we stopped by home and grabbed some before going to the park for sunset. Salad - it was a nice mixed salad in a reasonable dinner salad size, however the pieces of lettuce were not cut at all and were large and just stuffed in the container... Soup - The clam chowder soup was packaged in a to go Chinese box and ended up making a mess in the bag. Neither of us liked the soup and didn't eat it. Bread - the bread seemed to be potentially homemade whole wheat which was not bad, but definitely on the less exciting side of homemade. Entree 1 - This was called spicy chicken with homemade noodles and Pasilla Chile's. There was little chicken and only small pieces of passilla Chile. Imagine the big flat noodles you get with Thai food. The passilla Chile's were chopped into little pieces and warmed up but not cooked. There was also other vegetables that were all uncooked enough to crunch and have to chew. The chicken had absolutely no spice to it, let alone being spicy. This was all coated in "a splash of cream" which quite literally seemed like almost a soup of just heavy cream. There were no spices in the dish at all it was so incredibly bland I would've been happy with even some salt and pepper but sadly that was probably with the missing utensils and napkins. There was also only a small amount of chicken pieces, maybe a quarter of a breast. Entree 2 - baked organic Scottish salmon "stuffed with blue crab and a fresh orange papaya salsa" this was not nearly as bad but we didn't notice any crab it seemed like it was a frozen salmon filet that was indeed cooked thank god. It was accompanied by two potato patties that also were reminiscent of frozen hash browns that had been simply heated up in oil. The vegetables in this plate were also not cooked merely heated up but still crunchy and very much bland like all of the food. The worst part is there is absolutely no accountability for the restaurant outside of a yelp review because it was takeout and by the time I had gotten to the food they already had their money and their tip. read more

Delicious Italian restaurant with a very unique atmosphere. I recommend the Classic Chicken Marsala, the Handmade Pasta with Chicken Breast, and for dessert the flourless chocolate cake. You can tell lots of time and effort go into the preparing of each dish.. and they are well worth the wait. Our server Camille was very kind and attentive. Would recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

Roy - Flourless Chocolate Torte - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

While ambiance was very nice, food took 30 mins to come out. My wife ordered med rare filet mignon but came out med well. My salmon was a bit dry and very small, like 4 oz. Not worth the $26. Meatballs were good, ravioli was good. Kids loved it. Salad was eh, a lot of cabbage. I asked for ranch dressing but was never told that all they had was vinaigrette. Service was below par as we had drinks empty for some time. Bread was good. read more

Great food at great prices in a relaxed atmosphere. Plus, outdoor seating and live music.

Often overlooked when thinking about dinner, Roy is an excellent choice. Music some weekend nights. Fresh everything and cozy ambiance.

Wonderful late night dinner, good selection of wines and spirits and a romantic atmosphere. Love the local art show case and Roy, himself often visits your table read more

Santa Barbara's best late night eatery for a reason! Roy is a very proud individual and should be. I've never once been here and he's not been here. The new artwork is amazing, done by Aaron Latham. great food every time. Love this place. Roy thank you so much for having us read more

Roy - New artwork done by Aaron Latham - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Unbelievable great menu. Great food cooked by Roy! I have had a couple meals here snd they were all memorable! Great atmosphere too. They now have a parklet for outdoor dining. Terrific. Don't miss this downtown gem! read more

Roy - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Possibly the single worst restaurant experience in my life. On arrival hostess couldn't find our reservation but agreed to seat us; parked us at the bar (where we were effectively ignored; shades of what was to come) while they cleared a table. Hostess (there seemed to be about four of them) left us with menus at a table in the back. The last we saw of anyone for about 30 minutes. Waitress (?) came by asking us if anyone else had been by. (Doubly odd since she seemed to be the sole waitress on duty.) We stated "no" so she took our orders. About 30 minutes after that we got our appetizer: A clam-less clam chowder I'm pretty sure was canned. About 30 minutes after the bowls were cleared I asked at the desk how much longer the entrees might be but they weren't sure: "Roy is the only person in the kitchen." A bit later we were advised that there was just "one table" ahead of us: we were next. I regret now not asking how many in that other party. About 30 minutes after that I decided 2 hours of waiting with minimal service was enough and asked at the desk what we owed. The hostess asked that we wait just a moment while she spoke with Roy and returned to say our order was ready, did we want it? [Somehow it escaped her that we were less than 10 feet away and could hear their conversation from which I gathered Roy hadn't even started our ticket.] We left. This would have been the first "real" Thanksgiving meal for me in 3 years so I was VERY much looking forward to it. Seriously, holiday menu with six items (two appetizers, two entrees, two desserts): The handling was utterly inexcusable; all of this had to be (or should have been) largely prepped beforehand so the wait staff (er, wait person) or sous chef could serve in heartbeat with minimal involvement by Roy. I assume Roy's got on the list of restaurants suggested for Thanksgiving in SB by answering the phone. There's no other reason for them to have been included. read more

Nice longtime Santa Barbara spot. Mediocre experience overall. Tried this place out last night for the first time after having driven past it hundreds of times over the years. I've always admired the dim lighting and whimsical ambience of the interior. Seating was outdoor only with a small front parklet, and there were maybe three other tables occupied. Our waitress seemed new but was friendly. I feel she did a nice job. The menu is accessible online via QR code which was a bonus. Ordered a martini along with a bowl of their tomato bisque soup. The cocktail did take some time to come out, but I could tell it was crafted with love. A complimentary (so I thought) basket of bread was given to us by the waitress. The bread was warm and went well with the soup. When the bill arrived, I noticed an extra $4 charge which apparently was for the bread we were given. When I asked the waitress if it was charged by mistake, she said she'd go in and ask "Roy" (of whom I'm assuming is the owner). She came out a few minutes later and let us know that bread would be charged separately as we ordered soup rather than an entree. Had I known this detail from get go, I probably would have declined it. Had we ordered the bread separately, I could see the price being justified. However, it was placed at our table without a word. Sure, it's only $4 but never have I been asked to pay for a "complimentary" item that was not asked for. Mediocre overall. Will likely not be back. read more

Roy - Dirty Martini - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I love Roy and have been coming here for years. The local staff and casual feel is really perfect for casual SB dining or drinks. The atmosphere is down to earth and the owner is usually the one cooking in the back, which adds a special down-home feel to your experience. I threw a birthday party there once and have been coming back regularly ever since. The Thanksgiving menu options were delicious and the place was packed. Highly recommend! -SB local read more

Roy - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Abysmal. I was ashamed to have taken my parents/family to Roy on Thanksgiving. Everyone in the restaurant was angry...unlike anything I've ever seen. It took 75+ minutes for entrees to come out (which were reallyyy bad -- I didn't see a hint of lobster in the salmon and the other meats were cold). The clam chowder looked like something from a condemned soup kitchen. We had a 6pm reservation and when my brother asked if we could get bread -- he asked Roy, who was out front talking to frustrated patrons -- Roy said, "Hey, sorry, busy night." (Cool Roy, send someone to get more bread. It's 6pm.) That IDGAF attitude was reflective of our entire night. There was one waitress serving a packed restaurant and she was clearly ashamed. When it came to dessert, she said "What can I get you or do you just want to get it to go?" Pretty sure everyone I saw got it to go. Roy's goal that night was to make as much money as possible while offering as little as possible; it was $65 per person. Rather than argue like the people next to me, who got their bill cut in half, I decided to bite the bullet and shell out some $300. It was shameful and I can recommend 10+ restaurants that you should go to over Roy, starting with The Boathouse and Brophy Bros. Arguably my most memorable Thanksgiving and in all the wrong ways. read more

Not sure why I've not revied Roy before after a half dozen visits over the years. We're there mostly for drinks at the bar. Sometimes fun and packed, other nights dead. Tonight it's about a quick meal and for par, it's nothing special While by the glass is limited to 3 choices but tonight, a Saturday, they're out of two. Reds have 5 options, most worth drinking. We had tickets to a show and arrived around 7. By 7:30 the room was filled with mostly older eaters but a couple young a hip. It was early for dinner as far as I'm concerned. The menu changes and for her, the 4oz filet $18, me seafood pasta $15. Drinks arrived with a smile along with piping, hot bread. Dinner to follow. Quick service by a friendly team and the food, we'll, it's ok. For the price, it's great. The portions were smaller but that's a good thing. None of us need the portions served but by most restaurants and the quality here is where your money goes. We both left satisfied. I'll return for a quick meal but the bar is a different story. For me, it's not home and I've always been treated as an outsider among all the regulars. I have my local haunts and I don't feel the need to work at another. It's not friendly when bellied up. read more

Roy - Petite Filet - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

During the pandemic we have ordered from Roy 6 times and its always so good and hest of all Farmers Market fresh, every salad is an assemblage of nutrion and contrasting flavors, the soups fresh and creative, the bread, the entree well planned , balanced, good value, and delicious. read more

Roy - Beef Wellington - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Cozy place in downtown Santa Barbara, vey friendly staff and owner. Good food and a non pretentious environment. Enjoyed a good meal and bottle of wine, on a Monday evening. Walls covered in art that change, artist information included in the menu. Staff was friendly and helpful. Don't forget to order the Grenache wine I hear it is the best. read more

The food was so good. We randomly stumbled upon this place as it was open until late. We ordered chicken Marsala & the sea bass. Very flavourful & great presentation as well. The creme brûlée was so yum, 10/10 recommend. Roy was personally there & making sure everybody had the best meal. Must try read more

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The service was excellent and the food delicious! I had chicken piccata and the chicken was perfectly cooked and the sides were interesting and also so good. read more