My wife and I found ourselves in Santa Barbara this weekend to celebrate her 40th birthday and upon…read morechecking into the inn, we were quickly referred to Oku by the front desk manager. After we offloaded the truck, changed and relaxed for a bit, we headed out for a walk near the waterfront. We eventually made our way down to the beach and found ourselves at Oku. We approached the hostess stand and were greeted by two young ladies who pointed us towards the bar as we'd planned on just stopping by for a cocktail. We were immediately welcomed by Tommy who handed us two menus, set us up with a couple waters and asked if he could serve us a cocktail. I got the Oaxacan old fashioned and my wife got the Oku old fashioned. In addition to our drinks, we also ordered up some shishito peppers, hamachi sashimi, Toro nigiri as well as big eye tuna nigiri. Our drinks arrived quickly and as we sipped on them, our food arrived shortly thereafter. It was early afternoon and we had apparently beat the crowd which was great for us as the place quickly filled up after about half an hour. The shishitos were perfectly prepared and served with a sauce as well as tuna flake on top and made for a phenomenal starter. Shortly thereafter we tore into our sashimi and nigiri all of which was served well and tasted great. While eating our food, the place began filling up and Matt showed up to help man the bar. Despite getting very busy, Tommy and Matt remained attentive and made sure we were taken care of and had what we needed. We finished our cocktails and food, closed out and prepared for our departure, but I hope to come back tomorrow for some more amazing Japanese food and excellent cocktails from the crew here at Oku. Thanks for the hospitality, excellent cocktails and for welcoming us in! Tommy and Matt are both excellent additions to the team! Photos compliments of my wife since I take photos like a Neanderthal.

My husband and I dined here for an early dinner with a reservation. I think after checking in it…read moremight've taken 5-10 minutes to be sat. Our server was really kind and on point with everything! Everything came out quickly. We ordered the otoro sushi, ikura sushi, rainbow roll, and two orders of the filet mignon. I have zero complaints about the sushi. It was incredibly delicious! I do think the filet mignon had beautiful plating, but it was very underwhelming, and didn't come out the requested way of cooking. I don't think I'd order that again, but we enjoyed our food overall. We chose to dine outside since it was a nice day and I thought that was pretty nice. We did bring our baby and had enough room with a high chair etc. we'd come back!

What can I say other than culinary perfection? It's where street food meets casual dining but with…read moremasterfully crafted menu items that will make your taste buds pop! The KFC Bao was exceptional. Crunchy, tangy, sweet, fresh and savory. A delightful dish that had me wanting a second one. The Dolsot Bokkeumbap was also delicious, savory and a bit in the heavy side, it could use something fresh, acidic or sweet to brighten up the dish. The staff was very friendly and recommended the Bao, so they know what is good on the menu. I was sat outside where they have a beautiful little patio with heaters and comfortable seating. Overall this place is a must try!

Overall the food was very delicious. I would recommend the Bao (both the KFC and pork belly were…read morevery good). The sweet potato dumplings are fried and had a very unique twist for Asian fusion and would recommend. The kalbi was very mediocre, but it was fun for sharing. Day cake was delicious. I would highly recommend since it came out and was very warm. The bingsu was mostly frozen and was not finally shaved in terms of milk ice and the Nutella pairing with it did not go very well. We had a fantastic server (Cathy) who took our orders and was very friendly. The front staff was quite rude when we followed up what the wait time was (might have been because it was busy, but hope that it's a 1x thing and not a pattern). Otherwise, vibes we're very good and I can see why this is a popular spot.

Dined in today for lunch (I usually get to-go). Loved the tunes. Today was very 80's so I felt like…read moreI was back in college, although The Blue Owl wasn't there when I went to school. The vegan menu keeps growing! I ordered my favorite, the Mango Mint salad, but noticed that the dressing is Miso based. We also ordered the Vegan Sweetheart Burrito, Vegan Bahn-Mi, & Vegan Nam Toc Burrito. Thumbs up, or should I say 5 stars, to all of the good. A Side salad or chips came with everyone's order except for the salad. Friendly staff, plenty of indoor and outdoor (parklet) seating. Fun decor as well.

So unfortunate that this place has gone so far downhill in recent times. Last three times i have…read morebeen here i got a bad stomach ache. I think its the lettuce. A prices have done nothing but go up. Spent $42 on a meal for two, no drinks or sides just two mains. Crazy. The wait staff is more and more aloof, but they do an acceptable job. I enjoy the live music and i'll be honest the food does taste good, but a $42 tummy ache for two ain't worth it! They do serve espresso in case you want to feel the tummy ache immediately instead of waiting until the next day, at least that's an option!

We came here for a late lunch as we saw it holds Michelin Bib…read more Sweet: great menu options. So many tasty choices. We ordered the Vietnamese chicken wings and braised pork noodles. Both very delicious. The wings were all flats so that was a plus alone. Full of good flavor and very crispy. The noodles were delicious as well. I recommend both. The restaurant is decorated very nice and the server was attentive. Sour: the restaurant was very clean but it bothers me so much when some places have a designated area that flies like to circle around that tends to be near the bar. I wish there could be more control to prevent that. I did really enjoy the meal but the portions were small. If it wasn't so good I would almost say the prices weren't worth it. You can definitely share but I would get at least 3 options for 2 people. My husband and I weren't that hungry so it was a decent amount since it was such a late lunch and we were thinking about getting something else shortly after. Overall I hope we are in town again soon as there are other things I'd like to try.

The chicken wings were absolutely amazing - if you do nothing else, order those!!! The Vietnamese…read morestyle was my favorite. The shaved bok choy and duck salad was SO good as well!!! The duck was excellent, and didn't feel too fatty - it was perfect. The drinks were good as well - had the spritz. Our servers were so polite and friendly, and honestly just felt like we were around friends. I like that this place, like many jn Santa Barbara, pays their staff a living wage and so you end up with a more authentic interaction that doesn't feel forced. The aesthetic was beautiful - perfect for a lunch date or for a dinner before sunset. Open air seating, beautiful decor, overall a lovely experience!

Situated in the Santa Barbara Farmers Market complex, Empty Bowl is an inviting space where you can…read moresit right at the bar and watch the wok action. Service is friendly and the food well prepared. Menu options are limited, but everything is delicious. Recommend going at happy hour. There's usually a special offer.

The service was really fast, which was nice. Big portion for a little less than last half for…read moreleftovers. However, I didn't love the Beef Thai Pho, not enough of the filet and too many beefballs and really strong favored beefiness of the broth that almost overpowered the rest of the dish. I wish I would've gotten the fried rice, had a bite if my friends and that was yummy but also only available on Mondays. Thai tea was great, really strong flavor.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS IN SB!!!…read more This place has been one of my favorites for years. My best friend and I come every time I'm in town & they are always on point from the service, to the amazing food & beautiful drinks! Monday night our server was very attentive, quick with water refills (which I love) and very pleasant. We also sat inside for the first time as we usually sit on the outdoor patio which is no longer in place, and I was happy with the indoor ambiance. We ordered a variety of our favorites - the some brie sauce, date with a pig, PB&J sliders as well as some new items - the shrimp tacos & veggie sliders (both were outstanding). I cannot recommend this place enough & I would eat here every night if I could!

Great service. Friendly and attentive. Also nice lively ambiance. It is located off state street…read morebut close to the action proximity. This restaurant has multiple booth tables for two people tucked in the back facing the open kitchen. It would be nice on a date night. We got six tapas and one entree. Enough for four of us. My favorite is cauliflower, beet it salad, and that is my jam. The lamb rack has tasty mushroom risotto- can't stop eating it! City parking offered 75 minutes free parking.

Update there is no brunch , currently only a breakfast sandwich, bummer !…read more Still a great neighborhood spot to watch sports and hang out with your well behaved dog , it's a good example that you can bring Fido and hang out with friends Beer selections rotate and there are also cans available for purchase Service is good , I appreciate friendly staff

I LOVE Sama Sama downtown. I like Lama Dog well enough, and their beer list typically has a fruity…read morebeer or two to satiate my "sort of likes beer sometimes" palate. So I was absolutely thrilled when a combo spot opened (WITH PARKING!!) uptown, so I don't need to brave the funk zone or downtown for a leisurely dinner and drink. Sadly, something just didn't quite measure up on the food side. They're definitely going for more of a brewpup vibe, as I didn't see some of the fancier items on the menu, but the prices were so high for the amount of food. If they'd altered to concept a bit more to fit pub fare (with prices to match) this would have been a homerun. We ordered the loaded tots, which were delicious, the koren wings, which were the clear standout of the meal, and then the ramen and dumpling tacos which were disappointing. The ramen was SO salty and was mostly just broth and noodles. The dumpling tacos were small and pricey for what they were, and personally I just wasn't a fan of the flavor. My boyfriend happily finished them, but then again he's a bottomless pit so he's easy to please. There's LOTS on the menu that interests me though, so I'm happy to give it another shot and try something else. The weekday bento boxes look interesting! Lama Dog itself is fine, and I'll absolutely get a snack at Sama Sama again when I go for a post-work bev, but it's sadly not going to be my go-to for dinner.

We love that there is outdoor seating. Not a lot of seating so it can get pretty full fast…read more We ordered a coke, veggie tofu spring rolls, orange tofu, and combination pho. It hits the spot. Super flavorful tofu and had the outer crisp. The pho I inhaled so fast. A lot of noodles and meat. The server nearly forgot to bring out the bean sprouts and basil with a friendly reminder. Otherwise I would absolutely come again!

Pang Zi has become one of my favorite places to eat pho and until recently, their fried rice! We…read morewere sat immediately on a busy Saturday night and we were taken care of right away! Their servers were incredibly sweet and made sure to check on us during the night! My partner ordered their rare steak pho and she destroyed it in no time! I fell in love with their combo fried rice! They had a Vietnamese hot sauce that worked perfectly with the rice and the pork. I'm looking forward to my next fried rice trip!

Had such a great experience at Kimchi BBQ All You Can Eat! The food was amazing and the meat…read morequality was way better than I expected for AYCE. Everything came out quickly, the sides were fresh, and the atmosphere was really fun. Special shoutout to Fernando for the excellent service. He was super attentive, friendly, and made sure we always had fresh grills and everything we needed. He checked on our table often without being overwhelming and honestly made the whole experience even better. Definitely one of the best KBBQ spots around. Will be coming back again soon!

Went with the in-laws as a party of 6 and had a great experience. We got the platinum menu. Special…read morecallout to the ribeye and giant short rib. The meat was good quality and the rice fluffy. The server frequently changed our grill which helped minimize smoke. He was very attentive to our needs.

Food was good and staff was kind. Would come back and get the angus beef boil again…read more Characters

We were passing the area when we decided we needed some lunch. I found this place on yelp and…read moredecided to give it a try. It was an open layout that had plenty of seating inside the restaurant. The decor was moder, but not overdone. We were greeting and pointed to a table but that was it. We realized there was a QR code on the table and we could order our food on there. It took a little while to get our food even though no one else was there. I found it really odd to not even be told to use the QR code to order or be informed of anything. Stewed beef noodles with Ramen- 9/10 My husband ordered this and I tried some. The broth was delicious. Rich and flavorful but not overbearing. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the meat was tender. The bok choy was a needed touch. My husband ate the whole bowl and wanted a second because was so good. Certified Angus Beef hot pot- 8/10 I ordered this with the tom yum broth. I didn't know it was a creamy version of the broth until it was served. I'm not mad about it but it wasn't in the description in case others are dairy sensitive. The broth was flavorful and really delicious. I will say that the beef was tough and it a typical cut that overcooked very quickly in the broth. I'm not positive it was Angus beef grade. I just now realized it was missing the lotus root but gave me zucchini instead. I was also missing my quail eggs. If I didn't read the description to know I was supposed to have them, I would've missed that too. Overall, the food was delicious but the service was 1 star for sure. We were never checked on and the waiter only appeared if we pushed the call button. If you can overlook the lack of customer service, the food is really delicious.