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    Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch

    3.6 (169 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Barbeque
    Closed 10:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch Takeout or Delivery

    Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch Photos

    SANTA BARBARA CHICKEN RANCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Chicken Burrito
    Suzanne L.

    I ordered a two piece chicken and coleslaw dish and my hubby ordered a chicken burrito with beans. No rice and I fill out with cheese. Four stars because the coleslaw taste was just OK added some roasted tasting salsa that they had in it made it delicious. Use their disposable hand towels for the chicken cleanup. Overall, I did like the chicken. It was very tasty and tender. I would recommend coming here to try it.

    The bone in my chicken burrito:(

    The service was good . Easy to order and food comes quickly . Clean restaurant! Issue was a had a good size bone in my chicken burrito :(

    Chicken Quesadilla w Side Guacamole and two salsa from salsa bar
    Hoai Huong P.

    The space and decor is fun. They play country music. The quesadilla w their chicken was tasty. The chips tasted a little stale and the guacamole didn't have much flavor. I did like their salsa bar. Next time I will have their quarter chicken plate, which looked great. The portions are huge and Cld have been shared by two people

    Inside
    Richie D.

    The SB Chicken Ranch is popular among locals. As someone not originally from this area, I don't see the attraction. Perhaps childhood memories? All I can hear is the little boy's voice on their news hour commercial stating "it's simply theee best!" I use to get the tri tip here but always thought it didn't have that much flavor compared to other Santa Maria style grilled meat spots in town. I then tried their chicken which is often too dry for my liking and often more white meat than my preference of dark meat. Now what I do go to "the Ranch" for is their quesadilla. They are three slices of a monster-sized flour tortilla stuffed with lots of melted, orange cheese. You can go to their salsa bar and help yourself to an original, asada or pico de gallo--plus fermented onions or curtido of jalapeños and carrots. I wish they had a quesadilla meal similar to the kid's meal with an adult quesadilla with a side of rice and beans. Nonetheless, I have found what I do enjoy here for down the road.

    1/4 Tri-Tip Plate
    Edwin R.

    First time at Chicken Ranch. Girl at the register was not friendly; barely spoke to us but she was full of conversation when her co worker was there. Food was ok; flavorful but not really appetizing. The tri tip meat was pretty tough/dry. Maybe my fault for getting tri tip at a place with chicken in the name? Who knows, but a hard pass for a return trip.

    1/4 Chicken Plate
    Danielle B.

    When I'm in the area, I will typically have lunch here with co-workers. Love the atmosphere, the basic menu and the fact that the menu is fairly Healthy. The chicken plates are my favorite. If your into tri tip than you will like the tri tip plate option as well. I'm pretty picky when it comes to my tri tip and this happens when your used to Santa Maria style. The tri tip here is decent but not my favorite. The chicken plates come in 1/4, 1/2 and full or you can mix and match with tri tip. You get a choice of sides (which are pretty small but filling). Tortillas, chips, beans, rice.... They also have a good salsa bar (and I always take a small cup home ). Chicken is tasty, sides are good (but nothing amazing ) it's just an overall good place to eat. Staff were not overly friendly or helpful which is fine but don't expect a good tip if your not friendly and just taking my order from the counter.

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    Always good food!!! The service is always friendly!! Love the decor! The burritos are yummy and HUGE!! Go there- you won't be disappointed!!

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    Mylestone BBQ - Tri Tip Sandwich deliciousness

    Mylestone BBQ

    4.8(18 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    My friends and I stopped by here as we were waiting for our car to be inspected for a flat tire…read moreafter our camping trip. That flat tire was definitely a blessing in disguise because without it, we wouldn't have found this incredible spot! This place is located in a business complex, and from the outside, it looks like a quaint little place, but the moment you walk in, it is HUGE! Tons of seating, a pool table, and outdoor patio. It's even dog friendly! Such a hidden gem. Not only that, but the food was INCREDIBLE! We tried everything on the menu, and we were all blown away. Each of my friends had a different favorite, which means that there's something for everyone, and I'm still drooling just thinking about it. Haha It's hard to pick favorites, but I especially loved the ribs and tri tip sandwich. The staff was SUPER friendly and took their time explaining the menu to us. They made us feel like close friends rather than customers. It's been awhile since I left a review for anything, but I knew I needed to give this place one because they deserve all the hype. I'll definitely make my way down here next time I am in the Santa Barbara area.

    Really good bbq. I had the tri tip sando, pork spare ribs and esquite. The meat was smoked really…read morewell, tender and still really juicy and Smokey. Located in The Draughtsman brewery in Goleta, the vibe is really cool and good beers on tap. Charles, the owner is really friendly and takes care of you. He's got some good bbq sauces and hot sauce is banging.

    Photos
    Mylestone BBQ - Chicken leg quarter and a pint for lunch

    Chicken leg quarter and a pint for lunch

    Mylestone BBQ - Homemade Bourbon Crème brûlée pairs nicely with Draughtsmen Star Pine wine

    Homemade Bourbon Crème brûlée pairs nicely with Draughtsmen Star Pine wine

    Mylestone BBQ - Tri Tip Sandwixh with BBQ, Spicy BBQ and Dijon mustard sauces

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    Timber's Roadhouse - Artichoke Dip

    Timber's Roadhouse

    3.9(237 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    My family recently hosted a rehearsal party on Friday night. The bridal party was a little late so…read morewe appreciated the kitchen, trying to catch up and making sure everyone has serve served before the bar and the kitchen were closed. The biggest highlight revolved around the staff working so hard making sure everything was cleared for us as well as making sure if any food orders were missing or there was someone missing their food. I ordered the chicken sandwich and I was absolutely blown away by how large it was and how flavorful their steak fries were. I'll have to try ther barbecue the next time I'm around!

    Disappointing experience at a place we've loved for years. My partner and I have been regulars at…read moreTimbers Roadhouse for years, stopping by 4-5 times annually whenever we pass through Goleta. This visit was unfortunately our worst experience there by far. It was the first time we'd sat in the dining room instead of the bar. It was early - around 5:00. The happy hour buffalo chicken sliders and Brussels sprouts were good. However, things went downhill with our entrees. My tri-tip dinner (ordered medium rare) arrived as two thin slices of medium rare covering three slices of gray, well-done meat underneath. It was tough and tasted old - it seemed like the kitchen was trying to hide poor quality, overcooked meat. My partner's ribeye was cooked to the right temperature but extremely gristly - only about half of the twelve ounces was actually edible. When I sent my tri-tip back, our server (who was genuinely trying to help) returned to say they were out of tri-tip and a new one would take 45 minutes. By then my partner was halfway through his steak. I asked to just have the meat removed and I'd just eat my sides. Here's where it went from bad to worse: the manager (owner's daughter) charged us $7 each for the sides as "à la carte" items and argued when I explained I only ate them because that's all I had. She eventually offered 50% off the entrée but her confrontational attitude made things worse. The owner was more understanding when we escalated it to her, but the damage was done. Our server did her best in a tough situation - the issues were with the kitchen and management's handling of the problem. Really heartbroken about this experience at a place we've loved. We'll probably try again someday but will stick to burgers and salads at the bar.

    Photos
    Timber's Roadhouse - Beautiful bar

    Beautiful bar

    Timber's Roadhouse - Steak Alfredo Pasta

    Steak Alfredo Pasta

    Timber's Roadhouse - Oreo Milkshake

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    Oreo Milkshake

    L&L Hawaiian Barbeque

    L&L Hawaiian Barbeque

    3.6(197 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    I was craving some spam and a good loco moco so you know I had to go to L&L! I went a little later…read morein the day and I was greeted by such lovely staff! They took my order right away and it didn't take any time for my good to come out! The gravy worked perfectly with the fried eggs and the rice helped soak up all of the wonderful flavors that were mixing together! Their spam musubi was also a wonderful! I do love having spam with eggs and I couldn't have asked for anything better!

    L&L is one of my favorite spots for Hawaiian bbq, this is the first time I've been to one in Santa…read moreBarbara but it's just as good as the one in Ventura! I went around 12 PM on a Wednesday, the place was clean and organized. There were a few people but the line wasn't long. I ordered a chicken katsu meal, an order of spam musubi, and a drink. Rod was the guy who took my order, very chill dude. He told me about their Wednesday special on spam musubi, it's 2 for $7. I waited around 10 minutes but it was sooo worth it. The spam musubi was nice and warm, the rice was soft and the sauce inside was good too. They're very generous when it comes to portion sizes, there was so much chicken! The mac could use a bit more seasoning, it was creamy but tasted more like mayo. Other than that, everything was pretty good. I recommend coming here and getting yourself a meal, you won't regret it! Also, shout out to the cooks! This food wouldn't be bussin without yall

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    L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
    L&L Hawaiian Barbeque
    L&L Hawaiian Barbeque

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    The Creekside Restaurant & Bar

    The Creekside Restaurant & Bar

    4.0(408 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    An evening at The Creekside…read more Imagine a birthday evening of adventure, braving crowded parking lots, and a quest to find a table. As a dining experience, The Creekside left it all on the table. Where to begin? The charming rustic ambiance, the peerless waitstaff, or perhaps the eclectic mix of pop-rock country music swinging its intoxicating tunes throughout the environment. The appetizers of street corn (WARNING: comes on the cob, not for the faint of heart) and Mississippi caviar, with its subtle cilantro infused flavors -- wet the appetite just in time for the main course. The meat plate, which I expected to be a paltry selection of small cuts, was a gargantuan titan of American smoked meats. The presentation and the crisp crunch of the crackling French fries complimented the small town feel of the triumph that is the Creekside. All in all, 5 stars -- would MEAT again.

    ad a great time at Creekside Restaurant in Santa Barbara. I enjoyed some really good SoCal style…read morebarbecue and a couple of cold beers. The vibe was relaxed, the service was friendly, and it was a perfect spot to kick back for a casual meal and drinks. Definitely worth checking out if you want good barbecue in a laid back setting. Check out my visit : https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRTfZ8NkeDd/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

    Photos
    The Creekside Restaurant & Bar - From the front parking lot.

    From the front parking lot.

    The Creekside Restaurant & Bar - Traditional Texas BBQ Wings and Creekside Nachos with Burnt Ends

    Traditional Texas BBQ Wings and Creekside Nachos with Burnt Ends

    The Creekside Restaurant & Bar - Creekside front patio

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    Creekside front patio

    Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch - mexican - Updated June 2026

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