I made an itinerary for my birthday trip to Santa Barbara and even though I planned out every single detail, we still managed to accidentally stumble upon this absolute gem by total surprise! We left completely and totally in love with this spot. The food was out of this world incredible, the service was welcoming and neighborly, and the decor was so tastefully unique. I can't get over this place; I crave it all of the time, and I am seriously wishing we lived in Santa Barbara just so we could be daily locals at The Cruisery. We went in for happy hour and ordered just about everything on the menu because the tapas selection is where it is at. I realized we ordered every single one; we couldn't help it because everything we tried was spectacular! The absolute standouts that we kept ordering over and over again were the Elote Cups, which are essentially esquites served in a clever, edible tortilla bowl, the Bacon Poppers, which are cream cheese-stuffed jalapeños wrapped in crispy bacon, and the Riding a Pig, which is smoky BBQ pork with a perfect, crunchy slaw served on bread. Since we had been wine tasting all day, I switched over to a few rounds of their refreshing sangria, while my husband stuck to their beer and absolutely loved the unique craft selection they have on tap. As a huge bonus for pup parents, even though we did not have our dog with us this time, Santa Barbara is incredibly pet-friendly, and this place goes above and beyond. We saw they provide actual dog treats and fresh water bowls for the fur babies. Next time we visit, our pup is definitely coming with us. Don't do what I did and leave your itinerary to chance. Make this a planned stop on your next trip, order a drink, get the entire tapas menu, and thank me later! read more

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One of my favorite bars in SB! Of course, it's bike themed, so there's bike decor, it's a little darker during the evening time. They also serve food here as well. I haven't had any complaints about service, they're usually communicative and will get to you as quick as possible. There are paid parking lots nearby (free after 12a and free street parking nearby). I'd come with friends when they hosted bingo nights and when they have happy hour. During the bingo nights, you have the opportunity to win free drinks and some other prizes. For drinks, I highly recommend the tangerine spritz, Jamaican 10 speed, scooby snack shooter, or the red sangria! read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Super cute place that's dog friendly with outdoor seating under trees. Very friendly staff and service. Lots of games and couches to lounge and chill. We came in for Happy Hour on a Thursday before a Bowl show and had a great time. Drinks were yummy! read more

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We went to The Cruisery for my dog's 12th birthday, and I'm honestly obsessed with this place. I've reviewed this spot before, but this visit deserved an update because it was such a fun and unique experience. It's right on State Street and extremely dog-friendly--like, dogs of all sizes are welcome and actually celebrated here. Not just tolerated... celebrated. They offer dog birthday packages (yes, really), and for $49 it was such a fun experience. Lobo got a full birthday setup: a reserved table, a sign with fun facts about him, a birthday portrait, cake, a gift, and his own birthday dinner. I ordered him the filet and sweet potatoes, but they do have other options on their dog menu too. And for the humans--they don't slack either. They have a great food and drink menu. I ordered the Flaming Lips cocktail and it's such a fun one... I won't give it away, but yes, there are actual flames involved . I also got the Korean Crunch (fried chicken with red pepper sauce) and it was so good. Everyone else loved their food and drinks too... but I'll be honest, I was a little more focused on Lobo. Kyle was our server and he was amazing--super friendly and made the whole experience even better. Honestly, everything about it was just fun. It's such a unique idea, and I love that places like this exist. We come to Santa Barbara often, and this is 100% going to be a regular stop for us now. Already planning Lobo's 13th here read more

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Chelsea is above awesome. we've been here several times and never failed. Oyster happy hour is the catch. a 5 star overall. read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Food was great. Ambience very chill, welcoming, dog-friendly and kid friendly, great patio to people watch! Owner hands out in front with his pup - very cool! Food was great and drinks even better! read more

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Great service! Everyone that works here is great and super sweet. Very attentive to their customers.

This place is on the corner facing State Street. There is some street parking which frees up in the evenings and a parking structure close by. We were seated right away and the hostess was super friendly. Our server was preset good, not overly attentive. My biggest issue was that after getting our apps and drinks delivered, she came back to inform us she was going on break. No big deal except she didn't ask if wanted to place our order. We waited over ten minutes for the waitress who was covering for her to come around before we could order. It was just disappointing since we had to wait so long between our waitress and the one covering. The drinks were amazing! Delicious and visually appealing. The margarita flight was a fun choice and you got decently sized drinks. The menu just got updated and was missing a few keys items. However the chicken and Brie sandwich was pretty tasty (the chicken was a bit dry). My friend hated her tacos as the meat was dry and she did not like the flavor. She ended up ordering another item. I do like that this place is dog friendly and the drinks were great. Just not my favorite place to go based on service. read more

The Cruisery - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It's rare to see a bar owner in the trenches with his employees. Aron is a solid dude and I will be definitely be making my way back here from the San Fernando area to chill and have some drinks. The fact that it's a super dog friendly place makes it all the better. This is a solid establishment and tyou to Aron and Jeremy for a chill time . read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

**** dog-friendly doesn't describe it well enough! *** A perfect neighborhood place! The food is great, the service and people are inviting, friendly and the right amount of casual. The menu had a little something for everyone! Our furbaby loved being at the table in her puppy highchair, watching everyone and being part of the conversation. Zoe (our puppy!) had the turkey burger and potatoes! Delicious, Chef! I loved all the nods to the history of the building too! Thank you for creating such a perfect spot! read more

The Cruisery - Ask for a puppy high chair so your bestie can enjoy being with the family, rather than hanging out with your feet! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Our party of five went on a slowish Tuesday early evening. All we wanted were some good cocktails before we went to dinner. We first encountered the hostess outside, she was adorable, but even though there were very few customers inside or out - she was completely overwhelmed. This is NOT a hostess problem, but rather a training problem. Although there was plenty of room outside she couldn't seat us outside because we had five people (not four). We would have been happy if she just added a chair to a table of four. We then went inside and ordered four mid to bad cocktails. Everyone (begrudgingly) drank theirs, but I couldn't even drink my margarita. So bad. They advertise margaritas outside but they were real bad I'm not sure if it was just like dollar tree mixer or what. For the price they charge it should be fresh margaritas with real juice - no mixer. Very disappointing. Service was meh and we saw two other tables vacate before they even ordered any drinks or food. Cute place. Love the dog vibe but service and drinks - not good. Would not go again and would not recommend **there was a response to this review that I appreciate- however there was no special event at this time and it was not busy. Just to clarify read more

We were walking by with our dog and the man that worked here was soooo nice to our pup and us, sadly I didn't get his name but he had an adorable little dog named Penelope. He offered our dog a treat and they had the best "water flight" for pups! I come to SB often and we will be definitely be eating here the next time we are in town!!!! read more

Rainy day plans done right Took our pups out for dinner and found the perfect dog-friendly spot. Not only is the food absolutely amazing and the service top-notch, but they welcome dogs inside And the best part? They have a high chair with a cushion for small dogs so your fur baby can dine in comfort too. Genius. Truly a brilliant idea ‍ read more

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Overall: B // 4 stars The Cruisery is a very eye-catching restaurant with intriguing decor from bikes hanging down the ceiling to the all wooden furniture. Its food is similarly peculiar as it is a fusion of popular world flavors all into one menu. I do appreciate that the menu rotates very frequently to keep things fresh, but it does seem like their menu is a bit too large and some of the items are a bit too experimental so the quality control is not fully there. That being said, some of the items I had previously were absolutely show-stopping from the Chicken and Waffles to their French Toast BLT. (Lemonade: B) - Quite disappointed they removed the elderflower or lavender from the craft lemonade that they had before as that was divine. The drink they have now now feels very elementary, although the presentation is still better than the average lemonade. (Brussels Sprouts: B) - Very oil heavy, but I greatly enjoyed the addicting chili oil flavor development playing from a mild spicy x sweet kick to enhance those crispy sprouts. I think the peanuts would add more to the dish if they were candied for flavor or crumbled for texture. (Sangrita Ceviche: C) - I like the mildly developed flavors consistent with a ceviche that is California style. The shrimp is tenderly poached to go with that delicate flavor palette. I do think the presentation is a miss as the bowl rim looks sloppy and the plantains cover the entirety of the ceviche. (Banh Mi Plantain: B) - Very intriguing one biter, but I think the plantain is used as a chip, rather than being the star with the naming; furthermore, I think the intense Vietnamese flavors that come through with the pickles and the creaminess are missing here. (Pan Con Tomato: B) - Simple bite done relatively well. The charred ciabatta does elevate this simple dish a bit. (Choripan: A) - Really enjoyed the intense flavors going in three directions -- the chorizo with that meaty intensity; the chimichurri with that fresh herbaceousness; and the garlic aioli for a surprisingly developed creaminess. Food: +1 Presentation: E Price: E Atmosphere: +1 Service: E Menu: +1 Overall: 4 stars Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats read more

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One of the best meals I had in Santa Barbara! We ordered the bahn mi flatbread which was phenomenal. Our table also got the firecracker fries which were cooked perfectly. Service was great. Would definitely come back. read more

The Cruisery - Firecracker fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I'm going to go ahead and write a whole other review... but let me just say I am so glad we gave this place another try! EVERYTHING was great ... AND no, we did not receive special treatment nor did the owner tell the kitchen that we didn't care for the food before and to do it up... They just did it up!!! I whole heartedly believe we just came on a kind of off night and our waitress was fairly new with not a ton of experience. Working with Aron, the owner, I fully expect she will be fantastic in no time. Please go try this place. read more

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Pearl loves this dog-friendly venue and so do we! Owner Aaron has created a wonderful atmosphere on lower State and we're here for it! read more

The Cruisery - Pearl loves the homemade dog treats and the water flight! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Andrea, Jeremy and the rest of the crew were great. We are visiting from out of town and had an awesome time, amazing drinks and played some fun games. Definitely would come back next time we are is SB read more

Ambiance is incredible, service is impeccable, food is incredibly delicious! Will absolutely come back again soon!

I liked this place. Great vibe. Decent food but I wasn't happy with the service at all. Our waitress disappeared after she took our order. I never ordered a second drink. They brought all our entrees out at different times. We had a party of 8. And I ordered Brussel sprouts for an appetizer and they didn't come out til after my entree! We asked about them and she didn't even offer to give us them for free. Also acted like it was no big deal that it took forever to bring the brussel sprouts out. Once we ordered she just disappeared read more

If your looking for nice place that's per friendly, look no further. Both indoor and outdoor they caters to your fur babies. We stopped in and happy hour was still going on. Which is till 7pm I believe. Menu for drinks were great. They also had small plates as well as tapas on the happy hour menu. Also, a doggy meal for the babies. The spicy prick and mango inferno were excellent. Good cocktails to start your meal. We also had the burrata which to me was almost like a ceviche as its was more watery versus it being just a lump of cheese. Still good. And the ceviche, which was nice with plantain chips. Portion was pretty small though. For tapas, we had some of the arancini, choripan and bacon poppers. These were smaller pieces but great for ordering a few to try out. I'm not much of a burger person but both the cruisery and chimichurri burger were good. Cooked well and juicy. Paired with the right condiments and served with shoestring fries. Service was really good. Our waitress was training another waitress which they were both excellent. Even when checking in, the host brought over a treat for our fur baby. Excellent service and great food and cocktails. read more

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very nice people here. downtown santa barbara is cool. this place is at the heart of it. pet friendly. they love dogs. great atmosphere. here to celebrate birthdays and they did not disappoint. the food was good. really can't go wrong with burgers and fries. good quality food but you're not here for the food. a nice vibe with great service. read more

What a totally fun night!! Bingo at the Cruisery Friday night sponsored by Bear Cave Comedy starting at 9pm!! There was a DJ and she sounded great and the music progressively got more fun as the night went on. The hostess was hilarious and landed biingo fun plus great prizes and great vibes!! I arrived with friends about 8 and drinks were regular priced and service was excellent by the waiter Jeremy that served us promptly and more importantly with a great smile!! Food looked pretty fab including the burger and the grilled cheese friends ordered! I will definitely order food next time I come!! read more

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Happy hour sounded good but food is literally a bite each item so it is no longer a good deal. Service was extremely slow but maybe a staffing issue. Did not seem that busy though. Wait staff was nice just seemed busy prepping, getting bottles from back, working on menus, etc. All said, seemed better than it was and price wasn't worth it by a long shot. read more

This restaurant offers a huge variety of drinks and food. The drinks are well prepared. The food is delicious and presented in a delicate manner. We had the Peruvian ceviche served with banana chips and the Spanish potatoes. The Peruvian Ceviche was prepared very well! read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The food was fine, but the service was surprisingly rude. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we were inconveniencing the staff by being there. Questions were met with short, dismissive responses, and basic courtesy seemed to be missing throughout the meal. I understand restaurants get busy and everyone has bad days, but there's a difference between being busy and being unfriendly. Customer service goes a long way, and unfortunately this experience left a bad impression. There are plenty of places with similar food where guests are treated with respect, so I don't see myself returning. read more

Came here without a clue on how amazing this place would be! Food delish! Ordered the beet drop salad - yes please! Atmosphere is on point. If you love old fashions...... order the Fig and Haley read more

LOVE IT HERE. Kyle was great. He was right about the pig tacos being amazingly good! Drinks were great too. My boyfriend devoured his chicken nuggies and fries. He almost got one of the burgers but the chicken tenders were too tempting. If he's happy I'm happy. The other runners/busters were great too in making sure we had water and no dirty plates on our table. Got a table outside and it was fun to people watch. We will be back for happy hour! DOG FRIENDLY! We don't have a dog but saw lots of cute ones read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I came here during happy hour on a weekday and while I had a great experience here, I would say that if you're coming here, be prepared to wait. When I was here, it was one guy manning the front, bar, and serving so have some patience with him. I ordered their chicken and brie sandwich and it was delicious. The chicken was juicy and the combination with the brie and jam was amazing. I also love their shoe string fries as it has the perfect amount of crispness. read more

The Cruisery - chicken and brie sandwich - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

A five star rating is not enough for this place!! We were met with multiple employees from Jeremy to Dustin and Chelsea, everyone was such a sweetheart and were planning another trip out from LA again to bring our friends out to such an amazing spot that won't disappoint! read more

Food, drinks and service were amazing. Nice alternative to the current state street restaurants/bars

First timer here and will probably keep coming back until my luck runs out. Or maybe sitting at the bar next to DJ "Sounds by CA" is the best thing to do. (Having won 3 times in a row, playing bingo!) Ambience is casual and everyone is friendly from security the bartender (Jeremy) and the hostess of the night (from Bear Cave Comedy). Their security is a cute little doggie sitting on top of a box crate. So this bar is welcoming to our furry pets! Love this place and recommend to all visitors and locals alike! read more

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In response to my response, the main reason wanted to go to a separate table was because the two person table was too sunny for our dog, and we wanted her to be comfortable under a table in a shaded spot. There was only one other family there the place was empty, so thanks again, but your response wasn't very accommodating. read more

The Cruisery - Picture of Aron who was very rude and disrespectful. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The customer service from the owner is a wonderful surprise. After a misunderstanding about a deal going on, Aron was kind enough to send me a gift card which ensured I will continue to come to cruisery. The food is delicious and happy hour deals are wonderful. It's great to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while trying a variety of tapas read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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PLEASE READ THIS!!! I wanted to find a nice dog friendly place in SB, when I first saw this place and looked at the reviews I was thrown off by the people saying the service was really bad and the owner wasn't nice. I decided to still give it a chance and honestly i'm very glad I did. All the staff were so beyond nice and the owner came by and pet my dog and gave him a treat. The food and drinks were delicious, the owner came and talked for a bit while petting my dog. I loved the energy in the place!! I'm so glad I didn't listen to the reviews and came to my own opinion about this place. If you're thinking about trying this place then definitely do!! I don't think you'll be disappointed :) Thank you to the staff and owner for taking such good care of us, we'll definitely be back soon!! read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great place for larger group. The tables inside are very long with benches and seat probably up to 12. We were 7 and had lots of space to spare. The menu looked so good I wanted to try everything. I was dieting and had a salad so my meal was meh (not big on salads but the panela fit the bill) and I would have preferred more avocado vs cucumbers but everyone else got the various sandwiches and loved their dishes. I would love to come back and try the cheesesteak bibimbop! Their mixed drinks also looked creative and yummy. For the dog lovers out there, apparently they allow dogs at your table and provide chairs for them. I didn't see anyone taking advantage of this tonight but sounds very fun. I'd definitely go back the next time I'm in town. read more

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Not sure how the food was because I didn't eat there but there were plenty others eating around me and they said it was tremendously delicious. The ambiance was nice and dark due to Live Spanish Rock Band. The price of Drinks were a little bit much but well spent with no complaints. Once again, you be the judge of that! Special Shout-out to Bartender for Being cool. read more

The Cruisery - Live Band! Honestly it wasn't like other times at different bar, but the atmosphere matched the vibes. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This is such a fun place to catch a bite on State Street. It's casual and pretty easy going. Drinks have fun names and the food is always delicious. Even better? This place is very dog friendly. read more

The Cruisery - Early Birdie cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Our second time visiting this cute little place ! We brought along our little Yorkie so we searched for places that was dog friendly. We were hungry for some breakfast. It was around 12:00 PM and they were serving breakfast. Everything was so delicious prices are reasonable. Presentation was really cute. Kids loved it. Our waiter was very sweet. We will definitely be back. read more

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I came for the happy hour, and I was not disappointed. The Cruisery has an nice open street patio with plenty of heat towers. Greenery was all around. The front host was friendly. Our waitress was friendly too! We were obviously gay, and I felt very welcomed here. The happy hour price was about $12 a drink. All drinks were good! I would suggest the margarita flight. It's the better value and these drinks are regular sized drinks. My only critique was the price of the happy hour food. It was $4 for a single jalapeño popper. We had some shrimp ceviche that was $10. It was very good, but the serving size was small. It's more like a taste. I will come back for the drinks. This is a very good pregame place. read more

The Cruisery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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