Wow! We went to Rascals Vegan for brunch while visiting the Santa Barbara area. My husband found it…read moreonline, and it definitely did not disappoint. It happened to be their 3-year anniversary weekend, so in addition to their regular menu, they were offering some special dishes. I ordered the special chanterelle bagel. It was topped with buttered chanterelles, bachelor buttons, wood sorrel, chives, and cream cheese. The bagel was beautiful and absolutely delicious. The cream cheese was made from cashews and had a smooth, buttery, creamy flavor. The mushrooms were perfectly cooked and not overly buttery, adding great texture to the dish. We also ordered the chips and guacamole, which came with a trio of salsas: chipotle, habanero, and tomatillo. Each salsa had its own distinct flavor and spice level. The guacamole was topped with pepitas, and the homemade chips were perfectly crisp. My husband ordered the Homerun, which included two large pancakes, bacon, and a "fried egg." The pancakes were dense yet fluffy with great flavor. The bacon tasted very similar to turkey bacon, but the real showstopper was the fried egg. The yolk was incredibly convincing and delicious. He was genuinely surprised by how closely it mimicked the taste of a real egg yolk. The restaurant had a nice Mexican home feel. After our meal, I briefly spoke with the owner, who was friendly and appreciative of our visit. Since it was his 3-year anniversary, we wished him continued success. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Santa Barbara.

Food Make sure you get their gauc with the three salsa…read moreoptions. They are a variety of smoky and spicy. The homemade tortilla chips are perfection, hot and perfectly salty. Big fan of fresh chips and this place delivered. Their vegan meats were so good. How they managed to get the texture and their meat crunchy was crazy. Their tacos are the must get because they make their tortillas fresh and they are better than the burrito. Service Came here with a party of seven and the servers were so great with handling a big party. They were attentive without being too overbearing. Ambiance An open space in the front and they have a whole back patio as well. We came for dinner so inside was the best option for us. Nice flowers on the table, you can see the kitchen and the bar as well.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the best experience here as I imagined it to be. I stopped by on a…read morewarm day and wanted to enjoy a Spritz. I walked in and spoke with the guy working the bar area. I wasn't sure if I had to order my drink there or if there was table service. He said he could take my order and then I could go find a table to sit at. I placed my order for a Spritz and found a table outside. It seemed like 15 minutes had passed by and still no drink. He tended to another table in front of me with a group of women he knew. I thought he would stop by my table after, but he didn't even acknowledge me. Finally, another staff member tended to me and I told her I had placed my order at the bar and was still waiting for it. She was very kind and quickly got it for me. My observation of this guy, was that he acknowledged everyone around me but for some reason never acknowledged me until my bill was ready. Such a bizarre experience! In any case, I still managed to enjoy myself and was glad the Eva waited on me. She was very kind and I appreciate her getting my drink and food in a timely manner. I ordered the Spanish cheese plate, which was the perfect snacking board. It comes with manchego, membrillo, corn nuts, cornichon, quince, strawberries, focaccia, and charcoal sourdough bread. This plate is great for two people. Overall, a not so great experience, but grateful that Eva came to the rescue! It left me unsure of whether I would come back, only time will tell.

The natural wine bar of my dreams! We came to SB on a trip and were searching for wine bars that…read moreserve natural wine, and this one kept popping up as a top choice -- and it absolutely lived up to the hype. It's located right on State Street, so there's plenty to explore nearby. We came right at opening and were greeted by the friendliest host. The style of the space is amazing -- walls lined with bottles, funky furniture, and such a fun, modern vibe. They were also super dog‑friendly and immediately brought my pup a water bowl, which I always appreciate. The host was incredibly knowledgeable and answered all my questions (and I had many). I'm still new to the wine world, so her openness and guidance meant a lot. I sampled two wines and chose the one that was perfect for me. I also loved that they bring the bottle to your table to show you and tell you more about it. My partner had one of their vermouth cocktails and loved it. We even learned about a natural wine event happening next month that we might come back for. The host also recommended wineries in the area based on our preferences -- such a thoughtful touch. Would definitely come back anytime we're in SB.

I have been to The Daisy many times and I am never disappointed! The food is so fresh and flavorful…read moreand the portions are generous! My favorites are: The little gems salad with chicken added. You have to get the green goddess dressing! They make it in house and it's the bomb!! The bahn mi sandwich. It has house made tender brisket, fresh pickled veg on a baguette. So delicious! You can also get it as a salad! You'll never even miss the bread! The Daisy burger. Big meaty patty, with melty cheese, piled high with lettuce, tomato and red onion with a special sauce on a buttery brioche bun! You can really sink your teeth into this one! It also comes with a generous portion of perfectly crispy on the outside tender on the inside fries! Mmm mmm!!! They get really busy so come early!! Definitely a must try!

The Daisy in Santa Barbara was a bit of a hit-or-miss visit for us…read more The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, with plenty of outdoor seating, and is dog friendly, which is a big plus. You order at the counter and the food is brought over to your table. The service was friendly, though it could have been better--we had to get our own water, cutlery, and napkins and nobody came to check on us throughout the meal. Maybe that was because we came right at opening on the weekend. Food-wise, some dishes were better than others. The smoked brisket banh mi was disappointing, mainly because the brisket was chewy. The burrata-tomato salad with added chicken breast was good and felt fresh and satisfying. The chicken salad sandwich was okay, but the bread was too hard, which made it less enjoyable. On the positive side, my son really enjoyed the kids' grilled cheese sandwich with fries. Overall, The Daisy has a lovely atmosphere, and a great dog-friendly patio, but the food was a bit hit-or-miss during our visit.

Tamar is the home of one of the best sandwiches in Santa Barbara. The Lamb Kofta Pita has no…read moreparallel anywhere in SB. Perfectly seasoned and cooked, the lamb patties are nestled in the pita surrounds by veggies and two delicious sauces. It's brilliant! Staff is always friendly and helpful.

I wanted to like this place. I read the reviews, saw some of the negatives but decided to give them…read morea try anyway. I ordered a chicken shawarma plate and two shawarma sandwiches. The food was not bad, but it also wasn't the most flavorful. The reason for 3 stars is based on two things: 1) the chicken portion on my plate was small. I'd say it was about a kid's size portion. For the price, I was disappointed. 2) it took over 45 mins to get our food. I don't know if this is normal, but if it is, it would be helpful to know this upfront when ordering. The food did seem to be prepped and cooked fresh and pita bread was good. I might come back. We'll see.

Loved this place, loved that they had squash blossoms veggie options! Yum…read more When I'm not doing food reviews, I am posting videos about restaurants and cafes on tiktok @BayBitesNSips and when I'm not doing that, I am making handmade jewelry - I'd be so grateful if you visited my Etsy shop: MLEColorshop (or shared it with a friend who might enjoy my creations. )

My friend and I haven't been back to Santa Barbara since 2021. So here we are back in May 2026. My…read morefriend and I took a Santa Barbara Sunset Sailing tour. I knew we would arrive back late and there're not a lot of restaurants open past 9:00. We arrived back at the dock at 8:30PM. My friend was hungry and as we were walking back to our hotel, we saw Santo Mezcal still open YEAH! As we have seen in the past, the place is packed and super lively with diner finishing up. There were spots open at the bar we took. Edgar the bar tender (cocktail aficionado) was great! We ordered Cocktails, Espresso Martini and a Mezcal Paloma (so good) I ordered the Shrimp Empanadas. My friend ordered the King Fish Crudo and the Enchiladas Verdes. Even though they were ready to close our food came out hot, fresh, presentation great and tasting delicious. It was a great ending to our sunset cruise night. Atmosphere: fun lively. Service: excellent. Food: excellent.

Three Monkeys is one of those places you come to if you don't feel like eating a heavy meal, but…read moreyou need sustenance to satisfy your hunger. Located at the very end of the SB Public Market and right next to Cooneys bar. Their menu offers chicken, pork, beef and tofu Bánh Mi, as well as meat skewers, stir fry and salads. Just to name a few. I've tried the chicken and beef skewers which comes in the Hungry Box. I subbed two of the skewers for beef, but in all honesty the beef was too too tough to break down. My one pet peeve is meat that is chewy, dry and too tough to eat. Although it was flavorful, but I wouldn't order it again. I did enjoy the chicken skewer though! The Hungry Box also comes with rice and a salad. Both of which were simple but a nice compliment to the skewers. On my recent visit I ordered the Buffalo wings. They were delicious! I appreciate that the sauce wasn't too spicy. I haven't had buffalo wings in a long time and these really hit the spot! The French fries were also good and not too salty. Overall, three monkeys is worth checking out if you're visiting the public market. Customer service is fast and efficient.

We went to the Santa Barbara Public Market to try Corazon Cocina, and my husband wasn't feeling it…read moreso we decided to give Three Monkeys a try. Service isn't really a thing SBPM since it's a walk up to order and then pick it up when your buzzer goes off, but we liked the comfortable and casual setup. We ordered the Hungry Box #1 with chicken and a chicken bahn mi, and both were very good. The chicken was the same in both meals, and it was well seasoned and nicely grilled, but still juicy. The salad with the box and the pickled veggies in the bahn mi were fresh and crisp too. Just a comment on the bahn mi is there the ratio of bread to filling in the bahn mi was just a little too much bread. Overall though, it we enjoyed it and it made for a very nice meal.

I was looking for a venue to have a milestone birthday party for myself. I've been to Buena Onda…read morefor a couple of parties and each time, the experience was really memorable. I met Matias Requena, the owner, and knew right away I wanted to have my party there. He spent all the necessary time with me answering questions and offering great suggestions. Due to some impending rains, however, I needed to move the party to a different location (at the last minute) but Buena Onda still took care of all the catering. Matias and his crew did such a wonderful job not only understanding the venue change, but catered it perfectly. The Buena Onda crew were all super courteous and the the food was amazing. The next time I want to throw a party, it will definitely be at Buena Onda Restaurant. The letter grade for Matias and Buena Onda is A+

We visited Santa Barbara for the weekend and stopped by Buena Onda to try their freshly baked…read moreArgentinian empanadas. The restaurant has a rustic feel with a nice outdoor front patio for dining. We ordered the combo of 3 empanadas with a choice of side (salad or chimi papas). We tried the carne, pollo, buen día, and the daily special (brisket with peppers). For sides, we got one order of chimi papas and one garden salad. The empanadas were big and generously filled. Our favorite was the carne. I would also recommend choosing the salad over the potatoes as a side. It's a spot worth visiting if you're in the mood for empanadas!

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!

I really enjoyed my one taco here. I ordered the steak taco, which came in like one large thin…read morepiece like if you were to get from a backyard Mexican friend's BBQ. I think the other reviewers nailed it. You have so many great Mexican food joints here, and you start becoming less inclined to try new spots because you have your staples. ie lily's tacos, Los Agaves, the shop in Public Markey, Los Arroyos ... etc And I can safely say this is a great spot to keep in the back pocket too.

Absolutely delicious! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The tacos were…read moreamazing, and the quesadillas were perfectly crispy with great filling. Loved all the fresh toppings and sauces too. Great food and great experience -- definitely coming back!

Great food! Friendly staff and a variety of food which was all tasty. We stayed at the best western…read moreand stopped in for late dinner. I got the grain bowl with bulgogi and my husband got the chicken masala (I think) which are two odd dishes together but so tasty! The second time I got a lavender latte which was perfectly balanced and not overly Floral and the Pork Belly Bahn Mi with fries. HUGE sandwhich but so tasty and even better when I ate the second half the next day. Will definitely come back to try more when we are in the area again

Came across Live Oak Cafe while staying nearby for the weekend and honestly, it ended up being one…read moreof our favorite spots in Santa Barbara. We stopped in on a Saturday for a late brunch/early lunch and were surprised there was no wait. The vibe is super chill--quiet, neighborhood café energy, not overcrowded or hectic like a lot of brunch places. Service was warm and welcoming, and the food really delivered. We ordered the lemon zest brioche French toast, eggs Benedict, and a classic eggs + toast with turkey sausage/patties, along with tea and coffee. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and just really well done. It's owned by a couple (they were even featured in a magazine a few years back), and you can genuinely feel that care and intention in the space--from the atmosphere to the team working there. Nothing feels rushed or impersonal. What really says a lot--we kept coming back every day we were there. It's one of those low-key, slightly hidden gems that ends up being the highlight of your trip.