I came on a Saturday morning, it wasn't so busy. The service was great! Our server was really polite and friendly to us making sure we had everything we needed. I really enjoyed the decor inside the restaurant, it felt really homey. Their bacon was delicious, so crispy and flavorful. One of the best bacons I've ever tasted. I would definitely come back. read more

The Lark - Kids breakfast meal - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The food was good. We ordered with the intention of sharing which our very nice waitress suggested. However, each small dish we ordered would arrive 10 or more minutes apart. Luckily, I was with my family and we had good conversation to fill the time. They gave us complimentary lemon dill popcorn to start, it had too strong of a flavor for me, but other members in my party loved the taste. read more

We absolutely loved the environment, and the service was efficient if not terribly friendly. Nobody really liked their food and left most of it on the plate. Being a vegetarian there were very few options and you would think in coastal California there would be something on the menu for the vegan also at the table, but there was nothing. all in all a pretty disappointing evening. read more

Exceptional dining experience - food, ambiance, service - top notch on all fronts! Made a last minute reservation for a Saturday night at 10PM. Ended up receiving a text that a table was available for 9:30pm on their patio and took it. After hearing all the hype around this restaurant, we wanted to try a few plates from each section. Ordered the crispy brussel sprouts, mushroom tartine, Buttermilk fried chicken, mussels, and prawns. Also ordered a cocktail (bees bliss) and glass of wine with dinner. Loved everything I tried! I'm surprised the Lark doesn't have a Michelin star, the quality and experience is so exceptional. Definitely worth planning around if you can get a reservation! A place worth celebrating. Also, shout out to our fantastic server, Breanna, for taking such good care of us! We appreciated your patience and on point recommendations :) read more

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We went here the first night of our honeymoon and the staff made us feel very special. Also, the food was delicious!! We loved every meal we had. The inside and outdoors were very cute too. read more

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Came on a Monday night at 7 and it was packed! Definitely need to make reservations. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Our waitress was really friendly and highlighted some menu items for us. She asked if we wanted still or sparkling water and I will say we were pretty shocked to find that a small bottle of kopu sparkling water cost $8.50 when we got the check!! But that aside... The food. We got the crispy brussel sprouts, caramelized cauliflower and the buttermilk fried chicken. The brussel sprouts were sooo good. Deep fried and crispy! It was topped with this sweet/salty fish sauce combination that was delicious. The cauliflower is tossed in harissa and was a salty contrast to the sweeter golden raisins. The almonds added a nice crunch factor but not that much flavor. I was honestly expecting a little more in terms of flavor but it was still enjoyable. The fried chicken portion is huge. It comes with five chicken thighs that are deep fried and sit on an aioli and topped with a smoky caramel sauce. Good flavor and perfectly breaded and fried chicken but nothing to write home about. They have a huge wine menu but maybe only 5 or 6 that they serve by the glass. I did get to try a carbonic syrah which I had never heard of before which was cool to experience. They let you taste the wine before committing to a glass as well. read more

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If you are looking for an immaculate dining experience then look no further than the Lark in Santa Barbara! A staple to the Santa Barbara experience for dining, this establishment is definitely one to checkout if you haven't. I have dined here over my years in Santa Barbara and it has not disappointed with the food or drinks ever! I recently went for a fantastic get together with my girlfriend Imosemen and one of our amazing friends Julia who was visiting town and we decided to get a nice dinner to celebrate the occasion. We each had a cocktail and shared some absolutely exquisite cuisine! Some information to know about the Lark is that the menu does rotate cocktails and food so be sure to check it out everytime you go! The Lark is also a sharing establishment as the meals are designed that way and you will most certainly want to try everything! We started off with some crispy and tasty brussels sprouts that were packed with flavor as well as the brown butter cornbread which was immaculate with taste, texture and presentation. We all had a cocktail and I decided to go with the Brass Buttons and it was absolutely fantastic! If you are into a bourbon taste with some bitter and citrus profiles...you will LOVE this drink. For our main course we decided on two dishes: the Fried Chicken with grits and the Hangar Steak with potatoes and peppers. The chicken was by far my favorite and was absolutely juicy, tender and full of flavor while maintaining that crispy outside. The grits were packed with flavor and had a fluffy texture and paired extremely well with the chicken. The steak was cooked fantastically and had the best outer char to it that made the bite perfection. Overall the food was delicious, the service was fantastic and the drinks were a perfect pairing to celebrate our friend visiting. I look forward to the next time we done at the Lark and cannot wait to see what they surprise us with next! read more

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The Lark was a solid restaurant. Service, food, and ambiance was all great! Also it's definitely kid friendly which is amazing. Our server was very sweet and attentive- constantly checking in if we needed anything. The food was very tasty! It's an American with a Mediterranean twist cuisine. The Lark brings out some interesting spiced popcorn to start- it was good but not my favorite? We ordered the Brussels sprouts, hanger steak, and the garden of salanona lettuce salad. The sprouts were tasty but my least favorite of everything I tried. I probably would skip on these. The salad was delicious I loved the buttermilk vinaigrette. Lastly, we shared the hangar steak that was surrounded by a delicious sauce along with sungold tomatoes and crispy Thai basil. I didn't save room for dessert but definitely will have to come back to try! read more

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I don't understand the negative reviews. We had a delightful dinner and was treated with top notch hospitality - despite having made a reservation for another night by mistake. Every course was excellent and service was friendly and informative (I like hearing about the ingredients and preparation). I felt the price was a good value- it's not inexpensive, but I was pleased with every aspect of the experience. Definitely will be back. Ignore the cranky reviews. read more

If you're looking for a fancy night out or somewhere to hang and have a simple meal with some wine or a nice cocktail.. you have found the place. For not being a "steak" place they made the perfect rare steak. The duck is soft, tender, and busting with flavor. We were impressed with over all service and they made sure they got our food the way we wanted it. Our server Jordan was informative on their locally sourced menu items. If I could give this place a 7 out of 5 I would. Just try something new here and you won't regret it ! read more

Came here for dinner with a group of friends. Prime location. Nice décor & atmosphere. Our server was Lauren and she was very nice and accommodating. We ordered the cornbread, Brussels sprouts, heirloom tomatoes with goat cheese and the ribs. Food was tasty. Would recommend making a rsvp and trying this place out at least once when in SB. read more

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The food was so good I would have cried if I dropped a piece of food on the table. I've never had a meal where everything was 1000/10. We got the cauliflower, the chicken and the steak. Everything was cooked to perfection and I couldn't find any flaw. The service was also amazing, and kind. Ooh! We also got the free spirited drink rawhide, perfectly balanced between passionfruit and ginger. The entrees were so good, I usually like to end on a savory note, but the star of the night was the cornbread. I immediately had to look up recipes so I can bake it at home. I can't even bake but I know I'm going to dream about that sweet treat until I get it again. Beautiful lovely place for a dinner date. Can't wait to go again. read more

The Lark - Rawhide - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Man, I wanted to love The Lark. The food was good and the service less than average. That's it.

2019 was the last time my friends and I dined here. It was excellent then and still excellent now. The outside area is much bigger now, I noticed the menu selection lessoned, but there was still ampule to choose from. We had Saturday 7:00 p.m. dinner reservations, meeting another party of 2 there. Claudia P. our server was excellent! So nice and friendly and allowed us to catch up with old friends. She did not rush us at all but was still very attentive. Note: they make great cocktails! We had a few of the Ironwoods, Catherine's Lace and Cosmos. Food we ordered: Hawaij Mushroom Tartine, San Diego Big Eye Tuna Crudo, Grilled Caledonian Prawns, The Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Cast Iron Mediterranean Branzino. When the food came out, all fresh beautiful presentation and tasted fantastic! Love this place! Atmosphere: Trendy. Service: excellent. Food: excellent read more

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The Lark has a charming outdoor eating area that welcomes diners with vertical greenery and outdoor heaters allowing ambiance and comfort to be in tact even on chilly evenings. The menu offers a variety of flavor combinations and after tasting many appetizers and main dishes, all are filled with unique ingredients and masterful flavor profiles. The Brussels sprouts were incredibly flavorful with chopped dates providing a sweet balance to the savory sauté or roasting oils and spices. The fried chicken was a huge winner as the crispy breading was perfection. The service was fantastic and they helped us decide the perfect amount of food to order and their suggestions were very helpful! read more

We recently came back to The Lark for Father's Day brunch and couldn't be happier. The quality of the food was outstanding, with amazing flavor combinations and quick service. Highly recommend for a memorable brunch experience! read more

Danae was the best! We really enjoyed every aspect of our meal and would highly recommend to any and all looking for delicious, flavorful food and drink! We'll definitely be making the trip out from Goleta many more times for the fried chicken- it was phenomenal! read more

The Lark - Fried chicken and ribs - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to. Period. Every single dish we ordered was absolutely delicious! The menu has Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired ingredients excellently infused with American dishes. We ordered the Brussels sprouts, which is the best we've ever had! They were glazed with a mind-blowing tangy, citrusy, and savory sauce that I literally couldn't stop eating. It was such a perfect balance and umami in my mouth, I kept eating just to try to pin point what made the sauce so addicting- and I couldn't! So point being order the Brussels sprouts- don't question it, it's amazing, and you won't regret it. We also ordered the ahi tuna, which was so incredibly fresh and flavorful, the tuna melted in my mouth and I could tell it was a great quality ahi. We also ordered the peach salad, which was amazing as well! It was served with a light and creamy goat cheese - and I am not a goat cheese fan because I've only had the smelly kind and it put me off to goat cheese- however, this goat cheese had no smell and it was delicate in flavor and really tasty with the peaches. To the dessert! The orange blossom olive cake! Order it or miss out on life. It's SO good...lovely cardamom notes that married beautifully with the orange blossom in a fluffy and super moist cake. It's so freaking delicious I really can't wait to come back just for this cake. Definitely our number one restaurant for a great romantic atmosphere and a delicious dinner. read more

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My favourite restaurant of 2021!!! I wish I could go back weekly - this restaurant hits it out of the ballpark on all aspects for me, bringing joy all around. Environment - impeccably designed and decorated. So beautiful inside and the patio makes COVID safe dining feel safe and upscale! Plenty of heaters and fire pits to keep you warm and create a warm atmosphere amidst the beautiful greenery and flowers. Service - friendly, professional service that pays careful attention - you know the small things like the wait staff waiting for everyone to arrive or sit back down before taking orders, placing the food down, folding napkins when you've stepped away, making sure orders are sufficient, coursed properly, etc. I know this sounds like table stakes but it's a rarity these days with restaurants struggling to keep staff so I was really impressed by the high quality service and desire by the restaurant to main high standards. Food - AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. It is family style here. We ordered a range of small and large dishes - every single one was memorable, multi layered flavors, surprise bursts of flavor! My favorite was the trout dish along with the creative drinks! Worth planning ahead to get a confirmed seat but we were able to get a table mid week without a res by arriving at opening (where a line had already started!). Plenty of street and public lot parking nearby. Tons of cute stores to browse as well. Can't wait to come back - really loved the food, drinks and beautiful environment. read more

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Food was great, our server was kind, knowledgeable and friendly. The chef was on point. For me this type of restaurant is for when I want to spend some money and not eat much lol. But that's ok that is just this type of spot. I definitely recommend everyone coming here at least once. I felt like we orders everything read more

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corina is amazing! she's truly one of the best servers we've ever had. She was a detailed informant on all of the food and beverages and we couldn't of had a better time. She's absolutely a rockstar if you ever visit definitely meet with her. read more

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What an exquisite meal from start to finish. We started off our meal with hand crafted cocktails, and then we shared our plates' family style. We were surprised to hear it was family style though it was fun! Each plate was so... tasty and the service from Zach was outstanding. We loved his adorable personality. It was such a special evening! read more

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Been here a few times including most recently for a larger group event. First off, it's a very cool vibe located down in the Funk Zone area of town, with a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. If you're outdoor it's largely covered and with heaters so you can generally be out in all seasons. Service was very good, especially for the most recent larger group dinner. That can be hard sometimes, but I was impressed how attentive our waiter was and the broader service team. Food is generally very good, but there are some highlights and some meh IMO. The highlights are brussels sprouts, brown butter cornbread (note heavy on the butter!), fried chicken (though boneless) with grits and ahi tuna and the olive oil cake. Not my fave were the pimento texas toast and tuscan kale salad. Definitely one of the best places in SB for dinner, solid recommend. read more

What a great spot for brunch. The espresso martinis are great and the burger was delicious. Great servers and service was on point! read more

The Lark - Menu - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Visiting the area and cam here after. Memorial service. Great wine list. Just had appetizers which Wes great! Loved the broiled oysters!

Nestled in the back of a greenery filled collection of restaurants, this industrial chic place is quite upscale. Came here just for cocktails and they did not disappoint. read more

The Lark - Carrot cocktail - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This was a great experience! The food is delicious and creative and the ambiance is wonderful! Will definitely return!

Brunch review: I'm going to make this simple. Cons: - no parking. If you're coming from brunch, there's no valet. Be prepared to walk. You could use the walk after this decadent brunch. - the welcome from the host stand was a bit cold and snobby. The tried to then seat us at a table in direct sun after we politely asked to be sat in some shade. Our next option was a table inches away from a table with 3 babies and on the other side a large group. We love babies, don't get me wrong, we have kids ourselves. We just wanted some privacy. Not an awesome welcome. (We also made a reservation so we were not walk-ins.) - I don't necessarily recommend the arugula salad but it's dairy free. Pros - Food was well presented. - 80% of our meal was good. -Gabe, our server, was awesome. Recommendations: - Burrata to start! Don't deviate. We got the arugula to start and ended up also getting the burrata because the arugula salad was a bit much. Like eating a garden. - Benedict is good. Super rich but who cares? It's brunch! - my frittata was very good and a healthy option that doesn't make you feel heavy and full. I'm a local so it's hard to describe the ambience. Santa Barbara chic? Definitely trendy. read more

The Lark - Frittata with mushroom and goat cheese ricotta. - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The lark's ambiance was very cozy and vibey but that might have been my favorite thing about the experience. We got the beet salad, the catch of the day, and the brown butter corn bread. The cornbread was my favorite of the three but even that didn't blow me away. Service was fine, but we probably won't return just because there wasn't any standout dish for us. read more

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Popcorn! They serve popcorn, rather than dinner rolls, while you wait for your order. We ordered 3 refills. Curry popcorn is now a favorite food to eat. The wine ambassador at one of the tasting rooms on State Street highly recommended the popcorn and we thought it was a passing comment from someone who really likes popcorn. We are now popcorn fans. The service was pleasant and efficient. The food was as delicious. We started with their nectarine and cucumber salad. It was light and refreshing. Perfect for the warm day. The oysters with watermelon granita was the highlight of our meal. It seems we should have ordered the fried chicken as we saw plates of it go by. We ordered the hanger steak, and while it was well-seasoned, it did not wow me like the oysters and popcorn. Next time, we will order the chicken. Meals are served family style. My husband and I shared a salad, an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. We were stuffed. Depending on what you order and your level of hungry, you may or may not need to order more dishes than the dishes we ordered. I strongly suggest making a reservation as this place was full to capacity. They have indoor and patio seating. Bring a sweater if you plan to eat on the patio. Once the sun dips down, it can be chilly. read more

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Overall marvelous experience, but stay away from the Duck because it was dry and chewy and seriously overcooked. Must have been done by a different chef than prepared the White Sea Bass which was perfect, crispy on outside and moist and tender inside. I recommend Lark remove duck from menu until they master how to cook it. read more

Carlos and the wait staff were incredibly attentive to our groups needs including our odd set of allergies. We all enjoyed their wide variety of cocktails and nonalcoholic options. We enjoyed the family style service that made trying multiple dishes a breeze. I highly recommend the brussel sprouts and the pasta dish in particular. read more

Amazing meal and service! The fried chicken is the best I've had. The pappardelle pasta...ridiculous. I just loved it all. The crudo with passion fruit aquachile blew my mind. And the snap pea dish?!? Never knew those things could be so exciting but wow. Just wow. AMAZING!!! Thanks chef!!!! And our wonderful server Jordan made the night even better! Can't wait to go back! read more

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My husband and I came to The Lark on a Saturday night while we were visiting Santa Barbara. We came with a reservation that I'd made about a few days or a week earlier. The restaurant has a huge indoor and outdoor seating area. The ambience feels both relaxed and trendy. We were seated immediately after arriving. Our waiter was attentive and welcoming. He brought over everything right when we needed it and our food was served in a timely manner. He also gave us some good recommendations. We ordered two appetizers to share between us, the heirloom tomatoes and the crispy brussels sprouts. The heirloom tomatoes were served uncooked, with a light, creamy sauce. These were good but I didn't think they were a must-order. As for the brussels sprouts, I'm a huge sucker for these and can't go past whenever I see them on a menu. They had the texture for these ones done well; they were perfectly crisp. But the flavor tasted overwhelmingly of fish sauce and it made me feel very thirsty after only a few bites. Our mains, the cod and the fish, were both very good. Our waiter had recommended the buttermilk fried chicken, so my husband ordered it, while I had the cod. The buttermilk fried chicken at The Lark is one of the better fried chicken dishes that I've had. It had a perfectly crisp exterior, with a mild sweetness that came from a drizzle of honey. The interior was juicy and moist. The chicken was served atop cheesy grits that were obviously not good for my waistline, but I couldn't stop myself from eating. My cod was good in comparison to the chicken, but if I had to recommend one or the other, I would say the chicken is much better. We were too stuffed from the savory dishes to order dessert, but they had several options that sounded good. Would recommend coming here for a great meal in Santa Barbara. read more

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A friend who recently dined The Lark absolutely loved it and highly recommended it to us if we were ever in the Santa Barbara area. We were doing a SoCal road trip and since we were passing through the area, we made reservations here on a Thursday night. It's located in The Funk Zone, an arts and entertainment district in a former industrial area near the beach. The restaurant is modern urban integrating vintage and repurposed materials lending to a casual feel. They have indoor dining as well as a large outdoor dining area in front and in back. We opted for outdoor and were seated in the back area, which had a backyard feel. We were greeted by our waiter, Carl, who welcomed us and asked if we've dined here. We said our friend recommended The Lark to us and he said we would have a great meal here. He said their menu is fluid based on the ingredients available and he highlighted some of his favorites. They use the highest quality ingredients that are locally sourced and responsibly grown. After perusing the menu, we made our choices and Carl suggested how the dishes should be brought out from lightest and finishing with the richest dish. For a starter, they brought us a bowl seasoned popcorn. So tasty with about 10 seasonings. Channel Island halibut crudo - beautifully plated and it tasted so fresh and light. A nice starting plate with the fresh halibut with California peach, Santa Barbara sea urchin emulsion, Fresno chile and red shiso. Porchetta de Testa - soft poached egg, balsamic onion jam, pickled mustard seed, banyul's vinegar with grilled sourdough. Put a slice of Porchetta on a slice of sourdough and top with some onion jam, mustard seeds, and some greens and drizzle some egg yolk and wow, so delish! House made pappardelle with grilled Brentwood corn, roasted Maitake mushrooms, piedmont white truffle butter, Sonoma vella dry jack and watercress. This pasta was so flavorful and rich from the truffle butter, yet there was no meat, that Carl made the right recommendation to have this as the final dish. Delicious. Our friend was right in steering us to The Lark if we were in Santa Barbara. Delicious farm to table food with helpful and friendly service. I'll be back next time in the area. read more

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I kept reading about The Lark from ads, articles, and directories. One even recommended this place as a "fancy dinner date place". Suggestion #1: Make a reservation. Otherwise, it'll be like lottery or gambling. Suggestion #2: Come early. So you get a choice on where to sit. Also so it won't be so crowded. I gotta admit, I over ordered. It was our last night in SB and I wasn't sure when I'll be seeing The Lark again. Fig and Goat Cheese Tartine - First thing that came out. My hunger was satisfied after this. Yeah. If I just had this for dinner, I would have been full and I would have been satisfied and not just because it was hearty, but also because it was so darn yummy. Highly recommend. Cheese Board - Great selection of cheeses, crisps and sweets. Highly recommend. Chosen to go along with each other well. Tomatoes and Cucumber - what a great summer dish. The tomatoes were really ripe and each kind tasted differently. Dill Popcorn - came as a treat. Very yummy. If they sold this on a to-go counter, I would totally buy this. Better eat them while they're freshly popped and warm from the pan though. Sparkling Water - pretty darned pricey. Make sure you ask what kind they have first if you don't want to be surprised. Fried Chicken - I could count in one hand the truly awesome fried chickens I've had. This just got added. Prawns - oh so good. You must order! Chocolate Budino - so good! If you still have space, you must order. Or better yet, make sure you don't order too much and order some desserts. Tahini Ice Cream - very good. read more

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Dined on a Saturday evening with a 5pm reservation. The service was very professional; our waiter gave us drink recommendations and advised us that dishes were meant to be eaten family style. Dinner comes with complimentary popcorn! This popcorn is unique in that it is very well seasoned. A fun start to our dinner. I am a Brussel sprouts connoisseur, and these were the best Brussel sprouts I have ever tasted. It came with a sauce that had hints of soy and fish sauce, topped with sesame seeds, dates, and lime juice. The dates added the perfect amount of sweetness to offset the bitterness of the Brussels, the limes added the tart, and the sauce with the umami. We could not get enough. I would come back solely for these brussel sprouts. Next came the catch of the day, which was seared tuna to medium rare with potato purée, csu flower, and pomegranate seeds. This entree is why I decreased my rating to 4 stars; it did not have a significant taste to it, nor was the the texture too appealing. Certain pieces had more flavor than other, but overall the dish did not impress me. Finally; the 8oz steak came in a personal cast iron complete with crispy potatoes and a salad. The steak was nicely seasoned with a good sear, and the potatoes were crispy. A solid dish. Overall, I appreciated the presentation, quality of food, and ambiance at the Lark. The steak entree was very tasty, but the Brussel sprouts made the entire dinner for me. I will be coming back again! read more

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Great ambiance and knowledgeable service. A bit slow, though, so if you're in a hurry, don't come here on a busy evening.

This place is located in a warren of other restaurants and it draws a crowd, especially on weekends. It is best to come when you are not in a hurry, since the service, which is friendly, is slow and the timing on their dishes/drinks is uneven. We came for brunch last week and they have an interesting menu that includes oysters, a pork dish, fried chicken and waffles, avocado toast (of course), and a frittata. Everything is fresh and good, if not stellar. read more

The Lark - Burrata with pear. - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Busy spot! Tons of seating inside and outside. Since it was raining, our large group wanted to sit inside. We got lucky and sat at the high top table and all 12 of us fit. The drinks were very yummy - full bar and a great selection of wine. The food had good portions and the apps are shareable. The vibe was good too - super packed but the other guests sharing the high table with us were very kind. read more

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