Now I have heard the stories about Chad's - the food, the outdoor views, the lines on the weekend. The minute I found myself off on a Friday, I immediately took the opportunity to go and I was not disappointed at ALL! Stopped in around noon and we were immediately seated with the choice of indoor or outdoor. If the day is nice, do outdoor as you have great views of the beach, ocean, and people watching! After placing our orders, we were given complimentary mini muffins while we waited and I was so surprised! The muffins were warm, soft and sweet! I ordered the Tiger Special with a Mimosa flight. The special was great but the mimosa flight was just okay to me. Next time I go would like to try the option of getting a glass and asking the servers for favor combinations as the menu says! Chad's has definitely made its way up there with my favorite brunch spots in SB! read more

See all

This place has been in my bookmarks for quite a few years now, I finally made the trip over this weekend. There was a bit of a line upon arrival (~10am Saturday morning) but it moved quickly! Thankfully there was lots of street parking and fruit infused water while we waited outside. Once seated, you are greeted with a basket of warm mini chocolate chip muffins! Yumm! The aroma itself was pleasant and the taste matched. Only downside was that they hardened quickly :( this was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, so I didn't feel the need to order pancakes/waffles/French toast like I normally would! When eaten fresh, I'd rate them 4/5! Instead, I went ahead with the breakfast quesadilla. I chose chorizo as my meat and hash browns for my side. It was delicious and the salsas were enjoyable. The downside was that it took ages for the food to be delivered to the table. The waiter didn't check in with us once during that time. Not even to refill my water. I'd rate the food 4/5 but the service was a 2/5 for me. I would like to return and try something else, maybe see if the service improves. read more

Very nice place. Service great. Food was ok. Franchises and hashbrown salty. The mimosa flights where great The bread break read more

See all

This used to be the original Sambo's - it seems to have not changed at all. You may need to wait, but in the end the diner food is tasty, and the drinks are a lot of fun - the Mimosa flights give you four flavors (all of which are good), and the amazing Michelada tastes nice and spicy and looks like a million bucks with eight (count them, eight!) garnishes including bacon! Bacon! The Fire in the Hole breakfast burrito was tasty, though not very spicy. Do not expect refined anything - this place is about fun and big heaping portions of food to absorb all of that alcohol you will be consuming when wine tasting later. You do get a nice view and breeze from the beach. We had a good time here... read more

Chad's - Michelada - look at that garnish! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Amazing food. Molly our waitress is passive aggressive. . I had to ask for silverware, and syrup for pancakes. Asked for lemon wedge, her answer was they are cutting it now. Her smile is more like a grin. Other staff are very nice. read more

I ordered a California burrito with fruit togo and paid around $21, jaw is on the floor this is so much food. 4 containers of food: burrito, fruit stacked to the top, one container of classic muffins, extra container of muffins because I mentioned them in my order. Plus 3 2oz containers of sour cream pico, and guac. Service was okay read more

Chad's - About a pound of fruit on the side - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

If you are looking for old school vibe diner feel, then this is the one! We arrived at 8:30 AM and was seated quickly but only inside had availability. Sidewalk tables were already full, but the best location to see the beach across the street. The service was excellent and everyone was attentive and willing to help even if it wasn't our assigned server. Our food was decent. Nothing fancy or over the top. Pancakes are delicious! Mini muffins when you sit down is a great touch. I didn't like the chicken sausage patties I had as part of my order, but everything else was fine. This a great comfort food breakfast spot for sure! read more

See all

This place is so good. I had the best omelette here that I've ever had! Service by Sam was excellent and all staff are helpful and friendly. The little muffins served before our meal were a real treat. No need to go anywhere else for breakfast in Santa Barbara! read more

The mimosa flight is so cute and tasty! Fun for a brunch day with the girls, you can try the different juices. read more

Chad's - Mimosa Tasting Flight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

DE-LICIOUS! Whenever I'm in town from Los Angeles I make sure to bring whoever's with me to Chad's. Whether you opt to sit outside and take in the great California weather or inside where you feel like you're the star in a Hollywood film, you can't go wrong with the many available seating arrangements. I've only had to wait a good while once, and that was in the summertime, but usually the staff and management are efficient in seating everyone quickly and courteously. For food, I've had the "911" omelette, which was really good if you like spice. More recently, I tried the California breakfast burrito, which had bacon, avocado, fries, cheddar cheese and scrambled egg. Be sure to ask for a side of habanero salsa for an added kick! See you soon, SB! read more

Chad's - California burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This breakfast hit the spot after a morning of biking along State st. The table is served mini pancake bites prior to ordering. The portions of most meals on this menu are extremely large, be sure to arrive with an appetite and empty stomach! The outdoor seating is in the sun right along Cabrillo, with the beach an ocean just across the street. This restaurant has a great view and is a good family-friendly option when looking for breakfast. Not pictured--the mimosa flight! read more

Chad's - Breakfast Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

5-star food and service. What a great little local, family owned spot with no frills but all the good stuff. The yelpers got it right. This place is a gem on the waterfront. Indoor or outdoor, you take your pick. Outside you can enjoy the sounds of the ocean and beach goers. Inside you can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. I don't think I have to rave about it much!! I would come back for the little complimentary muffins alone. Seriously so good. You're welcome. read more

Not very good - just average food with an almost perfect venue, except for the homeless walking back and forth on the sidewalk... If you absolutely need to be "seen" at a restaurant sort if in front of the ocean and portion and price mean nothing to you, then Chad's might be ok... But unfortunate portion and price means something to me so I'm going to have to go with BIG FAT RIP OFF. See my pic... What you see is their $20 "Santa Barbara" omelet, which at the time was incorrectly listed on Yelp's menu at $13.50... And a cup of standard drip coffee for $4.50!!! After tax and a truly generous 13% tip for zero service I ended up a few cents under $30... NOT OK ANYDAY... What I got was an omelet that was about as thick as 4 stacked quarters, and a joke-sorry portion of soggy hash browns. I asked the waitress if I could get double hash brown instead of toast or pancakes, she said ok... So clearly in one ear and out the other... I ate at Denny's the day before for breakfast and ordered the same thing. Was under $25 out the door, 10x better tasting, and almost double the portion of everything. So um... I'm sorry, I don't need to almost see the ocean, be ignored by staff, and get a crap portion of food for $5 more than Denny's... As we all know, Yelp makes you give at least 1 star... I'm giving this place one more star for at least seating me where I wanted, fast service, and a slightly upscale location: but I'll never be back and you'll be happier eating on one of California's last "drive-on" piers less than a block away. I leave this review still searching for a great Santa Barbara breakfast restaurant that isn't Denny's... But Chad's IS NOT at all worth your time or money. Now you know. read more

Chad's - $20 "Santa Barbara" omelet and $4.50 drip coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Our first time here and happily surprised. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable on the menu. The food was good. This is across the pier and easy to find. A local favorite. The ambience is relaxed. They have patio seating and indoor. Highly recommend this place. read more

See all

Loved the beach vibes of this place and the food was really good. Service was great, once we got seated. They don't take names, you wait in a lines, would have been nice to have been able to put in our name and walked around a bit. read more

Chad's - Juevos rancheros w/o pico and country potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Fun atmosphere right by the water! Ambiance was great. Before your food arrives they serve these mini chocolate chip muffins with butter which are so fun. We ordered the eggs Benedict which was solid, the ham was so thick and juicy. We also ordered the California breakfast burrito which was good but extremely heavy and a little too heavy with the pinto beans. read more

Chad's - Breakfast Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Ocean front view, top notch service and great tasting food...what more can you ask for? A+ for having a Latino staff. Great spot to definitely start to morning before exploring Santa Barbara. The pop special with a 3 pancake stack will satisfy any hungry belly, guaranteed. Coffee lover will enjoy and appreciate the flavor of their dark roast coffee. Great service + food with an ocean view always taste better, enjoy. read more

Chad's - Papa special- with eggs over easy - delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

Cool, touristy, brunch spot. Pro-tip: bar is open seating, so you don't have to wait in line- cause the line could get looong! Just make sure to let the hostess know. All the staff members were really nice and friendly. They were so busy, but they all checked up on us with a smile. Food came out in a timely matter as well. Those little muffins everyone talks about was really tasty! We got chocolate and blueberry-bombbb! We ordered a (small) stack of pancakes [$10] which came with 2-3 medium sized pancakes. Reminded me of home cooked pancakes and who doesn't love those? Shared the Corned Beef Hash Benedict [$19] which was a 4/5 for us. The corned beef was a little too salty for our liking, but it paired nicely with the sweet syrup from the pancakes. Had to get the mimosa flight since it's all over Yelp & Instagram! lol basic mimosas, just in cute little glasses. Definitely a solid meal here at Chad's. read more

See all

There was difficulty getting seated even though there were few people there. The smell inside the restaurant was really bad. We ended up leaving after waiting 15 min. Short staffed, no attempt at managing anything. ugh read more

Go to Jeannine's. The food at Chad's is mediocre at best and the prices are ridiculous. $8 for a bagel & cream cheese and I mean store bought stale bagel. Breakfast burrito $23 and it's nothing special. Small stack of pancakes $15 that's 2 pancakes that taste like straight out of a box and spongy. The portions are big I will give them that, but come on Chad do better. As a local that's been going there since it was Sambos in 1978, I'm never going there again after eating there yesterday. Also the music is so loud inside I could t even hear the waitress. I would much rather pay those prices for good quality food down the street at Jeannine's - better view nicer ambience read more

Where to begin? I was in SB on President's Day long weekend. I found Chad's on trusty Yelp and saw the mimosa flight & mini muffins and was sold. It is beautifully located right across the beach and Stearns wharf. I had my dog with me and decided to sit outside on the patio. I was greeted by the host who was very kind and offered my dog water, which was very sweet. My server came and took my order soon thereafter. She was also very kind and attentive. I had the awesome mini muffins as a starter, the delicious mimosa flight, and the mini breakfast quesadilla (which was not so mini). The food was DELICIOUS. It was very filling! I could not finish my food. All in all, I enjoyed my experience. The food, service, and view was amazing. Whenever I'm back in town, I'll stop right on by. read more

See all

Lattes - strong. Views - amazing. Food - delicious. Chad's is a great place to start the day, whether grabbing a coffee to stroll along Cabrillo or indulging in a breakfast of champions. We were greeted with a basket of warm chocolate chip mini muffins (YUM!) and then tried the breakfast quesadilla and omelette. The omelette was very thin and loaded with ham and cheese so. The home potatoes on the side were too onion/chive forward flavor for my personal taste but were crispy and cooked well. The breakfast quesadilla was the star, with melted cheese and bacon stuffed in fluffy eggs all inside a crispy tortilla. If you're able to snag a table outside, you can't beat the view on a clear day. read more

See all

Came here for Breakfast. We were greeted right away and seated right away. The staff was super quick and friendly but the food wasn't the best. It was pricey as well. They seemed to have used a lot of oil in my husband's meal which made him feel not well the rest of the day. A little disappointed for a place that has been around for so long. read more

Chad's is such a cool breakfast spot with a 1950s vibe! The views are fantastic and you have such a wonderful breeze since you're right by the water. The service and food were both equally good, but nothing amazing. Without being said since you're in California, it's a bit too expensive. Either way, I would stop by again if I was in the area! read more

See all

This is a great restaurant. Great view of the beach if you're eating outside. Service was great. There was always someone around to assist with our needs. Good was amazing. My pics do not do the meals justice. If in the area. A definite stop. read more

See all

They have great customer service. They go above and beyond. The food is good but warning the huevos ranchero's are SPICY AF! However, the pancakes are worth every cent. Definitely coming back for the pancakes and coffee. You also get complimentary hot mini muffins while you wait for your food. read more

See all

Great breakfast place. Be prepared for a line. To sweeten the wait small cups of hot chocolate were passed around Generous serving and all fresh. The pancakes were not heavy or stodgy Servers were wonderful and accommodating read more

Our server, Stephanie, was wonderful. She was topped by the piping hot and strong coffee. Then, however, our food came! Our breakfast topped them both!! The horrid rancheros were AMAZING!!! read more

It was a busy Sunday, but the wait line outside went by super fast. The hosts and servers were very polite and the food was great. Cherry on top was the view of the beach and cute dinner experience. read more

See all

Had family in town so we decided to take a quick road trip to Santa Barbara. We decided to grab a bite to eat somewhere close to the waterfront area, and with the help of Yelp, we settled on Chad's. It was a little confusing to know where to sit because there was no host, so our large group selected a place to sit outside. A few other people did the same thing and that's when we saw someone come out and tell them they had to wait to be seated. Everyone was confused because no one was there to direct the seating. So that was the start but it got better once our server came out. They brought out a kid's menu and complimentary muffins. A few of us were dairy free, meat-free eaters and it was quite difficult to find something to eat. I settled on piecing some apps together like onion rings, fries, and fruit. The others ordered a fiesta salad, ahi burger, and chicken tenders. Overall, the service was good! The food was good but disappointing there were not more options for dairy-free/meatless eaters. The speed of the food coming out was excellent. read more

See all

Beautiful restaurant off the coast of Santa Barbara. There's seating inside and out. The best place to sit is obviously outside for the view of the ocean. This place is always busy weekend or weekday. You get seated pretty quickly, in about 15 min or so and depends on your party size as well. There are so many servers and they're all excellent. We had the mimosa flight and shared a breakfast dish. Everything was fresh and tasty. I recommend the mimosa flight if you want to taste different flavors. The original was my fave. The pancakes are so damn good. Fluffy as well. The breakfast we ordered (in pics attached) was plenty to share for two hungry people. read more

See all

We were seated around 10 screaming babies for the entire meal. That probably was not helpful. I told the restaurant we can take the first table available, whether inside or outside. The restaurant seated us inside, but didn't tell us we were surrounded by three tables of screaming babies. Several minutes later, I couldn't handle the screams and asked if there is a table outside we can move to, I was told they will put us on the bottom of the list and start waiting again. We didn't have time to go find another restaurant, so I told them to just do that and tell us when the outdoor table is available and we will move. Until we finished eating and paid the bills, nobody came to tell us to move, so we had to eat the entire meal among the screaming babies. The food is decent, but very heavy. It does not go well if you are going on a road trip. Beware. read more

Chad's - Mini Breakfast Quesadilla. Decent, quite heavy. Fruits are good. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

A solid, popular brunch spot on the waterfront! We luckily found parking across the street and waited for about 40 minutes on a Sunday morning for a party of two. They don't take phone numbers or use any type of mobile waitlist, so be sure to wait nearby the host and away from their music speakers to hear your name get yelled out. Although our table didn't receive any complimentary mini muffins for whatever reason (I didn't bother asking either because I knew the portions would be filling), the Benedicts we got were yummy but greasy. I could see the oil pooling at the bottom and on the side of the plate. I enjoyed the corned beef hash Benedict, which was well-seasoned but not too salty. The beef in the top sirloin Benedict was tender. I've tried their mimosa flight in the past, and while they're fun and cute, my friend and I couldn't really differentiate the orange, cranberry, peach, and grapefruit flavors. Overall, there are definitely areas for improvement, but I'd come back. read more

Chad's - Mimosa Tasting Flight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

had such a horrible experience here due to service :( when first outside & waiting for a table, there were 2-3 other parties both in front and behind us, for some reason, the host let the party directly behind me and my boyfriend in first, cutting 3 whole parties. eventually we get seated, and it's a small table that seats two, kind of crammed in the center of the section & it's pretty tight, but at this point i have no complaints, i'm glad to get a table, but eventually other tables get seated surrounding us, and we are ready to order, but we keep being told we'd be helped soon anytime we tried to flag anyone down & then we see a large party behind us who just got seated being helped, it took over 20 minutes to get our order in & another 30 to get our food. wish we could have had a better experience here read more

This place was EXCELLENT. Service was great, fast and super friendly. We showed up 30 minutes before close and were welcomed in by the server. We took a seat at the bar and I had already looked at their menu online so we knew what we wanted and ordered right away. Food came out quick and piping hot and was EXACTLY what I had hoped for. Florentine omelette with hollandaise added was super tasty and hit the spot. My husband got the chicken fried steak and he loved it as well. We're not in Santa Barbara often, but this will be our "go to" breakfast place whenever we're up here. read more

In a city where everything seems horribly overpriced, Chad's is refreshingly reasonable. They're right across the street from the beach, so you can sit outside and enjoy an ocean view with your breakfast. But you won't have to pay typical ocean view prices. Plus, it's dog friendly so you can enjoy all this with your canine pal. Food is tasty, but unremarkable. I got the garden omelette, which was nice and big with plenty of veggies. Potatoes were good too. My favorite part was that instead of your typical toast, you could get two mini pancakes instead. As someone who would always love a bite of pancakes but doesn't want to make them her whole breakfast, I thought this was amazing. Wish more restaurants would do this! Oh! And when I sat down they brought out a basket of mini chocolate chip and blueberry muffins (two types). They weren't amazing, but they were free, and a very nice way to start off the meal. Definitely worth a visit. read more

See all

Located by the waterfront this place can get very packed on weekends for brunch. Portions are pretty generous. I ordered the corned beef hash Benedict's, and it comes with a generous amount of corned beef with the choice of potatoes or fruit. Chads has that Americana California diner type of vibe. Service is pretty fast although can get hectic trying to ask for something with how busy it gets. Price for portion is adequately done. read more

Chad's - Corned beef hash Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The food was really good and very fresh! The service was really good and quick. Our waitress Sophia was very sweet. They sat us right away and perfect view of the ocean. I would recommend the turkey club and corn beef hash with eggs and those potatoes. The mimosas were okay they tasted like syrup. I can't wait to be back again. read more

I thought I would give this place a try and was very disappointed. Nothing quality about it, they are all about production and the food tastes like diner quality. read more

This place is amazing!!!! We arrived on a Sunday around 9am, right before the rush and got a seat on the outside patio. Highly recommend going before 10am, they set up a line outside around them and the wait gets long. They gave us: a small basket of mixed tiny muffins. I rate these a 15/10... I would've taken home lbs of these! We ordered: Hot chocolate -8/10 Suuuuper chocolatey Iced coffee- 9/10 Good cup of coffee Corned beef hash eggs Benedict -10/10 Omg... seriously sooooo good!! I am child when it comes to texture so I did get the eggs scrambled but that being said, the eggs were perfectly cooked! Corned beef and eggs plate- 9/10 My husband cleared half his plate before I could take a photo so I'd say it was good! read more

Chad's - Outside patio - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all