For airport food, this was better than most. We got seated fast and the service was good. I felt bad, our server was running crazy, but he kept up great. The food was pretty basic, not bad at all. The fillets in fish n chips were a little overcooked, but were still pretty juicy and flavorful. The tacos could have used a little more flavor, but the meal took care of a couple of hungry travelers. It was a great spot to sit and watch people navigate the airport. Decent food, great service. read more

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Good airport food option at SBA. Local wines & beers are available. I enjoyed a DiBruno Pinot Grigio and grilled chicken wrap w/fries while waiting at the airport when I arrived early then flight delayed. Much appreciated the availability, hospitality, and last chance to enjoy local wine while killing time before heading back home. read more

Costa Terraza - Grilled Chicken Wrap with fries - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The Santa Barbara airport is super limited on dining options. Costa Terraza is literally the only sit-down spot. It's got all the basics you could want- American, Mexican, seafood. Service is usually pretty quick and it's easy to snag a seat at the bar. I tried the ahi tuna salad tonight and it was really good! Super fresh for it being in the airport. The Syrah wine was a delicious pairing. I had to keep going to the bar to get a menu, order, and then pay, so I wouldn't say the service is super "wait on you" level, but it checks the box for what you'd need with an airport restaurant. read more

Costa Terraza - Ahi Tuna Salad ($23) - August 2024 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Refused entry because we had a service dog. Told us the other folks at the restaurant don't want to eat next to a dog by the male server with glasses. Need this to be addressed properly or will be taking further measures. read more

The food is delicious and what we ordered appeared to be prepared fresh. The staff quickly seated us and took our order which is appreciated given that it's at an airport. Great for casual dining here. You can watch sports while enjoying a drink. We only had the breakfast so not sure how drinks are. Price is on the better side as far as airport food goes. read more

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Blonde with ponytail and bangs curled under pinup style-Very rude to everyone. I observed interactions while sitting at the bar. Not a smile once. No please, thank you or how are you. No greeting just "how many? Over there or at the bar." I set my bag down in a bar chair because it was heavy and I stood behind it planning to sit in that same seat. Immediately she says "Okay I'm going to need you to move your bag." I told her I was going to sit there... later a man sat at a bar table but stood next to his seat stretching and she says loudly across the bar "sir I'll bring you a menu but I need you to sit" why? The area wasn't even overcrowded. So rude. All we got was two drinks. Our ticket said Heather. read more

Good place for a quick bite if you are hungry. The garden burger that I ordered was pretty bad. Ordered it on a whim, but now I know better. They are pretty skimpy on the ingredients and this place is unfortunately the ONLY OPTION at the airport. I ordered this looking at other reviews and it did not come with pickles or onion. The service is also pretty slow. The plus side is that it's pretty close to all gates, considering that everything's all on one floor given that the airport is so small. Rest assured, you won't miss your flight. read more

Costa Terraza - Garden burger - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is the restaurant in the post TSA boarding area of the Santa Barbara airport. I've been by this place dozens of time but have never had the cause or opportunity to try it out. Until now :-). It looks exactly like what it really needs to be, which is a slightly upscale diner that caters to a large variety of tastes. They're the only restaurant in that area of the airport so the menu is, by necessity full of the basic standards with a few nods to the area ( such as tri-tip tacos). They have a breakfast menu with all the usual suspects, eggs, omelets, French Toast served 7-11 AM and a standard menu which they start serving at 11 thru close. The standard menu has some lighter fare (quesadilla, humus plate) a burger, a few different sandwiches, several salads, a salami flatbread (which was tasty) fish and chips, and some other regular diner fare. There is also a garden burger with side salad for vegetarians or those so inclined :-) Theres a completely local draft beer lineup and the usual bottle beer offerings plus a mostly local wine list as well. price wise, it's maybe a little bit pricier than the same food would be outside, but really not that much considering the captive audience. When we arrived the place was filling up fast for lunch and it was jam packed when we left. There are a few interior two-top tables and bar seating but most of the seating is in a cordoned off area adjacent to the restaurant. Our food came out quick and the service was courteous and accurate. A good thing since literally everyone there has someplace to be :-) it's not high dining or the fashionable fare you might get at a major airport but it does a perfectly good job offering solidly decent food to a wide variety of appetites. I will be happy to go back next time I fly out of SB :-) read more

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While waiting for my plane I visited this restaurant twice because my flight was delayed ( good reason right). My first drink was a Bloody Mary it wasn't the best Bloody Mary but it wasn't the worst. My server was friendly and the restaurant/bar was clean every one was busy helping customers or cleaning. My second visit I enjoyed a margarita it was good very good when I added the second shot. Overall great spot to enjoy drinks and bites while waiting on your plane. read more

Wow! I'm so impressed!!! We usually don't have time to stop here before or after a flight into or out of Santa Barbara Airport. Today we decided to get to the airport early and enjoy some downtime before our flight back to Portland. The employees are so lovely!! Karina was our server tonight and she made us feel so welcome and took great care of us. She is very sweet and attentive. We had a couple of margaritas. My daughter had the mango and I had the blood orange. They did not disappoint!! Also, their prices are very reasonable. Margaritas are only $11! The tortilla chips are freshly prepared and absolutely amazing. We loved the Caesar salad and sweet potatoes fries! Tonight's special was tri-tip tacos. 3 tasty and generous sized tacos! Delicious! We did not order wine but can attest to the generous wine pours. Our flight was delayed and they stayed open later to accommodate the stressed, hungry and thirsty travelers. I didn't get the name of the bartender- he was fantastic too! We will definitely make this part of our travel routine! read more

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this is the only spot you can get food at SBA and the food itself is ok. It's a little pricey for what it is, but that's to be expected with airport food in most places. For such a small airport, this place is pretty good. The customer service was a little disappointing during my recent visit. Not sure if it's because they were too busy due to a lot of travel delays and the holidays, or if it's always that way. The servers were generally too rushed and a little rude when seating guests. I waited almost 30 minutes for my check. read more

I ordered a bowl of French Onion soup for $10. What you get is 1/4 onion, half a beef bouillon cube, and 8oz of warm water. Perhaps what onion soup may have been like in France during the Black Death after all the chefs in an area had died. The best part was the unlimited saltine crackers the server was not at all surprised you needed to get through it. read more

This is the only restaurant past check-in in the adorable Santa Barbara Airport, so good thing that it's not bad at all! Grabbed lunch here before my flight, and the service was extremely fast and friendly. I ordered the chicken tacos, which were priced quite reasonably, especially for airport food. The food could've been a bit more flavorful, but it was pretty decent. read more

Costa Terraza - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The service to sit down was very welcoming and rapid. Upon sitting a drink order was requested and a menu was presented. The order was made a fulfilled within 5 minutes!! Very friendly, fast service! The chicken wrap was very simple, big chinch's chopped chicken, lettuce, and mild sauce was good for $13.99 and airport food. Onion rings were greasy and tasted like out of package and not fresh. For airport food it was ok. read more

Costa Terraza - Chicken Wrap with Onion Rings - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

When you're stuck in an airport, it helps to have a nice restaurant to help you pass the time. I missed my flight home for the holidays and definitely needed a drink. Luckily I was off the coast in wine country and could savor the deliciousness that the locals had to offer. They had a full bar, a wine list with local offerings and a nice menu with fresh seafood that exceeded my expectations. All of this at a very reasonable price and a table by an outlet for charging my phone. What else could I have asked for? The staff was pleasant, attentive and up to speed on their specials and selections, welcoming me immediately to let me know seating was open in the bar or at a table. My wine was lush and the Ahi tuna plate, more than ample and prepared / presented beautifully. All around, they made for a pleasant stay, under unpleasant circumstances. read more

Costa Terraza - Ahi Tuna w/ avocado & ginger dressing was perfect - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Severely overpriced for what you get. Burgers are dry and cooked to the point they are a hockey puck

Just because it's your only choice, that's no excuse. The food is consistently under par, even for an airport joint and the service fluctuates between "barely passing" and "needs to repeat the first grade". I've had the breakfast croissant which is ham, egg and cheese, the breakfast bagel with bacon, egg and cheese as well as a scramble. The first two's pastry was very tough and I did not even finish. Scraped the egg off and left the rest. Just eggs was passable for breakfast. The next time I ordered the croissant, it was 17 minutes after I ordered to be told they were out of croissants and it would come in a bagel. Not that my food was ready, but that it's not what I ordered. The food would take another 6 minutes. Let's talk service. At least in the mornings, before the 3 or 4 flights all departing around 6 with a busy airport, there's one server and one bartender. On my last visit, the bartender politely informed me he was out of Bloody Mary mix. Really? It's an airport bar on the weekend. How could you run out? Next visit, holiday weekend and there is no bartender. One server working the floor and the bar. 10 minutes to get my drink an almost 30 for food. Good thing the flights to San Francisco are usually delayer or I would have missed it. It's gracious of me to give one star. If this were on the high street, it would be closed by months end. Shape up. read more

Costa Terraza - Bagel Breakfast Sandwich (egg, cheese & bacon) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I was at the Santa Barbara Airport and needed lunch. If you've never been to SBA, this is literally the ONLY place to get food here. Thankfully, it's pretty good! Costa Terraza's menu is full of typical American eats with a Cali twist on some of them. I went plain and got their chicken tenders and fries special with a side of ranch for $10.99. That's a steal for decent airport food. Heather was my waitress and she was genuinely lovely. Her service was top notch and I really appreciated it. My food came out quickly and it was hot and fresh. Everything was good, not too greasy which was nice. Although if you're here at SBA you don't even have another option, it's good to know that the one place they do have is good! read more

Costa Terraza - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I stopped here when I had an hour to kill before a noon flight and didn't want to get hungry on the plane. I saw they had fried mac n cheese on the menu and asked the owner/manager about this dish. I explained that I've had this dish in many restaurants and many overcook it - cooking the pasta fully, then frying it which further cooks it. The manager insisted his dish wasn't overcooked and was very good. I decided to try it. The pasta was too soft and had little texture left - overcooked. The cheese was very flavorful and the frying was done wonderfully. The manager checked back on me during my meal and my drink was kept topped off by the staff. One more note, the server that took my drink order and kept my drink filled also had a notable thing about him... I don't know how to say it politely... it seemed as if he had not showered that morning. He walked by me several times and it was very distinctive and noticeable. As if he'd been to the gym right before his shift. He was exceptionally polite and professional and he had a great attitude, but the scent added negatively to my overall dining experience. 2 stars = "Meh, I've had better". Staff was good, but misrepresented the texture/cooking of the mac n cheese. One staff seemed to have a hygiene issue that day. It can be hard to find, but I *have* had better fried mac n cheese in other restaurants. read more

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This is the only option once you go past security. I thought I saw a deli before security. The tri tip tacos were surprisingly good and the tortillas were great. read more

So this place gets 5 stars because it was enjoyable to be here when I was stuck for 5 hours! The staff was great! The Mac and cheese was delicious. It came with this marinara sauce that was perfect. Everything here is homemade. Later when my flight was delayed I came back and had beer and chips and salsa. They are homemade chips and so delicious. The people here really helped my stay not as bad read more

Costa Terraza - Mac & cheese - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Sign at entrance says please wait to be seated. Stood there for almost 10 minutes before anyone aknowledged us and then told us to seat ourselves. Waited again for a server to come take our order. I ordered chicken basket with ranch. Food came- no ranch. She asked what sauce I wanted and I again said Ranch. Waited and waited. Still no ranch. Food came out cold and old. Chicken dried out. Husband had to go get ranch. Server was seen on personal cell phone texting. Never once did she come back to check on us. Terrible service, terrible food. Paid for food I couldn't even eat. According to the receipt, the server's name was Karina. Can't be sure though because she didn't even introduce herself. Regardless, she sucked! read more

Decent food, decent service. Not as outrageous as many airport restaurants. Good local beer selection.

This is your only sit-down choice if you're waiting for a flight and you'll have to go through security (or if you're arriving, don't go through security yet if you want to dine here). The staff may take a few minutes to get to you once you sit, but they're cordial enough and they bring you food quickly. There's tons of seating on the indoor "terrace." Prices are also surprisingly reasonable considering it's an airport AND it's Santa Barbara. SBA is a gorgeous airport with flying high ceilings, arches, and touches of the 19th century mission life everywhere you look and this restaurant follows the airport's lead. You can overlook any of its faults and just sit and enjoy the ambiance from the second floor but we ordered a bagel and a breakfast croissant. My co-worker ordered a large tea which they brought from the Coffee & Tea Leaf next door and which she enjoyed. My croissant was the real thing: fluffy, with layers of butter and flaky pastry. The ham and cheese made it uber rich, though, so if they'd only added an egg or just ham it would have been perfect. My potatoes were rather pale and looked like victims of a freezer but hadn't been quite killed yet. However, as I had missed where the menu said my sandwich came with them, I was surprised to see them at all. A decent way to spend a small meal, if you're on the go, but SB is rich with better choices if you're on your way in. read more

Costa Terraza - Breakfast Croissant $6.99 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Not serving food. The only restaurant in the airport. Forced to eat $6 trail mix on my layover.

Been here a few times before a flight. pretty much your only option. Tend to do breakfast better than lunch. If you can, try to eat before you get to the airport. Likely, if you are reading this, its too late. Overall, passable food. If you are doing breakfast, you will be fine. Lunch, might want to wait til the destination. If you are that hungry that you just have to eat, stick with the middle of the road stuff. read more

ONLY place in SBA to eat... so..... Sat down at 10:30 and couldn't get breakfast due to 10:30 breakfast cut off. 10:30 no breakfast!? Then at 10:45 someone sat next time me and they served him a breakfast plate. Nice huh? So decided on the Hummus instead. Tasted like arm pit. But with nothing else to eat what do you do!? read more

Awful service. My order was incorrect and the server didn't fix it after I communicated the error. Inexperienced servers. Food was way below average. read more

First, this is an AIRPORT restaurant. An airport with a total of five gates. Five. And the only restaurant beyond security. If you're expecting white glove service, 99 point wines or metal knives (it's an airport security measure, people), dine at one of the many eateries in surrounding Santa Barbara BEFORE you get to the airport. That said, I found the food to be surprisingly good and the service to be fast and friendly, despite the restaurant being approximately 75% full. Menu varies quite a bit: standard bar fare to American/Mexican options and some things you'd never think to put together like shrimp scampi flat bread. We split the fried Mac and Cheese, which was okay. Kind of bland and KRAFT-like, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it! My husband ordered one of their many burgers, unfortunately I have no idea which one. What I do know is the table got really quiet on his side. When done, he reported it was good. Since it was gone, I had to believe him. I had their Deluxe Grilled Cheese. It was perfectly toasted with butter lightly brushed into all the sourdough nooks and crannies. I think it had four types of cheese, which were melted to ooey gooey perfection. I did ask for avocado, which was very fresh. The only part that threw me off was the unexpected bacon (the thin crap that doesnt seem like bacon at all) and tomatoes (fresh). Full disclosure: those last two ingredients *may* have been listed on the menu, but I got lost after "four cheeses." Best grilled cheese I've had in a long time! Lastly, they have a diverse drink menu if you wanna get boozed up before your flight. Probably should have led with that part first... read more

I'm not sure if I'm in a restaurant or the employee break room. I'm astounded at how much time the horse of employees socialize. They are constantly interacting with each other, rather than serving their customers. From where I sit at the bar, I'm disgusted of the dust and filth on the ceiling are disgusting. Horrible behavior and customer service. read more

Costa Terraza - Employees socializing constantly - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Fantastic work for an airport, defines perfection, excellent service and great grub, going to stop every time i travel.

Doesn't hold true to business hours as stated on website and yelp. Closed a hour and a half early when we were there. Rude server who argued with the gentleman seated next to us about ingredients not listed on the menu. Not professional at all. Server also gave us attitude when we told him we'd just take our food to go as they're closing and we don't want to hold them up. Food is incredibly overpriced ($15 for a French dip) and just typical airport food. Not very good. Not awful. Eat beforehand if you can, and don't count on being treated well or for them to stay open until 8:30. read more

Food was decent, but the service was terrible. I stood for over 5 minutes waiting to be seated and the server looked at me several times and just shook his head. I was finally seated and never welcomed and waited another 5 minutes to see him again. After this experience I felt worse than before I ate. My advise is to eat before you come to the airport. Santa Barbara airport is beautiful, but has a long way to go in the service industry. read more

My wife and I had a late breakfast before our flight. This place is the only dining area past security at the airport. It wasn't crowded and service was fast and friendly. My chicken tacos with black beans and rice was bland and just ok. The cubes of chicken were try and kind of tasteless. The beans and rice were average. My wife's breakfast combo was decent with good eggs, pancakes, and sausage. The bacon was bland. You might consider eating before you get to the airport or trying the downstairs place. read more

Great bar and restaurant and bar in a wonderful airport. Service is great and everyone seems to really enjoy their jobs. Takes the stress out of flying. read more

This place actually has good food as I have eaten here before. Today, however, the manager was rude and wouldn't allow me to sit at a table because my wife was getting coffee next door. I then tried to order some food to go and he went to the customer behind me. He made a snide remark about our early interaction in front of other customers at which point I gave the menu back and told him I would rather fly hungry than be treated so rudely. I will not eat here again as long as he is the manager. I'm told his name is Gary and the other employees seemed embarrassed by his behavior. read more

Quality food in an airport setting and seems like a really great restaurant compared to the nightmare options most people are used to LAX. My dad and I just had the bruschetta and the buffalo caprese salad, but our food came out very quickly and was very tasty. This is a great option for those traveling through the airport and is only accessible for passengers AFTER going through security. I kind of like that aspect. read more

I understand a busy rush.... and the food is good. But Ive stopped here 3 times now and every time they seem to ignore me. Maybe because Im young? And on top of that my to go has been sitting on the shelf for 6 minutes and none of them seem to care. read more

Ahi Tuna salad is EXCELLENT! Fresh and delicious and just the kind of meal you want before many hours flying with only airport snacks:

Pleasantly surprised with breakfast here. Wasn't expecting much based upon being in airport. Waiter was nice and efficient - he took our order quickly. I ordered the veggie omelet, which came out quick and was tasty. Got our check and was off to our flight! Nice experience. read more