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    Green Star Coffee

    4.9 (31 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee Roasteries
    Closed 10:30 am - 5:00 pm

    Green Star Coffee Photos

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    Gig ol bag of goodness!
    Jema H.

    I absolutely love GreenStar Coffee! I think I first discovered it at an Earth Day celebration more than 10 years ago and have been making visits to their warehouse roastery ever since then (warehouse pickup saves shipping costs!) they offer everything to love when starting your day: Local fresh roasted coffee organic fair trade coffee. I like to get the whole beans and grind my own and usually go for the 5 pound bags. I have found they stay quite fresh in their packaging. There is nothing like opening a new bag. I wish I could capture that amazing aroma to share!! I have tried many beans and blends but our overall house favorite is Morning Star. It is easy on the pallet and good anytime. I also like to keep the Espresso blend on hand which is great and offers a nice kick. I have also enjoyed their teas and even get a small bag of decaf, which my parents love when they visit. It is always a pleasure to pick up the coffee and usually I am greeted by one of the owners, Dan, who is friendly and makes time for a chat. They do have all the safety protocols in place for Covid so you should not hesitate to order ahead swing by for a door pickup!

    a cup of coffee on a table
    James K.

    Quite possibly the best coffee in Santa Barbara. (5/5 green stars also) I run a nonprofit called the Green Stars Project so I was super-excited to see a place called Green Star Coffee listed in Santa Barbara. My project is all about ethical consumerism, so I went to their location in the Public Market with a little trepidation, hoping that it would not be the kind of place that serves commodity coffee in Styrofoam cups. Thankfully, I had no cause for concern - they live up to their name :-) More on that in the next paragraph... Overall, I tried coffee in several places in SB - Green Star, Handlebar, Helena Avenue Bakery, and the SB Roasting Co. Of the four of them, I thought Green Star had the best overall experience when you combine quality/experience with sustainability/ethics. I had a small Americano - pretty decent at $2.50, considering it contains two shots of organic, fair trade coffee. Nice Americano: not too weak (thanks to the two shots) and nicely roasted (not over-roasted). The barista was super-friendly. Nice seating area outside the public market. I'm also giving Green Star Coffee 5/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact, based on these reasons: * All of their beans are certified organic and Fair Trade. Most of it is also shade-grown (impt for habitats). * I read that one of their suppliers, a coffee farm in Guatemala, was affected by coffee leaf rust. Green Star agreed to pay them higher prices to get them over the difficult patch. They seem like genuinely good guys. * It's one of the few places I've come across lately that uses compostable cups. You know regular cups have a plastic lining, right? The vast majority of conventional cups end up in landfill because there's nothing else to do with them. Green Star's hot cup lids and cold cups are also compostable. * Their milk, sugar and agave are all organic. Plant-based milks available too, naturally. * They are a zero-landfill café. They re-use their own coffee bags and everything else is recyclable or compostable. Find out more about the other green star thing at Green Stars Project dot org.

    Nice roaster!!
    Wendi H.

    Best coffee ever!! Definitely worth checking out. They roast their own beans. Phenomenal customer service. Well worth the price. You can drop by their shop or order online. They will let you try anything and you'll love the variety. Love supporting a small business like this. Hope they stick around

    Very cool foam work on a latte!

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    27 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Love the coffee, love the people! Am a regular buyer from their walk-up window. Love to support great local businesses

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Best craft coffee I have found and at the best price. Their single origins make some impressive espresso.

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Really great customer service and the beans are awesome. Definitely gonna be my main place to buy coffee now.

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    9 years ago

    Haven't tasted the coffee but had the nicest encounter and service there. Business owners like that are what make this country great!

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    12 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Green Star Coffee

    I was super sad to see the Green Star Coffee in the Santa Barbara Market close. Is another shop going to be opening elsewhere? Maybe the new spaces across from the airport on Hollister?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Green Star Coffee

    I mainly drink espresso and Dan made a recommendation (Red's Espresso) that I absolutely loved - the crema is outstanding.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Handlebar Coffee Roasters

    Handlebar Coffee Roasters

    4.6
    (1.3k reviews)
    8.8 mi
    $$

    I was coming back from camping a little past Santa Barbara and I'm so happy I decided to check out…read morethis coffee shop! Amazing coffee! The real reason I'm leaving this review is because of their beans! I got the Brazil and the El Salvador beans. I didn't take a pic of the El Salvador, but it was probably my all time favorite beans. Amazing floral notes and no acidity. Wish this shop was closer! 100% recommend

    This was definitely the spot to go to for coffee if you were visiting the area. While I did have…read morecoffee available for me at my airbnb stay, I wanted to checkout a local spot as well. I did not visit during it's peak hours, though there still was a line out the door when I went mid-afternoon. The wait in line didn't seem too long and I was entertained / distracted by the merchandise that was out on display on the way to the register. I ended up pulling two coffee bags -- one for me (Brazil) and one as a gift for my sister (Gibraltar). I would love to be able to try the entire assortment of coffee beans. Love the packaging. The ambiance is open and spacious inside. Lots of space for seating indoors and there are places outside as well. I noticed a lot of students would come here to study or others who would go there to meet with friends or just a place to hang out. I would come back for sure next time I am back in the area and would like to try a food item next time and a matcha drink next time.

    Photos
    Vanilla Latte
    Vanilla Latte
    Love a Handlebar cappuccino! Delicious blueberry lemon scone too!
    Love a Handlebar cappuccino! Delicious blueberry lemon scone too!
    Inside

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    Inside
    Handlebar Coffee Roasters

    Handlebar Coffee Roasters

    4.4
    (368 reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$

    handlebar on de la vina is one of those places that has fully committed to its identity and then…read moregone a little further you pull up and it's bikes everywhere. not scattered. organized chaos. leaned into each other like they've all agreed this is where they belong i'm more of a unicycle guy. no handlebars. pure trust. you either believe in yourself or you don't and the road sorts it out so seeing this many handlebars in one place does raise some questions. not judging. just observing. at a certain point you start wondering if two hands on a steering device is more of a lifestyle than a necessity but i respect it. clearly it's working for them walk in and the place is dialed. not loud. not quiet. just focused. like everyone understands the assignment without needing to say it coffee is serious. you can feel it before you even order. these beans have had a journey. people behind this have had a journey too. it shows i got an americano because that's how you remove all variables it delivered. clean. balanced. no distractions. just coffee doing exactly what it's supposed to do guy behind the counter was locked in. didn't catch the name but pretty sure it was barron sawyer. had that calm confidence like he could make coffee or lead a small expedition if needed you've got cyclists coming through mid-ride, people talking quietly, someone reading something that looks important and then there's me sitting there with my coffee thinking about trust and how far you can really take it this place works because it knows exactly what it is five stars handlebars optional but apparently popular

    Checked in here on a Sunday morning. Industrial modern…read morestyle coffee roaster shop. Service was great. Got my order in very fast even though there was a lot of people. Ladies at the counter and making coffee are extremely dedicated and work super fast. They offer a great variety of coffees, Kombucha and teas. Lots of fresh pastries and breakfast options. We ordered a Cappucino and a Matcha Latte with almond milk. Extremely great quality of Matcha and Coffee. We even ended buying their Ethiopian Coffee Beans to take home. They have a big seating area inside and out and it is a dog friendly place inside and out.

    Photos
    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte
    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte
    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte
    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte
    Cappuccino + Bagel w Cream Cheese, outdoor seating

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    Cappuccino + Bagel w Cream Cheese, outdoor seating
    Cajé Coffee Roasters

    Cajé Coffee Roasters

    4.2
    (190 reviews)
    8.8 mi
    $$

    Love all the Caje Coffee Roaster's cafes locations, but this one is an extra favorite…read more The baristas here are always fantastic, friendly, generous, and great no matter how busy. And this lovely cafe can get really busy. This is also the caje cafe where I tried their hot cocoa for the first time and aclaim it to be one of THE BEST HOT COCOAS EVER!!! It is really easy to swoon over the magical drink choices here, and not get something so plain like a coffee or cocoa. But everything caje does is excellent. And, wow, this is rich, pure, wonderful hot cocoa. Get with their house made almond milk. It is very low sugar and made with excellent quality chocolate, so actually close to a medicinal drink. Tip: For hot drinks here always ask for extra hot. Sit outside in their parked courtyard. Comfy seats perfect for people watching, reading, and friend chats. A few charming seats inside too. Always ask for extra hot

    I'm very picky about coffee and don't say that lightly, but this is hands down one of the best iced…read morevanilla lattes I've ever had. You can tell everything is fresh. They use quality beans and even make their own syrups, which makes a huge difference. I wish I had something like this where I live because I would be there all the time. It's absolutely worth stopping by, and the staff are genuinely so nice.

    Photos
    Yemen...yum!
    Yemen...yum!
    Coffee bar
    Coffee bar
    Honey Lavender Latte - good but the Yemen from the other location is better!

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    Honey Lavender Latte - good but the Yemen from the other location is better!

    Green Star Coffee - coffeeroasteries - Updated July 2026

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