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    Green Star Coffee

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

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    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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    2 years 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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    5 years ago

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    15 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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    13 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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    8 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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    14 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

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    Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Love the mural and great sitting area

    Handlebar Coffee Roasters

    4.6(1.3k reviews)
    8.8 mi
    $$

    One of my favorite coffee shops in SB. I take my coffee black here bc I savor the richness of the…read morehot coffee. Nothing to taint it. No milk. Nothing fancy. Just good solid coffee. I lied. I may get a pastry every now and then :)

    One of my favorite things to do when travelling is definitely visiting different coffee shops,…read moreespecially local favorites. This store is so cool! Like many parts of Santa Barbara, the buildings are steeped in history and reflect the Spanish heritage of the city. I walked in my dog (they're dog friendly!) and went straight to look for the menu. My dog immediately found the bike pump and the snacks they leave for dogs. Service is super nice! They all seem very jovial and cheerful - making it a really nice local vibe. It was great to see the community in the coffee shop. Sadly, the coffee leaves something to be desired. Their menu is pretty standard - you got your flat whites, cappuccinos, lattes - and nothing special or standout from the menu. That's fine - you can still be a standout coffee shop with a standard menu. I ordered two vanilla lattes - one hot, and the other iced with oat milk. Unfortunately, I think my order was misheard as my iced oat latte was missing the vanilla. - Vanilla Latte: Fine. My partner typically orders this everywhere and he said it was fine, but nothing standout. 3/5 - Iced Oat Latte: Already mentioned it was missing the vanilla I asked for, so I'll discuss the other elements. They use a darker roast - thus, making it more susceptible to a bitter taste. That, and I believe an over-extraction or a longer pull made the coffee quite bitter. They also served it in the same cup as the hot coffee. My main issue with this is that I'm a slower coffee drinker, and thus my cup began disintegrating as time passed. Their cups aren't constructed to uphold iced coffee well. 2/5 It was such a prime location nearby the USPS and is sat in a great historic area. Handlebars has great staff, who clearly enjoy their jobs, and have a great community surrounding it. It's sad that their coffee is subpar. Strongly recommend you order your coffee hot, to drink in-store, or just avoid.

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    Vanilla Latte

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    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
    Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte

    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte

    Handlebar Coffee Roasters - Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte

    Cowboy cookie + Cortado & iced vanilla latte

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    Cappuccino + Bagel w Cream Cheese, outdoor seating

    Green Star Coffee - coffeeroasteries - Updated May 2026

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