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Happy Cat Eats

4.6 (146 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 6:30 pm

Happy Cat Eats Photos

HAPPY CAT EATS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Touristy

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Recommended Reviews - Happy Cat Eats

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Shrimp po boy, lychee lemonade, cinnamon roll
Amanda L.

You can't beat sitting near the beach with good food during a nice warm Santa Barbara day. I love the outdoor seating and how you get a beautiful view of the coastline. The shrimp po boy was somewhat small but without enough shrimp for every bite. It was perfectly fried, not overcooked. The slaw was fresh and the sauce helped punch up the flavor. The lychee lemonade was refreshing, a bit sweet so I definitely recommend getting the version with alcohol. The cinnamon roll was tasty and soft. Great frosting. They have a great menu filled with street food. There is a lot of variety, I can't wait to come back. Parking is tricky. I ended up walking over from the Funk Zone.

Chinese salad - tasty and good portions
Hiromi R.

*Rating this experience with a child & grandparent* This spot was recommended to us by the lovely people at the Santa Barbara Visitor Center. We learned that this casual, beachside walk-up restaurant is the sister concept to the upscale restaurant of Oku, a sushi restaurant. Menus are different but has the same owner, so it has a similar concept and plays with flavors of umami well. We ordered the chicken bao tacos, Chinese chicken salad, and a kids meal hot dog. We really enjoyed those tacos! I loved the Asian flare of the chicken, and that it was served in a bao. The salad was big in portion and tasted fresh. A good way to get some crunchy greens in! The kids meal hot dog was, well, a hot dog! I appreciated that they had a kids meal. We loved the causal vibe of this place. Right by the ocean, sand as part of their decor, and open seating concept. Will come back here for another visit!

Sushi Sando
Morgan B.

Happy Eats Cafe is centered around outdoor dining. You walk up to a register, order, and find a seat while you wait with your number. They had lots of yummy items to choose from. We got two of the sushi sandos. SUPER good. I would come back to try other things! It was very nice, right by the water.

Mac and cheese breakfast burrito with pork belly. NA  BEER
Shawn B.

What went well---EVERYTHING! I can't say enough about how great it is to eat right on the main beach walk. Great views and patio. The person at the service window was really friendly and suggested I get a box because the burrito is really big. I've never had a Mac and cheese burrito before and it was fantastic.

Happy Cat Eats
Liz G.

Happy Cat Eats is great! My husband and I stopped by for lunch after visiting to Art Walk. He ordered a smash burger and I had the soy burger with cheese. We shared fries. Both enjoyed our meals. We sat outside and it was a beautiful day for it...a bit crowded. Service was good. You order at the window and they give you a number and bring the food to your table when it's ready. It's very casual, very efficient, a good place to grab a bite.

The delicious food options from Happy Cat Eats
Celina O.

We loved this wonderful waterfront restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to hear that Happy Cat Eats and Oku Restaurant have the same founders! The ambiance was absolutely stunning, the staff was friendly and attentive, this spot is budget friendly and we absolutely loved the variety of delicious bites and drinks!

Monica V.

I've been here in the summer and spring. It gets pretty busy during lunch time during the summer but my group was able to get a table without a problem. The food came out quickly and was pretty good. My toddler enjoyed the acai bowl. That was one of the reasons I wanted to come back during my vacation recently. I ordered it online and I came on time. I saw there were 2 bowls there. Then someone took them and said it will be a few minutes. I was a little confused about the situation but I eventually got my order. The granola was definitely the star of the bowl. If you like cinnamon this was definitely packing in flavor.

Cinnamon roll
Erika S.

Food was great : breakfast burrito and cinnamon roll. Shared it with my sister and it was plenty. The blueberry matcha was good as well. The service was kind of slow, but we weren't in a rush. Our friends didn't like their food, the tacos, no flavor even with added salsa. Overall, I'd go back, but wouldn't go out of my way

Chinese Chicken Salad
Brent Y.

My wife and I ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad and the Sushi Sando and split both, which worked out perfectly. After reading that the Sando was shareable, I definitely agree because I don't think I could have finished it on my own. The salad was great, with perfectly crispy wonton strips, tender/flavorful chicken and a really good dressing. The Sushi Sando was super unique and unlike anything I've had before. Crispy rice as the "bun" with crab meat, tuna, and seaweed salad inside made for such a fun and delicious combination. Both dishes were light and refreshing. My 5-year-old had the hot dog and it was surprisingly high quality and a really good size. It was served on a Hawaiian roll with a great-quality dog, and since he's pretty picky, the fact that he ate the whole thing says a lot. Overall, it was a great experience. The ocean is right across the street, so the view is a huge bonus, and we also really appreciated how clean the restrooms were. Note: You order at a window and the servers bring your food to you. There's a free 75-minute parking lot down the alley, or you can try parking across the street.

Crispy bao tacos
D L.

Nice little spot! You order before choosing your seat, however there is no menu at the ordering window so best to memorize what you want or walk up with the menu. The main reason I came was for a cinnamon roll. I was one left in the window display. When we ordered, the girl with the short pink hair said "sorry but we're all out". I paused and said "well what about the one right there?" And she goes "oh well yeah I guess we have that one. Is that fine?". Idk if she was trying to hold it for herself or what but that was a weird interaction. She wasn't rude but wasn't friendly either. We ordered: 1. cinnamon roll- rather meh! There was nothing that stood out about it. 2. gingerbread latte- didn't like this. It didn't taste like gingerbread at all and was very weak and froth heavy 3. sushi Sando - unique! It was pretty good but not great. The crispy rice's edges are sharp so that was a little unpleasant. The flavor was great . 4. crispy bao trio- our favorite! This had a great mix of textures and the chicken was perfectly sauced! A nice spot with potential but I don't think it's a must visit. If I come back, I'm just getting the bao tacos!

Crispy chicken tempura salad
Diane W.

Looking for something light for dinner so we stopped by this outdoor eatery. Great menu, order at counter & pick a table. We ordered the Asian Chicken Salad & the Crispy Chicken Tempura salad - both different but delicious! Large portions, light salad dressing. Nice spot to people watch & enjoy a casual meal. Friendly staff too.

Mackenzie B.

We came last night for dinner. I have had several friends recommend this restaurant. So I was really excited to try it! The menu alone has so many good options, it was so hard to narrow down and choose. I ended up getting the fish sandwich, my husband got the happy cat burger. Everything tasted pretty delicious, the food was brought out promptly. The service was excellent. I can't wait to return to try the breakfast and brunch! All the coffee specialties and drinks looked amazing!!

The Asian hot dog delicious, the tacos even better. And they actually use real fish for their fish and chips, not frozen
Mr F.

All the food was delicious as always It's a great place to chill back and just relax and check out Santa Barbara

Truffle fries

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Photo of Barry F.
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9 months ago

Very creative sandwiches full of flavor and good ingredients at a very reasonable price when more can you ask?

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8 months ago

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9 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Tina T.

Tina T.

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1 year ago

Great food! Right across from the beach, super friendly staff, service was great, will definitely come back

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

The food is good but my god the wait is insane for an "order at counter" establishment.

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10 months ago

Great food and great location. Highly recommend if in the area! Sliders, French dip sandwich, everything was delicious.

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11 months ago

Great location, delicious food, good selection of drinks and great service. Good addition to Santa Barbara!

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1 year ago

Food is good better than i expected. Workers are nice. The outdoor seating is nice as well.

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

They have Really delicious food and kind staff, my new favorite lunch spot! Also cheapest coffee in town for locals!

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

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1 year ago

Great new spot near the beach. Love the locals coffee and great price! Avocado toast was tasty.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Delicious food in a scenic location. Recommended to us by a local winery owner. Try the Mac and cheese bites!

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1 year ago

Great food, service, and the location is amazing!! 10/10. Outdoor seating right across from the beach with great music and vibes

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

The Sando Sandwich is amazing as well as the burgers!! The truffle Parmesan fries are the best.

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Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio - 1/2 lb Tri-Tip w/ side of fries and Mac & Cheese

Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio

4.3(690 reviews)
0.3 mi
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I'm a first timer here ! Excited…read more I got the Santa barber burger with a side of fries , and a Arnold Palmer drink Fries , and loaded nachos , and the ribs are very tasty . There is a lot of parking available next to the outside seating . Great customer service, very nice and welcoming sat us right away , not waiting time , they assisted us with cleaning the table's Clean environment, very bright , tv outside and the water jug if you need water all near by . They have shakes and smoothies choices of strawberries, mango and banana , also chocolate and cookies N Cream . They have heat warmers outside if needed . Well recommended to friends and family Definitely will be returning back here when I'm around the city .

Yummy happy hour! We can on a Saturday around 4:30pm and got seated immediately. You order the food…read moreat the counter and they bring it to your table. We got the fish tacos and a mango margarita from the happy hour menu and was $20 for both! Fish tacos were surprisingly so good, fried perfectly and the fish inside was light and flakey. Toppings also complimented it well. The mango marg also hit and is definitely worth for $9!! The ambiance is also great, there's a bunch of outdoor seating with shared tables but the tables are massive. They also have some bar seating. It's a great environment for sitting around good food and chatting! Will definitely come back and try more of their menu!

Photos
Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio - Family style

Family style

Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio - Tri-tip Chili

Tri-tip Chili

Shalhoob's Funk Zone Patio - Front of Shalhoob's building where you order your food at the window

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Front of Shalhoob's building where you order your food at the window

Nook - Nook Burger

Nook

4.1(294 reviews)
0.2 mi
$$

Over all these years, I have avoided the Funky Zone for various silly reasons. But for a while now,…read morewhen I visit my friend's auto repair shop downtown, he always gets Turkey Burgers from here. Always looking for places to have solo lunch, I finally ventured to FZ. There's no sign. I drove by several times and parked, determined to find it. It was next to Lama Dog. I ordered at the window from a very friendly and efficient staff member. I found a nice bar-height communal table inside a super cool restored warehouse with awesome indie music jamming, also surrounded by big screens and sporting events. I ordered a bottled Arnold Palmer from the bar, not realizing the bottled drinks are self-serve. Nevertheless, the bartender kindly got it for me along with a glass of ice. Now here's the best part: the very best Turkey Burger I have ever had--way better than any take-out before. It's topped with garlic aioli, avocado, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and crispy skinny onion rings, just perfect. I also ordered the fries with truffle and Parmesan--absolutely delicious, though a bit too flavorful, which overshadowed the turkey burger's flavor. I've tried both sweet and regular potato fries here, and they are excellent too. This place really hits the spot. Can't wait to come back.

We stopped by Lama Dog for a drink and were very happy to find this little "nook" inside serving…read morefood. Perfect for grabbing a bite to go with your beer. Got their Lobster Mac & Cheese. Was enough for us to share between two. Creamy and cheesy, but could've used more lobster. Would've expected a better lobster to macaroni ratio with this one. Prices are a little steeper here. It was $25 for the Lobster mac & cheese, which I would've been more open to with a bit more fish in the dish. Plus, when I go to grab a beer, I'm not necessarily wanting to pay $20+ for a burger without fries. That being said, it's still a good spot to grab some food while drinking a beer at Lama Dog.

Photos
Nook
Nook - Turkey Burger and Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich

Turkey Burger and Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich

Nook

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Happy Cat Eats - burgers - Updated May 2026

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