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    Joe's Cafe

    3.6 (1k reviews)
    Open 7:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Joe's Cafe Photos

    JOE'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Joe's Cafe

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    Cheeseburger
    Alyssa E.

    Service and food were okay... little bit of a 'tude from our server but I'll say hospitality was best we were greeted and sat rat away, atmosphere is fun. Great music but don't think we'll be back

    Zoila S.

    I ordered the Salmon Salad, I had to ask for dressing as the dressing was not in the salad. The drinks were pretty good too. My kids got scrambled eggs, with bacon and toast and my husband got the meat marinera sauce spaghetti. Staff was friendly. The lights inside the restaurant was nice. The restaurant has almost been around almost 100 years, I'm not sure if in that particular place.

    This Is K.

    Service was fast seated right away. Very friendly host/waiter. Very calm and quiet place to enjoy some breakfast with family and friends. Food was good and came out quick.

    Avocado Toast
    Katie K.

    This has always been one of my favorite breakfast places. The servers are all seasoned and really know how to make you feel at home and take care of you. The menu has a really great variety. Everything is good quality. None of that IHOP or Denny's B.S. They have cozy booths, or a nice long full service bar. It's always festive and lit up. It's a great place to come when you're nursing a hangover or you're working on getting one. It's a diner, but a goooood diner.

    Salmon and poached eggs with grits  and rye
    Jenn M.

    Joe's is known for its strong cocktails and fun bar vibe but let's talk breakfast at Joe's! I think it's one of the best breakfasts in Santa Barbara. Great food, decent portions and legendary environment. Now, if you like pie for breakfast (I'm not a pie fan), they have fresh pies everyday. My pie friends tell me it's great. I usually get The Champion, avocado toast with eggs, bacon and chile flakes-salsa on the side. Today I mixed it up today with the smoked salmon amd poached eggs with grits. Yum! This is a spot for locals and visitors alike.

    Mike L.

    Just stopped in for a drink, Kyla at the bar is wonderful. If we lived in Santa Barbara we come here every day!!

    Delicious Old Fashion
    Tracy A.

    Stopped in for lunch at Joe's. My server was very friendly and attentive. I sat out on the patio and watched people walking up and down State Street. I had a really good old fashion and a hearty salad. The salad was really good and filling, couldn't finish it all. I would stop into Joe's again.

    Rose L.

    Fun staff and interior but the food was okay at best. We got the Cuban and the all day breakfast. There was a strange after taste with the eggs but the toast and butter were great. French fries were nice too. My partner enjoyed the Cuban. The total ran us about $46 which was slightly pricey but well worth the ambiance. The thing that irked me the most was the water cups, it smelled like dog for some reason, therefore was slightly off putting to drink and get refills. Otherwise a decent experience.

    Pie oh my!
    Desiree P.

    Great location on State St. with a diner style menu. Joe's serves a large menu of American and California comfort food classics. It is a Santa Barbara institution and the city's oldest restaurant, having served locals and visitors on State Street since 1928. It is widely celebrated for its "stiff" cocktails, generous portions, and a nostalgic, high-energy atmosphere that transitions from a family-friendly eatery during the day to a lively bar scene at night and is a central hub for socializing. Situated in the heart of Lower Downtown on State Street, it offers both indoor seating and an outdoor patio perfect for people-watching.

    This place is SOOOO good. We got the chicken Alfredo and a meatball sandwich. The sandwich was good but not amazing but the pasta was so good the service was AMAZING . I wish I got our servers name cause he was the best !! We'll for sure be back !

    Alex K.

    It's been a while since we were last here. I do remembered they offer breakfast which we were originally interested in but when we arrived, there was a sign posted that breakfast was finished and lunch was being served. Oh well... We ended up staying for lunch instead and got seated on the patio. Downtown Santa Barbara has changed since we were last here. The restaurant use to utilize some of the street for outdoor dining but there's now a new walkway that takes over that area. It did take a while for our waiter to come to us even the hosts (gentlemen who seated us) asked if we've been helped yet. He was gracious and brought out some water which was nice. After a bit the waiter did come out to take our order. Menu wise, it's still the same from last visit. Even though breakfast was over, mimosas was still good. Mini bottles of bubbly was served with a mini carafe of orange juice. I remembered the onion rings last time and that they were good. So that was a must with the meal. It's was a mixture of everything for our table. The Cobb salad which portion wise was nice and big. You have everything in it, nice chunks of blue cheese, eggs, bacon, turkey, tomatoes and a nice potion of avocado. The salmon salad was also a nice option. Petty big size of salmon on top a bed of mixed green. The fried chicken sandwich with a side of sweet potatoes fries and chicken quesadillas. Sandwich was great, nice big chicken battered and cooked perfectly. Quesadillas on the other hand, it was whatever. Nothing really major to rave about. Had to ask for some salsa to accompany it. Then the onion rings. From what I've seen with other tables ordering it, it looked great. And i remembered last time. When ours arrived, it was overcooked. And not only that, cold to the touch. Seemed like it was made in a huge batch and left there till someone ordered it. I don't like sending anything back but we asked one of the waiter if they could just replace it with something hotter. He was kind of hesitant at first. Asked if I wanted them heated up in the microwave which I said no. And asked if it was possible to get another order. From what I've seen coming out, our batch was a disappointment. Maybe a minute later, he brought out the onion rings which was exactly the same thing we originally had. They must had just threw it in the microwave.... Oh well, guess they didn't care to make customer happy. Anyways, we still munched on them as it was being paid for. Food, some of the dishes were good. Service, it was nice. Staff were friendly. Overall, we would have like to have breakfast but now know that there's a cutoff time. Didn't want to be a nag but the onion rings situation could have been dealt better but it's whatever. Didn't want to complain as it didn't affect our other meal but it could have been better.

    Bar
    Stephanie L.

    Joe's Café in Santa Barbara is one of those rare places that becomes an icon in the memories of countless people. It's been around for God knows how long and has so many people that worked there that have stayed with the place for many many years. It adds to the allure of it, the history, The memories, and just the overall experience. It's a really casual dining spot in Santa Barbara, but somehow their bar feels super Lux and classy in its own way. The red and white checkered tablecloths are sweet and just so representative of the place. We have a lot of memories here over the years from late nights and night caps to brunch or lunch. Anytime of day, Joe's is the answer. Lots of memories to be had here and lots of great service. You'll always find it busy and bustling it's just a magnet.

    All American Breakfast!
    Michael F.

    Gio was our waiter and was excellent. Bacon, eggs, hashed browns and sourdough toast with a large OJ. Everything cooked perfectly and hot.

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    Page 1 of 27

    Joe's Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Joe's Cafe

    What time does Joe's stop serving breakfast?

    11:15

    How is the fettuccine alfredo?

    It is diner quality food so it would be ok.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    4.3(1.7k reviews)
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    Last night was the first time in many years that I've eaten here…read more I cannot believe I waited so long to come back. Our food was phenomenal. Each dish had its own unique flavor. No dish seemed to have any crossed ingredients. Fortunately for us as well was that we were there at one of two times during the day when they have an entire restaurant participation sing along. Most Outstanding Dinner outing !!

    It's been a while since I've been here. I used to really love this place. The food isn't bad by…read moreany means, it's just not as tasty as it used to be or as I remember it. It's like they threw out the old pots that used to give flavor beyond any seasoning they shook in. The menu is much smaller. The food presentation is better, the plates are definitely more cleaned up and picture ready. Previously, the food used to all run together. We ordered my all time favorite all, the Cajun popcorn. The recipe is definitely different, the breading is fluffier and softer. Personally, not a fan, I prefer it a little crunchier to my liking. The redfish special was good, make sure to get it with the Pontchartrain sauce, it MAKES the dish. The lamb was good, prepared medium rare perfectly! The bread pudding soufflé was excellent. I'd come back, the food is good, just not as great as I remember it. Street parking is your best bet, but you can drive around the corner and find a public parking lot nearby.

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    Broad Street Oyster Company - world famous lobster rolls

    Broad Street Oyster Company

    4.2(326 reviews)
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    Came by a few months ago while I was in Santa Barbara. I had tried their oysters at smorgasburg LA…read morebut not the lobster roll or anything else so decided to try it. Everything was excellent! Their quality of seafood is really fresh and they use simple ingredients to really allow you to taste the freshness of the seafood. We ended up getting a lobster roll, the rockfish ceviche, and some oysters. Enjoyed all of them! They have great service as well. They gave us a good recommendation to get the ceviche. Love the interior of this location as well. It's inside of a little open area with lots of seating, a bathroom, and lovely decor. Good vibes overall.

    Went to Santa Barbara for the weekend. I was excited to try this place out based on the reviews…read more The location is inside a bar so you can select other food options if you'd like. The bars offers food and there's a chicken place behind the bar. Sweet: The menu offers some variety of options if you're not looking to have seafood. My husband enjoyed his hot dog. The fries were probably the best item out of what we ordered. Sour: We also ordered a lobster roll and clam chowder. The lobster roll wasn't too bad but it wasn't that special. It was pretty small and it was only filled with claws. I wish the bread was crisp and the lobster had more flavor. It wasn't worth the price. The clam chowder wasn't so bad It was a little more of a broth based and not really creamy. It had the perfect amount of potato and clams but lacked flavor. Overall not a bad option but nothing out of the ordinary.

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    Santa Barbara Fish Market - Smoked salmon pepper and og

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    Really fresh live sea urchin prepared upon order served on a tray of ice and some lemons. Santa…read moreBarbara Sea Urchins are known around the world as being sweet, buttery and bright golden orange as you can see in the photos. They were still moving when it was handed to us. You don't need anything else but just a spoon or chopsticks since they're so delicate. Price: $18.95 + tax per sea urchin. As of April 2026. Also try the prepacked halibut ceviche $18.95/lb or ahi poke salad $25.95/lb. You can just get a small container for like $8. Parking is $3.50/hour on the main harbor, in front of the water. If you're lucky you can score free parking right before entering the lot.

    My friend and I popped into Santa Barbara Fish Market while on the Santa Barbara Harbor. It's a…read moresmall fish market with no seating inside so keep that in mind when going. We went specifically for fresh live uni, but unfortunately they did not get any in that day. So I would suggest calling first before heading over if you are very rigid in what you are ordering. The fresh uni is SO popular so best to double check first. However, if you do snag their fresh uni, it's more than $10 less than another place I won't mention on Stearns Wharf - that's a big win! We ended up getting a whole lot of cod to munch on instead. We got a whole pound's worth of smoked black cod - half candy flavored and half savory flavored for $32 with tax & tip. Absolutely loved them both and prices seemed great for such well flavored, fresh fish. We liked the candy a touch more than the savory but enjoyed both. Staff was pleasant enough, plus they have a bench outside that we sat at for a few minutes to eat. I'd love to go back in the future and try their acclaimed live uni~!

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    The Drunken Crab - Oysters!! $1 Oysters 3-6pm!!!

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    4.2(782 reviews)
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    The lobster Louisiana style was amazing! I don't think I've ever tasted such flavor and butteriness…read morein my lobster before. The service was great and we appreciated how family-friendly everyone was. We came with 3 kids who enjoyed the food as much as the grownups did. We were visiting Santa Barbara for the first time and were very happy to have stopped by for a wonderful meal with our family.

    It was our first time trying this place with my fam. We were looking for a seafood place that has…read morecajun, creole taste and this place didn't disappoint us. We ordered 2 lbs of shrimp - I think it's $25+/lb and 1 lb crawfish (can't recall how much maybe its $17+ /lb), 5 steamed rice, 1 large extra sauce (drunken crab mix - can't recall exact name) . Everything was really good - we did medium spice and it was spicy especially for my 12 yr old son but he still enjoyed it though. The service was good, but could've been better - staff are always by the bar are and just chatting, but someone will come check on us from time to time - its just that when we need their attention sometimes its hard because they had their back away from us and we ate at around 2:30ish so the restaurant was pretty empty - just 2-3 tables taken inside. The place is big, lots of seating and great for big groups. However, one of my disappoinment here is the ladies bathroom - its really dirty, trash overflowing and on the floor, etc, like its really dirty. I hope management can fix that issue with the staff. P.S I forgot to take photos because my kids were very hungry and didnt let me take pics...next time!

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    Sitting table for 6 persons.

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    Joe's Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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