Need some good chicken wings? Little Bird is the place. I love the Greek salad, add salmon is…read morealways cooked to perfection staff is friendly, and I love going to the public market before the chaos, it's the perfect time to grab a table. Now my kid refuses to eat anything else at Public market, great job Little Bird!

Absolutely horrible The salad was drenched and wilting with…read moresauce The wings were tiny and sauce was watered down. I literally threw them away and got the Korean wings next door

Came to Santa Barbara for the first time and this was the first stop my friend and I made. Holyyyyy…read moreeverything was so good! Great way to kick off the trip. We ordered the nachos with pulled pork, Mac and cheese with brisket, and two burgers. We underestimated how much food was coming out . Not only was it huge portions, everything also tasted so good. The people taking our orders were also super sweet.

Funk in Public…read more Family-owned and operated local chain of restaurants and butcher shops that's been serving the Santa Barbara community for over fifty years (ca. 1973). This location is in Santa Barbara's "Funk Zone" district, which was formerly an industrial area that's turned into a wine and art district full of interesting places to gander. The Good: * Huge dog-friendly covered outdoor seating * Full lineup of their signature Shalhoob craft beers. They also have fermented grapes and liquor, if beer isn't your jam. * Service was friendly and welcoming. * Street Parking and City-owned lots, as well. The lots are your best bet, and they're free for a short while. * Prices are very reasonable for a BBQ place. * The Street Corn app might be the best thing we ate here as the corn was super fresh right off the cob, and the Chipotle aioli was superb. * BBQ Beans was more of a bean soup, but it was decent. * Mac & Cheese was also pretty good. Carrots enjoyed it more than I did, but I might've been grumpy from the shitty meats (more on that in a minute). The Meh: * Tritip was completely dry and tasted like it was cooked in the oven and then finished on the grill. But, I will say, at least it was edible unlike the ribs... The Ugly: * Maybe the worst ribs I've ever had. They were just completely hammered with salt and completely blew out my palate within two bites, which is a shame because they were tender and cooked well, but jfc, no amount of sauce or anything is going to save something this salty. Conclusion: Maybe we just caught them on a bad day because a place doesn't survive for over fifty years serving up meat like this. I'd be willing to give them another try someday, but I need my tongue to recover first.

We visited Sama Sama Kitchen around 7:30 pm on a Sunday and were seated immediately. The restaurant…read moreitself is beautiful, and I loved the overall ambiance and vibe inside. There's a parking garage a short walk away, along with street parking nearby, so parking wasn't too difficult. We ordered the Crispy Rice Salad, Chicken Satay, and Nasi Goreng Jawa to start, then added the Larb Gai afterward. Honestly, our original three dishes would have been plenty for three people, and adding the fourth ended up being too much food. The Crispy Rice Salad was BY FAR the star of the meal and absolutely lived up to the hype. It was so refreshing, flavorful, and easily one of the best crispy rice salads I've had. It was also the one dish from our meal that felt truly memorable. The Chicken Satay had a really good sauce, although the chicken itself leaned a little dry. The Nasi Goreng Jawa was good too, but tasted like a fairly standard fried rice to me and didn't stand out much. The Larb Gai was refreshing, but after having the Crispy Rice Salad, it felt like a much less memorable version of those same bright flavors. I honestly found myself wishing we had just ordered another Crispy Rice Salad instead. The staff was friendly, although service was a little inattentive at times and it could be difficult to get someone's attention. There was also a small mix-up at the end where I was handed the wrong physical receipt. The amount on the actual payment terminal was correct, but the receipt itself wasn't ours and the mistake hadn't been noticed before it was handed to me. They also have a gender-neutral bathroom, which was pretty clean during our visit. One random thing to watch out for is the sink because the water comes out surprisingly strong, so turn the nozzle on slowly! Overall, the food was good, but the Crispy Rice Salad was on another level compared to everything else we ordered. I'd definitely come back for that alone and would be interested in exploring some other dishes on the menu next time.

Sama Sama Kitchen in Santa Barbara on State Street. You thought Michelin stars were only for fancy…read morewhite‑tablecloth spots... Meanwhile Sama Sama out here serving Bib Gourmand realness with reasonably priced plates. Santa Barbara flavor, Michelin‑approved, and zero starched napkins required. Pet friendly patio! #SantaBarbara #michelinguide #BibGourmand #foodtok #indonesian

My date and I really enjoyed the Tomahawk dinner special. The chef did a fine job combining all the…read moreingredients to create such a tasty steak, and I especially appreciated that it was already sliced for us. My date, a steak professional and strict carnivore, rated it "good." I, on the other hand, thought it was super delicious! The booth seating was comfortable, too. Service was great overall--except that we were given someone else's tab. Fortunately, the total was about the same as what our steak dinner would have cost, so I didn't realize there was a mistake until I got home. That's when things got a little frustrating. I tried calling the restaurant several times to correct the error, but no one ever picked up. By late morning the next day, I finally got through, and a woman told me the manager would call me at noon to help sort things out. Unfortunately, noon came and went, and I never heard from him. I'm curious whether my message actually got through and whether the manager will eventually call me. Fortunately, I'm local, so I'll stop by the restaurant on my evening walk and take care of it in person. Overall, I enjoyed the dinner and would happily go back--but if you need to reach them, don't rely on the phone!

This is the on site restaurant at the Kimpton canary downtown Santa Barbara. It's adjacent to lobby…read morebar and lounge. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. We stayed here for a weekend so we had breakfast / brunch here in the mornings. This restaurant is very cozy and comfy. Except a bit of toddler crying here and now since this is a family restaurant especially in the mornings. For breakfast we have tried local fruit plate, breakfast plate and California style shakshuka. Also sides of fruits and smoked salmon. The food was delicious in healthy portions. The service was fantastic and very welcoming! We were very impressed with this hotel restaurant and will come back whenever we are in town!

Situated in the Santa Barbara Farmers Market complex, Empty Bowl is an inviting space where you can…read moresit right at the bar and watch the wok action. Service is friendly and the food well prepared. Menu options are limited, but everything is delicious. Recommend going at happy hour. There's usually a special offer.

Located inside of Santa Barbara Public Market, Empty Bowl is located towards the center of the…read moremarket. They offer Thai dishes including noodle bowls, small plates, and handmade dumplings. We got the Northern Thailand Curry Noodles "Khao Soi" and the Tom Yum Noodles. The Khao Soi had egg noodles and chicken in a curry base broth with coconut milk, fish sauce, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, green onions, and housemade chili oil. They also give you crispy egg noodles to put on top. I appreciated that they wrapped this separately in foil, so they didn't get soggy right away! The chicken pieces were quite large, but overall the broth was tasty! I enjoyed the Tom Yum Noodles! For these, they use flat wheat noodles with Thai chili paste, bunashimeji mushrooms, white button mushrooms, fish sauce, red jalapeño, galangal herb, makrut lime leaves, lemongrass, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. I chose chicken for my protein. The tom yum flavor really came through! They also give a pretty big portion! Since they are located in a food hall, you can sit at any of the tables. Empty Bowl will give you a pager, so you know when to return to the counter to pick up your food.

A must stop if you have a pup! Free treats, inside and outside seating, pup food on the menu!…read more Tapas, tapas, tapas! The Choripan is out of this world! We ended with that bite but had a few other happy hour tapas as well and they were all so good. We passed on the nachos because there was no meat but then the table next to us ordered them with carnitas so we will be coming back for that. The Chimichuri burger is also on our list as the Chimi on the Choripan was so floral and amazing. Very kind server and a beautiful ambiance right on an ate street under the trees.

I made an itinerary for my birthday trip to Santa Barbara and even though I planned out every…read moresingle detail, we still managed to accidentally stumble upon this absolute gem by total surprise! We left completely and totally in love with this spot. The food was out of this world incredible, the service was welcoming and neighborly, and the decor was so tastefully unique. I can't get over this place; I crave it all of the time, and I am seriously wishing we lived in Santa Barbara just so we could be daily locals at The Cruisery. We went in for happy hour and ordered just about everything on the menu because the tapas selection is where it is at. I realized we ordered every single one; we couldn't help it because everything we tried was spectacular! The absolute standouts that we kept ordering over and over again were the Elote Cups, which are essentially esquites served in a clever, edible tortilla bowl, the Bacon Poppers, which are cream cheese-stuffed jalapeños wrapped in crispy bacon, and the Riding a Pig, which is smoky BBQ pork with a perfect, crunchy slaw served on bread. Since we had been wine tasting all day, I switched over to a few rounds of their refreshing sangria, while my husband stuck to their beer and absolutely loved the unique craft selection they have on tap. As a huge bonus for pup parents, even though we did not have our dog with us this time, Santa Barbara is incredibly pet-friendly, and this place goes above and beyond. We saw they provide actual dog treats and fresh water bowls for the fur babies. Next time we visit, our pup is definitely coming with us. Don't do what I did and leave your itinerary to chance. Make this a planned stop on your next trip, order a drink, get the entire tapas menu, and thank me later!

I got a side salad that was great and the tomato bisque soup. Very good! Good for vegans too!read more

We could hear live Blues playing down the street which meant there was life. We had just left the…read moreSanta Barbara Bowl and wanted something to eat after the show ended at 9pm. Not much was open which is how we ended up here. The place was super hot so we decided to order our food to go and there was a super annoying drunk guy ahead of us in line. I felt bad for the 17 yo employee stuck interacting with them. We ordered a sandwich with shrimp in it. L said it was good but the title shouldn't mention shrimp as they were super teeny tiny and basically non existent. I got the gluten free fried rice bowl with chicken spicy. It was not spicy at all, and the chicken was a bit dry, however I could taste the flavor of the chicken and the meal was bland enough that I knew I would be okay. Earlier in the day before the bowl we went to a winery and I had a headache, so this food for me last night worked especially since we picked it up to go and had it at our Air BnB.

Dude this place is the freaking Michelin star version of El Pollo loco man…read more Food is freaking amazing Service is quick and straight to the point The place is small but has a lot of table seating. If you're a big guy like me, get the combo of the chicken and tri-tip. You won't regret it. Literally ordered twice in one sitting because it was that damn good. Glad I came across this place when finding food in SB. Heck ya

I had the tri-tip sandwich with chips and my friend had the tri-tip burrito. The tri-tip was a bit…read moreon the chewy side. It was good, but nothing really stood out for me. Their salsa bar is good too, with fresh salsa and jalapeños and onions and things to add to your dish. The staff did their jobs, and the restaurant was clean.

Can't say enough good things about this place. My husband and I love to go to the boiling crab to…read moreeat this but we drive an hour from home to eat that. Now we can go half way and to Santa Barbara for the same food but definitely more pricy. We had our usual shrimp and also tried the mussels which were good. The corn was good as well. We made one of them New Orleans style which Comes with sausage, corn and potato but we switched to no sausage We really enjoyed it and will definitely return!

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!

I have been a regular here since Corner Tap took over the lease from Giovani's Pizza. Over the last…read morecouple years the menu and service has improved significantly, especially over the last year and half. The bar atmosphere and vibe is super chill, and family friendly, unless there is an important sports game then I would suggest kids sitting on the huge patio outside. They have changed management, George and Danielle have done a great job adding a plethora of items to the menu, like the street dog which I suggest subbing the pico for grilled peppers and onion. They also just changed happy hour from 4 to 5:30 to 2:30 to 5:30pm. How can you beat 6 dollar beer, 7 dollar wine, 6 dollar well cocktails and 10 dollar specialty cocktails. I have to say it's one of the best happy hours in town. Federico, David, and Isa, are great servers who also jump back behind the bar from time to time. They all are extremely attentive with their service and ensure everyone both on the floor and at the bar is taken care of. Alina who is the main bartender, has curated a great clientele of regulars, both of Sb and mesa locals. A lot of clientele come just for her bubbly personality, high energy, and passion and care for her customers. In all this is a Santa Barbara and mesa local gem that more people need to jump on. 5/5 would recommend to friends, family, coworkers and anyone else who likes to have a good drink and great company.

The food was wonderful! Great flavors. I loved my Chicken Pesto. David and the staff were friendly…read moreand attentive.