The food was good. We went because we were told they had gluten-free options, and they did and they were tasty. The staff was well informed, and worked with us. We didn't get sick. Lots of outdoor seating actually very nice. Seem to have heaters. It wasn't wasn't cold for us in late October but I can see how they could get chili. read more

We dined here the first week it opened. The food sucked, the service was mediocre and the vibe was pretentious. The seats were very uncomfortable - I could never sit up and the cushions kept trying to slide me off under the table and the very short arm rests. I'm pleased to report that our recent visit was delightful. The food was great. Branzino, Chicken Milanese and soup was exceptional. The service was great and the hospitality showed by manager Carlos was lovely - above and beyond. The seats still suck, but next time we'll try to sit in the ones that look a bit more comfortable - along the wall. We'll be back, but please upgrade the seating. read more

We had a fantastic lunch on a beautiful sunny day at Local. There are a lot of delicious options on the menu, and everyone in our group enjoyed their food. The best part is the atmosphere - there is a ton of outdoor seating; we opted for a table that was kind of indoor/outdoor, which was perfect. Our server was also fantastic. The restaurant is in a great location on the vibrant Coast Village Road, and there is parking in the back. This was definitely my favorite meal of our trip. read more

Local - Shrimp Louie - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The vibe of this place is really nice. We came for my sisters graduation lunch on Father's Day. To start, we had the ahi crudo and cornbread. Both were to die for!! The ahi crudo was light and refreshing with very well balanced flavors. The cornbread had the perfect balance of corn and green Chile flavor. For my main, I had the hot chicken sandwich, which left some to be desired. The chicken is fried perfectly but it was lacking that "hot" flavor. Also the coleslaw lacked flavor and bite to it. The bread was very good and I enjoyed the tumeric flair on the fries. The waitstaff was wonderful and very accommodating to our large party. read more

Local - Hot chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Fast service. Beautiful restaurant a bit hidden on a lower-than-street level. Great food and ambience. read more

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This is a great hidden gem in Montecito. First off, reservations are so easy to make online (hate it when this is a difficult process!). We reserved a table outside and it ended up being a somewhat chilly night but there were heaters everywhere and we loved the ambience and decor outside! The food was delish. The salads and side dishes varied in portion size but many were generous. We split a few main courses, the fish tacos (they were okay, also included some salsa and rice on the plate with 3 tacos), and the salmon (so much delicious food on one plate!). We also got a dessert for a bday as well as one added peanut butter pie. We left full and satisfied with everything we tried! The service was great, our server was attentive just the right amount, and we stayed for a long time chatting and we weren't kicked out. We also got our water refilled *after* we paid our checks and continued to chat and were so impressed (there were open tables and no one waiting mid-week, so we weren't being jerks don't worry!). Overall a great spot and delicious meal with friends. On the pricier side, but that was to be expected on Coast Village Road. read more

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This is a favorite when visiting my son at UCSB or just coming down to visit friends in SB. Their menu is great for people with celiac or special dietary needs. Wonderful cocktail menu and everything I've ordered (and we typically order across the full menu: starters to dessert) is very good. I love the outdoor courtyard seating and general ambiance of the place. read more

I have been meaning to write this review for awhile, as this business and everyone that works here really deserves a round of applause. My husband and I got married on a Tuesday at the lovely Santa Barbara courtouse, and it just so happens that on that day a huge storm blew in. There were rolling blackouts and the restaurant that we had a late lunch reservation at as well as every other restaurant in the vicinity lost power. I called LOCAL to ask if they perhaps had room for our small party and they were SO helpful and gracious. The chef was also kind enough to keep the kitchen open just a little bit longer so we could order some dishes as we arrived. We had an absolute blast- had great wine and really enjoyed the food. This bar also seems like a really "locals" kind of place and the customers were just as kind and friendly as the staff. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN! You're fabulous and we'll be back to celebrate our anniversary I'm sure! read more

Local dropped the ball on 7 locals yesterday. I chose Local for an early bite/drinks for a group of 7 because their website showed a nice selection of happy hour drinks and food at happy hour prices. I told my friends to expect an "elevated" happy hour. When I made the reservation on Open Table, I specifically commented that our reservation was for happy hour food and drinks with the thought that the staff might want to know in case our table might need to be in a bar area as opposed to main dining area. When we got to the restaurant our server gave us "regular" dinner menu and happy hour drinks only menu. I asked about the happy hour food menu and the server awkwardly responded that that happy hour food had been discontinued. Why was the happy hour food menu still on the website? Why didn't Local contact me when they saw the note in our reservation about our intention to enjoy happy hour food & drinks? Who's to say? We ordered off the main menu and split a few things and the food and service were fine, but we were disappointed that we came for one thing and got another. read more

Great vibe, friendly staff and the food was yummy. We loved the art of Santa Barbara throughout the restaurant. read more

Refreshing spot in Montecito! I am surprised to read some diners did not have good service, because that was not our experience at all. Upon arriving Saturday night we were met with friendly, smiling hostesses who sat us promptly and brought a bowl of water over for our dog. Our server greeted us within 5 minutes of seating and we ordered drinks (Hot off the plancha was delicious). After our drinks arrived we ordered the daily soup special and an appetizer. Both came out in a timely manner and were very unique and satisfying. For our main course I had the NY Strip and my husband had the duck. He loved his meal and noted it as one of his favorite meals he's ever had. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a good vibe and good service in Montecito. read more

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What happened?!? This used to be one of our favorite spots, but the last couple of months the food has not been good. Especially the fish tacos. Used to be best fish tacos in town, but the last 2x we've have been the tacos were HORRIBLE. Bland, odd flavor and mushy slop consistency. When it happened the first time we figured it was just an off night since we've been coming since it opened. But we ordered take out last week and they were so bad 3 of us didn't even bother eating them after the first bite. We threw them out. The rest of the food was ok but not up to the previous Local standards.... seriously what happened?!? Is there a new chef?!? Used to be regulars- but I'm not sure if we'll be back read more

I think the service here is great! The Moscow mule is really good. I thought it was just going to be plain but there is a bunch of mint and the dried orange slice which are nice touches. The ambiance is clean with cool lighting fixtures. read more

Local - Brownie Sundae - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Excellent food and service. Chef John is amazing, staff is incredibly hospitable, and the location is great.

We had a such a wonderful time here! We came for a bachelorette and they were so thoughtful and attentive. The fish tacos were amazing. Highly recommend. read more

I really like this place. It's a bit pricey, but the food is always consistent and good. Hey, it's Montecito ! There is a kids menu and a wonderful adult menu. read more

Superb Food & Excellent Service We went to Local Montecito for my birthday celebration last Saturday and we enjoyed the lovely ambiance under the trellis with beautiful landscape. I ordered the salmon with curry and black jasmine rice and I loved the salmon was cooked to perfection with crispy skin! Our server was very attentive and treated me to a slice of gluten-free Reese's pie. We will definitely return for more fun gatherings! read more

Local - Salmon with curry and black jasmine rice - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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absolutely delish dinner, everything we chose was just perfect. we were seated quickly and helped out very efficiently, with our waiting stopping by every now and again to check on us. it was a weeknight so wasn't too busy but it was just the evening we wanted!! will be back read more

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Airy and spacious are the adjectives I would use to describe Local. You walk down the stairs and what greets you is the open concept, the vibe of the restaurant is so inviting.I love that there's so many facets of seating, indoors, large outdoor sectional for a larger group, and many outdoor seating. Our server, Ayden, was attentive, magnetic and knowledgeable. He kept out appetizers and drinks flowing but allowing my friends and I to visit with each other. The food, awwww the food, was ahhhhhhmazing! We ordered the Louie Salad, Ahi Crudo, and the Montecito Potato Skins. It was delish!! I could've licked the plate clean but I behaved because I was sharing with friends. We finished our meal with dessert, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Churros. Oyyyyy, I thought I died and went to heaven. All I can say is, I'm happy I am local so I can enjoy this establishment often. read more

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I'm Local, so local in fact that I can walk to Local. So I'm thrilled to have "another" Local restaurant. And even more so, a Local bar! I have been there five or six times. Since Cava and Peabody's are no longer around Montecito needed another fun bar. It is an extremely warm and welcoming space and beautifully laid out. The majority of the seating is outside on an amazing patio that sits in a bit of a bowl with the steps coming down from CVR. The inside has some more seating but is more of a bar, or let's say lounge. The centerpiece is the bar itself which a is 3/4 circle with 15-20 seats. The bartenders are knowledgeable and the drinks delicious. Specialty cocktails, beers and no bad wines on the limited wine lists. I have always enjoyed the Margerum M5 Red Blend ($16/glass). There is a creative food menu and I have tried several of the offerings. All very tasty and well prepared. Prices are what you would expect for the quality and the atmosphere. Two other things to mention is that when I went yesterday they now offer a happy hour menu! Several wines were offered at $10 including the M5 that I ordered and the Bonnie Doon Rosé my friend was planning to have. It starts early as we went at 3:20, I'll update this review with days and hours after my next visit. The other plus is that while CVR parking can be a challenge, especially with Covid Parklets reducing spaces, there is a large parking lot behind the restaurant on Coast Village Circle. It is steps from the restaurant on the same level so Gam Gam won't have to struggle with the stairs. read more

Local - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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it was ok. Seated inside nice decor and environment. Just didn't like the sports bar vibe and the guys by there hitting the back of my chair every time the lakers scored. Had to move over seats to enjoy dinner. loud yelling for sports teams so if that's your move go for it. read more

Lovely place on Coast Village Dr. It's actually located down a wide flight of stairs to a plaza where most of the seating is and where you want to be// at least during warm months. Alfresco dining at its best. We've been several times with our friends who are SB natives. Wanted several experiences to get a sense of consistency for review. We met Mike the owner actually on the first visit- lovely man, jovial , open and welcoming. Found out he was an X tech guy ( obviously successful X) and opened his dream restaurant to apply his skill set to a different kind of business. First, it's very inviting and a bit of a "scene" on weekend nights but in a good way. A little LA. But so is Rosewood and Luckys. Local doesn't try and be those other places. It's a Place to have a great cocktail, yes great, eat good food and relax with friends. The pour on their martini is most generous I've seen. Some of the posted reviews make no sense to me--this place isn't trying to be SYR. It's not fine dining. It's a rather large menu that blends many types of food to offer choice-- some Mex flavored, a mix of seafood, some meat, amazing burger. Etc. there are plenty of pictures posted. I'd say at this point it's strong 3.5 going to 4. It's still new and it's growing it's staff nicely. Overlook some hiccups as they will happen- no big deal and they always will "fix" anything. Go and enjoy read more

The ambiance is nice, the drinks are pretty to look at- once you get them. A friend and I came here on a Saturday afternoon to check out the what the rave reviews are about. I left wondering what is so great about this place. We were immediately sat, the place was half full. It took a good fifteen minutes until our drink order was taken, let alone for our waiter to acknowledge we were there. Two other tables that came after us were attended right away. Once we finally put our drink order in the person that brought our drinks thought that they belonged to the table that just got seated and practically slammed them down when he was corrected. I ordered the bourbon peach tree, it was a glorified mock tail- it lacked alcohol. My friend ordered hot off the plancha and it had a kick to the flavor to the taste. It took another 20 minutes to put our food order in. Once we did, it came out but one order never made it to our table and we were never told why. I had to request water twice. Again, it felt like the other tables were well attended except us, as the table next to us, their food came out before ours and the waiter never followed up if we needed anything else- I wanted to order another drink since the first one I had tasted just like juice. I ordered the local Benedict- I have had better. It took forever to cut through the sourdough bread. I will say once I finally got to taste it was delicious but not the best. I will say that the potatoes were the star of the plate. Crispy on the outside and soft on the outside. I tried the veggie frittata- it was bland. The fruit plate did not make it to our table, and we are still wondering why. I may want to give the dinner a try, it could be a different experience, but I felt profiled and do not want to go through a dreadful dinning experience where you have to wait and constantly track a server down. With other tables getting served in half the time it took for us, just beware. Beautiful outside ambiance and drinks, service not so much. read more

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Stopped in for lunch. Delicious food wonderful friendly service. First time here it won't be the last. The salmon was outstanding and The Louie salad fresh and tasty A lovely lunch read more

Local - Salmon - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Delicious food. Had the fresh oyster on half shell for an appetizer with a unique topping, "champagne granita" topping. very fresh and tasty. Service was also excellent, and we appreciated the attention to details, like water glasses and dishes. Great addition to the Santa Barbara restaurant scene. read more

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Amazing food. A lot of GF options. Amazing ambiance. Amazing service. All at reasonable prices. Joana did a fantastic job We had the Branzino, calamari, fish tacos & brownie sundae , we loved them all. read more

Was in town for work and came here for dinner with a few of the girls from work. Funnily enough, we all ordered burgers and they were amazing! We enjoyed wine and some of their signature cocktails. Also, if you are looking for a great espresso martini -- they make one of the best! Relaxed ambiance and an amazing patio! read more

BEST RESTAURANT IN SANTA BARBARA! The food is sublime. This was our second time in two months. Flavorful, perfectly seasoned and cooked, gorgeous presentation and delicious!! The inventive seasonings set it apart for all the other bland, expectable American/Italian restaurants in Montecito. the Ahi Credo is INSANELY GOOD, as is both the Brazino and Lamb Bolognese. kids will love it too as the kid menu is extensive. And the wine list is sophisticated and NOT overpriced. we had the same bottle twice (Jonata Todos) and looked up the retail and it's fairly priced. read more

Local - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My wife and I have had a reservation to this spot for a couple weeks and so glad we finally made it in. Definitely recommend coming in for happy hour and staying for dinner once the sun goes down. The ambiance was incredible and the patio heaters kept us warm. Really enjoyed the environment outside and the beautiful living green wall but the bar looked great inside as well. Live piano didn't hurt and my wife really loved that. Perfect date night spot! I started with a Mike's Margarita (mezcal kick) which I was a huge fan of, yellowtail crudos and brussel sprouts. All of those were really delicious, and I will no doubt come back for the crudos for our next happy hour. Our friends had recommended the shrimp po' boy, but I could not resist trying the local double burger when I saw the rib/brisket blend. No doubt one of my favorite burgers in town. The bun, sauce, pickles all killed. I'll probably go for a fish next time because the dishes next to us looked so good as well. Overall Service was excellent. Waiters were really friendly and helpful. The bartenders were great, and the manager even checked in on us to making sure we had a good time. Huge add to to the local SB/Montecito community. read more

Local - Crudos dish - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Good happy hour. Tasty drinks and nice appatisers. We would come back and try dinner. read more

Local - Wings and brussel sprouts. - New American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

A great addition to the SB/Montecito scene. One of our more on-trend and high quality options. Restaurant and patio is gorgeous and parking is easy. Fantastic cocktails. From gazpacho, oysters, branzino, the burger- it's all delish. My vegetarian/gluten free daughter has plenty of options too. For those of you from LA, remember this SB pricing, service, etc. For SB, this is a home run. read more

Went with a friend yesterday for a late lunch. She had been before and suggested it. I loved it! Everything from the decor to the setting to the service to the food/drink was great. I had the French dip and house margarita. Both were delicious, and I am looking forward to going back! read more

Always a great time, delicious cuisine, fun atmosphere, sometimes live music, great bar free and staff. Montecito really needed a fun place and this is it! read more

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Stop in here for lunch today and was promptly seated outside under a heated overhang that had a lovely wall of green plants. The place was not crowded at all and the patio furniture was chic and comfortable. Was happy to see we could order veggie plates and a protein of our choice. Some of my green beans were a bit too crunchy, but not all, and they paired well with the whipped feta and almonds. I omitted the golden raisins that were supposed to be on the veggie plate too. The baked salmon was done to perfection although the seasoning was a bit too subtle for me. My GF liked her beet salad served with tangerines, ricotta, mint and hazelnut and she ate all the chicken so I assume she liked it. The bar area in the interior space looked inviting and I can imagine they pull in a crowd there in the evenings. Pricing seemed a bit high but it's Montecito so that is to be expected I suppose. read more

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First time here(live in Keizer, Oregon) but the people who took me have been coming all the time; in fact their kids were there that night and we didn't even know it ....great ambience; we sat in the outside area; nice heaters; lighting plus no wind....bar inside and seating inside is nice, too. We had fantastic tomato soup w/coconut and sour cream on top.; some side Bisquit like things that were very tasty w/honey & cheese; then our main courses....mine was Chicken Milanese w/redleaf salad and cheese/dip,etc....the dessert was apple fritters w/3 diff dips and cheese....very very tasty....They have some good specials, also, and the wait staff is very attentive to our drink/water/food needs....I had a Bloody Mary...excellent. read more

Food is very good Staff is accommodating and friendly Not enough inside seating for grey foggy cold days great location and reasonable prices for Montecito read more

What. A. Treat! Food is amazing - best oysters in town! Drinks are glamorous - Coastline is both beautiful and balanced. Staff is the best in town - recently celebrated a special occasion and received VIP treatment from all staff members. Ambiance - you'll have to see yourself (hint: it's amazing!) I strongly recommend. read more

Fantastic happy hour and dinner! Beautiful fireside tables with delicious drinks. Highly recommend for a big group or intimate date. Highlights - skillet cornbread, fried Brussels sprouts, and 10/10 burger read more

Today morning I had the pleasure of having brunch with couples, and I must say it was an experience that surpassed all expectations. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by warm smiles and genuine hospitality from their wonderful staff. The staff at Local exudes professionalism and attentiveness that I myself have not experienced in a long time, maybe ever. With every interaction we shared, my guests and I felt comfort and a bespoke sense of care that had left us charmed. The food at Local was absolutely phenomenal. From premium ingredients to delicate presentation, its evident that the dishes are meticulously crafted with flavor and aesthetic that only someone who had a true love of food could manage to make and serve proudly. I can not recommend Local highly enough. I live a good drive away in Los Angeles, so just know that the next chance I get I'll be driving back up to Montecito to try their dinner menu. read more

Hubby and I ate here today for the first time. Started with Ahi Crudo, Carpaccio and split the Breakfast Burger. It was all TDF! The Breakfast Burger was one of the best burgers we've ever had. The service was great, sat inside because it was a little chilly outside but the ambiance inside and outside was super cute and outside did have nice heaters. Can't wait to go there again! read more