Omg where do I begin??! Hands down one of my favorites restaurants in Santa Barbara. I got the…read moreSangria cocktail which was so fruity and delicious! Then I also ordered the KFC and the pork belly bao, both had a delicious flavor and balance of savory and sweet. We also ordered the cucumber peach salad, which was delicious with pieces of Basil in it. So fresh! We got the crab rangoon, and I believe the scallop and prawn dumplings. All had such a lovely flavor and we're just so good. You can't go wrong here with anything you order! Great service and great food.

Secret Bao was an okay experience overall. The food was decent, but nothing really stood out enough…read moreto make me want to come back specifically for it. We tried the garlic noodles, spicy beef noodles, popcorn chicken, and corn dumplings. The garlic noodles were creamy and the spicy noodles had good flavor, but the dishes overall felt a bit underwhelming. The popcorn chicken was soggy (but probably cause I had it to go), though it wasn't particularly memorable, and the corn dumpling were fine but didn't leave a lasting impression. The service was friendly and our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, which we appreciated. The restaurant had a relaxed, casual atmosphere that made it a comfortable place to grab a meal, but was super packed for a weekday. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but it also wasn't anything special. I might give it another try in the future and order some of their more popular items before making a final judgment.

the food is amazing, but they have found new and creative ways to get my food wrong every single…read moretime I have been there. definitely don't order for pickup because the order WILL be wrong.

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.

We visited Sama Sama while in Santa Barbara, and it was hands down the best restaurant we had the…read morepleasure of experiencing during our trip. We feel pretty fortunate to have so many great restaurants near home, so finding a place that genuinely surprised and impressed us was both refreshing and an absolute pleasure. Everything we tasted was amazing. The standouts were the ribs, crispy rice salad, wings, and short rib noodles, but there truly wasn't a single thing we didn't enjoy. The drinks were great, and the ambiance and service were equally impressive. Our only regret is that we have to wait until our next visit to Santa Barbara to eat here again.

Sama Sama Kitchen is a Indonesian-inspired, Michelin Gourmand rated restaurant, was in the area so…read moremy family and I decided to go. We were greeted and seated right away, as for a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant wasn't so busy. Our server Izzy (on my receipt) was attentive and answered our questions, concerns well. I appreciate her service. My favorite dishes to the least favorite in order: Lamb gai (fresh and light), Braised pork noodles, Vietnamese wings, and lastly, the chicken satay (a bit dry, but sauce was flavorful), see my pics of each dish. It's not easy to judge from pics, one might think for the portion size for the price, is a bit smaller size. Indoor and outdoor seating. Cute, casual interior. Nearby paid parking structures, or good luck finding free street parking. Definitely a restaurant to check out when/if you're in the area.

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.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS IN SB!!!…read more This place has been one of my favorites for years. My best friend and I come every time I'm in town & they are always on point from the service, to the amazing food & beautiful drinks! Monday night our server was very attentive, quick with water refills (which I love) and very pleasant. We also sat inside for the first time as we usually sit on the outdoor patio which is no longer in place, and I was happy with the indoor ambiance. We ordered a variety of our favorites - the some brie sauce, date with a pig, PB&J sliders as well as some new items - the shrimp tacos & veggie sliders (both were outstanding). I cannot recommend this place enough & I would eat here every night if I could!

My family and I stopped in for dinner while visiting Santa Barbara, and this ended up being one of…read morethe pleasant surprises of our trip. Overall, the food was excellent, the ambiance was welcoming, and the service was outstanding. One thing we especially appreciated was how family-friendly the restaurant felt. They had old-school cartoons playing on the TVs above the bar, which was a fun touch that kept everyone entertained. One thing to know before you order: the "tapas" here are much larger than what we've experienced at traditional tapas restaurants. We ended up ordering far too much because we expected smaller, shareable portions. Fortunately, that's a good problem to have, as everything was delicious. Just keep the portion sizes in mind when ordering. The drinks were also solid. The sangria leaned a bit more toward fruit juice than wine for our taste, but the other cocktails we tried were well-balanced and enjoyable. Between the great food, generous portions, excellent service, and relaxed atmosphere, we'd definitely recommend this spot to anyone visiting Santa Barbara.

Update there is no brunch , currently only a breakfast sandwich, bummer !…read more Still a great neighborhood spot to watch sports and hang out with your well behaved dog , it's a good example that you can bring Fido and hang out with friends Beer selections rotate and there are also cans available for purchase Service is good , I appreciate friendly staff

Loved the vibe and doggie love! Great assortment of beers and good food certainly don't hurt!read more

We love that there is outdoor seating. Not a lot of seating so it can get pretty full fast…read more We ordered a coke, veggie tofu spring rolls, orange tofu, and combination pho. It hits the spot. Super flavorful tofu and had the outer crisp. The pho I inhaled so fast. A lot of noodles and meat. The server nearly forgot to bring out the bean sprouts and basil with a friendly reminder. Otherwise I would absolutely come again!

Pang Zi has become one of my favorite places to eat pho and until recently, their fried rice! We…read morewere sat immediately on a busy Saturday night and we were taken care of right away! Their servers were incredibly sweet and made sure to check on us during the night! My partner ordered their rare steak pho and she destroyed it in no time! I fell in love with their combo fried rice! They had a Vietnamese hot sauce that worked perfectly with the rice and the pork. I'm looking forward to my next fried rice trip!

Super delicious, so much to choose from and staff is so nice. I would definitely recommend this to…read moreeveryone! I was so surprised by how easy it was to cook, staff was very caring and helped us out, as this was our first time here, and we were nervous. Overall, amazing setting and vibes!!

First time here and I was impressed! Great selection of food, friendly staff, and quick service. We…read morechose the Platinum option and it was well worth it. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. I'll definitely be coming back!