Aegean started as a popup, but now has its own restaurant near State street. Efe Onoglu is a superb…read morechef and brings Turkish/Mediterranean food to Santa Barbara. We got the hummus with a herbaceous zhoug sauce, which was smooth, nutty, and not too tart. I can't stand extra tart hummus. We also got an extra order of pita because one was not enough to scoop up all those delicious hummus. I didn't taste the kofte because I don't like the gaminess of lamb, but they looked beautifully grilled. The levrek on the other hand was insanely good. It came highly recommended by our server who seemed very passionate about all the delicious food that she was serving. She said people even drank the sauce the fish came in. Yep, she was correct and I did drank all the sauce. I normally only get fish in Asian restaurants, but this seabass was perfectly cooked to tender flakiness, bathed in a savory and delicate sauce with dill, lemon, and oregano.

Nice hole in the wall in downtown Santa Barbara. Service initially was pretty bad but eventually it…read moregot better. Seems they were understaffed for the night. Highly recommend you get a reservation on open table. Limited seating and parking can be a hassle. We ordered the bread with hummus which was incredible. The green goddess salad was good, especially the dressing. For main we got the chicken and the sea bass. The chicken at first seemed a little underwhelming but the chicken was super tender and the garlic was sauce was stupendous! The sea bass was also very good. I would argue that the price is a bit high for the amount you get but the food is good. Restaurant is Amex platinum Resy eligible at the time of this review.

Just want to say three years later this is the best food you can get in SB. Best…read more Any cuisine, any price point, this is it. Thank you KR

Kool Runniz is a pop up food service that can be found in local businesses in the Santa Barbara…read morearea. They do catering and aswell. I got excited upon finding this local food business And even more when I was told they have "Jerk chicken" Typically on their menu you can find Jerk pork, jerk chicken and some veggie options Meals are fixed with rice and peas, plantains and cabbage They do tacos too Jerk chicken: Authentic jerk chicken is done on the grill.. A somewhat smoker contraption This is typical in Jamaican restaurants It's spiced heavily so that even off the grill it's ready to be consumed But the majority of places have an additional liquid jerk sauce made from scratch. Scotch bonnet peppers are known to take center stage in the sauce and also in the dry rub for the grilling Fish, tofu, pork, all kinds of meats are done in this style and fashion So now that you know a little on history.. Let's go into the present Some people do jerk chicken in the oven or a combo of the latter with oven.. Kool Runninz is one of them... The spices were there... Friendly enough for the masses of Santa Barbara ( traditional stylee can be unforgivably hot) The chicken I thought was just ok The rice and beans ( in West Indian culture it's called rice and peas) Was good...It's standard to have notes of coconut from coconut milk in the rice along with thyme and possibly peppers The coconut was detectable and I'm a big fan Not a fan of cabbage so I went for extra rice ( shout out to my carb lovers out there) The plantains...ah em... I said the plantains... Wow, I've eaten plantains in different styles Look Runniz is easily in the top 3 of all time.. Crisp edges, chewy ( just enough) inside.. With great texture... Overall I thought they delivered a delicious alternative To my everyday Santa Barbara experience And I'm glad I came across them

For the tri tip bbq sandwich which has house coleslaw and fried onion strings. It was good! The bbq…read moresauce and with the coleslaw, meat, and the fried onion strings was a tasteful combination. i wish the seats were in the shade, especially since it was a pop-up. It was a hot summer day. The wait wasn't long but would have liked to enjoy the sandwich with some sun coverage.

Amazing food and great people. They definitely know their way around the BBQ. I highly recommend…read moreOak & Fire for any event!

Leaving reviews for all my favorite spots in town in hopes that they stay here forever. Secret Bao…read moreis perfect. The Kung Pao Cauliflower has never disappointed. The Udon Carbonara is insane. Their baos are 10/10. And don't even get me started on the passion fruit or matcha crème brûlée when they have them. Truly one of those places where I want to order everything on the menu every time. Please never leave us, Secret Bao.

Excellent food and good service at this popular place. Prices are fair. Cool vibes although at…read moredinner it gets loud. Not an extensive menu although as first timers we still struggled to make our choices. More traditional choices and fusion ones, like the fantastic poke tacos. First time trying Korean fried chicken. Was good but a little dry. My friend's beef wide noodle dish was amazing. Next time I'm in town I wanna enjoy another meal here.

On October 30th, I attended Daily Greenz Pop-Up Open House. For some time I had heard wonderful…read morethings about this catering and meal delivery company, so I was looking forward to experiencing it for myself. I had the pleasure of meeting both Chef Cristina Gonzalez ("back of the house") and her life and business partner, Elsa Cisneros ("front of the house"). Together as one they run this sustainable, local and organic-focused business. To begin, both women are extremely talented and experienced. Chef Cristina attended the School of Culinary Arts at SBCC and then later worked under Wolfgang Puck and for Bon Appetit. On the other hand, Elsa focused on catering at Philip's College in San Antonio, later to find herself at Bon Appetit elbow-to-elbow with Cristina. Next, viewing the exterior of where Daily Greenz shared kitchen is located is unassuming. However, after entering you quickly realize that this is home to one of Santa Barbara's cleanest kitchens. Everything from the ovens to the pans were sparkling clean and new. Daily Greenz Pop-Up allowed me the opportunity to taste a few items. To begin, there was a refreshing Jamaica "Blood" Tea (for Halloween) and a perfectly-balanced Margarita. They provided a fresh Caesar Salad as a starter, followed by a choice of two tacos. The tacos included Achiote Chicken (refried beans, caramelized onion, cheese, and avocado-tomatillo drizzle) and Pork Chile Colorado (Pork Palace Heritage Pasture pork, refried beans, and queso fresco). Both tacos were small and bite size, yet huge and full of delicious flavors. Each ingredient could be tasted individually and enjoyed immensely. I learned and appreciate that Daily Greenz gives you the option to reserve your chef-created meal service between 48 hours to 2 weeks in advance. Not only that, they allow you to choose a flexible meal plan for lunches/dinners (either or both) for one to every day of the week. Bottom line: If you are seeking a meal delivery service for your family, or a caterer for your business, please contact and give Daily Greenz a try.

I kept hearing about Daily Greenz on Facebook and thought I'd check it out. It's an unassuming…read morestorefront so keep an eye out! But there's an awesome curbside pick up option. However, I pulled into the small parking lot. Plenty of parking spots for easy in and out. The kitchen is brand new and clean. It's a very large, open space; neat and organized. It appeared to be a very high standard of food and safety in this kitchen! When I arrived, my order was being labeled and packed up. Everyone was so sweet and answered all of my questions about where everything was sourced from and when. Extremely fresh ingredients!! I love that everything is organic and locally sourced. When we first ordered, we thought it was a little pricey just for a couple of salads, but once we were home and sitting down to eat, we realized we got our money's worth in quality AND quantity!! These salads are HUGE!! The flank steak my husband added to his salad was a generous serving. Fortunately, the salads were prepared with the dressing on the side, so I'll have fresh, crisp greens for round 2 tomorrow! The vinaigrette alone would have been amazing, but the peanut sauce drizzle it also came with made it superb! I was so impressed. The whole menu sounds delicious! I was told it changes regularly, depending on what's in season, so I plan to hustle back for the Chile Colorado, the Brunch Strada, and the sun-dried tomato goat cheese spread. I'm drooling just thinking about it!!

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.

Horrible customer service . Walked in no hello no let me help you . Stood there like a donkey…read morewaiting for some one to even acknowledge a customer. The front of house person knew I was there and still no word. The cooks back there looked super lazy and not even a hello. Me and Another customer were just looking at each other. We both walked out- the front of house or customer rep didn't look bothered. Owner : hire someone who has basic customer service skills. It's not that hard or do self check out. We might prefer AI. Horrible wasted time on my break going to a lousy place

My boyfriend and I stopped at Padaro Beach Grill during an afternoon drive up the coast…read more Immediate impression: it reminded me of Hawaii in the best way. The outdoor seating area, the architecture, the sounds and smell of the ocean right there. Immaculate vibes. We went on a Friday around 3:30pm, so it wasn't crazy busy. We found a table without issue and there were always at least a few others available. However, I imagine this place gets extremely popular during peak hours. We ordered the Baja Fish Tacos and a side of French Fries. All were delicious - no complaints! Although the tacos are so loaded, they can be a challenge to eat! Would definitely return the next time I'm in the area.

Dear Hubby and I have been long-time fans of Padaro Beach Grill. As such, we wanted to introduce…read more(maybe re-introduce?) Sweet Granddaughter to the place on a Saturday as summer is winding down. Am not sure if there's been a change of ownership, but there did seem to be a change of results of the experience of visiting. Noting that in a previous review I mentioned live music. Several other reviewers did, too. When we were there this past weekend in the early afternoon, there was no music to be found. We caught the ordering line at the right time; it wasn't too long and it didn't take but a few minutes to get to the counter. After that, it went downhill to some extent. The main disappointment was the food. I mean, it's a restaurant, right? That's kind of the point. The ambiance is still fun - beachy casual, like you're a guest at a private beach club. But the food used to be much, much better. I made the mistake of ordering the tri-tip sandwich. It was served with grilled onions and smothered in BBQ sauce. It would normally also come with cheese, but I had that left off as cows' milk cheese and I do not get along. I would have much preferred to leave out the BBQ sauce and have au jus on the side instead to let the flavor of the beef come out. Alas, that's not an option. There wasn't anything else on the menu speaking to me at the time, or I could have / should have ordered something else. I thought about the fish tacos, but I'm not a huge fan of cabbage. In any event, the tri-tip was cut too thick. That made it tough to bite / and overly chewy. To the point where it wasn't a happy eating experience. I only finished half the sandwich and gave the rest to DH to eat later. I didn't choose to add any fries or onion rings as I wanted to give fried foods a rest. So I had half a sandwich, and half a very overpriced and underwhelming chocolate chip cookie for dessert. For me, the food was bordering on a failing grade. Barely a "C". DH, on the other hand, really enjoyed the fish and chips he'd ordered. I had a bite, and while the fish was really fresh, the batter coating was undercooked, which made for a mushy exterior texture. It was also extremely greasy. SG ordered her favorite meal of chicken nuggets and fries. She'll never turn down fries, so that made her happy. The chicken pieces were not that flavorful, and not that great a texture, either. We also spent the meal dodging ants which were running over the picnic tabletop. A tabletop which looked like it hadn't been cleaned by human hands in a very, very long time. Which likely explains why the ants thought it was fair game - they were on the hunt for missed crumbs. I can bet good money that when we ask SG if she remembers eating at Padaro Beach Grill, she will recall that it's the outdoor place where the ants were trying to eat our food. There aren't enough umbrellas for all the picnic tables, and there's not really any other source of shade on a warm, sunny afternoon. We were lucky enough to get one of the lawn-area tables with an umbrella, but we ended up feeling crowded when mid-way through our meal, a group of seven people took over the adjacent table. By then, we were ready to finish up and go. In past visits, lingering and enjoying the tropical vibe was part of the experience. Not during this last visit. A shame.

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.

$150 for shrimp, fries, dozen oysters, lobster roll with extra lobster, topo chico, and a beer…read more Service was really nice, chill people working here, the bathrooms were clean, plenty of diverse seating. Nice airy inside with doors and windows open. Okay they have this famous lobster roll. It was small I'm sorry even with extra lobster for $15 it was a bit sad. But regardless the bun was yummy and the lobster was okay. Oysters are smaller but still very delicious and taste fresh. Loved the shrimp and fries. They were both seasoned really really well. Nice and salty which was perfect

Not enough people know about this pop up artisanal bakery! Sandra bakes every week for Friday…read morepickups in Santa Barbara, and the menu changes biweekly and features delicious seasonal ingredients. The menu is pretty small, but to me, that means each item is made thoughtfully and carefully (and you'll know that this is true as soon as you take your first bite). Her baked goods are the pricier side, but you get what you pay for: top quality. I ordered three items. The cardamom and cinnamon bun was warming with the spice and sweetness, and it wasn't overly sweet. The lemon elderflower drizzle cake looked simple and pretty with the frosting's piping and the sprinkle of real elderflowers. I do wish the cake itself was a bit more moist though. Lastly, my favorite of the three: the spring vegetable galette with creme fraiche, asparagus, fava beans, fennel, spring onions, leeks, snap peas, and zucchini-so fresh and fragrant! I was surprised that the flaky pastry could withstand that large assortment of vegetables. No soggy bottoms in sight! I'd love to try her summer items featuring tomatoes, peaches, and plums.

The pop-up culinary scene is filled with unbelievable talent and this here is one of them. I had…read morethe opportunity to pre-order a pie in which I choose a southern staple, sweet potato! I'm a Louisiana native and believe me, this is hard to come by in SoCal within a sea of pumpkin pies. So I jumped on it and so glad I did. This pie is a beauty to look at with its silky smooth filling, perfectly balanced sweetness with a subtle warm spice note and freshly made marshmallow fluff that happily clings to your fingers inviting a lick off session. The flavor of sweet potatoes is dominate as it should be. It's the star and it's well deserved. My sweet tooth was very content and satisfied. The bakery website provides info on future popups and orders. Keep this place marked! You'll be very glad you did.