The ube piña colada was really good, but the slushie was not (very bitter). One of my favorite nice bars in SB! read more

Test Pilot - Painkiller slushie - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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These cocktails are awesome!!! So yummy and beautiful! If it's a friends birthday, I suggest getting a Montenegro for Two as it's served in a pineapple and it super cute! They also have really great mocktails for sober friends! The staff there were patient in helping me choose a drink and made them pretty fast without sacrificing taste! read more

Test Pilot - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We have been at Test Pilot twice. We may be a little older than most of the crowd but have had fun. The drinks are great and in such a fun area. Try it! read more

1/12/25 The Buccaneer: Dev - A Meal - A Thai Iced Tiki: Dev - S Meal - A ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total - 4.25/5 read more

Test Pilot - The Buccaneer, Thai Iced Tiki - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The drinks here never disappoint! This was my first time coming to Test Pilot in a while and I was very satisfied with my drink. It was basically an alcoholic thai tea, and it was so good! Depending on how busy it is, it could take a little while to get your drinks because all of them are specially crafted. The vibe inside is pretty chill, not super tiki themed like some tiki bars out there are like. Overall great drinks, nice service, and a great stop in the Funk Zone! read more

Test Pilot - Thai tea drink - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I've been here twice now and as a tiki lover, I think this place hits the nail. It has a brightness that is still tiki but the option to sit outside and enjoy the sun. It has a slight boat vibe which is fitting for Santa Barbara but still tiki. The service was friendly and warm. I ordered a test pilot, my partner a jungle bird and we shared the drink in a pineapple. I do agree with the other reviewer who said it had too much ice. Plus compared to other tiki bars we've gone to, they aren't the strongest. But I won't dock a point for that if the flavor is great. They had everything tiki should be- flavorful, full of depth and fun. They have a couple of non rum tiki drinks and the option to ask for a classic cocktail if you'd like. Definitely a nice spot! read more

What a gem in The Funk Zone! My boyfriend and I spent a long weekend in SB and were happy to check out some cool local spots. We wandered into Test Pilot and weren't disappointed! The decor was on point, the drinks were delicious and our bartender was great. Will definitely be back! read more

Had to write a review specifically for the bartender, Emiliano. This man went above and beyond, was super friendly and professional, knew his rums, and made it a great night for our group. To the owner, keep this man around! read more

One of my friends is a big tiki bar aficionado- and his passion for tiki bars prompted me to check out Test Pilot. We were in town for a wedding and stopped by Test Pilot for a drink on our last day before heading to the airport. The bartender was friendly and efficient and the menu had lots of appealing drink options. I got the Test Pilot and enjoyed it- I had never had a cocktail with absinthe foam before! If we had more time we would have loved to try out some other options on the menu. read more

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The bar was walking distance from where we were which was nice. Nate was amazing and attentive #559. The service was great and quick. You can be in and out of there if you had to. Will for sure be coming back!! read more

Test Pilot - Ube and buccaneer cocktail - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I came to test pilot for a drink after a friends birthday and the bartender I think his name was goose was so accommodating and nice it was a great experience and made for such a great night! Thank you so much! read more

chesco is the man! Great cocktail selection, boozy slushies, and the vibes are dark and mysterious. 6/5 stars.

We came on a Saturday night and it was PACKED. We were able to snag a seat at the bar but the seats were not plenty. It was pretty rainy that night so that could also be why it was crowded. Eventually through the night, the crowd started to dwindle down though! It's decorated so cute and ambience was fun. I got the "Test Pilot" drink and it was delicious. I saw reviews saying the drinks were strong, but my friend and I wouldn't say so, and we each had two lol. The bartenders were lovely and helped us have a great time. We just ubered so not sure on parking. read more

Chesco is the best bartender, always with good service and good vibes unforgettable moment!!! Check him out best of the best !!!

This was such a great bar! It's considered a tiki and cocktail bar. The ambiance is similar to both but not super tiki vibes. We had so much fun and by far one of our favorite spots. We ordered the hotel nacional special and purple mai tai. The hotel nacional special was my absolute favorite. I'm particular about cocktails and this was 10/10. It consisted of Cuban-style rum, apricot, pineapple, italian bitter, lime, and overproof agricole. It's was sweet and a nice balance of all the ingredients. The other drink we ordered was the purple Mai Tai. The purple Mai Tao consisted of classic mai tai rum, lime, orange curaçao, almond, and bitters. It was tasty! The bar was packed but we managed to get to the front of the bar to order and even land a seat to hang for a little. There was a cute little swing we snagged. There's also outdoor seating. The bartenders were nice and service was quick! We went before Christmas and it was super festive. Some were ordering the Montenegro for two which was served in a pineapple to share which would be cool to try. Worth a stop! read more

Test Pilot - Hotel Nacional Special and Purple Mai Tai - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Wow, drinks are top notch!! The bartender is knowledgeable and has great actitud. The vive is also great. You won't be disappointed!! We'll be back for sure!! read more

Fun tiki bar with awesome drinks and decor! It was pretty quiet here but we got here early in the night. We stopped by for a drink and I'd recommend checking out their unique cocktails! read more

As the only tiki bar in town, they truly live up to the name. The cocktail menu is fantastic, and I love that they're one of the few spots open late here in Santa Barbara. It's always such a vibe. There's a bartender named Edgar who's incredibly FAST -- my drink came out faster than at any other bar I've been to. read more

Great vibe, amazing cocktails, and top-tier service provided by Edgar. Test pilot is one of the best places in town for a well-made drink. Highly recommend. read more

Very fun! Really cool drink menu, and was excited to get this drink. Brought my parents here when they were in town and it was lots of fun. Nice outdoor seating and kind servers. And the music was alright too! read more

Test Pilot - Thai tea cocktail - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Very very good drinks. Can get a bit crowded on weekends when it's nearly impossible to get a drink at the bar.

Great drinks, fun vibe! My husband got the cacao Negroni and it was great. I want to come back when I'm not pregnant so I can try the other drinks! read more

Test Pilot - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great wine, we went on Wednesday which was bingo night and made it fun to interact with all!!

Great bartender. Isaac. Knows his work great smile and patient with my questions Ambience is fun and especially loved the darker lounge to the side Extensive cocktail list. Think tiki lounge meets California in the best of ways. Highly recommend Look for the secret $6 shot that is like a mini daiquiri It is on the back of the menu in small print. Indoor and outdoor seating No food read more

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Came here midday and there were several people hanging out at the bar. Cute spot in a quaint area. Had an ube infused cocktail and that was delicious! Bartender gave us some hard pour. Friendly people here! read more

Will is awesome. I'll come here to order a cocktail and have a true Santa Barbara experience anytime. 10 out of 10.

So I came into Santa Barbara early Tuesday evening. I had dinner somewhere and wanted to check out what bars I could enjoy on a Tuesday night. Now there are a LOT of bars and winery joints in Santa Barbara. A testament to what its sense of tourism offers as a city, which is cool, but I figured why not take it up a notch and try to see if there were any Tiki Bars. This is not a traditional one where there are boatloads of Tommy Bahama decor everywhere, but there are little things here and there throughout but mostly it's a kind of fancy chic place. Griffin, the bartender that night, wore a Hawaiian shirt which earned points for sure. Some notes: DRINK 1: PAINKILLER SLUSH COMMENTS: It has strong hints of pina colada taste as well as cinnamon. The slush was great. No hard chunks of ice and not too watered. Stayed slushy the whole time til I finished it. STRENGTH: 9/10 DRINK 2: UBE PINA COLADA COMMENTS: Looks Ube colored (purple). A lot of ice, probably too much. Sweeter than the Painkiller Slush, but still very strong. The sweet sugary Ube taste comes as more an aftertaste than something you actually taste alongside the alcohol. STRENGTH: 8/10 DRINK 3: BANANACAPA COMMENTS: It's very strong, like the other drinks. It doesn't taste very banana-ish because the alcohol overpowers it so much. Still good though. Just very strong. STRENGTH: 9/10 PLACE: Cool. Not big, but comfy though. Nice seating in the front and to the side away from the bar area. Bar area is okay. SERVICE: Griffin was great. Hard working. Doesn't waste time. Easy to talk to. Even knows how to respond well to the inebriated and make them feel comfortable and welcome too. Very easygoing guy who clearly has fun making these drinks. AMBIANCE: Not bad. I was cool with it. Dim is how they did it which I'm okay with. Wish there was a more Tommy Bahama kind of thing but I guess the drinks and the service should speak more for themselves, right? AREA: Not bad. It's Santa Barbara. It's kind of tucked into an area, not off the Main Street. You have to turn into a street, go past a building, then it's on the left corner after that building, across from the start of a residential area. It's cozy though. BOTTOM LINE: It's a cool place. Nice for anything from loud annoying early 20-something's to mid-late 30-something's like myself, to even 40+ people, where there was a group of them hanging outside and enjoying each others company when I got there, all cool people. What's funny is there is a winery across the street from it and I think another attached to it. One thing I've noticed about Santa Barbara is there are a LOT of wineries throughout the entire city. That's cool, I just think it's interesting. If I ever wanna go to a bar when I'm in town, this is definitely one of the choices. But I warn all of you: THE DRINKS ON THE MENU ARE ALL VERY VERY STRONG. YOU WILL TASTE THE ALCOHOL IN HIGH INTENSITY IN EVERY SIP. I CANNOT STRESS HOW STRONG THESE DRINKS ARE. YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEYS WORTH IN EVERY DRINK YOU GET. TRUST ME. read more

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We stopped by after dinner on a Saturday night and they were poppin! I loved the vibe and the décor is so unique to any other bars in the area. They have a huge drink menu with lots of creative twists on originals and fun new ideas. Our friends grabbed a patio table and while they were busy we were able to get drinks fairly quickly at the bar. I started with an Espresso Martini which hit the spot and gave me the extra boost for being out late, although I was surprised they don't garnish it at all. My husband got the Passion Fruit Mule and loved it so much he ordered it again for his second round. I tried the Millennial Falcon Fizz and it was fantastic plus $1 from every purchase is donated to a local nonprofit that supports survivors of human trafficking. read more

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We were looking for a cocktail bar to escape the Santa Barbara rain, and stumbled upon this spot. We loved it! We went in on a Saturday early-evening, and the bar was filled with young people who seemed to frequent this bar, and were having a great time. Even with the large amount of people there, the bartenders quickly took our orders and got started right away on our drinks. I had the passion fruit mule (pictured, $14), and my partner had a canned beer. The mule was very fresh. It had ginger and was topped with fresh mint. Yum! The ambiance of the bar was what really drew us in. It was like an elevated tiki/beach bar. There was a lot of seating, both indoor and out. Great spot for some deciduous cocktails. read more

Test Pilot - Passion fruit mule. - Tiki Bars Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Absolutely love it! Nice & dark , cute place, service was great. The bartender was knowledgeable, we had a true experience read more

Gustavo the bartender is literally the best bartender I've ever had! He's so on top of it and makes the best drinks, and has the best attitude! We laughed with him the whole night! There's a reason why this place gets good reviews for their service. read more

A sucker for tiki bars and this place was great! They have a great variety of drinks and the bartenders know their stuff! Tiki drinks not only look fun but they are intricate. Lots of ingredients go into one drink to make it jusssst right. It was fun watching the bartender put them all together. Just when u thought she was done, here come the garnishes and bitters. We tried the following: Thai Tea Tiki Buccaneer Purple Mai Thai Everyone loved their drinks! Small place with inside and outdoor seating. Check it out! read more

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They were blaring the most obscene, inappropriate ghetto music, it ruined our entire experience. We could barely have a conversation sitting on the patio. It seemed unprofessional and out of touch for a tiki bar. The drinks were fine though overpriced, honestly we just wanted to get out ASAP. read more

Wish they had a set up like this in Los Angeles. Bar tender was chill & communicative. Drinks are up to the hype.

Drinks were so good and service was great, Edgar aka Chesco made my experience the best, I will definitely be coming back!

Best Mai Thai in the country, if not the world. Absolutely stunning flavors and exactly what I was looking for

Warning to international guests; this bar demands passport along with ID or else they kick you out. Sad to come across the world and get denied. read more

I only had the pain killer, which is called "definitely not a pain killer ". I totally agree with that name so please don't expect a traditional Pain Killer. It was a slushy drink with added rum on top. It tasted fine, pretty strong. Don't confuse Test Pilot with a tiki bar. Anybody that has been to a real tiki bar will know this. I don't believe the establishment claims to be a tiki bar anyway. Music, lack of complexity of garnishes, tradition tiki drinks, size of ice , decorations, all lets you know it's not tiki. Its clean and bartender was pleasant. read more

Love this spot & we try to swing by every time we're in SB! Great drinks, plenty of outdoor sitting, and just overall great vibes. read more

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Good service and drinks! Definitely would recommend the Ube one, forgot what it was called but it was purple. The vibes are chill and it's not too loud tbh and there's comfortable seating everywhere. It's better going at night for sure! Highly recommended for a great night out with friends read more

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