Great cocktails, great spot with Excellent customer service…read more It has good atmosphere , we were there after Happy Hour on a First Thursday and the band playing jazz was a lot of fun. Right next to the Granada Theater Downtown Santa Barbara

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Cool artsy bar with great cocktails…read more We were looking for a place to wet our whistles before dinner and this place looked promising. Located right next to the Granada Theater on the main drag, it looked to have undergone recent renovations and had a very chill but stylish ambiance. There was plenty of seating on a Wednesday night, and our bartender was a friendly young woman. The hubby got the spiced rum old fashioned, which had an ice cube with a lion's face etched onto it--a nice touch. I got one of their tiny Negronis, which came in a cute tiny mug and cost $5 (it sounded fun). Both tasted great and we had a nice time sipping our drinks and taking in the decor. Alas we had to be on our way so couldn't linger long, but we'd definitely love to stop by again the next time we're in town.

Amazing bar with a highly skilled bartender (on a Tuesday night) who managed to deliver…read moreconsistently perfect cocktails with zero help, to a crowd. The cocktails are highly creative, diverse in flavor and design, and really could stand up to any you would find at a top cocktail bar in a major city. The exterior doesn't scream "must come in" but you absolutely should. Is it a tiki bar? Yes, but in the best way. And the bartender deserves applause for pulling off 3+ quite complex cocktails every 5 minutes off of memory and without any support.

Test Pilot lands somewhere in the orbit of tiki without fully crash-landing on a bamboo runway, and…read morehonestly, that works in its favor. In a stretch of Lower State packed with breweries, wine bars, and roaming weekend energy-drink humans in vintage bowling shirts, it threads the needle nicely between cocktail bar and tropical escape pod. The menu leans tiki-adjacent rather than deep-cut exotica, but the drinks are smartly built and avoid the "every problem can be solved with more rum" philosophy. There's a solid spread of spirits across the board, which makes the place feel more welcoming to a broader nightlife crowd instead of strictly rum disciples clutching vintage Trader Vic's mugs. The Oaxacan Dead was the standout for me. Smoky, balanced, endlessly sippable. One of those drinks where every sip quietly talks you into ordering another without turning into a sugar avalanche. The Jungle Bird was also great, though presented more in the direction of a Negroni than the punchier tropical versions you usually see. Bitter, restrained, and easy to settle into. Crowd-wise, things tilted a little frat-floaty as the night rolled on, but the staff handled everything smoothly and kept the vibe from turning into full pirate mutiny. Service stayed friendly and composed even when the volume of the room started climbing like a malfunctioning theremin. Big bonus points for the location and outdoor seating. Being right in the middle of Lower State makes it an easy launch point or final stop depending on your evening trajectory. Grab a drink, people-watch, drift between breweries and wine spots, repeat as necessary.

Really fresh & delicious!…read more Came on a whim for lunch, got the CEVICHE to start and the SALMON as my main & both were so delicious. The salmon was cooked perfectly - maybe the best I've ever had..... 10/10 recommend for a lovely lunch & view.

We dined here yesterday and it will be our last visit…read more The only positive was being seated right away -- after that, the experience went downhill fast. Our kids' food and the ceviche came out quickly, but the ceviche was overwhelmingly fishy and inedible. One of our entrees also arrived with the appetizer, while the rest of our food didn't come for another 20-30 minutes. Throughout the wait, our waitress kept reassuring us that our food was "coming" -- which felt misleading and only added to the frustration. When my fish tacos finally arrived, I received 2 tacos instead of the 3 that every review I'd read mentioned. No explanation, no adjustment to the price. The worst part was my husband's tuna melt -- he took a couple of bites and said something tasted very off. We had to send it back.

My lady and I were vacationing in Santa Barbara and the Goleta areas. We are karaoke fans and…read moredecided to look for a place closer to our hotel. Notown Tavern popped up in the search. We were pleased that they do karaoke on Monday night! So we give it a try and we were beyond pleased. Chip at the bar keeps it nice and neat, great execution in the drinks as well as his singing! For Big Joe the KJ great kudos as well. He runs a good show, very inviting and engaging. The local regulars were also very nice people, like Mo #1. We didn't try the food but surely will do in our next visit. Thanks guys for making our night memorable!

Come here on Monday if you want to sing.Good Karaoke show and not too many singers.Chip the…read morebartender is great and Big Joe runs a great Karaoke show.Drinks are reasonable.Its fun!!

I would like to be able to recommend this restaurant because it's very cute and the bartender was…read moreso friendly, but overall it was a disappointment. The food is so-so. I tried the Cali Hummus, shrimp quesadilla and chicken tacos while staying at the hotel the restaurant is in. The tacos were pretty good, but the pita bread with the hummus was burned and the quesadilla was lacking seasoning. The margarita on Margarita Monday was quite good though, so maybe just grab a drink before going elsewhere for food. The biggest problem though is that they don't open on time and the service is overall really spotty. One morning I was down for breakfast 30 mins after they should have opened and the front desk told me it could be 30 mins more because they were still waiting for someone to show up. The next time I tried to do breakfast they were open, but after standing around for a few minutes with nobody in sight, I decided to try something else. Fortunately there are some good options in walking distance. Sunshine cafe and Lighthouse coffee were both enjoyable.

Service was really good and the view was very peaceful. The outside patio has a nice view of the…read moremountain with palm trees and the pool. It made me think, this is the type of place I would have my family stay at if they were to visit. The last place we visited made me think I was getting burger week flavor fatigue... until Caya proved me wrong. Caya was our 5th burger of the day and WOWED me! This place was marked as "?" (we weren't sure if we really wanted to try it). Everything about the burger was cooked to perfection. The egg's yolk drips down the burger after you take your 1st bite, the flavor was a beautiful marriage in my mouth and the burger was juicy! At first I thought it was fat on the plate, but upon a closer look it was the burger juice (want to clarify it was not bloody). The jalapeños added a nice texture and slight heat, the chipotle was the perfect sauce for it. This burger is definitely worth trying for burger week!

Long overdue review for this not so hidden gem…read more Rodeo Room offers amazing craft cocktails, delicious bites, and a killer happy hour 5-6pm. Did you also know there's also omakase? On Sunday (1 seating) and Monday (2 seatings), Rodeo Room transforms into a delicious (and affordable) omakase consisting of delicious bites of sushi and ends with a twist on a bar bite and dessert. Optional cocktail pairing (worth it!). The ambiance gives off a dark classy take on a classic bar setting. Service is friendly and the sushi chef prepares the food right where you can see (depending on where you are seated). I recommend the bar top vs table, unless with a larger group. Limited seating so be sure to make a reso in advance!

Friendly staff Really Dark Room that's still really cute!…read more Cauliflower Tacos recommended and the Laid Back cocktail yummy

We came to Haskell's Poolside Bar a couple of times during our stay. It has nice outdoor tables, a…read morevery fun vibe, and it is dog friendly. Service was wonderful. Both times Monica was the lady that helped us, and she is a true gem. Quick, attentive and super sweet. Food was surprisingly good. Hubby had the club sandwich and I had the hummus platter, and both were very tasty. The hummus was super flavorful, and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Easy to stop by while taking a stroll around the resort and have a couple of cocktails with snacks. So relaxing. Thank you Monica!

This is the bar that supplies the pool…read more The drinks are as good as they could possibly be while being served in a clear plastic cup. Haha! The food is great! Club sandwich is outstanding! Fries are great too. The chips and salsa are good for not being at a Mexican restaurant. Guacamole held its own. Great service as you would expect. They don't charge you the service fee, even though it says so on the menu. The views from the pool up at the surrounding buildings and down to the ocean are spectacular! Only downside for me are the Pepsi Products!! I like Coke and hate Pepsi. Amazing you can't get a Coke on the entire property.

So good and so glad we came here. Service was really top notch…read more We ordered sparkling water, focaccia bread w/ whipped ricotta, the chicken dish, two pastas and an eggplant parmesan. Also a side of the green beans. My boyfriend's birthday was yesterday (on Christmas) so it's hard to make it special sometimes. We came here because we wanted a special experience and that's definitely what we got! My dad is also insanely hard to please and always finds som reason to complain, but he had no complaints here! Cant wait to come back. The hostess was super nice and also our server did a great job (she was a nice woman with dark chin/shoulder length hair) didn't get her name I forgot! Editing this 24hrs later because my dad still won't stop talking about how amazing our dinner here was...I guess we have a new go to place for special occasions!

Rating: 6/10…read more Ambiance is gorgeous, with a beautiful ocean view and great romantic lighting. However, service was severely lacking and slow, and the food was expensive for the portions and not the best. We ordered the focaccia with whipped ricotta, crudo, spicy rigatoni, and clam pasta. The focaccia was warm and crispy and contrasted well with the creamy, cheesy ricotta. The crudo was the best item and was fresh and well-seasoned. Pastas were underwhelming. Super small portions (we probably had about 2-3 mouthfuls per person per dish) for the price point. The rigatoni was slightly bland and could've used more salt, but the spice was perfect as someone who likes spicy foods. The clam pasta was a good lighter option but could have used more umami taste. Service was also really slow, which staff did tell us was due to them being understaffed. Overall, we paid $140 before tax for this meal, and it didn't fill us up. Gorgeous venue but I don't think I'd recommend this place as a must-visit restaurant in SB.