Santa Barbara Restaurants

Italian

  1. Emilio’s , 324 Cabrillo, 966-4426

The food and the service are good, but the prices may be a little high.

Entrees in the mid to high $20 range. Is it worth it? Opinions vary.

  1. Ca’ Dario, 37 East Victoria, 884-9419

A small place with very good food and reasonable prices. Pasta dishes between $15 and $20. Don’t go there with a large party (more than 4).

You’ll stand out like a sore thumb.

Mexican

  1. La Super-Rica Taqueria, 622 North Milpas. 963-5957

The best taqueria in town and probably the best restaurant. There’s nothing elegant here; you order your food at a window and eat it on picnic tables on an enclosed deck. You will pay $6 or less for three tortillas and various toppings. Splurge and get two and a couple of beers, and you’re set. But, the lines get long on the weekends because the tourists have discovered it. But, don’t turn away just because the line looks long. The real issue is whether you can sit down when you get your food. If you can’t, go down the block to La Tolteca.

  1. La Tolteca, 600 North Milpas. 963-5957

Not La Super-Rica, but not bad.

Thai

  1. Your Place, 22-A Milpas. 966-5151

Standard Thai restaurant.

Seafood

  1. Bay Café, 131 Anacapa, 963-2215.

Our best fish restaurant. Entrees between $15 and $20.

  1. Brophy Brothers, Breakwater, 966-4418

A combination bar/seafood restaurant. Good cioppino and fish. Not as expensive as the Bay Café, and probably not as good, but more fun. They don’t take reservations; you put your name on a list and wait. On the weekends, it can be a long wait. Also, a little hard to find. Go to the harbor (past the wharf) and start walking toward the breakwater. After about 200 yards, look up; it’s on the second story looking over the harbor. You’ll probably hear it before you see it. And you can watch the boats in the harbor while you wait. If you can’t take the wait any longer, go to the Endless Summer (you passed it) and order a hamburger.

California Eclectic

  1. Paradise Café, 702 Anacapa, 962-4416

Santa Barbara as the Santa Barbarians see themselves. The food is OK (get the hamburger) and the prices are reasonable (pasta dishes around $13), but the atmosphere is the thing. If you go there and you don’t get it, you don’t get Santa Barbara. Catch the next train for LA. If the weather is off, all bets are off.

  1. Chad’s. 625 Chapala, 568-1876.

A nice personal touch to this place. The food is pretty good, and the prices are not bad, $20 for a decent entrée. It’s in an old house, and the tables are jammed together, but it doesn’t seem noisy. You can talk economics here without offending the other tables.

  1. Brigitte’s. 1327 State, 966-9676

The quintessential California café. One dish from each continent. About the same price as Chad’s. The physicists go here. Need I say more.

  1. Sage and Onion. 38 East Ortega, 963-1012

A new place, which seems pretty good. They play with your food: some verticality and some decorations on your dessert plate. But, not too bad, and the meat eaters can find something here. An entrée is in the mid to high $20’s, with everything else scaled appropriately.

  1. Wine Cask. 813 Anacapa, 966-9463.

A great room (go past the wine store), good service, very tasty, and more expensive that the Sage and Onion. It won’t break the bank, however. Unless you go overboard on the wine, your bill won’t exceed $50. It does have a terrific wine list, however, so there is always the possibility. The owner is an econ grad from UCSB. If you tell him you know Perry Shapiro, he will be especially pleasant to you (but he won’t reduce your bill).