Santa Barbara "Don't Miss" Recommendations?

Everyone here will tell you to take a short drive up to Buellton to go to Firestone Walker's Barrelworks. They are not wrong.

 

This.

 

topa topa brewing!

 

American Ale is a gastropub that has good food and a solid tap list.

 

There are other SB threads but on my cell so can't find them...

1) go to Barrelworks. Eat at the bar next door or go to Industrial Eats in town.





2) bars in Santa Barbara area - American Ale, Hollister Brewing, Figueroa Mountain, Telegraph, Eureka Burger, Mercury Lounge (dive). Not necessarily in that order.
3) bottle shops - Keg n Bottle or Bev MO are probably the best.

 

In addition to some of the recommendations I already made I thought brewLAB in Carpinteria was a pretty decent place. And in the non-beer serving restaurant category: La Super-Rica Taqueria. It's a cash only place and the food is fantastic.

 

FWIW if you're at Barrelworks and you like wine, at all, you should drive the 12 minutes over to Rusack. Great wine, stupidly beautiful outdoor area to consume it in.

 

Would heartily recommend doing so! Have fun.

 

La Super-Rica was Julia Child's favorite taqueria in SB. It does not disappoint. Go there.

 

Telegraph... in Santa Barbara

 

Aw come on, Super Cucas on Micheltorena has a better burrito They are good...not quite Central Valley good, but I digress. Best tacos anywhere are at Lily's (they opened one up in Goleta! Its 3x the size as one in SB and they take credit cards) So what I would do...is either go to Lily's in Goleta for tacos or Ming Dynasty for Mongolian BBQ (literally right next door--and it is freakin good. Its the one where the guy cooks your food and makes your plate, not the buffet against the back wall) and then walk across the street to Hollister Brewing and get some beers. You could even do all of that for lunch!

Honestly, check out Hollister Brewing in Goleta on the way up or back from Firestone in Buellton. I was just back in SB last week and didn't get a chance to stop back into Hollister. A couple of years ago they were definitely up-and-coming.

 

You know I haven't been to Telegraph in a few years. Are they still in that warehouse? Its a beer spot to hit for sure, I just really wasn't too crazy about their stuff.

 

I grew up in SLO, only know so much from SB. Will keep those in mind, but live in the Bay and don't make it south too often

 

I grew up in the Central Valley, lived in SB while I went to Cal Poly (my bro still lives in SLO); now live in the Bay as well.

Miss the central coast...some good spots there for sure from Ventura to SLO.

 

Might be too late, but since the OP mentioned stouts/porters, I'd say Hollister is probably the best place in SB for dark beers. Occasionally Fig Mo will put something good on (like this), but their usual offerings are ho-hum. I also like Captain Fatty's in Goleta, though their dark beers aren't as good as their hoppy stuff.