American Restaurants near Isla Vista

“My days of partying are long behind me. Perhaps once a year I do anything fun at all. But I understand the beauty and psychology of late night garbage meals. These folks have it down to a science, and few do it better.

There’s very few places outside of NYC bodegas and Instagram Reels where one can find food this decadent and depraved. Hey Chef! Go ahead and put chicken strips, bacon, a fried egg, french fries, and buffalo sauce into a tortilla and fry the thing. Might as well pour a beer into it too. Who cares. It's not normal. But when they serve it here, I’ll slop it up with a smile on my face.

The atmosphere is distinctly that of a college town whose primary food crowd arrives at midnight. Pictures of a more reckless past on the walls, a digital jukebox (which seems to default to Travis Scott Radio), and employees that are sick of people forgetting their order numbers. Who could want more? The service is quick, and there are multiple burgers with jalapeno poppers just shoved right in the middle. Slop slop slop it up.

The surprising thing is that the value here really isn’t bad. The Gaucho Burger (a real classic) remains around ten dollars, even in these trying times. There’s bacon and avocado on there, which I thought by now would be additions reserved only for those of the 1%. The important thing is that you don’t ask questions, and that you request extra chipotle sauce on the side and dip everything you get in it.“

“I was a Gaucho for a couple of years and the UCSB dining commons are nothing but special to me. Pizza, burgers, pasta, sandwich bar, salad bar, waffle machine, unlimited soda, all-you-can-eat everything all with a simple card swipe! (or <$20 for non-students) Seriously, some of you guys' complaints make no sense. You really expect French Laundry quality here? Yeah right! This place's job is to provide us with glucose for our brains to complete our studies, and for that I'd say it's beyond satisfactory. Ranking of the DCs: 1. Ortega (sushi baby!) 2. DLG (late night cravings) 3. Carrillo (best breakfast) 4. Portola (too far, had it once)“

“This is a great spot in the scenic mountain area of Santa Barbara California. Awesome food and the staff is amazing. Perfect stop for lunch while on a motorcycle ride.“

“Tuesday around 2pm, not a rush day or time at all, sat down at the bar for at least 7 to 10 minutes, not one employee approached me to ask if I wanted something to drink,eat, etc.
I noticed a few others sitting there at tables and the bar, no attention to them at all, drinks were almost empty etc.
The employees (4 ) that I could see, seemed more into their own laughter and discussions than giving attention to customers.
I noticed two employees, male, walking through the kitchen doing the same thing.
I walked out, went elsewhere.
New to area, etc, maybe this is normal here?
Hopefully management may pay more attention to the customers than the waiters themselves.
Just my first impressions and I'll try again next week perhaps?
Revised and impressed.
Much better now, christian and Jennifer are great at the bar, Monday, Thursdays I come here to watch some football, etc. They are great, enjoy the interactions and good times.
Thank you for these two bartenders and the overall experience now.
Much better,
Trent.“

“Best Food in Santa Barbara.12/10 ⭐️’s.“

“Day trip to Goleta for Disc Golf and hiking at Gaviota, landed us here for food afterward. Unfortunately, missed breakfast but got pizza and salad. The food was very good, but not great. We heard breakfast is what people come here for, so why not breakfast all day? Anyway, still highly recommended. We’ll be back another time for breakfast.“

“So good! Nothing else to say!“

“sumptuous food. great beers and wine. a favorite place to meet old neighborhood friends every time I visit!“

“Who can go wrong with Kyle?“

“I have had a tradition of coming to the Tee Off for my Birthday celebration. It's been a while so I checked reviews in Santa Barbara for best Prime Rib and found a few with good ratings. Since they were all similar I went with what I knew and made a reservation at the Tee Off. It couldn't have been better. We had a two top reserved and had prompt drink service. Our waiter asked if we needed more time to look a the menu to which we replied we came for the Prime Rib and ordered right away. Drinks and salads came right away and the dinner followed right on time when we finished our first course.
The Prime Rib was perfect. Cooked perfectly, medium rare. tender, juicy, and flavorful. The creamed horseradish was perfect too. The waiter checked back with us several times and was friendly, efficient, and professional. It was so nice to see that some things never change.“

“We dined here on a Saturday evening.
Good menu and lively ambiance, our dining experience was good but not a wow moment.
Service lacked a bit because they had a big party, of around 20, and it seems most of the servers were helping out, hence ours suffered a bit.
The starting bread basket was fresh.
My main course, pizza, cant remember the name, was good and well prepared.
My dessert, was good.
There are so many good places in the Goleta/Santa Bárbara área that not sure if I will patronize this establishment again.“

“Super fast service, great food, great price. Highly reccomend the milkshakes, I had the oreo milkshake and its one of the best I've ever had. I don't really reccomend the mac n cheese or the chicken sandwiches, they're just okay, but the burgers are good.“

“Absolutely awesome experience. The food is phenomenal. The atmosphere is classy. The service is unrivaled. The location is also very safe & walkable. If you go ask for Ben - he is especially amazing & ensured everything turned out perfect.“

“Who can go wrong with Kyle?“

“Great food and service. Beautiful location.“

“Been in Goleta for a long time. Great place for breakfast. Servers are fun and friendly.“

“Fantastic food and outdoor party possibilities! Service was slow, 2 bartenders with a line out 2 doors and waitstaff no where to be found. I’d definitely return maybe not on a weekend night, but the food and drinks were great.“

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“We enjoyed the Thanksgiving Buffet, it was DELICIOUS!! 🦃🥰❤️“

“Such an accommodating place! Good service, a diverse, delicious well priced menu, and convenient! Wish they were open longer in the day.“

“No complaints about a good sandwich.
Clean
Better than Jessy mikes, definitely better than Subway, more practical than South Coast deli.
Interior is... old school but comfortably functional. With full backed and shaped seats and full tables“

“I gotta say it was my first time trying the food I order yaters meal it was a grilled chicken sammich with the toppings and the Caesar salad with shaved parmesan cheese with croutons and fries with ranch. It was soo delishhhhhh!!! I highly recommend you give it a whirl. Follow Your Taste Buds!!!!“

“Love this place, the staff is nice, so well as all of the regulars, as this is a locals spot. The food and drinks are great as well.“

“The food and drink selection is great and has been consistently good since they reimagined their menu a couple years ago. It's a great neighborhood place and fills a gap for the area. The reason for removing a star is because the service is inconsistent at best. I still highly recommend coming in, especially if you're a local. I don't recommend bringing in out of town guests (due to the service).“

“Great service and reasonable prices. The food was fantastic!!“

“The Natural Café is one of my favorite spots for a healthy, delicious lunch in Goleta/Santa Barbara. I love their tuna fish sandwich and vegetable lasagna. Both are fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. You can sit inside or enjoy the outdoor seating, which is perfect on a beautiful day. Great food, relaxed atmosphere, and a wonderful place to stop for lunch. Highly recommend!“

“It’s hard to describe perfect. Everything from the extraordinary staff, to the comfortable atmosphere, to the perfectly prepared food was spot on. We are greatly appreciative for the work that goes into an operation like this.“

“Went for a club meeting on a beautiful sunny day. The outside patio is a comfortable place to watch golfers and enjoy the scenery. The food was well cooked including the vegetables that were not overdone, and the service was efficient and unobtrusive.“

“Great food here for a reasonable price. Portions are great sized.“

“We just had the best customer service experience at Mesa Burger! Three young men—Damien, EJ, and Nathan—took our order, served our drinks, and brought out our food. They were attentive, polite, and so thoughtful in the way they cared for every customer.

We also noticed how hard they worked to keep the restaurant clean and welcoming. It’s rare to see such maturity, teamwork, and genuine kindness in young employees.

Kudos to Mesa Burger for hiring and supporting such outstanding young men. They truly made our meal a wonderful experience!“

“We love this place! Food is great“

“Dennys upper state street! Santa Barbara The perfect birthday party location! Neptune Radio 📻 reporting...“

“this is my favorite dining Commons on campus. Each dining Commons has at least three distinct food areas such as Italian, Asian, American. Burgers, pizza, Asian cuisine, large pastry area, lots of drink options, awesome Chef. Always kept clean, always busy. Get there early. Great indication on Food as to potential allergy concerns“

“I will say that I am not usually a fan of IHOP but this one is different. Not sure why, but it's just better than most IHOPs. The food isn't incredible (but it is still quite good) but the staff is fantastic, caring, and attentive.“

“Always a great experience to grab grub at Sam’s. Friendly, fast service. Sandwiches were made as ordered and they make fresh, hot onion rings to order. Lovely patio with benches and tables with shade on the ‘main’ drag so you can do some good people watching. Thanks Sams! You rock.“

“I really enjoyed the while experience. Staff was friendly and on it. She saw an empty cup would you like av refill, empty plate would you like me to take that. Attentive, very courteous. Food was very good and quick. We ordered the special burger I think it came out to $13 a plate. What a great deal. Definitely will be going back“