36 Best 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.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“I was in the greater Santa Barbara area for 6 days and found this place tucked in a neighborhood just off the 101 in Goleta. We enjoyed several breakfasts here and never had a bad dish. They're open for lunch and dinner too with a mix of traditional american diner dishes as well as some mexi-cali dishes. They'll also deliver your food to the bar at the end of the strip mall. They have some tables out front on the patio and a nice sized dining room inside. Glad we found it, as it saved us a bunch on money over the resort food prices where we were staying.“

“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?“

“Always a delight! Went last minute after driving all day, seated at the bar with Thiago and had a amazing meal and beautiful drinks. I have nightshade allergies and I was still able to get the Salmon on ceder with tons of flavor! Thank you for always taking care of us!“

“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.“

“The Grill on the Alley is Hands down, our favorite Beverly Hills Go-To! Classic, Old school fantastic service, food, ambiance and menu. It's our first choice for taking out of town guests. Five Stars all the way. The Grill sets the standard for every other eatery. There are others... innovative chefs, beautiful design. But if you want classic BH top drawer, the Grill on the Alley never misses. II recommend the Liver and onions, The chicken pot pie, specials like the Seabass last night are outstanding. Brick Chicken, Lamb Chops, and the best Martini's!! Love this place forever and always.“

“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.“

“Great food and service. Beautiful location.“

“Who can go wrong with Kyle?“

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

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“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.“

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

“My husband and I ate at the Live Oak Café while were staying at the Best Western on the same property. The restaurant interior is bright and chic and, as a bonus, overlooks the hotel pool. Plenty of parking. We had dinner the first night of our stay and loved it so much we went back for breakfast. Everything is fresh, high quality and delicious. If you are in Santa Barbara, be sure to stop by and give them a try. Be sure also to stop and say hello to the cute little finches who live right outside. I have to give a very special shout out to Javier and Luis! They were awesome – made us feel warm and welcome and part of the family. Luis kept the smiles and the coffee coming (VERY important part of my morning) and Javier could not have been more helpful and also has a really great smile! Stop by and say hi to the guys!“

“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.“

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

“Excellent food and a great beer and alcohol selection. Detroit style pizzas, excellent salads, happy hour specials and nice outdoor seating. It can get loud inside with big parties, and it can be loud outside with mesa traffic so plan accordingly.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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.“

“We love this place! Food is great“

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

“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 didn't think Zodo's could get much better! After the Bowlero remodel I change my mind though.. you can totally lose track of time here, especially in the newer arcade?

Parking: Shared parking lot, with plenty of parking.

Kid-friendliness: The arcade has been upgraded to the best it's ever been!

Wheelchair accessibility: Handicap parking available.“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“