Best coffee in Santa Barbara - and it's not close! Handlebar in my opinion is the quintessential coffee shop. It has a relaxed but bustling vibe - the place always seems busy... a testament to the product and service. Speaking of the service, it is world class. Everyone is friendly and smiling and they do a great job of taking care of you as the customer. One man who I think is the owner is in quite regularly and he seems especially helpful and kind to the customers. But he is great - he genuinely wants you enjoy his coffee and have a wonderful experience in the coffee shop. I appreciate that and it keeps me coming back at least once a week! Now onto the coffee, it is always great! Never too bitter and full of flavor. As for mochas/lattes/etc. I haven't had better in SB. Everything is of the highest quality and is fantastic! That quality is translated across the board to the food too - the almond croissant is AMAZING!! If you find yourself in the mood for coffee and a wonderful pastry while in the Santa Barbara area, this is the place for you. P.S. It's my fave spot to do the daily connections and wordle! ;)
Justin L.
Handlebar has to be the best coffee shop in SB! They always serve high quality espressos and tea No morning is complete without a good cup of joe So here's a quick rundown of the things to know! They have two locations, about two miles apart Check your navigation app before pressing start This one is situated right along De La Vina Street The parking lot is small but it's free, which is neat There's plenty of seats here, outside is spacious I found a table inside, which is just as capacious It can get busy since they're popular, fair warning There's usually a line when I visit in the morning On the menu you'll find kombucha, cold brew, Americanos, macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos too Lots of baked goods sitting in the display case And branded merch if you want to rep this place My hot vanilla latte was superb, as always! Expertly crafted with care, give the barista a raise Milk was frothed to the correct temperature, and The espresso flavor was bold, not at all bland Morning bun is a pastry made of laminated dough It's so buttery and fluffy, I grabbed another to-go! Overall, this cafe is a must stop if you have time That's all for now, hope you enjoyed the rhyme!
Mailani S.
I love this location! We normally go to the lower one near state street, but this one is much more spacious! The hot mocha was super yummy! I can't wait to come back!
Jack McDonald
Great coffee. Great people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Teresa
Amazing stop in Santa Barbara! People and the owner are super friendly and very professional. Great place to go ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Les S.
I've been to the original location on Canon Perdido, but wanted to give this newer location a try as well. This location is bigger and has a nicer look, but I still prefer the original location. The parking here sucks. It has a small parking lot but it's always packed, and street parking is much more difficult in this area. I also had better service at the other location. Service here was still friendly but didn't think it was anything over the top. I pretty got much got the same items I got at the other location, which were kombucha and a bag of its Brazil beans, which I think is one of the best I had. It has a very smooth hazelnut flavor. I also got its Cowboy Cookie, which is a vegan cookie with chocolate, peanut butter, and oats. It's pretty massive and filling.
Evan Scannapieco
Coffee was good, but no bike rack in sight at Handlebar Coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Robin O.
The best coffee and ambience. We always come here daily, sometimes twice a day, when we are visiting SB!! Best drip I've had in a LONG time! But I do love their lattes and make sure to get some beans for the road.
Julie [ she I her ]
Incredible coffee, tasty bites and a good vibe. A bit laptop-heavy during the week but the team are so friendly and the coffee is so great that it is hard not to be a repeat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bakery, Ham and Cheese Croissant
Dave D.
The coffee is delicious and earns 5 stars. The bagel I had was great as well. The service was very friendly and I'd give it 5 stars but there is a bit of a wait. People are friendly and it's a relaxed atmosphere. Great place and I will be back.
This place is very beloved in the area! It has a cool rustic feel with lots of natural light and open spaces. There are always a lot of dogs there too! The lines here are always really long, but the staff is kind and has a good system. There is one line for espresso and one for non-espresso. They are very caring and make sure every drink comes out perfect! I got a tumeric latte and it was fine. Not a ton of flavor and a lot of the tumeric was at the bottom, so I wish I had stirred it. It was also pricey for the size. Their gluten free muffins are amazing and I loved mine! It's crowded every time I go, but I think that is a testament to how great the coffee and staff are!
Justin Dao
Cool spot to get coffee. Huge interior seating area, good staff, nice coffee.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Selene Parke
Great coffee, super cool building and the baristas are always chill
joth kell
Extremely friendly, best coffee. The only coffee shop i go out of my way to go to, for the experience. In the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jordon Scappaticci
Favorite coffee in all of California. They roast their own beans in house so it’s always fresh!
Best coffee in Santa Barbara - and it's not close! Handlebar in my opinion is the quintessential coffee shop. It has a relaxed but bustling vibe - the place always seems busy... a testament to the product and service. Speaking of the service, it is world class. Everyone is friendly and smiling and they do a great job of taking care of you as the customer. One man who I think is the owner is in quite regularly and he seems especially helpful and kind to the customers. But he is great - he genuinely wants you enjoy his coffee and have a wonderful experience in the coffee shop. I appreciate that and it keeps me coming back at least once a week! Now onto the coffee, it is always great! Never too bitter and full of flavor. As for mochas/lattes/etc. I haven't had better in SB. Everything is of the highest quality and is fantastic! That quality is translated across the board to the food too - the almond croissant is AMAZING!! If you find yourself in the mood for coffee and a wonderful pastry while in the Santa Barbara area, this is the place for you. P.S. It's my fave spot to do the daily connections and wordle! ;)
Handlebar has to be the best coffee shop in SB! They always serve high quality espressos and tea No morning is complete without a good cup of joe So here's a quick rundown of the things to know! They have two locations, about two miles apart Check your navigation app before pressing start This one is situated right along De La Vina Street The parking lot is small but it's free, which is neat There's plenty of seats here, outside is spacious I found a table inside, which is just as capacious It can get busy since they're popular, fair warning There's usually a line when I visit in the morning On the menu you'll find kombucha, cold brew, Americanos, macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos too Lots of baked goods sitting in the display case And branded merch if you want to rep this place My hot vanilla latte was superb, as always! Expertly crafted with care, give the barista a raise Milk was frothed to the correct temperature, and The espresso flavor was bold, not at all bland Morning bun is a pastry made of laminated dough It's so buttery and fluffy, I grabbed another to-go! Overall, this cafe is a must stop if you have time That's all for now, hope you enjoyed the rhyme!
I love this location! We normally go to the lower one near state street, but this one is much more spacious! The hot mocha was super yummy! I can't wait to come back!
Great coffee. Great people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing stop in Santa Barbara! People and the owner are super friendly and very professional. Great place to go ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I've been to the original location on Canon Perdido, but wanted to give this newer location a try as well. This location is bigger and has a nicer look, but I still prefer the original location. The parking here sucks. It has a small parking lot but it's always packed, and street parking is much more difficult in this area. I also had better service at the other location. Service here was still friendly but didn't think it was anything over the top. I pretty got much got the same items I got at the other location, which were kombucha and a bag of its Brazil beans, which I think is one of the best I had. It has a very smooth hazelnut flavor. I also got its Cowboy Cookie, which is a vegan cookie with chocolate, peanut butter, and oats. It's pretty massive and filling.
Coffee was good, but no bike rack in sight at Handlebar Coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The best coffee and ambience. We always come here daily, sometimes twice a day, when we are visiting SB!! Best drip I've had in a LONG time! But I do love their lattes and make sure to get some beans for the road.
Incredible coffee, tasty bites and a good vibe. A bit laptop-heavy during the week but the team are so friendly and the coffee is so great that it is hard not to be a repeat
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bakery, Ham and Cheese Croissant
The coffee is delicious and earns 5 stars. The bagel I had was great as well. The service was very friendly and I'd give it 5 stars but there is a bit of a wait. People are friendly and it's a relaxed atmosphere. Great place and I will be back.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is very beloved in the area! It has a cool rustic feel with lots of natural light and open spaces. There are always a lot of dogs there too! The lines here are always really long, but the staff is kind and has a good system. There is one line for espresso and one for non-espresso. They are very caring and make sure every drink comes out perfect! I got a tumeric latte and it was fine. Not a ton of flavor and a lot of the tumeric was at the bottom, so I wish I had stirred it. It was also pricey for the size. Their gluten free muffins are amazing and I loved mine! It's crowded every time I go, but I think that is a testament to how great the coffee and staff are!
Cool spot to get coffee. Huge interior seating area, good staff, nice coffee.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great coffee, super cool building and the baristas are always chill
Extremely friendly, best coffee. The only coffee shop i go out of my way to go to, for the experience. In the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Favorite coffee in all of California. They roast their own beans in house so it’s always fresh!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5