Restaurants in Santa Ynez

“Pleasant local place to stop for Mediterranean fare. I had a Lamb Shawarma wrap that was great. Outdoor/indoor.”

“This is our go-to occasion (birthday, anniversary, small milestones) restaurant. The portions are a good size, service is good, we’ve never had anything bad.”

“BB sushi is the best sushi in all of California, if not the US in my opinion! The sushi here has ruined all other sushi for me, nothing tastes as good. The quality of fish and ingredients they use is amazing and tastes delicious. The food is consistently amazing and I could eat here every day. Aside from the delicious food it is owned and run by the kindest people. We are so lucky to have them in our valley❤️ I recommend everything on their menu but especially the spicy tuna roll and otoro handrolls (my review is long overdue as I’ve been eating here for quite some time)”

“This is gonna sound crazy, but this is one of the best Mexican spots I ate in literally the world (my family is from Mexico City too so I grew up eating tacos)..The salsa aguacate was so rich no salsa falsa, the other salsas were equally as yummy! Gordita was filling and so was the carnita asadita taco, truly delicious flavor and not cheap ingredients. you can taste the difference here with every bite! Also the tortillas must be handmade def not store bought. I really need to find an excuse to come back here. Also there is a car wash and very cheap gas all connected, definitely a good place to stop !!! I wish I could go back here I’m dreaming of it, also very nice family working ❤️👍 for the price and flavor you need to come here !!”

“Best wine in the Central Coast. Great experience at the family vineyard, feeding goats and tasting grapes right from the vine!”

“Would pick this winery 100 times over sunset. Service and wines are 10/10. Mary was very attentive and informative. The entire sampler was delicious. Ended up taking two bottles”

“Great lil sandwich spot in SY! Ive tried many of their sandwiches and all are great! Pictured are the Minestrone Soup and the Chicken Salad Sandwich. Both were great!”

“Service was excellent, dinner suggestions were great and we loved our whole experience. Highly recommend”

“We had fun. Our host was had the best knowledge on wines. It was overall a good time. Beautiful vineyard definitely will come again.”

“Superb experience at Roblar Vineyards from the moment we entered and it continued through our departure. The hostess was kind, efficient and caring when seating us. Then on to the service that we chose - a wine tasting and lunch (we had made reservations) We received pleasant and informative wine descriptions from our knowledgeable sommelier with each taste and the proper improvised wine-taste choice that he knowingly paired with my meal! Our meals, the roast salmon and a Cobb salad were perfection enhanced with their high standard of farm fresh vegetables. As we finished, feeling totally content and enjoying the ambiance of soaring ceilings of the timber frame tasting room with the massive fireplace warming our souls, we were visited by Matt, the owner. We had an engaging chat, with him entailing the history of the vineyard and its ongoing development of the vines, the farm and the buildings. Finally, we walked the beautiful estate grounds past the active vegetable gardens to the edge of the vineyards enjoying mountain scenery all around. A memorable experience with perfect food, wine, and caring people!
We highly recommend a visit!”

“The food is excellent, each component of the plates we tried (smoked salmon and bacon avacado) complimented one another in a way that created the perfect blend of flavors! Highly recommend this place for lunch and picking up a cheese & meat plate for visiting local wineries.”

“what a great night out as far as i can remember 😬😁! Great tasting wine three bottles made me sleep well later , the band The new vibe were great and even took the time for a little chat with us and photos , thanks for looking after us and being so friendly hope to make it back again soon !”

“very good. Disabled parking is in the back. Great service.”

“Overall this was a pretty fun experience for us. At least as far as a trip to Starbucks goes. Yes, we ventured a trip to the casino looking for the Grains & Grounds coffeehouse bakery which soon turned into a slightly confused, dark & flashy, casino lit, cigar smoke infused, hunt and discovery of Chumash's back-of-the-house, hole-in-the-wall, Starbucks gem! I'll admit I was disappointed at realizing our Google maps wild goose chase ended in finding a 'boutique bakery/coffee conglomerate consolidation. But as early morning, albeit last minute, adventures go we still got a lot of enjoyment in playing around with a delightfully glittered, Almond Honey Cake fluff and a dark chocolate & gold gilded Cake Pop! Wow!!
But while I can't say either confection knocked my socks off in the taste category, I will give full marks for imagination and whimsical presentation. So I'll conclude by admitting that I'm deeply curious to sample whatever else they've got for next time.”

“Great set-up post Covid. Make a reservation and try great wines. Rich collection of reds, and they surprised me with Icewine. Outstanding service!”

“To put things in perspective, I simply love the taste of pure coffee. I admire the elegant bean from drip to espresso. With this and even beyond into the fancy-pants lattes and holiday drinks, Queen Cup is always sure to tip the balance toward the beans — making certain the presence of coffee shines above all else. Behold, the vanquishers of goopy syrup and cloying drinks — Queen. Cup. Coffee. ☕🏆 ...oh yes, and their teas are rather quite lovely. 🧐🤌”

“Everything is good even the coffee”

“Great food. Great atmosphere. Staff is very attentive. Michael was especially helpful at making recommendations from the menu and about activities in the area. We will definitely be back.”

“Grappolo in Santa Ynez is a true gem. The food is amazing — bar none, the best ravioli we have ever had. The special pumpkin ravioli was out of this world — we can’t stop talking about it and will probably be dreaming about this dish for the next week. You have to try it! We also had the lemon caper sole, which was equally delicious and perfectly prepared. As self-proclaimed foodies, our expectations were high, but Grapolo far exceeded every one of them. Our server Eric made the evening even more memorable with his warm and attentive service. The quaint ambiance transported us straight to Tuscany — it felt like dining at a family-run hillside restaurant, authentic and second to none. We will absolutely be back — no matter what. Grapolo is a must-visit in Santa Ynez!”

“A perfect ending to a perfect day in Santa Ynez valley. Great company, great conversation, stiff drinks (Substituted Mezcal for Tequila in our Margaritas) and stellar service. My brother and sister-in-law are strict vegetarians. When we realized their vegetarian tostada's came with Mexican rice cooked in chicken stock, our hostess Kaitlyn was personification of equanimity and professionalism. Without skipping a beat and with grace took away their plates and remade their orders . Remained attentive to our needs , no awkwardness. It is said that salsas make or break a Mexican restaurant. The salsas for me were too mild but Kaitlyn and the rest of the staff had stellar service, were very welcoming, and their spirit and warmth more than made up for the lack of fire in the salsas... Though my brother found the salsa fiery too. And the drive back as the sun set and drenched the Santa Rita hills in amber glow was a cherry on top of the already great mood thanks to. Kaitlyn and the staff at Dos Carlitos (and the stiff drinks). Thank you.”

“The kinda old school breakfast joint with excellent food that other old school breakfast joints wish they were. The corn beef hash, chicken fried steak and hash browns are some of the best I’ve ever tasted.”

“It’s really tasty. Ordered steak and eggs and it was fantastic.
Plenty of space, easy access. Reasonable price.
It was strange queue issue, when waitress welcomed people who arrived later then we do and was not friendly. But that was only issue.”

“All great bands food drinks staff customers!! Our favorite place to play! CROWN City Bombers love the Maverick Saloon!!”

“We came here for a wine tasting. It was beautiful with plenty of nice photo ops and the staff made it an overall fun experience. I had to leave with a membership and a couple bottles of my favorites.”

“Great wines, great atmosphere and great service, all with a laid back, relaxed but attentive service and good explanation of the wines being sampled. Highly recommend.”

“Their breakfast burritos are delicious, and they’re friendly as well. Would recommend the habanero sauce if you love spice! 🙏 Perfect place for a quick stop or for a loaded breakfast ☺️”

“Amazing experience overall - top tier service and food. If I didn't know it was a “casino” steakhouse, I would've assumed it was something from Rodeo Drive.”

“We ate at the Willows two times during the Thanksgiving holiday. Both, Perfect! The food was delicious and beautiful, and the service prompt and friendly. Rachel took very good care of us the first night , and Chris on Thanksgiving day. We had Open Table reservations for each night and even though the restaurant was packed at 7pm on Thanksgiving and had people waiting for tables, we were seated right on time. The hostess, managers, and staff managed the crowd smoothly and with concern. There was an amazing Pri Fix menu with choices of turkey or steak Oscar and all of usual side orders, however , the entire daily menu was also available. Portions are generous, and prices reasonable.”