A review of Hungry Cat at Santa Barbara.com

Hungry Cat
1134 Chapala St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 884-4701

Category: Seafood
Hours: Lunch: Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner: Mon-Sat 5pm-Midnight, Sun 5pm-10pm
Price: $10 - $20
Serving: Lunch, & Dinner
Map
Wi-Fi Hotspot
Web Site
Menu
Write a review of this location!

Reviews by the General Public

Excellent Food and Service, 10/29/2009
Reviewer: Kellie from Santa Barbara, CA
August 19, 2009. My husband and I walked to this restaurant as a recomendation from the concierge at the Canary Hotel. We did not have a reservation, so we were seated at the side along the window near the kitchen door. They were very nice and our waiter told us it was his favorite place to sit because it was quiet. He was right. Throughout the meal our water glasses were filled as well as our wine and it was done without interrupting our conversation. The food was excellent; Alaskan King crab claws, and lobster. The staff was pleasant and we were treated very well. It was our first time to Santa Barbara and we really enjoyed watching the people go by while we dined. The evening was perfect. We will make reservations for our next visit and will request the same seating along the long window. We have moved here and look forward to Hungry Cat again.

Service marginally better - they are listening?, 10/13/2009
Reviewer: jinelle from Santa Barbara, CA
As a long time on-again off-again Hungry Cat patron, I have liked their food and often hated their service attitude but was willing to give it another chance and am happy to report that maybe things are slightly improving.

There is still a front door attitude that is inappropriate in the hospitality industry, but at least they are more low-key in their attentions rather than aggressively trying to sell-up the moment you sit down. They even offered tap water as a choice which has to be a first instead of sneering which pricy bottled water did you want in order to start running up the bill. I hope they keep this up and let the patron make their own choices rather than being told to try something else instead of what they originally choose, which always cost more.

The place was slowly filling up and there were a number of noisy bar patrons and enough loud music to give the place a buzz. They are finding their niche and they could increase it with this more considerate approach to service. It is really okay to make diners happy rather than feel harassed or insulted.

The food was off its mark that night, but still quite tasty. Pug Burger now comes with fries rather than onion rings and is now up to $16, very pricy for a burger but it is good. They need to stop skimping on the blue cheese because this is what made it such a signature menu item, but I am willing to believe it could have been just and off-night for that particular cook.

Yes, I will return. Love that PugBurger. And happy to report they are softening a bit into being a friendlier Santa Barbara restaurant, rather than being a hard-edged LA one. They deserve to be encouraged to continue in this direction. It doesn't hurt to like your customers, rather than cop an attitude against them.

Another vote to upgrade the service......, 8/10/2009
Reviewer: Karen from Santa Barbara, CA
My sister and I had brunch here yesterday. We came after what I would assume would be prime brunch time (around 1:45). There was only one other table filled when we ordered. I just could not believe the food could be as good as the service was bad. The waiter acted disinterested when he served us...made me feel like I was bothering him. I didn't get the drink I ordered until after my meal arrived ...and when he brought the cream for my sister's coffee the creamer was so full he spilled it on the table. He did not even take it back to empty it a bit so we could use it without also spilling cream on the table. Too bad, the food was really good. If I go again maybe I will try eating at the bar....also before it get's busy...I don't want to imagine what the service must be like when there is a crowd.

Service intervention required, 8/8/2009
Reviewer: jimstoic from Santa Barbara, CA
Though the selection is small, the food is good, from the seafood platter (oysters, two kinds of clam, two kinds of crab, lobster, urchin, roe) to the lemon parfait (lemon curd, whipped cream, and sugar cookie). My one request, in terms of the menu, is for a fish with a cream sauce. I've been there twice. The first time was not long after they opened, when they were packed all the time and didn't accept reservations. This time we had reservations, and the place was not packed. The service was inappropriate for a restaurant of this caliber. First, the waiter mocked one of my party's use of the word "genre" to describe a category of seafood. Second, we had to ask three times to get the table wiped down after the very messy seafood platter. Finally, when we asked to split the check across three credit cards, the waiter asked whether we'd written down how we wanted it divided. While that's not an inappropriate request, he asked as if we were foolish for not knowing he would want that--and he hadn't provided us a pen in the first place. Splitting checks is not unusual. There were only two numbers to remember, as the third amount was "the rest." And I have never, in the U.S. or abroad, had a waitperson ask me to write down how much to charge to each card. Most of these matters could have been addressed by a simple attitude adjustment by the waiter. There was no need to mock anyone. And the waiter should have written down the breakdown himself. Finally, the place seemed a little dingy. The music was loud and grungy--not music to eat by. And there were no towels in the bathroom. These matters--and the fact that it took three requests to get the table wiped down--might have been addressed by having an extra person on staff. I don't rule out going again. The food is that good. But I may wait until I hear from others that the service has improved.

Too bad - food great but overall experience poor, 8/8/2009
Reviewer: Kristin from Santa Barbara, CA
The food at the Hungry Cat is great. Interesting, well prepared dishes, fresh fish specials, handy and charming location, what could go wrong? Just about everything else. I have been there three times now and the service has always been snobby. I get the feeling that I am not young or beautiful enough to get good service. But everyone in my group felt the same way - and some of them are younger and more beautiful than me. The music was blasting, the table was left dirty, the waiter acted as if he was doing me favors. The bathroom had no towels and the trash was overflowing. If this was a diner or taco stand I wouldn't blink, but these aren't taco stand prices and I expect more. A more welcoming feeling, attention to detail, and better service. Too bad.

The Cat is great!, 7/12/2009
Reviewer: Sara from Santa Barbara, CA
I've dined at the Cat many times, for lunch, brunch, dinner....and have always left happy. Love the atmosphere. Have always had a great waiter and great food, served in a timely, friendly, fun manner. Tis a perfect SB place. (Not all SB'ers want a burger all the time!!!) The oysters are always spectacular, and it's great fun to have the fresh uni. And, OMG, the chocolate bread pudding is masterful!! The H. Cat rocks.

love this place, 6/29/2009
Reviewer: Tina from Santa Barbara, CA
I have eaten here and had drinks over 15 times in the last year. I love the drinks (have only ever had one that didn't hit the spot), and I love their happy hour -- 3 to 6, Tues-Sun. Last week I had a delicious tuna melt-style sandwich that was lovely and subtle (fresh tuna was poached in olive oil) there with a perfect glass of wine --recommended by the great server -- for lunch. Very tasty, and I love their green salad side. A few weeks back I had a fantastic Ramos Fizz there at brunch, and we've gotten great fish there for appetizers and as main courses. Additionally, once we got uni so fresh there the spines of its shell were still moving. YUM.

Great Lunch!, 5/22/2009
Reviewer: Liz from Santa Barbara, CA
I just had lunch at Hungry Cat and I have to say the food was great! Portions are perfectly sized and the food is flavorful. I will come back here again for lunch and would like to try dinner as well. My only complaint, it was way too cold inside.

Valentine's Day Review updated, 2/17/2009
Reviewer: Mrs. G from Santa Barbara, CA
Well I guess I should have probably waited a little befire writing my review about the valentines day menu. I wrote the hungry cat on their website as well because I felt very passionate about sharing my view with them about that night ( I didn't think they would respond but they did it right away!) and they offered to sent me a gift card and apologized. I think that is really nice! For me the best part is if they will re-think this menu in the future and make it really special :0).

VALENTINE'S DAY WALLET MASSACRE @ THE HUNGRY CAT, 2/16/2009
Reviewer: Mrs. G from Santa Barbara, CA
The Hungry Cat offered a special valentines menu, the only thing special about that dish : Still feeling especially STUPID being ripped off like this. They offered a price fixed menu ( $ 55/ $ 75- with wine pairing) that included one appetizer, one entree and one dessert to share with your partner. Everything else on the menu like the raw seafood items etc. had to be ordered/paid seperately. The valentines menu offered no special dishes. I was told by the waiter who was especially unfriendly that night that the whole fish on the entree list was also an item one could only share with a partner and since my partner had his eye on the Pug Burger I wasn't able to chose that option. On a regular night at the hungry cat my husband would have paid $ 6 for the roots farm lettuces,shallots, avocado, egg and pecorino salad appetizer, $ 16 for the Pug Burger and 4 dollars for a half dessert if he had to share it with me like that night. This adds up to 29 Dollars on Valentines day he paid 55. I'm still really baffled how they can get away with it. I'm not tight with money and I am absolutely willing to pay the price good food has but for no reason to extra charge 26 dollars seems ridiculous. I could have understood if we would have gotten a glass of champagne or anything special but there was nothing special whatsoever about this meal. His burger was even a bit burned. I had a cauliflower crab meat soup that was okay but the mushrooms had a burned after taste and the halibut dish in broth that tasted more bland than anything my grandmother would get at the old folks home. The dessert we split was a Mayer lemon parfait, and so rich and sweet that my teeth still hurt just by thinking about it. We ordered some bread on the side that was also very burnt and of course extra charged. This wasn't our first time at the hungry cat - we had some really good experiences before there. The very first time the food was OUTSTANDING! After that it went a little bit down taste wise but still good enough for us to come back. SAdly after the Valentine Wallet massacre there it's highly unlikely that we'll ever go back. My advice for the hungry cat would be, if you offer a "SPECIAL VALENTINES" menu than the heck make it special and not just over charge for regular food. I also wondered about single people that came that night, did they only get a half dessert as well? Were they not allowed to get the whole fish dish by themselves? Looking back I cannot believe I didn't realize the rip off right away and that most people in there didn't either. I guess being in love really makes you blind and vulnerable - which cannot even be excused by a bad economy to steal some extra cash from loyal customers.

Always excellent. And open for BRUNCH!, 12/22/2008
Reviewer: lemonjelly from santa barbara, ca
I've been here twice for brunch, and it's becoming one of my favorites. A friend once told me that the difference between a breakfast and an extraordinary breakfast is about $5. The Hungry cat is a perfect example of that. Pay about $13-15 and you'll have a brunch meal prepared with fine, fresh ingredients - it's a meal you'd live to eat, not one you eat to live. I've tried the confited yellowtail with poached egg and fried capers, the chorizo gravy with cornmeal biscuits and fried eggs, the dungeness crab scramble with avocado and creme fraiche, the cheeseplate with almonds and honey, and even the classic breakfast of bacon (their bacon is made in-house), eggs, potatoes. Really, all perfectly delicious. Throw in a couple sparklingly fresh cocktails, like the oro blanco margarita and I'm a happy gal. But wait, there's more. Service is so friendly, efficient, and spot on, I cannot criticize one single thing. They put their souls into the food and it shows. Maybe the evenings can be a scene, but brunch is mellow and pleasant. Sit at the counter and watch them prepare your food, it'll make you into a hungry cat.

Undecided
Reviewer: Rebecca from Santa Barbara, CA
To start off, the drinks were excellent, fresh and different, but IMO, overpriced. However, they have introduced a generous happy hour (5-7 Tues-Sun,50% off cocktails and draft beer) that we hadn't heard about until we saw the flyer attached to our bill and realized that our server had overcharged us. When my husband asked, the server was pretty condescending and told us to read the flyer again because it was only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. After correcting him, he was apologetic and fixed the bill. As for the menu, I'm not sure if it's seasonal or what but I wasn't very impressed. The menu wasn't clear. Appetizers were listed along with full portions with no indication as to portion size and if you're not an adventurous fish eater (I am but husband is not), the only option you have is the burger. I had a clams and chorizo dish with lots of yummy broth but only one piece of bread. In order to get more, I was told that I had to purchase the side for an additional $2 (and when I did, I only got two more pieces). Also, the clams were pretty gritty. My husband's burger had lots of potential but as he said "this is really more a work of art than an actual burger". The components were good but the burger was thick and the bun wasn't up to the challenge so it fell apart when you tried to eat it. In summary, while our meals were good and I'm glad that there is finally a fish restaurant in downtown SB that focuses on high quality fish in unique preparations none of our dishes were so good that I could classify them as unforgettable.

We left after 5 minutes
Reviewer: Mel from Santa Barbara, CA
Having been to Hungry Cat once before, we went again last night. The menu was totally unappealing and the waiter managed to appear quite arrogant in the 5 minutes that we spent there. Just one example: When I asked him whether the boiled shrimps were local, he replied that "there are no local shrimps and that's why we get them from Mexico." Noticing my German accent, he must have thought that I was a tourist. I replied that I get my fresh local shrimps at the Saturday farmer's market every week and that they are excellent, fresh catch of the day. He appeared not to believe me and just waved with an arrogant smile. We then had a brief discussion about the "braised cabbage, salted cod, apple" flatbread and the guy was just weird and unpleasant, not helpful at all. After having stared at the unappealing menu for minutes, desperately trying to find something that we could order, we looked at each other and decided that's not where we wanted to dine. We sneaked out (glad not to have ordered drinks yet) and enjoyed an awesome dinner at Arigato instead. I don't think we will ever go back to Hungry Cat, which is sad, because the interior and overall atmosphere is appealing.

Good Food, Rude Service
Reviewer: Bethany from Santa Barbara, CA
I have to agree with the review posted 10/9/08. HC staff definitely do quite a bit of upselling! I have found the food to be fresh and delicious along with the yummy cocktails. However, I DO NOT appreciate the pretentious attitude of the wait staff. In fact, some (hello, Brittany!!) are down right rude and snobbish. Our last visit we were told by the server that "other people" were waiting for our table. Our party had been there for a couple of hours, our bill was over $400 dollars, but there were other diners that had been there just as long. And there was only the one party waiting to be seated. Very annoying. Have not returned to Hungry Cat since and doubt that I will.

Hungry Cat on 9th life?
Reviewer: Jinelle from Santa Barbara, CA
Love the Pug Burger here and could eat it every night, but hate going in because at every step of the meal is the constant hard selling up to keep adding more and more items to already a pricy burger. They tried aggressively to sell us unlabled, unbottled mineral water in a carafe, a pricey hard liquor cocktail, higher priced beer than we chose from the menu and naturally a dessert we had not asked for. We wanted just the burgers and the beer, yet we had to turn them down for mineral water, cocktails, more expensive beer and dessert. We wanted dinner. They wanted to strike gold. A better style might be to let the customer get what they ask for instead of "suggesting" what they don't want. It seemed like bullying and probably does work on the more faint-hearted. But I also bet they do not become regular customers. This is LA style dining, and it does not sell in Santa Barbara. We dine out for food; not for affect. This is all in staff training and projected budgeting which may still work in expense account LA, but the crowds were thin and the buzz was gone. Can you rework your selling-up format before it is too late and you turn everyone off for good? I would miss your PugBurger, but I hate having to run interference to get it.

Won't go back
Reviewer: Elizabeth from Santa Barbara, CA
Overrated. Exotic menue, ok food and overpriced. Service was slow and we felt like they didn't care if we were satisfied. The yellow tail dish had a distinctive taste of soap and after the server took it back we never got an apology or an inquiry from anyone about the problem with the food. To their credit they didn't charge us. But, it would have been nice to have been given a complemantary dessert or something.

Great Expectations Deflated
Reviewer: Chris Schwass from Santa Barbara, CA
We heard a lot of buzz re: Hungry Cat but found it lacking for our first dinner. The cocktail menu is extensive and provided the highlight of the meal, a lemonade Mojito-style drink. The three scallops were perfectly grilled but the succotash was bland. The Pug burger and onoin rings were saturated with grease, to the point that we could almost see through the bun. Too many good restaurants to deal with a bland or greasy meal. Also, service was slow.

Exotic food done right
Reviewer: Mr. Lee from Goleta
I love Hungry Cat! I think their selection of homemade cocktails are always inventive and delicious. The food is exceptional. I love the creativeness of the menu and always look forward to the menu items that I will encounter on my next meal there. I have to say, however, that the picture on the website does not do you justice; the ambiance at night is so warm and inviting. I recommend that you post a photograph of the great atmosphere at night, as opposed to the harsh lighting of the morning sun. Otherwise, wonderful!

Eh..
Reviewer: Ella from Santa Barbara, CA
First of all, I think it's kind of ridiculous to make a restaurant where nothing on the menu is not fishy. I don't mean not fish, but this was very fishy fish. I couldn't eat anything except the Kobe burger, which was pretty good but small. I was disappointed with the service, which could not keep up with how many people were in the restaurant. Will not be returning.

Oysters
Reviewer: Julie psarophagis from Santa Barbara Ca.
I just moved to Santa Barbara from up north, I am a Oyster fanatic and found the hungry cat right up to my expectations. Top service, exellant oyster, great service at the bar.

Finally! The Return of Real Food!
Reviewer: Jonathan Weber from Santa Barbara
Granted, The Hungry Cat serves unusual food: organic, seasonal, LOCAL produce and LOCAL fresh fish. Wow, what a concept! Every bite that you take is guaranteed to be of the finest quality, personally hand-prepared and cared for by one of the hottest and talented up-and-coming young chefs in the nation. This stellar chefing crew headed by Dylan, Michael and Pat represent the fruitition of the world's fastest growing food movement - the freshest possible local ingredients prepared with Old World patience and technique to create mightily flavorful, healthy bits of culinary magnificence that won't leave you with that bogged-down, gut-busted feeling. If you don't care about this kind of food movement, go to Aldo's and get yourself a two-pound plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Otherwise, for all the rest of us, this restaurant is unmatched in spirit and flavor and hands down . . . the best restaurant of its kind in Santa Barbara.

Over-rated/underwhelmed
Reviewer: Gary from Santa Barbara. CA
Despite great anticipation, we were greatly dissappointed. The Cat is trying way too hard to be unique. Questions about combinations were allayed by our waitress...but, I'm sorry the veal with tuna roumalade appetizer drenched in olive oil was marginal at best. The fresh clams in what was essentially chorizo chilli had lost any chance to have flavor. The yellow tail was good but not exceptional. The wine list while exotic was overpriced. We left the Still Hungry Cat reasonably certain we would not return.

I agree with Vanessa...
Reviewer: Allison from SB, CA
The portions are big enough to feed say...a hungry cat? So at $20+ a plate, it comes out to something like $4-5 a bite. Also, when I ordered a margarita, I was told that the house special was a tangerine margarita and while there was a huge bowl of limes on the bar, they would not serve me a traditional margarita. The crackers being tossed on the table with no explanation was kind of vulgar - I thought it was just our server but apparently not...I like the atmosphere and I'll go back but it's definitely not in heavy rotation.

Best seafood in SB (aside from the ocean)
Reviewer: Weber from Santa Barbara
The food is amazing!!! the monkfish is hands down the best piece of fish i have ever had, and the grilled flatbread with veal and fried capers is addictive. The drinks are equally appreciated, fresh squeezed (and from local fruit growers) to order. The service is friendly, and the dining room is crowded but full of happy diners. I think that maybe the negative reviews could be a result of either illegitimate expectations or an "off" night, as the Cat offers Santa Barbara's finest fish dishes.

Totally over-rated. It won't last
Reviewer: Vanessa from santa barbara, CA
So i went today. It was way overpriced and overrated for what you get. food was good, but very small portions for price. Service was sooo lame from out waiter. We recieved our appetizer before our wine. He insulted us b/c I asked about the Hhour app. He isulted us we ordered a mediocre bottle of wine. He was just totally concerned about making the check high to get a high tip. We go out to dinner almost every other night and are regular out to dinner people. This does not even compare to places like Ca' Dario. Do not go here! You will be totally dissapointed with the service and food is "oK". The portions are bite size. My opa fish was small cut pieces of smoked opa. I came home and made dinner as i was still hungry. The opa tasted like Trader Joe's smoked salmon. This is a just another attempt in SB to make a good restaurant. It had the big trendy hoorah when it first opened but it won't last as it is inconsistent and full of incompentent staff that simple has a vision but lacks what it takes to trully make it.

ME-YOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewer: Candace from Santa Barbara
Always amazing! For those who missed New Years Eve dinner at the Hungry Cat---you missed a great dinner, great people to dine with and great service. Lobster entree w/ porkbelly completed the pri fix menu, not to mention that killer souflee. Emma is a wonderful server, and Kat, an perfect hostess! Only one request....offer to-go menu!

Wonderful drinks, Overrated food, Abysmal service.
Reviewer: Kristen J from Santa Barbara
Being fans of the owners' other endeavour, Lucques, we'd been looking forward to visiting the Hungry Cat for quite a while. After being promised repeatedly by the hostess that our table was "coming right up" we had found ourselves waiting for over an hour, and though the hostess was apologetic we felt more than a little frustrated at their disorganization. We finally got our table and then waited.. and waited.. Our waitress appeared, realized she had forgotten to bring us the right menus, and disappeared again. When she finally came back with the proper menus (by this point we'd been there for almost a half hour without anyone even coming to fill our water glasses) we ordered an assortment of dishes to share and some drinks and waited.. and waited.. and waited. The waitress returned again to throw some packets of oyster crackers on the table and disappeared again without explanation. After an overeager busboy finally came by and topped up our sparkling water with tap water, we started to wonder what was going on with the waitstaff. We finally got our drinks - the reviews about the drinks aren't wrong, they were great - and we were feeling a little better about things, but then the food came. My husband took a few bites of the flatbread and couldn't finish - he said it tasted like cat food. We tried to choke down the lobster with pork belly - so promising - but every other bite was a nasty surprise of pure salt. We left, still hungry, and realized that perhaps the name was apropos. Maybe this was just an off night, but this was by far our worst experience at a restaurant in Santa Barbara, and the price tag will discourage us from returning, even for the drinks. My only suggestion, should you choose to visit the Hungry Cat, is to have a lot of those delicious drinks first, so you'll be too tipsy to notice the horribly overseasoned food and the inexperienced and inattentive waitstaff.

Consistent
Reviewer: Kelly from Santa Barbara
I have eaten here for both dinner and brunch, twice. Consistent food, portions are not too big, flavor is great. The oranges are squeezed as soon as you order a glass of juice. The service has been friendly, not always super fast but that's what you get in a busy place. I am a big fan! My only suggestion is to offer more menu items!

Hungry Cat is the best in SB
Reviewer: Sharon from Santa Barbara CA
We have dined there several times and each time has been fabulous. Can't beat the seafood platter. The homecured salmon with homemade saurkraut is out of this world. The atmosphere is okay too. The service is a little iffy, but what do you expect in a "college town" (Santa Barbara is not San Francisco). This has become our favorite Santa Barbara restaurant.

nice new high end restaurant
Reviewer: greta from oxnard
We enjoyed a very nice dinner here on Wednesday night. Service was very attentive, but not overbearing. Food was excellent. It's not inexpensive, nor are the portions huge, but it's just really well-prepared, fresh, and delicious. Nice cocktails and a good wine list. What more can you ask?

Overpriced and Bland
Reviewer: Gretchen from Santa Barbara
After stopping by here for a drink and salad after work, I'm pretty disappointed. Though the service was friendly and prompt, the drink "special" I ordered was not only mediocre and small, but also more expensive than the salad, which was completely bland. I basically spent $25 bucks for a head of lettuce w/ a little bit of avocado and a glass of ice with a splash of alcohol.

The Cat's Meow
Reviewer: Jonathan from Santa Barbara, CA
Ok, I couldn't resist the terrible pun. We finally ate here after having lots of people tell us how good it was. And, the food was very good. All the staff were very friendly. It is a little pricey so we won't be eating there all that often. We had a drink at the back bar while waiting for a table which worked out ok.

Strange "review" below.....
Reviewer: roger from Santa Barbara
So a couple of squeamish diners go to a seafood restaurant, complain because the menu has seafood on it, order a hamburger at a seafood restaurant, complain again, call two of the most ancient and popular vegetables on the earth "strange and trendy", Complain that if the seafood restaurant does not change its menu to reflect the reviewer's burger and fries taste, it won't be here long--somehow that adds up to "Way too L.A."? Well, my experience was way different, from the service, to the ambiance, to the delicious SEAFOOD, all went marvelously well on our recent visit- a welcome addition to the scene! Burger joints already abound.

Way Too L.A.
Reviewer: Kathy from Santa Barbara, CA
The waitress was very pleasant and gave good service. We ordered the burgers, because for a non-sushi restaurant there is way too much raw fish on the menu. The burger that was ordered cooked to well-done was pink inside, and when shown and asked to have it cooked more, instead of taking it, the waiter got defensive, describing the wood fire oven as an excuse. It took another 20 minutes to have it cooked to order. We also waited at least 40 minutes for our food to arrive the first time. Most of the side dishes are strange and "trendy" such as cabbage and lima beans. I won't go back and this restaurant won't be here long unless they change the menu.

Have you eaten here? Write a review of this location! Terms of Service