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Chase Restaurant & Lounge
1012 State St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 965-4351
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Reviews by the General Public
Will never go here again!, 7/30/2010
Reviewer: Chris
from Santa Barbara, CA
I lived in Santa Barbara for ten years, and have eaten here a few times. The food is nothing special - typical "Americanized" Italian food. Large portions, but too much salt and cheese. Was in town recently, was walking down State with some friends on a Thursday night (ie: downtown was dead) and stopped by. There were literally 6 customers in the restaurant, but the owner / manager was in the midst of a personal phone call near the door. We waited a full 5 minutes feeling foolish, without even a "just a moment." Turned around, walked out, went down the road to the Palace!
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best ravioli, 7/3/2010
Reviewer: mark gabine
from Santa Barbara, CA
Over the twenty years that I have lived in California, whenever visiting Santa Barbara I have stopped in at Chase for the cheese ravioli. It's among the best I've had anywhere, and as a Boston native I'm a bit of a ravioli snob. The restaurant used to serve it in a bowl with sauce that was somewhat watery. Now it is served on a plate with a good thick sauce, and it's just about perfect. Also, the atmosphere is great. Old-school in the best sense. In recent times I must say the service has gone down. Last time, the bartender never asked me if I wanted a drink, and it was difficult even to get water from him. All-in-all, though, it's a wonderful dining experience. One of my favorites.
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Would eat here again in a heartbeat!, 6/1/2010
Reviewer: Janice
from Los Angeles, CA
My husband and I came up from Los Angeles over Memorial Day weekend and had dinner at Chase. If we lived closer we would probably be there once a month! The service was amazing - in less than 5 minutes we had water, bread and butter, plus small (and unexpected) plates of their delicious peppery white beans and tomato/cabbage dishes. Our waitress was very attentive and the pasta is obviously homemade. The cheese ravioli and marinara sauce was perfect, and my husband said the cioppino is the best he's had anywhere. We will be back in the future!
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Wow! Always a treat for locals!, 4/12/2010
Reviewer: Jim
from Santa Barbara, CA
I have been going to the Chase for a few months now and think of it a a great place to grab a bite. The staff is so attentive and the food is really good. My favorite dish is the grilled halibut with steamed vegies and it tastes amazing...the drinks are good and happy hour is awesome. IT ALL TASTES AWESOME! Bring your taste buds:)
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Worst food ever, tastless, 4/11/2010
Reviewer: Inger K. Wik
from San Francisco, CA
It looked nice. Italian cuisine. However, it tasted nothing.
We ordered chiken in different variations. Everything was tastless. Maybe the cook was on vacation. I do not understand the good reviews the restaurant has gotten from other visitors.
To us it was the worst food ever. The chicken tasted nothing. The vegetables had no taste, not even salt. Tasteless.
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Incredible food and employees!, 4/1/2010
Reviewer: Rick
from Santa Barbara, CA
My wife and I visit Santa barbara every year on our anniversary and we always go to Chase...We love it! Chase needs a facebook fan page.
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good food and good times, 2/3/2010
Reviewer: John
from Goodland
I have eaten here twice in the last month (hadn't been there in 10+ years leading up to these visits) and I am blown away that I forgot about this gem of a restaurant. The appetizers (Pesto Bread, two servings) were so good that they almost killed my appetite for the main course, but I somehow managed to eat my Eggplant Rolletini (rolled eggplant parm stuffed with ricotta cheese with a red sauce drizzled over it) and side of penne carbonara. This exact meal the first time was so good that I ordered it my second meal to double-check and I was not disappointed. Next time, however, I am eying the homemade ravioli. Also, the manager George was really helpful the first trip there. Enjoy.
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Great Sunday Lunch, 2/1/2010
Reviewer: Larry W
from San Luis Obispo, CA
My wife and I had a wonderful Sunday lunch in a cozy, clean and very enjoyable classic restaurant. (We loved the leather booths...we thought we were in a San Francisco restaurant!) You could tell immediately that it was locally owned with impecible service and 'pay attention to detail' feel. The salads were crisp and fresh, the entrees were perfectly served and uniquely Italian, with lot's of fresh ingredients, delicious sourdough bread, grated parmesan on the table, etc. And the perfect bar in the entrance corner. A local told us that the Manhattan's are exquisite. Unfortunately we had to pass on a bottle of wine since we had a considerable drive home but gave the wine list a very good rating and look forward to an enjoyable evening meal with close friends next time we are in town. Bon Appetit!!!
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hurry up and eat, 1/23/2010
Reviewer: don henderson
from Santa Barbara, CA
great food but beware if you occupy your table for more than an hour and a half regardless if your having wine,dessert ,or coffee because the timer is on, just like the mustang ranch, and you are asked to leave to make room for others even though you look around and see other empty tables. this happened to our friends and we just thought they were exagerating until it happened to us.
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LOVE IT, 12/31/2009
Reviewer: Barbera Sanchez
from Santa Barbara, CA
I have been coming here for 11 years, and it has not changed how wonderful the food is. YOU should go there the place is beautiful, good atmostphere, and SUPERB service
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A Santa Barbara Icon, 12/15/2009
Reviewer: susan
from Santa Barbara, CA
I have been eating at the Chase for years. The food and service are always consistently wonderful. It is a pleasure to recommend this restaurant to everyone who loves italian food. Simply Devine!
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I love this place for lunch or dinner, 12/12/2009
Reviewer: Hampton
from Santa Barbara, CA
The staff is wonderful and the food is consistently good.The lights and decorations make the place special. The restaurant actually makes me happy. I have never said that before. Enoy!
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AN AWFUL PLACE, 11/14/2009
Reviewer: KG
from Santa Barbara, CA
Had dinner there last. Simply terrible. Ordered the lobster special. Was told it was a 6 oz. serving. What we got was 1 oz. at best, breaded so much you could not taste what it was. To make matters worse, it was $25. Service was 1/2 Al Capone 1/2 Mexican barrio gang speak. More like a pushy used car salesman than a refined service person. $144 down the drain.......although the Chianti Reserve was good. The place was packed, I don't know why.
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Couldn't Ask For More , 10/26/2009
Reviewer: Jan & Michael
from Santa Barbara, CA
All the good comments below, repeated. Our experience was so good, I can't imagine things going so bad as the negative comments below. A magical evening. We will be back!
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Reasonably priced, lovely service - and really good food
Reviewer: Linda L.
from Santa Barbara, CA
I'm not sure what other people expect in Santa Barbara at prices approximately $10-14 per entree (except for steaks), this is a great restaurant. It stands out from the others in terms ambiance, we were seated quickly and watched the hostess give others a choice of tables - no snobbery, just prompt, unobtrusive service. However, keeping a table for hours and hours (as some people apparently want to do with large parties) doesn't seem quite right at this restaurant, which is relatively small and doesn't charge much. Wine list is basic but good, they even have half bottles of a few wines, I had a French sauvignon blanc that exceed expectations and the on tap beer servings were large and cold (Peroni). My dining partner had the homemade ricotta ravioli and really liked the marina sauce - he's a pretty good chef, himself, and picky about his marina - Chase's marinara now ranks high in his list of California marinaras. The waitress was happy to answer his questions about its preparation, and when he asked for more detail, she went and inquired and cheerfully came back with the information. I had chicken parmesan, with a Caesar salad. Bread was fresh and delicious, chicken was lightly breaded and had a great sauce (a version of the marinara). The salad dressing actually tasted like garlic and anchovies, like it's supposed to be - becoming a rarity. Everything was very fresh, nice ambiance, the other diners were pleasant - whole experience was one of our better Santa Barbara dining experiences.
And again - by SB standards, this is a very reasonable restaurant, pricewise.
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Wedding Lunch
Reviewer: suz montgomery
from Ventura, CA
When my husband and I decided to marry in Santa Barbara, we knew exactly where we were going to have the post ceremony luncheon. No question...or favorite The Chase.
As a former Exec Chef/Rest Owner, I'm very difficult to please...LOL
The Chase NEVER disappoints and always is consistent in attentive service, great quality (its all about the food !), and fun upbeat ambience.
Thank you again to the incredible Staff and Sonia for making our day fantastic !
Suz Montgomery and John Hankins
Ventura, Ca
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The veal is the best ever!
Reviewer: Matt
from Portland, OR
It's been about 3 years or so since I dined at Chase Restaurant. I still dream of the veal parmesan that I had there so long ago. The veal was so good it has ruined me for all other restaurants.
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the best
Reviewer: jojo
from Santa Barbara, CA
this restaurant has a great vibe and wonderful atmosphere the chase has wonderful service and delicious food i highly recommend it (joe merino)
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Wonderful!
Reviewer: Christine
from Los Olivos CA
We had tickets to see Anthony Bourdain- chose The Chase for a nice meal beforehand- and it was a perfect choice. Sat in a red leather high backed booth- vodka tonics to start. We could not decide between mussels or clams- so our waiter (Alphonso) suggested we get a blened order- the broth was good enough to drink- and the biovalves perfect. Calamari piccata for me and a rib eye for my husband- fettucine & white sauce for us both- including 2 small caesars. The salad dressing was perfect- my calamari was delicious and perfectly cooked. The med rare rib eye- perfect. Great vibe, clean restrooms, smiling staff. Only complaint? Loud unattractive music to start- it got softer as the dinner progressed.
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I don't get it
Reviewer: Tracy
from Carpinteria
I've been to the Chase a number of times over the years, and it's always packed and I know a few people who love it. Went the other night with one of these friends and I still don't get the rave reviews. The little appetizers of beans and the rice salad are good, but the bread served with it is lousy. My martini was very watered down. My steak (27.00) was over-cooked and boring and pretty tasteless- our waitress never stopped back to check until the end of the meal. The dinner salad was far below par. I did like the pesto (extra-charge for that) pasta- it was flavorful. Our waitress was very nice, but I guess she got too busy to check back with us that everything was properly prepared.
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Decent
Reviewer: Becky
from Santa Barbara, CA
We went to Chase last night, hoping that it lived up to its (mostly) great reviews. While the food was good (eggplant parmesan, chicken piccata, minesrone soup), the service was terrible. I ordered spaghetti with my eggplant parmesan and was brought fettucine instead. My boyfriend ordered chicken piccata and was brought out some other chicken dish. After he took the first bite, our waiter brought the piccata dish my boyfriend ordered and said, "Hey, did you want this chicken piccata or do you want to keep eating what you have there?" Um..what? No apology for the mixup offered whatsoever. Also, when our waiter brought our drinks, he slammed them on the table while looking around the restaurant, not even aknowledging our presence. If you want to pay $20 for a meal, there are plenty of better options in S.B.
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Lucky Pick!
Reviewer: Michael and Melissa
from San Jose, CA
Wow! Did we get lucky! On our way home from LA we were looking for a place to eat. I came to this web site and I found this great little place. I read the mixed reviews and decided to give it a try anyway. We are so glad that we did! The drinks were great! Not just anyone can make a good Manhattan. We had the fried Ravs. Yummy! The filet mignon was so tender it melted in your mouth. The chicken picatta was delicious! The manager came to our table and introduced herself and was very pleasant. Our Server was good and the decore was adorable. My only regret is that I didn't get to try the tiramisu as they ran out. :( Oh well it gives us another reason to go back. This was a great lesson. Don't always believe what you read in reviews as you might miss out on something wonderful.
~Kind Regards,
M&M~
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Fantastic Find!
Reviewer: Michele Yano
from San Jose, CA
We were visiting Santa Barbara this past weekend and came upon Chase during a leisurely stroll down State Street. It was early afternoon and the restaurant did not seem crowded, so we stopped in for an early lunch. Since the weather was so beautiful, we opted to sit at the bar and truly enjoyed the open air dining experience. The food was wonderful, and the spinach and veal ravioli's were fantastic. After the delicious experience with our meal, we just had to try dessert. Sonia makes an incredible Tiramisu parfait, and the only complaint I have is that my husband made us share one ~ It's that good! We talked about Chase nonstop during our drive back to the bay area and can't wait to return. Thank you for a remarkable dining experience...we are eternally grateful!
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Take out food quality with 4-star price
Reviewer: Camarila
from Newport Beach, CA
Walked in to the restaurant last week for early dinner. What a great atmosphere, the decoration for Christmas really make this a cozy place to have dinner at. All these thoughts faded away when we got a taste of the service. After it took 10 minutes to be seated when no one was ahead of us a waitress kindly took our drink order. The menu is vague and does not go in to detail as to how the more expensive items are cooked, the wine list is limited and their best bottle of champagne was Veuve.
The waitress did not know the menu in detail as one should for a restaurant that offers these kind of prices, ie $30 for veal, $25 for lamb, etc.
The first item to come out was salad, something along the lines of a Denny's restaurant. Next came our overly salted, overly cooked chicken. The pasta was way too buttery. Clearly the chefs in the back have never had an experience with culinary school.
To summarize: overly seasoned food, poor service, expensive prices. Next time I will stick to restaurants with a Zagat rating (this one did NOT have one)!
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Amazing food
Reviewer: Edna Sizlo
from Santa Barbara, CA
I used to go to the chase a lot a few years ago...their homemade chicken soup is to die for as well as their creamy potato soup (sadly those are only made on one day a week). But the service there is lacking, the blonde manager(?) is a really unhelpful person. Not sure why she is working in the food/hospitality industry, it makes me not want to go in there anymore, hense thats why I havent been there for a while.
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Decent food, loud and crowded atmosphere
Reviewer: Luke
from Oceanside, CA
Got a recommendation from a local, went at around 8:30 pm. It was packed and the hostess did her best to try to get us seated, which took 15 min (didn't have reservations). Standing room only when waiting for a table. There are some booths, but the tables that are not in a booth are about a foot apart. So you get to see what (and how) your neighbors eat. With so many people packed in such a small place, it's loud. Seats themselves were not comfortable. French onion soup was excellent. House salad very average. Chicken marsala was good - VERY rich. Chicken above average but not excellent. $5 split charge includes an extra cup of soup or salad so that's fair. Anchor Steam on tap is great! Service was adequate.
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Worst Experience I've had at a restaurant ever!
Reviewer: Christine
from Santa Barbara, CA
This was my first time trying Chase. We walked in about 9PM were seated by a hostess and then were ignored for 20 minutes. The hostess returned and asked if we had been helped, we hadn't. She decided that she would try to take the order but then she told me that they were no longer serving "specials" when I asked about the dinner specials. All of a sudden the server appeared and the hostess left to grab the specials board and plopped it down next to me in the booth I was sitting in. The server took my food order and our drink order. He brought our drinks then dissapeared for 40 or more minutes. Never brought water or bread like he said he would. He appeared then to ask if all was okay, I asked him about my food then he proceeds to tell me that I never ordered food. He then goes to the kitchen and brings my food order that is now cold and never brought my salad that was included with dinner. He re-heats my food and then comes back with my bill and forces me to pay for dinner on the spot and harrasses me because he doesn't want me to complain about the service. Never have I had such a terrible experience at a restaurant.
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