Last month Dean Coffee Shop opened at 6100-1 Hollister Avenue in Goleta, a newly-built office plaza directly across the street from the former home of High Sierra Grill and Elephant Bar.  Dean is a combination of great coffee and a … Continue reading →

Last November Acme Hospitality announced it is taking the reins at Santa Barbara’s popular downtown dining destination Paradise Café at 702 Anacapa Street. After a brief closure the restaurant reopened under new management in January. Then COVID-19 hit. Though restaurants … Continue reading →

Here is an update from reader Regina: “Hi John, I saw today that Ye Olde Deli and Thai Food [at 4317 State Street] has a new sign above their front door, “Thai Kitchen.” I went in and they confirmed there … Continue reading →

Help La Cumbre Plaza in supporting community food banks from coast-to-coast. Working with their partner properties throughout the country, La Cumbre Plaza is aiming to help serve a million meals to those in need. They’ve partnered with Food Bank Santa … Continue reading →

Southern California restaurateur Aaron Petersen – owner / operator of Solvang, California’s CHOMP | Burgers, Fries, Shakes; brekkies by CHOMP; and The Coffee House by CHOMP – has opened a new restaurant at the harbor named Salty at the Beach … Continue reading →

When parklettes first started appearing in front of restaurants in Santa Barbara, allowing diners to eat outdoors during the COVID-19 crisis, they resembled a petting zoo. The enclosures weren’t much more than a plastic barricade wrapped around a set of … Continue reading →

Chef Justin West, the talent behind Julienne restaurant and other eateries around town, has been Chef Consulting for Noemi Pizza Romana, 3534 State Street (at Ontare), helping with operations. In the next couple weeks he will begin to add some … Continue reading →

Southern California restaurateur Aaron Petersen – owner / operator of Solvang, California’s CHOMP | Burgers, Fries, Shakes; brekkies by CHOMP; and The Coffee House by CHOMP – will launch two new restaurant and bar establishments in early-fall 2020, SALTY at … Continue reading →

The hospitality team behind S.Y. Kitchen, has officially opened their newest restaurant and bar concept, Nella Kitchen & Bar in Los Olivos. The new wine country venture headed by executive chef and owner / partner Luca Crestanelli will, at the … Continue reading →

M. Special, the wildly successful brewery at 6860 Cortona Drive #C in Goleta, hopes to open a second location at 634 State Street this weekend. The 6,500-square-foot venue is the former home of Tonic Nightclub that closed in January 2018 … Continue reading →

Here is a list of area eateries that have permanently closed in the last year. For comparison, during January – June 2020 we surpassed the total number of closings in all of 2019. August 2020: Ana’s Taco Bar, 505 State … Continue reading →

Trying to find out if anyone knows what’s happening with the Treehouse Restaurant 3860 State Street??? Thanks Robert I contacted the Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn and they said that the restaurant is a separate business from the hotel … Continue reading →

Hi John, Although the Paradise Cafe “temporarily” closed months ago, its website appears to be defunct and ACME Hospitality does not list it as one of its many restaurants. Has Paradise been permanently lost? Vinson

Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market opens a 24,000-square-foot store on September 2 at 29 South Milpas Street, the former home of Trader Joe’s which moved to a new location up the street. This will be the second Sprouts Farmers Market in … Continue reading →

Here is a list of area eateries that have opened this year: September 2020: Sprouts Farmers Market, 29 S. Milpas St. (formerly Trader Joe’s which moved up the street). August 2020: Insomnia Cookies, 430 State St.; Crazy Jim’s Tacos y … Continue reading →

Chef and owner Nick Bodden has opened New York-style Revolver Pizza at 1429 San Andres Street, the former long-time home of Paesano’s Pizzeria. Bodden who comes from New York, and has worked locally at bouchon, Sama Sama, and The Coterie … Continue reading →

Hi John, I’m constantly getting asked for seafood restaurant recommendations by my hotel guests downtown. Enterprise was the closest, and Chuck’s a close second, both gone. The decor at Fishouse is lacking, Brophys is too crowded for out of towners, … Continue reading →

For the first time since 1995, the year that I inaugurated SantaBarbara.com, The Restaurant Guy has launched a new online destination. StateStreetPromenade.com went live today, offering information about some of the restaurants, bars, breweries, and shopping available at our popular … Continue reading →

Reader Primetime reports that Carpinteria icon Foster Freeze’s final day was August 23 with long lines and many customers getting their final dipped cones, burgers, shakes and that retro feel from days gone by. Fosters Freeze closed on the Mesa … Continue reading →

Baja Sharkeez rejoined the popular 500 Block Club with its grand reopened at 525 State Street on August 14. The restaurant has added a parklet which is the norm now in Santa Barbara’s new State Street Promenade. Sharkeez has added … Continue reading →

Crazy Jim’s Tacos y Mas has open at 505 State Street, the former home of Ana’s Taco Bar and Mad Dogs. A little further south, Yona Redz Queso Tacos recently opened at 330 State Street, the former home of Casa … Continue reading →

Long time Paseo Nuevo tenant Wetzel’s Pretzels at 723 State Street has closed their doors permanently. Wetzel’s Pretzels had a once-prime location at the southern entrance to the mall, next to dearly departed Macy’s. PokeCeviche, which opened in the middle … Continue reading →

Onus Donuts, which opened at 413 State Street last November, has closed for good. Here is a message to you from management: “Hey friends, Onus Donuts has closed permanently as of today. We are changing concepts and will be back … Continue reading →

Local icon Enterprise Fish Company closed for good in June. Here is a message to you from the restaurant: To the Santa Barbara Community, As many here in Santa Barbara know, my partners and I have closed the Enterprise Fish … Continue reading →

After the opening was pushed back a number of times, Insomnia Cookies is finally opening in Santa Barbara on Friday, August 21. “We are thrilled to start serving the Santa Barbara community with this first location right in the heart … Continue reading →

A new upscale grocery store is about to open in La Cumbre Plaza. Bristol Farms opens August 20 at 3855 State Street, replacing long-time tenant Vons which closed September 14, 2018.  Even in the final stretch the company is still … Continue reading →

On August 5th a “Public Notice of Application for Ownership Change” sign was posted at 18 East Cota Street, the home of The Middle Child restaurant and bar. I see notices like this around town frequently but this application is … Continue reading →

John, Do you happen to know if any of the Italian restaurants in the area specialize in Southern Italian cooking? Thanks, Jonathan

Word on the street is that Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at 5745 Calle Real in Goleta has reopened after closing in July.

I was looking at site stats today and noticed that visitors to SantaBarbara.com increased 10x after paparazzi revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have relocated to the area.

Thank you for all of the information about the close of Fish Enterprise in Santa Barbara, truly a great loss. Can you offer any help as to what to do with an unused $500 gift card from Fish Enterprise? Are … Continue reading →

Rusty’s Pizza Parlor, which has been a Santa Barbara favorite since its 1969 founding, is now serving Outer Aisle’s eight-inch cauliflower crust as an alternative base for their popular pizza pies. A nationally distributed company founded in Santa Barbara in … Continue reading →

Lucky’s Steakhouse, an icon at 1270 Coast Village Road in Montecito ever since Gene Montesano and his longtime partners Jimmy Argyropoulos and Herb Simon launched the restaurant in 1999, will open a second location at the Malibu Country Mart in … Continue reading →

Readers tell me that The Restaurant Guy is listed as one of the choices for “Best S.B.-Based Website” in the Santa Barbara Independent’s Best Of 2020 online poll that was launched today. Other candidates in this category are Edhat.com, Independent.com, … Continue reading →

In response to the unprecedented crisis facing our community, Organic Soup Kitchen is launching a free call-in Helpline for all of its clients. The Helpline is part of Organic Soup Kitchen’s commitment to support the health and wellbeing of the … Continue reading →

This just in from Daily Greenz Catering + Food Delivery: Daily Greenz etc. is offering Street Taco Kits in time for Old Spanish Days Celebrations! Pre-order Only for pick up Wed – Thursday – Friday. Add On to Taco Kit … Continue reading →

Readers Lynn and Alphonso tell me that lots of workers have been seen on the patio and inside the iconic German restaurant Dutch Garden at 4203 State Street which closed with great fanfare and long lines last June. A rumor … Continue reading →

Reader Primetime sent me a tip that the last South Coast Fosters Freeze restaurant at 5205 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria closes August 23rd. “Katherine & Jason Lesh, who own the Farm Cart on Carpinteria Avenue, have rented from me and … Continue reading →

Reader Pete let me know that The Palace Grill at 8 East Cota Street has reopened. They are currently open for take out for dinner everyday 5pm to 9pm by calling the restaurant to place your order. The Palace Grill … Continue reading →

After intense concentration and a wave of my hand over the all-knowing crystal ball, my eatery oracle has revealed a list of new food and drink destinations appearing in your future: Alessia Patisserie & Cafe, 134 E. Canon Perdido St. … Continue reading →