Eating Our Way Through Santa Barbara (Part Two!)
- amanda brow
- Dec 6, 2020
- 5 min read
We were cruising down the highway, glistening blue ocean on one side and beautiful rolling hills on the other, and only one thing was on my mind.
Lunch.
Some people travel to see history: monuments, museums, and guided tours are their thing. Some people travel to take it all in: they want to see every unique thing this place has to offer that’s not like home. Some people travel to shop. Some people travel to meet new people, get fresh ideas, and come home recharged.
And then some people travel for the food.
I, decidedly, am in this last camp. Thank goodness, Eric is, too.
It’s only fitting that the final hurrah post of our weekend trip to Santa Barbara lets you in on the obvious must-go eats… and a hidden surprise brewery that’s not to be missed. Let’s get eatin’.
If you were here for my last post, you know that our trip started out with a change in plans. We spent the last half-hour of our journey from Morro Bay getting our tastebuds stoked for some of Figueroa Mountain’s finest: a soft pretzel, maybe a couple of sandwiches?? Right up our alley. When we arrived, the bartender looked at us with sympathetic eyes and told us that actually, all they had were these tasty little empanadas. Delicious, but definitely not a sandwich and a soft pretzel. Her coworker-in-crime dipped over her shoulder and saved the day, telling us if we were looking for lunch we couldn’t miss Shalhoob’s just up the street.
And he! was! right!
Shalhoob’s is this amazing little sidewalk operation with barbecue, sandwiches, and some of the kindest people we met in Santa Barbara. The vibe of this place is barrels for tables, dogs sleeping at their owners' feet, and sunshine cutting through overhead umbrellas. Super cute.
We ordered at the walk-up counter window with a super sweet lady and within ten minutes, grub was brought out to our perch on the bar overlooking the street.
This menu has everything you’d want in a funky barbecue place: you’ve got wings, you’ve got tri-tip mac n cheese (excuse me, how did I miss that), you’ve got ribs, you’ve got sandwiches… And then there’s things on this menu you definitely wouldn’t expect at a barbecue place, like a falafel sandwich and a “street corn” starter.
Being me, I ordered the turkey sandwich (at a barbecue place, completely missing the tri-tip mac, which I will never forgive myself for), and being Eric, he chose the tri-tip sandwich (which he would’ve chosen at any restaurant, any city, any time, anyway).
Listen, y’all. Both these sandwiches were stacked high with everything you could wish for. The bread was crispy and toasty, the avocado on mine was thick and fresh, Eric’s fries were of the admirably salty shoe-string variety, and I ate all of my kale salad side, thank you very much.
Onto the next place, where I swam in a Mango margarita the size of my face.
Ahh, State Street. It's hard to describe the magic of looking up a dark street to see twinkling lights and outdoor dining for miles. You can hear people laughing and smell food from all corners of the world as you wind your way through the middle of it all on the hunt for dinner. It was kind of awesome. Needless to say, we spent a loooot of time walking up and down State Street pointing out places to eat.
Our first stop was, of course, for tacos.
After a late lunch at Shalhoob’s, we were still pretty stuffed, so we shared the absolutely flaming-hot Pollo Asado tacos at Sandbar. Every bite was amazing, but also a little painful. Between the pickled jalapeno pico de gallo and the avocado tomatillo salsa, these little guys are not to be trifled with if you don’t like the sensation of the skin on your tongue being seared off. We kept watching sizzling plates of fajitas pass us by, leaving smoke trails, and eyeing the table next to us, who were feasting on burritos. Next time... Next time.
We also drank our fill of Amanda-sized Mango Margs and a truly delicious hand-crafted Mojito. Good, good stuff.
Ready for breakfast??
We were told that no matter what we do or where we go, we could not miss breakfast at Chad’s. Our sources were correct. If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned, fill-you-up-and-get-you-ready-for-the-day breakfast? This is it. You’ve got your omelettes, your traditional pancakes-and-eggs platter, plus several rounds of eggs benedicts and a good-lookin plate of huevos rancheros.
And then there’s the location. Chad’s is situated right across the street from the ocean, so the entire time we’re sitting there chowing down, we’re watching the waves roll by. Talk about a morning.
We definitely have a type when it comes to food: breweries and bar food. Here comes another one!
Listen, I loved this place so much I got the tank top. The food was amazing, our server/bartender was funny and charismatic, and the beer flights were a ton of fun to pick and sip on.
We started off with the Bread Boule, which was LITERALLY just a little SOURDOUGH LOAF with GARLIC BUTTER and CHEESE on top. I have typed all my favorite things in capital letters above so you can tell just how much I was into this.
We went with burgers for this round, and um. They were huge. Have you ever met a burger you had to size up and figure out how you were going to fit it in your mouth? Me too. This one.
Between the two of us, we managed to choose eight different beers, which all had hilarious names we can’t remember. There’s something for everybody: milkshake IPAs (you read that right), chocolate-y stouts and even a couple of hazys.
Up next: another breakfast destination.
We saw people constantly in and out of this place all day long for the entire trip, and on the final morning, we decided it was our turn to try. Joe’s has been around since 1928, feeding people through the Great Depression and the repeal of Prohibition. They have an extensive menu for all three meals, and pretty much anything you could ask for, from steak to sandwiches to seafood to corned beef hash.
And talk about a good breakfast. I went classic Amanda and asked for the Champion: eggs, bacon, and avocado toast on some seriously tasty sourdough. Ric also went classic Ric and got a crazy-looking Joe’s Scramble, which he demolished.
And now- the moment we’ve all been waiting for- our secret brewpub location. We were wandering around downtown, bickering, hungry, and frustrated. Not a whole lot is open on Monday nights in a busy city (imagine that). We were just about to give up when we passed by a black-brick building on Anacapa with a huge banner far down the alley, smacking against the string-lights when the wind picked up. We saw the word “brewing” and went for it.
What that led to was a delicious plate of chicken skewers, a gorgeous back patio, and a couple of super-good locally-brewed beers. The coolest part is that this is a family-owned place. The bathroom is decked out in photos of the owners and placards about their story: a husband-and-wife team whose adventures in backpacking led to the development of an amazing brewery and restaurant.
If you’re headed to Santa Barbara, bring your appetite. You won’t be disappointed.
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