Best of Santa Barbara® 2023
by Tyler Hayden | Photos by Ingrid Bostrom
See the rest of our Best of Santa Barbara® 2023 winners here.
Beer Selection on Tap
Funk Zone Spot
Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop
Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
“Thanks so much to all of the Independent voters who chose Lama Dog!” said owner Peter Burnham, whose Funk Zone hangout offers 20 revolving craft beers. On hand at the moment are an IPA with citra hops from Seattle; a cherrywood-smoked Rauchbier from Germany; a Festbier from Torrance; a Wheat Ale with hibiscus from Ventura; and many others. “Exciting news for this coming year is that Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop will be opening a second location on upper State Street in the San Roque neighborhood,” said Burnham. “We’re looking forward to seeing you all there in early 2024!”
Runner-Up (Beer Selection on Tap): Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.
Runner-Up (Funk Zone Spot): S.B. Biergarten
Bloody Mary
Restaurant with a View
The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach
What better way to sip a Bloody Mary than with a Winslow Homer–esque view of the Pacific, a sailboat or two in the distance, and people splayed under umbrellas on the beach below? But don’t take our word for it. Recent visitor Elizabeth Belchamber left this review of the Boathouse: “Sometimes places skimp on good food because the location is prime, but that is not the case here,” she wrote. “Excellent service, excellent food and drinks, and excellent atmosphere. I wish I was a local so I could come here more often.”
Runner-Up (Bloody Mary): Brophy Bros.
Runner-Up (Restaurant with a View): El Encanto, a Belmond Hotel
Cider
Santa Barbara Cider Company
Mick Guinn is busy. “It’s a good problem to have!” said the director of sales at Santa Barbara Cider Company, which brews fruit-forward, dry-finish, 6.9 percent abv beverages. “This is not your father’s sugary, sweet, apple-tasting cider,” the company says. On tap are Blueberry Cobbler, Caviar Lime, Peachy Keen, and a classic House Cider, among others. “We are excited to be expanding our distribution service and be a part of the experience at iconic Santa Barbara area restaurants and bars,” said Guinn. “We are also working on a new tasting room in collaboration with other local craft food and beverage vendors. More to follow!”
Runner-Up: Apiary Beverage Co.
Coffee House
Handlebar Coffee Roasters
Pro cyclists Aaron Olson and Kim Anderson switched gears in 2008 when they traded their helmets and Lycra for a German-built coffee roaster named “Hercules” and opened their East Canon Perdido Street café soon after. Now with a De la Vina Street location as well, Handlebar is a go-to rendezvous point for dates, meetings, easy hangouts, and solo laptop sessions for many. They roast two to three times a week with beans from Central and South America and Africa, and they offer pastries from Renaud’s. “We love what we do because we love being part of this great community,” said Olson. “Creating joy and happiness for guests and employees alike makes us smile.”
Runner-Up: Dune Coffee Roasters
Happy Hour
La Playa Azul Café
Even after almost half a century in business, La Playa Azul still feels like a secret hiding in plain sight. Its lovely front patio, second to none in Santa Barbara dining, is often comfortably full but rarely crowded when the outdoor heaters warm up for their 3-6 p.m. Happy Hour on Tuesdays through Sundays. “We are so very grateful to the community of Santa Barbara for supporting us for 47 years,” said owner Delia Elias, whose grandmother’s recipes inspired the restaurant’s early California/Sonoran-style Mexican cuisine. “In the coming year, our plan at La Playa Azul is to add new dishes and cocktails to our Happy Hour menu. As always, we look forward to another year of seeing our regular customers and meeting new ones!”
Runner-Up: Lure Fish House
Juicery
Smoothie Bar
Blenders in the Grass
Our readers have spoken, but in your own words, what is it about your business that makes it special? we asked Blenders owner Keric Brown. “We feel the fun, fast atmosphere of our stores, as well our variety of healthy plant-based drinks, traditional smoothies, and bowls, is what sets us apart,” he said. Why do you enjoy doing what you do? “We love running our stores, providing the community the Blenders they want, and being able to give back through sports league sponsorships, donations, scholarships, etc.” What plans do you have for the coming year? “Look for a Blenders app coming soon. And we just opened a new store in Camarillo, on Los Posas. Just off the freeway.”
Runner-Up (Juicery): Juice Ranch
Runner-Up (Smoothie Bar): Backyard Bowls
Margarita
Santo Mezcal
We’re going on six years now of Santo Mezcal winning this hyper-competitive category. A spinoff of the Los Agaves empire but very much an entity of its own, the chic lower State Street Mexican restaurant with a seafood-centric menu is the perfect place to people-watch with a sweating margarita in hand. Give their Margarita Mora a whirl ― house-made blood orange/sage/thyme syrup, bitters, mint sprig, blood orange wheel, and charcoal-black sea salt. Or their Blackberry Cassis with fresh lime juice, agave nectar, a mint sprig, and a powdered blackberry spear.
Runner-Up: La Playa Azul Café
Martini
Stiffest Drinks
Harry’s Plaza Café
Harry’s and Joe’s like to trade the crown on this one. This year, the upper State Street institution took the Stiffest Drinks prize, which general manager Kevin Hebert ascribed not just to their heavy pours but also their steady hospitality. “We like to treat all our guests like family here,” he said. Indeed, the dimly lit restaurant with its red-leather booths and 1,500 photographs of Santa Barbara history feels comfortably down-home. It feels even cozier with a dirty martini in the belly. “Harry’s would like to thank our loyal guests and the Independent for all of the support over 55 years,” said Hubert. “We’d love to continue the same tradition for many more years.”
Runner-Up (Martini): The Good Lion
Runner-Up (Stiffest Drinks): Joe’s Café
Mocktail
Test Pilot
There may be any number of reasons you’re choosing to skip the booze. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, but you should check out Test Pilot’s mocktails and unwind in the tiki bar’s island atmosphere. Tropical flavors dominate but don’t drown each other out in the Orgeat fizz, virgin Buccaneer, and a rotating seasonal shrub mocktail. “More than anything, we like seeing guests enjoy our space and our offerings,” said owner Brandon Ristaino. “It’s a real privilege to be able to operate a business in Santa Barbara, and having a full bar of folks chatting and just hanging out is extremely rewarding.”
Runner-Up: The Good Lion
Negroni
Place for Craft Cocktails
The Good Lion
“The Good Lion was our first venue, born of sweat and tears, and to have it be successful and beloved by our adopted community of Santa Barbara is really incredible,” said Brandon Ristaino, who simultaneously oversees four other über-popular watering holes ― Test Pilot in the Funk Zone, Shaker Mill on State Street, and two outposts in Ventura. “It’s not too early for us to be excited for our 10-year anniversary in November of ‘24,” said Ristaino. “We are going big, and while it’s just over a year from now, we are already planning away.”
Runner-Up (Negroni): The Pickle Room
Runner-Up (Place for Craft Cocktails): Test Pilot
Neighborhood Bar
The Pickle Room
threepickles.com/pickle-room-dinners
“The Pickle Room has more than its share of ghosts who come and go,” said media rep Mo McFadden. “Our bartender, Jersey Dave, went into the kitchen the other night and two pans just flew off the shelf.” The lights and hand-dryers will go off and on, she said, and staff often see shadows. “The ghosts find ways to let us know they’re here with no harm.” Owner Clay Lovejoy suggests checking out the “E Clampus Vitus” tile on the front of the bar and its history of Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens. “It’s so cool to be in a building that represents the last remnants of Chinatown. … Plus, like the readers have said, we have the Best Damn Drinks in Santa Barbara.”
Runner-Up: Imperial Lounge
Restaurant Wine List
Hotel
San Ysidro Ranch
“As the longest-standing luxury resort in the community, our attention to detail, exclusivity, and unparalleled service set us apart and have drawn guests to our property for the past 130 years,” said Natalie Moore on behalf of San Ysidro Ranch. “Our entire team takes great pride in providing the best of everything, from our Michelin-featured dining and extraordinary wine program, which has been the recipient of Wine Spectator’s Grand Award since 2014, to our ultra-private bungalows-style cottages and lush gardens. We’re thrilled to be a pillar of excellence in Santa Barbara.”
Runner-Up (Restaurant Wine List): Opal Restaurant & Bar
Runner-Up (Hotel): Rosewood Miramar Beach
S.B. County Brewery
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.
Santa Ynez Valley ain’t just for vintners. Father-and-son team Jim and Jaime Dietenhofer founded Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. in 2010, naming their new company after the famous peak they can see from their Los Olivos family home and paying homage to the picturesque region with hand-drawn labels of the landscape. A staff of just a few has since ballooned to more than 200 ― they affectionately refer to themselves as the #FigFam ― who run four taprooms along California’s Central Coast. Their award-winning brews are also now found at dozens of retailers and restaurants up and down the state.
Runner-Up: M. Special Brewing Company
S.B. County Winery
Grassini Family Vineyards
“The coming year holds a lot of excitement for us, and we can’t wait to share it with our fans!” said Katie Grassini, whose family winery is now a seven-time winner. “We’re thrilled to unveil our breathtaking new vineyard villa, La Tarantella at Grassini Family Vineyards, which offers our guests another exquisite location where they can enjoy our wines. With the picturesque backdrop of rolling hills and vineyard vines, La Tarantella is also a perfect venue for weddings, elegant private events, and elevated wine-tasting experiences. Additionally, later this fall, we’ll be unveiling a very special cabernet sauvignon, which we believe represents the pinnacle of our vineyards and our commitment to crafting exceptional wines.”
Runner-Up: Sunstone Winery
S.B. Wine Tour Company
Santa Barbara Wine Country Tours
Michael Cohen started Santa Barbara Adventure Company in 1998 to give travelers a taste of the extraordinary beauty of our region. For a while, he led virtually every trip himself in the company’s only van. Fast-forward to today, and the company is now specializing in wine tours given by some of the most passionate and knowledgeable guides around. The full-day experiences cover all seven of the region’s AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) that produce world-class varietals. They also offer a special cupcake and wine package. Each of their vans is outfitted with air-conditioning, spacious seating, 360-degree viewing windows, water, snacks, and a state-of-the-art sound system.
Runner-Up: Sustainable Wine Tours
Tea Selection
Vices & Spices
Blue Hal Booth opened this San Roque haunt in June 1975 (one month after his 21st birthday) with the vision of selling coffee, tea, and spices from around the world. His mom and sisters kept the shop running as Booth set out on a yearlong quest for all manner of botanical wonders and items to sell. Today, his youngest daughter, Cassey, oversees things and continues to fill the store with gifts, cards, and other irresistible products for all ages. Every October, Booth travels to the small coffee farm he bought on the big island of Hawai’i, where he harvests, processes, and ships green coffee beans to Santa Barbara that are then roasted and sold during the holidays.
Runner-Up: Dart Coffee Co.
Urban Tasting Room
Margerum Wine Company
“We are thrilled to have won for Best Urban Tasting Room,” said Doug Margerum, whose elegant space in the Hotel Californian is not to be missed. “It’s a tasting room like no other in Santa Barbara,” he said. “A fabulous menu for dining all day and night, extensive outdoor seating, space for private parties for tastings, lunches, and dinners, and an enthusiastic and well-trained staff to educate and illuminate. With two brands to taste — Barden and Margerum — it is an experience like no other.” Readers were also happy with their hours that spill into the evening — noon to 8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Runner-Up: Grassini Family Vineyards
Valley Tasting Room
Sunstone Winery
Here’s a review of Sunstone Winery’s tasting room from just last week: “We needed somewhere to disconnect, and Sunstone was the perfect place. From the wine to the service to the view, we were truly in awe. Both Shannon and Don were so knowledgeable about the wines and the valley, and we were truly treated like royalty at the castle on the hill. We will be back sooner than later. And we are excited to open all of the bottles when we are home!” We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. So we didn’t.
Runner-Up: Babcock Winery
Wine Bar
Satellite
Voted Santa Barbara’s favorite wine bar for three years in a row, Satellite is a “farmer to glass” natural wine shop curated by “Chief Winestronaut” Drew Cuddy, who is about to embark on a brave new mission to the world of events. “We’re looking forward to opening our new, events-centric space at 616 East Haley Street!” he said. “It’s a venue for weddings, feasts, wine and food education, and celebrations of all types. We can’t wait to offer all of our Farmers’ Market Vegetarian and Natural Wines in a completely new format. See you there in 2024!”
Runner-Up: Santa Barbara Wine Collective
Wine Shop
The Liquor & Wine Grotto
“I enjoy doing what I do because tasting wine and helping people brings me great joy,” said Brian Brunello, a Certified Sommelier and co-owner of Montecito’s Liquor and Wine Grotto. “My favorite part of my job is discovering something new and recommending it to someone who doesn’t know it is exactly what they are looking for,” explained Brunello, who graduated from Bishop Diego and Cal Poly and learned to make wine from pioneering Santa Barbara winemaker Ritz Brunello. “I truly value the trust we have established with our customers over the years and want to thank them for the honor.”
Runner-Up: Satellite
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