Came here for Happy Hour while walking down State Street - my husband has been here many times before and always speaks so good of it that I was excited for us to finally try it together. Not very busy during happy hour (though I've seen it completely PACKED at night), it's pretty big inside with plenty of seating options. Great happy hour choices - the birria queso tacos were great, and they have a decent alcohol menu on happy hour as well. Their regular drink menu, though, is good - their Smoky Pasilla Margarita is great if you like mezcal. Really enjoyed their skinny margarita with muddled strawberries - just the right amount of sweetness, but pretty strong, too. Their big winner, though, is their starter of chips, salsa, and bean dip ... the bean dip is where it's at! I could come here for a drink and just be satisfied with eating chips and bean dip. So good!! Parking on State Street is always hit or miss, but if you're willing to pay a few bucks, there's a paid lot less than a block away you can usually always find parking in. Great stop for happy hour!
Anonymous R.
I really like the ambiance & it's in a really good location but it's extremely busy, overpriced, there isn't good parking nearby, it has subpar service (people in charge of the line are usually pretty rude, wait staff tend to forget you but neither is always the case, bartenders were nice), & it has okay/pretty good food (not authentic but good quality). Their refried beans are weirdly some of the best beans I've had at a restaurant & I'm Latina. Had a lot of fun on their tiny little dance floor. Overall: I'm so-so on this restaurant/bar. I like it but it isn't my favorite.
Shawni G.
I had so much fun at Sandbar. They had the hard to get Fortaleza tequila which I love. The food was delicious especially that bean dip. We were there kinda late so the music was great! Loved it. Can't wait to go back.
lesli preuss
We only had brunch there, but wasn't
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
eileen mitchell
Excellent food, service, and very dog friendly. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos
Toni R.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Sandbar, and I had an amazing experience, thanks in large part to the outstanding service provided by Gregory, my server. From the moment I walked into the restaurant, Gregory greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile. He was attentive, polite, and went above and beyond to ensure that I had a memorable dining experience. His knowledge of the menu was impressive, and he was able to provide excellent recommendations based on my preferences. Throughout the meal, Gregory was attentive without being intrusive. He anticipated my needs, refilling my water glass promptly and checking in to ensure that everything was to my satisfaction. His attention to detail and genuine care for his customers truly made a difference in my dining experience. Not only was Gregory a top-notch server, but The Sandbar itself also exceeded my expectations. The ambiance was relaxed and inviting, with a beautiful view of the beach. The menu featured a variety of fresh seafood options, and the quality of the food was exceptional. Each dish was expertly prepared, with vibrant flavors and beautiful presentation. The entire staff at The Sandbar was friendly and accommodating, creating a welcoming atmosphere that made me feel like a valued guest. The attention to customer service and the level of professionalism displayed by Gregory and the rest of the team truly set The Sandbar apart. In conclusion, my experience at The Sandbar was nothing short of exceptional, thanks in large part to the outstanding service provided by Gregory. His attentiveness, knowledge, and polite demeanor made the dining experience truly memorable. I highly recommend The Sandbar to anyone seeking a fantastic dining experience with exceptional service.
Darlene C.
Food was disappointing. Small portions and no flavor. Grilled fish tacos were drenched in oil. Asada tacos were raw. Chips and salsa/bean dip, A+! More of a place to drink than eat.
Armando M.
This place was amazing came here and had these shrimp taquitos and their house marg. The place was busy but the service was great! Our server was very attentive and took care of us. Music was on point and had a great time. This is definitely the place to be in Santa Barbara!
Stacey Valenz
Touristy area of Dwtwn Santa Barbara but highly recommended so we stopped..place was empty when the 5 of us arrived. All food was loved..
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos
Dex P.
Long overdue because I visited in January. This is a great place to go and watch any sports match. The drinks were coming, the Appetizers were yummy, and they'll make sure you feel right at home - GREAT SERVICE!
Came in during the day while in SB walking down State St and noticed Sandbar looking like such a vibe so we stopped in and sat at the bar . We were greeted my the bartender right away and he was super chill and professional. We ordered: Skinny margarita and he suggested to top it off with grand marnier since I wanted their sandbar margarita but skinny. It was a bit too sweet for me but it was still pretty good. Margarita with muddled watermelon was soooo smooth ! Shot of Los Cabos is one of their house well tequilas and it was surprisingly really smooth . No bite back at all. Fresh hot Chips and salsa was good but their bean dip was extra salty for my liking. I completely forgot to ask our bartender his name but he gave great service . We'll definitely be back when we're in the area again. **this spot looks like it for sure gets packed for game nights
Maricela Ledezma
The waitress tild us the corn tortillas were hand made. The were not. We ordered the fish taco plate with rice and beans. When we got our food, I had too search inside my taco to find the fish because it was so tiny. The rice servings were about tablespoons. Looked like a kids plate. Will nit eat there again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
John Jung
Really wanted to like this place. Happy hour prices are solid, but the margaritas were really bad. Received 2 bad batches of the perfect margarita.Either too tart w/ what seemed like rancid lime juice or too sweet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Ritchie Keijsper
Beautiful location with good service and lovely food and drinks menu. Definitely recommend going here, especially if you can sit outside!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Suzzette K.
My husband and I dined at SANDBAR during our fortieth anniversary trip to Santa Barbara, and had a lovely time. We decided to try their nachos and sat at the bar and watched the game. The nachos were delicious! Our bartender Jerrah also made a wonderful "perfect margarita" and boy was it perfect! She definitely made our experience and sandbar and enjoyed talking to her and hearing her Santa Barbara recommendations. I can't wait to come back in July ...
Came here for Happy Hour while walking down State Street - my husband has been here many times before and always speaks so good of it that I was excited for us to finally try it together. Not very busy during happy hour (though I've seen it completely PACKED at night), it's pretty big inside with plenty of seating options. Great happy hour choices - the birria queso tacos were great, and they have a decent alcohol menu on happy hour as well. Their regular drink menu, though, is good - their Smoky Pasilla Margarita is great if you like mezcal. Really enjoyed their skinny margarita with muddled strawberries - just the right amount of sweetness, but pretty strong, too. Their big winner, though, is their starter of chips, salsa, and bean dip ... the bean dip is where it's at! I could come here for a drink and just be satisfied with eating chips and bean dip. So good!! Parking on State Street is always hit or miss, but if you're willing to pay a few bucks, there's a paid lot less than a block away you can usually always find parking in. Great stop for happy hour!
I really like the ambiance & it's in a really good location but it's extremely busy, overpriced, there isn't good parking nearby, it has subpar service (people in charge of the line are usually pretty rude, wait staff tend to forget you but neither is always the case, bartenders were nice), & it has okay/pretty good food (not authentic but good quality). Their refried beans are weirdly some of the best beans I've had at a restaurant & I'm Latina. Had a lot of fun on their tiny little dance floor. Overall: I'm so-so on this restaurant/bar. I like it but it isn't my favorite.
I had so much fun at Sandbar. They had the hard to get Fortaleza tequila which I love. The food was delicious especially that bean dip. We were there kinda late so the music was great! Loved it. Can't wait to go back.
We only had brunch there, but wasn't
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Excellent food, service, and very dog friendly. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos
I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Sandbar, and I had an amazing experience, thanks in large part to the outstanding service provided by Gregory, my server. From the moment I walked into the restaurant, Gregory greeted me with a warm and welcoming smile. He was attentive, polite, and went above and beyond to ensure that I had a memorable dining experience. His knowledge of the menu was impressive, and he was able to provide excellent recommendations based on my preferences. Throughout the meal, Gregory was attentive without being intrusive. He anticipated my needs, refilling my water glass promptly and checking in to ensure that everything was to my satisfaction. His attention to detail and genuine care for his customers truly made a difference in my dining experience. Not only was Gregory a top-notch server, but The Sandbar itself also exceeded my expectations. The ambiance was relaxed and inviting, with a beautiful view of the beach. The menu featured a variety of fresh seafood options, and the quality of the food was exceptional. Each dish was expertly prepared, with vibrant flavors and beautiful presentation. The entire staff at The Sandbar was friendly and accommodating, creating a welcoming atmosphere that made me feel like a valued guest. The attention to customer service and the level of professionalism displayed by Gregory and the rest of the team truly set The Sandbar apart. In conclusion, my experience at The Sandbar was nothing short of exceptional, thanks in large part to the outstanding service provided by Gregory. His attentiveness, knowledge, and polite demeanor made the dining experience truly memorable. I highly recommend The Sandbar to anyone seeking a fantastic dining experience with exceptional service.
Food was disappointing. Small portions and no flavor. Grilled fish tacos were drenched in oil. Asada tacos were raw. Chips and salsa/bean dip, A+! More of a place to drink than eat.
This place was amazing came here and had these shrimp taquitos and their house marg. The place was busy but the service was great! Our server was very attentive and took care of us. Music was on point and had a great time. This is definitely the place to be in Santa Barbara!
Touristy area of Dwtwn Santa Barbara but highly recommended so we stopped..place was empty when the 5 of us arrived. All food was loved..
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos
Long overdue because I visited in January. This is a great place to go and watch any sports match. The drinks were coming, the Appetizers were yummy, and they'll make sure you feel right at home - GREAT SERVICE!
Restaurantji Recommends
Came in during the day while in SB walking down State St and noticed Sandbar looking like such a vibe so we stopped in and sat at the bar . We were greeted my the bartender right away and he was super chill and professional. We ordered: Skinny margarita and he suggested to top it off with grand marnier since I wanted their sandbar margarita but skinny. It was a bit too sweet for me but it was still pretty good. Margarita with muddled watermelon was soooo smooth ! Shot of Los Cabos is one of their house well tequilas and it was surprisingly really smooth . No bite back at all. Fresh hot Chips and salsa was good but their bean dip was extra salty for my liking. I completely forgot to ask our bartender his name but he gave great service . We'll definitely be back when we're in the area again. **this spot looks like it for sure gets packed for game nights
The waitress tild us the corn tortillas were hand made. The were not. We ordered the fish taco plate with rice and beans. When we got our food, I had too search inside my taco to find the fish because it was so tiny. The rice servings were about tablespoons. Looked like a kids plate. Will nit eat there again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Really wanted to like this place. Happy hour prices are solid, but the margaritas were really bad. Received 2 bad batches of the perfect margarita.Either too tart w/ what seemed like rancid lime juice or too sweet.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Beautiful location with good service and lovely food and drinks menu. Definitely recommend going here, especially if you can sit outside!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I dined at SANDBAR during our fortieth anniversary trip to Santa Barbara, and had a lovely time. We decided to try their nachos and sat at the bar and watched the game. The nachos were delicious! Our bartender Jerrah also made a wonderful "perfect margarita" and boy was it perfect! She definitely made our experience and sandbar and enjoyed talking to her and hearing her Santa Barbara recommendations. I can't wait to come back in July ...