Location: Goleta
Top Restaurants in Goleta
Top 10 American food in Goleta, California, United States
Best American restaurants nearby. Discover the best American food in Goleta. View Menus, Photos and Reviews for American restaurants near you.. Goleta, home to University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the Santa Barbara Airport, hugs the coast 12 miles west of Santa Barbara. First called "The Good Land" by the Spanish, Goleta was once known for its rich agriculture, and smaller scale farms still pepper the landscape. The California Lemon Festival at Girsh Park is a must-see every October. Visitors seeking outdoor adventure can fish off Goleta Pier, surf at Campus Point and hike along bluffs overlooking untrammeled coastline.
Things to do in Goleta
10. The Nugget
Overall Ratings
4 based on 98 reviews
Reviewed By HappyTrails12345
This is a fun Western-themed restaurant. We arrived here on a Sunday at 5 p.m. and found plenty of seating available. By the time we left, the restaurant was full. One person ordered the salmon dinner, the other a chili burger, and we both found our food to be very tasty and the portion sizes ample. I would go back again.
9. Outpost
Overall Ratings
4 based on 91 reviews
With its Southern California inspired cuisine, Outpost is designed to offer you an incredible Santa Barbara dining experience.
Reviewed By Waterloonie
Our family of four visited for dinner on New Year's Day after a long hike. Typically we do not choose to dine in hotels, but we had eaten here once before and remembered it to be very good and we thought that a lot of restaurants might not be open on New Year's Day. And the hotel is a Kimpton which means "good cookin'" to us.We ordered at least six different small plates to be shared among us and truly everything was delicious. Great selection of beers and wines by the glass.Service was friendly and efficient. Recommended dining on Calle Real in Goleta.Hi Waterloonie,Thanks for taking the time to write such a glowing review. I'm truly happy that the Outpost team was able to be part of your family's holiday celebration. I hope that you'll consider joining us again next time you're in the area.
8. Cody's Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 127 reviews
Voted "Best Family Restaurant" and the local's favorite in Santa Barbara, CA.
Reviewed By NoStopSigns
This is a great casual dining restaurant. They have patio dining, which is great for your doggies. The food is average and the servers are friendly. Good choice for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant is a bit dated but the food is still good and prices are reasonable.
7. Hollister Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
4 based on 181 reviews
Reviewed By santacruzer_95060
The food was good, but not outstanding. The fried pickles were excellentâthick fried pickles work wellâand the burger was very good. The duck fat fries were a bit greasy, and the salad was good but not great. Definitely try the beer; the tasting flight of 6 small (~2 ounce) beers for $7.50 is a great value. Decent value for the money, but not inexpensive.
6. Nikka Fish Market and Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By Ge0rgetravels
Found this place using Trip Advisor. Fresh fish! They are both a Fresh fish market and a Fresh fish restaurant. Indoor and outdoor seating. plenty of parking as it is located in a strip mall area. Lots of interesting menu items! Staff was friendly and helpful. Order at the counter and then grab a table. they will prepare your order then bring it to your table. Food was great!!
5. Angel Oak At Bacara
Overall Ratings
4 based on 112 reviews
Reviewed By Steven D
For my wife's birthday, we had dinner here. Expensive, but worth it. The restaurant overlooks the Pacific, but it was raining this evening so seating location did not matter. Our waiter, JMichael, was very knowledgeable, professional and personable. We enjoyed our cocktails and appetizer. My wife loved her scallop entrée and my 52 day dry aged NY strip was cooked to perfection. We each had our own side dish which proved to be way more than we could eat, but when you can't agree on one, you do what you have to do. It was a great birthday dinner treat for my wife.
4. Cajun Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By LorrieW901
We were looking for a brunch type place close to our motel and ran across this gem. People were standing outside waiting in line. Deciding that was a good sign, we got in line too. It was worth the wait! They have a very unique extensive menu with lots of fun breakfast items. The food was fantastic. Service, considering the number of people there, was also quite good. If I lived in Santa Barbara, I would have to come back and try everything on their menu.
3. The Bistro
Overall Ratings
4 based on 332 reviews
Reviewed By SheddVA
Our party of five had dinner at The Bistro during a recent stay at the Ritz Carlton Bacara. No one in the group was impressed with their meals. The service was slow, especially considering the restaurant had only a few other parties dining while we were there. Our meal took over two hours for appetizers, main courses, and coffee. The seafood paella I ordered was way overcooked and was a waste of what seemed to be some pretty food seafood. The salmon and short ribs ordered by the other members of our group were bland and overcooked. I thought maybe the charcoal bread included in the bread basket might at least bring some pizzazz to the meal, but it ended up just being a black roll with no flavor. Do yourself a favor and look offsite for a restaurant if your considering dinner at The Bistro.
2. Jane At The Marketplace
Overall Ratings
4 based on 103 reviews
Reviewed By 385eileenz
While visiting relatives in Goleta, suburb of Santa Barbara, they took us to Jane at the Marketplace which was close by where they live and in an outside area with other restaurants and businesses.Called at 5:30 and made a 7:45 reservation which they took for the same Saturday night.Upon arrival every table was full and we did have to wait about 15 minutes. It appeared they were short handed and our waitress took awhile to get to us after being seated.Being Vegan, I can usually find options that I can order however every item listed on the salads had chicken or fish and taking that away meant paying $12-$20.00 for lettuce and some veggies. They didn't offer a side of seasonal veggies but when I asked they said they had two veggies that night. I ordered that and the portion was that of a side put next to a steak or chicken dinner. Not impressed.All their pastas were also made with animal products and marinara wasn't even listed so I had to ask. The waitress said she thought they could make it and would check but her not being sure, made me hesitate as good sauces need more than a few minutes to make, more like an hour!Husbands burger was just OK not great and the baby wedge salad which I contemplated was a very tiny lettuce baby as seen on one coming out and being served.Our server did her best and although notifying us she was going off duty after taking our order, wound up staying until we had been served and she did all she could to help us. Perhaps service was poor due to absences of staff?
Most Popular French food in Goleta, California, United States
1. Beachside Bar-Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 455 reviews
Reviewed By LondonTravellerUK
Great spot right on the beach. Decent breakfast of the usual fayre and nice service, food eaten right on the beach watching the waves and the yoga sessions. Worth heading down to!
Where to eat Italian food in Goleta: The Best Restaurants and Bars
