Dutch Garden Restaurant

Was craving a warm, comforting German Pub style meal on this cold November Sunday and Dutch Garden delivered on all of my expectations! Delicious house made bratwurst sausage with German potato salad and sauerkraut, hit the spot!! Generous portions, so much so that I brought honey leftovers! My partner had their schnitzel…thin cut pork cuts, battered and fried to buttery perfection! Highly recommend if you’re ever in the area! I know I’ll be back to try the giant pretzel 🥨 with beer cheese!! 🤤

Food is absolutely on point. Have to order the potato dumplings, Weiner schnitzel, and pretzel. Chefs kiss. Mom and pop shop so don’t expect it to come fast, but the staff make up for it with the homestyle customer experience. The view of the mountains from the patio at sunset was enjoyed by all. A special gem

Came here with some friends for Fathers Day. My friend is from Austria and he said the schnitzel and käsekrainer are as authentic as you can get! It was lovely to sit outside. Serviced was good, even on a busy Sunday. Would recommend coming here!

Tonight was our first time at Dutch Garden. We had tasted their food at a community event and figured we ought to go in for the whole shabang. From the cute hofbrau-esque, alpine inspired interior to the homey, European style tables, and crudite, it was a fabulous treat that transported us. Great beer (in a very cute glass) wonderful homemade bratwurst and a GIANT pretzel. More than any of the food, the staff was so wonderful and attentive. They even gave us a treat to take home. We will definitely be back. I can’t say enough good things about the whole experience!

Honestly one of the best restaurants in the central coast. Certainly the best authentic German cuisine anywhere I’ve tried, including a lot of restaurants in Germany! Everything here is honest, intentional, classic, and perfectly executed. And it’s so friendly and casual. Cannot beat The Dutch.

The overall atmosphere and food were exceptional!

Ok, if you're wanting authentic German food, this is the place..not only do you get the great food but the atmosphere is so comfortable and friendly. They have a huge list of beers to choose from, you can even sit at the bar and watch the cooks do their thing. The owner is usually there right along side his crew which is, honestly, so refreshing to see. All of the servers and cooks- the entire staff actually, are so kind and genuine. Seriously, this is the place to go to lighten your spirit and just enjoy being present with some bomb.com food! Haha

Real German food! Incredibly delicious and dog friendly! The staff are wonderful and welcoming. Everything we had was so good, I could hardly slow down to take a picture. Free easy parking in front fills up so arrive early. Give it a try!

I can't wait to go back! We went for Santa Barbara sandwich week on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was slammed. That said, when our BLT's did finally come out, they were very well presented. There was no hint of rush; it was prepared with care with wonderful ingredients. I saw people around eating schnitzel and the portions were huge. On a sunny afternoon, the patio is very welcoming andnot hurried. Our server Rickey was terrific.

Tried Dutch Garden for the first time for dinner. Service was great and very responsive friendly waitress. Food was a great and some just average. We had great German Brut and German beer. The Bavarian pretzel was the way it should be; crisp crust tender soft inside. House salad was good, a little sparse on lettuce and other ingredients for the price. Chicken was a special for the night and was delicious done with crispy outside, tender inside. Asparagus good, average, some a little too done. Lastly Rinderrouladin "brisket" was a disappointment, not done enough and lacked flavor, we should have stuck with trying the homemade bratwurst. Changed our mind at last minute. Mashed potatoes were good but nothing exciting, a little too whipped for my taste. German Chocolate Cake yummy and moist. I would try again here to experience lunch menu, which I have heard good things. Not giving up on this place yet and it's close to home.

New dinner menu Same place as always The only thing that has changed is a new beer garden patio has been installed outside. Summer nights are going to be wonderful over here.

This is one of my favorite all-time restaurants in all of Santa Barbara, and I'm a foodie who eats out a LOT. Fun Fact: it's the oldest restaurant in Santa Barbara, from the 1940's, and not much has changed! Their German food is house-made and the waiters are very knowledgeable. Their pretzels, sauerkraut, sausages and mustards are amazing, and the beer selection is huge - the best in town. The salad are super fresh and lightly dressed European style, mmmm - out of this world. I love sitting at the lunch counter where you can literally watch "how the sausage gets made". The outdoor patio is great too, although the outdoor tables are a little bit too large (I feel a little far away from my guest). Overall I'm really happy this restaurant is still here, let's all support it as they expand their hours! Wed-Sun, 11-9.

Ok so service is a little disorganized BUT...the food is excellent and the beers are cold and have a great selection. Lovely beer garden for outdoor seating. A real gem

Wow this used to be my favorite place in SB and they have gone way way down hill. So many things removed off the menu and different recipes. Everything is now a la carte so be prepared to pay $9 for veggies or sauerkraut. they used to have a whole basket of 5 mustards, horseradish, moist bread. the duck used to be a massive whole duck practically, now its a couple of small pieces and the sauce was not sweet or anything at all. it tasted like bland gravy. Most the staff is friendly. The only thing I can say is glad they finally dusted and got rid of the spider webs. (tears)

Not only is this place charming and really cute, but it is spot-on right- on! From the moment you park and walk in, the tone is set. It is clean, tidy, loved, and taken care of. Pretty special; not many places like this. Heck, I don't really drink much beer or eat much meat, but the attentive, sharp, authentically nice service and upbeat energy of the cooks won me over. This is the kind of place to love and lunch with your loved ones. And then, especially good of you are looking for German food. They do a really excellent job with that. Open for dinner,Thursday, and Friday. Daily Different soups and specials Charming bar seating and ample, pleasant outdoor courtyard seating.

My wife wanted schnitzel and a quick search through Yelp this place popped up. We were going to be in Santa Barbara anyways. Well let me tell you this was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. We got there about 20 minutes before they started serving dinner but we were seated on the nice patio and ordered some drinks. As we enjoyed our drinks we could hear the staff inside giving themselves a pep talk as if they were going out to play the Superbowl. Watched a couple of pretzels go out that were the size of a steering wheel. We ordered the tomato bisque, jaeger schnitzel and the braised short ribs. So freaking good. The staff was great and attentive. If you're in the Santa Barbara area do yourself a favor and check this place out.

Not sure what happened to the Dutch Garden. Very underwhelmed tonight. $12 for beer; $45 for schnitzel (no sides) and $5.27 for tax. $62.27 total. No longer the great experience I anticipated.

Pretty bummed about our experience on Saturday. My husband and I have always enjoyed coming here but probably won't be back now. We showed up a little after 11:30 and there was a 2 top sitting at the bar and one other table inside. We stood at the front waiting to be sat for an awkwardly long time. We finally got sat on the patio and were asked for a drink order but I (mistakenly) said could we just have 1 more minute. That turned into at least 20 minutes...we watched a 6 top walk in and when that server (different than ours) walked by I asked her if she could please send our server over. We had our menus off to the side no drinks and were just sitting there silent looking around. Staff literally would make eye contact with my husband and go back inside. My husband even asked if we were being punked. Another large party got sat and I figured if they couldn't even take a drink order when it was just us on the patio then there was no hope. Not trying to spend our entire Saturday afternoon trying to eat lunch. We got up to leave and no one even ask why we were leaving. Wasted almost an hour of our time. I don't know if it has anything to do with new ownership or staff but it was really lame. We were really looking forward to ordering lunch, drinks and even to go food. Luckily we stopped at Llama Sama on the way home and had amazing service/food/drinks.

A former favorite. Sure, restaurants and staff have a rough day. Does that mean they have to take it out on customers? Apparently, the answer is yes. Out of several menu staples: meatballs, schnitzel, potato salad. The owner was nasty over each item we tried to order, "No we're out!" She snipped. "No! Out of that too." " May I have bread with my soup?" "All right," she bit back. No bread ever came. Slowww, angry service. So. Not. Interested.

My family went for lunch the other day and Brigette went out of her way and made it a lovely afternoon. We had the Knackworst and it was delicious along with potato salad and sauerkraut. The dill soup was very special. The homemade apple cake and apple strudel was delightful. Thank you Brigette for the nice experience and we will back soon.

The atmosphere both inside and outside is lovely. The beer selection is top notch. And the staff is so great. The food was fantastic. New date date night spot! Loved it!

My German grandfather used to make me Reuben's all the time. He was a chef, and I thought he was the best cook ever. Eating lunch here felt like home. The ambience is charming on the inside and really lovely on the patio. The staff is attentive and honestly cares about their guests. Dutch Garden, I am so happy you are here.

THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE! Kind employees. Very welcoming. Truly and genuinely accommodating. I came here right after donating blood next door. Bridget was warm and welcoming even though it was almost closing. The chef (so sorry I didn't catch his name) assured me that they would love for me to place an order, even though I hate to do that to restaurant folk at the last moment at the end of the day. They could not have been nicer and more receptive. They truly made my day and I have to say, as a trained sommelier who knows good wine, food and service, these guys are to be commended. There menu is diverse and on point with traditional Dutch/Germanic cuisine. Aromas great you before you enter and the business is pristinely clean with a cut side garden.

03/16/25 there are various sources on the Internet which show this restaurant as being closed. I stopped by there today. They are currently open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday. The staff indicated they would soon be reopening for dinner. Dutch Garden is alive and well. And they serve authentic German fare.

Seriously this is one of my favorite places to go. When I was at the bar and the chefs were singing to lion king and the waiter asked what kind of beer I typically like and found me the best one.... It was like a dream. Everything there is great but if you don't typically eat German food I would recommend the sausages.

lunch for four on Thursday, Jan 22. Two had schnitzel plate, one Bratwurst, one a Belgian hamburger (who knew?). all was great, including the service, On a beautiful day, the patio was full. Look forward to the next time, when maybe I'll get lucky and they'll have jaegerschnitzel as a special!

Best schnitzel I've ever had. The sausage, the kraut, and the potato salad were all amazing as well. And we literally could not stop picking at the giant pretzel throughout our meal. Can't recommend enough.

Quiet, outside, dogs allowed & we split a Reuben sandwich - it was perfect!! We'll certainly return. But check their hours first if you go. So fun to see dogs sitting quietly with their owners - AND- they are each given a bowl of water!!!! Our new favorite place!!

For the longest time have wanted to try the Dutch Garden food. What a huge disappointment. Expensive to boot. I know a bit about Deutsches Essen. (German) food. Their home made sausage could not have been worse.

Great food, nice waiters but overall terrible, slow service. Waiter said they were under new ownership hence slowness, but past reviews say similar.

The patio is a lovely place for families. The pretzel is delicious and the pastrami sandwich is delicious. I really liked the salad with the German name that I can't remember that is made up of pickled cucumbers. While it may not be traditional, I think they should add french fries to their menu. Overall service was nice although a bit slow. My husband really liked his pork schnitzel sandwich.

I have not been to Dutch Gardens since High School most likely. Dropped by and had a great lunch! Food was delicious. Schnitzel was perfectly cooked and crunchy. Sat at the bar and was served by a wonderful Ms. Can't wait for summer so I can relax on the patio and enjoy a nice meal with a refreshing beverage

Just an incredible spot that we locals are glad has come back into full force. A must visit for comforting food in a comforting atmosphere. Helpful attentive staff, with the best European beer list in town.

Excellent food! Great service--thank you Bridgette (or Bridget). Great Low-key, down-to-earth vibe. Lots of returning locals having a good time. If you want a fairly casual experience (mainly outdoors patio ambience) with great food (the Reuben is by far the very best in SB) and brew, this is your place to try. Cannot wait to return!

Great food Great service, I ate at the Bar. Will definitely return with a group. I was by myself on this occasion.

well after waiting almost 35 minutes after being told it would be ready in 15 i got a tiny sized meal for $26!! really 3 pieces of carrots are your "seasonal" vegetables? over salted and spiced sausage as well . smdh wont be going here again unfortunately, since i do live literally 2 minutes away smdh ended up throwing out half of it. couldnt tell if the sausage was chicken or not smdh

Thank heavens Dutch Garden reopened. Better than ever service, flavor and ambience! Celeriac vegetarian schnitzel? Dreamy! The soft pretzel dip is to die for! Loveliest, kind people working here, including the owner with eyes on everything going on. Oh, today's acorn squash soup with crispy pancetta is simply perfection in a bowl. Highly recommended!

Great good, great location and service was amazing. If you want German this is the place for you! Seems like a good local joint!

Amazing! Great food and wonderful staff! An amazing long time restaurant! We have been going to this restaurant for over 40 years maybe longer. The grilled rare roast beef sandwich with Swiss is our favorite for lunch!

Updating this review. The reason they charge for the bread basket now is that it's hand made locally. And worth it. The owner and his wife are awesome, helpful and friendly. Now i get the schnitzel sandwich with a scoop of sauerkraut inside with provolone on rye. I recommend drinking half a beer before the first bite. Love this place.

Great historic ambiance, and wonderful food. We sat down in the corner and had great service from the waiter and busser. I had the weisswurst and it was excellent.

Nice garden setting, and the meal was tasty (though not amazing). But the prices are pretty high for what you get (the dinner menu on the website is 6 years old, and the prices are much higher now), and the noise from the freeway made conversation difficult.

Sat at the counter last Thursday evening after having a light dinner elsewhere. The whole restaurant was busy. We enjoyed the show at the grill only a few feet away. The head chef and team were amazing in speed, cooperation, politeness and occasional interaction with us and other customers. We enjoyed a good German draft beer and a few side dishes. Prior visits at lunch time have always been good for food and service. Great place for dinner and a show.

This was my first time back to the Dutch Garden, since it has operated under new ownership. There is no need to be concerned as the menu was almost the same. The difference came when the quality of the food was even better than before. The schnitzel, and the bratwurst were incredible. The outdoor space was enlarged and appealing. I ate inside and saw that all the old decorations were still there. Their selections of beers was solidly German. Compliments to the chefs and their attentive staff. I'll be coming back soon.

Perhaps just an "off" day for this restaurant with their charming patio. Service was slow, then rushed, then slow again. My pastrami sandwich was very dry, despite the delicious authentic German mustard. Tomato and red onion slices were squishy and not at all fresh. Disappointing lunch.

I'm so glad this place re-opened! Welcome back!! Please note, the hours are WRONG on Yelp. At this time, they still close at 3pm. You can double check the hours on Google. Also, they don't take reservations. Come early!

Can't say enough good things about my experience here at Dutch Garden Restaurant. First time and certainly not my last. The schnitzel sandwich had me feelin like the giddiest little lad this side of the Mississippi. But also, maybe the trumer pils had something to do with that. Can't wait to come back. Thank you!!!!

You are doing yourself a disservice if you're not dining here. Great food and such kind service.

Oh, I wanted to be able to give this place 4 or 5 stars but I couldn't! We waited several months after their opening to give them a chance to iron out issues. We finally decided to check them out based on our desire for great German food and the positive reviews on Yelp. Well, the remodeling, especially of the patio area is definitely a plus! The inside is comfortable but on a cold day, cold! My better half ordered the Weisswurst sausage plate with very generous portions. Unfortunately the sausage was not warm. (She had some left over and had it the day after. It was wonderful!) I had the Pork Schnitzel. It was a disaster. My favorite dish was overcooked and extremely tough. The sauerkraut and potato salad, as well as the carrots, were tasty and the best part of the meal. Will we be back? I sure hope so. But not until we know that we can depend on improvement.

Fantastic Food. Great afternoon beer garden vibes. The renewed take on a Santa Barbara classic was the locals lunch spot this side of town needed. Service was quick and friendly! Started with the biggest pretzel I've ever seen with a delicious cheese mustard ball situation on the side that was awesome! I had the schnitzel with jager sauce. The sauce was unreal with chanterelle mushrooms soooo good!! The schnitzel was crispy yet easy to cut through with a regular knife. Garnished with a maldon salt you could tell this wasn't your average shnitzel! My husband had the strammer max which he ate so quickly I couldn't get a picture! Finished with a German chocolate cupcake to go! We'll be back!!Jager Schnitzel SchnitzelSchnitzel Plate

All I can say is wow. This is a kind of hide-away for locals. Tiny inside with a large patio with heaters, there's comfort for everyone. We had the Knackwurst luncheon plate that had a large sausage that made my German DNA tingle. The warm potato salad done right, and a Gherkinsalat of thin cucumbers and white onion in cream that make you yearn for little A-frame houses and gnomes. The killer carb was a warm pretzel with a cheesy, buttery spread. Chef Charlie Fredericks has knocked this out of the park.

All I can say is a home run all the way!! Very authentic food and spot on with the ambiance and atmosphere!! The sauerkraut was one of my favorites !!! Definitely a place to visit and eat some delicious food!! The staff was great and very personable. It almost had the feel of cheers . A great vibe!!!!

Great food and service if you're looking for authentic German food. Everything they make is perfect.

I was so happy to hear Dutch Garden reopened, I ordered the Knockwurst by phone to go. The Knockwurst was great as it usually is. But the potatoes were just boiled, quartered and sprinkled with oregano. Not what I remember it to be. The sauerkraut tasted like out of a can. And the carrots were barely cooked. I'm very disappointed. I'll try the Bratwurst next time, maybe they will improve.

Absolute best German food I've ever had. Highly recommend! Great outdoor ambience and excellent service as well.

As die hard schnitzel and weisswurst fans, this new version of the Dutch Garden is a wonderful addition to the dining options for a great lunch inside or outside. We were told they will expand the hours down the road but for now they are only serving lunch. The wait staff were very attentive and the food was stellar. With a great selection of imported beers and also a good selection of wines this will become a regular gathering spot for us.

A favorite place for my husband and I. Finally went by after the remodel. Food still great, welcoming atmosphere. Love the new outdoor seating. Will keep coming back.