Live Oak Cafe

A Morning at Live Oak Cafe <3 If you’re looking for a breakfast spot that captures the quintessential charm of Santa Barbara, Live Oak Cafe is an absolute gem. Tucked right in the heart of the city, the cafe is surrounded by stunning mission-style architecture that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a coastal postcard before you even walk through the door. The Atmosphere: The decor is incredibly cute, striking a perfect balance between cozy and chic. One of the most unique features is the onsite aviary, which adds a whimsical, nature-filled touch to the space. Since it’s the holiday season, the "Christmasy" vibes were in full swing—complete with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree that made the whole experience feel extra festive and warm. The Food & Drink: I stopped in for breakfast and ordered: • Avocado Omelette: Fresh, light, and perfectly cooked. • Fruit Bowl: A refreshing and vibrant side that tasted seasonal and crisp. • Salted Caramel Latte: This was the highlight! The latte art was stunningly intricate, almost too pretty to drink. It was the perfect blend of sweet and savory to kickstart the morning. The Service: What truly sets this place apart is the people. The staff members are exceptionally warm and welcoming, making you feel like a regular even if it’s your first visit. Verdict: Whether you're a local or just passing through SB, Live Oak Cafe is a must-visit for a peaceful, aesthetic, and delicious start to your day.

Great breakfast spot! The Santa Barbara breakfast wrap was delicious and full of flavor. Friendly service and a cozy atmosphere — definitely worth a visit!

We came for Sunday brunch and it was busy when we got there, but got seated immediately. Friendly staff, good food and drinks. My matcha latte had a really cool cat latte art. So fun! Make sure to check out the aviary outside :)

The live oak Cafe is situated alongside the best western plus hotel and has a unique live bird tree outside to view. It was quite quiet at breakfast when we went so we were seated fast and had drinks very quickly. The menu has a good range of choices without being over large and our order was in quickly The place itself is tidy and well laid out with a good team looking after you. The food was well presented and tasty. It's a lovely little place with a great quirky twist which we liked. Would recommend it for breakfast especially the avocado toast and their omelettes.

We went here for late afternoon snacks and ordered the following: 2 Espresso Slice of White Cheesecake Slice of Brownie Total: $20.66 with tips We thought the brownie was extremely sweet, but it was great in texture—fudgy and gooey with chunks of dark chocolate. I totally enjoyed the cheesecake. We thought the espresso was all right. Great ambiance and friendly staff.

Some of these other pics dont do this place justice. Good food for the price, friendly staff, exceptional pancakes.

My husband and I had the Pomodoro Pasta and it was just as special as any North End restaurant in Boston. The veggies were cooked perfectly, not mushy, such as other restaurants present. The noodles we ideal, as well. Prices are reasonable and I highly recommend the Live Oak Cafe.

Love this local cafe. Strong, hot bottomless coffee. Great breakfast options. Waffle/pancake with while grains, oatmeal with steamed milk and tasty omelets. I've sat inside twice now so I need to try the patio next time!

Love this hidden gem in Santa Barbara. Delicious food and excellent service! Never disappointed I come here every time I visit.

I picked up a mobile order. As a rule, I lower my standards. We all know it's just not the same. I got the live oak burger with fries (which cost extra??) $17 something plus tip. Pros: Hostess was polite Food was ready right on time Got my custom request correct Burger was med rare - nice Mushrooms were a nice touch Cute and clean location, very cool aviary Easy Cons: These are more my preferences, but burger, sauce and bun ratio was off. Very dry, despite a perfect med rare No options for my sauce. I didn't want sriracha mayo, especially with mushrooms (???) but there were no other options. I accepted it, and it wasn't bad, I just don't like it, and the ratio was wrong. The burger patty was under seasoned And this last bit is not preference, it's a fact and it's why I'm leaving one star: Their grill is DIRTY. I tasted nothing but Burnt meat crusties from other orders. My burger visually looked fine with great grill marks. and while the meat was bland, if I wasn't eating carbonized meat, it wasn't bad. but every bite I winced because those grill lines were just bits of of blasted meat that wasn't from my burger. It was disgusting, and I'm really bummed due to the high price for what would be just an ordinary burger. but then to have it just be so unpalatable was actually upsetting. Embarrassingly, I was too hungry not to eat and too busy with work to fix it. I have eaten what is officially the worst burger of my life. 2025 can't end soon enough.

The service was great. We had a really nice waiter that morning. I wish I could recommend his name if I had only remembered. He was very honest, kind, and very considerate. The ambiance is so cozy! So cute! I would love to come here again. :) The lattes were so soothing and yummy. The french toast was great too. Only downside was the Santa Barbara Breakfast Wrap. It was good, had great nutrition and was yummy, but was very greasy/oily. It honestly felt like we were eating a soup burrito. But other than that, I would love to come back if I ever visit Santa Barbara again :)

A three star rating from me is because this restaurant is average. I ordered a Hawaiian chicken club sandwich. Again, good, but not that memorable to me. It came with fruit. The soda was in the can and kinda pricey for a can of soda. (I think it was $4.25?). My server was also average. She would walk by my table and not check to see if I needed anything-water maybe? This restaurant is cute. Just a little nook off of a motel. So you can eat here, have an ok meal. Maybe it will suit you better?

Good service and there's WiFi. I had the avo bacon omelette with egg whites. Jury is still out on how I feel about it-- mainly because the bacon was a bit over powering and the omelette was greasy. I also had a green tea, which was pleasant. Love the look of the restaurant and the bar. Not sure if I'd come back but happy I tried it. They also have a TV at the bar playing sports which I appreciate.

The only negatives keeping me from giving Live Oak Cafe a perfect 5 rating, were my lukewarm orange juice and my wife's cold wheat toast. Live Oak is a part of the Best Western Plus, where we had spent the night. For breakfast it was the obvious choice after checkout. Very friendly and helpful staff. My wife ordered her favorite breakfast choice when dining out, the vegetable omelet. With sides of hash browns and wheat toast. And only a complaint of her toast being cold. I had the two egg combo, which included my choice of turkey sausage patties and wheat toast. As well as a side of hash browns. All very much done to my liking! Clean and inviting interior and outdoors, they even have their own aviary. Highly recommended when in the Santa Barbara area.

Food was wonderful, small place but nice. Service was good very Good loved the drink and my burger was spot on!! After driving for 6hrs it all hit the spot. We stay at the hotel as well and love that it's right on property and not a far walk. They also have a rewards program so you can get discounts Signed up just today and already have #130 points.

Stopped by here to enjoy brunch on our way up the coast. Spacious cafe associated with a hotel that also has an aviary of tiny birds attached. Decent parking, comfortable booth seating, clean bathrooms. Friendly, attentive service, We ordered the West Coast omelette, Live Oak Eggs Benedict, BLT, and Steel cut oatmeal. Our order came out piping hot 30 min later. First of all the hash browns were actually brown and crispy and everyone said their meals were 8 to 9/10 for flavor. Prices reasonable for restaurants in Santa Barbara.

Nice ambiance and a large variety to order from. Server was very nice. Unfortunately, the food I got wasn't very good. I had the Two Egg Combo and here are my thoughts: -eggs (scrambled): seemed to be way more than 2 eggs. Texture was a bit rubbery. -bacon: nice thick slices but greasy. I would have blotted them but paper napkins weren't provided and I wasn't going to use my linen napkin. -wheat toast: nice but only had 1 slice. -hash browns: this was the biggest failure. The top was perfectly crunchy but underneath that the potatoes were dripping - literally - with oil (or perhaps grease). I tried to eat mostly the top portion to avoid the soggy parts but it was hard to separate them due to them being served very thin. The flavor was okay but amount of fluid was insane. Overall, the food was average at best. I couldn't finish the eggs or hash browns. It may have been an off day. Items from the lunch and/or dinner menus may be better but most items were fancier than I prefer (I like plain and simple food), which is why I chose a breakfast item. I'm not likely to go back as it is not a location that is convenient for me and the food wasn't good enough to lure me back.

We had ordered our breakfast from this cafe for room service when we stayed at the Best Western Plus hotel. We had the live oak bendedict and pacific rim bacon fried rice. Our daughter had the steel cut oatmeal with berries. The fried rice was my favorite. It was delicious and flavorful! We also ordered a salted caramel latte and a honey oatmilk latte which were both good as well. We would probably try to eat at the actual cafe on our next visit in Santa Barbara.

Food offerings are flavorful, the juice fresh squeezed, the coffee choices great. It's a favorite place for breakfast.

Live oak cafe is a very good place to eat! Its location is great, being right next to an aviary. Parking was a little difficult even though we got there at 8am but when we arrived, we were seated there very quickly. It did take a while for the food and drinks to come out after we ordered them. We ordered the pancake combo, French toast combo, eggs Benedict, and west coast omelette. The savory portions of the combos left a little to be desired in terms of size but overall everything was very delicious. We also ordered matcha lattes and horchata lattes. The lattes were not very sweet and all came with oat milk at an extra cost, I ordered spam at first and they brought me sausage. But the waiter came back and brought me my correct order promptly. Overall, good experience. I would probably stop by again if I was in the area and needed a bite to eat

I work nearby & stop in every now & then to pick up lunch. Turkey pot pie & bacon fried rice are 10/10 so yummy, filling & flavorful!

This local Santa Barbara restaurant (co-located with a Best Western Plus lodging) was innovative in their menu selections. Also, the servers were very nice and well-trained. As a bonus, the restaurant had an on-site bird aviary with lovely "finch bird residents" to watch. This was a very pleasant convenience for me, travelling alone and staying on the same property. I recommend this unique eatery.

My wife and I were in the area to visit a friend post-surgery and arrived too early to visit and happened upon this very cute cafe. If I'm not mistaken it's the restaurant that serves guests for the "Best Western" hotel but non-hotel guest are welcome as well. Let me say that during our visit it was pouring rain and didn't want to venture too far away from our destination and the cafe was a welcome sight. Despite the massive down pour, we found parking and sat in their covered and heated patio area enjoying our breakfast to the pitter patter sounds of the rain bounce off the metal roof. My wife had the Avocado Bacon Omelet, which she absolutely loved it came with bacon and described it as divine; crispy and not chewy. I chose the French toast combo...the French toast was cooked exactly to my liking. Delicious! With a soft fluffy texture. I too cant say enough about their delicious bacon. We were fortunate to have the patio area to ourselves because of the rain. That said, their food is so good that one is likely to wait in line on some weekends and weekdays. What brought us to the area wasn't great but this wonder cafe provided us a little touch of peace that we both cherished. Overall great food, food service and definitely worth visiting again.

The food was tasty the prices were affordable, and the service was very good. The ambience was homey. We definitely go again.

Heard a lot about this spot and didn't know it was connected to a Best Western Hotel. Definitely a great breakfast / brunch soot. The finches outside was a delight to see in the aviary in front of the restaurant!

During a quick visit to SB, we needed breakfast. Stopped by after viewing the 4-1/2 stars Live Oak was rated. Everyone was VERY please with their breakfast. My Hawaiian born MIL really appreciated the Hawaiian influenced menu items added to the menu (Spam, etc.). As a hash brown lover, I gotta say, their prep was on point. Soft center, nice slight crispy crust. Having had many hash browns fails in the past, it's great when the chef takes time to do them correctly. The waitstaff were pleasant, plus there's ample parking. A bonus in SB.

This place was absolutely delicious. We were staying at a hotel nearby that doesn't serve breakfast and this was a great alternative. I got the Pacific Rim Bacon Fried Rice and subbed it with spam, the other person for the Bath St. Bagel sandwich, and we split a side of potatoes. No complaints here, everything was perfect. The service was decently fast and it was pretty crowded so it was a good experience. They also have some bird thing outside for people to go and see , a little bit of everything!

Excellent food at fair prices. The staff will treat you kindly too. Also,they have a cage full of finches(birds)

Exceptionally clean establishment with friendly customer service. It was so comfortable on a hot day and I can't say enough how spotless the place was. It has a nice covered outdoor patio with indoor seating options as well. Decent food! As a local I am so excited I stopped in with my husband and grabbed some food in a whim! My aunt from out of town told me about this place and got us gift cards to stop by. Locals shouldn't sleep on the hotel adjacent food spots! Nice view of the pool and a cute mini bird sanctuary as you walk in. They even have a happy hour and vegetarian options.

I recently met a friend here for lunch and it was great! Super easy to get a table at the lunch hour on a Friday, though still shocked by how many people were dining there at that time. We were seated right away and our server was very attentive. I opted for one of their grain bowls with chicken and chose the wasabi spicy sauce to go on top. It honestly wasn't very spicy but the bowl was delicious. Very filling. I was curious about the marinated egg but it was good! They do have a parking lot but it was full upon my arrival, so I opted for street parking which was still easy to snag. Definitely a great spot!

On a trip to visit my aunt, we met for breakfast at the Live Oak Cafe. I was amazed! The food was incredible, ut what blew me away was the coffee machine that they have.....it is state-of-the-art and makes amazing coffee. You want to come for the breakfast, but stay for the coffee! Turns out my aunt comes here all the time as a local. If I lived locally, I would come here on a regular basis! We had terrific service, both from our waiter and in the speed that the food was delivered . Extra coffee came quickly as well! There's plenty of parking just outside the restaurant TLDR; the second best place we ate in Santa barbara! Come for the breakfast, stay for the coffee! It really is that good!

I'll give you that our breakfast was very early on a Sunday, which may have made a difference. I had been to several excellent happy hours there, so I had a good feeling when walking in the door - but on that particular day, I wished I'd either stayed home or gone to a different place. Pancakes were attractive but tough. Egg dish was completely ordinary, or maybe a little less. OJ had a metallic taste and the bacon arrived literally swimming in grease. Likely not their best effort, nor our best time.

Great food and service-open for breakfast, lunch and dinner-great happy hour! Conveniently located nearby Cottage Hospital and Sansum Clinic-so happy it is here!

We ordered the organic matcha and coffee. The coffee shop window is on the side of the restaurant and it's really cute. You can obviously order inside but the coffee window is outside. Organic matcha latte with peppermint - 5/5 Really delicious! Organic coffee latte with oat milk - 5/5 Black bean sandwich - 4/5 Good enough to keep us full & we shared it. It could use something else like salt or garlic. That would put it over the edge. Fries - 3/5 no salt or seasoning but still good.

Food was great, and it was on the property of our hotel. We loved the aviary and the finches. Delicious coffee, muffins, tarts and brownies!

Have been enjoying this comfy and cozy café for awhile now, and realize I need to write up a review . . . here I go. They have a nice spacious parking area that is shared with the Best Western Plus Hotel, and it's a hop, skip and a jump from Cottage Hospital. As you enter the café you have a choice of a big comfy booth on the right, or outside in their spacious and warm atrium on the left. It's becoming a regular breakfast spot for us, with my favorite dishes being any of the eggs combinations, and their grain bowls. And it's always been nice to have either a side of crispy bacon, crispy hash browns or sweet potatoes. Staff is always helpful and friendly, and special shout out to server Cesar who always takes very good care of us all. And try to save some room for the assorted pastries they have at the front counter. Both the Almond Croissants and Giant Big Brownies are nice to take to-go.

What a nice surprise dining for breakfast this morning. ! I've lived in Santa Barbara for six years, but never knew about this gem ! Customer service was great and the food was delicious. I had the fried rice bowl.- so yummy!! Highly recommend!

Came here for brunch and had a good time with my friend! We ordered the lemon zest brioche french toast and pacific rim bacon fried rice. Both were pretty good- I really enjoyed the french toast with the berries and cream, the lemon wasn't too powerful which I appreciated. The pacific rim bacon fried rice was pretty good but there was visible oil pooling at the bottom of the bowl.... otherwise the egg and avocado on top was a good pairing for the fried rice! I knock off a star because of the oily fried rice and also because there were several bugs flying around our table while we ate and chatted. This was mainly because they opened the door to allow for more airflow and to cool down the space I'm guessing, but we also asked a waiter to maybe help us take care of the bugs or help in any way and he said he couldn't really do anything about it. Otherwise he was really nice, but I would have appreciated if he'd suggested we move tables or close the door maybe. Otherwise, I really did enjoy this spot and I want to come back! Their food is special (Hawaiian, Asian fusion) and quite affordable by SB standards, I just wish our experience had been a little better. I might ask to not be seated in that sunny greenhouse-like area next time. The restaurant shares a parking lot with Best Western I believe, though we got street parking pretty easily. There's also an interesting little enclosed bird house area outside by the restaurant, it was nice to pause and watch the birds flutter around the space.

I've always had a fantastic experience at Live Oak! Excellent food, great service and a laid back feel. I enjoy popping by for a latte and a delicious housemade pastry for a quick breakfast. I also love staying a while for a plate of waffles or a breakfast bowl. The pork belly bacon is out of this world!! All of their breakfast dishes are a big hit. I recently went to meet a friend for lunch and finally got to try the lunch menu. I went for a simple soup and salad. I should have known that it would be incredible! A Portuguese bean soup du jour along with a simple yet fresh green salad with a tasty vinaigrette dressing. It really hit the spot! Live Oak really finds a way to make every dish special.

Good/okay food! I mean pretty simple food but still very good! Good vacation vibes. Everyone is nice and happy you can tell the food is made with love! I would recommend the organic orange juice and the oat meal, waffles, pandcakes and water!

A hidden gem. Nestled inside a motel you don't expect it to be this nice and the food is all home made, organic and fresh. Sit on the enclosed patio. It overlooks the pool.

This is such a gorgeous restaurant. It is a part of Best Western Plus with a great view of the bird enclosure and the pool. The service is very good and there is a variety of dishes to try. Overall a good experience, the food could use a bit more seasoning but everything else is nice.

Cute place with cozy vibes and decor. The waffles were great, and they have one of the best hot chocolates we've ever tasted. It was a busy morning, and our order somehow got overlooked on the kitchen, but the staff provided excellent service and went out of their way to accommodate.

Cute cafe with lots of plants and trees, an aviary, and view of the courtyard with pool; feels like a 70s throwback, but very peaceful. And food was very good. I stopped in for breakfast and had the Pacific Rim Bacon Fried Rice, topped with avocado ado and a egg. Very flavorful. Friendly service, too!

Cute options for outside seating and plenty of indoor seating. The hosts and servers were very accommodating and friendly. I had the breakfast wrap without bacon and it was bland. The salsa and hot sauce were needed. The lavender matcha was also fine. The size felt small for the price.

The atmosphere was amazing! I had ordered a salted caramel latte and it was the best latte I have had. It had just the right amount of sweetness. I had also ordered one of the breakfast burritos and it wasn't my favorite but I'm willing to try something else on the menu solely based on how amazing the latte was!

The minute you walk into Live Oak Café you feel completely welcomed you see the pastries and desserts that they have and then you can just sit in this very comfortable atmosphere. The servers the waiters the food is fantastic. Cannot wait to go back.

We have since moved away from the area but always loved the breakfasts at Oak Cafe. Excellent quality, portions and prices.

Food was ok, service was horrible :/ a friend and I went for a casual late breakfast. There were maybe 5 people working the floor. Unfortunately they forgot about us so we got up and moved to a more visible seat. We then had a bunch of random interactions with multiple servers. There were maybe 3 active tables aside from ours. A coffee took so long to come out and I noticed the server forgot. Such a confusing chaotic experience...

We were tired after a day of driving and just wanted to have a bite and a cocktail at the bar and restaurant. They don't have a spirits license so only wine, beer or wine cocktails. We were too tired to explore, so I had water and my mom had a glass of wine. The wine was good. We ordered kaluha tacos. They were bland. Little flavor. Service was not up to par. Our server was in training and not enthusiastic. The head server was good. She brought out the food and let us know they didn't have a liquor license. I wish it was a good spot since we're staying at the hotel.

Live Oak is a great place. Family friendly, good service and excellent food. My go to is the blackened halibut tacos, which are absolutely delicious and come at a really good price. My wife likes the chicken pot pie and the kids meals come with a very generous portion of delicious fries. I do wish they made their own ranch or at least not hidden valley out of the bottle, but that is my only complaint. They have an excellent beer and wine selection at reasonable prices, and homemade bakery items that are delicious. With the dearth of sit down spots in town, this is a gem.

The food was just ok. We had the eggs benedict and French toast. The eggs benedict was over toast, with over-poached eggs (look sad). Fresh toast did not taste like much except for the syrup.

I stopped into Live Oak Cafe after visiting a friend in the Cottage Hospital a couple blocks away. Live Oak is basically a Cafe attached to a Best Western but that is where all resemblances stop for Live Oak is doing things with care and attention to detail: things you don't usually find in a motel restaurant. We were initially greeted by a huge smile bestowed upon us by a pretty woman (sorry, i did not get her name) who, along with Javier gave us primo service throughout our short stay. The decor of Live Oak is straight out of 60's Cafe' attached to a Motel decor which was a bit off putting but the proof is in the pudding and so we marched on. Plus 2 of my Yelp friends had raved about this joint: so there is that. We were hankering for a great waffle and Goodlands was not open. so, based on Yelp's cumulative score: we walked on down here. We ordered A Belgian Waffle, A side of Onion Rings, a Spinach, Mushroom Omelet. I returned the waffle because it was not cooked enough and i ordered it plain: with butter and maple syrup and well cooked. The second one was perfect: yeasty, crispy and slightly sweet. The Omelet was stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and cheddar and light, eggy and accompanied by savory green onion skillet potatoes. The Onion Rings were ok not great: obviously frozen but of a good quality but out of a bag nonetheless. And finally the Syrache. What the Hell is that? Syrah? Grenache? Yeah: a combo of the 2? Yes, I think, Well it is a very good, chillable red wine with fruity ( as in Blueberries) and floral notes yet not cloying on the tongue. I enjoyed it with my waffle and also with the Omelet. So i guess you could say that it is a great Breakfast wine! Who knew? Service was very good and Javier was personable and helpful. Oh yeah: the coffee is great: produced with beans from Greenstar in Goleta. But good coffee only comes from the melding of the proper amount of water to ground coffee ratio. They do it right here. Live Oak is the perfect place to go for a drink (they have a nice cozy bar) and the greenhouse room is attractive and warm feeling. Cheers.

Live Oak Cafe is the onsite restaurant for the Best Western Plus Santa Barbara location where we stayed to drop off my son at UCSB. Ambiance: clean and inviting, but a little dated. Service: TOP QUALITY - friendly, helpful and attentive. Food: Overall very good, we ate two meals there. Dinner the first night was okay, but breakfast the next morning was terrific. - Lemon Zest Brioche French Toast (ate before I got a pic) was delicious and perfectly mildly sweet with a mild hint of the lemon zest - Santa Barbara Breakfast Wrap was perfectly seasoned and served with a fresh and yummy salasa - Two Egg Combo with egg whites (+$2), scallion potatoes and turkey patty was a VERY generous serving size and well prepared (a little more salt and pepper would've been appreciated) - Pacific Rim Bacon Fried Rice with a sunny side up egg was devoured by my son -Breakfast Combo with Forager Waffle was crisp and flavorful made from whole grains and fresh berries with turkey sausage and eggs and big enough to share was great Definitely on the list when we visit Santa Barbara!

Was staying at a hotel nearby and stopped by this cute restaurant in Santa Barbara that had a view of the bird sanctuary as well as the pool. The greenery inside made me feel more comfortable. Had the avocado and eggs Benedict which was really good. Our server was super sweet and very helpful!

DO NOT EAT HERE IF YOU CAN HELP IT. I would give zero stars if I could. We came here to escape the wildfires of LA, exhausted and hungry. Not only was the service non-existent (25 minutes to even get a menu and 45 minutes to get cutlery) but we got horrible food poisoning! Terrible service, terrible attitude, and then we got horrendously sick. Avoid at all costs.

Really sweet hidden gem. We went here because we were staying at the adjacent hotel. It looked cute but it was more about the convenience. But as soon as we walked in we realized we were somewhere special. The had an actual live oak full of finch birds, a coffee shop with espresso machine inside and a walk up window if you just wanted coffee. And the seating was in a sort of enclosed patio that allowed you to see all the trees and swimming pool. The waiters and waitress were kind and helpful and the menu had a lot of unique items in addition to the standard breakfast classics. Our 4 kids had a mixture of eggs, fruit, bagels, pancakes and waffles. I had a breakfast burrito and my wife had lemon French toast. Everything was great and we even sat and enjoyed the atmosphere for a while after we finished. If you're staying in the hotel it's a no brainer, but I'd even drive to this place for a special breakfast next time I'm in Santa Barbara.