The Blue Owl

Friendly staff, great atmosphere, creative menu. The food was very fresh but not up to expectations. The turkey thyme sandwich was dry and needed much more mayo. The focaccia was wonderful, but quickly fell apart as I was eating the sandwich. The trip tip burrito was noted to be a favorite menu item of the staff, but wasn't nearly as flavorful as I thought it would be. It was probably a one-and-done for us.

Passing through Santa Barbara on the way to Piru, I leaned on good ol' Google maps to help me decide on where to stop for a casual bite. Stumbled across The Blue Owl, and after trying it, I immediately had to give it a review because the overall experience was awesome! Initial impression is that it had a chill and positive vibe, from the music to the decor. It had a Latin feel, with the fan, color scheme, and decor. The menu has asian-inspired items such as fried rice and banh mi sandwiches. I came here with the plan to have the fried rice 🍚, based on reading a couple of reviews. I had the option to add "toppings" to my fried rice, so ai added chicken for $5.00 more, which brought it to $15.00. Wife had the Thai curry banh mi sandwich, with a side salad 🥗. It came in a classic chinese take-out container, and I'd say it can feed two people. I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor and texture of the fried rice after my first bite! The ingredients tasted fresh, and the added chicken was tender & has some curry flavors to it. I would definitely recommend it! Also, I asked for the sweet chili sauce to be put on the side so that I could experience the purity of the fried rice before adding the sauce. The bread 🍞 on the banh mi was light and toasty! Flavors were good. I highly recommend this place whenever you visit this part of Santa Barbara!

Wife and I were strolling up and down State Street yesterday looking for a lunch spot, most of the restaurants were empty or nearly empty, which is a bit of a red flag. We spotted The Blue Owl from the corner and it had a robust crowd inside and out. The only two seats available were at the bar. I’m glad we chose this place. Service was excellent, and the food was solid.

Excellent menu with great diverse choices. The tri-tip burrito was huge and quite tasty. It’s called a Nan toc burrito. The Thai basil cheeseburger with egg was gooey and delicious. There was live music and friendly staff too! Fun!

Great find for a quick bite. Mom n Pop type operation. It is personal and friendly. Atmosphere is nice, both peaceful and laid back. A patron even came in on his lunch break to play piano. The vegan food choices were plentiful and delicious. I gave to give a recommendation to the sweet potato and avocado burrito. It was generous and so good. I highly recommend this place

Heaety fresh cuisine, a nice change up! Felt full, but of the good stuff! Focaccia Tyme Turkey Sandwich, Bahn Mi Sandwich, and a Beef Smothered Fried Rice Bowl. Side salads made the meal feel complete, with nice, not over saturated, dressed salad. Sambal Oelek mayo made for a nice kick on the side! Atmosphere "Chill Hypster" with lots of music posters and of course Owls everywhere. 8/10 would eat again. Notes, too windy and loud music made it hard to even hear the counter guy, and Turkey was good, but dry.

Excellent food and quite cute. I would highly recommend the beef Bahn Mi tacos - they are fantastic!! They also have live music some nights

Food was good. Fresh ingredients. Salad was fresh but need a little more flavor with dressing. I also had a latte, which was good, no sour milk flavor like Ive had at other places. So I recommend their lattes, although I like my coffee to be a bit hotter.

Had a cappuccino, the banh mi (with pork), and a strawberry bar for dessert. I was pleasantly surprised by the coffee. 4 dollars is a pretty good price, and although it wasn't quite as good as a speciality coffee shop, it was better than a coffee at a chain like Starbucks. The banh mi was also quite delicious, with a fresh baguette, delicious shredded pork, and great flavors overall. Came with a simple side salad that was light and refreshing. Strawberry bar had a great texture and taste too. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who wants a casual lunch!

I stopped by TBO for lunch and something healthy like a salad after a heavy night of drinking. The strawberry walnut salad w/ mango and feta cheese was perfect. It was light and full of hangover combatants. My only issues was the price, and I didn't see an option to add protein. On the other hand, the banh mi was pretty bad. The pork was similar in texture to carnitas, and it was dry and salty in some spots. Lastly, it was pricey for a small sandwich. The decor is Bohemian, with a lot of mismatched decor. On the other hand, the service is friendly and warm. Overall, the food is okay here, but overpriced IMHO. I would not return.

Come in with friends and got the Bhan Mi, fried rice and the beef. Overall, the bhan mis were good. It had a decent amount of meat and the bread wasn't too hard. The rice was a bigger portion than we thought and it was tasty. The beef was a bit too breaded but my friend did enjoy it.

Ordered take out salads, and they were delicious. Packed full and well balanced between greens and greens toppings. Place had a great vibe and was definitely inviting ( we were just eager to get back for pool time). Highly recommend. Fun staff with good energy and great service.

Very tasty food. The service is 2nd to none. You may have to park a block away but the food and service is worth the walk.

This place has so much character and offers an incredible spread of fusion dishes, including a variety of vegetarian and vegan options that are full meals, not just substitutes. You quickly order at the front kiosk, then seat yourself at one of the many cute areas with tons of decorations to take in. We spent some time counting all the owls we could see from our seats. The Banh Mi Tacos were very tasty and a great fusion meal. The Fried Rice Salad was absolutely delicious, reminding me of California faire in the best way, but I wish they toasted the sunflower seeds because it would have added the perfect extra bit of flavor. The Thai Basil Cheeseburger had all the right flavors, but unfortunately the burger itself was really dry from being overcooked. If they tweak just a few things in the kitchen, this place would be an easy 5 stars.

Asian fusion. Small, stylishly funky restaurant. None of the furniture match. I like it. Owl decor all throughout. They also have a handful of tables outdoors for patio dining. Order and pay at the register. Choose where you want to sit and bus your own table. I enjoyed my iced latte to start with, and then my Bahn Mi sandwich that comes with a small side salad. Very tasty. The crispy, crunchy French baguette is what really makes it good. It was flavorful and a little different. Spicy in a good way. Going to the restroom is an experience in itself. There's only one restroom in the back, next to the wall of supplies. And I noticed a ceiling, hatch doorway. That's a strange one. I was just hoping no one was going to come out of there. No one did.

The Blue Owl is an Asian fusion café. Located right off of State Street, it's very easy to find and very easy to get to. In terms of their interior design, they have a few booths along one wall, several tables central to the business, a couch near the front window, and some outdoor seating, as well. The atmosphere here is fun and colorful. How ordering works here Is that you go up to the front counter and place your order. If you're eating in, they give you a number to take to your table and your food and drinks will be delivered. Of course, a lot of people come here looking for to-go items. With this, it's basically a grab and go sort of setup. Just a sidenote, this restaurant also offers some live entertainment periodically. They have their live event scheduled posted on one of their interior walls. So, you can see if you want to come here and listen to music. In terms of their food, as stated, it is Asian fusion. And, it's good! They offer a lot of very good combinations. Plus, they have some great vegan dishes. Good place to eat eat! One of the curious things about this restaurant is its bathroom facilities. They only have one restroom. But, to get to it, you walk to the back of the business and then it's situated in association with all of their various supplies. It's quite an experience to go to their restroom. This café Offers some good food and drink. If you feel like going for something a little bit different in the downtown Santa Barbara area, this is your place.

We came here for a late lunch and it was so yummy! Every dish that we ordered was good. The staff was so friendly and it was a gorgeous day outside. Because of that, they had those big glass doors open. We found a seat inside and the variety of dishes were great! We had the tacos, the fried rice salad, and other stuff. Very good, highly recommend!

This is an asian fusion restaurant. It really is a great place to go and try if you are in the area. We got the Nam Toc salad, the burrito and some thai tea! The Nam Toc salad was really good, the meat was cooked really well and the salad had great flavor. I would highly recommend getting it if you go to this place! The thai tea was pretty good as well and the burrito was good, but in my opinion it was not as good as the salad. The interior of this place was also really nice! It had a nice feel and really added to the overall experience. The service is also good and was really quick. Parking is also pretty simple to find near for this place. Overall, I would highly recommend going here if you are in the area! The Nam Toc salad was great

Stopped in for a late dinner and was pleasantly surprised by this convenient spot in downtown Santa Barbara. It offers street parking, with tables both inside and outside. The ordering process is simple: you place your order, get a number, and sit anywhere, and they bring the food to you. We tried the Nam Doc Burrito and Fried Rice Salad, both of which were flavorful, filling, and delicious. I'd definitely return next time I'm in the area to try more items from the menu. On top of that, there was live music on a Saturday night, which added a nice touch. Highly recommend this spot for a casual, tasty meal.

I definitely come here more for the vibe than the food, though I'd say the food is pretty solid and I certainly appreciate the vegan options! Very cool spot with a lot of personality, the staff are pretty friendly and parking is usually not too hard to come by in the area.

My friend recommended this spot in Santa Barbara and I was eager to try it out as the menu looked creative and Guy Fieri also dined here and gave them the stamp of approval. It's an interesting artsy and eclectic restaurant. Love that the food is Asian fusion and also has a large vegetarian/vegan menu. Being a meat eater I usually struggle going to restaurants that dabble in both vegan and non vegan entrees as I sometimes think the execution is off but not here! They have totally balanced their menu in a harmonious way and the food was tasty. Upon walking in you are hit with a waft of delicious smells and spices. It was honestly enchanting and I was super excited to eat here as the food smelled so good. The menu is disruptive, easy to read, and diverse. My friend and I both opted for their fried rice bowls which they are so famous for. The prices were average and you can get a filling lunch for about $20 a person. You order at the counter and then they bring your food to your table. Staff were friendly and efficient. The person who took our order was nice and friendly. The food came out pretty quickly which was a nice touch. They did a good job of clearing tables and being attentive to keep the restaurant clean. The decor inside the restaurant is very cool and definitely geared towards the more artistic crowd. I did really like their wall art and photography of celebrities like Amy winehouse and such. I thought the food was super tasty. 4.5 stars for food overall. The fried rice bowls are really delicious. I had the pork as my protein and the shredded pork packed an amazing flavor. The dish was well seasoned and every bite was just super tasty. I added a poached egg which wasn't necessary exactly but it was good. The dish itself is so flavorful you don't need to add much extra. My only critic is the rice definitely had a couple small clumps, so made me think the rice was a few hours old. Also they overdo the cilantro in my opinion on top so now knowing this I would just make sure to ask for light cilantro. Again though, the dish was very tasty and we were super happy with our meals. My leftover even tasted good the next day and that's a good sign. I'd love to come back to try some of their wraps or their Thai burger sounded fire. This place is really good for a healthier meal that packs flavor into their dishes. Would love to come back. My breakdown would be - Service: 4.5 Food:4.5 Decor: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Price: 4.5

Service was good, but the food was super salty. Husband and kids complained their food (tri-tip and fried rice) were too salty as well.

I loved the atmosphere and friendly staff here, but the meat was super salty, which is the only reason I am not giving five stars. Seems like they also host live music events, which looked fun. We ordered the bahn mi tacos and the salmon salad. The salmon salad was good but I could only eat one of the three tacos. It was too salty, even when I tried to drink more water or eat more cucumbers/radishes to soak it up. Maybe the vegan or vegetarian options are better.

I LOVE this place! I was home visiting my parents for the weekend (back in July) and came here TWICE! Call it pregnancy cravings or good food, either way I was craving this place. I loved their salad with the curried chicken on top - just perfect! The owner is the NICEST ever and we got talking and she brought us out a complimentary cinnamon roll. Very sweet, very nice. Inside is a little warm, so we always opted for outside, but know that it's limited seating! I'm sure we will be back here again and again! Great service, yummy and healthy food options!

TL;DR: quick service vegan-friendly sandwiches with interesting flavors! AMBIANCE: quirky quick service restaurant with a good number of tables, more of a lunch place! SERVICE: I had called ahead to place an order to go, since we had just driven in from LA and were running late for wine tasting (and didn't want to do it on an empty stomach!) I called about 15 minutes before we got there, and my friend idled outside (since parking is tough there). But my order wasn't ready yet. I'm not sure if this is normal, but the cashier was having a very deep conversation with a customer... they might have been flirting, tbh. But I felt like it was very hard to get his attention to check on my order, even though it should have been ready by then. I had to ask 2-3 times to check but I still had to wait... and we ended up stressed out late for the wine tasting. That kinda put a bad taste in my mouth and usually I'm pretty forgiving of bad service. But in a quick service restaurant, they should be able to check on those things, and I felt like I was bothering him... FOOD: They have a good selection of meat and vegan options! I ended up with the Nam Toc Burrito and I really liked it!! It had some cool Asian flavors mixed in, though the meat was kind of salty. It got a little heavy after a while because of it. I did crave that burrito again later in my trip, so I would say the food is decent (maybe my craving for Asian-ish food in SB, lol), a little salty, but my experience with the service the first time left a lot to be desired, unfortunately.

Went to The Blue Owl for a late dinner (around 9pm). The place had a great vibe. There was live music and many diners! We got the banh mi with eggplant and the nam too burrito (vegan). The banh mi was sooooo good! Crunchy, flavorful and satisfying! Both came with a side of Lay's potato chips. They have a lot of other vegan/vegetarian options as well!

Great ambience and good food. The service was excellent as well. We ate vegetarian and had plenty of choices.

The Banh Mi and Nam Toc Burrito lived up to the reviews. Good portions with lots of good flavor. The ambiance and customer service was outstanding. We will be back soon! Beer & wine available.

Oh man, the #1 on the menu - the eggplant sandwich - has really won me over. I crave it sometimes when I really need some sustenance. And the somewhat fat-and-oil-laden eggplant sandwich does just that, which is especially awesome because it doesn't contain meat - and any time I can get pleasantly full and nourished without eating meat, is a plus in my book, based purely on research about meat's negative affect on our organs... but I digress... it's eggplant SZN. Come down to the owl, get yourself a sandwich and a coffee and chill for a minute. Solid spot for sure. Cool atmosphere. Eggplant.

First of all, the service was AWESOME. One waitress in particular made our night. She saw that we weren't satisfied with our drink (iced matcha latte) and so she tried to fix it twice. She was super receptive, observant, and sweet! We were able to drink the matcha but it wasn't the best in the area. The food, on the other hand, was phenomenal. We got the nam toc burrito, the pork fried rice, and the Thai basil burger. The best hands down was the burger. So flavorful!! Everything tastes even better with their chili sauce too. The ambiance is nice and apparently they sometimes have live music, which I was sad to have missed. I'd go back 100%.

My mom and I were in the area after a doctor's appointment and defied to try The Blue Owl and I'm so glad we did! The food was delicious and the salads were generous portions. The whole vibe of restaurant was laid back and the staff was kind and patient while we contemplated the menu. If I lived nearby this would be a frequent spot for sure! So yummy!

Amazing food. Great staff. Cool vibe! Good location and near the main shopping area of SB.

Really Great Food! Live music was playing while we were there too. We LOVE the burrito -Nam Tak (sp?) - have gotten this before and really delicious. We tried the banh mi and enjoyed that too. Asian fusion, great good, fun vibe and well priced! Also, one of the few places with late night dining hours in SB.

Great service from tyreiq really nice restaurant with good vibes I recommend for anyone that is in town

Order the Nam Toc Burrito with a side salad and absolutely loved it. Had no expectations whatsoever for this and I walked out feeling very satisfied. Huge burrito and the flavors were amazing. The inside is very welcoming as well and it didn't take long for my food to be ready.

I just ate lunch at The Blue Owl with my 3-year-old and my mother-in-law, and it was such a wonderful experience that I'm writing this review FROM THE CAR after lunch. We're here in Santa Barbara on vacay, so I knew nothing about The Blue Owl before this morning when I went on Yelp and searched "vegetarian lunch beet salads near me." A few things I'd like to mention: 1. The food was great. I took my MIL here because we're both vegetarian and she loves salads (and I figured my daughter could scrounge off of our meals because she's 3 and never eats a damn thing anyway, ugggghhhh). They have a great kids menu though (not visible online) so we got her a kiddo grilled cheese plus a few sides of avocados and tofu and such. The food we got for ourselves was yummy. 2. The serving experience was excellent. The very nice and handsome server/cashier guy cleaned a recently-vacated table for us outside, and then when my daughter got too warm (AFTER our 8 million dishes were delivered to our table), he helped us move all our stuff to a cooler table indoors. 3. The indoor area is nicely appointed, with regular tables, several booths, a high-top counter thing where you can work on your laptop, and a couch with throw pillows and a few board games & puzzles. 4. The highlight of my experience was towards the end, when - totally unexpectedly - an awesome jazz pianist showed up and started playing the piano that I completely hadn't noticed, and then our helpful & handsome server/cashier person busted out a trumpet and started playing as well. What?!? It was not only a nice surprise, but the music was legit. If I lived around here, I would come back frequently for a salad and a glass of wine during music time.

This is a great place for some live music and late night bites! Lots of vegetarian options too. The food is good, and reasonably priced for the convenience! Friendly service and an overall good experience.

The Turkey Thyme sandwich is amazing and I've had it many times! I haven't ordered anything else because I crave it every time I'm there. Everything on the menu is creative and looks great, though.

Pretty good! Got the fried rice salad which had lots in it. Staff were a little frazzled from the rush but they were helpful, kind, and apologetic about any delays. Had to ask for extra dressing because salad was a little dry, but once we did that, it was great! And had extra to take home. Nice outdoor seating, which I always love, but a little warm inside. Will definitely go again and try to order something different. Their menu looks super cute and the vibes are good.

Love all of the cute blue owl decorations. The food was a beautiful sight, healthy, and delicious. Incredible staff that are also musicians. Such a fun and well respected restaurant in Santa Barbara. I highly recommend checking it out. You will not be disappointed.

Vegan food and non vegan food! So many options which is always a plus, especially when they're as beautifully crafted as these dishes! They have small bites and family size meals and great beverages. We got a Thai iced tea and it was delicious. Beautiful ambiance inside and out, fun patio to hang out on and enjoy downtown. Clean food. Good food. Fun love live music too!

We went here after the queens of the Stone Age concert which was great because most restaurants were closed by this time. The food was very good. The service was spectacular and the cashier was able to help you with deciding what to order. It had been some time since I ate here. The seating in cute inside with a big blue owl mural on one wall. I think installing vents in this place would help with the kitchen heat coming out into the seating area.

I joked that all the photos looked the same and mine looks like the rest! Ha! I got the GF Fried Rice with chicken, not spicy. There was an array of flavors and textures. It was great! The chicken texture was odd but next time I'll just get the rice without protein. I'd recommend this to a friend, for sure!

VEGAN REVIEW Lovely find right off State St! Stopped here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. If you look at the menu posted on the window you might think "hmmmm how much of this is vegan"-- but inside they have an ENTIRE VEGAN MENU We split the mango mint salad, flavorful & fresh ingredients. Based on Yelp reviews, hubby tried the vegan Nom Toc burrito, which was huge & tasty. I had the bahn mi with tofu & eggplant, super delish, the bread was perfect. Nice small selection of beers. Friendly, fast & patient service (we ask lots of question...) Cool vibe. You can tell this is a college & weekend tourist town. Would love to come back for a comedy or music night.

A shame, but the food here is barely even worth two stars. I love salads, vegetarian, and vegan food and live in a city where these types of spots are popular and delicious down in LA, so I was excited to try this spot while driving through SB, but holy cow never again. I got the eggplant focaccia sandwich with a side salad and didn't even finish half of the sandwich or more than a couple bites of the salad. I ate just to stop the hunger pangs. The eggplant mixture was an okay texture but BLAND - and I seriously mean like tap water has more flavor than this sandwich. It would've been nice for the sandwich to have condiments - or you know, some spices - but it was just the mixture and lettuce. The bread was bread. The salad was oddly flavored (enough to cause a frown and a "huh...") but the lettuce was fresh so there's a star. The inside is big and cutely decorated and service was fine for a walk-up and order experience. Overall, if you're a "maybe" on this place, lean on the "no" side of that.

My husband and I just happened to pass by and wanted to grab a quick late lunch to go. Since we both love the bahn mi sandwich so we ordered it to go. We love the vibe of the place and when we tried it along with the fresh salad it was good but it didn't taste like bahn mi at all. This is the reason I'm giving 4stars. I would go to try different food on the menu but wanted to let others to know don't expect authentic banh mi. It's more like fusion Americanized bahn mi.

Sometimes a restaurant suffers in its review from how good it sounds on the menu. The Miso Kale sounded so much like my thing that my dismay at its blandness was heightened. Ironically, the person at the register asked if I wanted double dressing before I even asked for another one when discovering its lack of flavor. This suggests maybe they should learn from a trend of dissatisfied customers and simply up the ratio of dressing to dish. For whatever reason they have not and the promise of the bowl is slashed by blandness. Three stars for potential sans execution.

Just to add to my last review... do not miss out on the fried rice salad. Wow. What an experience. I added kimchi and enjoyed it so thoroughly that I ate the entire (massive) portion. Healthy, hearty, delicious. I also somehow had room for a hot matcha latte and a lemon bar, both spectacular additions. The Blue Owl is definitely in my top five places to eat in Santa Barbara!

We came here at around 8:30 on a Saturday night. The place had one or two tables of customers and we had no problems finding a table. The vibe is casual and eclectic. We ordered 2 Nam Toc Burritos, one with everything and one without fish sauce. Both were delicious! We also ordered a large fried rice with pork (also sans fish sauce)--yummy and bursting with flavor. My family inhaled everything! We also ordered a Thai Tea and a Matcha Drink. The matcha was a little light in the flavor, so we asked the barista to add more matcha. She was kinda and remade the drink twice to make sure it was to our liking! Great customer service with every person we ran into.

I've been here many times over the years. The food was beautiful. I love the fresh sprouts. My fried rice was more like a cold rice salad. The male cashier was not helpful and was rude. It seemed like he was counting out and was already checked out. My BF had a basic looking turkey sandwich. Not my fav.

Get the burrito. It's special! Fried rice in a burrito with some great flavor. However, get the salad as the chips are only 1/2 oz size.

We ordered salmon salad and turkey sandwich OMG both were delicious The prices are fair. The service was excellent. The restrooms are clean. The pink lemonade is made with beet juice- so good- not too sweet not too bitter - just right! The hubby did save a bite of the donut for me lol

Fun funky little cafe that offers late-night dining for a wide variety of exotic and familiarly comfort foods. It's accessible, offers something for everyone. On this night, my friend recommended the fried rice with the poached egg. IT sounds pretty mundane but it was honestly surprisingly good. Something I'd go out of my way to get. There is a lot of hustle and bustle, especially at night, so don't plan on having a quiet, intimate space. It can be a bit loud, but it doesn't mean you can't have a decent conversation there. I like that you can go for lunch, for a drink or for dinner- there's no expectations in a very casual environment.

For Santa Barbara, not too expensive. I think my total bill, including two servings of their awesome homemade lemonade, was just over $20.00 Nowadays you pay close to that for crappy fast food. This was much better. I had a Thai cheeseburger topped with a fried egg and a side salad. Not sure what the dressing was, but it was delicious. Very bistro-like vibe , easy-going. The place was clean and organized and the staff was friendly and helpful. Restrooms were also clean, which is important to me. I noticed they have a small stage and was told that on weekends, they feature live music. Very pleasant lunch experience that I will definitely revisit the next time I am in Santa Barbara.

Great Bahn Mi and also love their bowls. This local spot is super casual, quick and always delicious. Ambiance, well, like I said it's super casual and sometimes a little crowded. All fine. Go there for the food and nice service when you are looking for a quick bite while shopping or walking around downtown.

Absolutely love! My boyfriend and I stopped by here during our trip to Santa Barbara. This is definitely going to be added to my go-to spots in SB! I love the vibe, it's so cute and welcoming. The staff is great and friendly. When we entered, there was someone playing the piano which just made the experience even more sweet! I ordered the Nam Toc Burrito with a side of salad and my boyfriend ordered the Thai Basil Cheeseburger with Egg. I LOVED the burrito and it was huge! I was able to save half of it and eat the rest for dinner. My boyfriend gave his burger a 4/5. Will definitely be back! I'm very interested in trying the other items on their menu :)

Food came out so fast and was so good! So much Vietnamese American fusions that sounded so good! The decor was so cool. They had a lot of pants and wall paintings. They also had an retro game arcade thing free to pay with.