3 Stars

Seeming light years away from the hustle and bustle of the collegiate/tourist-filled South State Street is an unsuspecting Cal-French local favorite: Downey’s. For 25 years, Owner and Chef John Downey has managed to sustain rave accolades amidst a completely unlikely environment. Yes, the esteemed apex of Santa Barbara restaurant folklore is all but hidden in secluded Mid-Town State Street. More surprising is that once inside, Downey’s is completely void of aesthetic trickery to the point of intrigue. It is evident: John Downey is from the school of substance over style.

Located in an early twentieth-century building in the historic El Paseo complex, The Wine Cask offers a dramatic and charming atmosphere with high ceilings, wide windows, and a large fireplace in the dining room. Known for imaginative dishes loaded with luxury regional ingredients, the Wine Cask offers a select menu of decadent dishes, such as Miso Broiled Black Cod with Japanese eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, pickled carrots and star anise broth, and Truffled Potato Gnocchi with butternut squash, porcini mushrooms, baby gold beets and truffle butter sauce.

Located in Santa Barbara's Old Town district, The Palace Grill offers authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine as well as more modern Caribbean and Italian-influenced dishes. Excellent service, a unique entertaining atmosphere and sensational regional cuisine make The Palace Grill one of the best places outside of New Orleans to sample everything from Crawfish Étoufeé to Oysters Rockefeller.

Smokin' Jack's KC Barbecue is where locals go to satisfy their cravings for heavy-duty Kansas City-style barbecue. Smoke is a major part of the flavor of this Midwestern technique, and at Smokin' Jack's, hand-cut meat and house made sausages are cooked extra slowly using secret homemade rubs and sauces. Enjoy Smokin Jack's finger-licking good food in a lively atmosphere, complete with live blues as a backdrop.