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Roy, Santa Barbara, CA
Roy, Santa Barbara, CA
Roy, Santa Barbara, CA
Roy, Santa Barbara, CA
Roy, Santa Barbara, CA

Roy

4.4
4.4
399 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American
In business for more than 30 years, Roy is a bistro-style, Americana restaurant with a frequently changing, handwritten menu. We strive to serve unpretentious cuisine of the highest quality. We use mostly certified organic produce from the local Santa Barbara Farmers Market, free range chicken and Harris Ranch hormone free beef. We bake our own bread, hand roll our pastas and make all of our desserts in house. Our ambiance is retro moderne California casual, and we have rotating art shows that run for a month and a half at a time. Live music once in a while. Full bar all the time.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 1 time today

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (805) 966-5636
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Roy Gandy
  • Private party facilities
    Private dining room for up to 20 people with no room charge.
  • Private party contact
    Roy Gandy: (805) 966-5636
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross street
    State St.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Entertainment
    Different styles of music.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 399 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

399 Reviews
  1. HungryInHancock

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always have amazing, tasty, home-cooked style meals here. Plus, best bread and drinks in town!

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  2. DanielV

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 19, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Awesome place. Understaffed service, but they did their best and were very nice

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 18, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience3
    Left 20 minutes after being seated and no one had come by our table or even acknowledged us. The waiter must have passed us 5 or 10 times without even a look in our direction.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always love dining at Roy. Excellent food, great service, and Roy stopped by personally to say hello and check on us. Very very happy.

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  5. SueH

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Our first time eating at Roy. We were a little suspicious when no one else was in the restaurant and we were there at 6:30 on a Wednesday night. Waitress said they usually get busier later in the evening. It turned out to be one of the best meals we have had lately. The owner is the only chef and does all the cooking so it takes a little longer to get food but it is worth the wait. Morgan (waitress) was very accommodating and put us at ease. She provided excellent service. It is a quiet little place.

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  6. DeidreD

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Four of us went to Roy’s It was a wide variety of options on the menu All of our meals were delicious

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  7. MelindaM

    Los Angeles

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on September 3, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    We love Roy’s! A great eclectic environment. Our favorite place. Very nice staff. Roy, the owner, makes a point to come by to say hi. The food is excellent always!

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  8. Shantsb

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent service and food always!!! One of the best dinners out in a long time!

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  9. RobertL

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Exceptional food…nice ambiance and very fitting for special occasions. Not the cheapest in town, but worth it! Highly recommend.

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  10. JoanM

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We love Roy - the restaurant and the owner/chef himself. Whenever we're there, we feel like he is welcoming you in to his home. He really cares about the customer and the service is beyond great. Sometimes the items getting to the table are a little slow, but it gives you more time to enjoy your beverage and the homemade bread. The food is always delicious and fresh. You can tell he really does shop at the Farmer's Market.

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  11. GratefulAdam

    New York Area

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on August 1, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    The food was amazing. Fairly diverse menu and all the ingredients seemed so fresh. Go early if you like better service and more quiet.

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  12. MichaelK

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on July 1, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    We went to see a friend perform. The sound level was perfect, my fish and chips very flavorful not dull like some fish and chips can be, my Manhattan was tasty.

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  13. Leih

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Everything was bad- we had to wait for food for an hour and a half and food was terrible. The service was super slow and server gave us an attitude. Will never go back to this place

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  14. Foodie

    Los Angeles

    62 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    62 reviews

    Dined on June 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious food and drinks. Cool, funky vibe. Casual, comfortable place to grab a great meal after the show. They are open seven nights a week from 6 PM to midnight. A little hidden jewel near downtown Santa Barbara.

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  15. Nancy

    San Francisco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 9, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Too expensive for the quality/flavor of food. Took them about 50 minutes to bring the food after ordering. Service way too slow, waiter/bartender forgot our drinks. Didn’t order dessert because I didn’t want to wait another 50 minutes for a plain dessert like dinner.

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  16. Foodie

    Los Angeles

    62 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    62 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This place is located in a quiet little section of downtown near the Canary hotel. The food is simply amazing, and it is one of the very few places open late nights where you can get real food. Perfect for dinner after a concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. The vibe is definitely funky (in a good way) with lively bar, and live music most nights. Lovely owner/chef and servers. Our favorites include the filet mignon meatballs and chicken marsala. We rarely miss an opportunity to dine here when we visit Santa Barbara.

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  17. KarenG

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our group of four had a terrific time at Roy. The ambience was relaxed and welcoming, the server was friendly and attentive, and the food was delicious. (My cosmopolitan was really tasty, too.) Roy himself came around to check on everyone. We'll be back!

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  18. LisaJ

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 29, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Loved the homemade ravioli, but two in our party found it too "al dente". Sadly, flourless choc cake had no flavor. Only one waitress for 10 busy tables, but she was exceptional although short handed. Must have been an "off" night.

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  19. KimD

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 29, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience2
    Visiting from out of town. Was recommended trying Roy. Sat down and were told 3-4 of their menu items weren't available. 2 of those were what we planned to order. Food was bland. We ordered 1 cocktail and a soda and charged us $30 just for those beverages. Pointed it out and waitress said she charged us for 2 cocktails. Had to void and re run my card with correct amount. She also never came back to see if we wanted refills. Don't think we'll be going back there again.

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  20. MobDining

    Los Angeles

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Look forward to returning, perhaps for an evening with live music.

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  21. Jacob

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Love Roy! The food is always fresh and cooked perfectly!

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  22. Linguni

    Las Vegas

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience5
    Food and atmosphere was good, the service was sub-par

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  23. Docalex

    Central Coast

    46 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on May 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a treat to dine here. Year after year Roy continues to produce high quality culinary art with local ingredients. A secret favorite and local gem.

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  24. Dena

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The staff was courteous, Food met all of our (5 of us) expectations and the local jazz duo was delightful! We arrived early and were still seated immediately which was great.

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  25. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Service and sushi was amazing!! We have two children with celiac disease and the staff was very knowledgeable and helpful with our orders. Thank you!!

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  26. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 26, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    The waitress was very nice, the ambience was OK, the service was mediocre. I am very sad to express my feelings regarding this restaurant. I was really looking forward to taking my girlfriend out for a incredible evening of Italian food and to my astonishment, I had taken her to a dive. The restaurant tables and chairs were old and rustic, that seem to be OK. However, I really was disgusted by the cold meat ball and mushy and pasta, Shall I say with some tomato marinara sauce that Chef Boyardee would do a better job at. I will say I am not angry, because sometimes we have some bad nights. I really feel sorry for that waitress because she had to deal with the unhappy customers for the evening. I wish Roy and his staff the best of luck, but I believe they need to have somebody really help them out to straighten that kitchen out. Thank you for listening to my survey.

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  27. HungryInHancock

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Delicious! Everything was homemade and yummy. Fresh. Great quality.

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  28. KarenP

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Roy is one of our MOST favorite places to eat! The food is amazing, the service is personal and Roy puts his heart into his recipes and making every guest feel welcome. He has a special cow bell & song for birthday celebrations. If you are looking for a local restaurant that is truly unique, and open later that most others, Roy restaurant is the place!!

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  29. KathyM

    Central Coast

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 26, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience5
    Consistent, reliable, fresh and delicious food. Roy has been in business for 20 years? Seems to fly under the trend radar but is an amazing local place for drinks with a lovely bar, and best bread in town.

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  30. WILLIAMH

    Las Vegas

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent dinner!

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  31. notafoodie

    Central Coast

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on January 8, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    It was the perfect neighborhood restaurant. Lots of choices, all three dinners excellent. Could have had a bit more attention from server but it was nice to be left alone. Bathroom access odd.

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  32. Coco

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience2
    Food was good, Service is way off. Took awhile to even get a waitress to come to the table. Overall ok visit because of food, but would not be coming back. Not worth the money.

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  33. erics

    Central Coast

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    We had a wonderful time. The food and service were wonderful.

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  34. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Nice family run. Had the market salad very fresh and pasta carbonara we both enjoyed.

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  35. OpenTable Diner

    Orange County

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 25, 2022

    overall1food1service4ambience1
    We ended up in Santa Barbara on thanksgiving and this was one of the restaurants that was open. They had a fixed menu for $75 per person. I had a sad looking salad and the Turkey dinner. The Turkey was ok thanks to the cranberry sauce. However the stuffing was terrible and the mashed potatoes were bland, the prime rib was just ok, but the vegetables that came on the side with both dishes were bland and insipid and sweet potatoes were uncooked. The pumpkin pie was covered in caramel I suspect to mask the flavor of the also bland pie. It is very hard to screw up mashed potatoes, vegetables, or pumpkin pie. However Roy’s managed to screw them up all in one night. The table next to us also complained and the chef did comp their meal. We paid or bill and left hoping to find a fast food place to have something enjoyable on Thanksgiving.

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  36. MaggieMay

    Central Coast

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 22, 2022

    overall2food2service4ambience4
    We loved the ambiance and the service was very good, but the meal was disappointing. My steak was chewy and flavorless, and my husband's ravioli was tough and the sauce too sweet. The salad and freshly-baked bread were the best part of the meal, obviously quality ingredients. Also, the booth was very uncomfortable, with compressed seats and backs that were way too far away from the table. It was our anniversary, so we wanted a special evening, and Roy didn't deliver.

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  37. Roseguy

    Sacramento

    127 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    127 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience2
    My wife & I arrived with a reservation at opening. It was interesting the lights remained dim throughout our visit. Additional light would have been more welcoming. The large front windows I was facing were very dirty and in need of a professional cleaning. I ordered grilled pork tenderloin (see website) and our waitress returned to say 'sorry not avaialble'. Filets were cooked medium rare as requested and ok but not stellar. 'The Pairing' a red blend including cabernet was suggested when ''Terre Rouge' sarah was not available. Our server was pleasant but streched too thin. There are many fine restaurants in Santa Barbara in the same area. With a little effort Roy could do much better. At this time I would not suggest Roy.

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  38. Robert

    Central Coast

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Food is always outstanding at Roy! Can't wait to come back.

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  39. OpenTable Diner

    Central Coast

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Every item we ordered was perfectly prepared. We had a party of 7 and the food came out all together and was hot! Every staff member was incredibly busy but remained pleasant & professional. It was a leisurely dining experience with a cozy atmosphere. Afterward, Roy came out to greet us and check how we enjoyed our experience. Outstanding way to celebrate our daughter and her fiancé’s engagement!

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  40. JenRecommends

    San Francisco

    89 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    89 reviews

    Dined on August 30, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    nice place, enjoyable food and service. Roy made extra effort to come out and greet me as a guest which was really nice.

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Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Sealed or wrapped utensils used
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
  • Physical distancing

    • Limited number of seated diners
    • Distancing maintained in common areas
    • Extra space between tables
  • Protective equipment

    • Waitstaff wear masks
    • Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Roy is rated 4.4 stars by 399 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 1 time today
Google Map for Roy

7 W. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    State St.
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sun 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Roy Gandy
  • Entertainment
    Different styles of music.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (805) 966-5636
  • Private party facilities
    Private dining room for up to 20 people with no room charge.
  • Private party contact
    Roy Gandy: (805) 966-5636
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