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Roy, Santa Barbara, CA

Roy

4.4
4.4
429 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
  • Healthy
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.

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.
  • 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 429 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

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Roy in Santa Barbara offers "excellent food and excellent service" in a welcoming atmosphere with a retro vibe. Guests praise the attentive staff, including owner Roy, who personally greets diners. While some reviews mention slow service and higher prices, the overall dining experience is consistently celebrated for its "great vibe" and delicious dishes.

429 Reviews
  1. Regina

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was very good. However, while the initial service was decent,, orders were taken in a reasonable period, drinks arrived quickly and food was hot when served, when the restaurant got a bit busier our server became overwhelmed and it got very difficult to attract his attention. We waited quite a while after we'd finished, before I finally had to rudely wave him over to clear the dishes and order dessert, and when we finished that and were ready for the check we finally had to stand in front of the host station to get it.

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  2. Ed-Deb

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    2.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on October 23, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    We saw several good reviews about Roy, but it really didn't live up to its billing on our visit. The ambiance was very retro, which was fun. Music was excellent! The service was fine. But the food, cocktail and wine weren't all that great. The food was overcooked (pasta) and uninspiring (stuffed salmon). My simple cocktail wasn't very good and the wine list is limited. Prices were a bit high in comparison to other restaurants (for example, Opal, which was much better). The server/bartender was very nice, with a great sense of humor, too. I might go back for a beer at the bar, but not for dinner.

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  3. Willy

    Richmond

    19 reviews

    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on September 2, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    a lovely local joint featuring good food & artists 🧑🏼‍🎨😎

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  4. John

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service by William was outstanding and the food was prepared and plated perfectly. We are fans of Roy.

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Austria

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service and excellent food. Really great music.

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Palm Springs

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything about Roy’s is fantastic. The excellent food, retro booths, great vibe

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  7. JohnB

    Orange County

    14 reviews

    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on July 7, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    The food was decent, but we were 1 of only 2 tables with diners at 7pm Saturday night during a holiday weekend. Very strange to eat in an almost empty restaurant. And the service was still slow. Also, the advertising on Open Table is misleading. All entrees are $10-15 more than the price shown on this website (examples: $22 chicken picatta is $32 and $38 steak is $50)

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  8. Sweet

    Central Coast

    28 reviews

    4.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a neighborhood restaurant where the food is well above average and the staff are friendly. My friend loved her meal. I had an entree that at best was appetizer size and was not advised ahead of time that I should probably get a small salad or side veggie. The bread is delicious and when my friend asked if she could buy a loaf, Roy gave her half a loaf for free. Very generous!

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  9. JOHNC

    Phoenix

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very nice restaurant. The service was great & our server so attentive. Even Roy came out to see how we were enjoying the food. A real jem in downtown Santa Barbara.

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  10. Dano

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Roy has been a consistently great experience for years. For dinner, drinks and music.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Roy is rated 4.4 stars by 429 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
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.
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