Corner Tap — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

Corner Tap has some really good things going for it, but there’s still some things you’ll be left wanting.

We ordered the Caesar salad, pretzel, and animal fries, coming out to just shy of $40. Portion wise, this was a bit much for what we received, but it’s Santa Barbara after all.

The Caesar salad was satisfactory, albeit a touch spicy. I’d say it’s a tasty budget salad choice. As a note to the owners, please provide more sauce for your to go orders! You’ve got something great here, let me enjoy it to its fullest!

The pretzel was a bit of a mixed bag. It was deliciously seasoned and came with a great mustard; however, the cheese sauce it came with was a little mild. I’d like it to be a slightly larger serving as well, but the flavors still make it a solid choice.

Okay, let’s dive into the animal fries. These things are great and could honestly constitute a full meal by themselves. If someone asks you to split an order, don’t. You want your own.

Let’s talk about the ugly aspects of this visit. Honestly, it’s loud inside. Luckily, there’s plenty of outdoor seating, just avoid sitting along Cliff Drive and you’ll be fine. The parking situation is also rough, especially considering people like to park over the “lines” of reflectors.

The worst part was how long it took for our food to be ready. It took just shy of 25 minutes to prepare a salad, pretzel, and some fries. I’m not trying to nitpick, but considering how little food was leaving the kitchen in general, it was slow.

All together, we done! This will be replacing Mesa Burger for us from now on, especially with how comparable the prices have become. To wrap it up, here are their current, 2023 menus so you can see each items...

I finally was able to try the newly renovated Corner Tap on the Mesa. While the interior appears unchanged, the menu has definitely gotten a revamp for the better. They offer a bunch of local beers on tap, along with a nice variety of cocktails. Our group enjoyed our beverages all around. Unfortunately, the waitress wasn't super confident and had to ask another employee several of our questions--yet at least she found out answers versus just guessing the answers. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt given a new menu.

Of course, we came here for the Detroit Style Pizza! They have eight to choose from. The main thing that makes these pies unique is the thick crust that is encrusted in cheese with a nice, doughy interior. While you wait for your food, you can play a game of shuffleboard. The pizzas were outstanding. Sausage has a good amount of flavor and spice if that's your thing. The cheese was tasty but a bit excessive and wayyy saltier than it should be. We were chugging water during and after our meal.That was the one big downfall. We rebalanced our palate with the Pizzookie which is a good-sized chocolate cookie in a skillet. We finished that dessert of quickly. All in all, I'm glad Corner Tap...

Went here a second time to give it another try. The first time we went the place was fairly new so there were a lot of staffing kinks. This place used to be a cool, neighborhood pizza joint and now it's a very casual (somewhat sterile) pub with not so casual prices. The night we went, they were out of a lot of choices and had no fries, tots, no chicken sliders, etc. The overall vibe of the staff is polite indifference and comes off somewhat young and inexperienced. The food is fine for pub style fare but it is very very expensive ($15 min plus tax/tip per item) for small portions. And the drinks also have an equally hefty price tag. We walked in thinking casual pub experience and walked out less $100 after 3 drinks, 1 sandwich, 1 flatbread with a green salad. There are better casual eateries in the area with a lot more character where you can get...