Dune Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

The name that's written above the door, hanging quaintly from a rod iron pole: The French Press. The name that's displayed on the glass entryway, boldy painted on the wall inside, and the name of their website: Dune Coffee.

The history of how these two names refer to the same place is a baffling story of intrigue, mystery, and back-stabbing. It's a study in feudal society, noble houses, and one Paul Atreides. --If you're an astute science fiction reader, you already know I'm no longer talking about the coffee shop, but about Frank Herbert's novel that obviously inspired this enterprise. If you aren't, you should pick up a copy of Dune and head over to The French Press to read it.

In all seriousness, when you visit, you should take a moment and ask the barista why the place seems to have two names. It should lead you to a fun conversation, but we won't spoil the results here. ATMOSPHERE

It feels like stepping into a desert. It's dry, sandy, a wasteland of a place. Water is in short supply, but it is made notable for being the single source in the known universe for Melange, a spice known to extend life and aid in interstellar travel.

No, wait. That's a Dune reference again.

If we want to talk about the State Street location of this fine coffee roaster: It's a quaint, relaxing, not terribly quiet location. Plenty of chairs and tables line the narrow hallway to the back, opening up to a small outside patio. There's also an outdoor sitting area in the front, ideal for people watching. Contrary to the first paragraph in this section, water is not hard to find inside the French Press, rather it's available to dispense yourself from an iced container.

The location is suited for a quick espresso, as well as spending an hour or two working on your latest novel (science fiction recommended) or checking those work emails. COFFEE 4.5/5

Dune declares that their mission is source the "absolute best coffee, roast it with attention and care, and hand it over for you to enjoy". They claim to be in constant search of better and better coffee. Their passion comes through in the taste and smell of the coffee offerings, and the friendliness of the employees. The coffee is roasted in Santa Barbara (but not at the State St location) OTHER OFFERINGS

There's a small selection of pastries, but the main focus here is on the coffee. If you want food, we highly recommend walking across State Street and visiting Andersens. WORKABILITY/DATE PLACE 4/5

If you are used to making a small workspace footprint, you can camp out on one of the wall tables for as long as you need. Free wifi is available.

You also need to have a great work ethic and ability to stay focused, lest the temptation to people watch on State Street becomes too tempting.

This place feels like a fantastic one for having a good conversation, feeling cozy in a public area, and discussing the fashion choices of everyone that walks by.

We obviously recommend that you drop the next time you visit Santa Barbara.

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We went to Dune Coffee Roasters on State Street during a weekend getaway with two other couples, and this place absolutely hit the mark. The day before, we stopped at Handlebar for matcha, but it was honestly really watered down and just not great. So the next day we gave Dune Coffee a try, and wow, this was exactly what we were anticipating in terms of flavor and quality. The ceremonial grade strawberry matcha was phenomenal. Hands down one of the best matchas we have ever had. They actually use real strawberries that are crushed into it, and it even had this strawberry dust sprinkled on top. The flavor was so smooth, not too bitter, not too sweet, just perfect. My wife and I are total matcha connoisseurs down in Orange County, and we were blown away by this one. The drinks were gone within seconds. Our friends that were with us own a coffee shop, and even they were super impressed with the espresso and how fresh and flavorful the beans were. You can tell this is a true coffee place where they care about the craft and the quality. We also grabbed a croissant and a chocolate croissant, both really flaky and delicious. Not sure if they were made in-house, but they tasted like they were. Everything from the drinks to the pastries was just on point. If you are visiting Santa Barbara and want a spot that actually takes pride in what they make, this is it. We will 100 percent be coming back every time we are in town! Thank you for the staff being super sweet and...

I have been a supporter of Dune Coffee since it was The French Press and they shared their state street location with another business.This week the two times I was in I was discriminated against by the staff because of a couple of T-shirts I have worn.My T-shirts did not promote discrimination against any religion,race or gender, or orientation.however in order to understand it you’d either have to be in the service or a veteran.I have worn these shirts a number of times while purchasing coffee and not once had it bothered anyone,My shirts are from a Veteran owned business which I support because I am a Veteran myself. I choose to support Dune coffee because I believe in supporting local and small businesses.Up until till now Dune coffee had had excellent customer service, with a sad heart I will no longer support Dune Coffee because it seems that they do not support Veterans. As a veteran I fought overseas so we can have the freedom to be able to Think with an open mind So that we can as a whole stick together regardless of Religion, Race, or Sexual Orientation, I fought so that even if we don’t agree with one another we can be able to Live...