Handlebar Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

Yep – good coffee. Bagel with almond butter and jam is a hit too. (4/5 green stars) Busy place but service was fast and very friendly. When I asked about bagel toppings I was recommended to try their almond butter and strawberry jam. I was a bit skeptical, but on top of a savory everything bagel it turned out to be a very tasty combo. I was concerned that it might be a bit sickening, but no! They have a toaster on their counter so that you can toast to your own liking. Together with a latte it came to just over $7, which seems reasonable (especially considering the price of almond butter, and they give you a lot!) The latte was $4 (made with organic Strauss milk) and I thought it was very good. The bagel, almond butter and delicious strawberry jam was the highlight tho!

I’m giving Handlebar Coffee 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on these reasons: • Coffee beans. It’s weird: almost everything that they stock (see below) comes from good suppliers. But when it comes to their very own beans, they have nothing to say! Nothing! No info on prices paid for green coffee, sustainability on farms, processing methods, shade cover. I looked everywhere. • Their dairy milk is from Strauss Organic. • A good selection of plant-based milks, including oat milk from Oatly (although that comes all the way from Sweden). • Almond milk is from Califia, one of the better commercial brands that I can see (e.g., water-use and bee-care). • Pastries (some vegan) from Renaud’s patisserie. • Bagels from I.V. bagels, which uses some organic ingredients. • Chocolate from Twenty Four Blackbirds and tea from Steven Smith. • Coffee cup lids, cold cups, straws, coffee bags, were not compostable. • My almond butter and jam came in plastic containers – would have preferred if they used ceramic pots or just placed it on my plate.

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If you’re above the age of 60, approach this establishment with caution 🚨 I came here with my dad for a day of coffee and writing. We purchased a cappuccino and 2 cortados and nestled in amid the crowd of students, many of whom appeared to have been studying there for hours. Ninety minutes into our stay, the coffee shop’s owner approached my dad and rudely asked him (though not me) to leave, accusing him of staying there “all day,” taking advantage of their WiFi without ordering anything. He assured her this wasn’t the case, but she refused to acknowledge her error. The interaction felt shockingly ageist. My dad, the only 60-something in the eatery, had just as much a right to be there as any other paying customer. He was seated quietly, drinking his coffee and working on his laptop, just like every other young person in there. I am pretty horrified by the unconscious bias demonstrated at this establishment. Also, the coffee tasted mildly of cat urine? I won’t...

First, I really do not smoke a cigarette, had a little emotional day, wanted to cheer up and went to this coffee shop. I smoked a cigarette outside of the coffee shop, coming from Texas i had no idea about the smoking law in CA. But this lady actually came up, asked me not to smoke here. I was surprised and embarrassed cuz i had no idea. But she went on like you can leave if you want, very passive aggressive way. She came back to me twice very aggressively. I felt horrible because personally i try to be the nicest person as possible, and I came up to talk to her nicely, but she went on and on. I politely apologized and i left. It was very disgraceful event, I still remember every words she said. But at least she shook my hand. In the end, always put your professionalism while you at work and doing your job, before getting into ask someone to leave or make their day even worse. I am not gonna lie, if you just want a great tasting coffee, i would highly...