Joe's Cafe — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

TLDR: Polite and friendly waitstaff, attentive and helpful management, unusually long wait, recent food was bland and over cooked, we found plastic in our vegetables and refire was equally overcooked

Normally I absolutely love this restaurant and honestly it pains me to give a lower score. The service is usually wonderful, with good food for reasonable prices considering the quality you're getting. But, alas, with our last experience- I honestly don't know if they got a new manager or if they got a new chef but it was bad. Keep in mind, we've gone maybe 5 times before this and they've always had stellar service and food! First as we arrive we're told there's no booths despite several available ones. Okay, fair enough, maybe a reserved spot? So we place our orders, and when we get our drinks its 2 whiskeys instead of our rootbeer. Alright, its noisy, easy mistake and the waiter nicely brought us the right ones. Then 30 minutes, then almost an hour, people around us are being seated and fed after us and we haven't gotten anything save for a few water refills. We arrived around 6:15, I finally get my truffle mac and cheese appetizer at almost 7:45- last time it was creamy, smooth, flavorful- this time it was so bland, dry and burnt I had to ask for another, which I don't like doing because I know how busy they can be and frankly I'm skittish. Again, the new one is dry and overcooked but I let it slide because I feel bad flagging down our waiter twice already. But it was not worth 8$ a bowl. Finally, we get our entrees- the calamari steak and fried chicken, which we've ordered before and loved. My husband found chunks of PLASTIC multiple times mixed in with his veggies which were cold and soggy, meanwhile the calamari was chewy and bland. My fried chicken was burnt, less flavorful, and dry, but by now we had waited almost an hour and a half for our food and we were going to be late for our movie if I asked for a refire. We kindly flagged down our waiter (who mind you had been very nice and we still tipped of course) and he brought the floor manager over, who took a look and brought the plate to the kitchen. She confronted the kitchen staff and I guess it was from the oyster crackers? I have no idea how you could accidentally get a cracker wrapper mixed in with food, that seemed like a lack of attention on the kitchen's behalf. However, she offered to fully comp us or provide a refire, but honestly we weren't trying to get a freebie out of it not to mention we were starting to run late, so we told her not to worry. Still, she was wonderful and gave us 20% off the meal and we were sure to thank her, and apologize for pulling them away so much. I honestly don't blame the waitstaff, this seems more like a major issue with the kitchen. Its a real shame, because up until that night, we had gone several times and absolutely loved the food, I'm grateful the floor staff at least were still as wonderful as ever. Maybe they just hired new chefs, or I don't know what? I'm not sure, but i was heartbroken and so was my husband. Im hoping the food improves again because this is my favorite restaurant on State and I'd hate to see them...

It's easy to see why this establishment has been around since 1926; they do it right. Food: Excellent. Drinks: Strong and tasty. Staff: Top notch, attentive, not too much though. Music: Mixed generational rock. TV: NBA Playoffs. There were three of us and we had three very different meals. Lasagna: Appearance was unique because it wasn't topped with an overabundance of cheese. The large rectangle piece filled the plate and lay on a bed of extra meat sauce. Not too over the top,nor too heavy...very delicious! We also had bread, as well. Let's talk about the bread routine before we go any further. They set the basket of bread slices before you and add a plate of butter balls and a small bowl of salsa. They recommend you butter the bread and then top it with the salsa. It is really, really tasty. I dont know what genius is behind the combo, but to them I say, "Well done!" Beef Tip Sub: came with a salad (we had their homemade thousand island dressing...it was very nice), and side (we chose a baked potato over fries). Scrumptious. Joe's Steak: Normally a tougher type of steak, but this was excellent and cooked medium rare as requested. Sides were mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Both were quite tasty. Two alcohol drinks, Fabulosa Margherita and White Russian. Both much stronger than any other restaurant to which we have been, and very good. Dessert: We split a layered chocolate cake that had whipped cream, a thin frosting, chocolate mouse whipped to perfection, and a layer of chocolate cake that was, on its own, very, very good. On the side we asked for ice cream and I am certain it was made homemade. All in all, an exceptional meal. Don't expect Olive Garden pricing for this kind of supreme fare, but it was under $100 for the three of us with entree, drinks, and dessert, so not crazy...

My wife and I have been to this place three times now, and each time we walk away feeling exactly the same: the meal was wonderful, yet the service was horrible. If this review was based purely on the food, I would give it a 5-star review. The service, on the other hand, is worthy of a 1- to 2-star review.

We get the feeling as though this place has a lot or "regulars," and if you're not one of those regulars, you get ignored. As a previous reviewer remarked, the water glasses are small, and in our three visits, I can't recall receiving a single refill.

Our last (and final) visit, our waitress walked passed our table over five times and never once refilled our water glasses. Then, after our tables were cleaned by a friendly busboy, our waitress walked passed our table three times-- each time looking down at our empty table, yet she never retrieved our check or asked how we were doing. After becoming impatient, we tried two times to wave her down as she passed, but each time she ignored us. Finally, after having to waive her down, she said, "yes, just wait a minute," as if we were inconveniencing her by wanting to pay our bill.

After waiting five minutes, and watching her chat with her coworkers, we had to waive her down again and request the check, which she then delivered without asking how our meal was, or showing any hospitality.

The service was so poor, that this was the first time in my life I have ever felt justified in not leaving a tip.

It's really unfortunate, because we do...