Rare Society — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

I had the most incredible dining experience here, and it was made even more memorable by our outstanding server, Levi!

From the moment you walked in, the ambiance is incredibly warm, elegant, and inviting - the attention to detail in the restaurant's decor is nothing to overlook.

Now, let's talk about the food – absolutely divine! Each dish was a burst of flavors, expertly crafted and beautifully presented. The menu offered a great selection of not only amazing steaks options, but many other options such as a raw bar, great seafood, and some American favorite - Levi was there to professionally guide us through the options. His knowledge of the menu and the ingredients was impressive, and he made the dining experience feel personalized and special. He’s also rather knowledgeable about his cocktails & and spirits. Do yourself the favor and grab yourself a rare old fashioned (dry aged fat-washed bourbon, rosemary oleo, bitters). Quite an incredible bar program they run!

The entire staff at Rare Society seemed genuinely invested in creating a wonderful experience for their guests, and Levi was no exception. His professionalism and warm demeanor added an extra layer of enjoyment to our evening, and we left feeling incredibly satisfied and grateful with the service.

If you find yourself in Santa Barbara and are looking for a remarkable dining experience in a favorable location, I say make this restaurant a must. And if you're lucky enough to have Levi as your server, you're in for quite the treat.

I was noted they have a great happy hour too - and was told their Philly cheesesteak is to die for. Best believe I will be...

My bride and I had our anniversary dinner there very recently. I have to say we were a bit disappointed. We had a fairly early dinner reservation, and the restaurant was relatively empty, but it appears people were being seated all in one section around us. The hostess recognized our anniversary and my bride and I were seated across from each other, yet another young couple was allowed to sit side-by-side at the table next to us. We don’t eat very heavy, so our order was relatively light and easy for the waiter. However, when my steak was served, he did not bring my wife’s food out to her. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes with lobster, so she ate some of that while expecting to have her food brought to her. We agreed that the dish was runny and salty. Perhaps, too much butter. Also, bits of the lobster shell were in the mashed potatoes. After several minutes of waiting for the waiter to come by again, and allowing my steak to get cold in the process, he checked in on us, and I reminded him that my wife’s food had not yet been brought out. He returned to the kitchen., apparently to order it, because it was not brought out until several minutes after that. This lapse in service and uncharacteristic lack of quality in a very simple side dish put a damper on the evening for us. This was a very simple process when business was light, yet it was messed up. Not what I expected from such a nice restaurant. On a better note, our snow crab claws, bacon, and my filet mignon were done very well. My wife enjoyed her shrimp, scampi, but by that time the experience...

Just a recommendation to order medium if u want medium rare. We are experienced daily home steak grillers and know what medium rare looks like.

Our recent visit here was, unfortunately, underwhelming. While the ambiance and presentation initially set high expectations, the service and attention to detail left much to be desired.

The most significant issue was the steak itself. We specifically ordered our steaks medium-rare, but what arrived at the table was decidedly rare—cold in the center and not at all what we requested. While we understand that mistakes can happen, this seemed like a fundamental error for a steakhouse.

To make matters worse, the service was inattentive. After the food was served, we waited over 20 minutes without anyone checking in to ensure everything was satisfactory. By the time we managed to flag someone down, the moment for correcting the issue had passed, leaving us frustrated and hungry for proper service.

For a restaurant that prides itself on quality, implementing a proactive table-check policy would significantly enhance the dining experience. Servers should check on each table within the first 5-10 minutes of food being served to address any issues promptly. Additionally, ensuring the kitchen adheres closely to temperature requests is vital for maintaining trust and satisfaction among guests.

While the restaurant has potential, the combination of poor service and an improperly cooked steak overshadowed any positives. Until these operational issues are addressed, we’d hesitate to recommend to fellow...