Test Pilot — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

I’m a huge tiki fan and have been to just about all major tiki spots in the US. There’s a certain mystique and allure for going to tiki bars, the escapism and all. I was excited that SB would have a tiki bar so I could have a tiki experience in my own backyard! Much to my dismay, Test Pilot is not an actual tiki bar. I’ve been 4 times now because I really WANT to like it and love it, but I just can’t.

This place is more of a kitschy, “Tiki inspired”, privilege of the influencers and “most-Instagrammable” bar than it is an actual tiki bar.

Service is decent at it’s best and cocktails are of average and below average caliber. Definitely nothing worth stopping by to have if you’re just passing thru town looking for a tiki fix.

There’s some classic tiki stuff on the menu (none of which are well executed) as well as some fun house recipes that tinker on UCSB punch bowl conversions.

Compared to every actual tiki bar i’ve ever been to, this is by far the worst “tiki-esque” bar i’ve been to and you’re best of driving 35 miles south to Ventiki to have a much more honest tiki experience.

It’s not so much that Test Pilot isn’t authentic, it’s more that it’s just straight up bad. Strictly on service & drinks, it’s bad. Decor, atmosphere, crowd, lack of tiki “authenticity” etc are all ignore-able if the service and drinks were good, but it’s really just bad.

Just have wine or beer if you’re a tiki fan coming to funk zone, skip this...

The poor bartender! Way over his head and in no part because of his skills. He took way too many orders before making them and the service quality suffered heavily for it. I waited at least 5 minutes for an order, which is not too egregious but he then when and chatted with his friends to get their order for more then the amount of time it would’ve took to make the drinks - they did not know what they wanted and he took his time helping them. He made 8 drinks at once but struggled to control the conditions of any of them. The two my friend and I ordered were serviceable but enjoying them was hard as it took 15 minutes to receive. Nice guy, obviously talented but the points of service were so far off… Whoever runs this bar needs to make it clear that if a party is greater than 3, they should have their drinks made before the next order. Never seen another bar that works this way. It hurt my confidence in the drink, my generosity, and I left after one round. You have talented staff and a great ambience. Get it together and teach them how to bartend like professionals. You might think you’re maximizing their time but you’re minimizing your patronage and...

Fun Drinks and Great Atmosphere!

My family and I had a fantastic time at the "Test Pilot" in Santa Barbara! We decided to take my in-laws there after my father-in-law heard about it from a bartender and was eager to try it out.

I opted for the family-friendly "Virgin Buccaneer" while my father-in-law went for the Purple Mai Tai. He raved about how delicious his drink was, and I thoroughly enjoyed mine too!

What really impressed me was the ambiance and attention to detail. The drinks were beautifully presented, prompting me to snap a few photos to test my photography skills on the spot. Needless to say, they turned out great!

Overall, our experience at the "Test Pilot" was delightful, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for fun drinks and a great atmosphere in Santa Barbara. We'll definitely be...