Cody's Cafe & Bar

We love Cody's and usually go at least once a month for breakfast. Yesterday was our first time on a holiday and we were pleasantly surprised to only have to wait 15min or so for a table on Mother's Day. The staff was busy but still as friendly as always and our food was perfect. Their steak and eggs breakfast can't be beat but it's hard to pick between it or one of their eggs benedict varieties. If you like crab cakes, the crab cake benedict is wonderful.

Generous portions of the food so you might share a dish for a light lunch. We like the tuna melt. We can replace the fry with salad so we get two salads from one order. That was exactly what we wanted.

Found Cody's on Google planning a drive from Orange County to Big Sur. From me, it was exactly as expected. Cafe foo; my Omlette with tri tip was good, but not exquisite. They were open at 7am, big win for a long drive. Several locals showed for door opening like a daily routine. "Best eggs" from a 10 year old. "Good French toast, make sure to mention that because good French toast is hard" from a 14 year old. "Giant Pancakes" from an 8 year old. There is outdoor seating and the inside restaurant was clean. Service was friendly, but I will note it was not busy yet.

Like many places in Santa Barbara, Cody’s has had to make adjustments for Covid 19 reasons, and are no longer attached to their sister restaurant on the Mesa , and the menu has slightly changed, along with the prices. But the people are the same, awesomely nice and the drinks are very strong , something that have kept the locals loyal and it won’t disappear like Goleta Coffee across the way. Something the scientists from the reality show Bar Rescue could learn from. The Breakfasts are hearty and used to be a favorite of the working fisherman back in the day . The Californian Benedict, with its perfectly cooked poached egg and tomato and avocado is a known favorite of the local Santa Bar-barbarians and for a slight fee , add those to the Fairfax Benedict ( I think it’s a wink to Canter’s Deli in LA on Fairfax) which is Smoked Salmon on a bagel, cream cheese,poached egg, Homemade Hollandaise sauce and is served with a choice of potatoes , cottage fries or their perfect hash browns and homemade salsa. I can’t eat like that anymore, so I got the grilled Fresh Salmon that I photographed ,because it looked like a perfect still life painting ! Healthy too ! Sadly, because of the Covid, the price was $20 and with tea and tax , plus a tip ,well, I can’t afford to eat there everyday like I had for the past 20 years. (Maybe when the Covid 19 is over ; prices will go down again )🙏The Salads and Hamburgers are just as good as they were decades ago. I especially enjoyed the $13 Gorgonzola Salad with its cheese and mandarins , and for $7 extra , you can add a piece of grilled Chicken or Salmon. Now with outdoor seating, they also have a cozy banquet room and side bar (although I haven’t seen it used much since the Covid ) and for the same reason, it is no longer open for dinner . 😔 Sigh , it’s the end of an era in Santa Barbara. But for Breakfast and Lunch it is still one of the best “Local Favorites “ in Goleta.