Roost

Traveling to Santa Barbara for business this week was looking for a new place to try. Talking to a few locals I was guided to Roost as they really enjoyed their last meal. Why not (and glad I did)?! Driving up Roost is in a really nice part of town surrounded by beautiful historic missions and interesting landmarks. Was greeted at the door by the owner, Jim. Super friendly and immediately felt comfortable and relaxed. The interior also has a laid back but nice vibe with a local artist’s paintings on the walls. The menu was pretty straight forward With comfort food for and a good price for a nice meal in the area. Additionally the wine list had a good selection of wines from lighter to heavy (I usually go for red). Also the wine glass prices were reasonable and encouraged you to buy by glass in case you wanted to try different wines. I started with a Pinot and ordered the Rouladen. The food was well presented and was delicious. I ended up with the flourless cake and was happy with the nice capstone to the meal. If your in town for a visit (like myself) or local I would say give it a try. Nice people, exceptional food with a nice wine list. Say hi to Jim!

One of the best meals of our lifes. We saw the restaurant earlier in the day and the ambience paired with the simple menu peaked our interest. It was a quiet evening so we had the place to ourselves. The food was amazing and the owner perfectly described each dish. He also recommended a wonderful bottle of wine and told us about the winery and the story of the restaurant. We started with the shrimp salad which sounded refreshing but was so much better than we expected and reset our expectations for the pork dish that followed. But that dish only continued to surpass all expectations as it was slow roasted to the point that it melted full of flavor into your mouth. We ended up needing to try some dessert before we could leave. Thanks for the memory ROOST ❤️

Thank you Roost for an absolutely wonderful dining experience! The food is outstanding! And the ambiance is as warm and inviting as the friendly and wine savvy staff! I had a beautifully delicate piece of halibut served with a slightly spicy sauce over a bed of vegetables straight from the chef’s garden! How fresh is that?! Do not skip dessert! I was very happy with a wedge of flourless chocolate torte that was just the right density served with a spoonful of the freshest whipped cream on top! Beautiful from start to finish...and did I mention how serene the whole evening felt? Don’t miss the beautiful artwork on the walls! We will return...hopefully again and again! Thank you Roost!!!

Roost's interior has been renovated recently in fresh and clean classic design with comfortable seating. The menu is compact but covers all the basic proteins. The food we had was rich in flavor and perfectly prepared. I ordered the Stuffed Pacilla Chile and was pleasantly surprised how well it satisfied me and how the grits complemented the shrimp stuffing. A glass of Rose from Provence was a perfect pairing for this light and creamy dish. Upon request it could be prepared vegetarian or with chicken. I also tried the melt in your mouth Pork Roulade and the nicely charred Flattened Pan Roasted Chicken. We started with sharing a crisp Roost chicken salad and ended a perfect evening with an out of this world Flourless Chocolate cake! There are many reasons to go back to Roost soon - the quick friendly service, the delicious food, the diverse, reasonably priced drink offerings. But for now my number one is that decadent chocolate cake.

We went to Roost (the old Downey's location) tonight for the first time and we will go back again and again. Service was spot on. Great food! We started with the Ionian Salad... FRESH greens, radish, fennel, so good and the dressing was perfect. I'm super picky about Roast Chicken (because I feel I make it the best) but the roast chicken at Roost is so flavorful, really exceptional. My companion had the Porchetta and loved it. It's great to see a spot like this open with a Santa Barbara local. Thanks Jim and the rest of the staff at Roost and see you soon!