Rate-a-Dive

As I continue along on my travels, I will do my best to chronicle the restaurants along the way so that anyone who follows along the same path, will have a guide on which places to hit and which to avoid.  I will be rating each by three different criteria: vibe, grub and spirits on a scale of 1-10 and then provide an overall rating.

Beachside Bar & Cafe -- Goleta California

Vibe -- 8

This bar/restaurant is a very locals only type of spot.  Most tourists are going to hit the main drag of Santa Barbara, but my friend Billie suggested this spot because it was right on the water.  The patio actually sits right on the sand.  The feel is very casual where you can come dressed in shorts or if it's a big night on the town -- wear jeans! Ha!  The view is spectacular and it's a stone's throw from UCSB.

Grub -- 4

For the restaurant being on the water I expected the fish selection to be great, but unfortunately it was pretty narrow, though I loved the oysters.  I actually had salmon with a hollandaise (sp?) sauce, rice pilaf and vegetables.  The fish was not very moist and the sides at Denny's were better! Ugh!  Upside is the service was fantastic and setting sorta made up for the food quality.

Spirits -- 8

I sorta dropped the ball here because I don't remember what type of beer I had there but it was a locally brewed pilsner.  It was served amazingly cold, which after a long drive was just what the doctor ordered!!

MAO Rating -- 22