My favorite bar in the American Riviera. Cool spot to lounge out and enjoy a cold one with pals. I always go for the Hef. It's cash only but they have an ATM on site.
You can play a round of pool or sit back and enjoy the vibe. Definitely a hipster trash hang out and everyone gets along quite well...
Elsie's tavern, so much to say about this place. Not your run of the mill Santa Barbara bar. I enjoyed a Hefenweizen on tap while playing a game of scrabble with a couple of close friends of mine. It was a close match, but I came out with the win. Although the dictionary they had there helped to prove one of my words was wrong, I guess you can't win them all. I'll be back Elsie.
Review Source:I've been an Elsie's girl for a little over 4 years now.
I don't really know how to explain Elsie's because I've never in my life found a place like it. It's kind of got this coffeehouse/dive/lounge/art gallery thing going on and that is the best way I can describe it.
Elsie's is one of the only bars in Santa Barbara I've been to where people talk to you and you can meet some of the most interesting, artistic, and intelligent people.
Happy Hour prices are great and there are always free chips and snacks out. They also serve lattes, espresso, Top Ramen, Pop Tarts, Kettle brand chips, and sell single cigarettes if smoking is your thing. There is a nice big patio out back if you want to go light one up and have a chat with your friends.
Though I don't smoke, so the only thing I get when I go outside are smokey clothes that need to be washed the next day, ha.
Just don't go in and act all douche-y, you can't get away with that at Elsie's like you can at other bars.
Be cool man, be cool.
Oh and bring your cash, they do not accept credit cards.
Oh Elsie's, I waited so many years to hang out here, for years my friends talked about this place. Finally this past summer it was my turn to check it out myself. At first this was my favorite spot to stop by on my way home after a long day at work and sip on a few beers, smoke a cig or two and just chat with my friends, now I have a few other places that are closer to my house, but I still stop by on occasion.
Elsie's is one of my favorite places to meet up with friends who are home on vacation from school. The most important thing to remember about Elsie's is to bring cash, unless you don't mind paying a $3 ATM fee. I love the silly decor and dim lighting, stacks of book and games. Love that I can order microwaved popcorn, seems like I always burn it at home and at Elsie's they must have a magical microwave, because each kernel is popped. Haha.
Annoying parts...Pool table, little crooked, but I'm not a serious player so I don't really care that much, only one table so when there is a lot of people there don't expect to play any time soon. If you are not a smoker I would not hang out in the back patio area, its really smokey even though it is outside. Sometimes I run into a few douche-hipster types, but if you are in good company then all you have to do is ignore them.
Overall I say Elsie's is a great place to hang out and catch up with great friends or chill out after a long day at work.
OH YEAH! Did I mention the PacMan game! Yep, old school, and only a quarter. Very fun to have drunk tournaments. One more note, I always write on the chalk board in the bathroom, its all scratched up, but sometimes I find some great little doodles or words.
Let's get the bad stuff out first... the outside patio is awesome except for how it's constantly filled with smokers. Â It's cash only (which is kind of cool but still annoying), and it's hard to get in with the "regulars".
Good stuff... pretty much everything else. Â It's not on State Street so it's way more mellow. Â It has a great beer and wine selection, good music is always playing, comfy couches, a really intimate atmosphere. Â If you're looking for something that's not a club and not a dirty dive bar, Elsie's is the way to go.
I couldn't be more excited to be back in Santa Barbara at this very moment... I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Elsie's is still open, and it's still one of the best bars in town. Cheers!
It's certainly a more grungy, low-key scene than most of the college hot spots just a block over on State, which makes Elsie's great for grad students, "older" visitors (at 27, I guess that's me?), and hippie/hipster/alternative-types that aren't looking to bump and grind. It's fully equipped with couches, dim lighting, quirky decor, a pool table, endearingly sassy bartenders, and an intimate back patio with plenty of seating. If you're really sloshed, they also sell cigarettes by the singles (just saying).
Beer and wine only :(
I've been to Elsie's almost every time I've visited Santa Barbara through the past ten years, and it remains a fun, pleasant, and quirky little bar that can be hopping, jovial, or relaxed. Couches in the front, a bar with pool in the middle, and outdoor seating in back - there's something for everyone.
I was in SB this New Year's and recommended we stop in during NYE night, while with several friends who'd never been. As soon as we walked in, one said, "this is exactly what I wanted." We hung out through midnight and it was full but never crazy, pushy, or screaming loud.
The beer selection is nice, as is the wine. No full bar though, just FYI.
Definitely worth your time.
Back in 1992-93 I was having an affair with an extraordinary woman named Anfisa Miasnikov. Â At that time she and her boyfriend Gary and their 5-month old girl Solange lived right at the end of W. Orgeta, up against "The Enchanted Mountain", as we called it. Â One night we passed by Elsie's, went in and spent some time, and when we came out Anfisa said: "This will be our new hangout."
Shortly after that she dumped me, left Gary for a German poet named Matthias, but he didn't want her, she met another guy and now lives in Los Olivos and has more kids. Â We never went back, and I never went back by myself or with another because it would remind me of her, and I wouild be sad.
But glad it's still around and doing great.
This is the best bar in town. They capture a feeling that is sorely missing in our town.
The atmosphere is friendly and comfortable. The bartenders are nice. The drinks are reasonably priced. The sell RAMON!
The back patio is heated and has enough nooks that a person can tuck in and have some space to themselves.
Hipster....Dive-y OH yea, they are reallly trying to get every hipster available in Santa Barbara to hang out here.
They've got your wide selection of beer and wine, and the odd low alcohol cocktail. But they've also got a great breadth of information about each drink. Its essentially your ironically pretentious beer and wine sommelier dressed up in skinny jeans (oooo so Hipster).
I miss the Mission, so this place has to do. Its my own little escape, with couches, pool table, lil separate rooms, hidden from the riff-raff, movies, popcorn, RAMEN!!!, and great times.
Even the most cynical of people who hates hipsters (not me....my friend who accompanied) eased up here. Grab your single cigs of American Spirit at the bar and relax for every moment you want to share!
A perfectly average little dive bar. Â I came here on a relatively quiet night. Â They have a better than Bud-light selection, but nothing extraordinary on tap. Â Beer and wine only...and cash only so come prepared. Â Service was not so friendly. Â They have a reasonable selection of comfortable and uncomfortable couches and kitschy decor.
Summary: If you happen to be nearby, check it out. Â If not, don't make the trip.
Elsie's Tavern seems to be local bar with a chiller atmosphere than the bars on State. There are couches and a Pac-Man table in the first room, a pool table and bar are in the second room, and I think there is an outdoor shaded patio area in the back.
This place is cash only, but the pool table is free. You'll need to sign yourself up on a wall, play against the winner of the last game, and win if you want to play against a friend though who needs to be signed up right after you. A bar regular with a broken arm ended up beating the both of us. Well... He actually gave up on me due to my  amount of suck at pool, but he did  let us play against each other in exchange for a beer.
I left satisfied with beer in my belly, Â the vibe of the bar, and the knowledge that I need work on my pool skills.
I used to like this because of good beer & popcorn you can order with your beer. Â Plus they have pac man, outdoor patio and a pool table.
I never liked the cash-only policy. Â
I live around the corner, but ever since a bar tender nearly got in a fight with a friend of ours over a game of pool (the bartender needed his turn to play of course! ... what?!?!).
My group of friends has never been back and will not go back. Â Change from cash only, seems sneaky. Â And change bartenders.
Elsies is that bar you miss when you leave SB and are looking to grab a beer and chill. Feels like San Francisco in Santa Barbara. Eclectic decor along with local artists who rotate on the walls. A tiny peek into SB's indie scene. Old, worn-in couches scatter through the different rooms. Coffee tables make you feel like your meeting at someone's house, but not quite that cozy. Back patio is full of smokers usually, but is equally as interesting. Would love it if they added a couple more heaters back there.
An amazing selection of brews on tap and even more so in the bottle. Pool table always has players going. Every now and then a great local band plays, but the room is small and accoustics arent that great. The locals make up for it. Â Grab a custom collaged/drawn matchbook as a souvenir to take home.
Oh Elsies, I miss you. See you next time Im in town. xo
It should be noted that this bar isn't going to be everyone's speed - they only have beer, only take cash, and the general vibe is a mix of hipster, stoner, and UCSB grad student (which may not all be mutually exclusive). That said, it is a very good place to go if you're looking to relax in a no-pretension environment over beers on a quiet night.
The lack of a good beer selection and cash-only status (just a personal preference of mine) keep me from putting this in the four star range, but if you like what you read in the preceding paragraph, Elsie's is for you.
the only bar that i really went to during my short visit to Santa Barbara, and i am pleased with my choice.
good music, lots of beer choices, plenty of nooks to sit. PACMAN. pool, big outdoor patio, lots of smoking.
seemed like a total "where everybody knows your name" type of place, which i absolutely loved (even though nobody knew my name).
i will definitely come back here the next time i come to SB.
I really really really (3 reallies) like this place. It's about the only place in Santa Barbara that feels like, well, not Santa Barbara. The bartender isn't always nice, the pool table is often frequented by really stoned people, and there are pacman sitdown machines surrounded by locally drawn portraits on the walls. In short, it's a bit like a mission hipster place.
The beer is good, they have wine, they have no cocktails.
They have a nice back patio area if you want to chat with a crew of folks and not be in the way of pool games.
The only drawback is that they don't let people with babies in. This makes social life with academics slightly irritating (it's a block away from work, and on the way home), because lots of them have babies, and in a few months, I will too...
When I first visited Elsie's one weekend last December it was an immediate 5 star venue. Great live band, good beer, pool table, art on the walls and a friendly and diverse crowd packing the bar and the lovely beer garden out the back. I couldn't wait for my next visit to SB so I could return.
That happened on Saturday night, around 10.30pm. And the place was empty, dead, maybe a total of 4 patrons. The art was still good, the beer was still good (although an IPA wouldn't go amiss), and it was a pleasant place to sit on a sofa and chat, but where did everybody go? 3 stars for Saturday, so 4 stars overall.
Being a native of Santa Barbara and seeing my town change over the years, one of the things i look forward to staying the same is good old Elsies. Its a great little place that showcases some of the best art i've seen in town and has some delicious beers as well.
The decor resembles that of an antique store, cozy and with tons of cool stuff to check out in every corner of the room. The front part of the bar is eclectic and has a retro 70's feel with a pac-man machine to boot!
Its a great spot if you don't feel like getting gussied up but still want to be some place cool.
Definitely a locals hang out.
I certainly wouldn't call myself an Elsie's Regular, but it is the bar I most often frequent. Frequent being relative.
I go there because it's comfortable. I never feel underdressed or overdressed there. No makeup, no problem.
Sure it's changed over time. The regulars of 10 years ago are not the regulars of today. But I'd take it any day over the bars on State Street, even through it's mostly a beer and wine bar and the wine isn't well cared for.
This is the guaranteed spot to run into old high school friends during holiday breaks.
I feel sorry for the people who live in the newly built condo 20 feet above the back patio of Elsie's. But I'm also a little envious.
I'm from out of town and to find this place it seems like you have to be a Santa Barbara native, because it is a little off the beaten path and has no clear signs identifying it. Â But once you find it, this place is clearly a gem in the downtown area. Â They had a decent selection on draft, all microbrews, which is a huge plus. Â The place is ovbiously a huge hipster haven, but everyone is really chill so it doesn't matter what you look like or how you dress which is what I love in any bar. Â
The outdoor seating is really great too, and retro pacman is always a plus. Â I wish there were more bars like this where I am from because this could easily become "my bar".
This is a great little bar, in a quieter part of SB. They have a fantastic back patio with comfortable booths and tables. There's even a few nooks to canoodle in!
The decor is perfect for kicking back to either chat on a couch, cozy up to the bar or play a little Ms. Pac Man. Right now they have booby art.
The bar staff are friendly and funny, cute too.
Check out the fun homemade matchbooks.
I love Elsies. Great place for a low key drink. Â (Beer and wine only). Â I think i remember the gals behind the bar on roller skates... maybe that was a different place.
Good wine and beer selection, old skool ms. pac man in the front room. Â Reminds me the Bay Area vs. typical SB locale.
Pool table and great back patio, cept not so great when there are a group of loud hipsters. Â
Overall, a great bar.
Cash only.
Finally a bar without the old war vets telling me racist jokes...
Cool little spot off of Chapala St. behind the outdoor mall in a unmarked building. They only have beer and wine but offer free bar snacks and a free pool table to play on. There is a outdoor patio with enough tables and chairs to seat  15 to 20 people and an indoor lounge near the front door that seats an additional 20 to 30 people.
They have their 15 year anniversary BBQ this Sunday so I guess you could say they are doing something right to stay around that long. I would give them one more star but I love my vodka and whiskey too much to do that.
AB
I like Elsie's a lot. Â Low-key, funky, hipster vibe. Â Great place to meet a few people for beer or wine before or after dinner. Â The front rooms are cozy, bunch of couches, perfect for hanging out and talking. Â The patio is pretty popular and can get packed on busy nights (Fri, Sat). Â
The bartenders and clientele are generally friendly. Â Mostly locals and a handful of regulars.
FYI - They don't take credit cards, and they only serve beer and wine. Â Street parking, but there's a small lot behind the place that's free after 4pm. Â If you're hungry, you can order a bag of chips, ramen noodles, or popcorn (I think), but, I usually just walk next door to Silvergreens and get a sandwich.
Ladies be warned-- I had my purse stolen here two years ago. Â I accidentally left it in a booth on the patio while with a big group of friends and someone swiped it. Â It's totally my fault, not the business's, but from now on I'm very cautious with my belongings! Â I generally feel very safe here otherwise.
I love hanging out on the back patio of Elsie's. Both comfortable and happening at the same time make it a rare breed. Perhaps not having a full bar is part of what keeps the crowd mellow but I have to knock 1 star off anyway. I am a Saphire & Tonic man and it's hard for me to pay $8 for a glass of wine that tastes like a decent $10-15 bottle.
Oh, and CASH ONLY! I've had to make a few trips to the ATM in Paseo Nuevo mall. I wish they at least had one of those little ATMs that charge you up the ying yang.
Not like this is my first rodeo or something.
But I was taken aback by this place.
That is, it was understated the night I went and a gentle cool vibe permeated the place.
And the bartender knew how to make a solid Stoli and Tonic. You'd think that would be an easy order.
Well, not so, much to my constant chagrin.
After gorging ourselves at Bouchon, we stumbled to this bar, a welcome dive bar in the middle of tony downtown Santa Barbara. We proceeded to get pretty drunk, play Jenga, and randomly meet some friends of friends. It was a good night.
Be sure to write something FUNNY on the chalkboards in the loo.
I love this bar. When I first moved to SB, I barely even noticed it, there is no sign outside, I just saw the "21 Â and Over only" sign. It's so mellow, and while it does get a little crowded on the weekends sometimes, it's awesome. Â Doesn't have all the pretentious assholes that abound in Santa Barbara. Just a mellow little dive bar in the heart of SB. Â I also love all the couches inside...not the most comfortable but gives it a nice uniqueness.
The artwork on all the walls is for sale, and changes semi-regularly, I'm guessing monthly, and has some pretty weird/good stuff up.
Newcastle on tap. Bonus star.
Bowl of fresh popped popcorn. Bonus Star.
Jenga. Bonus two stars.
Dare I sing the praises of Elsie's, whilst unwittingly slipping word of this gem to the mass market? Â I dare.
Unlike just about every other bar near State Street, Elsie's actually feels like it's unphased by the masses of tourists that wash seasonally through the city. Â It took me a little work to find it--it's a little bit hidden and unflashy--but this is ultimately a good feature. Â I found that it's not quite loungy, but it's not quite a dive either. Â One word fits the bill: cozy. Â And a great tap selection brought a very wide grin to this customer's face.
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