Spoken in an Irish brogue:
I stumbled upon this pub of sorts
It's focus drink and darkened wood
Sitting here amongst the snobby cohorts
In a Santa Barbara neighborhood
The barkeep was amiable
In an offhand way
And served the drinks
That quelled my stay
I spoke to her of the namesake drink
Expecting it a frequent choice
But visitors may not highly think
And order in their lowly voice
And so it was I had me drinks
And stumbled on me rambling way
Into the salty air
To stumble 'round another day
FYI, here is The James Joyce Cocktail, order it up:
* 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
* 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
* 3/4 ounce Cointreau
* 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
And now to close with an actual poem by Joyce himself which is fitting for the central coast:
All Day I Hear the Noise of Waters
All day I hear the noise of waters
Making moan,
Sad as the sea-bird is when, going
Forth alone,
He hears the winds cry to the water's
Monotone.
The grey winds, the cold winds are blowing
Where I go.
I hear the noise of many waters
Far below.
All day, all night, I hear them flowing
To and fro.
James Joyce
@SBJamesJoyce
There were a lot of young, young people out at night, and after awhile looking for a place w/ people just a bit closer to our age, the cab driver recommended this place. A lot of the people here were quite a bit older than "our age," but overall, it was a nice mix of people, young and old, listening to live music and dancing the lindy-hop - several of them were really good. Didn't expect to see a place like this; it was very cool.
Review Source:We chose to eat dinner across the street at Sandbar and were intrigued by the music we could hear in the distance at James Joyce. After paying we walked over and were delighted and surprised to find out that it was a 7 person ensemble of 40+ year old men playing jazz standards. They had a bubbly lead singer named Hannah who smiled and talked with us in the corner between songs. The music itself was INCREDIBLE! Coming from a musical background with a lot of knowledge in jazz standards, their musicianship was close to perfect. Add to that their friendly and happy composure and it should be clear how they completely captivated us (without drinks) for the last hour of their set. This place is HIGHLY recommended for atmosphere and booking some bad ass bands.
Review Source:My favorite thing about James Joyce is watching my friend get kicked out e-v-e-r-y t-i-m-e. Like clockwork.
"Bartender, could you not let these guys talk to us." - a wannabe slam piece
Hahahaha... you prob don't get this quote, and I don't care.
I don't know what it is about James Joyce, but there's never hot girls here. This is a spot that you hit up just to pick up your self esteem because it's filled with noobs, lowlives, and wackjobs. It's kind of like an AA meeting with alcohol. Def deserve an extra star for making this Asian loser look cool. That's pretty hard to do. The bar's a self esteem booster kinda like calling a girl over just to know that you can get her over to your pad. Open the door just to shut it on her face. So good.
Another reason why Joyce gets an extra star is because of the peanuts. You might think, "Oh big whoop... they have peanuts. Who cares?" Well, this Asian does. You see, I'm an office bitch by trade. My boss can pretend he's Jay Z whenever he wants and make it rain paper clips all over the fucking office because he knows my indentured servant ass will have to pick them up. Well, I feel like my boss when I'm at Joyce. I can eat and throw peanuts everywhere because I know somebody is going to have to pick them up, and it won't be me.
Cheers James Joyce. This Bud's for you. You make me feel better about my shitty post grad life.
When it comes to Irish pubs in S.B., this should be your real choice. There's seldom ever any lines to get in and the atmosphere makes you feel like it's very much authentic enough. Yeah, it may have some green beer for the UCSB kids come St. Patty's day, but it just feels a lot more like a non-fake Irish pub.
It's also nice that on most nights, this place doesn't turn into a college campus douche bag convention either as most of the patrons are on the older side. So it has that dive like ol' timers crowd while having some very decent vibe to the place.
When you walk in and if you pull up to the bar, you're pretty much treated quickly. I guess the challenge here is that you have to work your way past all the peanut shells that are swayed all over the floor.
They also have pool tables that don't seem to be too busy to get a game on with. So hey, there's always that. But yeah, this is the better Irish pub option when you're in SB.
It's definitely more than a little bit country. There's a mix of an older crowd with some college students. There's sawdust on the floor and sometimes karaoke and live music that can be bluegrass/country/blues.
People dance like respectfully (no ass grabbing or dry humping that I could see). Went here on a date once and it was a nice lil place to talk and be treated like a lady =o)
This bar is really cool. Downside, no food but the upside is they have a huge bar and they have a really great atmosphere. They have pool and darts here as well as peanuts everywhere! This place is local, fun, and offers a really great drink selection. Their happy hour ends earlier than other places downtown but their friendly wait staff makes this place a stop whenever I am downtown.
Review Source:I was recommended this bar from the type of woman that makes you want to do anything she tells you to: Â And she obviously has good taste, because The James Joyce was just what I needed after a long drive down the coast. Â I came in early in the evening and despite being in full prep for the night rush, the bartender came right over and took my order for a Manhattan and asked whether I wanted it up or on the rocks, on the sweeter or the dryer side, and then took a good amount of care in making it. Â It's not the type of place that has custom ice cubes or 12 kinds of bitters, but it's a perfectly unpretentious place to relax and get lost for a couple of hours over some well made cocktails. Â Looks like I have a good excuse to take the 101 to LA again.
Review Source:I love, Love, LOVE this place.
Every evening spent on State St, I make sure to pop my head inside the Joyce and check out what lovely entertainment is on stage. Â Whether it's karaoke or a lively band, I've always enjoyed hearing what the Joyce has to offer. Â There are also some pool tables towards the back; never a dull moment in here! The crowd is plentiful, lively, jovial - this only seems to add to the authenticity of this Irish pub.
Next time you're looking for a warm, fun, inviting bar atmosphere, head here!
Great pub with a lively atmosphere with various bands playing on certain nights and free peanuts in a big ass barrel by the front entrance :)
The scene here is not really a college clubbing atmosphere at all but a mature bar-hopping experience and a great place to start a Friday night. It can get crowded at times but everyone is pretty sociable and they have cool games like darts lol
Just don't wear flip flops because the peanut shells and whatnot get all up in your feet :(
The bartenders are SO quick, PRO status with their speed and efficiency. I LOVE the fact that if they don't have a band covering your favorite southern rock anthems then they have open mic night and the local loonies put on an entertaining show. The crowd is generally older and more chill (this is a college town-the kids are trying to dress up and go dancing) It reminds me of a PB pub or a Boston pub, and isn't your typical Santa Barbara pretentious hangout. It's so old-timey and authentic feeling, its the kind of bar you think of when you imagine meeting up with your old college friends for darts, singing along with the band way too loudly, meeting friendly new people and a round of whiskey, and then scotch, and then some more whiskey a couple more scotches. Who is driving????
Review Source:I was in town looking for a jazz band and scored with The James Joyce.
By day it looks like a typical bar/pub but at night the live music comes out to play.
Each night is a different band, so check their site to see who's playing if it's your kind of music.
It's a small venue and I'd be a little concerned that the music would be painfully loud, but it looks like they set a good balance between being heard over the people there but not oppressively loud.
The night we went was a jazz/swing band and it was great. There isn't a dance floor, but that didn't stop some couples from dancing. People were happy to give them room and it added to the entertainment.
In fact, one guy old enough to have grown up with this kind of music came out and danced with a younger girl, showing her some moves.
Everyone there was having a great time.
The staff is friendly and the place is clean. There's free parking in the rear though it's a little tight.
I'll be going there again.
While bar hopping State Street on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we came into The JJ for a brew and shelter from the rain. We had hoped around the other bars on the Street with pretty good experiences all around and were expecting the same here.
I was excited to drink here once I spotted the fireplace through the window and adoring the nod to the famed Irish author. But, I was instantly put off by the obnoxious crunching under my feet. Peanuts. Oh boy...
I will never understand or appreciate the appeal of eating a peanut and throwing the shells on the floor. Are peanut that delicious that we can not be bothered to throw the shell away? Is it so taxing to just put the shells in a bowl? And explain to me how it is sanitary? What if I had a peanut allergy? I just find the whole gimmick to be low class and disgusting.
But, as I turned to the door I was reminded of the pouring rain so I decided to trench through the crap on the floor and get a drink. Even though it was the middle of the day on a Sunday and there were only 4 people in the bar, they were all perfectly positioned so that my party of 4 could not fit at the bar anywhere. They all appeared to be locals and friends of the bar tender. There was no acknowledgment of our presence, no friendly attempts to make room, or even eye contact from anyone at/behind the bar. We awkwardly shuffled around the tables but decided to sit and the second bar tucked away in the back of the place. The bartender sauntered over and seemed so annoyed by our presence, that even without speaking to each other, we all decided to ditch the idea of enjoying a beer and shoot some whiskey instead. 4 Makers Marks and we got the hell out of there. Never again.
OK, this is my humble oppinion. I love Joyce !
Amazing live music! When I say amazing, I mean it. Sound is awesome. The bands are really great. Jazz and Country music. Anything better?
Pool ! you can sit there and talk and play pool like it used to be. Not with the shitty electronic pop music like in other bars where you cant even order a beer at the bar cuz they cant hear you. Here, relaxing vibe.
Barrels with peanuts ! Just awesome. ( they go straight to the floor of course)
Nice guys. Nice girls.
The security guy doesnt look at me like if I was from Mars when he sees my argentinian passport. so... great! Thanks.
Man, this is a cool locals bar. Â They have a barrel of peanuts you can eat and throw the shells on the floor. Â I love peanuts, and they taste even better when you can throw the shells on the floor.
Good entertainment for the men in our lives with both darts and pool. Â Jukebox too with your favorite hits.
They apparently have live music every night as well. Â Cool spot!
Live jazz band with no cover? That's my kind of pub!
I stopped by with some friends to play some billiards ($1 per game). The table, first off, was covered in peanut detritus so that needed to be cleaned off. The table has a coin slot so you can't play with normal scratch penalties as the sunk ball does not get returned. Finally, not a biggie, but would've been nice, was that they didn't have a bridge.
Other than very minor annoyances and only one table, James Joyce is a very nice small pub.
This is the best place in Santa Barbara to get a drink. I stumbled into it a Thursday night when I heard the Blues Band playing, and the vibe was awesome. It is a little bit of an older crowd, I'm 24, but I feel more comfortable here than in a place like Tonic or Wildcat.
I went back the following Saturday where a Jazz Band was playing, this crowd was even older at first. As the night progressed it got a little younger and the place got packed. The lady that sang was marvelous and the band played amazingly. I think they only played until 11 or 12, I don't remember, which kinda sucked, I would have listen to them all night.
As for the drinks, they are a fair price. I don't know how talented the bar tenders are because all I ordered were beers and whiskey sours. Not much of a challenge.
I don't know when this placed opened, but it sucks I couldn't enjoy it when I was at UCSB. Any time I go back to visit the alma mater, I'll make sure to swing by.
Came here last night with a group after quickly vacating Sandbar across the street. The moment I walked into this bar my frown turned into a smile and the night was on.
There was a live band upfront playing some Irish tunes. People were dancing all around me whilst slipping and sliding on the wet peanut shell covered floor. I quickly ordered a Guinness and watched the bartender do a great pour on it. About fifteen minutes later I was two Guinness' down and it was time for Irish car bombs. $7.50 is definitely not a bad price for this tasty concoction. I threw it down the hatch and proceeded to shoot darts for about half an hour, the whole time trying to maintain a fairly full Guinness in my hand almost the whole time. I'm guessing an hour and a half or so later and it was time to go. Out the door we went, wallets not that much lighter and a great buzz on.
Make sure and come here if you enjoy a nicely poured Guinness.
Solid night in Santa Barbara! Loved the feel of this place, a perfect fusion of dive meets class.
Fantastic music, but not overwhelmingly loud. Â You can hold conversations at the back of the bar and get your prohibition groove on in the front. Â The patrons were really getting into it. Â This might have something to do with the divinely heavy pours.
I've yet to explore much of the Santa Barbara night life, but this is something to write home about.
See you next time.
James Joyce was our second favorite spot on the Evil Pub Tour.
We visited pretty early in the evening, so the crowd was very small, which is a-ok with me. Â
What made James Joyce stand out for Evil is that there are plenty of pub games, such as darts and pool, a wide variety of beers on tap and a very ecclectic juke box that had everything from Al Green to the Clash to the Smiths to whatever is popular with the kids today.
Good times!
Weird s* happens here. Â First time: these old, er, "older" men would not stop hitting on my friend after she basically said my friend (that would be me) is here, I'm going now... Â the dude proceeded to ask me about my friend and what her "problem" is.. uh, the "problem" would be YOU since you are nearly twice our age and won't stop talking about what a bitch your last gf was. Â smooth move, loser.
Second time: scary dude siting in the corner says he wants to kick one of the guys that we are with in the face! Â wtf. Â I don't care who you think you are mr. ex cop now bailiff or whatever person. Â You don't go around threatening people for no good reason a*hole. Â
The bouncers seemed to think it was all ok that the guy was a jerk. Â
anyway, whatever, this place is eh. Â they draw an older crowd but when when a Jamison on the rocks is $5, you know why.
After dinner, Betty and I walked State St. and heard the music coming from inside James Joyce. It was a Jewish Jazz Band playing lively roaring 20's music with a cabaret-esque singer jiggling her bon bons and singing along.
We were really impressed so we walked in to watch the show. No cover, donations to the band discretionary. The performance had a lively crowd of all ages. Some were dancing along with the music including a man in his 80's dancing with someone significantly younger.
It was the singer's birthday and she would sing every other song. The atmosphere was happy and we stayed for 4 or 5 songs.
Good on a weeknight when it's more mellow.
Does not suffer from ghastly lighting.
Long bar to reduce bottleneck, horizontally and vertically. Let me tell you about vertical bottleneck sometime. It's a short person thing.
Those big barrels of peanuts help stave off hunger, and thankfully with shells on, help stave off bar hand contamination (guys, seriously, wash your damn hands after your visit the bar restroom, okay?). YOU get to shell your peanuts and throw the shells on the ground. *I* get to stomp on them and get that satisfying crunch underfoot.
Weekends can be a scene. Otherwise, A--OK! Definitely better than the other bars along those blocks.
The Joyce has a special place in my personal history...my boyfriend, in his single bachelor days was a regular here. Â In fact the night we met, the group that we were with ended the night here...he and I bonded over picking music on the juke box and making fun of our drunk friends....and yes the Joyce is the place where he asked for my phone number. Â Yes, to my chagrin, I was picked up in a bar, but the fact that we did NOT meet in the bar makes me feel a lot better. Â
But hey, we're in love and it's beautiful....so thank you James Joyce....
BTW, the bartenders are fabulous, and the house bands are lots of fun!
You know how old I am, James Joyce? I'm 26. I know I don't really look it but I am. So how about telling your security guard to let me into the bar and stop threatening to confiscate my ID. My REAL and VALID ID.
I'm not kidding. We had to go to the back entrance so I could "sneak" in. Thumbs up on the barrels of peanuts, though.
It's a busy little pub on a Saturday night, as are any of the bars nearby, because, as our group of out-of-town gals found out, all the cute, quiet bar/restaurants shut down after 11.
So we got our drink on, met some real losers, hung with some pretty ok and fun winners as well. The bachelorette with us was feeling on top of the world after 4 tequila shots, and I did all right with my 2 Manhattans and a Jack & Coke, especially since the prices were good.
And apparently I am a hero amongst my girlfriends. The first drunk losers we encountered kept trying to talk to me and tell me inane pick up lines. My dirty looks and obvious hints of disgust did nothing. When they asked me, "Okay, how does that line rate?" I spat, "Fucking Retarded!" back at them. Then they told me I suck and they booed me. Â It was awesome.
I love the Joyce. Â When I used to travel to Santa Barbara for business, I would get a room at the Hotel Santa Barbara on the corner of State and Cota. Â I would grab a meal somewhere on State Street and then head to the Joyce for a few rounds. Â
It has been a couple of years since I've been, but if I remember right, most of the bartenders were from Ireland and over here on a visa to go to school. Â Maybe a pint tastes better when the bartender has an Irish brogue.
Anyway, there were 2 nights that stick out in my mind. Â On one night, it was raining a wee bit and at the end of the bar was this guy in a trench coat, plain tweed cap, and thick, round black glasses. Â I swear, the bartender walks over to him and says, "Shamus, another pint?" Â And I was loaded, so I was really entertained! Â On the other night, I walked in to find a bunch of construction workers arguing whether Rio Bravo or the remake El Dorado was the better John Wayne movie.
Regardless, I have never had a bad time at the Joyce.
We walked past here, looking for a place to have some beers. One guy in my company said "that looks like a suitably seedy place," and so we hopped in. It wasn't too crowded (we finished dinner early, I guess), but a band was setting up, and the floor was covered in peanut shells. That's a good sign. There was a pool table in the back, which we enjoyed playing until it got more crowded and other people wanted to play as well ($0.75 a game! where do you still see that?)
The beer selection is not the best in the world, but they have Guinness on tap and the peanuts are free.
My favorite bar on the planet. Â I wish I could take it home to Boston with me. Â I lived in Santa Barbara for six months and became a "regulah" with my friends. Â Pool, peanuts on the floor, smoking cigs in the back, authentic Irish staff, freedom to get drunk and stupid because the surroundings are so comfortable. Â Fuck Tonic, go here. Â It's second to none.
And everybody in Santa Barbara is goodlooking.
The best part is the "no dancing" sign hung on the wall. Â That's because they got their dancing permit revoked some time ago. Â Did you know that dancing permits existed? Â Think twice before throwing your next dance party.
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