Cafe Luck

It looks ok. Lots of empty tables and aparently all booked. Just call ahead. They are particular about having a reservation.

Dear Café Luck,
Thank You for trying to reopen. You are a beautiful restaurant. I live in the neighborhood and really want you to be my regular spot. However, your new menu is the opposite of inspiring. A very smart chef recently perfectly answered the question, Why go out to eat? He said you go out to eat to try something new to you or to enjoy something made in a way you can’t make at home. So… hamburgers? You reopen with hamburgers? This seems to me to be a pretty lazy, dumb, and cloying strategy to invite us back. You must assume we are unimaginative diners who want the lowest common denominator in our dining experience. To me it seems desperate. Tonight I made a really good hamburger at home. I have zero interest in having yours. It’s not that I made the best burger ever, it’s just that I make one really well and it’s not that hard. If I want to pay someone else to make me one I will go to The Habit or to Hungry Cat. Please send your staff to Roebling Tea Room in Brooklyn or Freeman’s Restaurant in Manhattan, copy their menu, and bring it here. That is something we don’t have here. Your space is perfect for that type of food (foodie) experience. Please.

We popped in for a late night dinner when the hustle bustle of the restaurant was no more. The night was quiet and the restaurant was empty. Save for a few people at the bar and a lone man in the corner dining on his large filet, we had the first floor to ourselves.
Café Luck conjures up a cozy yet bubbly feel. It appears to be like a Parisian bistro, the restaurant bathed in warm yellow light and the walls decorated with many square framed pictures.
We dined to our stomach’s content that night by starting with the half dozen oysters, which came with the traditional cocktail sauce and wedge of lemon, tasting like the briny sea. The steak tartare, tiny cubes of rare beef, was equally flavorful with a thick aioli sauce and micro greens on the side.
The Café Luck Burger arrived with the patty cooked medium rare, snuggled between two round buns, melted gruyère, bacon, lettuce, and tomato with large cut french fries. The burger was enjoyable but the fries had absorbed too much moisture and verged on the soggy side.
The pan-​seared salmon was amazing — a generous-​sized, juicy and tender filet cooked medium well on the outside and medium on the inside. It was plated with asparagus and wild mushroom in a truffle vinaigrette, which I requested for in lieu of the lemon risotto. The fatty fish dish was bursting with flavor.
The service was attentive without being overbearing. I definitely liked Café Luck in the quiet of the night.

I absolutely ADORE Café Luck. The food, the service, the atmosphere… everything is always stellar. I see that a few reviewers have had poor experiences with the staff, but this has NEVER been the case for me. My boyfriend and I, recent graduates, come here often. Service is always attentive and kind, despite the fact that we are young (which sometimes makes a difference).
Moving onto the food… I LOVE it. On our most recent visit, we had the pleasure of sampling the specialty appetizer of the day: pork belly sliders. It was divine… pork belly braised in duck fat, topped with a quail egg, frisee and heirloom tomato. I exclaimed to my boyfriend «This is what heaven tastes like!»
We also order our regular favorites, the Café Luck Burger, medium. It was great as always, but sometimes I find the bacon to be a bit overpowering.
We also always get the Mac n Cheese with truffled ham. Let me tell you, this is the BEST Mac n Cheese I have ever had. I have tried a lot of Mac n Cheese, made several recipes, but when I crave Mac, this is the one. It’s so divine with its perfect bubbly crust and hint of truffle… I dream about this stuff. The Beef Stroganoff with wild mushroom is also excellent as well. A rich but comforting dish.
Their cocktails are great too, and I love the little macaroons they give you with your check. It’s so sweet.
Anyways, Café Luck is one of my go-​to spots in Santa Barbara, when I am feeling like a casual romantic night out. It’s always charming and the food is delicious. A definite favorite… heart.

I would give this place no stars if I could! We sat down at 8:15pm on a Thursday and we were not immediately ready to order when we sat down since we’ve never been here. Waiter dude didn’t come back for a good ten minutes.
When we were finally able to order, the salads came out, relatively quickly. It’s now been a good 35 minutes and no food. We only ordered a burger and Mac and cheese, come on! I’m thankful we didn’t order a real pricey entrée for two reasons; we could be here even longer waiting for the food and two it would be a waste of money.
The waiter tells us after a good 45 minute wait for our food that there was a large party up stairs. Something that might have been helpful to know before we ordered since we told him we were in a bit of a hurry.
The Mac and Cheese with truffled ham was very good. But unfortunately it was the service that made me not enjoy Café Luckl.

The atmosphere is nice and the service good, but I felt my meal was just, eh, OK. It may be due to the fact that though I always order medium-​rare meat at restaurants I usually prefer the rare side and they inevitably give me medium. My meat was a little dry.
My dinning partners all enjoyed their meals so I may have to give this another go with another meal.

The place is quite small and somewhat crammed, but the food is great. I had the rack of lamb — it was delicious.
I would come back here if I’m in the area.

Walked in on a Saturday night after a day of wine tasting in Santa Ynez, and my group was seated immediately (we called ahead to let them know we were on our way).
Menu leans toward the French tip (think Escargot, Steamed Mussels, Beef Bourguignon). The dining room is open — the walls decorated with diamond shaped, framed drawings that I assume were done by customers/​friends of the restaurant.
We started with the fried calamari and steak tartare. The calamari was your standard lightly breaded variety that came with a side of aioli. Steak Tartare was good, a small portion of raw ground beef and chopped onion with other herbs/​seasonings, served with arugula and bread.
For entrees, I ordered the Mahogany Short Ribs with Baby Bok Choy, and a side of the garlic mashed potatoes. The short ribs were good, especially when paired with the mashed potatoes, which everyone at the table LOVED. Probably the smoothest non-​fake mashed potatoes I’ve ever had.
Definitely a great choice when dining in SB.

Long story short: I was dining with my parents and boyfriend, expecting to get decent service. We had made reservations on a Tuesday for a full dinner. Sadly, the owner was there ‘again’ and we were IGONORED. I have been to café luck many times over the years and this was the worst! I had to beg for service of wine and make sure they cleared the salad plates. It was because the owner was there and the wait staff was kissing up to him instead of making the place nice. Shame on you J. You should not show up every night and have your staff only wait on you. please let the foodies actually like your restaurant!
The food was decent, but it didn’t matter after so much time of frustration.

What a find! Great people, GREAT food and good times. The «happy hour» 4−6P M-​F is exceptional. Where else can you get some of the BEST blue points for $ 7 and drinks for $ 3? The pizza — sizzles — thin crust crispy and all; Hamburger could be one of the best in 805; Prawns — awesome; Polenta — incredible; Green Veggie side splendid and the Mussels outrageous.
Went four months ago and have been back at least 12 times. It’s like «Cheers». Smaller wine list, but the wines they have are excellent and they pair remarkably well with their food. Eating at the bar is always delicious and a great time!

Omigosh, we just had a great early evening at Café Luck. We stopped in for early bird cocktails and appetizers, and it was just fabulous. Oysters, tasty polenta, fine bread and olives matched our enjoyment of a couple of «Mr. Lucky’s,» Hornitos tequila, lime and St. Germain.
Paul, our steward at the bar, was engaging and knowledgeable about spirits. If you go, be sure to ask him about the origins of the St. Germain that is used in the «Mr. Lucky,» as well as other applications of this fine spirit.
Our own discourse involved the origins of Pernod, the unreachable cognac on the top shelf (expensive, you bet!), the mystery of regionally named French spirits, and advice on food pairings for local wines.
Just go. Go early. Ask Paul about St. Germain.

This is a great find in Santa Barbara. It’s not too crowded or quiet, it has a great location and seems personable. Good for bringing a group of people but make reservations in advance. Having finished dinner you can go next door to Blue Agave for a relaxed atmosphere. Last time at Café Luck I ordered the prawns, which were excellent, very large and filling. They serve oysters on the half shell… not a big deal but you would be surprised how few good seafood places exist in SB despite the city being on the ocean.
Our group finished off dinner with some absinthe (side note, the Absinthe in the states lacks the ingredient thujone, meaning it’s harmless compared to the real Absinthe sold throughout Europe.)…we also saw Michael Keaton at the bar… it was tempting to whisper ‘I am Batman’ in his hear then slowly walk away but that did not happen, maybe next time…

Went there during happy hour and ordered one of each happy hour item. Two drinks it was all good not amazing but fun. The device was fantastic!

I checked in here last Saturday. I had the halibut accompanied with really good mushrooms and asparagus. My husband had the Madagascar prawns. I was salivating over his meal. Mine was just good. Our server Liz, was excellent. You would want to order everything with the way she describes the dishes. I would want to eat here when we come visit SB again.

For $ 12, you can get possibly the best $ 12 burger and fries ever.
It’s served on a brioche bun
The burger patty is perfect and of excellent quality. I think they may grind the beef in house.
It’s got gruyère cheese on it
It’s got 2 big slices of high quality smoky grilled bacon on it — not just any normal bacon, this is like the gourmet bacon, seriously i could go on and on about this bacon for a while.
The fries are quite good. Almost as good as duck fat fries…
Did i mention the bacon?

Café Luck is consistent and comfortable, with a jovial, if somewhat loud, atmosphere. It’s a great place for a date, dinner with friends or for just grabbing a drink at the bar and doing some people watching.
First off: best french fries in Santa Barbara. Do not attempt to debate me on this matter. You will lose.
I love how the menu is set up. While it’s focused on entrees and more substantial plates, there is enough variety that you can have a bite to eat at the bar for around $ 10. For example: Ratatouille will run you $ 5, Macaroni and Cheese is also $ 5, and French Fries are $ 4.
For the foodie in you, they also have some items you don’t see everywhere else. Frog legs, escargot and pork belly are all available here. I highly recommend the pork belly, by the way.

Headed down HWY 1 from San Fransisco, I turn to my girl and began our usual convo.
«What do you want to do for dinner, Honey?»
«What do you feel like? And don’t say FOOD.»
«well, I’m actually in the mood for steak»
and thus she began to punch into her new Droid phone, going to Unilocal mobile, she picked out a steakhouse in Santa barbara, after a bit of navigation, we arrive to a closed steakhouse. at first I was a tad bit disappointed, but she again began Unilocaling, and gave me directions to Luck Café.
Just off State St, the outside seemed pretty ordinary. But once we walked in, the atmosphere hit us and we knew we were going to eat here. A little dark, candles everywhere. We were sat at a corner table that overlooked the whole restaurant.
The bread was fresh, and the olives in oil was a good complement.
For first course, I had their special scallop ceviche, she had the beet salad. The salad was good, the ceviche exceptional. the scallops simply melted away.
She liked the mushroom ravioli, i had the roasted suckling pig over potatoes. the meat was tender, it had cracklin which was as crispy as it should be.
For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse and she had the crème brule. the mousse was rich, the crème brusle crisp.
Would recommend to anyone, great food, great atmosphere, wine list looked exceptional (was driving to LA so didnt get a chance to sample), waitresses were very helpful and friendly.

3.5 Stars — Meal was enjoyed ³⁄₀₉
I’m lucky enough to be great friends with the assistant to the owner and looked forward to the meal.
The restaurant has a very casual feel, as do most places in Santa Barbara. There were three of us and we had reservations for 8pm on a Saturday night. We were seated immediately seated and I started to peruse the menu. I wanted to see if menu had what I was expecting for a French Bistro. The menu was divided into standard bistro style categories, Fruits de mer, soups et salads, hors d’oeuvres, plats principaux, and plats du jour decorate. I was hoping to see some classic French dishes and most were included, Steak Tartare, Moules Mariniere and Duck a L’Orange. Since this was my first visit and my hosts had eaten at Café Luck several times, we decided to get some dishes that they had really enjoyed and some items they have never tried.
The meal started with a half dozen oysters, a mix of Fanny Bay and Blue Point, served with a Mignonette Sauce. The oysters were very mild and not very meaty, but not bad. The oysters were paired with Champagne, Baumard Carte Turquoise Cremant De Loire Brut NV, it was very crisp, a bit pricey but nice. Next came the Escargot and Steak Tartare, the Escargot was served without the shells and bathing in garlic butter. It was very good, not chewy but had just enough texture and what can be bad about butter and garlic? The Steak Tartare was not as impressive, the tartare was missing just a bit of acid, the tartare I had at Comme Ca was much better.
The last of our starters was the «Farmers Salad», a version of the classic warm Frisee salad with Poached Egg, for anyone that enjoys bacon and eggs, this is a great starter. We ordered two of these salads and one of them had a poached egg that was overcooked. The yolk is very important to the success of this dish. Nonetheless the lardons, the vinagrette and the fingerling potato chips all worked well together.
It was time to move on to the Entrees and our first bottle of wine. We had a hard time trying to figure out what to order, we were kinda full, but also wanted to try something different. I had my mind set on the Whole Roasted Chicken with Truffle Butter. Since we had «connections» we went to the source and asked the executive chef what we should get. He suggested that if we get the chicken, we should get the whole fish en croute. We went with his suggestion, even though the chicken would take 45 mins to prepare. We were also recommended the 2007 Brewer-​Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir to go with the rest of our meal. The chicken, fish and wine were all high ticket items and my expectations were also high. The wine was very good, I’m not a connoisseur of wine, but I do know what I like. This wine was good.
The whole fish was brought out with the salt crust partially removed. The fish was then removed from the bone and plated with roasted fingerling potatoes and assorted vegetables. The vegetables included grilled pearl onions, grilled tomatoes and baby zucchini, they complimented the subtle flavors of the striped bass. The bass was moist and the salt crust added a nice flavor, the roasted potatoes were very salty. Overall the fish en croute was very good, unfortunately our appetites weren’t and we still had the whole chicken coming.
The roasted chicken was presented whole in the roasting pan. The chicken was then carved and served on a platter. It was served with the Pomme Purée and Roasted Baby Vegetables and Croutons. The Pomme Purée was super smooth and rich, I’m afraid to know how much butter was used to make it. The roasted baby vegetables were also very nice, there were baby carrots, Swiss Chard and Pearl Onions. But a very nice surprise were the croutons served with the vegetables. When you dipped the croutons into the delicious pan juices from the chicken and then dipped it into the pomme purée, it was close to heaven. That’s saying something when your completely full. The chicken skin was nice and crispy, the meat was moist, but there was no sign of truffle flavor. Most of the chicken was packed up in a to go container.
The surprise of the evening was still to come. With barely any room for air, we decided to take a look at the dessert menu. We ordered the Pot de Crème and a Passion Fruit Sorbet. The Pot de Crème was a new add on to the menu, let me just say this, it was awesome. It was an absolutely perfect way to end the meal. The custard was silky smooth and had a very nice sweetness. Normally a crème brûlée is served in a ramkin style dish, Café Luck served their crème brûlée is a more of a cup like container. It had a smaller opening on the top so their was less of the bruleed sugar. This was nice, the sugar was not needed as the custard was the star.
Overall Café Luck was good, but the price is way too high for the French Bistro dishes they offer. Even with a discount, our bill exceed $ 280. If I do go again, I will try to tame my cravings to taste everything.

A few weeks ago my friends and I went to the California Wine Festival for wine tasting by the Santa Barbara pier. After a few hours of wine tasting and soaking the sun, we were hungry for ‘real’ food. I suggested Café Luck for a little French bistro cuisine. It was a restaurant that I discovered during my Internet search for french cuisine in Santa Barbara.
Café Luck was the first time there for all of us. The establishment is small, quaint, and classic. The décor is retro french bistro decorated to the ceiling. Love the colors of the walls and the black trim. I especially like the touch of black and white photography of street scenes in Paris. This is my kind of place. The menu selections are traditional French bistro cuisine. The prices for each main course is no more than $ 19 per dish.
For dinner, my friends ordered starter salads. I, on the other hand, ordered the French onion soup. It had to have been royalty size. It was beautiful and decadent. A hearty beef broth with lots of onions, and mounds of cheese. Fabulous! The main course was the piece de resistance. A friend ordered the white fish, two other friends ordered the short ribs, and I ordered the Porterhouse pork. Loved it all again!!! Each main course was tender and each bite had just the right amount of spice. The fish was served with the head-​on unlike most establishments in which they serve it fillet style. This is my kind of rustic cuisine. Awesome. The Porterhouse pork was juicy and tender. I actually got full after a three bites. Unfortunately, I have no room for dessert.
Café Luck is worth it. I will certainly pencil it in my itinerary as the place to eat before the drive back to Los Angeles.

I went into the restaurant the day before Valentines day for an early V-​day dinner with my boyfriend only to have the night ruined by the chef. The chef came out of the kitchen and was told of my previous review and came to my table to talk to me about it.
A total buzz kill.
I won’t be going back for drinks or food any time soon.