Outpost

The food was pretty good but overpriced for what it was but the service was TERRIBLE. We had to ask for our server every time we wanted her by flagging down a busboy when we wanted to place an order. And it wasn’t as if it was busy — we were one of few tables there for dinner. I would have come back for the food but the service is bad enough to turn me off of this place.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I had been coming to this hotel and restaurant for the past few years for business. I always had a great experience until one particular stay. I contacted Joseph the general manager of the restaurant and told him about my experience. He asked me to let him make it better and to contact him when I was there next. I really wasn’t expecting much but when I did arrive I called and left him a message. He arranged an amazing dining experience for me and my friend and brought the magic back for us both. He was true to his word and then some. Sean, the bartender had our drinks ready before our butts could hit the seat. It was definitely the best experience ever and I appreciated that they heard our concerns and made it up to us. They listened, they cared, they made it right! I recommend the Goodland Hotel and the Outpost restaurant to all for business or pleasure. They are a unique and trendy vibe with amazing food.

Stayed at the hotel and had dinner at the Outpost. Ambiance was nice. The mushroom and fish tacos were amazing. We ordered two rounds. Great stay overall.

Good food with an Asian influence. The Burrata was fantastic. The personal attention from Chef Nick and great service from Tyler really made the night!

This review (and the 3-​star rating) is for BRUNCH only … the dinner options are a lot better and I have had many 4 & 5 star experiences here for dinner. My hope is that I can offer some observations about the brunch and maybe the management (most hotel /​restaurants monitor their Unilocal reviews …) can take some action and make improvements. I WANT to love this place !!
Short version: if you’re looking for an *AWESOME* knock-​your-​socks-​off breakfast experience in Goleta … well, there isn’t one. Yet. Outpost, however, definitely has the potential. The hotel & restaurant are doing SO MANY things right, if they can just fine-​tune a few things about their brunch menu & service, they will have it all nailed down. And I would love that because Goleta needs a great weekend breakfast place, and this location is already gorgeous.
What they got right: the ambience & décor, the open-​to-​the-​outside seating, the handcrafted cocktails, the generous glasses of fresh squeezed juice, their homemade riff on Pop Tarts, the chilaquiles (which I ordered awhile back and when they came, like a good American, I was disappointed that it wasn’t a platter-​sized trough for me to stuff into my face. The smaller portion, however, proved to be more than adequate and the quality and flavor were amazing. The brunch menu needs more of THAT.) The service is friendly and well-​intentioned though not always perfect. However, friendliness makes up for a lot so I can forgive a slight stumble here and there, and they are trying.
What needs improvement: the selection of egg dishes on the brunch menu is … uninspired. There are two benedicts, a standard eggs & potatoes & meat option, a «market benedict» that promised crab bernaise, a «skillet» option that looks pretty good. But I don’t recall an omelette or anything else creative, besides the previously mentioned chilaquiles. Now, about those benedicts: for $ 14 or $ 16? Pretty disappointing. The traditional came on a limp & under toasted English muffin with the standard ham and some very yellow hollandaise sauce that looked suspiciously like it may have come from a jar (gasp !) Overall, pretty bland and the hash browns were just a patty of fried shredded potatoes … which I would expect at Denny’s with my $ 5.95 Grand Slam. But here, for the price, I’d hope they could at least match the flavor and originality of — for example — the tri color home fries served at Jeannine’s (chunks of Yukon gold, purple potatoes, and sweet potatoes with onions and peppers and some kind of special house seasoning … now THOSE are some special potatoes, worthy of a $ 12 breakfast !) I see that some other reviewers here LOVE the hash browns, but for me — these are out of an Ore-​Ida bag and for dining out at breakfast, with a $ 50 tab at the end (2 entrees, a side of link sausages, juice, tip) I want something more. Some restaurants offer the option of home fries OR hash browns. Just an idea.
The market benedict, which is billed with «fresh seasonal vegetables» … was equally «meh.» Those «seasonal vegetables» turned out to be just a scattering of arugula, and the Serrano ham was really, REALLY fatty. More fat than meat. And the «crab bernaise» looked suspiciously like the same yellow cream sauce that was on the *other* benedict, with one small morsel of crab. One. However, I have to give the kitchen props for serving up some *beautifully* poached eggs, perfectly done, but not OVERdone … that’s a skill that you don’t see enough.
The link sausages? DELICIOUS ! Plump and flavorful — those are a home run. That’s the kind of thing I hope to see coming out of the kitchen here. A little larger that usual, tasty, unique …
The coffee came out a weak & insipid brew, so watery and bland that we actually sent it back. Yes, that poor. The manager explained that it appeared that the coffee maker was broken (a reasonable explanation) and offered hot tea instead … an Americano would have been a more efficient way to put some black magic back in our hands, but the offer of tea was accepted. At the end, we were not charged for the coffee OR the tea, which was gracious of them.
Final insult: we took a look at the dinner menu, and the paper was covered with little sticky bits and food stains and remnants from the night before. Hopefully they clean that or change out the paper before dinner service? It looked pretty tacky.
I see that I’ve put more time into this review than was probably necessary … it’s just that I see so much potential for this place to be a really great brunch spot, and as of right now they are falling short and seem a bit emptier on weekend mornings than they should be. As of right now, I could get a better breakfast with more variety on the menu at Cajun Kitchen for half the cost (and consistently good coffee there, too.) Maybe a kick ass restaurant manager or something can whip Outpost into shape … the raw materials are there !!
Best of luck Outpost … I’ll be keeping an eye on things

Had the fish tacos with sriracha sauce and a margarita. Pretty delicious. Sat inside but have sat outside before and it gorgeous with the fire pits. Ok service. My friend had a cauliflower dish and she said it was really good. We shared a dessert with chocolate cake thing with the vanilla gelato and cookie crumble. It was soooo good, I probably could have ate another.

I’ve been here several times now and always enjoy the ambience. The dinner menu is expensive for what you get but Saturday brunch is great. Today I had the rajas torta and a mimosa. Two dollar mimosa refills make it fiscally irresponsible not to have two. Great service. Great patio.

The food was good but the service was the slowest I’ve ever experienced. On top of slow service my order was wrong and they had to go make what I really asked for. We missed our movie waiting for freakin tacos that took 2 hours to get to our table. The waitress tried to makeup for it by giving us cake. The cake was a joke. I think the cake made the whole experience worse than it already was. Food is good here. I really hope the customer service improves and they speed things up a bit. Tacos shouldn’t take 2 hours, cake shouldn’t be stale. Watch the cake video I added. Not exaggerating when I say it was stale.

Spent the weekend with family had a great time bar staff friendly and knowledgeable. The wait staff was fantastic The food was on point tried things I never thought I would. They had a great wine selection this is a hot little happening place for a quick snack, drink or a great dinner.

Restaurant has a cool vibe and an eclectic menu. We ate here for dinner and then for breakfast the next morning. Dinner was ok… cocktails were good quality and food was different but good. Kimchi sweet potato fries, fish tacos, and brisket sweet buns were great. Breakfast was awful. Got the pork belly/​oyster hash cause it sounded unique, but the dish was almost all potatoes, the pork belly and oysters were not the heroes, and my poached eggs were over cooked. We also got the buckwheat pancakes which were dry and flavorless. In terms of the service, it seemed as though no one took ownership in the restaurant. Being greeted at the host stand seemed to be last on everyone’s priority list… even getting acknowledged inside of 5 minutes didn’t happen. This is one of those restaurants that you can see the potential in, but they are far from being there.

The Outpost is awesome.
I was so excited to see a fun place like this come to Goleta. My first experience having drinks at the bar was awesome – great funky décor, inventive cocktails, good local beers and games.
Then I went back for a Saturday night dinner for four at the restaurant. We did beers and small plates to share (two vegetarians, two carnivores): guacamole, kale salad, brussels sprouts and artichokes, eggplant, kimchi fries, 6 oysters on the half shell, 2 mushroom bao-​buns and 2 pork bao-​buns. By the end we were full and satisfied. All of the dishes were excellent, flavorful and unique. The service and ambience, like the bar side, is great.
I will definitely be back to The Outpost.

Came here for brunch. Ordered the salmon bagel, the eggs rajas torta and the classic benedict with the daily poptart.
Service: Great. Fast, checked in on us and refilled coffee and water.
Food: Some hits, some misses. The hits include those hashbrowns. Holy crispy yum cakes. I would eat a bowl of just those if I could. They were so crispy. Def. a win. The salmon on my salmon bagel was good, and the house picked red onions were a nice touch. My husband really liked the benedict, and grandma seemed to like the eggs & rajas torta.
The misses: The pop tart was a big miss in my book, sadly. The dough was not cooked enough, too thick and very little filling. Bummer! Second, we asked for the eggs to be cooked hard on the eggs & rajas, but they were runny. Not a huge deal, but yeah.
My bagel was par for the course — could have been better. And at risk of sounding hella picky, I’ll just say it — the cucumbers need to be cut thinner and not served really wet.
I’d come back. Really cute décor and interesting menu items.

Warm friendly staff. Great bar program. Very creative cocktails. I recommend the Old Fashioned. Mary makes the best Old fashioned I have ever had!
Also the tacos and empanadas are really good. Also one of the few places one can order a pisco sour.

Drinks were good. Bar was nicely crowded and lively. Food was ok. The brisket bah min «taco» was excellent. Brussel sprout small dish was ok… Needed more flavor… more «pow»…bacon or heat… to liven up the dish. Fish taco was good. Outdoor eating was nice ambience. Price was reasonable. Good to try if you have not been here.
2^nd time here. Had the eggplant small plate. Was not expecting a cold dish… but was pleased with the sesame, fried garlic pieces and sesame seeds. Very flavorful. Had the brisket tacos again. Did not «wow» like the first time I had them… still tasty.

It pains me to give this place only 3 stars, because it has so much potential and the concept is a very welcome addition to the Goleta area. At the same time however, it seems that the management may be out of sync with the surrounding area and the locals who would love to frequent this place more often if it weren’t for unreasonably portioned drinks and food for the price. I feel a lot of people’s dissatisfaction with the Outpost (especially for those living in Goleta) is from a bad case of sticker shock. Taste is decent for most items on the menu for the several times I’ve been here, but again, for the price and portion that you receive (even at happy hour!!), it’s definitely more reminiscent of what you’d expect to pay for high end dining given such a casual atmosphere.
I understand that their pricing is due to sourcing local and high quality ingredients, but isn’t that just perpetuating the myth that eating well locally requires you to have big bucks in order to accomplish? For those who frequent the farmers markets in town, we all know that that’s not true, and there’s more to it than just the base cost of goods happening here.
Atmosphere and décor is top notch, along with great staff, but I think the pricing is definitely incongruous with such a casual atmosphere. I love me a good craft cocktail and actively seek them out when I’m out dining, but do expect something a little larger than a tiny goblet for $ 12.
With what you’re paying for, I’d much rather spend the same amount at the goodland’s sister hotel restaurant, Finch and Fork whose pricing is more reasonable for the quality and quantity you’d expect from its ambiance.

Great service and ambience. The menu was limited but that’s ok. Wish the size of the desserts was bigger :)
We ordered fish tacos, guacamole, halibut, empanadas, and kimchi fries. The kimchi fries and fish tacos were definitely the best. Rest if the food was pretty good as well especially the halibut with couscous.
The best part of the meal was the buttermilk pie which was too good but too little.
Definitely worth visiting If you are in the area.

Loved the kimchi fries. Great crisp on the potatoes.
Ramen was spot on. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth was rich in flavor.
The buttermilk pie is a winning dessert.
I still think the bao could use further refinement of the flavors to make them really pop. The duck tacos were average – the flavor of the duck was lost and the habenero seasoning on the cabbage was much lighter than anticipated given the warning from our waitress.

Service: kitchen is suuuuper slow to fire out food
Brunch/​breakfast food: subpar, needs a major menu revamp! Unless you think of food solely as fuel, don’t come for brunch.
Atmosphere: cute casual, open layout outdoor/​indoor rustic décor
Advice for patrons: come for drinks and outdoor seating
Waitress was really good but unable to deliver with their slow kitchen.
We both had the iron skillet baked egg dish. Just avoid ordering it completely. It must be one of their worst items.
Dry and way overcooked frittata-​like eggs. Underwhelming flavor. (Check out photo)
Pop tart– It’s doughy, underflavored underbaked pastry with an ooze of white sugar melted «frosting».
Chia pudding is decent.
Americano/​coffee is great.
Chicken sausage is good.

Located inside The Goodland Hotel.
A cute little spot great for brunch! They have a nice outdoor area. I recommend sitting outside if possible. They also have heated lamps and blankets if it gets too cold.
I ordered the Hash — oysters, pork belly, potato, pearl onions, & poached egg. An interesting combination but super yummy!
I’ll have to come back to try their other breakfast options and Bloody Mary’s. I could image this would be a good place for dinner as well. Also, the staff is really friendly & attentive here. I can’t believe I haven’t come across this place sooner.
Definitely recommend giving this place a try if you haven’t been here.

Great service, great food, lovely evening!
Here’s the breakdown:
Food: Overall, very good. Some room for improvement.
Brussels sprouts– Very tasty! I would order this again.
Guacamole– Good, but not phenomenal. A little too much oil (I think) in the guac.
Tacos– Fish and pork. SO good! Fresh and light. Very small, but filling.
Empanada– Great! Not too greasy and very flavorful!
Burger– My boyfriend didn’t love this one. Even though he ate every last bite ;) Said the shallot marmalade did not add to the overall flavor much.
Ceviche: light, delicious, and fresh, but nothing too special. I wanted more lime juice.
Buttermilk pie: HOLY CRAP! I have never heard of this dessert before coming here. It was amazing! Order it without hesitation. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Beet Down #3– Tasty and unique cocktail.
Atmosphere: Cool, trendy, and comfortable. Pet friendly, which I love. We sat closer to the pool. They have a nice bar and a cute fire-​pit too.
Service: So professional, warm, and attentive. Our service was amazing. By far the highlight of the night. Our server was one of the most professional and kinder servers I have ever had. When I feel in love with the buttermilk pie and (jokingly asked for the recipe) she went back into the kitchen and (I kid you not) brought me a printed out copy of the recipe! I thought she was so wonderful, I called her manager the next day to rave about her service.
Prices: So reasonable considering the quality and portion size of the dishes.
Overall, this place is great. I will be back!