Caffe Primo

My husband and I made reservations for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. When we walked in there was barely anyone there. It seemed we didn’t even need to make reservations. We were seated and for 10 minutes not one person came up to our table so we decided to get up and leave. Needless to say, we were glad to leave because we had the best service at another restaurant near by.

Excellent menu and great service. Pizza, salads and oysters were amazing. Place is clean and high-​tech. Staff friendly and eager to serve. Definitely on our list for future visits to State Street.

5 stars, great coffee, amazing flavors, perfect seasoning. Attention to the plate.
Staff and ambiance were excellent.
So there you have it, ¹⁰⁄₁₀!
Enjoy often!

Went there for breakfast on 4÷30÷16 about a half hour after they opened. Couldn’t order breakfast potatoes because they were being made. My daughter, a vegan, ordered the oatmeal. After 20 minutes waiting for our food the waitress came out and said they ran out of oatmeal. You’d think they would’ve known that when we were ordering! Fortunately she was able to order a breakfast smoothie with a plant based protein (which the waitress said they have but no one is supposed to know). I thought that was odd. They offered her a fruit plate since that was the only other thing they had she could eat. She asked if they had peanut butter and they did not. After another 10 minutes they brought her the fruit and I was still waiting on my eggs Benedict and fruit. She finished her fruit and my breakfast finally arrived. Get your act together Caffe Primo! I probably won’t be back. Too many other choices to waste my time here.
Update– received this unprofessional response from Andrew M. BTW contrary to what he said ⁴⁄₃₀ WAS a Saturday. I guess Andrew M. doesn’t like two star ratings.
Andrew M:
Business Customer Service
hello,
thanks for the note. i’d like to clarify a few things:
fyi we are not opened for breakfast mon-​fri, just sat and sun/​weekends. so apparently, my staff were trying to accommodate your request beyond the coffee and pastries we serve 9 – 1130 during the week which includes ⁴⁄₃₀ when you were allegedly in. i’d say that sure is a nice thing considering the kitchen wasn’t set up for any of what you ordered. as well, we are not a vegan restaurant nor do we advertise that. no problem on the threat of non return. take care. Andrew

Great location, very friendly staff, nice restaurant, and great food.
We stopped by for a quick bite, and ordered a bowl of tomato soup, and the meatballs appetizer. Both were amazing, but my favorite out of the two was the soup. simple, tomato soup, with some fresh olive oil, and a nice hot piece of bread. What else can be so comforting during the cool evenings in Cali.

Iced vanilla latte = 4.5 stars
Service = 5 stars
Seating = plenty indoors and out
Parking = 75 minutes free parking in lot behind café

My family and I stopped by while we were in Santa Barbara. Overall, the food was delicious and I’d highly suggest it.
Gelato: 5
So we technically ate this last, but it was so good that I had to write about it first. We tried 6 different flavors: Pistachio, Vanilla, Apricot, Dark Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and my favorite, Salted Caramel. The were all smooth and creamy and flavorful without being too sweet. Of course, if you did want that sugar overload, apricot was plenty sweet.
Clams: 5
Flavorful and not too fishy. Comes with bread that you can dip in the soup (for lack of a better word).
BBQ Chicken Pizza: 5
Fresh from the oven wand cheesy. Not quite thin crust, but thinner than some other places. I liked it quite a bit– not so thick that it tastes like bread and not toppings, but not so thin that it feels like you’re eating from a chip.
Short Rib Pappardelle: 5
Delicious. No other word for it. I’m probably going to order this if we ever come back.
Lasagna: 4
Super duper cheesy. There was so much cheese piled on top. It was pretty good though.
Mushroom Burger: 4
I’m normally not a fan of burgers, but the mushroom burger was definitely not bad. The peppers/​sundried tomatoes/​red things were unexpected, but added a lot of flavor.
Service: 5
Our server was very good. She checked up on us consistently and was willing to replace my mom’s ice tea because she didn’t like it.

I returned to Caffe Primo another time yesterday and I was very pleased to eat there again.
The waitress was very attentive and she made sure that we had everything quite often, which was very pleasant. Moreover, the plates came out fast as well as the drinks.
The bread over there is good, very tasty. Probably once of the best tasting bread in Santa Barbara in my opinion.
My lasagna were very good, as well as the hummus and the tomato soup that I had! Get the tomato soup it’s very good (only Thursday and Saturday though I believe)
However, I regret being charged $ 4 for an extra bread basket. Also, it’s way too loud inside. We can barely hear each other between the people talking around you and the loud music playing.

good cup of coffee. I got it half full, but it was strong.
I didnt’ get the to go cups that you see littered on the road, or in a few peoples hands
mine was plain white.

Decided to meet up with some friends at the former restaurant Pierre LaFond (not a fan). Arrived right before the end of their happy hour and was able to snag a beer before 6PM. The HH menu had some delicious bites for a reduced price. I’ll most definitely have to check it out again.
I decided to get the seafood linguini which unfortunately was a little too salty for my taste. My friend got a burger that didn’t taste bad, but it didn’t wow him. My friend got the chicken brown rice bowl, and she said that it was yummy.
The server that we had was very inattentive; we had to flag her down numerous times. I would go back again and hopefully have a better experience.

My girlfriends and I stopped into Caffe Primo for Saturday morning brunch. It was pretty empty when we got there because it was between breakfast and lunch.
We were happy to see that even though breakfast was over, there were a few breakfast items available all day.
I am a huge fan of eggs benedict, so of course that’s what I ordered. Let me tell you, I was impressed! It looked rather simple, but there was the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce and the poached eggs were on point. I will definitely be going back and ordering the benedict again.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant was open and light with large windows and mirrors. There is a coffee bar in the middle which seems like the ideal place for a meet up.
As well, the staff was very friendly and helpful, but not hovering. They had no problem splitting our check three ways. Much appreciated!

Came here for breakfast. Came right before the breakfast rush too. We sat down at around 10:00 am. From the chocolate croissant, to the coffee, and the salmon egg Benedict! All sooo tasty and satisfying. Prices are very reasonable. Every waitress we encountered was very friendly which enhanced the already chill environment! They have quite a few TV’s also and had some of the college bowl games on!
Wouldn’t hesitate to return to this hidden gem for breakfast the next time I’m in Santa Barbara!

Made a quick pit stop before heading to the harbor to watch the sunset. Large glass windows and spacious with an island bar looked pretty modern. Interesting part was the actual wine bottles adjacent to the banquet seating space and real peoples picture outside the restrooms to indicate men or women.
It’s very interesting to add details and I am a big fan of those quirky elements.
Coffee was good and will be back for proper food when I am back in town.

Very delicious and FRESH! You can tell freshness when you first taste food and after (while in a food coma). We happen to stroll by during their very favorable and delightful happy hour! (3pm-​? We got there at 430pm). Ordered the HH calamari, tacos (shrimp and a beef short rib) and parm fries.
I agree that service can use a tiny bit of work in terms of personality — but the place is beautiful and the food was great!!!

Caffe Primo. I had heard mixed reviews, so we decided to try it out. The space is big and lovely. The service was just fine. The menu wasn good. I had a beet salad with grilled salmon and it was good.
Did I LOVE it? No
Did I LIKE it? Yes.
Will I go back? Yes.
Is it worth trying? Yes.

Andrew Morgan, thank you so much for having me at your soft opening! I had an amazing time and everything was DELICIOUS!!!
Our 5 course meal started off with a Margherita pizza. I’ve had margherita pizza in Italy and I can definitely vouch for how good the pizza at Caffe Primo is. The crust is amazing and has the perfect amount of crunch to it. Their house salad has an amazing mix of balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil, with fresh greens and radishes. We got to try a crispy-​clean kind of Chardonnay, a Cab Sav, and Lizard’s Mouth by Fig Mtn was offered there too!
For shared small plates, we ordered calamari, pomegranate guacamole with chips, truffle fries, and meatballs. The meatballs, calamari, and guacamole was so yummy. Wish there was more truffle oil on the fries though!
On to the main dish, I LOVED my pesto pasta dish! I love artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes so that had caught my eye from the beginning. Not too salty and a great vegetarian pasta option.
The Tres Leches … I am at a loss for words. I have personally tried making Tres Leches Cake and know just how hard it is to get those three layers to stay together and not collapse from all the liquidy ingredients incorporated into the recipe. Anyways, order the Tres Leches. I would definitely ask for more raspberries because it goes SO well with the cake. It is very sweet but SO GOOD! I fell in love.
The restaurant has a fairly open dining area, so it can get very social and very loud. I like the layout of their bar it’s a square shape in the middle of the restaurant and I saw a sign that said something along the line of a Seafood Bar, so I would definitely check that out next time.
Congrats on the soft opening and thank you for having us, Andrew!

Today is the first day they are open for brunch. The menu has a little bit of everything for everyone.
Staff is friendly and service was fast. Large plates. And the potato side for the breakfest rocks with a little bit of a spice.

This was the first day that this place has been open for brunch. The service was a bit slow but the food was so delicious and the wait staff was very friendly. The space is very beautiful and the ambiance was nice. I ordered the Chilaquiles with a side of fruit and the fruit was very fresh.
I believe this place will only improve from here so please visit when your in Santa Barbara! Just be patient with the wait.

Beautiful, clean, and spacious venue with big open kitchen. Server was friendly, but inexperienced. Her description of the nightly special was «salmon served with squash». You are not going to tempt people with such anemic description.
The calamari was tender with a thin crunchy coating, but the flavor was plain. It needed more seasoning, maybe some garlic herb topping or thinly sliced fried lemon or jalapeño. The shrimp truffle pasta was also under seasoned. The angel hair (high surface area pasta) quickly absorbed what little sauce there was and I was left with a ball of pasta. The burger wasn’t memorable. It wasn’t bad, but there are other places on State serve better burgers, such as Union Ale, Cadiez, and Eureka.
The three milk cake was delicious, but it was also $ 9, which was expensive considering Downey’s scrumptious desserts are $ 10 and Lark charges $ 9 for their beautiful sweets. It also took an unreasonable amount of time to plate and expedite. I didn’t time it with a stop watch, but I ordered the cake when the lady next to me started on her bowl of pasta. She finished her entrée and ordered desserts by the time I received my cake.
Overall, I love the airy spacious venue, but the cuisine wasn’t exciting enough for me to return.
PS. After my less than stellar review, the manager send me this unprofessional incoherent babble. I can only assume he was drunk or high. The icing on the cake was that in his rush to message me, he did it under a fake account (gave Café Primo two 5 star reviews) and had since deleted that account when he noticed his mistake.
«thanks for the lengthy note. curious if you are aware we are two weeks new? i always appreciate feedback, thus i will advise our desserts are housemate, they don’t come from a cardboard box which requires skill and quality product. as well, burgers are 100% wagyu from my friends at shalhoob meat (best protein vendor in santa barbara county), and at ¹⁄₃ pound most find them delicious. it looks like you won’t be back, but if you do decide to return be sure to alert me. i am fairly certain as we find our groove, and we will, it won’t be that of a 2 star experience. thanks, again for your lengthy play by play review. andrew»

Caffe Primo has been open all of four days to date and I have already been two times, and am likely heading there for dinner because talking about all this food will surely work up my appetite. Clearly, I’m picking up what they’re putting out — delicious pizzas with an amazing, doughy, Sicilian style crust, yummy pastas, rich desserts and fresh seafood!
Hubs and I like to eat and I imagine it won’t take too long before we’ve tried the whole menu. For now, here is the scoop on my fave dishes:
Wild Mushroom Pizza — Excellent sauce, not too sweet and not too thick. It tastes homemade with no trace of canned tomato paste, a win!
Tuna Tartar — Heavenly! Large cuts of fresh ahi, slightly seasoned to perfection atop a mountain of fresh avocado combined with the slight crunch of freshly chopped zucchini. So good and incredibly reasonably priced, especially considering the portion. I used to like the Tuna Tartare at Intermezzo until they started serving tablespoon sized portions of ahi smeared over a dollop of avocado with 3 taro chip flakes. CP’s Tuna Tartar tastes 10 times fresher to me, is about 3 — 4 times the quantity and only a fraction of the price at Intermezzo. Sop up every last bite with the fresh baked baguette slices and get ready to head to food bliss. Stop it, I’m making myself hungry right now.
White Truffle Shrimp Angel Hair — Rich, creamy, flavorful and uniquely complimented by the fresh avocado. I even enjoyed eating the pasta without the shrimp. It was great on it’s own.
Short Rib Pappardelle Pasta — Tender short rib, pappardelle noodles and a rich, red sauce, mmm good.
Fried Calamari — Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, seasoned well and very tasty!
My favorite, favorite, favorite… Sicilian Tres Leche Cake! The best tres leche cake that I’ve ever had, anywhere, period. The «leche» sauce reminds me of a Chantilly, vanilla bean crème. The delicacy of the sauce married with the thick density of the cake is outstanding! It’s the stuff dessert dreams are made of.
Honorable mentions, Spaghetti Puttanesca (spicy, flavorful, wonderful), Meatballs — yes!
I’m also loving the Nikkasi «Dawn of the Red» beer and the Daou 2014 Cab.
Caffe Primo has a great location in the heart of Downtown SB, with a sleek design and fantastic, large windows for people watching. There is also a lovely patio if you’d prefer to dine outdoors. They have three big screen TVs so you can watch your favorite team while keeping it a bit classier than your standard dive.
I wish Caffe Primo lots of success. It’s a great addition to lower State St. I can’t wait until they are open for lunch!