Super psychologically stimulating environment with all the vibes

Deep dive into grungy pub life. Only beer and wine served here. Super chill vibe. Dark interior fully decorated from thrift store treasures. Smoking section in back patio. Younger (millennial aged) crowd. Nice for a quick drink but unless you plan to live in the area and frequent it, not a necessary stop.

Still the best. Still cash only. I forgot to bring cash nor did I have a debit card so I didn’t get anything.

Such a cool place, I go here everytime I visit Santa Barbara, glad to see it survived the lockdown!

Love Elsies! Always a good lounge place.

Great local. Very happy to have these guys here. Good selection of beers on tap, with more in bottles. Ordinance requires that they serve food with alcohol, so they sell focaccias that are pretty good.

Very clean and convenient spot. They serve generous portions and for economical rates. I loved the menu a lot and the staff were super attentive and chatty. Recommended.

This is one of my favourite bars in Santa Barbara. Its an old-school bohemian/punk bar, NOT a dive bar. Good beer selection, a little pricey. They dont accept credit/debit cards, so bring cash. The ATM inside charges like $2.50 or something ridiculous, so be forewarned.

Incredible Amercanos

Local bar, relax chill environment, the sofa in the front can use some update or just cleaning.

Cash only and very smokey from cigarettes.

Nice friendly staff.

If you feel like everything original and interesting about you is being slowly choked out of you when you walk down State St, you might like it here.Theres a pool table. There are some very cozy couches. Theres a very groovy, open-air patio that people smoke on. I would not describe this as a smoky bar, though. Its cash only, and a little off the beaten path. No liquor, just beer, wine, and (oh yes...) soju.I havent been here enough to know if its friendly. Like California itself, it seems pleasant, but deeply aloof. I would feel totally comfortable here with a book, or even working on a small (not messy) art project.Its hard to find, and I suspect that is on purpose. Its not for everyone. Its not supposed to be.

Elsies is a great place it has a little bit of a beatnik Edge to it 100% local crowd everybody just goes there to chill it has overstuffed chairs a pool table and an outdoor area but the the thing that makes Elsies unique is the people that work there the people that go there its got a special kind of vibe

Cute lil bar. It doesnt serve liquor but wine and beer, they have interesting seating and good atmosphere

Elsie is one of the hidden treasures in Santa Barbara. Ive been going to Elsies for several years on and off it is one place that I feel very comfortable to visit. It has a feeling of a pub and people who come there are typically very mature and interesting to begin with! They typically serve only wine and beer but also they have a collection of teas and kombucha and other drinks for people who do not want to drink alcohol just like myself. But rest assured that theres plenty choices as far as beer and wine goes for all you wine and beer lovers so come and visit this place you wont be disappointed as I said it is a hidden treasure!

Awesome, classic SB dive bar. Chill and interesting place to bring friends off of State St. Feels like an old friends living room with a big outdoor patio. The bartenders are all awesome.

What a delightful surprise! We were invited here by a friend who lives in downtown Santa Barbara. Very welcoming neighborhood bar, I shall return.

Got there near seven, it wasnt very crowded. I will be back with my relatives. It has a nice feel to it.

Fantastic bar. was on a trip to CA with family and my sister and her friends brought me out to go drink. Went to some crappy dance club type bars before this one. Randomly searched pubs and found this one. Its was the most fun vie ever had at a bar. will be coming back whenever in the area.

I have lived in Santa Barbara all my life. I have been going to Elsies since I was of age. It has changed owners but both owners are awesome. The décor is in between a lounge and a garage. The outside patio has original art work on the walls. I love there is no name outside. I think If I opened a bar I would make it exactly the same.

About as dive as a dive bar gets, but everyone was super cool and actually have a great draught selection. Has smoking patio in back and very close to downtown strip, but not heavy on foot traffic in front

Cool bar in town I like the chillArea in the back 💚🌱👍🏽

It was fun and original with interesting beers. Very nice people to talk to at the bar, but they needed to shave. Ana from Spain.

Nice place to drink and in Santa Barbara,Ca

Excellent beer and wine selection. Perfect for a relaxed setting.

I love Elsies! Great vibe. Only serve beer and wine, so its less common to see a bunch of drunk idiots than at a lot of other places. Outdoor patio is nice, but can get pretty heavy in tobacco smoke. Oh, and free pool!

Best real dive bar in SB. Friendly staff and fellow customers. Great beer selection also but remember cash only!

This place makes me happy. Also, Ms. Pac-Man table.

I really love this hard to spot, cash only bar. They serve beers in cans, its definitely reminiscent of the sewer or Sans Souci in Ventura. I have always had a soft spot for the old dive bar, personally I believe theyre a definite need in a time when nightclubs and overpriced cocktails are all the rage. You can tell that the people who come here, are hiding out from trendy SB socialites, its a great place to people watch if youre like me, youll order your PBR or latest IPA (Im a Gemini, versatile drinker), and sit in the corner, making up stories for the cast of characters who enter...

Cash only drive bar. My favorite! Great atmosphere, free pool, back patio, and they play vinyl music!

Best place in town friendly staff and great atmosphere all on top of a wide selection of beers on tap!

Cash only. Relaxed vibe. Good beer. Board games, pinball, retro arcade table.

This place is great, friendly staff and good beer selection. Its like a cross between a coffee shop and laid back bar.

A quaint bar off of State with a ton of artwork on the walls, a couple video games, including Pac-Man, and a pool table as well!

Laid back bar that serves mostly beer and wine. Large back patio and board games if you get bored. Cash only, but theres an atm

Local spot, good for being off state and is more mellow can play board games as well. No hard alcohol

Elsies is by far my favorite bar in town. We had a great time! :)

Quirky fun! Check it out for a low - key night

I heard its closing down. Its a shame as its a great classic dive bar that allowed me to bring my fried rice in.

Great place! Back area is wonderful staff is cool as hell

Very unique place. Always the best variety of specialty beers.

Super chill spot! Lounge and sip and everyone is super chill

This bar has a cool atmosphere, but the patio is smoking-allowed. The beer selection is not very good and they dont take credit card.

The only good bar in Santa Barbara.. Dares to be alternative in a sea of mainstream Chad-dom

Love this place! If youre looking for a chill beer garden this is the spot

Classic dive bar. Love. Love. This dive bar. The gal behind the bart remembers me, even though I frequent the joint about once every four months. Wish I could give her a shout out by name, but I can never remember it, or how to pronounce it. But she is waycool and very accommodating. No alcohol served here, beer and wine only, but go for the atmosphere. No name on a door on the street, raggedy couches, pool table, side cove rooms, great back patio and excellent selection of wine and beer. This a feel the vibe and its good kind of place, even if the millennials have the angle cornered on this joint.

A hidden gem. Small beer selection, nice interior, and interesting crowd.The place is cash-only though

Very eclectic. Hipster vibe. Unconventional beers available

Great staff, cozy homey atmosphere, great vinyl records playing. I wish there were a place like this in my town!

I truly love Elsies because of the type of the people it attracts!!! Thank you for providing this space for us.

This is the best hidden bar in SB. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

This spot is great and the service fantastic. One star for drinks having change in the price, i.e. $6.50 for a pint of schwill

This bar is not the place to go for music they play there own music no juke box and only one pool table it just seemed everyone there was in there own little world. And the bar is too small. Its a elbow to elbow kind of place. Staff isnt very talkative either i m not going back.

Relaxing monday

I always love this place. Working if you are pretentious stay away

Hands down the best bar in SB. I met many of my good friends out on their back patio, I love all the bartenders, I love all the regulars, and they have a great selection of art always.

Absolutely the best bar in Santa Barbara. Couches, beer, wine, FREE pool, tiki-style back patio, amazing bartenders, decent tap list.

Beer and wine only and cash only, which is great at keeping the place mellow and casual.

Super cool decor, great service.

Mellow music, comfortable seating, good vibes, such a great tavern. Cash only though.

Elsies Tavern is my favorite place to hang out and grab a beer late at night or an early afternoon espresso. Love the mellow vibes, and the bartenders are always great.

Awesome, chill place! Nothing I like more then a bar with couches everywhere and mellow music playing.

Mellow atmosphere with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating

Great place to just disapear. And drink! CASH ONLY!

This is best bar in Santa Barbara. Bo is a wizard of beer.

You can always find a place to sit inside.

Great atmosphere but unfortunately cash only.

Chill place with cheap beers, a nice patio, and a pool table.

Hipster neighborhood bar. Cash only

Very nice bar...good music and snug place

Like Brooklyn in Santa Barbara. Cool place, nice little pool table, great staff.

True dive bar, for beer nerds and the artist inside. Bring cash and change, solid old video game selection as well.

Kind of a hipster bar but not obnoxious

Is a local home still bar .sofa/pool table/friendly people. Feels like home.

Arcade games with good ambience.

The most mediocre coffee shop Ive ever been too, their coffee is horrible, reward points are nice though, 1/5 stars will come back

Framboise on tap! Great for mixing

Where you go for a drink if youre not into the State St scene. Cash only!

Great ambiance, awesome staff, good beers!

Good staff.

Eclectic beer and wine bar, great vibe

Dive bar. A welcome spot in stuffy Santa Barbara. Lots of locals.

Check it out real people there not necessarily tourists there

Favorite bar in SB.

My absolute favorite bar in CA.

Great locals joint

Great place, real cozy

This is my regular hangout.

Awesome, hip little hangout

Local classic

Coolest bar in Santa Barbara!

Eclectic

A Smoke friendly bar.

Sbs Hidden gem!

Good Place!

Miss this place...

Hipster joint

Rocknroll in Santa Barbara, it exists. Good beers, good indie music and a smoking terrace.

Fantastic bar! Recommended;)