Sama Sama Kitchen

"Find Southeast Asian specialist Sama Sama across the street from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Have a seat indoors or on the festive patio and order the Indonesian nasi goreng, Javanese chicken curry bowl, Peking duck-inspired salad, or shareable sticky chicken wings." - Mona Holmes

"Sama Sama Kitchen shares some DNA with other State Street staple restaurants: It's a bright space lined with light wood with a massive backyard patio covered in vines and string lights. But this eclectic Indonesian spot isn't just another place to bring your picky aunt who always orders the chicken. It's where you cover your table in dishes like crispy rice salad, sweet and spicy mie goreng, and banana donut fritters. Their wings smothered in a tamarind-soy barbecue sauce are fried to perfection and exactly what you want in a drinking snack. You could drop by the bar and order a white negroni with a date, but we can't imagine coming here without sharing at least a couple of small plates, too. " - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins, garrett snyder

"This eatery in the heart of downtown is not only good fun but also good for the wallet. Here, the Chefs/partners bring their disparate expertise—one is a barbecue aficionado from Nashville, the other is Indonesian, and together they turn out a menu of thoroughly pleasing Southeast Asian food. Attractions include a well-spiced rendition of green papaya salad, mixing aromatic herbs, chilies and peanuts. Bao can be ordered fried or steamed, which yields a pillowy soft bun to be filled with crunchy fried chicken in a tangy sauce. The interior is appealingly simple, but the back patio is a hidden gem, filled with string lights and communal tables that can be booked for parties. Weekday happy hour simply means steep discounts on a variety of food and drinks." - Michelin Inspector

"This bright, modern restaurant downtown is serving the kind of Indonesian-fusion you might not expect to find in a town that believes burritos are meant to be eaten at all three meals of the day. Sama Sama is a tad pricey, but the food is delicious and unlike anything else in Santa Barbara. Their leafy back patio is the perfect space for a casual dinner with a few friends." - brant cox

"As part of indie hospitality group Shelter Social Club (Ojai Ranch Inn, Chief’s Peak Bar), it’s not a big surprise this is one of the hipper spots in town. Come here for quality Indonesian food—all made with fresh ingredients sourced solely from local farms—and a solid drink (during happy hour, the house cocktail will set you back no more than six bucks). There's a sprawling bar if you're dining solo and several communal tables for bigger groups. Regardless of where you sit, you'll want to tuck into a share-friendly plate of garlic wings and blistered shishito peppers, followed up by Mie Goreng noodles."