Award-winning barista Kay Cheon behind the espresso bar at Dune Coffee.
(Julie Wolfson)
11 coffee shops along the Santa Barbara coast for your next weekend road trip
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In my Prius, a notification pops up in the form of a coffee cup topped with steam squiggles and accompanied by a message inquiring, “Would you like to take a break?”
This safety feature is designed to alert drivers to potential drowsiness, but it always makes me smile, because when I’m traveling, coffee shops are often my intended destination. Yes, I would like to take a break.
On a recent drive to Santa Barbara wine country, the roads winding north led me through the charming towns of the Santa Ynez Valley, each with a coffee destination, from historic taverns, bakeries and cozy community hubs to modern temples of espresso.
With four locations across Santa Barbara and Goleta, Dune Coffee has been roasting rare single-origin and signature blends of coffee beans since 2009. In March, barista Kay Cheon became the 2025 U.S. Barista Champion. During the competition, he explored how the theme of building blocks in coffee — from bean variety and roast to brewing techniques and ingredients — can combine to create something exceptional, even adding colorful Lego props for visuals. This fall, Cheon will compete at the World Barista Championship in Milan, Italy.
“A big part of our community has come along for the barista championship journey, and that’s really special to see,” says Cheon.
Heading deeper into the Santa Ynez Valley, specialty coffee bars have opened in converted Airstream trailers and Old West saloons. Stop into the airy and bright Little King in Buellton and you are likely to sip a cortado next to a lauded local chef like Brad Mathews of Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos.
“The love for coffee is real in the Santa Ynez Valley,” says Ryan Pelton, a barista at Queen Cup, a shop with locations in Santa Ynez and Los Alamos. “It’s like Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ on repeat.”
On your next road trip to Santa Barbara wine country or elsewhere along the Central Coast, follow this trail to some of the best scenic views, tasty baked goods and delicious cups of coffee.
Showing Places
(Julie Wolfson)
Merci
Santa Barbara Coffee Breakfast/Lunch $
In the Montecito Country Mart, chef Nicholas Barainca opened a dreamy cafe with marble tables, blush banquettes and an eclectic menu served on elegant trays with gold flatware. Coffee takes center stage with beans roasted by Bonito in Ojai. Order a cappuccino to pair with the rich chocolate chip cookies (or buy the dough separately to bake at home). Locals pop in to order Persian cucumber salad, lentil soup, jambon-beurre and seasonal galettes, plus layered coconut cake, brownies and cinnamon rolls. Just a few doors down, stop by the most adorable post office to buy stationery, postcards and stamps.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Dart Coffee
Santa Barbara Coffee $
A bright pink La Marzocco espresso machine catches the eye when walking into Dart Coffee in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. Owners Erika Carter and David Dart share a passion for sourcing and roasting beans from Indonesia, Guatemala, Peru, Ethiopia and Mexico. The aroma of coffee mingles with the intoxicating scent of spit-roasted meats from in-house neighbor Tamar, which shares space with Dart and offers a Central Coast take on Mediterranean favorites (order the beef shawarma). The commitment to community is evident in event programming that ranges from clothing swaps to artisan markets, with a percentage of coffee bean sales helping to sustain artist studios in Santa Barbara. The coffee shop recently expanded to open a handsome new seaside cafe in the Santa Barbara Harbor.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Dune Coffee Roasters
Santa Barbara Coffee $
Pull off the 101 at Garden Street and head up Anacapa Street to Dune Coffee Roasters headquarters. Opened in 2009 by Julia Mayer and Todd Stewart, Dune originally served Verve Coffee from Santa Cruz then transitioned to in-house roasting in 2012. The company eventually expanded to four locations with one on State Street and two in Goleta. Dune roasts a range of beans, from the signature blend Zip Zinger with beans from Colombia, Ethiopia and Honduras to rare single-origin offerings from expert coffee farmers, such as Geisha from Benjamin Paz in Honduras. Watch U.S. Barista Champion Kay Cheon as he carefully crafts espresso drinks behind the bar.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Felix & Feed
Santa Barbara County Coffee $
In the historic Mattei’s Tavern, mornings that begin at Felix & Feed feel like stepping into a time machine, with dramatic red-striped wallpaper, a large antique mirror, vintage portrait oil paintings and crystal chandeliers. In the middle of this saloon-style decor, a sleek La Marzocco machine sits on the counter for baristas to pull shots of espresso that are served in tiny glass cups wrapped in rugged leather. Coffee is roasted by Handlebar Roasters in Santa Barbara. Sip a morning brew or a cappuccino paired with a frittata or ranchero wrap. Take a peek into the tavern built in 1886, where horseshoes from elite equestrians like Walt Disney hang on the wall. Coffee, pastries and other breakfast items can be enjoyed in the sunroom or the patios and gardens around the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Good Seed Coffee Roasters
Solvang Coffee Bakery $
In a storybook town full of butter cookies and pancakes, Brad and Leyla Williams’ Good Seed stands out with heritage grain sourdough breads, baked goods and coffee. Come for the cinnamon rolls and biscuits and stay for the coffee. Pair a cup with options from the Toast Bar, with a choice of semi-rye walnut or sourdough bread with vegan butter, pesto or whipped ricotta. Coffee is roasted in small batches locally in Santa Ynez. Brad’s coffee knowledge includes a Q Grader certification, a designation that‘s analogous to the training to become a wine sommelier.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Handlebar Roasters
Santa Barbara Coffee $
Professional cyclists Kim Anderson and Aaron Olson opened Handlebar Roasters in 2011 to bring the cafe culture they experienced while competing around the world to Santa Barbara, a town the duo discovered while riding on the California Amgen tour. During a recent visit to the Canon Perdido location across the street from El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, the cafe was bustling with locals. The current lineup of coffees features beans from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, packed in bags with racing stripes. Pedal off with a bag of beans and a striped fuchsia or yellow cycling cap.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Kin Bakeshop
Goleta Coffee Bakery $
In the Turnpike Shopping Center in Goleta, look for the line of people calmly waiting for their turn to buy mochi muffins, Hokkaido-style brioche doughnuts and elaborate coffee drinks from Kin Bakeshop. Owners Will Chen and Tommy Chang buy coffee beans from Frank La’s L.A.-based Be Bright coffee company. Kin’s decadent Einspänner is made with two shots of Be Bright’s Dark & Bold City on a Hill espresso blend, milk, cream and house-made brown-sugar vanilla syrup, with cocoa powder dusted on top. The black sesame Vietnamese coffee and jasmine oat latte round out some of the espresso drink options, with a tea menu that features cream-top and latte creations. While many are in line for the delicious coffee or tea, just about everyone is there for the rotating menu of baked mochi treats, including ube muffins and strawberry passionfruit, black sesame and matcha doughnuts.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Lefty’s Coffee Co.
Santa Barbara County Coffee $
Named after owners Laura Newman and Jim Tauber’s beloved corgi, Lefty’s is a place for gathering and conversation. Baristas pull espresso shots and brew coffee with organic beans sourced and roasted by Carrie Nelson and Dennis Medina of Valley Heart Ranch and Coastal Coffee Collective in Santa Barbara. For a light breakfast, try the house-made granola with coconut yogurt and a mug of the house drip. The shaded, dog-friendly back patio has several wood picnic tables where people and pups from the neighborhood hang out.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Little King Coffee
Buellton Coffee Breakfast $
Opened by Grace Gates and Ryan Dobosh after general-manager stints with Companion restaurant group — Dobosh was at Bell’s in Los Alamos and Gates at Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos — Little King is the castle they built for their family, with coffee roasted by Coastal Coffee Collective and sweets baked in house. Order big squares of crumbly coffeecake, powdered sugar-dusted madeleines, and crispy-chewy rye chocolate chip cookies. This is the place for a house-drip coffee, pristine cortado or a garden mint latte. And don’t miss the Valley Breakfast Sandwich with a Motley Crew Ranch egg, High on the Hog bacon and American cheese on Lindsay’s Little Baker biscuit. A second location is coming to the Post in Montecito soon.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Queen Cup
Santa Barbara County Coffee $
Stepping into this colorful shop, it is immediately evident that Queen Cup is a space where coffee, humor, kindness and community meet. The menus on the wall jovially declare drinks that are “Fancy AF,” including the dirty horchata, Killer Queen cold brew and the signature honeycomb oat latte. Throughout the cafe, rainbows and affirmations assure customers,“You’re here. All are welcome.” Husband and wife Skyler and Alyce Barrick opened Queen Cup Coffee in January 2021, its name inspired by the idea of a bee colony as the foundation of a larger hive. With beans roasted at Zaca Coffee in Buellton, Queen Cup recently expanded to a vintage Airstream trailer on Bell Street in Los Alamos, down the street from Daisy and Greg Ryan’s destination restaurant Bell’s.
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(Julie Wolfson)
Zaca Coffee
Buellton Coffee $
Founded in Buellton in 2021 by husband-and-wife team Dennis Patrick and Hayley Firestone, Zaca Coffee brews medium- and dark-roast blends for enthusiasts who like their coffee strong. The house Llama blend combines beans from Peru, Guatemala and Ethiopia, and the shop’s matching llama logo and rodeo-themed decor evoke Santa Ynez Valley’s ranching history. The coffee shop is named for Zaca Creek Ranch, with a goal of celebrating the beauty of the Central Coast. Hayley Firestone grew up on her family’s winery nearby, Firestone Vineyard — her family also brews Firestone Walker Brewing Company beer.
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