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Fresco Cafe & Bakery
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants American (Traditional) Bakeries, American (Traditional) [Edit]
3987 State StSte B
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 967-6037
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
89 reviews for Fresco Cafe & Bakery
Review Highlights
"The gorgonzola walnut salad is so fresh tasting."
(in 8 reviews)
"red velvet cupcake ***** (A-FRIKKEN-MAZING."
(in 6 reviews)
"Best Cesar Salad, Best Tuna, Best Chick tortilla soup."
(in 11 reviews)
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89 reviews in English
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Review from Nina M.
Santa Barbara, CA
9/23/2011
I have been going to Fresco since the day they opened years ago. Last night my friend and I had another great dinner there on the patio. The food was absolutely delicious...as always. Had the "Special Salad" with fresh grilled shrimp and salmon on a bed of arugula.
Delightful to know that some good things never change...like Fresco! -
Review from Kim B.
San Diego, CA
I came here on the recommendation of my sister, who used to live in Santa Barbara. I stopped by for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. My boyfriend ordered a chicken club sandwich with a side of the Gorgonzola pear salad. Fresco also has daily specials so I ordered the quiche of the day (bacon, potato, and cheese) with a side of the Gorgonzola pear salad. We also tried the pizza of the day (prosciutto and apple), a side of french fries, and an Arnold Palmer.
Everything was fresh and tasted good. I wouldn't say it was great, but it was fresh and healthy and at a reasonable price. The chicken club was nothing special. The salad was delicious and I can see why people order it. I would have it again when in the mood for a salad. The quiche was my favorite item that we ordered. The pizza was a little disappointing because the prosciutto and apple were sliced too big and it was a little greasy.
A little tip my sister gave me: call ahead for the daily special and then decide if you want to come in. Nothing on the regular menu (besides the salad) is really worth ordering, in my opinion. -
Review from Calla G.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/13/2011
We went on Saturday night. We've eaten there before. I love the decor, the way you order is cool and different and the staff were really nice.
I liked my salad except for one thing. The tuna that was supposed to be seared lightly was kind of chewy. Now to be fair, I've been here before and loved my meals. Just that tuna, pretty disappointing.
I'll give them another try, but I may just blow off the tuna so I'll be a happier foodie camper. -
Review from Kim V.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/13/2011
My friend and I came here for dessert, so I can't speak to the food here.
We shared a Red Velvet cupcake, (which was HUGE!) and each had a hot chocolate.
We were a little disappointed that they were out of one of their cupcake selections on a Friday evening, but we understood. People have tagged this place as good for dessert, but I was hoping for a bigger selection.
The cupcake was moist and good, and the whip cream frosting wasn't too sweet. The hot chocolate was nothing special, but they gave us a big cup.
We decided to sit on the patio, which was nice and spacious. The heat lamps were spaced well and we were comfortable.
I will likely come back and try the food. -
Review from Sophia D.
Santa Barbara, CA
2/2/2012
Love Fresco! Fantastic seating and outdoor area considering its in a strip mall. I always get the iced tea and love the fact you can get your own refills. The veggie burger and salads are always just right. Just remember, when ordering a meal to go- its ALWAYS takes longer than what they estimate.
We will be Fresco fans for a very long time! -
Review from Jessica W.
Santa Barbara, CA
2/13/2012
Fresco is probably the most "go to" place in our family. We have been coming here since the 90's. It's been really nice to watch them expand. They are pretty creative with their menu while still offering all time faves. They offer great specials which are always pretty tasty. It's a great place if you are just a little hungry and want to sit down for a coffee / tea and pastry or if you want a meal. I have tried the other two locations (both franchised - Solvang and Goleta North from what I understand) but I rather go to the original location nine times out of ten.
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Review from Stacey T.
The Goat Cheese Salad was amazing! I would def come back to eat that again and again! They have a great patio area and the food is very fresh and tasty! Keep up the good work!!
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Review from Heather V.
Santa Barbara, CA
8/26/2011
Not gonna lie..probably my all-time favorite, absolute go-to, and all around best restaurant in Santa Barbara.
Having eaten here probably 1,619 times throughout my life, I can attest to the fact that this place is worth the visit. WIth their friendly service, mouth-watering entrees, scrumtous desserts, and local company, I have always enjoyed my experiences here.
The thing I love most about Fresco is the quality of the food. For a relatively inexpensive meal (compared to their culinary revivals in this city), Fresco always has served fresh ingredients with artisanal selections. For one thing, they serve a variety of breads with every meal, accompanied by a personal delivery of your alcoholic beverage and/or dessert. The restaurant's vibe is great, with live music often being played on the heated patio.
People here generally seem like they want to be at Fresco (and nowhere else.) There dogs too.
Me likely. Keep it coming. -
Review from Jill W.
Princeville, HI
12/19/2011
Used Fresco Cafe for Catering my wedding. Very prompt delivery and excellent food. Faves were the quiche and salmon. Yum!
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Review from Erin K.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2011
I went to Fresco Cafe this morning with a BFF and has a great breakfast burrito with fresh fruit. Very well-made, with anaheim chilies and cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla with salsa on the side, the burrito totally hit the spot. My friend had a sausage scramble that she proclaimed to be the best breakfast she had eaten in a very long time.
The pastries looked divine, the coffee was excellent, and while the service at the counter was mediocre, the gents who served us at the table were friendly and efficient. A great place off the beaten (tourist) path in SB. -
Review from Mike L.
Alta Loma, CA
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ran out of places that i wanted to eat at over the weekend so i searched yelp to find something that all 7 of us could find something to eat since we had some that didnt like mexican and some that didnt like seafood.
There was some mixed results here.
I got a cheesesteak and a "red velvet" cupcake. The red velvet cupcake isnt redvelvet, i dont care what you say... and it was actually one of the worst ones ive ever had. The cheesesteak, wasnt a cheesesteak.. maybe they make there own renditions of things but i wasnt feeling it.
My sister in law got a tortilla soup and she wasted all of it, i tried it and couldnt eat it also. The lemonade was ok but not great.
I didnt realize how much i didnt like this place until i started writing this :-( -
Review from Kelly M.
Hayward, CA
9/30/2011
So yummy and So fresh and you get a ton of food for the price.
The chicken salad sandwich is good, their soups are always amazing. I love the salads too - the waldorf salad is to die for. A friend of mine just ordered a calzone here the other day and it smelled amazing and she loved it as well. Everything is so fresh and tasty. hIghly recommend this place. I've never tried any of the baked goods bc I am too full to even think about it, but they have some amazing looking cupcakesm, lemonbars and other itmes that I hope to get around to one day as I'm sure they are great based on what I have experienced from the place. -
Review from Joyce W.
Goleta, CA
6/7/2011
Tried Fresco's for the first time today after hearing about it this past month. A friend took me down to the state street location and I ordered the Jill's Big Salad special: arugula, spinach, romaine, garbonzo beans, pistachio, snapped peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes...to die for!! my friend ordered the chicken club sandwich. I normally dislike bacon but had a bite and the bacon was perfectly cooked and seasoned..unlike all the other greasy soggy kinds at other restaurants.
There are baskets of delicious bread for customers to take to their table and self serve evoo and balsamic as well.
Very cute outdoor dining area and inside decor was lovely as well...this is my new favorite lunch place in SB! -
Review from Celene A.
Santa Barbara, CA
11/27/2011
Soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts everything is fresh and tasty ! If you need anything just ask & someone will be happy to get it for you. All of the workers are nice great place for dinner or lunch. Outside seating with heaters and usually some live entertainment.
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Review from Alicia D.
Riverside, CA
5/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tried this restaurant while vacationing in SB. I ordered the French Dip and it was just okay. The bread was very yummy but the au jus had way too much ginger and the meat almost tasted like BBQ??? I don't know, it just wasn't what I expect from a French Dip. My hubby, on the other hand, had the Hot Oven Grinder and added avocado. It was really really good! We both ordered the Ceasar salad as our side and we both thought it was really good.
To top off the meal my hubby ordered the chocolate bomb and he said it was very good. -
Review from Michael T.
Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2011
When deciding on a place for lunch with my family, Fresco is always our go-to spot. I usually go for their sandwich and soup combo. Do yourself a favor and order their tortilla soup when it's available. It's amazing! Unfortunately last time I went they weren't serving it, but their huge BLT sandwich made up for it.
A bit pricey but the quality ingredients, great portions, and relaxing setting totally makes Fresco worthy of a visit. -
Review from Erin K.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2011
This is probably my favorite restaurant in town. It really never lets me down. I don't think that I could come home for a visit and not come here at least once.
My favorite thing to get is the Chinese Chicken salad, followed closely by the Gorgonzola salad. All of their sandwiches are also well-made, inventive, fresh and delicious.
The desserts are incredible. My favorite is the Flourless Chocolate Cupcake, make sure you get it warmed up with fresh whipped cream.
I also don't think I have come here once without running into at least one person I know, which I guess could be good or bad depending on your mood...
Great place to come with a group or the fam because they seriously have something for everyone no matter what you are in the mood for. -
Review from David L.
5/2/2010
Fresco's is excellent. Order you food, sit outside in the warm Santa Barbara sunshine, watch the palm trees sway in the breeze.
Their Gorgonzola Salad is amazing...the best I have ever had.
They have a huge dessert selection as well...pastries, cakes, cookies - you name it.
Only thing I don't like so much about Fresco's is the parking situation (poor strip mall planning) and the cheap plastic chairs they use outside that are stuck in a semi-reclined position.Listed in: Date Night, Quick Bite To Eat, Favorite Restaurants
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Review from Chloe L.
San Jose, CA
7/31/2010
Where do I even begin to describe my love/ admiration for all the food at this place?
I always get the Turkey Triple Decker with Gorgonzola walnut salad. I am usually not a sandwich person or a salad person, but oh my god, I LOVE, LOVE these two dishes from here. I think it is the dressing that makes the salad soooo amazing. I always ask for extra dressing so I could dip my sandwich in it.
Another dish that I highly recommend is the Ahi Seared Salad. The Ahi is seared to perfection! It is never too dry and the dressing is very light and flavorful.
At the beginning of each quarter, I always stock up on the coupon books that you can get from UCSB's bookstore. All you have to do is get an entree-- which starts as low as their $5 soup-- and you can get a free dessert worth $5!
Don't let me even begin to describe how AMAZING, DECADENT, and SAVORY their desserts are! They have the best dessert selection which makes every trip so rewarding. My favorite desserts are their tiramisu, chocolate ganache, and fruit tart.
My girlfriends and co-workers and I go here every chance we get when I was in Santa Barbara. My roommate/best friend/co-worker would literally dine here for hours at a time gossiping, catching up on things, and just embracing the warm atmosphere. Every so often, there would be live music playing at this location. One week, we were there 4 days in a row.
Now that I don't live in SB, I truly miss this place so much. I plan on making trips down to SoCal just to pass by FRESCOS. -
Review from Barron S.
Santa Barbara, CA
7/10/2010 18 Check-ins Here
Surprisingly good food, and chocolate frosting on their desserts.
BIAS ALERT: I've known the owners for years. -
Review from Kathi W.
La Mirada, CA
8/22/2011
We had a so so breakfast wrap. $8.95 for a breakfast burrito and a few potatoes. It was nothing special. The salsa was pretty good but we had to ask for it. It did not come with the meal.
Then we ordered some sweets to eat later. OH MY GOSH.....These desserts were the grosses things we ever ate.
We ordered the coconut lime cake which was so beautiful but it was so dry it was inedible. All you could taste from the frosting was LARD. I never ate a frosting made from lard. It was disgusting. The coconut was the only thing good.
Next was the red velvet cupcake. This thing was so mouth watering gorgeous and piled high as a kite with icing. Icing made again from LARD. Don't they know it should be made with cream cheese? This too went into the trash.
The apple tart was OK....it too was very dry.
If you are going to sell day old desserts don't charge full price. We threw all the desserts away. Just like throwing 14.00 down the garbage disposal.
If I didn't live in LA I would have gone back and asked for my money back just on the desserts.
My stomach still turns when I think of that frosting.
I wanted to like it but no.
Sorry I had to write a bad review. -
Review from Brooke R.
Bay Area, CA
3/17/2009
I had OCD with regards to my iPhone's data connection speed. Who would have thought that Santa Barbara would have a much, much faster download (and upload) speed compared to the much larger city of LA? I can tell you that it blew my mind.
Fresco was conveniently located off the 101 and situated in my ideal just-started-on-the-road-and-now-I'm-hungry location. We pulled off and ordered some food, lunch for me and breakfast for the boy.
My sandwich was just ok. I had a half caprese: basil, tomato, mozzarella cheese on ciabatta. The bread was the highlight, as it should have been considering this is a bakery, but the sandwich was not that good. The basil was concentrated on one side of the sandwich, so for the first part of my sandwich I was wondering if they had forgotten about the basil and the latter portion I had to open up the sandwich and disperse the green specks. The cheese was stringy but the tomatoes were fresh.
The breakfast burrito was also ordered. This was supposed to have jalepenos and jack cheese mixed into scrambled eggs and wrapped in a burrito. I could not taste any of these spicier flavors, just bland eggs wrapped in a bland tortilla. Salsa came on the side, but this was very mild.
The desserts looked tempting so we ordered a fruit tart, which usually consists of fruit covered in glaze on top of custard in a sweet pastry crust. They substitute custard for whipped cream here. The whipped cream was home made, but I'm not a fan of whipped cream and do not enjoy paying 5 dollars for it.
The layout could use more signs. There are three doors and it is still unclear to me which one you are meant to enter through. After getting in, you are supposed to walk up to the counter and place your order/pay and then go sit down. But right next to one of the "entrance" doors is what looks like a hostess table and a basket of menu's. To their credit, there is a tiny light blue sign with yellow writing directing you to place your order. This sign is unconspicuous.
Other than the physicality of bringing the food to the table, everything here is self service. They don't even clear your table between the meal and the dessert. Water is provided both inside and outside (again, self serve). -
Review from Amanda S.
Northridge, CA
10/20/2009 6 photos
This place was insanely good. And i'm not just saying that because i was dying of starvation upon eating here.
Before heading over to SB for the day, i decided to find a good spot to have lunch. My friend Maria was in the mood for a sandwich, and i was in the mood for a really good salad. Well, we wanted to try something different from our usual, Silvergreens, and Fresco looked like the perfect substitution.
When we got there and took a look at their specials for the day, i noticed that one of the deals was: a slice of either margherita or roasted garlic/mushroom/asiago cheese pizza w/ a salad for like $7. Ummm, yes please. I decided to upgrade the salad to the gorgonzola walnut salad for an additional $1 or $2, but of course, picky ass me doesn't like gorgonzola so i substituted it for feta :]. And i couldn't decide between getting fresh lemonade or iced tea, so i mixed them. As for Maria, she totally changed her mind about wanting a sandwich when margherita pizza was thrown into the mix. She ended up getting a slice of that w/ chinese chicken salad.
Well, both of us were practically hyperventilating and on the verge of tears because our meals were so damn perfect. It was exactttlllyyy what i needed, and it put me in a good mood the rest of the day. The pizza was SO good. Generous with the mushrooms, and with whole roasted garlic cloves (now, most people aren't fans of the whole garlic thing, but i'm not most people. I could eat that shit like candy.), and the asiago cheese gave it some extra tang. I've seriously been craving this meal since i left.
They had lots of baked goodies that looked really good, i just didn't have any room left in my stomach after i forced myself to finish my entire meal. I also noticed that they offer some beer & wine. Sweeet.
Next time i'm in SB, i'll definitely be eating here again. And i'll be sure to make a conscious effort to save room for dessert & some wine. :)
Oh Fresco, you complete me. -
Review from Michelle S.
Brookline, MA
1/18/2009
The menu is pretty overwhelming. It is quite difficult to decide just what you want because everything looks and sounds good. Even if you try to do a choose-your-own-salad-&-sandwich-combo, it is still tough to decide. No matter what you choose, you will still need to decide which dressing, cheese, condiment, bread type, etc you get. Fortunately, you cannot go wrong with anything here.
I settled on the French Dip with provolone and the Chinese Chicken salad. Both were pretty good. Just be warned that the French Dip comes with onions and that you will probably need to get an additional side of au jus with it.
Because it is an order-at-counter-&-take-number place, you are pretty much on your own if you need a server to bring you anything aside from your actual meal. Fortunately, the cooks in the back didn't give me the stink eye when I wanted more au jus.
There is a lot of attention to detail here. There are oil paintings by local artists for sale on the walls. There is a lot of outdoor seating. (I suppose this is pretty easy if you are located in a strip mall). The bathrooms are clean and the walls actually have hooks on them for your purses and coats. I was totally impressed with this. (If you are not happy for me, then it is because you do not know how many times I have used skeevy bathrooms and put my coat/purse on the upper door hinge because I just did not want to place anything on either the floor or the sink.)
The place seemed a bit expensive considering that it was pretty much salads and sandwiches. However, everything is pretty expensive in SB and this place would probably be even more expensive if it were downtown.
It is also a damn good thing that they had niether the carrot cake (WITHOUT THE RAISINS. I HATE RAISINS) nor the red velvet cake that my friend told me about. They are the size of salad plates and I have been told that they are quite good. Thankfully, I did not have to learn that. I cannot let my pants get tighter.Listed in: Central Coast Chaos
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Review from Howard Z.
Los Gatos, CA
6/3/2010
Our family stumbled across this place while driving up 101 to the Bay Area. What a find.
Calzone - great,
Turkey sandwich on 9-grain with salad-great,
Kids food: soup + noodles w/cheese and butter - great.
We enjoyed our delicious lunch outside on a lovely Santa Barbara day. Will definitely stop at Fresco again when we are passing through. -
Review from Michael C.
Newberg, OR
6/12/2009
The Good: It's a nice place with outdoor seating with live music. The menu includes a wide variety of foods and dessert, and most taste great. The food comes out relatively quickly and the environment just makes the whole meal a fantastic experience.
The Bad: It's a little bit pricey, so you can't come here as often as you want, unless you're ballin'.
Try: Meat Lasagna. It's huge and tasty. The gorgonzola salad is very fresh and yummy. The carrot cupcake was also sweet and a good finish to the meal.
Don't Try: the Mexican tortilla soup. I mean it's good and everything, but it's pretty heavy for a soup. -
Review from Kathy D.
Union City, CA
11/10/2009
God I miss this place. If I made a trip back to Santa Barbara, this cafe would certainly be one of my top pit stops. Receiving 5 stars from me is preeetty difficult. You'd have to hit everything: ambiance/atmosphere, superb food, decadent dessert, good service, perfectly priced. On top of that, it's a place that wants you coming back for more because there just isn't any other alternative out there - originality. Fresco hits all of Kathy's 5 star criteria. BOMB ASS CAFE.
I've never had any complaints coming to Fresco. They are always consistent and everything is pretty much wonderful. It's a simple, low key, sophisticated cafe with a lot of GREAT FOOD.
Pros:
- Lots of parking
- Lots of variety in food
- All yummy fresh quality tasting
Cons:
- Gets crowded on nice warm days
- Limited patio/shade seating
Recommendations:
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- BIG YELLOW CUPCAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FLUFFY FROSTING. (OH MY GOD. IT IS SO AMAZING. NO JOKE. IT'S BETTER THAN ANY STORE SPECIALIZING IN CUPCAKES!)
- Elcairs
- Fruit Tart
- Basically try all of their desserts! :)Listed in: desserts = happiness
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Review from CharliesAngel L.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2006
The Dearly Departed Ex-Daddy and I needed healthy sustenance for a long overdue conversation, so we chose a place that had plenty of options to stand up to our healthy differences.
We arrived for a late lunch and service was very manana-ish. Slow. Which, meant a lot of time for contemplation and strategic linguistic dancing.
Just when I was inching close to a dangerous topical land mine, our food arrived in the nick of time.
While I had the special soup of the day - hot and tasty chicken tortilla soup in a tomato broth- he gulped down the grilled ahi tuna sandwich, complete with his own side of soup. For a while, we were too busy letting the great food take center stage to tackle any meaningful issues.
Fresco's offers plenty of seating options and we chose the sunny patio . And whaddya know - we enjoyed a balmy conversation along with really tasty and fresh fare.
Overall: Fresco's is a safe bet for food, but the service can be a bit on the slow side. -
Review from Joey H.
4/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This place is amazing! Great quality fresh food! I had the Threesome (the meal that is) that had soup/salad/and sandwich. The only reason this place didn't get a 5 was because there were only 5 or so sandwiches to choose from with this combo. You get fresh bread and olive oil, nice seating arraignments/atmosphere. They have daily soups and meals that they offer. I'm definitely a fan!
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Review from Stephanie G.
Santa Barbara, CA
3/10/2011
Every time I go here I get the same thing... Chicken club triple decker sandwich with Caesar salad. YUM! The service is super fast and the sandwich is always delicious. Plus the owners are from my home state of Rhode Island! Highly recommend
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Review from Punam K.
Pasadena, CA
3/29/2009
I don't ever eat out this much, so I may have got to the point where I wasn't enjoying anything, or I started comparing each place to another.
The food wasn't fancy, but it wasn't bad. You can tell there were definitely quality ingredients used. I had a caprese sandwich on rye with the fruit salad. I would go back for the price, location, and quality. -
Review from Leslie P.
5/17/2009
I was too full from my meal that I couldn't try the dessert. What a disappointment!
I ordered the Twosome: half sandwich, plus a bowl of soup or salad. I chose the Tortilla Chicken Soup. It was good! I don't drink tortilla soups much, so I wouldn't really know what is good or bad. It was very chunky with lots of chicken, veggies and tortillas! The sandwich I got was a roasted eggplant sandiwch. It was on sundried tomato bread, I think. The sandwich was relatively small, but was delicious. The only thing is that it was hard to eat because the skin on the eggplant was tough. -
Review from Christine C.
Santa Barbara, CA
7/2/2011
Definitely one of my favorite restaurants! Some of the meals can be pricey but it's so worth it. Amazing food, great service and a fun place to eat. Sometimes they have live music too which just sweetens the deal. Haven't had a bad meal yet!
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Review from Joan H.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2008
FIVE STARS! Wheee! Hahaha..
This is absolutely my favorite casual dining restaurant in SB. The NY steak sandwich, the Caprese sandwich, the Warm Goat Cheese Salad, the Chinese Chicken Salad, the Crab cakes, the Chicken Tortilla soup.. I can go on and on. There hasn't been one thing on the menu I've tried and didn't like.
Not to mention the desserts! Flourless chocolate cake, coconut cake, lemon bars, chocolate cupcakes and fruit tarts are some of my favorites. Hell, let's be real, I love them all!!
Everyone I have taken here loves this place, you won't be disappointed! The only thing about this place that makes me sad is that they are closed on Sundays. But I guess everyone needs a day off once in awhile... -
Review from Renee B.
San Jose, CA
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
needed some quick lunch before a family visit. this place isn't cheap, but good, fresh and tasty food, especially for being in a small mall.
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Review from Valerie L.
San Jose, CA
8/5/2007
I shed a tear because I lived in Santa Barbara for a year and only discovered this terrific sandwich and salad place a few months before I left. All of the salads I've tried have been delicious, especially the gorgonzola salad.
You can buy some of their absolutely fabulous salad dressings for around $5 a bottle. Sadly for me, I bought two bottles when I happened to be down in Santa Barbara and then left them in a friend's fridge. Too bad, so sad. I hope she enjoyed them. -
Review from Chrissy L.
Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA
1/25/2009
I am a fan of Fresco salads and desserts.
Whenever I am craving something healthy and refreshing, I go to Fresco! The salads are beautifully green and tossed with an orginal fresco dressing that is light and delicious. I usually order the mushroom sandwich with brie and caramel (mmmm yummy).
The desserts are such masterpieces. I have a fun time just staring at all the desserts. It is very hard not to get a dessert, though I try not to eat too much after my main meal. It is best to split it with someone, so you don't inherit all the calories.
The pricing is decent and the service is quick. If you are looking for a casual place to eat out, this is a great stop! -
Review from Lawrence S.
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
6/25/2010
Fresco's is the shit. Pardon the language, but it is. Come in the evenings when there's usually some jazzy little ensemble outside playing music. Despite being in a little shopping plaza along with Ross and Albertsons and the like, the atmosphere in this little corner is excellent and definitely feels a lot fancier than you'd think for the location. I liked taking dates here.
Food changes daily so there's plenty of variety and it always tastes fresh as well as has this grandmother-y, home-cooked essence. I use to work across the street at the Starbucks a long time back and knew a few of the workers at Fresco's. We'd trade frappacinos for soups and such and it was one of the best perks of working at that Starbucks. Try a little of everything as I've never had anything bad here but my personal favorites were the calzones and the creamed corn soup.
The one thing that really, really, really sucks about Fresco's though: it's closed on Sundays, which seem like the best day to have this kinda food. Always annoyed the heck outta me, haha. -
Review from Cynthia S.
New Orleans, LA
5/18/2011
My absolute favorite place in Santa Barbara - I used to come here at least once or twice a month when I went to school there. Because I'm a huge pizza fan, I'd usually end up getting the pizza and salad combo (cheese and caesar, boring I know) but everything else I tried was fresh and delicious as well. Combine the great food with both indoor and outdoor seating options and you've got an epic place to get fresh food.
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Review from Norma L.
1/7/2010
After leaving Solvang, and checking yelp to see where to eat on the way back to Orange County, I stumbled upon this place which sounded delicious. It was!!!
I ordered a triple decker turkey club on wheat bread with mozzarella cheese and a cesar salad...soooo good. The cheese was fresh and delicious, the avocado and bacon were so good...mmmm.
I read that the cupcakes were good here so I tried two of them because I'm obsessed with cupcakes. Well I was disappointed in the cupcakes which is why I didn't give this place 5 stars. The frosting ruined the cupcakes. : ( Me no likey. If they had better frosting I think the cupcakes would have been much better.
Another thing that I hate is canned drinks. I like free refills!!!
