Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar

Namy Nguyen

We visited this restaurant again after awhile we moved out of town, because I love 2 dishes from this place. Longboard noodle dish and pad thai. The flavor is the same as I remember in those first years they opened, but the portions seem smaller while the price is increased this time.

Kurt Henry

Keeping it simple. If you like good Thai dishes then this isn’t the place to go. The curry noodle horrendous. Beef noodle soup is just as bad. If I could have rated it correctly it would have been zero stars

Rich Cain

The best restaurant in Santa Barbara. It's even better when you eat at the counter and see everyone working to provide authentic and deliver meals.

Carrie Kinnison

This place is located in the middle of the Santa Barbara Public Market. Like all of the places in the Public Market you can take your food and eat at the market’s tables, but they also offer a limited number of seats right at the noodle bar. If you’re lucky enough to score a seat there, your food will be served in real bowls with real utensils. We weren’t so lucky and had to eat ours out of the to-go containers. My husband ordered the Long Tail Boat Noodle and I had the Larb Lettuce Tacos. He wasn’t too impressed with the broth in his dish, thought it needed more salt or fish sauce or something. But, he did think the amount of beef and the quality of the beef were very good. Also, his dish was clumsy to eat out of the to-go container. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the Larb Tacos. The ground chicken was tender and the seasoning was spot-on with a nice balance between the salt, acid, and heat. Yes, it had a delightful little kick to it! I’d go back, my husband not so much. But, if you go, do yourself a favor and wait for a spot at the bar, especially if you’re ordering a bowl of noodles.