We were visiting Santa Barbara & wanted to try a local hangout and indeed we did with Sambo's. Above the register is a hardbound reprint of the original storybook, written in the 1920's. The original mascot was politically incorrect which led to changes to the current cartoonish character. But, you can read the original childrens' storybook in less than 5 mins just standing next to the register. The classic sambo's corned beef hash/eggs was made with real corned beef, not the mushy, dogfood canned type. The portion was huge with hashed browns, toast and 2 pancakes. Thought the pancakes were ok, not great. Our teenager couldn't finish the whole thing, if you can believe that! I loved my California Benedict with 2 muffins, covered with 2 poached eggs, tomaotes, avocado and cheese and a delicious Hollandaise sauce, the regular Eggs Benedict was equally good. Our waitress was friendly, perky & smiling the whole time, someone who enjoyed her job. You can buy t-shirts, magnets, cups, and Sambo's souvenirs if you want. It is after all, the original and the last one!
Pros: Local place, lots of history, great place for kids, good food, beach view
Cons: timing is important, waits can be quite long so go early
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