Best of Santa Barbara® 2022

Here Are the Results of Our Annual Reader Survey

By Leslie Dinaberg • Photos by Ingrid Bostrom • Illustrations by Ben Ciccati

Far and away, the best thing about writing Best of Santa Barbara® is how awesome it is to be the bearer of GOOD NEWS for so many of our local businesses. Even the people that are getting the award for the zillionth time are super excited to know that Santa Barbara Independent readers are taking the time out of their busy lives to cast their votes and support their favorites.

With more than 200 categories (208 to be exact) of “bests” to choose from, there are loads of great people and places to discover or revisit. We’ve even got new categories for you to ponder this year, including mocktail and cider (both in the Drinking section), place to make art (in Out & About), place to adopt a pet (in Little Creatures), outdoor gear store (in Sporting Life), and gourmet grocer and vegan food (both in Eating); as well as your other favorite sections: Looking Good, Romance, Living Well, Housing, Driving, and Media.

As anyone who reads the Letters section knows, Indy readers are a very opinionated bunch, so when they cast their carefully considered votes for the winners — which includes a mix of our historic, and often family-owned operations, as well as nods to some newcomers — being named Best of Santa Barbara® means more than just bragging rights; it’s a meaningful vote of confidence from the community. A big thanks to all who voted, and a huge congratulations to all of the winners!