Tamar Central Coast Shawarma

Robert Jones

Falafel sandwich, beef Sharma plate. Great atmosphere, delicious fresh food, pickles to die for! Hummus smooth as silk. Will be back!

Jaco Gerbrands

The food was delicious and the setting was upbeat and fun! We will be back! Highly recommended!

Andrew Brown

We have been to Dart on numerous occasions and Tamar always caught our eye. Finally, we were void a meal and remembered Tamar as an option. We shared a chicken platter between two people, ordered an extra pita, and had ourselves ample food for lunch. The worst part of the platter, was the chicken itself. It was lacking seasoning and was slightly dry. Otherwise, everything was excellent - fresh, tasty, and perfect compliments to each other. When we make it back, I would try the lamb kafta instead of the chicken. I also think they would benefit from having their own seating area and space to curate their own vibe rather than feeding on that if Dart’s.

Maggie Hohle

This was such a treat for our party of five. Every dish was fresh and perfectly prepared. The service was direct and we got clear and friendly answers to the few questions we had. The little gem salad with falafel as well as the trip-dip plate with pita were so fresh we couldn’t believe it. Care was taken with every dish. Five stars!!!

Chris Stephens

Next level middle eastern food . Everything was elevated and thoughtful . Tons of vegetarian options … can’t wait to come back.

Andrew

Bustling, cozy shared space in the Funk Zone of SB serving outstanding Lebanese food from a limited menu. Tamar focuses on doing a few things very, very well. The lamb kofta was tender, rich, and flavorful. It was accompanied by creamy hummus topped with olive oil and zhoug, fresh pillowy pita, cabbage salad, and pickled veggies. The chicken shawarma was equally scrumptious and worthy of acclaim. Finally, the fattoush salad with gem lettuce, feta cheese and house-made sumac vinaigrette was on par with the other outstanding dishes. No matter which option you choose, you won't be disappointed. As if that wasn't enough, they now offer several varieties of beer from local brewer 3rd Window.

Nick Leachman

Ordered the special beef shawarma and little gem fatoush salad - both were excellent! Order at the counter and open seating with Dart coffee. All tables were full midday on a Saturday.

Delicious Mediterranean food. My husband and I shared a lamb Kofta plate and the labneh dip and that was more than enough food. Will definitely be coming back our next time in Santa Barbara.

This is my new favorite place, I try to go once every 2 weeks to get their chicken shwarma plate. It is a LOT of food, which I love! It is perfect for two meals or if you're very hungry. The yellow sauce is so unique and the chicken is tender and delicious, and the pickled vegetables... K I like it all. I love everything about Tamar, and I should branch out and try more dishes, but I am addicted to the plate! I love that you can eat on the quaint patio or cross over to the garden across the street. Please please please support Tamar!!! Such a treat!

We came here for dinner and was expecting good food for a fast casual place (order in a line and wait for your number to go pick up your food). The quality of the food was way above our expectations - meats, rice and vegetables seasoned perfectly and the quality and skill of cooking the meat so that it is flavorful and moist was a highlight. The hummus (which was a very smooth) was delicious and the pita were pillowy soft.

Tamar is an absolute must-visit in Santa Barbara, especially if you love bold, fresh flavors. We loved everything about this place—the veggie options are outstanding, the flavors are vibrant and well-balanced, and everything tastes incredibly fresh. I had the cauliflower pita pocket, my husband tried the falafel, and both were amazing, but the real star was the pickled veggies served alongside. Bonus: they have a dog-friendly patio, which makes it even better when you’re exploring Santa Barbara with your pup.

Our favorite meal in Santa Barbara! This place is truly special. The flavors are incredible. The labneh dip, whipped ricotta dip, and chicken shawarma sandwhich particularly stood out. Wish they opened a branch in San Diego!

The food here is delicious. Ingredients are so fresh and the flavors are unique. Great hummus! We eat where all the time. The staff is so friendly and helpful too. They forgot an item from our order once — and when we called, they went over-and-above to give us a refund AND extra items. A great local business!

Jonathan Brown

Every component on the plate is made in house from marinades, sauces, dressing, etc. They care about their craft and it reflects in the food. So delicious!!!

Natalie Zarowny

Delicious Mediterranean food. My husband and I shared a lamb Kofta plate and the labneh dip and that was more than enough food. Will definitely be coming back our next time in Santa Barbara.

Simran Puri

Tamar is an absolute must-visit in Santa Barbara, especially if you love bold, fresh flavors. We loved everything about this place—the veggie options are outstanding, the flavors are vibrant and well-balanced, and everything tastes incredibly fresh. I had the cauliflower pita pocket, my husband tried the falafel, and both were amazing, but the real star was the pickled veggies served alongside. Bonus: they have a dog-friendly patio, which makes it even better when you’re exploring Santa Barbara with your pup.

My Ya

Our favorite meal in Santa Barbara! This place is truly special. The flavors are incredible. The labneh dip, whipped ricotta dip, and chicken shawarma sandwhich particularly stood out. Wish they opened a branch in San Diego!

Trey Steckline

Wow, blew me away. chicken shawarma plate so moist. Reasonably priced for SB especially funk zone. Check it out. I love Zaytoon, Taza, mezza thyme but this one wins. Bad reviews are prob others businesses in town. Check it out for yourself.

A.J. Camp

The food here is delicious. Ingredients are so fresh and the flavors are unique. Great hummus! We eat where all the time. The staff is so friendly and helpful too. They forgot an item from our order once — and when we called, they went over-and-above to give us a refund AND extra items. A great local business!

Sophie TOmko

This is my new favorite place, I try to go once every 2 weeks to get their chicken shwarma plate. It is a LOT of food, which I love! It is perfect for two meals or if you're very hungry. The yellow sauce is so unique and the chicken is tender and delicious, and the pickled vegetables... K I like it all. I love everything about Tamar, and I should branch out and try more dishes, but I am addicted to the plate! I love that you can eat on the quaint patio or cross over to the garden across the street. Please please please support Tamar!!! Such a treat!

Laura Isham

The lamb kofta sandwich is one of the best meals in Santa Barbara. The specials are always seasonal. Everything is delicious. The service is order at the counter but nice. With an open cook and prep area. Worth it.

Molly Streit

Such a great spot for a quick healthy lunch! This place deserves more reviews. I got the falafel pita and it was so delicious, fresh, and healthy. I loved all of the fresh ingredients - cabbage, pickled vegetables, etc. Such a perfect mid-day meal that’s not too heavy but definitely filling.

My husband and I stopped in for a quick lunch. Love the atmosphere and vibe especially the long windows overlooking the sidewalk. We both ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich which is highly spiced with turmeric (but not spicy). While I really enjoyed it, my husband did not. To each their own.

The food is excellent. Top notch. They share their space with a coffee house which is fine but all the tables, without exception were dirty. Not just crumbs and stuff but grimy and wet. We couldn’t find a place to sit inside. They seem well staffed but somehow this got dropped. I’d definitely get their food again but I’d opt for carry out.

Loved the falafel and chicken shawarma plates, and their creamy hummus with zhug was amazing! The rice wasn’t my favorite, but everything else hit the mark. Their chocolate peanut butter crackle cookies looked cool and tasted great too. Definitely a tasty spot to check out!

Gregory Goodman

The food is excellent. Top notch. They share their space with a coffee house which is fine but all the tables, without exception were dirty. Not just crumbs and stuff but grimy and wet. We couldn’t find a place to sit inside. They seem well staffed but somehow this got dropped. I’d definitely get their food again but I’d opt for carry out.

Shirin A

Loved the falafel and chicken shawarma plates, and their creamy hummus with zhug was amazing! The rice wasn’t my favorite, but everything else hit the mark. Their chocolate peanut butter crackle cookies looked cool and tasted great too. Definitely a tasty spot to check out!

Amazing vibes to the place. The salad had some issues though, the greens were not prepped at all, not cut into edible size nor washed properly, I kept getting a sandy crunch of something every time I went for the lettuce and I know it wasn't the croutons. Side of chicken tasted nice and had great texture and moisture but $7 for that portion was a bit small in my opinion.

Jake

Amazing vibes to the place. The salad had some issues though, the greens were not prepped at all, not cut into edible size nor washed properly, I kept getting a sandy crunch of something every time I went for the lettuce and I know it wasn't the croutons. Side of chicken tasted nice and had great texture and moisture but $7 for that portion was a bit small in my opinion.

🎼Everything was awful! Everything’s so bad when you go this place! 🎼 In a party of 4 none of us finished our food. We left hungry looking for other places for food. Wonder why there are so many positive reviews.