Sly’s

Delicious food and nice atmosphere. Be prepared to spend a bit for dinner and drinks.

Tasteless Cuban chicken, short ribs, and scallops. High prices. Good, hospitable service but not good enough to compensate for the bland, costly food.

OMFG you guys… Like what?! Seriously? Get some good foods up in your mouth and such. Like… Hurry, just ask them what Scott got. It’s the cats pajamas… Sorry the cats meow. Obvi. Do it.

I love the cocktails. They are as good as the best in San Francisco. The Pisco Sower, Sazerac, and| Whiskey Cocktail are among the greatest.

Classics done perfectly. The char grilled artichoke is out of this world. Abalone. That’s all I have to say, if you serve it you know how to prepare it. Diver scallops also done perfectly.

I was really torn between two and three stars here and because it was my first visit (other than drinks) and because the service was so very friendly, I’m giving it three stars. I’m not sure I’d return anytime soon, however.
The Good: Service with a smile. The actual meaning of that phrase! Everyone was friendly and the owners greeted us as we walked in. Very nice environment, felt like a good local hangout. Our waitress was really on top of things and seemed to come back often enough to make sure we were all set with stuff but not in a hover-​y way.
The Not-​So-​Good: The food wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as excellent as we’d been led to believe by all our friends who rave about the place. The portions were so small in some cases (my friend had pasta served to her in what looked like a cereal bowl and my fish was the size of a playing card, but not thick, it was a tail piece) that a few of us left hungry. We didn’t order sides because it sounded like it would be too much food. We were wrong. My fish was okay and I did eat all of it, but it wasn’t GREAT. I know this place is mostly all about the red meat, but for something like $ 26, I needed to have a thicker piece of fish.
I have no qualms paying $$$ for a good dinner. I do, however, expect to have delicious food and a fair portion served to me (for the record, I am not someone who equates huge portions with quality, so it’s not that.)
I just am not sure the prices, quality and portion size (in at least some cases) add up. Something is amiss. It’s an easy enough problem to solve and these folks seems like well-​meaning restauranteurs, so I hope they’ll fix this issue. With so many people commenting in the reviews about the same thing, I don’t think it can be written off as a matter of perception.

Worst french onion soup ever…
I hate to write a bad review about the spot but…
Place needs to up their game…

Never laid this much money and felt hingry still the portions on my 19 dollar plate were 1 inch salmon cut in 3 2 shrimp decent size 2 scallops and 2 clams with about 1 cup or less of pasta. Tastes good «top of the hill» was my order but not worth your money its why i gave it 3 wouldve done more if the prices were cheaper or portions larger

The seafood omelet with the potatoes, the crambule and the pancakes were to die for. The only problem we had was the steak with eggs, the steak was over cook when it was asked to be cook medium besides that everything else was very very good. Great customer service.

I really enjoyed my meal and service. They did take reservations which was a plus especially on a Holiday. I ordered a Tequila Sunrise and the drink was pretty strong and was fitting for Easter Sunday! For my meal I stuck with breakfast and ordered a Huevos Rancheros with hashbrowns on the side. No need for me to ask for extra crispy bc they came out perfectly. I wanted something sweet with my breakfast and although they didn’t have pancakes they had something that resemble elephant ears at the fair, with powered sugar, blueberries and raspberries and syrup which costed $ 12 but it was shared amongst 5 at our table which was enough. The Muscal Mule was nice…4 @ $ 38.00 it was smooth but strong. All in all… I’ll go back!

Unbelievable service. Was seated at 730 on a Thursday with a reservation. It took 20 minutes for one of the two beers that we ordered to arrive. I watched 6 groups of locals get seated and served drinks and appetizers in the time it took to recieve half of our drink order. To add insult to injury the owners and the chef sat at the front of the restaurant being waited on while the rest of the restaurant sucked hind tit.
Honestly, I can’t believe the lack of service that was provided. At the price they charge, you have to be an absolutely self absorbed asshole to enjoy this experince.
So long and thanks for the worst dining experience I have ever had.
When I called to speak to manager I was put on hold for 5 minutes and then promised they would call back when they weren’t so busy. You are the worst!

My husband and I went for lunch. Having splurged the last time for the abalone ($ 28) and was very disappointed by the greasiness of the fish, I steered away from it this time. I ordered pan-​fried sand dabs with field greens ($ 14) — dressing on the side. My husband ordered the filet mignon sandwich with mushrooms ($ 21). He wanted to know what he could substitute for the fries. The waiter told him there would be an upcharge for broccoli or sautéed spinach, but no upcharge for a salad as long as he did not have the Roquefort dressing. Really? There’s an upcharge for Roquefort dressing?
My husband was very disappointed with his meal. The so-​called filet turned out to be beef shavings, which in any event were overwhelmed by the very salty mushroom sauce. The salad of field greens was drenched in thousand island dressing making it soggy and limp.
My meal came with dressing on the side AND dressing on the salad. When I pointed this out to the waiter, he wanted to take the whole meal back to the kitchen. I suggested he just bring me another salad. No, he insisted he had to return it to the kitchen. My husband suggested he just put the salad onto a side plate and take that away. We wondered what was likely to happen to that salad — get thrown out, served to the next customer or given to someone in the back to eat. For certain sure, management wasn’t going to let the customer have the benefit of the waiter’s mistake.
Again, the fish was greasy and became disgustingly so as it lost heat.
Before we paid our check, my husband asked the waiter if he wanted to hear our feedback on the meal. He abruptly found he had to attend to another table and turned away, saying he’d be back. When he spent more time with the couple than we wanted to wait, we got up to leave. Then my husband turned back at the door and caught up with the waiter at the maître d’ desk. After telling him the problem with his meal, my husband turned to me to ask me to let the waiter know the problem with mine. Again, the waiter had urgent business with the same couple he’d just been attending to and excused himself. He never at any point showed any interest or concern that he had two unhappy customers on his hands.
For our part, we have no interest in returning.

Service was pristine. As soon as I walked through the door.
My goat cheese salad superb, the sole, with lyonnaise potatoes exquisite. I am so blown away.
To top it off the chef came out to make sure everything was to our liking!!! Come enjoy this great restaurant lots of options, great atmosphere!

One word: Overpriced!
Totally not worth the $ 90 we paid for simple fettuccine Alfredo (without meat), and spaghetti carbonara (hello grease!). I can get better food at Olive Garden for that price…
Definitely not the place to go eat on a budget or at all…

I am being generous and giving this place 3.5 stars partly due to the limited options available in Carpinteria. The ambiance is laid back, feels like it should be more of a nicer family pizzeria or Italian joint.
Tonight we came here since we got a Christmas gift card in the mail from Sly’s and wanted to take advantage of it… and find out who gave it to us since Sly’s just sent it to us without letting us know who it was from. We asked our waiter if they can look in their records who had sent the GC to us and I was disappointed to hear that the person must have wanted to remain anonymous since Sly’s didn’t write the name. That makes no sense to me since trust me my out if town friends definitely would want credit for this nice GC. Big fail on their end and minus point in my book.
Still our waiter was very nice and helpful. This visit we enjoyed:
Dirty Martini with blue cheese olives: probably the highlight of my entire meal. So good! Will come back here just to enjoy one or two at the bar.
My. Veedr Cab: tasty but pricey.
Chopped Salad: big chunks of bacon. It’s a salad, simple and not hard to mess up.
Cuban Chicken Breast — not bad, the sauce seemed richer on one side of the plate.
Filet Pepper Steak — I know they are not a steakhouse but I was underwhelmed.
The bill came out to about $ 180 with tip. For that price, I expect a pretty darn amazing meal for this little town.
For the prices, I would expect better quality food and décor. Maybe I will come back to enjoy the bar and happy hour instead.

Always go there for brunch
Sly’s really knows how to cook the steak and they don’t judge you if you order a medium well steak.
There is a nice cozy elegant dining area in the back, and they also have a casual bar seating area.
Classic restaurant in Carp :)

I’m not a cheap ass, as I enjoy weekly meals from Larsen’s and other high end restaurants, but there is something absolutely wrong to me about paying $ 40 for 5, 1.5 inch ravioli’s. Am I crazy for thinking that? They were DRENCHED in oil, and filled with the most dry/​bland tasting pesto. I can’t even deal. Chef Boyardee makes better ravioli’s in a can.
My sister in law got the ribs, and she hated them. Once again, dry/​bland and they had little meat. My brother got the Filet Mignon, which wasn’t bad, but was completely overpriced for a Filet Mignon steak, and the size.
If you don’t have a reservation they cram you in the bar area, unlike those who make a reservation whom sit in the back at normal tables.
The waitress I had was plain annoying. I’m very opened minded when I try new places, as I am an avid food critic along with trying new things, but damn. The waitress was practically screaming at you as if she was trying to get your order from a bar on a Sunday Night Football game.
$ 250 total for the meal for four people. It was rather repulsive. I most likely won’t be coming back, but I wouldn’t be completely rejecting to try it again. Could have been WAY better.

We were visiting because my girlfriend’s son played in a lacrosse tournament at the polo grounds and we were looking for a nice place for dinner.
Sly’s nailed it!
Jessica made the evening a complete win with her recommendations. We had the filet on special, it was easily in the top 5 steaks I have ever had. Both of our steaks were perfectly prepared! Broccoli and Au Gratin potatoes were outstanding.
This is a «can’t miss» if you are in town and be sure to ask to be seated in Jessica’s station.

Two Words: Bye Sly’s
This place is very skimpy with their portions. It’s not just that, but they have poor quality seafood. I ordered the jumbo shrimp cocktail and it came with 4 «jumbo» shrimp. It tasted rubbery. I paid five bucks a pop for those lil’ suckers. Jumbo shrimp is such an oxymoron.
For entrée, I ordered the dover sole and I was disappointed. There was a lack of flavor. The staff was really friendly, but I did not enjoy my dinner at all.

Sly: 1. cunning or wily: sly as a fox.
Gathered with my in-​laws for a nice family dinner. From the curb it was difficult to tell what type of establishment Sly’s is because the windows look in on the bar area… My thought process as I walked up to the building — «Is it a pub… But there is a valet outside and I made a reservation. …Is it a restaurant… But I only see a bar and high top bar tables and bar stools.» Once I walked in my curiosity evaded and I could clearly discern that the front of the restaurant housed the bar and more casual high-​top seating, and the back end of the restaurant housed casual dining tables with white linens.
First things first in our family, the drink menu. Husband and BIL each ordered a pint of Firestone Union Jack IPA ($ 5.50), MIL ordered a Vesper (vodka & gin martini with a twist — $ 11), FIL ordered Jameson neat $ 8, and I tried the Zombie ($ 17). MIL loved her Vesper and ordered a second later in the meal. FIL loved is Jameson neat and it appeared to be an excellent pour. Hubby and BIL liked their Firestone IPA but switched to Jameson neat ($ 8) and Four Roses neat ($ 14) after they finished their beers. The Zombie was ever so reminiscent of a tiki drink but had way too much ice and was very watery. I could hardly taste rum or their spiced mixer. At $ 17 I definitely do not feel it is worth it’s price tag in portion or quality. Save your money, this is nothing special. Or throw it down in the ice bucket, it’s your prerogative!:)
Next, appetizers! We started with the Grilled Artichoke — one medium sized artichoke, cut in half and grilled served with drawn butter — $ 14!
Sly: 1. cunning or wily: sly as a fox.
We also ordered Onion Rings ($ 9), a large pile of shredded onions, battered and fried to crispy perfection. These were good, not greasy but a bit dry. I think they would have gone nicely with a thousand island remoulade or garlic aioli.
Then we ordered our entires which are all served a la carte except the burger which comes with fries.
MIL & Hubby — Cuban Chicken ($ 46 total) — MIL liked it, Hubby groaned it was not enough chicken.
FIL — Burger, Medium Rare ($ 14); ½ burger cooked to perfectly to his liking and served with yummy french fries reminiscent of In and Out fries, may favorite. He was pleased and would like order that again.
BIL– Spaghetti Calamari ($ 23) — A generous portion of pasta with boiled calamari on top in a red sauce. It looked beautiful. Probably one of the better plated dishes that we ordered. No complaints from BIL about his dish. He liked it.
Me: — Foie Gras Appetizer ($ 12) and Steak Tartar ($ 28) — The Foie Gras was «fine.» It’s hard for me not to like foie gras, I love it, can’t get enough of it! 2 oz portion served on toast with some sort of sweet pan jus, tasty and reasonably priced at $ 12. Steak Tartar, I love raw beef! The first time I had steak tartar was when I was 14 years old. My french teacher, who was from Brussels, Belgium told us that «steak tartar» and «french fries» originated in Belgium. She did not call it steak tartar, in European she said the dish was known as «Filet Americanne.» She prepared it for us and I fell in love, raw ground beef, capers, salt, pepper, egg yolk, and lemon, delicious! Sly’s steak tartar was every bit as yummy but the presentation wasn’t very good — basically the took the raw meat, pressed it into a patty and put it on the plate with some lettuce. While it was good, $ 28 for a single raw hamburger patty seems ridiculous. That being said, because most restaurants don’t serve this I would be tempted to order it again and resign to cope with the feeling that I am being robbed.
Sly: 1. cunning or wily: sly as a fox.
Now for the sides! For the table, we shared Yam Fingerlings ($ 8), Scalloped Potatoes ($ 8), Brussels Leaves ($ 8) and Cauliflower ($ 8).
Yam «Fingerlings» — Regular yams, just the runts and some were not so «runt.» Baked or broiled whole with skins on and served as such. I liked them this way because I know there is a lot of nutritional value in the skin. MIL hated it and this was the side that she was most excited about it.
Scalloped Potatoes — Cheesy, yummy goodness, a win!
Brussels Leaves — practically raw brussels leaves, chewy and tossed in EVOO served with nearly burnt silvers of chewy, cartelized garlic
Cauliflower — crunchy, not much flavor, with chopped hard boiled egg sprinkled on top
Desserts — Brioche Pudding ($ 12) & Profiteroles ($ 15)
Brioche Pudding — Tastes like a watery, egg omelet covered in thin caramel sauce topped with a flavorless cream
Profiteroles — stale, stale, dry pastry, a teaspoon of ice cream in the center, salvaged by generous portions of chocolate and caramel sauce. You can find higher quality profiteroles in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s or Costco.
Verdict? Good for drinks, burgers and maybe some apps, as indicated by most of the favorable reviews I read. You’d have to be pretty «sly» to charge these prices for some of the food we had.

Gran descubrimiento. La hamburguesa con queso roquefort es lo mejor. Muy buena cerveza local y gran variedad de licor. Las pastas están re buenas. Muy recomendable para quienes visitan la zona de Santa Bárbara.