Santa Barbara has long been a haven for Mexican food, but until recently it lacked a place like Casa Blanca – a lively, great-looking new restaurant with a terrific bar, lots of seating options indoors and out, and a reasonably priced menu. Adam White owns the restaurant with his father, Tom; they also own the Fishouse, the Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach, and the Shellfish Company on the wharf. “We really wanted a place where locals would want to come and get a fair deal,” says Adam. The Whites teamed with idiosyncratic local architect Jeff Shelton and several local artisans to create one of the most interesting, friendly, lively and colorful spaces in Santa Barbara.
The big, light-filled dining room has high ceilings and a thirty-foot-long bar, carved from a single black acacia tree by local woodworker David Moseley. It’s just the place to try a couple of the one hundred 100-percent-blue-agave tequilas.