Logan Jones thinks sandwiches don’t get their due, and he’s out to change that.

“It’s undefeated as a category of food,” exclaimed the owner and chef at Tamar Central Coast Shawarma in Santa Barbara.

“Wherever you go in the world, they have some version of the portable meal held together by bread, and I don’t think there’s anything more delicious than a sandwich.”

Coming from a guy who has worked and trained at prestigious restaurants such as Bavel in downtown Los Angeles, and alongside several Michelin-starred chefs, this carries some weight.

“I’ve always felt my real calling was sandwiches,” Jones told us.

Tamar, at 406 E. Haley St., specializes in Middle Eastern-inspired offerings like shawarma and falafel, which Jones said he “fell in love with while living and working in L.A.”

Fortunately for Santa Barbara sandwich fans, he also fell in love with his wife, Marissa, who grew up and has family in Santa Barbara County.

Team Let’s Go Eat, in turn, fell in love with Jones’ food, returning to Tamar three times in two weeks. But more on that below.

“Helping open and working at high-caliber restaurants with lots of national attention in a big city like Los Angeles was hard work with long hours,” Jones told us.

And the commute was a grind.

A better work/life balance was required, so the couple moved to Santa Barbara.

“We wanted a place that offers good community and is still beautiful,” Jones said.

After moving here, Jones signed on with The Lark as chef de cuisine.

“Chef (Jason) Paluska gave me the opportunity to create a menu incorporating Middle-Eastern flavors and techniques I had been exploring,” he said, adding, “I’m forever grateful to him.”

In 2022, Jones knew it was time to go his own way, so he left The Lark and started Tamar, working out of the open-air kitchen attached to Third Window Brewing Co. at The Mill, at the corner of East Haley and Laguna streets.

Tamar is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and even though Jones serves guests only three days a week, it’s a full-time undertaking.

“The process to make our own pita actually begins the Friday night before,” he told us. “And I spend all day Saturday and Sunday prepping for the week.”

During our several visits, our favorites included the “Istanbul” shawarma with chicken (really great chicken), and the daily special “Arayes,” which is a kind of lamb and beef Kofta (sausage) stuffed into Tamar’s homemade pita, cut into sections and then grilled. Pair it with the house-made Labneh for a true “Oh, my goodness” experience.

From a young age, Jones loved food and cooking, often watching cooking shows on a small kitchen TV during dinner.

“I knew that traditional academics wasn’t for me, and my mom said ‘you’re not going to graduate high school and work at some whatever job,’” Jones recalled.

She told him, “If this is what you want to do, you’re going to culinary school.”

So off to the Culinary Institute of America he went (the other CIA), and then after graduation, back to California to gain experience.

“I worked for people who showed me how to be a real restaurateur, not just a chef,” Jones said. “I’m blessed to have been on those teams.”

On his team here at Tamar is Marissa, who, as an accomplished accountant with her own businesses, handles the bookkeeping and back-end activities.

“She handles all the parts of the business that I have less skill and patience for,” Jones said.

“I’m much more the creative type, and I try to infuse the passion and love I have for this kind of cuisine into every menu item,” he told us.

“Food is the great uniter.”

Team Let’s Go Eat was definitely united in our praise for every bite.

Locals Only

Ask for the “Deluxe,” which is not on the menu and consists of falafel, chicken, tahini, zhoug, pickles and cabbage — all stuffed into a pita. It’s what Jones and his crew make for themselves.

When You Go

Tamar Central Coast Shawarma, at 406 E. Haley St., is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. No reservations, open air seating with heaters. Order at the Third Window counter.