Gabby Ricord, lead bartender at The Goodland Hotel’s Good Bar, says the team behind the bar is the genius behind the cocktail menu. It’s not a one-man operation at this watering hole! 
The Yappy Hour cocktail and small bites menu offers fun and creative concoctions such as Hair of the Dog, a gin-based refreshing drink. 
Find a new best friend at Yappy Hour, where 10 percent of the proceeds will go to the Santa Barbara Humane Society. 
Find a new best friend at Yappy Hour, where 10 percent of the proceeds will go to the Santa Barbara Humane Society. 
The What’s the Dill cocktail lauds the scent of a pickleback shot but without the bold tang of pickle juice. 
Don’t let the color fool you on this drink. Fulfill your chocolate craving with this rum-based libation this summer. 
The No Tan Lines seasonal cocktail is a sure-fire refresher for patrons this summer. 
The Good Bar cocktail menu has drinks that are sure to hit the spot all day and night, such as the Espresso Martini, which has hints of lemon on the nose and a smooth coffee finish on the palate. 
The Good Bar cocktail menu has drinks that are sure to hit the spot all day and night, such as the Espresso Martini, which has hints of lemon on the nose and a smooth coffee finish on the palate.
As someone who is moving from the buzzing downtown Santa Barbara scene to the quieter far reaches of Goleta, I’m already hunting down any place that has a decent cocktail menu and edible eats.
Don’t get me wrong. Downtown Santa Barbara and even parts of Montecito are where it’s at these days for all the hot new drinks and eats, but when you’re living the good life in The Good Land, one must adapt.
So, I recently revisited an old haunt, The Goodland Hotel’s Good Bar, in search of a libation menu that’s worthy of multiple visits. The Good Bar is located on the right side of The Goodland Hotel entrance at 5650 Calle Real in Goleta.
I had sort of forgotten that it has some of the artsy quirks of the Funk Zone, enough nightly activities to keep me from driving to Santa Barbara a few nights a week, and a cozy down-home feel that can be found only in Goleta.
And this summer, it is doing some fun things worth noting.
Happy hour — or should I say Yappy Hour — at The Goodland Hotel promises a doggone good time with dog adoptions and creative cocktails.
Order up a Hair of the Dog, a refreshing gin-based hibiscus and lemon concoction, or a tequila and pineapple libation known as the Ay, Chihuahua, while you spend time living the dog life on the back lawn of the hotel’s outdoor courtyard with the pups that are up for adoption.
Yappy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every first Tuesday of the month, and 10 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Santa Barbara Humane Society to fund animal care, rescue efforts and public education outreach, which makes this a happy hour one can feel good about.
If that’s not enough to get you in the door, be sure to check out the new seasonal cocktail menu and weekday activities at the Good Bar.
“You don’t have to go downtown to get a tasty cocktail,” lead bartender Gabby Ricord said — and thank goodness she’s right!
In order to do my due diligence in scoping out the best watering holes in my new neighborhood, I sat down with Ricord and carefully combed through the new summer menu at the Good Bar.
While some of the year-round cocktails are worthy of a sip, such as What’s the Dill, a savory gin-forward cocktail, I’ll be diving head first into some of its seasonal drinks, such as the Cacao to Cacao and No Tan Lines.
Get your chocolate fix while still feeling those tropical vibes with the rum-based Cacao libation that has hints of molasses that tickle the nose.
When the heat is on, No Tan Lines is the drink to have on repeat throughout the afternoon. Heavy citrus notes, a nod to the local farming history and grapefruit on the palate will refresh your soul this summer.
The word on the street is both drinks can be ordered poolside, and as long as you’re ordering food and drinks, the pool is open to locals — which is great news for this new Goleta local.
The standard happy hour is every day from 4 to 6 p.m., with live music starting at 7 p.m. every Thursday on the quaint outdoor patio. Light bites are available throughout the night until 9:30 or 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Click here for more information about the Good Bar.
— Tara Jones Haaf leads Eat This, Shoot That! and welcomes reader tips and ideas for future columns. She can be reached at tara@eatthisshootthat.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.