New Site Sorts Happiness

With more than 120 happy hours in Santa Barbara, you’d have to go to 17-plus per night to hit them all in one week. Or you can cruise them all a much easier way, by checking out the barely six-week-old HappySB.com. The brainchild of Santa Barbara native Jed Tucker (the programmer) and UCSB alum Grant Burlew (the marketer), the site does everything it can to make you have a happiest hour, sortable by time, type, and location. “It’s easy always to go to the one place you remember the most,” Burlew said, “so what we really wanted was a place for locals to learn about all the options in town.” Here are his top three faves right now:

1) Arch Rock Fish (608 Anacapa St., 845-2800, archrockfish.com): “It’s a really great late-night happy hour (9-11pm) with a diverse menu and really great drinks,” Burlew said, particularly singling out the Bloody Mary oyster shooters, Stilton-and-truffle-honey grilled cheese, and the smoked-salmon deviled eggs. “If you want to end your night out at a great spot, I always recommend Arch Rock Fish.”

2) Elephant Bar (521 Firestone Rd., Goleta, 964-0779, elephantbar.com): Aside from a reason for escaping downtown, Burlew explained, “It’s one of the best for me, with happy hours from 3-7 and late night, and they have a great menu, as well.” Burlew likes to drink the E-Tea (the Elephant Bar alcohol-fueled iced tea), about which he says, “You only need one,” and then eat their lettuce wraps, which are “very healthy for you but also delicious. On a hot day, the two are a perfect combination.”

3) Sandbar (514 State St., 966-1388, sandbarsb.com): “It’s one I always go back to,” Burlew claimed, pointing out Sandbar switches up themes for different nights of the week. Its location mid-State Street makes it an ideal spot for kicking off an evening. “With its great prices and good margaritas,” he said, “it’s more of a spot to lead you into the night.”