Phase two of Goleta Beach’s culinary future is softly stepping into the limelight, as The Ellwood is now serving a tiny menu of burgers, hot dogs, salads, and snacks to outdoor guests on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Called Little Woody’s Pierside Bar & Grill, this is the first iteration of the lower-cost, family-friendly fare that was promised as part of the plan to replace the Beachside Café, which closed in 2021 after 36 years in operation.
Phase one was the coming of The Ellwood in 2025, which took about two years longer than expected to open. That was due largely to the extensive renovations required as well as infrastructure work conducted by the County of Santa Barbara, which owns the property.
With The Ellwood serving an upscale, chef-driven menu, the restaurant’s ownership promised a more casual eatery for outdoor guests as part of the bid to win the county contract. Those plans featured a standalone snack shack, picnic tables, and infrastructure for a concert and event venue in the former storage yard across from the restaurant at the base of the Goleta Pier.
In recent months, a large grass field was planted and a beverage trailer appeared in front of the restaurant. That’s where orders will be taken from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are the two days that The Ellwood is closed.
Little Woody’s menu will be grab-and-go style, with burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad, chips, and snacks. To drink will be a range of non-alcoholic beverages as well as canned beers, ciders, and tap cocktails.
“All items will be packaged to-go and ideal to be enjoyed on the beach or throughout the park,” explained Andrew McLaughlin, The Ellwood’s property director, who noted that there will also be some seating on patios outside of the restaurant. “We expect to capture foot traffic from beachgoers, as we are the only food venue within the park.”
The event and concert venue part of the plan will also debut soon at “The Break,” the name for the grassy space. There’s a Fourth of July lawn party (details and tickets here) and then “Nash Nites” featuring three Nashville songwriters on August 22 (details and tickets here). There’s another concert being planned for October 3 as well.
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