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University of California - Santa Barbara - Nightlife - Nightlife - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Nightlife

B+
Where does this grade come from?View all Nightlife rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

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Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife
  • Downtown Goleta
  • Downtown Santa Barbara
  • Isla Vista
Student Favorites
  • Madison’s
  • Q's
  • Tonic
Other Places to Check Out
  • The Brewhouse
  • Dargan’s
  • Elsie’s
  • Indochine
  • The Old Town Tavern (OTT)
  • The Press Room
  • Santa Barbara Brewing Co.
  • The Sportsman
  • Stateside Bar (comedy night)
  • Velvet Jones
  • Wildcat Lounge
  • Zodo’s Bowling and Beyond
Local Specialties
  • Santa Barbara Blonde beer: Get it at Santa Barbara Brewing Company
  • Santa Barbara Sunset: Get it at Longboard’s or Enterprise Fish Co
  • Sex on the Beach shot: not really a Santa Barbara invention, but it could have been
Favorite Drinking Games
  • "The Loop," which is having a beer at every place in Isla Vista that serves alcohol
  • Beer pong
  • Flip cup
  • Kings
Useful Resources for Nightlife www.santabarbaradirect.com/sbshopping/listings/bars_clubs.htm

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

UCSB’s nightlife is what makes this campus unique and noticed across the nation. College students from all over make trips to visit their friends at UCSB just to experience the incredible nightlife Isla Vista and Downtown Santa Barbara have to offer. For students 21 and over, there are a variety of night clubs and bars that run down State Street in Santa Barbara.

The best thing about living in Isla Vista is that those who are not 21 yet are far from being left out. There is at least one party happening in Isla Vista every night of the week, with a majority of them occurring Thursday through Saturday. Legal drinking wannabes beware: Isla Vista alcohol distributers and Downtown bars are very strict when it comes to fake IDs. If you use one you WILL get caught—just some words of wisdom.

 

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UC Santa Barbara Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at University of California - Santa Barbara

graciegoogin

English '14

5.0
A+

Always Something for Everyone

At UCSB, you don't have to be 21 to have a good time. Del Playa is host to the biggest UCSB parties, which usually don't charge an entrance fee or costs of drinks. There is always tons of party supplies, such as alcohol.The great thing about living on or near campus is that you have no reason to drink and drive. You can walk to a party and walk back because they are so close to eachother.

May 23, 2012

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Nightlife at University of California - Santa Barbara

Ldykarina92

Biology '15

3.8
B+

Crazy

There is a lot to do here for nightlife. There are constantly parties and they always offer events like laser tag or free movie showing is Isla Vista theater.

May 03, 2012

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Nightlife at University of California - Santa Barbara

jtruong7

Public Health '11

4.6
A

UCSB

Plenty of house and frat parties for the underage kids. The bars and clubs on State Street are fun as well. Bill's Bus can help you when there's no designated driver in your group. Or you can even rent a limo for a reasonable price with your friends.

Mar 30, 2012

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Page 1 of 16
User rating for University of California - Santa Barbara - Nightlife is 4.6 out of 5 based on 46 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus bar and club scene on the following topics

What is the party scene like on campus?

What’s the best way to get to the popular nightlife spots?

Facts

Closing Time

12 a.m. in Isla Vista

2 a.m. in downtown

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Local house parties in Isla Vista—nothing is cheaper than a free beer out of a keg or a shot of alcohol from one of your buddies.

Organization Parties

There are regular parties put on by the Excursion Club, Ski and Snowboard Club, and Surf Club.

Did You Know? Del Playa Drive, the main party street, is slowly eroding away from the surf pounding the rocks. In many years, the side opposite of ocean side will become ocean side.

Club ListingsWhat's This?

Zelo

Both a nightclub and a restaurant, Zelo offers jazz music during dinner, and local DJs and bands after 10 p.m.

630 State St.

Downtown

(805) 966-5792

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Q’s Sushi A Go Go

Q’s is three floors, each with a bar on it. The first floor has a dance floor, an outside patio, and a sushi bar (during dinner hours). The third floor has about eight pool tables. Many stop by for the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet and a few drinks to kick off their evenings.

409 State St.

Downtown

(805) 966-9177

Sharkeez

Sharkeez is one of the most popular downtown bars, especially on Thursday nights. Sharkeez also has decent happy hour deals, a full menu, TVs, and a dance floor. It’s laid-back during the day, but definitely a drink-hard, dance-hard bar at night.

416 State St.

Downtown

(805) 963-9680

The Study Hall

The Study Hall has a full bar and gets packed with students who don’t want to make the drive downtown. Frequently it is a big Greek place. The Study Hall is the most popular bar in Isla Vista. Happy hour Monday–Friday 4–7 p.m.

6543 Pardall Rd.

Isla Vista

(805) 685-0929

Dublin’s Sports Grill

Hailed as the best college bar around, Dublin’s attracts a crowd who wants to watch the game on the big screen TV, sing karaoke, play pool and air hockey, or just hang out for awhile.

910 Embarcadero del Norte

Isla Vista

(805) 685-1503

James Joyce

A great, chill bar on State St. Sometimes they have live music, sometimes the pool table is open, but they always have lots of free peanuts!

513 State St.

Downtown

(805) 962-2688

Madison’s Sports Grill

As another student favorite, Madison’s has a nice patio on State Street, so you can wave to friends and people-watch while you drink. After the games, the bar transforms into a crowded dance floor, providing jello shot specials and some well drink specials.

525 State St.

Downtown

(805) 882-1182

What to Do if You're Not 21What's This?

You can attend open-mic night at Java Jones in Isla Vista, catch a movie at the Isla Vista theater, go to Del Playa/Isla Vista parties, Zelo for college nights, or Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond. Real Life (Thursday nights on campus) or Reality (Friday nights downtown) are hosted by the University. There are also Christian groups, Hillel Jewish Center dinners/parties that occur weekly, and concerts put on by the Associated Students Board in The HUB.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Michael Cooper
Hometown
Danville, CA
Major
Sociology/Sports Management minor

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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