Founded by former professional cyclists, this Santa Barbara roastery serves exceptional house-roasted single-origins, Gibraltar espresso blends, and scratch-made pastries from two distinct, vibrant cafes.
Handlebar Coffee Roasters was established in November 2011 by former professional road cyclists Aaron Olson and Kim Anderson, who translated their years racing through the cafe cultures of Europe into a world-class roasting operation in Santa Barbara. The flagship location on East Canon Perdido Street sits directly across from the historic El Presidio State Historic Park, offering a sun-drenched outdoor patio where local riders park their bikes alongside tech workers and neighborhood regulars. Olson, who competed in the Giro d'Italia, and Anderson, winner of the 2009 Route de France Féminine, initially learned the craft at the American Coffee & Barista School in Portland before building out their downtown space by hand, utilizing reclaimed wood for the countertops and installing a three-group La Marzocco FB-80 espresso machine.
The roasting program, which initially began in a friend's garage, has grown around meticulously sourced beans from Central America, South America, and East Africa. While the team originally roasted on a German-built Probat L12 machine nicknamed Hercules, their expansion to a second location on De La Vina Street in midtown allowed them to upgrade to Zeus, a beautifully restored 1961 Probat UG22 roaster. This second outpost, housed in a spacious 1930s building that once served as a Safeway grocery store, retains its historic character with exposed brick, high ceilings, and a dramatic bow-truss ceiling. Visitors to the De La Vina cafe can watch and smell the roasting process firsthand while enjoying a cortado or a cup of their signature Gibraltar Seasonal Espresso Blend.
Beyond the exceptional coffee, Handlebar features a robust culinary program that sets it apart from typical coastal cafes. While they partner with local favorites like Renaud's Patisserie, I.V. Bagel Café, and Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolates, the De La Vina kitchen bakes about half of their pastries in-house and prepares a full breakfast and lunch menu. The standout avocado toast is a local favorite, elevated with tahini, pomegranate seeds, watermelon radishes, sprouts, and a soft-boiled egg. Guests sitting on the bustling downtown patio across from the Presidio or working under the bow-truss ceilings of the midtown location find an experience defined by the founders' athletic discipline and commitment to quality.
Pair a Gibraltar espresso drink with the house-made avocado toast, topped with tahini and watermelon radishes, at the De La Vina location where you can watch the 1961 Probat roaster in action.
Coffee & Craft — Roadside fuel stops curated by Basecamp West. The best coffee shops, craft breweries, diners, and eateries worth the detour on your next Western road trip.