10 Best Isla Vista Restaurants: Eat, Eat and Be Merry!

When you're looking for a healthy bite in Isla Vista, consider a visit to Silvergreens. Everything on the menu - from the soups to the breads to the salad dressing - is made from scratch in their kitchen daily. Try a scrumptious sandwich, crisp salad or savory gluten-free quinoa bowl. Silver greens serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. On an educational note: check the back of your receipt to see that calorie count and nutritional value of your order. But don't let that stop you from ordering one of their cookies - they're delicious! There's another Silvergreens location in downtown Santa Barbara, too.

This local Mexican food chain has a few restaurants around the Santa Barbara and Goleta areas. This entry is for the Isla Vista location, where it is possibly the most underrated. Stop in for killer breakfast burritos, great regular burritos, large tortas and all kinds of delicious tacos, served quite authentically on corn tortillas. There is a salsa bar with a few selections (nothing too mild), and the occasional paper sign alerting you to temporary specials. The burritos are HUGE, so come hungry. They lightly grill the outside of your burrito, before wrapping it up in foil and handing it off to you. Great horchata, too.

If you like pizza, but you're a little bit picky about what goes on it AND you're totally in a hurry, Blaze Pizza in Isla Vista is the place for you. (Full disclosure: you should also be completely ok with college crowds and limited parking.) This restaurant lets you build your own pizza, adding any toppings you want for one flat price. Then it's fast fired while you wait in just 180 seconds! Toppings include bacon, artichokes, smoked ham, spicy red sauce, ovalini mozzarella and much more. In the event that building your own pizza is too much pressure, there's a nice list of signature pizzas you can choose from instead. Or you can order a salad.

Sam's to Go in Isla Vista is a perfectly fine place to go for a sandwich. They have all the classics: turkey and avocado, pastrami, ham and cheese... The prices are fair and delivery is available. BUT the real reason to go to Sam's to Go is to have a beer and hang out with your friends in the center of the action. It's the best place to grab a pitcher, laze through a relaxing afternoon and make plans for the night ahead. Not to mention it's an Isla Vista classic, having been open in the same location for years (a rarity for this college town). This sandwich shop is hit with current students and alumni alike.

Home to the best smoothies in Santa Barbara! This local chain serves up healthy smoothies, fresh juices and acai bowls in a jiffy. You can customize your drink with the supplements of your choice, like chia seeds, bee pollen and whey protein. Monthly drink specials give you something new to try every time you visit. It's the perfect place to stop for a light meal or a tasty snack that won't weigh you down. Try the Strawberry Colada or (seasonal) Pumpkin Pie. There are multiple locations throughout the area; this one is located in Isla Vista, a college-centric neighborhood close to the university.

Looking for a cup of organic, fair trade coffee? Caje in Isla Vista has you covered! This casual coffee shop is a great place to stop for a pick me up - whether you're pulling an all nighter or just need to make it through that next lecture. In addition to the classics, the team at Caje creates seasonal specials like Nutella lattes and chocolate chais. Bagels, cookies and other snacks available. Fast and free wi-fi makes it a good place to get some work done, too. Within easy walking distance of pretty much everything in IV. Limited car parking available because everyone in the area rides their bikes.

A good bagel can be hard to find. But not at the Bagel Cafe in Isla Vista, where everyone's favorite breakfast roll is both plentiful and delicious! Stop into the Bagel Cafe for plain bagels, bagel melts, bagel sandwiches and even Benedict Eggles (trust us, you'll just have to order it). In a rush? Place your order online and pick it up in a flash. Although they usually close at 3 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays this place stays open late... until 3 a.m.! The Bagel Cafe serves Santa Barbara Roasting Co. coffee - keeping it local with every sip.

Authentic Italian food in Isla Vista? It exists! Hidden among all the late night Mexican food stops, coffee shops and burger joints, Sorriso is a true gem. Enjoy fresh, homemade flavors at reasonable prices, all in a cute and clean little restaurant. Everything is as Italian as it gets, right down to the street sign with handwritten specials, just like you'd see in Sicily. Good news for people with food allergies, you can visit the restaurant's website ahead of time to see the ingredients used in each dish. While there, don't forget to try their namesake dessert; a sorriso is kind of like a sweet calzone. Event rentals and catering services are also available.

If you haven't eaten at Freeboards World Burrito on Isla Vista, you've clearly never been a UCSB student. Located in the college-centric neighborhood of IV, this late night, build-your-own combo casual Mexican restaurant is the place to go for burritos as big as your leg and nachos the size of your head. (We're not joking.) Although there are now dozens of Freeboards franchises across the US, this one right here is where it alllll started. Because you get to choose exactly what goes into your meal, Freebirds is a good choice for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. Like Chipotle on steroids.

For the young and adventurous pizza-lovers among us, Woodstock's Pizza calls out as one of the the tastiest pizza parlors in Goleta. Do you have to venture into Isla Vista, a notoriously party-friendly college town, to get it? Yes, yes you do. But the large, freshly made pizza pies are worth it... and the people watching is not half bad! Choose from their selection of specialty pizzas - like the hot and spicy Firebird - or create your own. To drink, there are bottomless sodas, juice boxes (we're not kidding!) or beer and wine. Parking is creative, and it's within walking distance to the park and a beach.