Came here for a graduation lunch and everything was solid for a seafood forward restaurant by the beach. They have all your classic seafood by the beach dishes and everything we tried was solid. The upstairs outside patio was nice to have lunch on and enjoyed the view. Service was friendly and helpful as well. Definitely would come back for a classic beachside lunch, if I am in the area. read more

Great ambiance, food, & service was excellent. Very friendly servers. Patio was inviting able to see the harbor and the beautiful sunset.

And without a doubt the greatest crispy calamari of all time, perfect combo of tentacles, tubes and strips. My dream dish. And the sweet chili sauce, the perfect foil. Love this place, my favorite in all of Santa Barbara!! read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Pretty location, excellent staff, we felt the food was mediocre, especially for the price.

We went to the Bluewater Grill on Saturday. Customer service was amazing. The person who served us his name was Greg. He was very nice very easy to talk to, and the food was amazing. If you're in the Santa Barbara area this place is a must and beautiful views of the ocean. read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

A nice spot that's perched along the water in the downtown area. They have a small parking area in the back that gives you 2 hours free as long as you ask the host for the promo code to use. The service was good even though staff had admitted that they were new on the job. No complaints there. The restaurant filled up quickly during peak dinner hour so a reservation is recommended. Octopus - The potatoes were good but the octopus was okay. I needed more texture and flavor. Fish and Chips - A large portion on a large plate! The fries were really good and I was surprised that there was both ketchup and marinara on the plate. The fish was crunchy, flakey and was fried well but was really really under seasoned. The slaw was just okay. In all it left more to be desired. read more

Bluewater Grill - Octopus - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This is arguably the best restaurant in Santa Barbara, if not Santa Barbara County. Menu is wonderful. I recommend sampling various dishes (starters, sushi, appetizers, sides...). We didn't taste anything that wasn't cooked to perfection. The staff is also extremely polite, casual, yet professional. read more

I've gone here so many times that it's become my go to spot for oysters when I miss the fish market. Sometimes the quality in the restaurants around here can be inconsistent, but thankfully Bluewater has always stayed consistently good. My friends and I have eaten here for lunch and dinner on the same day. The oysters and scallops along with some great drinks along the beach feels so nice read more

Bluewater Grill - Black Cod - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We went in on a slow Tuesday evening. They instantly sat us down in a upstairs little corner with a beautiful ocean view. The music and service were friendly and welcoming. We also tried the bread which was amazing sourdough with a little butter on the side. Definitely recommend to get a drink with an ocean view. read more

Bluewater Grill - Outside area - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We tried their coronado location last year, the rainbow trout almandine was so great we had to try it at the santa barbara location. Very good again! We also had the tuscan artichok,it was good. Appetizer was ponzu sashimi scallo, it was good especially if you enjoy ponzu. Mckenna our server answered all our question. WILL BE BACK FOR THE TROUT AT ALL THEIR LOCATIONS! read more

Service was slow but improved after we were sat. The table upstaurs patio had a beautiful view. My favorite is shrimp Louie salad. I like to get it with dressing on the side snd has a generous portion of lobster to dip in drawn butter. Bread is delicious. Manager was so nice to check on us and see that we were happy read more

Incredibly fresh and flavorful seafood meal. We had lunch here on a weekend trip to Santa Barbara and the food was absolutely fantastic! Be prepared for street parking as this location is right by the coast in a busy part of town. The food and service were spectacular. It was a really sunny day and the only seating left was outdoors so they really went out of their way to help move some umbrellas to give us some more shade. Seafood platter: 5/5 - super fresh and a good variety read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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What a wonderful place! We where in town and wanted to get a bite, walked along the pier and made a reservation in a different place, but there was a wait. So while we were waiting we continue walking. We were passing by this spot and slowed down just for a sec do glaze over the menu. The girls in front was so nice that even though we were planning on coming back , the got us in somehow. Everyone inside were so nice and food was amazing! Recommend for sure!!! read more

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Great food in a lovely setting. Service was above average. Great for lunch. Don't miss the appetizers, everything is so fresh!

Staff worked with us to find things I would not be allergic to. Ended up with scallops and shrimp on coconut lime rice bed. It was tasty. Very accommodating and super nice staff. Beautiful restaurant. Portions are a bit small for the price tag. read more

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Half of the oysters had shell fragments, and one had a spoiled taste and smell. I had to be careful when eating because I was afraid of hurting my teeth. Also, when eating clams, a little bit of sand was chewed. It was a very disappointing dinner. As a good restaurant, the basic food preparation was disappointing and the hygiene was also unreliable. read more

Bluewater Grill - Oyster on the Half Shell, San Francisco Cioppino, Tuscan Artichoke Rockfish. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Amazing dinner and service! Beautiful night out on the terrace. Sushi, halibut and clam chowder were so so good!

Delish. Just as good as the one in San Diego. I enjoyed the oysters Rockefeller. My girlfriend ordered the burger. The key lime pie is a just as good. The service was impeccable. read more

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Great location and ambiance. For this reason recommend making a reservation in advance! The sea bass was our favorite. Solid portion of fish that had a nice crispy sear. Though it was pretty good, it was also a little dry and would probably go well with some kind of sauce so ask for lots of lemon. The snapper was super yummy as well. Skip their mixed drinks and try the Topa Topa Spectro Hazy Ipa from Santa Barbara. I'm not a beer person but it was super light and refreshing, went well with our dinner! read more

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Wow this place is the real deal!! We were able to sit on the patio overlooking the ocean which I highly recommend! The service was great, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was also a plus. We ordered a lot of food and drinks to try almost everything! Here's what I would recommend: - mussels with pork belly (the pork belly was sooo tender!) - tiger prawns ( the sauce was delicious but you only get three shrimps) - the lobster Mac and cheese - so creamy - the scallops with bacon jam (very tasty but the scallops were a bit chewy) Just alright - fisherman's platter (it's tasty and a lot of seafood but it wasn't anything spectacular!) Not recommend: - the striped sea bass with wild trice (too bland and did not have a tonic flavor) Also don't forget the lava cake at the end!! read more

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Saturday night dinner located across the beach Reservation recommended- dining inside and outside available Parking not certain besides street parking to walk to it ..? Check in to restaurant located outside Service was very wonderful even with the miscommunication - questions were answered - check upon Sirloin steak was ordered that was substituted with hangar steak came with scalloped potato, broccolini, and chimichurri sauce Steak cooked to request and chimichurri added additional Flavor - scalloped potato could of used a bit more salt Seafood pasta contained baby scallops shrimp mushroom asparagus in a pesto sauce - besides missing shrimp good portion hit the spot for food Lava cake was the hit of the show! Taste like a warm sticky toffee pudding! Overall service was wonderful, food hit the spots, reasonable pricing, good to share things, date night, family place, and etc read more

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We had an amazing late lunch at this Bluewater Grill location with our Adored Grandson about a month ago. The weather was perfect for sitting outside, and we were lucky enough to snag seats at their indoor- outdoor bar upstairs. With a killer view of the pier and the beach, it is a premiere spot on the refreshed waterfront area where State meets Cabrillo. Swaying palm trees frame a vista that made us feel like we were on a tropical get-away, without the hassle of boarding a plane. Top-notch, professional and friendly service provided the basis for a great dining experience. As the designated driver, I appreciated the mix of fresh juices they whipped up for me, to add to the vacay vibe. The kitchen kept us happy with fresh takes on seafood options. Even 16 year old AG noted how well done everything tasted, and was presented. Dear Hubby and I shared an order of sand dabs and scalloped potatoes, with a crunchy slaw on the side. Fabulously delicious! Can't wait to return for the whole experience to be repeated. read more

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We enjoyed our anniversary dinner here at the blue water in Santa Barbara. Our dinner was delicious. Staff was exceptional. From our entry being greeted to our waivers and bartender. Gregory and Ashton did not let us down w the whole experience. They condition to check in on us making sure all was good to asking if we needed anything else. To making sure our drinks were filled. Without feeling invasive. We highly recommend this spot. Thank you staff for going above and beyond with your amazing service! A&R read more

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Meh...great service (5-star), moderate bar (4-star), and 2-star food for a seafood grill. Snapper was a frozen dinner, smattered with fried bar-food appetizers and gummy risotto. Server didn't know his IPA's but there were about 5 on tap and I finally found one that worked. Won't be returning although the view was okay if you like Sunday night cruising with loud exhausts! Ugh... read more

Really delicious food. We ordered a Caesar salad and a full fish grilled. It's not common in the United States to find a place where they serve full fish and luckily this is one of a few. Absolutely loved it, very delicate flavours. read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The only reason you should come to this restaurant is the patio view from the balcony. The food is not good. They don't have a great selection in beer either. We came for my husband's birthday lunch and ordered a few things off the menu. Kids grilled shrimp ( they were so charcoaled the they tasted bitter, my poor kids didn't even eat them). We ordered a sushi roll and the rice was Crunchy like under cooked and then some were soggy, over cooked. How do you do that?! Will not be returning. read more

The greeting for service was efficient and friendly. The servers and wait staff are exceptional. Very friendly and knowledgable about the menu. The food is always served beutifully and delicious. read more

Wonderful ambience awesome fresh fish, expertly crafted martinis and attentive service. I couldn't ask for more. I only wish we lived closer as we would be regulars. Don't miss this. Go now! read more

We ordered the chorizo mussels, the special (swordfish) and mahi mahi. The chorizo musssels unbelievably bland. I think they just poured in some chicken broth and diced up a bit of salami. The swordfish itself was tasty, but the side was a very sad and bland rice. I substituted lemon caper butter sauce on the mahi, which was cooked perfectly. The mahi was probably the only thing executed well in the whole meal. I think at some point the wait staff changed shifts because our server seemed to disappear on us at the end of the meal when we wanted to pay the bill. This place definitely feels like a tourist trap and there are probably better fish experiences to be had in SB. read more

Our family had a dinner there last weekend. We left our leftover box on the table when leaving but came back in 5 mins to pick it up. However the server told us it has been thrown away. We were very disappointed. It was a half portion of Rainbow Trout Amandine for my son's lunch tomorrow. However, the manager came and told us that they would remake the whole dish for us to take away. We were so thrilled. Top notch customer service! read more

This is a popular and pleasant waterfront restaurant. We stopped in for lunch which started with a very nice Sourdough Bread. For our entrées, I opted for a California speciality of Sautéed Sandabs. They were wonderful and came with Scalloped Potatoes (boring) and nice Sautéed Mushrooms. My wife had an astonishingly skimpy Lobster & Shrimp Roll. There was literally a small dab of them in the center of the toasted bun which remained naked and empty at both ends. See the picture. What was the chef thinking? That diners wouldn't notice the 1/2 empty bun? Shameless. Aside from this major and obvious problem, the rest of the meal was fine. Location: 5 stars Service: 5 stars Food: 3 stars Value: 3 stars Ambiance/Décor: 4 stars read more

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This restaurant is definitely now one of my Santa Barbara favorites . Olivia was our hostess... she was kind and professional. Even though many of her co-workers were asking for her to handle other customers and at the same time a customer was requesting special seating...she handled every bit of the chaos with grace and poise. Olivia did not forget about me and my husband she seated us right away and did not have to do it at all but did it with a smile. She even came to check on us during our meal. Thank You OLIVIA you're awesome. The food was perfect!! Hot and ready to eat...full size portions and very flavorful. My husband did not like the Coconut Ginger rice at all..he said it didn't have much flavor. My Pasta was BEYOND PERFECTION. I loved the restaurants vibe and setup. I was however very cold due to the balcony door being open. Overall..I can not wait to come back and I'm going to bring more people with me next time. Thank You for such a beautiful restaurant. read more

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the service is fantastic..But the food is truly a gift of the gods Seafood was wonderful. everything we tasted was a feast for the gods. The ambiance here is romantic enough for that special date. Laurie Peck If your planning on a vacation put this at the top of your list its well worth it. read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Started our Santa Barbara stay here and it was disappointing. Note to self: Do not go to chain restaurants and do not take bf's friend's recommendation. Covid precautions: Staff wear masks, outdoor seating with social distancing, chairs and tables are wiped between customers. Food: Oysters were not fresh and tiny, we now are worried about having stomachache later, clam chowder very mediocre, lobster roll dry. Not good and overpriced! Yuck. Service: Super super slow. We came at 330pm and it was busy (tons of tourists here now). Understaffed. Probably trying to cut down the cost due to this pandemic. Overall: DONT COME read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Was real good. Octopus was great. The fish was fresh and well prepared. Service was good

Once again- Bluewater Grill is a complete disappointment. Fiesta weekend is busy. Locals know that. This is why we booked 3 months in advance for a table outside to watch the parade. Even came in ( in person) the day before to confirm the reservation. The host in our party stopped by the day before and got a verbal confirmation of our table party, size and location from the manager (George?). On the day of; we came in 30 minutes early to secure our spot- well intentioned and polite . Of course Bluewater grill failed to give us a table that would accommodate our reservation- stating they could only give us a table for four even though the reservation was for eight. Still in good spirits, we agreed excitedly to sit at four at the bar and four at the table while we waited for an additional table to open up. When an additional table opened up they immediately set up to seat another party at the table right next to ours. To make matters worse, when we brought up the issue to the bartender, Claire, ( before the next party even came upstairs) they yelled at us about how busy and overwhelmed they were and told us we would have to leave if we didn't act cordial in a threatening manor. I understand Claire felt overwhelmed but the outburst was felt by the entire patio. The reaction felt borderline prejudice as we were completely calm and polite about the situation. Following this, the rest of the patrons outside let us know we were welcome to share tables to accommodate the rest of our party. We ended up having a great time, ordered plenty to eat and drink while standing despite the treatment from that individual who we hope will get the support they need! Of course I will give you the true review on food and wine- seafood is of good quality. We ordered: Fish and Chips 3 orders of fish tacos. The tacos came with rice that was seasoned well and tasty! Everything was fresh. Food is good. No issues with the back of house staff! They are doing great! For Mexican Lager the options are limited: No Corona but they did have modelo. For wine, we chose Sauvignon Blanc by Storm winemaker Ernst Storm. The menu was very small but inviting, including several other local selections. Both options were great to pair with their fish tacos. Some of Bluewaters FOH team members obviously need to be paid more and receive some training/ so that they don't feel compelled to berate guests when an issue or miscommunication arises- or perhaps the issue lies in the management team. Either way, I hope they get what they need. Until then- Bluewater Grill will likely remain a popular hangout for the tourist population in town but locals know better. In the end- no accommodations were made or even attempted to resolve the issue of our promised reservation not being honored. Working as a full time restaurant worker 5 nights a week myself at a local restaurant. I can assure that this is not how hospitality works. I will never come back. read more

Bluewater Grill - Bar at Bluewater grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My partner and I drove to Santa Barbara from the Bay Area to celebrate our anniversary. After checking into the AirBnB we were running a little behind. When I called Bluewater, they changed the reservation with no issues. When we arrived, they asked about our preference of seating. We picked outside and upstairs. I definitely recommend that option if they have seating available because the view was amazing. We started with the spanish octopus and the blue water specialty cocktail (can't remember the name but it comes in a jug!) I got the steak and my partner got the surf and turf. Overall we were incredibly happy with the ambiance, the service, and the food. I recommend this place for everyone, but especially seafood lovers! read more

We sat in at the bar around 4 and had the happy hour. And everything was amazing. The lady behind the bar was so helpful and attentive! We got the oysters, artichokes, garlic fries, and clam chowder to try everything. Highly recommend read more

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Well we came back for our 1 year anniversary and it sadly wasn't like our last visit. They were completely out of blue cheese olives for a dirty martini and of the type of whiskey my husband wanted for his drink.. I also received a water glass with a huge red lipstick mark on it. Then we asked for bread and received the most rock hard thing ever. The Spanish octopus was deleted from the menu. It was by far the best thing on the menu. We then ordered a dozen oysters instead and those were awesome. We ordered the king crab legs and the pasta. It was good. We also asked the server for fresh bread and he acknowledged he knew the previous bread was hard.... why would you even serve it to us then? We had also made a reservation through Yelp and I mentioned in the comments that it was our 1st anniversary. The hostess could see what we wrote because we asked to sit outside or by the window and she said it. However, not once during the night by our waiters was it mentioned. Kinda disappointing. Overall, it was okay. Just disappointed in how the night went. read more

My 3 star is only because the customer service. They are very nice. But the food is not good and not fresh, Nice place to visit to drink and not more than that. Bottom line NOT Recommend And Food Not Fresh. read more