We went for one of their tasting menus that they do periodically. Included was a crab cake appetizer, bouillabaisse entree and two glasses of white wine. The crab cake was good (albeit a little small). The bouillabaisse was good and had a surprising amount of seafood! All in all it was good. We have been to another tasting that was a little more impressive but it was a decent deal, nonetheless. read more

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

I love the restaurant structure, it looks like a light house. It is in a real good location. The food is great. Oyster is fresh, salad is delicious. Grilled lobster is little bit over cooked. Service is ok, the waiter served us didn't pay attention to us sometimes, we have to call him couple times to get what we need. Overall, we still enjoyed the food and time that we spent at Bluewater restaurant. read more

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Good food,nice atmosphere , Very attentive service , Not too crowded , great selections of wines and cocktails! Will be back ! read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The vibe and view are fantastic! California beach and sunshine! We are here for the first time celebrating both my wife and my birthdays. Looking out at the harbor, beach, palm trees and pier, can't get better than that. Greg our server/bartender was excellent! Greg recommend the ponzu Sashimi scallops, Oysters, clams with garlic wine sauce and sour dough bread! OMG! Greg made a Black mamba with n honor on Kobe Bryant and cucumber mojitos, oh yes. Great views. read more

Bluewater Grill - Fantastic views from the blue water grill! - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Clam chowder & oyster are so tasty and my trout is fresh , taco is ok ...they do play the oldie music I like so will come back if we visit the town again. Julian is a good help for selecting my lunch ....like the ambience! read more

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Some of the best seafood I've ever had. I had the swordfish and it was delicious. Everything from the appetizer (for us we had the crab dip) to the crème brûlée was perfect. If I could give a place 6 stars this would be it. If you are in the area I absolutely recommend it. As an aside, my colleagues complained that their vegetables were undercooked and the fish and chips were over cooked, but that sounds like their problem, and not mine. read more

Bluewater Grill - Sautéed mushrooms & Chipotle Blackened Swordfish - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Pros. Polite staff. Beautiful and enjoyable atmosphere Cons. All the tables but ours had plates and silverware roll ups. We never received our setups. Had to grab them from another table. All the patrons were brought bread and butter. We never received any. We ordered our drinks and entrees. Took forever to receive our drinks. When we asked about the drinks our server apologized and said they needed to make more syrup for 2 of the drinks (would have been nice to just let us know). 3 of Our orders were not correct and or cold. The calamari I had was amazing until I started to bite some that smelled and tasted like ammonia. The wagu burger was very dry. It was requested to have "no pink" but it came out so dry that it was almost unedible. So remember to not ask this @no pink. Other food came out cold. Would I come back again.... I might give it another try, but hold them to a better standard read more

It's not often that a restaurant with such a trendy location will have knock out food. Bluewater Gill did not disappoint! Right on Cabrillo and State Street across from the ward and ocean. Everything we ordered was really freaking good! Started with the steamed clams and mussels and crispy Calamari (No pic because we devoured them). Their oysters are delivered daily and these were super fresh and delicious. Clam chowder was the best I've ever had! Sooo so good. Chicken skin was crispy and the meat super Moist. The STAR OF THE SHOW... Ponzu Scallop Sashimi. Holy crap it was amazing! Greg took care of us and he was fab! Can't wait to go back!!!! read more

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Definitely a touristy place. Upstairs is nice but you will wait a little longer on service. 20 min in and asking twice before we got place settings. Calamari came first and was cold not crispy even undercooked a little. Still waiting and waiting for other appetizers. Will update. read more

A little too nice and well located just to serve sub-par food. The ambiance of the restaurant is fantastic and sets the tone for equally impressive dining but it is the one thing that can come in slightly short. I would totally recommend for location and atmosphere but not really if you're in pursuit of an impeccable seafood experience. The restaurant business is a difficult one but ownership shall evaluate whether spending a little more time in supervision on the floor is necessary. read more

If you're looking for good seafood, nice aesthetics, and an all around great vibe for dinner, this is the spot! My party of 3 came here on a sunday evening without a reservation and we were seated immediately. We sat outside on the side of the restaurant but it was still very nice. If you want indoor seating then definitely reserve in advance. We ordered the crab and artichoke dip for the appetizer and that was my favorite. It comes out hot and so so good. I would say I just wish there were more tortilla chips that came with it. For the main, I got the gemilli pasta and it was so creamy and had lots of seafood and asparagus bits in it. I also tried the fishermans platter. The fries are the perfect crispy texture and pretty salty. We were also celebrating a birthday and our server gave us ice cream with a little candle in it. Everything tasted amazing I highly recommend the pasta and the dip. Everyone serving and waiting were nice and the food came out pretty quickly especially during a busy dinner hour. read more

Bluewater Grill - Baked Crab & Artichoke Dip - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Horrible cioppino and gumbo. Extremely watery and the meat is awful. For the amount that we paid absolutely not worth it.

Our server was probably the highlight, Christina was so nice and attentive and quick, I found some other places in SB had slow service where we were just waiting around for the check after finishing our meal. Definitely make a reservation because they fill up fast. Food was ok, I had the clam chowder which was good . Our view was the dirty water by the bridge... if your not sitting upstairs then there no point to care of the view. The food was just ok, there are better places in SB. read more

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Madison made my wife's birthday wonderful and memorable. The food was awesome. We had the 8oz filet and the pan seared scallops. The calamari and bread was awesome. We rode the train down and picked this for proximity to the station. It did NOT disappoint. I highly recommend coming here when in Santa Barbara. Great view, great food, and great service. Thank you again to Madison and the staff at Bluewater Grill!! read more

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Honestly this is a nice spot right off the main pier with a great view from the upper deck and upstairs bar. Tv there if you want to relax to window views, sports and a nice cocktail or beer. Atmosphere and friendliness+accommodation of staff are 5 stars I will say. I was only looking to kill some time and get a small bite so I went for the ceviche first and it was very underwhelming. The fish was fine but I did not expect the flavors to be so uncomplimentary to the dish as a whole; the peppers didn't really go with it and the chunks were too big to make it enjoyable. The chowder got me right again tho so overall, I would come again to try other menu items and give it another shot. read more

Bluewater Grill - Local Rockfish Ceviche - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The Food was delicious!! The customer service so so. The place was clean and nice looking

Reservation was honored on time. Table was in a bit of a corner, but we made it work. Oysters were great, clams and mussels combo were great with a really good broth. Clam chowder was excellent. Wedge salad was a good size. King crab legs were awesome. read more

Katherine and the entire staff are completely outstanding!! Service, is so friendly (that includes everyone!!) and exceptional! Sooo happy we chose this place!! Food: most of us got the Fish and Chips and they were by far some of the best I've had anywhere! Generous portion of fat white fish in a crispy flavorful batter. The Cole slaw is fresh with a slight sweet tang. So simple yet satisfying!! Sorry, I didn't get a pic of that. Oysters on the half shell - two kinds to sample that night and both were very good. Clam chowder - Creamy and perfect in every way. We will be back to try other things on the menu. Lots to choose from. Great place, lovely ambiance, great staff, must have an amazing manager to run such a well oiled operation!! read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The crab cakes are too doughy. Way too much filler. The oysters my friends had were fresh and they seemed to enjoy them. Fries were marginal, clam chowder was a little too thick . The service was excellent. Manager very friendly. There was a wedding reception in the upper area of the restaurant that day, so maybe that's why the place kind of looked like a hot mess. Didn't like the ambiance at all. Do not think I would try this place again. read more

Service was slow as molasses on a cold day. Food was mediocre and overpriced. Lighting was intensely bright with tvs on in the background. One star is for the location and building and the other is for the old timey pictures of big fish. read more

What a difference a year can make. This is a follow-up to my review for last years visit to the Bluewater Grill in Santa Barbara. For what ever reason that experience was not a a good one. This year our visit on 12/22/2023 with my wife, daughter, and son-in-law for our 38 year anniversary was TREMENDOUS! First: Leadership: Annia the new manager at the Bluewater Grill personally took time out of busy schedule and stopped by our table once arriving and throughout of meal to get feedback on the service and food and if their was anything that we needed. Second: Support Staff/Waitress: Our waitress was fantastic. She was serving a few tables in our section. She was friendly and very helpful when it came to drinks, and the menu items. Warm bread and butter was brought to our table immediately. It brought some warmth to the cool night. Third: Atmosphere: We were located on the first floor with a window view. It was quiet and had just the right lighting. I enjoy cooking, so being in view of open the kitchen where the food was being prepared was and added bonus to my experience. Fourth: Drinks: Everyone in our group enjoyed their drinks. For myself I had two Dirty Gin Martini's. They were absolutely wonderful! Fifth: Appetizers: First Appetizer: Maryland Style Crab Cakes. They were prepared and cooked just right. They were mostly made of crab and very little filler, just enough to keep them together. They were moist, and had just the right amount of herbs and spices that did not take away from the delicate flavor of the crab. Second Appetizer: Grilled Spanish Octopus. Along with potatoes It was plated on a garlic aioli and brava sauce which complimented the nicely grilled octopus, with just the right amount of char on it. My favorite appetizer. Sixth: Main Course: Daughter: San Francisco Cioppino. It was full of clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, scallops and fish nicely resting in an ocean of zesty marinara sauce. The broth was excellent. Son-in-Law: New England Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl. No complaints from him. He ate the chowder and the bread bowl it came in. Wife: Roasted Chicken Fall Chopped Salad. She always knows what to pick to her liking. She always likes her dressing on the side. The salad came just as she ordered it. All of the ingredients were fresh and tasty. The portion was plentiful, which allowed her to take some to go. Me: Pan Seared Sea Scallops. This course came at the recommendation of our waitress after I asked her about a few items on the menu. Was I glad she recommended them, and that I listened to her. There at least seven (7) beautifully seared scallops that were moist and buttery on the inside. That was just the beginning. The goat cheese grits, sweet corn, asparagus and chive oil that they were presented on, almost took the show, and was a great runner up. Seventh: Dessert. TBD. Nice selection, yet we were full and did not attempt dessert. Our overall experience was amazing. We had a wonderful anniversary dinner. Even know there were plenty of people in the restaurant, we felt we were given the personal attention we all enjoy. We will return again to enjoy another enjoyable meal and experience. Thank you, Brian read more

The food was amazing. Service is amazing. Atmosphere is amazing. I would definitely return & recommend the place.

Located right across from Stearn Wharf, predictably this place was a bit of a tourist trap, the food was adequate but can be better. The 1/2 dozen oysters tasted fresh, Caesar salad was ok but the quality of the lettuce was meh, there were several pieces of brown lettuce stems. The SF cioppiano was ok, the mussels, clams & tiny scallops were good, the small shrimps were crunchy, the fish did not taste as fresh, it was supposed to have crab meat but we didn't see any. Broth was adequate, the concoction came with 1 piece of credible garlic bread. Upon request they also bring you soudough bread that came out piping hot. Overall it a very convenient place to stop by for a bite, just be prepared to cough up a few denarius for average food. read more

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Loved my dinner at Bluewater! Went in for the happy hour specials (4-6pm, Monday-Friday) which I thought were a great bang for your buck given the area. Left with a full stomach and super satisfied. Happy hour menu as of 2/17/2022 is pictured. Highly recommend the shrimp sliders and calamari both were so fresh and delicious! read more

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Update: When I arrived I had asked the hostess if this was the same company as the one in San Diego and she said yes. Perhaps she misunderstood me?! But I've just been corrected by the owner that they are not related. This is the same company as the one in Ocean Beach ,San Diego. However this is more upscale as they have a slightly different menu and it's more fine dining even though it's casual if that makes sense. The San Diego location doesn't have linen table cloths and you basically order from the cashier whereas this is a real restaurant with a server who takes your order. It's definitely a more expansive menu. We only ordered lighter items from the menu as it was a snack for us. We ordered the clam chowder bowl, calamari, fish and chips and the Mac n Cheese . Everything was fresh and delicious . I especially like the calamari because it was crispy and flaky. And I loved that they added fried red pepper strips to the dish. Great ambiance both indoors and out in the patio. The patio was full so we sat inside which was better for us anyways. We also had great service! I would love to return to try their real entrees. read more

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This is a beautiful building in a great location in across from the Santa Barbara pier. The service was fast and friendly and the decor is ok with a modern beach house vibe. The food looked great but was just ok everything lacked flavor, from the clam chowder to the blackened salmon and blackened swordfish everything just left us wanting more flavor. read more

Loved this spot for a really lovely lunch! The lobster roll was fabulous as was the Gemelli Seafood Pasta! Highly recommended

This restaurant is all about the location. Food was tasteless and the service was extremely slow. We ordered a dozen raw oysters and half of them were covered in black goo and shards of shell. When we asked to get a replacement the waiter said it's just the brine of the oyster... which makes absolutely no sense. I got the shrimp and asparagus pasta and it was super watery. The only thing with actual flavor was the garlic fries, which are ridiculously easy not to screw up. read more

Enjoyed the food, great service and the view. Will definitely come again. We enjoyed the rockfish and side of spinach the best. Our waitress Celine was a great waitress and the manager checked on us to make sure we were enjoying our dinner. read more

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We sat on the second floor patio with a very nice ocean view. The food was excellent as was the service. We would highly recommend the Bluewater Grill. read more

First time to Bluewater Grill. We arrived early & there were empty tables but would not seat the 2 of us except at the bar, which was fine. The bartender served us, she was very friendly. We were never offered bread, although other tables had it. We ordered the Mediterranean Ahi Tuna Salad and the Crab salad, both were fine, nothing special really. A bit pricey and I think we would have enjoyed better if we had been able to sit at one of the tables with the beautiful beach view. Those tables remained empty the entire time. Not sure we will return when there are so many great restaurants in Santa Barbara. read more

What a beautiful restaurant! We were fortunate to dine upstairs at "the golden hour" around 7 PM. The views were of stunning Santa Barbara- harbor and beach views with a peek at State and Carrillo Sts.! There were four in our party and all of us were very pleased with both our appetizers and meals. The seafood was very fresh! The service was terrific as well- our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. read more

We four had a delicious dinner at Bluewater Grill last evening. Food was excellent and the Service, exemplary. Marco, our primary Server, was incredibly attentive, thoughtful and always gracious, despite a broken wine glass mess! I highly recommend the restaurant and you might want to request "Marco's territory"! SSutton, SB, CA read more

The good: Staff were really helpful when I asked to change my reservation. And the recommended appetizer of grilled octopus was divine. Perfectly done, fresh and tender. The (not so) bad: I was initially seated at a 2 top in the middle of traffic. I had a lap top with me and needed to get work done so I asked to be moved (and I was). I dropped my soup spoon and it took a while to flag someone to replace it. Then, even after I asked for another, the server forgot and waited on a couple more tables and I could recapture his attention and request it again. Perhaps related, but once I got the spoon and started eating my soup, one of the potatoes was ice cold. Neither chowder variety was memorable... not terrible though. The ugly: the white cloth napkin was so linty, my navy blue pants looked like they were snowed on. I ate here before a business meeting. Thank goodness I have a lint roller in my luggage in the car. After I mentioned it, my server acknowledged that they are linty and offered to go look for a lint roller... but...once again he seems to have forgotten. So, kind of hit or miss on food and service...caveat diner! read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Nice view from patio upstairs. Had steamed shellfish, chicken under a brick, gemelli w/shrimp & sea scallops. Food was ok.... Flavors were not overpowering -- would have liked to see stronger flavor come through in all dishes, like garlic and herbs. Presentation was nice though. Service was good. read more

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Absolutely scrumptious. We were a party of 7 without a reservation. The staff was very kind and quick. They served us amazing bread and butter to start. We also had the appetizer of the artichoke dip which was delicious and they brought us extra chips without us even asking (with the 7 people we needed more than what was originally given). The restaurant itself is very beautiful with the lighthouse feature (we got to sit in the lighthouse room which was stunning -- fits 6 but they kindly let us squeeze in 7). All of the dishes were prepared amazingly well. The salmon was my favorite with a crispy skin side but so juicy in the inside -- seriously it made my top 5 list for best cooked salmon at restaurants. We would recommend Blue Water Grill to all of our friends! 10/10 read more

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Truly a 5 star restaurant by the beach in Santa Barbara. Went here for lunch with my hubby and 2 of our for lunch during a day trip to Santa Barbara. Everything was outstanding, the food, ambience, and the great service considering we had 2 toddlers. Their only fault was that they were out of burger buns, so they substituted with a brioche bun. We didn't care for it and didn't eat it, so they kindly removed it from our bill and gave us a free dessert which the boys loved. read more

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Food was great the crab and artichoke was amazing just needed more chips.cod was amazing very flavor full, new York was ok had geat flavor. Mojito was good there mule was too. The service was great the bartender was awesome really enjoyed him very friendly and helpful This place was very read more

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This restaurant has an amazing customer service. Very polite manager and staff, especially Casey. The food was great and the prices are reasonable. I highly recommend this place. read more

Bluewater Grill - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We came in for graduation day with a reservation & it was quite busy. Despite this, our service was smooth, pretty quick & really nice. I enjoyed the fish tacos & a bloody maria. I would 100% order them both again. The chowder was ofc another favorite that the table ordered. Although we sat inside whcih wss nice, Id love to experience the views near the windows and upstairs next time! read more

Bluewater Grill - bloody Maria - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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