This restaurant easily makes a new addition to my list of the worst restaurants in the United States. Located at the end of Stearn's wharf in Santa Barbara, CA, the restaurant is literally situated above the ocean. Their sign outside says "Fish and Chips" and clearly depicts a fish with fries superimposed on it. Their menu inside lists Fish and Chips for $10.95 and adds the words to the effect "You must try this". The message was clear enough to me. Their best dish is the fish and chips, and I should try it immediately lest I be made out to be a fool. Given the proximity to the ocean and the ease with which this comfort food can be prepared, this seemed like a sure bet. Sure enough though, this choice was a most regrettable one. What was presented to me was an unmitigated disaster. The several apparent errors were all equally egregious. First of note was that the chips were actually POTATO CHIPS and not fries as depicted on their very own sign. If you are going to re-define a well known dish, you should provide the appropriate caveat to the customer. Short of that, if you are going to make a major substitution, it should at least be for the better. Alas. These potato chips were unusually salty, and their flavor once adjusted for the high salt content, failed to add anything to the dish. There were also not many chips, so this clearly was a cheap gesture. Another cheap gesture was stacking the two filets on said chips on a tiny plastic salad plate and not offering trays. One really needed to use both hands to carry this plate to a table and make sure nothing fell along the way. I am sure someone looked at unit costs and determined that tiny disposable salad plates would be a money saver. Additionally, cocktail sauce was not on view, but was available upon request only. So far not so good, and we haven't even got to the fish yet. Dreadful -- in a word. I will allow that the color was nice and that it was not over fried. But seriously, how do you fry fish so that it has NO TASTE whatsoever?? I would insert a forkful in my mouth, jostle it around my tongue, consider it, search for some nuance of flavor, shake my head effectively giving up, and swallow. Repeating the process twenty times or so I ultimately finished this terrible meal. While I labored and, well, suffered through this meal, you don't have to. Please, just avoid this place. The majority of their business is unsuspecting tourists who won't return to the wharf anytime again soon. With all of their cost cutting measures, it is just easy money for them, and they have no incentive to change. Amazing seafood can be found in Santa Barbara at a spectrum of price points. There is really no reason to consume anything here. And if you think my critique of the fish and chips was harsh, I can only imagine what my review would have been like for their number two bestseller, the clam chowder in a bread bowl. The broth was brown -- yikes!Enough said. read more

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The fish and chips were good. Big pieces, maybe lacked a little salt - but that's fish and chips anywhere. I have to say, though that the service was bad. I mean bad. Apathetic, not helpful, not even the least bit friendly. Maybe it's just the guy who was working there but man was he miserable. It was a busy day, day after Christmas and we were visiting from out of town. Too bad he couldn't be the least bit cheery. I asked for recommendations of other items my family was considering trying but he was NOT trying to upsell us or give other patrons' feedback on the other items on the menu. Lost opportunity there. :/ read more

Over priced food, horrible horrible customer service. The blond hostess kept rushing me for order while I was in there browsing menu for 2 minutes or less. I tried to start a nice little chat by asking what was smelling so good, she said bacon then staring at me yet kept rushing me to order. My bf paid $12 for a very bland toast cuz he didn't pay attention to the price. This place is scam for tourists, walk away fellas!!! read more

what the fuck was that? 13 bucks for a small fries and 2 pcs of fried fish? And they say its good? SCREW YOU!!! i'll shove that fish up yours! read more

The food was very mediocre with high prices. (We got the Fish and Chips, and a chicken sandwich.) The Fish and Chips was very bland and had no taste whatsoever. The drinks were filled almost completely with ice, which costed almost 5$ for a small. Other than the bland food, the restaurant has a nice atmosphere and good staffing. read more

So irritated! I wish I could pull a Gordon Ramsey on the place. You are on a pier, with access to the world best seafood and you serve frozen fish! Insanity! I decided on the Shrimp Caesar Salad, sounds good right? I get a plate full of romaine/iceberg with cheap croutons and a about 5 fried shrimp. I ask where is the dressing, and they hand me a packet of Hidden Valley dressing. Wow, and they charged $12 for it. My Kids fish was mealy and obviously frozen. Avoid this place. read more

WOW! This place has reeelly good fish and chips! The fish batter is suuuper crispy and thin! Just the right amount! and there are a lot of fish meat too! The fries are suuper delicious too! Regular, nice and golden fries that are crispy as well. Their fish and chips is one of the best i've ever had! I just haf crabs and ice cream too! So this isnt hunger speaking. WOW! Just took another bite... SOO EFFING GOOD! Enjoying this outside on the deck :) read more

If you're going to do Fish 'n Chips, then do it here! The rumor is true - they are fabulous. Fresh tilapia with a light batter on top of skinny french fries. Worth the indulgence. Friendly people too, which makes it even better! read more

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We wanted to eat somewhere on Stearn's Wharf and didn't want to spend too much for lunch so we decided to check this place out since it looked pretty cheap. You do have a pretty nice view of the harbor. We had the Clam Chowder in a Sourdough bowl and the shrimp tacos. I like the fried potato chips...nice and cruncy and really good with the tartar sauce. The clam chowder was a little on the salty side and not as thick and creamy as I usually like it. The shrimp in the tacos were fried and pretty tasty. It's actually not quite that cheap...but probably the cheapest option on Stearn's Wharf. read more

A very mediocre, fast food fish and chips kind of place. The price is high, but tis the price you pay for meandering down the tourist-laden Santa Barbara wharf. I popped in because I was starving and needed a snack while waiting to be seated at another restaurant and this was the only option other than candy or ice cream. I didn't want an entire $10 fish and chips platter, so I asked if I could just get a side of fries (not on the menu). They acquiesced without issue, giving me a gigantic pile of fries for only $3. Sweet! The fries were mediocre, but whatever, I was starving. This place was overly cramped, noisy, and smelly. I wouldn't want to come back. read more

Worst coffee in the world period. The view was superb otherwise i would have given Zero star. read more

I was nervous after reading many of these reviews. But I was pleasantly surprised! The fish is fresh and tasty. The price is a bit more than other places but I love the hole in the wall feel of this place! read more

Char West - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I walked into this restaurant after spending some time at the beach. I used to go to the SBA pier two or three times a month as a child... we would play in the ocean and generally have a great time, followed by eating fish and chips (At a different pier restaurant that no longer seems to serve fish and chips). Of course, I ordered the fish and chips. My friend ordered a teriyaki chicken sandwich on the same order. This was after waiting several minutes for the dirt-covered lady at the counter to finish her texting conversation before begrudgingly taking my order. Fifteen minutes later, our number was called. Upon arriving at the counter, we find a single cardboard container with the fish and chips in it, and one of our drinks. Waiting another two minutes after asking where the rest of the food is and where the other drink was, we were met by the confused man from the grill who did not know which drink was which (coke and cherry coke), and found that the teriyaki chicken sandwich had not been started. That was sorted out after luckily choosing the correct drink and waiting even longer for the sandwich. We saw a seagull through the large window... we named him Victor. Victor was my favorite part of going to this place, as he was obviously a very intelligent and skillful seagull; he could even stand on the metal wires they put over the railings to prevent seagulls from landing there. I hope that Victor will stay in touch for a long time. Oh, right, the food itself. The fish, wasn't very good. Garnished with browning lemons (I didn't realize that lemons could brown the same way as an apple, but apparently they can?) and over the top of cold, undercooked and yet still extraordinarily greasy fries... this meal was very much 'meh'. And for a total of over $15... I expected my food to taste at least as good as frozen-aisle fish sticks. I think it was about the taste of the cardboard box those grocery-store fish sticks came from, however. So, all in all... terrible experience. Hopefully the Shellfish Company begins serving Fish and Chips again, as I would hate to have a part of my childhood die in this awful place. Also, Victor, if you're reading this, you are smarter than I give you credit for; and you will find me at the other on-pier establishments in the future. read more

Last Friday, at 3pm....ordered fish and chips. It was tasty and fresh and crispy. Amazing. We shoulda just came by here for lunch!!!!! At 2pm, we went to their neighbors and the food was awful. read more

Dude! The fish and chips was delicious! And, the Clam Chowder was also great! Not too thin, not too thick, with good flavor and plenty of clams. Good value! Easy quick dining! Nice views! read more

We were cursed for not checking with Yelp before going here. Over priced, not fresh, out on the pier food. Average airplane food in coach is better. My wife's chicken caesar salad had limp lettuce, little bits of dry chicken and dressing from a packet. Completely unsatisfying. read more

Ignore the old fish and chips reviews, Char West is the new home of East Beach Grill since the Cabrillo Pavillion closed for reconstruction. Char West has the BEST honest breakfast in Santa Barbara, the pancakes especially are to die for, and the location on the warf has great views. Two big thumbs up, a must hit when staying in SB. read more

Had the fish and chips and it's true, actual fried chips and not fries. But they were very tasty (just needed a little salt) and crispy too. The fish they give you is huge. We enjoyed it. We also watched a couple across from us feeding some of the fish to their dog... and he looked like he was enjoying it too! We would have tried their clam chowder if they would serve it in a cup but they said bread bowls only and we weren't that hungry. Good thing, because my wife just settled for tasting a bit and it was no good for us. Just stick with the fried food... read more

Their shrimp and chips are bomb!!! I did not try their famous fish and chips but if it's anything like the shrimp and chips then it's probably good. It's $13 but totes worth it. Best place on the pier that I've tried. The end read more

Char West - Yummmmm - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Got the Gordo burger but wasn't impressed, the staff was friendly, but the "local favorite" food did not meet expectations. The view was lovely though just being attacked by mosquitoes and pesky flies inside the restaurant didn't strike my fancy read more

Char West - Got the Gordo burger since it's the "local favorite" but wasn't impressed - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We just passing thru n wanted to take a walk & get a quick bite, preferrably seafood. Char looked like one of them small homely shack joints one has to try. The girl at the counter was nice n friendly & answered our questions. It's mainly fried stuff:chips, fish, clams, & shrimp. Thats what u get on the fisherman's platter. We were surprised, thats the bonus of the risk. We liked the fish n chips(good size fish). The kids liked the clams too. I would stop here again, it is a nice view from the wharf. $13 for the fisherman's & $11 for fish n chips. read more

Fish and chips, clams were hot, but that's the only good thing. Flavor, quality, price.... terrible

Deeply disappointed. $16 for the grossest fish and chips I've ever ate. Heavy on oil No flavor Tarter sauce is thin in consistency and watery tasting Fish bland and soggy tasting Fries loaded with oil Only thing making this not completely shit is the lemon I'm squeezing over everything read more

First Time here, and WOW the food is amazing. Not to mention the view is spectacular! Perfect portion size great quality food for a decent price. They just started serving breakfast and wow the banana Strawberry wheat germ pancakes are my favorite! My favorite breakfast spot in Santa Barbara!!! read more

Stopped in for some fish & chips. Very tasty buttery batter and delicious. Was apprehensive because the place was empty. When I see an empty place I associate with maybe the food is bad. But thank goodness it wasn't. Sat by the window and had a Nice view of the ocean. read more

Char West - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Came here because it's on the pier. An order of fish & chips is $12.45. It was alright but to be honest a little pricey for what I paid for. You can order more quality fish n' chips from a sit down restaurant for about the same price. Don't know if I'll be back! read more

Char West - The fish n' chips - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We had a really good Valentine breakfast. I had the Santa Barbara omelette which was fantastic. My wife had the Blueberry Wheat Germ pancakes which were also good. The owner was working the kitchen and our service was excellent. Eating on the pier was pleasant and we will be back. read more

Based on previous reviews, I guess they've learnt that fish & chips means fries and not potato chips. We weren't expecting this place to be gourmet by any means, but we definitely thought, "how bad can it be." Unfortunately, we weren't able to check this place out on Yelp before picking this place. For $13, you get 2 pieces of overly greasy and previously frozen fish & fries -- which they claimed : MUST TRY. Tilapia mind you, one of the cheapest & strong smelling fish there is. Who uses Tilapia for Fish 'n' Chips?!?!? We had to douse with so much lemon and malt vinegar on top of dipping in tartar sauce to mask it. read more

Out and about on the Wharf, we stopped by Char West for some coffee and hot chocolate. Upon entry you can smell the oiliness of the fish.. eh.. It seemed to take longer than necessary to get 2 coffees and 2 hot chocolates prepared, especially since we were the only ones there are the time. But no rush... we can wait. Once we received our hot beverages... and they were HOT.. it took forever for them to cool. Perhaps Starbucks has spoiled me with their perfect ready to drink temperature. My hot chocolate was nothing more than a Swiss Miss packet. I'm all for supporting small, non-chain places... but come on now..where's the hot chocolate love? read more

We came here late Sunday before heading back to LA. It was a clear sunny day and the views were terrific. We walked up stairs and grabbed handfuls on peanuts and dropped them on our table. I order fish and chips and the kids got a burger with large baskets of fries. The food was decent. Cold beers on tap and a rather large selection. Music and conversations fill the room with a lot of laughs. I'll come back. Yes a little pricey, but you're paying for the view and it was worth it. Relaxed atmosphere. I wore flip flops as did most everyone else. read more

By far the BEST blueberry wheat germ pancakes I've had! Definitely a great place to stop not only for breakfast, but for lunch as well. I would suggest the fish and chips come lunchtime. Great views and food. Hey, you can even go have some wine across the way at the winery then come here for great food!! read more

Worst clam chowder ever! I fully understand this is not a gourmet restaurant or anything close to that, but even so, it was not eatable. The clam chowder in a bread bowl was $9 (which is not very cheap though) and I had to throw the whole thing away after only one bite. read more

This is old school fried seafood and it's yummy. The haters may want their raw bars and wen pairings, which I like too, but sometimes you just want some hot fried fish and tartar sauce. Don't judge. read more

Char West - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Had the fisherman's platter, fish & chips, and clam chowder. Everything tasted fine, inside seating with a view was nice (to get out of the cold ocean breeze for a bit). It's a bit pricey for what we ordered, but we are eating with an ocean view! read more

Char West - View from inside - Fish & Chips Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Delicious breakfast and really good service. Definitely recommend this place for breakfast and lunch. read more

The fish and chips were ok, the tarter sauce a little spicy. I should have dined inside because of the strong smell of petroleum outside as boats are near read more

1 star for the chicken sandwich. It was flavorless and dry 5 stars for the fish tacos. Large portion and tasty 4 Stars for the clam chowder. Lots of potato and clams. Service was slow. read more

I was first time in there. It was the most awful place I've ever been. The staffs are all rude and don't have manners. Also I ordered latte and it was only milk inside. I will never come to this awful restauarant. read more

Delicious clam and fries. Fried fish. Good Portion. Nice snack for us. Quick. Easy. Clean. read more

Friendly staff and the Santa Barbara Omelette is really good. The price is just about right considering the location.