Moby Dick Restaurant

Jennifer, our server, is the epitome and benchmark of a server. Sets the tone, the expectation,…read moreand the experience of pleasure dining. It definitely helps with the quality of food that we had. Our hostess Maleah said it was a 40 minute wait but lucky for us things cleared up and we were seated after 20min. For a fully packed restaurant, our server Jennifer provided us with a great meal experience. The Kitchen obviously prepared the food in such a way that it gave us time to enjoy each dish and when we were ready, the next dish was available. I don't know how they do that but it was just perfect. Enjoy Fellow Yelpers!

There's a reason why this place has over 3k reviews on Yelp--the food is so delicious, the ocean…read moreview is beautiful, and service is exceptional! After visiting the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, we serendipitously came across the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. We started off with their Cup Chowder, which there were nice bits of bacon in their creamy clam chowder. We also ordered the SB Shrimp Cocktail and half dozen of oysters. All the appetizers were solid. The star of the show was definitely the main course. We ordered the Lobster Roll, Uni, and the Rock Crab Special. My favorite was the Rock Crab Special. The meat was sweet and tender. Another favorite was the Uni, which I believe this place is known for. The uni was very fresh and served on 6 raw scallop and lime wheels. Because this dish was an absolute showstopper, other diners actually stopped by our table to ask if we recommended ordering it--and, of course, our answer was a definitive yes! It was so beautifully presented and just as delicious as it looked. The Lobster Roll was good but it didn't stand out as the other two dishes. It was packed with Maine lobster tossed with celery, capers, chives, mayo and butter in a toasted hoagie roll. It was served with coleslaw and nicely battered onion rings. What really made this dining experience so memorable was the beautiful ocean view. We had just the right amount of sunshine, a cool breeze, and great food to top it all off. It really doesn't get much better than that!

Clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl

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SB Shrimp Cocktail!

Brophy Bros

4.1(4.2k reviews)

Family-owned & operated

Locally owned & operated

Great food and Service . A little too loud to enjoy conversation. We had fish and chips, salad and…read morecrabcakes, and a shrimp and crab salad. Everyone shared and all enjoyed their meals.

Good food, great service, and reasonably priced. If you can snag an outside table upstairs in the…read morefront, the view is to die for.

Bowl of New England Clam Chowder

Fish & Chips~ Beer battered and served with french fries, house salad and or coleslaw

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Brophy Bloodys

Santa Barbara Fish Market

4.2(547 reviews)

Food: 4/5 Uni was delicious, sahimi we also wonderfully fresh. The fresh uni is highly recommended,…read moreslightly sweet slightly salty. Straight from the ocean. Service: 5/5 Team is great, quick and very attentive. Ambiance: 4/5 Very small but the area is very clean. Love the simplicity.

So glad I got to try this place before leaving SB! It's a small local spot right by the harbor, and…read moreeverything looked so fresh and good. The two young staff members were super friendly too. I got a little bit of everything: ahi poke, salmon poke, crab, candied salmon, oysters and of course the sea urchin. Everything was really good, but the sea urchin was seriously on another level. I've had uni at a lot of different places, and this is hands down the best I've had so far. Totally worth the $22 each My husband and I literally couldn't stop thinking about it after we left, so we decided to bring our family back next weekend so they can try it too. I just wish they had clam chowder because I'm a huge fan lol. But maybe there's a reason they don't make it and just want to focus on what they do best. And honestly, I can't complain because the uni was that good! P.S. I forgot to mention they also have treats and meal toppers for dogs! I bought a bag of wild salmon for my dog, and he absolutely loves it. I guess he'll be getting something from here every time we stop by now

Smoked salmon pepper and og

Live sea urchin

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Blue point Rockefeller

Gracie

4.4(112 reviews)

Locally owned & operated

Outdoor seating

My beautiful Daughter is named Grace so when I heard I was going to a restaurant called Gracie I…read morewas excited . I'm in town for few days and looked forward to catching up with my old friends who adore this great Restaurant! We were served by a wonderful waiter and staff .. Followed by wonderful fast service food and drinks . The vibe is very laid back but efficient. The views and the patrons are very cool and reminded me of other fabulous coastal restaurants in towns like Sicily and Mallorca ! The food has such a great fresh taste coupled with wonderful drinks ! I'll definitely tell everyone about this wonderful place and look forward to visiting Gracie's again ! Definitely one of my top food experience this year !

Very nice outdoor seating, it was just a bit hot out and some sort of fan would have been nice. The…read morefood took a bit of time, so it made it feel even hotter to have to sit there while we waited. Visited on a Sunday afternoon and ordered the binchon burger and fish tacos. The burger was very good and juicy, and the fries were very good. It did say it had a yuzu aioli, but I didn't really taste any of that flavor. The fish tacos were good too, but the pictures seemed to have included three tacos and we only got two. The rent here must be insane and I get it if they can only serve two, but as a customer it was a let down to be paying $24 to end up getting less food. Nice service, but waiting time took a while and it was not very busy.

Mortadella beni

Blueberry matcha

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Cockiepoos

Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival

4.3(32 reviews)

•$

Fresh fish, fresh fish, fresh fish! Attentive wait staff and a view of the Pacific. Perfect…read moreanniversary dinner us. Thank you, very much.

It's was good food service is kinda slow great happy hour the seafood was really good and big…read moreportion

This Seafood Paella was a beautiful thing to see

Fresh Uni

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Broad Street Oyster Company

The lobster rolls are outstanding! I had the cold w mayo, and my husband the warm with butter. The…read moreroll is equally as tasty as the lobster. Reasonably priced for lobster.

Went to Santa Barbara for the weekend. I was excited to try this place out based on the reviews…read more The location is inside a bar so you can select other food options if you'd like. The bars offers food and there's a chicken place behind the bar. Sweet: The menu offers some variety of options if you're not looking to have seafood. My husband enjoyed his hot dog. The fries were probably the best item out of what we ordered. Sour: We also ordered a lobster roll and clam chowder. The lobster roll wasn't too bad but it wasn't that special. It was pretty small and it was only filled with claws. I wish the bread was crisp and the lobster had more flavor. It wasn't worth the price. The clam chowder wasn't so bad It was a little more of a broth based and not really creamy. It had the perfect amount of potato and clams but lacked flavor. Overall not a bad option but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Lure Fish House

4.4(2.2k reviews)

4.1 mi

The Lure was simply great to be at!…read more With immediate seating, we ordered the tequila lime shrimp pasta, lobster ravioli, and a kids meal. The pasta had a spicy kick to it, which made it even more tasty! Our drinks tasted fresh, and very refreshing. We got the hibiscus iced tea and the freshly squeezed house lemonade. The service was great, and the ambience overall was very nice, candles lit around the building, and a family-style atmosphere.

Beautiful restaurant with friendly staff and quality seafood!…read more I went with my parents and my 2 year old son. First, i was pleasantly surprised that the kids menu had a variety of foods to choose from. From fish and chips to Mac and cheese, it's a great selection for almost all kids! My parents and I each ordered an alcoholic beverage, which all came out great. My dad ordered the jumbo shrimp cocktail, but we were unfortunately disappointed that it came with only 5 shrimp. (That may have been our mistake in not knowing what a shrimp cocktail is). Other than that, the food was amazing. The quality of the seafood was fresh, and the selection was variable in the best way. Love it!!!

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Bluewater Grill

3.9(1.3k reviews)

0.3 mi

Lobster Mac was phenomenal! Best I've ever had! I would highly recommend this to anyoneread more

We stopped in for a quick bite around 4pm. We ordered the beer flight 3 5oz drinks to get a variety…read moreof tap brewskie tasting. Clam chowder, oyster Rockefeller. and the surfrider roll. Definitely recommend the oyesters they were huge! From Pacific Washington. (4 per order so 5$ a piece) but so worth it! Dog friendly table next to us had their furry friend. Definitely the draft beer flight we were "Hoppy" to try it!

Our building on the beach at Stearns Wharf & State Street between State & Helena

Even the pelicans can't wait for Bluewater to Open

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Santo Mezcal

4.3(2.1k reviews)

0.5 mi

Very impressed. Best taco's I've ever had. Service was exceptional. Would highly recommend.read more

Location was great, service was solid, decor felt legit. It was a cool place to come and eat but…read morecould see myself just enjoying a few drinks too. I have challenges paying for Latino food at these prices, however if they actually have food worth those prices I will do it. This Resturant satisfied these challenges, food was amazing like really good. I ate the veg meal and wow!

Seating area

Picana Oaxaquena

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Sopecitos

Kanaloa Seafood

4.2(366 reviews)

1.0 mi

Kanaloa Seafood is an amazing, certified green business. Offering both indoor and outdoor seating,…read morethis little place packs a big punch of healthy and delicious seafood; both dishes to eat there or to go, as well as fresh fish by the pound to take home and prepare on your own! This is my second time here and they have consistently served terrific food. Poke bowls are fantastic, and their seafood tacos are incredible; full of flavor and generous portions of fish. Salads are tasty and healthy. There is a very small parking lot for this place, but overall, I highly recommend going out of your way to try this place My new favorite is the Korean Salmon tacos... soooo gooood.

We were looking for seafood and found Kanaloa Seafood thanks to Yelp! It's tucked across the street…read morefrom the mall, next door to Light House Coffee. Santa Barbara was having a heat wave and there did not seem to be AC indoors, so we sat outside. It's counter service, so you order at the counter and take your number to a table. My husband got a decent yuzu salmon poke bowl, which came with cucumber, jicama and avocado with your choice of base (white rice, brown rice or mixed greens). I ordered the Korean salmon tacos (2 for $15) topped with pickled cucumber slaw, kimchi aioli and a tasty sweet and spicy chili sauce. I wish there was a third taco, because I was still a little hungry afterwards. A little on the pricey side but a super chill place to eat.

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So many wonderful fresh options! This nice fella recommended the grouper which was divine!

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Front entrance

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

68 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Simone D.

15 years ago

I am hugely upset with the service at Moby Dick . My wife and I have been coming here for years. We loved everything we have ever ordered here. But as we were set to have an awesome 4th of July, we ventured in and ordered crab legs and steak( med. rare). Mine was fine .Although my wife's was completely over cooked. We politely asked to have another made. The manager proceeded to escort the returned meat back out to us, pick through it with a fork and attest that it was cooked to medium rare (which it wasn't) He then preceeded to ask how he should have the cooks prepare the next piece ( obviously not as charred as before)...what we received was a cold piece of meat that was seared on each side....What a F'ing "Dick" Maneuver! That was the largest F.U . I have ever gotten in a restaurant in all my life. I would hope that the executive management will be forwarded this review. I will have to think twice before we enter back into Moby Dick's again. To the Manager of Moby Dick's on July 4th 2011...F. U . too !!!! Learn some customer service....just because you work in place where there is a DICK in the title doesn't mean you have to be one !!!! read more

Crystal M.

11 years ago

Ate here on Saturday 02/06/16. Food is way overpriced for the quality. There is a great little place at the very end of the pier and the food looked way fresher and was way cheaper...wish we had gone there. After seeing the prices, we opted to just order the lobster bisque and two cocktails. The cocktails were the only thing that was good. The lobster bisque looked more like clam chowder and tasted like imitation crab meat versus lobster. It even tasted like dirty dish water. The complimentary bread that they bring to your table was stale and hard. Very sad place. Such great views but it really needs a makeover on its menu, prices, and food quality. Only giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because of the view. Judging by the other reviews, it does not appear the restaurant manager cares about the quality of food or updating anything. I hope people start to realize not to come here, that it is a tourist trap and eat elsewhere. read more

Andrea B.

197

8 years ago

Came out to the pier for some fresh oysters, sadly it was not to be! Went to MD and from the onset, I had a bad feeling, wasn't very clean , when I tried to move my chair to actually sit, it was sticking to the ground:( we ordered and waited , and waited , and waited whe. We finally got some bread it was cold and the butter was gross. Food finally came , my husbands salad was brown, and my food was just WRONG!!! The chowder was gummy the oysters not shucked properly, so I had to pull them off the shell my self so they were all ripped apart , and the cocktail sauce was ABSOLUTELY disgusting, even adding horseradish didn't help! Our server never did a check back till 15 min later, so no way to get anything fixed bc by that time we were DONE! They did , rightfully so, take off my food , but never again it was horrible , we left and headed to Lure where we enjoyed delicious oysters read more

mike h.

16 years ago

ok what i think about this place it's that is a great place to have breakfast lunch or dinner i have had way to many great times with friends and family, great food, awesome views and super nice service. now let me say something to "haters", when you go to dine to any place and there is something that you don't like please say something and i will asure you that you will be listen. a review is someting that we have to use with good critisism to make the place better it is not a tool to scare people away. if you think that moby dicks it's an expensive place here in sb we also have mc donalds or denny's, why i'm saying this because some of the reviews are based on the price just for you to know, next to every item there are some numbers those are the prices, so if you feel that you are out of budget get up and go somewhere else. anyways just try to be fair p.s. don't hate read more

Aleah C.

9 years ago

Disappointing. Went in for lunch with my family and we were not impressed. Last time I was here was in 2007 and I remember they would bring bread to your table while your food was prepared... no such thing this time around. We ordered a ceaser salad with chicken. The chicken was gross af... it was soft and chewy in some places and tough and rubbery on others. Needless to say, we didn't eat the chicken. The salad could have used more dressing. Our kid had linguini with what we thought would be butter and cheese. Instead, she was given a bowl of dry, sticky pasta with absolutely no taste, no salt, no butter, no nothing. The clam chowder was just a notch above Sizzler's... Like I told my friend, best thing I had at Moby Dick's was the lemonade. And at least the waitress was nice, too.. read more

Chane D.

1 year ago

I stopped by this restaurant during my pier visit because the view stands as its main attraction. The dining experience at this establishment failed to impress me because the food lacked any real impact. The fish dish was dry while the sides lacked flavor and everything tasted like frozen food. The service took a long time to deliver and the staff members seemed disorganized because I needed to request multiple times for simple items such as sauce and silverware. The establishment appears to be a tourist trap to me. The prices at this establishment exceed what customers receive in value. The establishment does not stand as the worst but I would not return. There are numerous superior dining options available in SB. read more

Sheri T.

11 years ago

Visiting Santa Barbara we had breakfast on Stearns Wharf at Moby Dick's. I had the breakfast burrito with eggs, sausage, onions, cheese and served with beans, guacamole and sour cream. My mom had hotcakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. I would rate the food mediocre. Not highly flavorful and the hotcakes were a bit to thick and doughy. The price was $12.95 for each also a bit expensive for what we got. But the view was beautiful and totally made up for all the mediocrity. Our waiter "Antonio" gave us superb service. Breakfast is served from 7 am to 11 am They will validate the parking ticket and it still gives extra time to walk about. Stearns Wharf is always a nice outing! read more

Yewei L.

7 months ago

I had a very disappointing experience at this oyster restaurant. When my drink was served, the cup had a very obvious lipstick stain on it, and there was even a piece of dried fruit peel stuck to the outside of the cup. This clearly shows a serious lack of attention to cleanliness and hygiene. In a restaurant that serves raw oysters, sanitation should be an absolute priority. Seeing something like this made me question the overall hygiene standards of the establishment and made it hard to enjoy the meal. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves their cleaning procedures. Customers deserve better, especially when it comes to food safety. read more

Scott H.

126

2 years ago

"I recently dined at Moby Dick and was impressed by the experience. The hospitality was top-notch, with a warm welcome and attentive service throughout the meal. The fresh seafood dishes were a highlight, each bite bursting with flavor and quality. The restaurant's incredible view added to the ambiance, creating a truly memorable dining experience. What truly set Moby Dick apart was its staff. The team went above and beyond to ensure that every guest felt cared for and valued. Their dedication and genuine concern for customer satisfaction were truly commendable. read more

Will C.

13 years ago

This place was awesome the sea food actually came to you. Ya that's right waves crashing in baby. I also loved the crunchiness of the glass in my salad and the large amount s of salt water to drink, don't like it too bad the place was so full you can taste it. besides me and my family fighting for our lives holding on not to get carried away by waves and all us almost bleeding out from the glass in our necks before we got the emergency room, it was pretty good. Too much salt, tone it down next time. read more

Andre M.

11 years ago

We stumble across this restaurant this am. The recently posted reviews did not at all reflect our expirience. We both agreed that the food was very good and the service was exceptional. The omelets were fantastic, not greacy wirh lots of vegies. Marqueli our server, was very pleasant and we plan to return tomorrow, if time allows. This place is not meant to be a 5 start dinning destination, but it certainly exceeded our fancy palate's expectation. read more

Cristina T.

16 years ago

I cant belive how many bad comments there is I had to see for my self i mean a resturant out on the pier not good !! wow all I no is that my visit to moby was one of the best in town I went on a monday I had there 3 course dinner i had clam chowder A+ and for the 2 I had there steak A+ and the 3 I had ice cream A+ I think there under new managment !!!A_+ moby ITS NOT A TOURIST TRAP am a local read more

Lucca B.

9 years ago

We really enjoyed this restaurant. Nice, fairly quiet atmosphere and a great water view from our table. Our server was very friendly and gave us good information on the area. Excellent food and drinks. Very good, fresh seafood. You can park on the pier if you don't want to walk, but we parked at the nearby public parking area so we could enjoy the walk across the pier. read more

David Y.

168

169

103

2 years ago

Moby Dick Restaurant in Santa Barbara offers a decent dining experience. The customer service was top-notch - the staff was attentive and friendly. The food was okay, nothing too spectacular, but it's a good spot to consider if you're waiting for the line at Shellfish Co to lessen. The ocean view adds to the overall experience. read more

Delia R.

14 years ago

I eat there at least 1-2 times a month. Best time to go is late lunch/early dinner. Then, sit and enjoy the great food and atmosphere. Sure, You're in a great place, with a great staff, the food is awesome, so soak it all up and enjoy yourself! Have read some negative reviews, and, gotta say, those people don't get out much! read more

Sandra J.

12 years ago

great view, food is mediocre for the price. But it's not too expensive. We make it to the occasional breakfast when we have guests in town. It's a nice way to show them a ocean front dinning experience for not too too expensive. We go 1-2 times per year and haven't had any really bad experiences. read more

Godfrey S.

458

18 years ago

Views: great Menu: average Food: poor value, uninspired, poor taste. My Crab Louis was a dollop of crab swimming in iceberg lettuce. Value of food about $1.25. Cost here $18.50. Their chicken sandwich is worthless. Eat elsewhere. If you're hungry, go to Denny's or Carrows. Avoid. read more

Omar K.

7 months ago

had a great expierence for valentines day. place was packed but they handeled it well. food and service were better than expected. building has a great seaside charm. managers seemed to be on their A game and the staff was knowledgable about our questions. would come back read more

SB Good Eats ..

122

10 years ago

The one star is for the view. Everything else should be zero stars. Meal still tasted frozen when served to me. I also had a reservation but table not close to ready when we arrived. Drinks and food all sub par. Banking in tourists and not repeat business I presume. read more

Charlie L.

16 years ago

Hello, Moby dicks made my evening with there good food and there view amazing I Wanna thank Miguel the new manager or making my visit to the pier the best I had the 1/2 lbs Fresh maine lobster for 25.95 What a deal A+ moby dicks Charlie read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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The Set

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After an afternoon of traffic from Pasadena, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at The Set inside the…read moreHilton Santa Barbara Beachfront on May 22, 2026. Because of their limited staff, we waited 20 minutes for a table when only a third of the tables were occupied and no party was ahead of us. The server was friendly and checked on us periodically throughout the meal. We decided to split a salad, a pasta entree and dessert. The kitchen was kind enough to split the Avocado & Citrus Salad for us - ripe avocado, crumbly & creamy goat cheese, bright citrus grapefruit, and pops of nutty pistachio. The Spicy Burnt Chili Shrimp Pasta did not disappoint! Flavorful and enough heat on the shrimp to water the nose but not sweat, and the roasted heirloom tomatoes added an acidic burst of freshness. And the dessert rounded out the meal - Lemon Ricotta Cake - wasn't too sweet, lemon lightness not tart, and a hearty ricotta cake crumb. Definitely order the pasta!

We enjoyed The Set for dinner this evening at about 8:15PM, as we were staying at the Hilton Santa…read moreBarbara. Our overall experience was very nice, with only slight oddity. We checked in with the hostess, and it was kind of an odd experience. The restaurant was about 60% empty, so I imagine the reason we were quoted 20 minutes for our party of two, is because they were short staffed. There couldn't have been any other explanation. This was happening with everyone that was appearing in person. However, once we were seated, our server was great. I forgot his name; however, he was very pleasant and worked very hard hopping from table to table and maintained his friendly demeanor. The restaurant is well decorated, and is a beautiful addition to the end of the lobby. They also have a lot of outdoor seating as well. We shared the Avocado and Citrus salad, the spicy burnt chili shrimp pasta and the Lemon and Ricotta cake. Everything we had was delicious. The salad they were able to split into two portions. It was so good with avocado, grapefruit, pistachio and goat cheese in a light vinaigrette. YUM! The spicy shrimp pasta was equally as yummy. It smelled and tasted so good. It had a smokey flavor and was surprisingly a bit spicy. The lemon and ricotta cake topped off the meal. The cake was dense, but had that light lemon which was a great complement to the heavy ricotta flavor. Very well balanced. Overall, a great experience with just a notch off for the weird entry experience.

The Palace Grill

4.3

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This place was spectacular! I came here for my birthday and am so glad I did because this is a…read moreplace I'd come back time and time again. The ambience was lively, the service staff were warm, and the food was amazing. One of my favorite things they offered as starters were their assortment of mini muffins (banana nut, rosemary, cheese etc). They were so good! The staff was nice enough to give me some to take home at the end of our meal. As we were enjoying the muffins, there was point in the evening where the staff all came together and sang "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. It felt special and was nice hearing everyone sing along. We eventually ordered a jambalaya pasta dish and fish with vegetables dish. Needless to say, the pasta was out of this world. It was creamy, savory, and perfectly balanced in flavor. I'd come back just for that pasta dish alone, and that says a lot as I am not a huge pasta lover. Since it was my birthday, they surprised me with an ice cream dessert with chocolate writing on the plate. I was most impressed with the quality of chocolate they used for the writing. It was not Hershey's syrup one would assume, they went an extra step and used high quality thick chocolate that they melted to write my birthday greeting in cursive. Thankfully my name is long so I could eat more chocolate lol. By the end of the meal, I left the Palace with a feeling of nostalgia and mild sadness because I had to leave. That's when I knew I experienced something special. I can't wait to go back!

If you're looking for some tasty Cajun-Creole cuisine and a good time in Santa Barbara, definitely…read morecheck out The Palace Grill! The decor of the restaurant makes you feel like you've stepped into New Orleans--murals, Mardi Gras themed items, and cards on the ceiling! I was so excited that they bring out complimentary mini muffins! They are SO good! They have a few different flavors like banana nut, jalapeno corn, a rosemary one, etc. Definitely a highlight! For appetizers, we ordered the Cajun Popcorn and the Soft Shell Crab. I haven't had a lot of crawfish before, so I really wanted to try the Cajun Popcorn. These crawfish tails are dipper in cornbread buttermilk batter and fried. They're crispy and fun to eat! They give a sherry wine dipping sauce, which was also yummy! Would recommend getting these! We also wanted to try the Soft Shell Crab, and you can get it as an appetizer or an entree. The appetizer comes with one soft shell crab that's been stuffed with Bienville crabmeat dressing, coated the cornmeal flour, and flash fried. It has just the right amount of crispiness! It's served with a jalapeno beurre-blanc and rice. For our entree, we shared the Crawfish Pasta Lafitte. We couldn't get enough of the crawfish tails so decided to get the pasta that had them as well. The pasta also had caramelized onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cream, and creole seasoning. Very tasty! Would recommend this pasta! For the fun part that I mentioned--they have a magician that walks around and does magic tricks at each table! It was entertaining and very cool to see some of the tricks up close! They also have a Sing-Along moment in the evening where they'll had out lyric sheets to everyone, turn on the music, and everyone sings the song together. They were playing "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong on the evening I was there, but the song changes and they ask you not to open the lyrics book until right before the song, so it's a surprise!

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Cafe Lido was incredible, and the service was the best we've ever experienced. Brent was absolutely…read moreamazing and gave us impeccable personal service. He truly made our dining and crafted cocktails experience unforgettable. We can't wait to come back! In fact, we only ate at this restaurant for our entire trip and stated another day because it was just that good. Fyi , try the hibiscus margarita naturally delicious. The atmosphere was incredible--perfect for relaxing and enjoying a wonderful meal. This restaurant was a highlight of our vacation, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience.

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Great food and Service . A little too loud to enjoy conversation. We had fish and chips, salad and…read morecrabcakes, and a shrimp and crab salad. Everyone shared and all enjoyed their meals.

Good food, great service, and reasonably priced. If you can snag an outside table upstairs in the…read morefront, the view is to die for.

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3.2

(308 reviews)

*This is a review for the restaurant* The setting is beautiful, but unfortunately the service…read morereally took away from the experience. From the beginning, the staff came across as strangely cold and unwelcoming, and there were multiple interactions that felt unnecessarily rude and uncomfortable. It wasn't one isolated moment--it was the overall attitude that made me feel like I was an inconvenience rather than a guest. Good food and a beautiful location can only do so much when the hospitality is lacking. I came here hoping to have a relaxing, enjoyable experience in Santa Barbara, and instead I left genuinely surprised by how unfriendly the service felt. For a restaurant in this kind of setting, I expected much warmer and more professional hospitality. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return.

We used to love El Encanto. Over the last couple years, the menu has steadily declined. Its…read more Hard to find anything of interest among the blah choices.

The Knock

3.9

(244 reviews)

Service here is great, they did not have the bone marrow and steak tartare. I think it's because…read morethey had too many people over the weekend. The Independent magazine article on this restaurant so I think it drew a crowd. When they asked us if we wanted indoor or outdoor, the indoor was too toasty for us so we opted for the outdoor seating. I came here because I wanted their Tomahawk Tuesday. I guess you can say it's a fancier version of Taco Tuesday or better spin-off...just costlier than tacos. The Pull-A-Part rolls are not that bad. It reminded me of a Hawaiian bun with the everything bagel seasoning on top and they provided some butter that had a little bit of a herbal taste. The short rib croquettes were very tiny and the short rib was dry. But I like how the corn was fresh and had a nice snap and the sauce had a nice Chipotle flavor. The tuna tostadas were very tiny for the amount that they cost. The tuna was flavored but still had a slight fishiness. I would not order it again because it's so tiny for the price. I did like the Fresno chilies on them tho. The smoke mac and cheese was pretty good. I did like the chewy texture, but it was not super smokey. The smoked gouda and parmesan was a good flavor combo. The green beans were crunchy and the toasted almonds gave it a little bit of nuttiness. The wife felt like it should have had some garlic flavor. And for the star of the show, the tomahawk was cooked a little unevenly. But I do appreciate them cooking the meat near the bone and accommodating us for wanting less salt on the steak. This is the only places we've been to that has actually cooked the meat on the tomahawk so you can actually eat the meat off of the bone. They do offer some chimichurri and some other creamy sauce. But I really like the chimichurri. The knife they provide to cut the meat is actually fun to cut with. I used the big knife over the steak knife (on the cutting board). In terms of flavor, I still prefer the Willows tomahawk, but this place is closer and the tomahawk is cheaper. I did appreciate them adding the cooked cherry tomatoes and green onions. It added a nice color to the steak and also good flavor. Our waitress Jennifer was nice and personable and also gave us some caramel popcorn on the house, which she informed us they make in house. The caramel popcorn reminded me of cracker jacks with no nuts. I would come back, but mainly for their tomahawk Tuesdays.

This is a tale of two parts... Firstly, the food was wonderful! But pretty much everything else…read morewas a disaster! We arrived for a booking at 6:15. There were three people behind the bar, but none of them took any notice of us. We finally approached the bartender and told him we had a reservation, expecting him to take some action or find a member of staff to help us. All he did was slap two menus on the bar top and say, well, what do you want?! Not a good beginning! Finally, after asking a second and third time, one of the other people came out from the bar area and talked to us. It was horribly hot in the restaurant. Seems their air conditioning had been broken for over a week and no one was going to fix it for at least another week. Clearly, they have no concern for their customers. It was unfortunate that it was the hottest day in Santa Barbara for over 30 years! So we were left with no option other than to sit outside, right on State Street. We thought we were coming to a lovely restaurant dining experience, but instead we had a constant stream of traffic, hot-rods, motorcycles and traffic while we ate. Not the ambiance we wanted at all for a special birthday meal. All of that aside, the food was wonderful! So it is a sad story indeed that the management couldn't take care of their customers so we would want to return. I'm guessing this iteration of the restaurant for The Hotel California will go the same way as its predecessors... closed! But if you try it, the beet salad was lovely! The fish and chips were fresh and the fries were fantastic! Lovely and hot as they hit our table - very nice indeed. And we were served a surprise birthday dessert of 'Baked Alaska'. It was quite simple amazing! Highly recommend this!! If you do go to The Knock I hope they get their act together - it would be a shame to not give this place a chance... but they do have to get better for me to go back.

On The Alley - Goleta

3.8

(330 reviews)

Stopped by On The Alley for breakfast. Upon entering, the staff were very friendly even though…read morethey were having credit card machine issues. I went with a breakfast burrito which turned out to be HUGE. The burrito took a few minutes but it came out hot and fresh. Flavor-wise, it was a solid burrito. You have the option of indoor or outdoor seating. Of course the weather is perfect during breakfast hours. Would definitely go back.

I was a little worried because I got there late...7:58. They close at 8. The person who took my…read moreorder assured me they close at 8, meaning the last order is at 8. I was welcome to stay as long as I needed to eat my meal. What an unexpected and KIND gesture!!!! The guys were young but extremely courteous! I ordered a bowl of clam chowder...YUM!!! How can you go to Brophy's and not eat chowder? I also ordered a Baja fish taco and a shrimp taco. I love fish tacos. This one was super moist and crispy on the outside...perfect seasoning and the pickled onions were spot on!! The shrimp taco was a nice surprise. They are grilled (no guilt over extra calories) and good flavor. There is a good combination of savory with a little sweet from the mango salsa. The mangoes were not as ripe as I like, but the salsa had good flavor nonetheless. I especially appreciate that the young guys checked on me and asked about the food and if I needed anything. I visit SB a couple times a year. This is definitely going to be one of my pit stops. Oh... did I mention the nice surprise on my bill? I didn't even realize the perks of taco Tuesday. Kudos to the management for hiring such good workers!

Roy

3.8

(299 reviews)

Roy's has been one of our favorite Santa Barbara spots for years. It's a true local staple, and…read morestopping there after a show at the Santa Barbara Bowl has become something of a tradition for us. Last night, after the show, we headed over for our usual chicken marsala and an Irish coffee--the perfect way to finish off the evening. The food was great as always, but we were really disappointed to find out that Roy's had sold their liquor license, so no more Irish coffee. It may sound like a small thing, but that Irish coffee at the end of a Bowl night just seals the deal for us. Unfortunately, not having it might make us think twice about our usual post-show stop in the future. Still love Roy's, the food, the atmosphere, and everything it has meant to the Santa Barbara community over the years. We just really wish we could still finish the night there with that Irish coffee!

There was a piece of metal wire in my food. Would not recommend unless you want internal bleeding…read more They told me the equivalent of "oops yeah idk how that got in there, we're not gonna charge you for that dish specifically but you still gotta pay the rest". Pretty much a "sucks to suck, go fuck yourself" actually horrible. Might have to go the hospital because you never know how much was in there.

Plow & Angel

3.8

(94 reviews)