I stopped with others against my general Yelp memory that this place did not come up as a "good" place during a previous SB search. When I came home to check, not surprised at the 2 star rating...it actually fits it perfect. More breading then fish, mediocre service (which was fine because we were just chatting). The tartar sauce was a 6 out of ten. The view is really good and their location gets most of the people that walk down the right side of the wharf. My thoughts, walk the extra 20yards to the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. Keep in mind, you're in SUPER Touristville so you're getting mediocre everything. read more

Definitely not the freshest seafood. The scallops were chewy and had that metallic (past their prime) taste... yuck! The staff (clearly over-scheduled) were extremely attentive....they kinda lingered in hopes that we would need something. The fish and chips were tasty, but that's hard to get wrong. I wouldn't go back. The view of sunset was beautiful, though. read more

This restaurant looks nice from the outside, and the view is definitely nice. But don't come here expecting good food or service. I've been irritated every time I've been here but I keep giving it another chance like a dummy. Pass. read more

This place was a bit over priced. $40 for a steak, 4 shrimp, chowder and a soda. The shrimp were great, the steak.. not so much. The view, however, is awesome. If you go here, be sure to sit outside so you can view the entire harbor. At sunset, it's beautiful. read more

I failed to read the Yelp comments prior to going to this restaurant. What a mistake. To be honest, I expected more. The food was flavorless, bland and what I would consider typical "out of the freezer" product. I was unaware that swordfish could actually resemble the texture of leather, but I was educated. My wife had ordered a fried shrimp and scallop plate with a side of peel and eat hot 1/2 pound. The peel and eats were tiny and overcooked to the point of rubber. Her fried plate was typical deep fried, flavorless rubber. My swordfish came with a tiny dollup of dill butter with no flavor with carrot sticks that were steamed but still crunchy. (They missed "al dente" by a mile). Worst $100 I have spend in many ages. Will not go back. Should have gone to the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company right next door. By the yelp comments, it would have been a much better choice. read more

Calamari comes with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce, not great, but the husband's catch of the day was a generous portion of cod in lemon butter sauce with capers. Also, my husband compared the mashed potatoes to Army food...so if you get the chance: pass on that. read more

Mia was such a sweetheart we loved her. She was very helpful. We loved the food it was very very good , love the service.

I only had the Crab Sandwich here. It wasn't the best, but it was $16, so I ate everything, including the fries and bread/butter that came with the meal. The sandwich tasted like a regular Tuna sandwich, except the filling was fried and came with Jack (or cheddar) cheese. Not the first choice I would recommend, nor would I recommend coming to this place either. If you want to come and try the other dishes they serve, go for it, but considering that it is seafood, expect to pay a lot more. The view was the only nice thing about the place, because it's out on a pier. My GF and I went to this place by default, because we were in line for the SB Shellfish Company next door and decided that the wait was too long. She didn't order anything; she just watched me eat. Bottomline: Not the best place to eat, especially if you're near the Santa Barbara Pier. read more

The food is below mediocre. Was starving but couldn't get myself to finish his fish and chips. My friends hardly finished their food either. Very disappointed. read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Last Friday around 2pm... we were seated at a great spot inside and had an awesome view! The bread and butter came out! Not much to say about the bread! We ordered the seafood platter appetizer!!!! The crab was not fresh. The clams were slimy and didn't taste right. But the mussels were okay. The ceviche was okay. Nothing special. My 10 year old daughter ordered chicken fingers. Probably the best thing that we ordered!!??? Oh, I got the spicy martini. It was tiny and not tasty. My husband got an oyster shooter. He said it was awesome and wishes he would have just ordered 10 shooters with nothing else. The service was slow, but friendly! What a downer of a review, huh? Unfortunately, we spent way too much on food that was forgettable. read more

Cool place! My friends and I came here for lunch after checking out the wineries in the area. We asked for a table outside in the back patio. It was a beautiful sunny day in SB. We ordered clam chowder, steamed seafood plate, and oysters on a half shell. They even have their own wine label. Moby Dick wine! The service was good. All the staff was friendly and attentive. The food was good. We were soooooo full afterward. Not sure why other people gave this place such poor reviews. read more

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Came to ST. For a nice day at the Wharf ... decided to stop and get a drink then we decided to grab some lunch for a seafood resturant they had the juiciest top sirloin steak I have ever had grilled to perfection my compliment s to the chef ..I will be back read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - Steak and maine lobster - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great location on a Pier overlooking the water. We enjoyed a bottle of Chardonnay overlooking the ocean. Fantastic location and very relaxing read more

We were running late and the host graciously changed our arrival time. Ricardo our server was friendly attentive and agreeable to everyhing we asked for. I had fried fish tacos and hubby had half fried shrimp and fish. Dined outside in an unusually cold windy summer day. read more

Very happy.... Me and my fiance came by on a Saturday night after a long day at the zoo with our 20 month old. He needed a nap and we both were worried about how he'd be. They were so attentive, helpful and catering to us I can't imagine how they could of done any better. I got the carribean lobster that was in point too. On top of that we had a great view for sunset. read more

First time here. We had huevos con carne. It was delicious. Tasted like home made. Asia was our server. She was great.

If I had read the reviews posted on Yelp ahead of time, I probably would have not gone here and would have missed out on an excellent lunch experience. Wife and I were not very original. We both ordered mixed green salads, and mixed steamed clams and mussels (I had a bloody mary with mine), A bit on the pricy side, but we loved the food, the service was excellent, and I would not hesitate to come here again. read more

You go to a restaurant for the food. My wife and I went on our honeymoon because she really likes sea food. We go in. Get seated. We look around. It looks promising. The view is amazing. We order water and ice tea to get start. It shows up about 5 minutes later. We look at the menu and I see bacon wrapped shrimp. Sounds good to me. When it came it looked like it was just microwaved and tasted even worse. I am not a person who leaves food on the plate but I definitely did on this meal. My wife's meal came with a salad. That was bad enough she barely ate it. She orders fish and chips and she barely touched that. There were flies in the restaurant and not just one or two. The staff was fine but the food was not. If you want sea food go somewhere else and check it out. read more

Great views of the ocean from this restaurant on Stern's Wharf. We had the lobster ravioli and dungeness crab with clam chowder. The clam chowder was not too bad. I have high expectations of any clam chowder served on a wharf/pier by the water (I mean, how you you be right on the ocean and serve a sub-par clam chowder?). It didn't really stand out, but had good flavor. The only thing is that it could've used more actual clams in the chowder. Lobster ravioli was pretty good. it's a tomato cream sauce. Again, not a spectacular dish or anything, but not too bad. The dungeness crab was okay. I don't think it was as fresh as it could've been. however, the garlic butter it was served with was awesome. that was probably the best part of the meal. The views from this restaurant can't be beat. The food is not bad, but nothing to write home about either. read more

Horrible. Don't your time. I've been in Santa Barbara since 1984 and have been to Moby Dick many times, every time I'm brought there I think, "Now why is it that I don't like this place?" Note that I said, "Brought" for I would never choose to go here. Then they bring cheesy, plastic Coca-cola cups with water to the table while the bus boy nearly pokes my eye out with the silverware that should have been there before we arrived. While the staff speaks to each other in a foreign tongue. The pre-breaded, pre-frozen fish and chips are poor quality, the "Clam strips" are slices of "Giant clam" and not small, tasty clams, and the Oysters Rockefeller were so smothered in bacon that they lost all flavor (except the bacon) The Hornito's margarita that I ordered was pathetically weak and I'm not a big drinker!! It is such a shame, and yet so typical, for a restaurant out on a pier with seafood all around to have such poor seafood, fair service, and high prices. Right next door is the Harbor Restaurant which is awesome. See, it is possible to place a great restaurant in a touristy location. In summary: overpriced, poor quality food, weak drinks. Beautiful view. read more

People say it's overpriced. They are not from the California coast. For what they charge and the view it's perfect. Food is acceptable for the price. Avg for lunch is 15 bucks. If u want cheaper food go to burger king. read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - Calamari and chips. Mmmmmm - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Here is my simple review: The food is good, nothing special. The home fries are shaped like plantains, and are good as well. The hot chocolate is made with syrup, and the portions are large. The service extremely nice. All of the tables have a beautiful view of the ocean. Overall: Perfect for a nice family breakfast, with lots of food options for everyone. read more

Greatest location on Sterns Pier!! Lobster Bisque, excellent!! Stuffed Fish a wonderful choice!! Live guitar music!! Can't miss 90 minute free parking!! Will be back!! read more

Fantastic view. Staff was friendly enough. They did what they needed to do. Food was pretty good! The menu isn't terribly adventurous or memorable. I just think its a solid option if you want to relax, eat, drink, and take in the gorgeous ocean view. If you are expecting some major foodie adventure you'll be disappointed. If you just want to have a relaxing time, I think you'll be very satisfied! read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - Steak was surprisingly good! - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

At first, I thought that the restaurant was nive because it had a view of the ocean and city. The hotel that I stayed in also gave a discount to this restaurant, so I went there. When I looked at the menu, the food were very overpriced and the restaurant smelled like nasty grease. I got the fish and chips, and they were very salty and greasy, and not even crispy. The food obviously was very poorly made. The lobster ravioli was ok, but it was bland for my taste. Everything there was salty and nasty, I do not recommend! read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - Fish and Chips with Lobster Ravioli - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is horrible and service is seriously terrible. I never want to come here ever again! The food is merely mediocre and the view isn't that great. I found a hair in my pasta and the servers don't know what they are doing. Don't come here! read more

Even the bread was meh. Never again. Can one give less than a star? The rubbery tiny clams swam in a dishwater gray colored water, and while I never tasted dishwater before, I imagine it's what it would taste like. What a complete waste of money. Other things that were brought out looked as bad as a cheap wedding banquet food. read more

Hopefully this review will be as objective as possible. I'll rate it a 3 only because there were no rude employees that I encountered. Our server wasn't perfect however. I suggest maybe knowing a little bit more about what the restaurant serves rather than just saying it's good when asked if it's good. I ordered the diablo's platter and it was subpar and way too spicy. It would have been nice to have gotten a warning beforehand. The rice it came with, I could have done a better job. It seemed like rice was made and mixed with the red spicy sauce and bacon was added. Bacon also didn't appear to match the seafood plate especially when there are possible broken shell pieces that could look like the bacon chips. The dish was too pricey for the type of ingredients used. The shrimp was too small and I didn't know what type of white fish was included. Overall, the food wasn't too bad. It was just too spicy and too plain for the price I paid for. I think the owner should listen to these reviews and implement some changes. The views are breathtaking. Take advantage! And locals should be able to go to a place like this and have a great time eating great food. I hope the next reviews I read are good so I can give this place another try. read more

Not quality food.. And the service was shot. The server seemed irritated each time we asked for something. And when we asked the person who brought our food for bbq sauce and another soda he looked at us weird and walked away.. You would think they'd have a decent chef considering they charged 50$ for crab leg dinner.. And they were not busy whatsoever.. Not going back here for sure.. read more

Moby Dick Restaurant - 50$!!!!!!! - American Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The most disgusting, nasty, horrible food we have ever eaten in our lives!!!!! What a waste of money! We all got so sick after eating here, and the manager Enrique refused to do anything about it! I wish I could give this place negative stars. Save yourself from this shit hole! read more

I was real hesitant to eat there because of all the bad reviews. Maybe we caught them on a full moon or something... We went to this place right at noon and ready to eat. What I had was two cups of clam chowder and the shrimp linguine with marinara. I will say that it was way better than some Italian places I've eaten at especially at the other SB Italian place where we ate for dinner. The linguine was cooked just right and they give you around 9 good size shrimps along with it. Also ordered was the crab cakes platter and the sauce dip it came with was excellent with a bit of heat to it. Before my pasta arrived, I ordered a cup of clam chowder to start. It was one of the best I have ever tasted! It was not watered down and hearty and the flavor was awesome. When I ordered my pasta lunch, I ordered another cup of clam chowder since it came with my lunch as I loved it so much. The service was good and I didn't encounter any rude vibes there. Maybe lunch service is different or we just caught them on a good day. Either way, I would definately return if I should ever be at Stearns Wharf. read more

Everytime I come to Santa Barbara I like coming to Moby Dick's. Been coming here since the 1970's. The food is good (not great) and the view on the patio is to die for. The waitresses are nice and helpful. The best time to come is way before the lunch or dinner crowd. read more

I run 3-4x a week in the morning through the pier and I noticed Moby dick served breakfast. So i have it a try, The Breakfast was bland boring and no flavor and the staff were rude and didn't look like they wanted k be there. So next day I ran again and noticed Char West on the pier served breakfast and it was delicious! Sadden because I heard great things about Moby dick! I wouldn't recommend Moby dicks read more

I had a great experience at this restaurant. In my opinion, it is the best view on the pier and it is the best prices compared to the other restaurants on the pier. I got the 8 oz. serloin and the quality of it was really good. It costs $21. The lobster roll which was $14 was not very good though. They have Happy Hour specials and early dinner specials from 4pm to 6pm as well. The food came out fairly quick and the servers were friendly. I would give this place a shot. read more

The food was really good and our waitress was excellent!! I wish I could remember her name.. Very nice lady loved her. If I get back to Santa Barbara I will be going back read more

This restaurant is among the short list of restaurants that cater to people with allergies... Seafood allergies! I always find it difficult to go into a restaurant that has anything to do with seafood because of my allergies and then looking at the menu and deciding the only thing I can have is salad. I was a bit apprehensive going in, psyching myself up for that dreaded salad. I spoke to the hostess, who went and got a waiter, who went to the cook who came out and informed me that they use separate fryers! One for the fish and one for everything else! Imagine my joy! I got my burger and french fries with no worries about getting sick. Kudos to the Moby Dick, if I'm ever in Santa Barbara again I'll go back. read more

Very nice kitchy place. Lots of cool photos. The service was good and the food subpar. The fish and chips were not the best. The Rock crab was good. Your paying for the gorgeous view and if your lucky enough to get a window seat at sunset it's breathtaking. read more

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My wife and I went to the Moby dick restaurant for a late lunch on Sunday and it was a wonderful experience! The staff was very friendly and the seafood is exceptional. I got the catch of the day and let me tell you it LITERALLY comes right out of the ocean directly to your plate!!! The only problem with the meal was some bad weather that made it hard to hear inside the dining area, but the freshness of the seafood definitely made up for the bad weather. We'll have to go again when the weather clears up... read more

Went for dinner. Nice table inside to watch the sunset. Our server Juan had terrific customer service. Very friendly and helpful to my daughters and I. The rest of the staff were great too. Good food. read more

This was my first time in Santa Barbara and i didnt really like it too much. I currently live in Hollywood so i guess im used to the chaos. Despite this, i had a good experience at Moby Dicks restaurant. The prices were fair for a restaurant on the pier. We went for dinner. I had a chicken sandwich and my friend had the chowder. The quality of the food was great, everything tasted fresh.Our server was Jonathon and he was very friendly and on point w timing as far as greeting us, getting our drinks and even getting us refills, and of course food. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Santa Baraba on frindliness and service alone. Plus it had a great view! read more