I came here with a Birthday group.(21) The food was delicious. The atmosphere was serene, an ocean view. The waiter, Francisco was accommodating and had a good sense of humor. read more

I had the pleasure of dining here on Saturday along with a large group of friends to celebrate a birthday. The staff was very accommodating when we asked to be moved, so we all could enjoy the view of the ocean. Our server Francisco was great and his interaction with the group was exceptional and very attentive. I had the salmon with green beans and potatoes with a mushroom sauce and it was delicious. read more

We had a group of 21. Celebrating a friend's 70th Birthday. Our waiter Francisco gave us excellent service. He was very attentive, he even danced and sang with us. I'm recommending the Harbor Restaurant to all of my friends. read more

Francisco was the BEST SERVER EVER!!!! The moment we met we were laughing and enjoying our time together. Absolute best experience I've had in Santa Barbara, and I've been to SB MANY times!!!! I loved the seafood tower, it was a lot for 2 people!! I definitely could've taken food home. Overall such a nice experience. This was such a great part of my weekend! :) read more

The Harbor Restaurant - chilled seafood tower - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Food: we had clam chowder, seafood pasta, and cioppino. Clam chowder is the best. We loved it! The pasta dish was also really good, shrimp could be cooked a bit more otherwise the sauce is excellent. Service: well attended by the server. Good service. Checking a few times just to see if furthers service is needed. Ambiance: excellent view with window seat. Saw people kayaking through. Great beach view read more

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This is the type restaurant where you come for great views and good service. Cuz sadly, the food was awful. I would have sent mine back but I was enjoying my weekend getaway and didn't want to make waves. Pros - service, ambiance and incredible view of the harbor. We saw boats and kayakers and paddle boarders up close. It was also great to meet a friendly, enthusiastic employee and fellow Mets fan. Esthetically the restaurant is spacious and welcoming. Cons- as mentioned the food. My grits had jumbo shrimp, but both were over overcooked. Tough shrimp and lumpy underseasoned grits. Adding Tabasco sauce helped somewhat. The poached egg was good but the creamy yolk could not save the meal. My coffee was also weak My friend's shrimp cocktail was also very chewy. Her eggs Benedict with salmon was good enough. Prices were ok. There are two restaurants in one. We dined in the more formal one. Upstairs is a more casual patio. Might be good for drinks or happy hour. read more

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Dining here is always a Great experience. Only upstairs dining was available until the remodeling finished which turned out beautifully. Service was attentive. Our dinner was so yummy and enjoyed by all. read more

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I came here with a large party for a pre wedding brunch. The ambiance was very nice, great views of the wharf and beach. Omar our server was super friendly and helpful. The food was good, but not mind blowing. I had the lobster Benedict, my egg was pretty overcooked so it was essentially a hard-boiled egg. We also go the duck French toast which was really good, nice flavors with the duck confit and the maple syrup with cashews. read more

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Seafood restaurant by the sea/ harbor. Very pretty at sunset. Inside is chic. We got a window table and have amazing view of the ocean. Service is attentive and friendly. We enjoyed all the dishes including beet salad, crab louie salad, and halibut/ salmon dish, Cioppino. The salad portion here is relatively small compared to other restaurants. We made reservation in advance. It should be ok without if you don't need to sit by the window. I always recommend a reservation though so the restaurant knows to expect you and arrange properly. read more

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Great food - brilliant section of wines. Service was a little slower but very courteous. Front desk lady was amazing in accommodating the reservation. Ambiance is right on the harbor. Expensive side but worth a try. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The happy hour (oyster and duck confit with cherries) was a-amazing , and Amber at the bar was so nice and friendly and the late afternoon million dollar view from the windows was the bestest. Definitely coming back. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - The view - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Such a nice place to enjoy the ocean and happy hour. The pineapple mojito was amazing! It took me back to being in the Maldives. Really great service here, Mitch makes excellent drinks! Highly recommend this spot for monday happy hour from 2-closing. The view is unmatched. read more

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I am not sure if any prior bad reviews was another time but as a very picky customer out of Texas, I cannot say enough about the food, ambiance, PHENOMENAL staff and management. The view, by the way, was stunning. We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary with friends in Santa Barbara and wanted an intimate welcome dinner for 30 guests and could not believe we found The Harbor. I believe this is a newly renovated space but it was exactly what we hoped for. I set up everything remotely and online and there were literally ZERO hiccups. All we had to do was show up and it was PERFECTION. We highly recommend the restaurant to any who are looking for a wonderful dinner with a view. The Harbor is definitely a place that gives you a high end service without breaking the bank. Thank you to the amazing staff and Yoko for making it happen! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - View from inside the private space to the harbor. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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If you are into seafood and in Santa Barbara, you have to visit Stearns Wharf. For me, the sea breeze, calm horizon, the captivating ocean vistas and restaurants, are irresistible. On this trip, I decided on, The Harbor Restaurant, which I was told had been recently renovated (with new owners) and a revamped menu. The inside dining space is tastefully decorated with lots of light and beige dining chairs. The water and sail boat views from seating by the large windows, is nothing short or relaxing and magnetic. The staff is polite, inviting and attentive. As it transpired, this was the day of the week where they had their lobster specials. For $59.95 (usual price $88.99) you could have a whole one and a half pound Maine lobster (poached then seared), with mashed potatoes, broccolini, drawn butter and bearnaise sauce. That looked like a good bargain to me. The plate came out beautifully presented and was mostly occupied by the plump lobster that was cut in half. There was ample meat in the dish (including the claws and knuckles, which were partially cracked) with the crustacean skillfully prepared to retain succulence, texture and meat tenderness. Dipping in the butter and/or bearnaise sauce enhanced the dining experience. The mashed potatoes deserve commendation, they were soft, silky and flavorful. This lobster dish can easily give serious competition, to any of its counterpart establishments, anywhere in this vicinity. The Harbor Restaurant is now also open for breakfast. Needless to say, I will be coming here soon, to try more of their attractive breakfast and lunch menu items, or once again, it will be difficult to ignore.....that fantastic poached and seared, lobster special entree. read more

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I don't understand the contradictory reports to not being four or five at the least we enjoy the food the ambience, the drinks. The wine selection is fabulous. We haven't had anything to be negative about the service is fantastic not overcrowded. I like it that it might be a little bit pricey, but it keeps some space is open for others. That would just be here as tourism. You feel like a local when you're here. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Beach view looking toward the pier where the harbor restaurant is - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The Harbor Restaurant received more than a paint job to elevate your dining experience. Tuesday night brought our party in for the newly launched "Locals' Live Maine Lobster Specials". For $59.95 you get a 1 1/2Ib freshly cooked , live Maine lobster with béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes, and broccoli; or Surf and Turf with half of the lobster and a 4oz NY strip. The entire table ordered the special in one for or another and I opted for the béarnaise on the side. I'd prefer drawn butter but did try it. The lobster was perfect and come on, mashed potatoes!?! Yum! A great presentation and delicious food. But wait. There's more. Before the lobsters swam in we feasted on the Oyster Rockefeller $18, Shrimp Cocktail $18, Harbor Crispy Rice with 1/2 Salmon and 1/2 Hamachi $27, and bread with rosemary butter, dried tomato tapenade, chimichurri $9. All paired nicely with the Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay. I did start off with a glass of the Pascal Jolivet Sancerre which I highly recommend. The space is beautifully redone in a way that fits Santa Barbara's refined yet beachy attitude. There is now a lounge area near the bar to relax hat high tops, sofas and low back chairs to snack on Happy Hour treats or listen to live music on Wednesdays The service was great and the food delicious. We used to come for the view now we'll enjoy the food too. A special thank you to Kyle behind the bar and Roth running the floor. We had a great night. read more

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Another beautiful visit at The Harbor Restaurant. This time we were able to get a table near the ocean view and the view was stunning. I had to stick with my go to of their seafood pasta because the squid ink pasta is one of my favorite dishes. I noticed some changes this time I was in and the menu had upgraded from paper menus to more durable elegant menus. I also noticed they had upgraded their plates and they look stunning. I am loving these amazing changes and as always dinner had a great execution thanks to the amazing and talented chef! read more

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Wow, the Harbor Restaurant underwent a beautiful makeover! When I walked in, I was happily surprised. It finally has such a modern, clean feel to it. I'm finally happy to see a beautiful restaurant on the pier; it was much needed. We went all in on the chilled seafood tower and it was worth every penny. The quality of seafood is chef's kiss. The broccolini was perfectly cooked with a nice garlic spread. My favorite was the service. Most of the staff were from Stelle Mare's, so it was nice to see familiar faces! Now I have a reason to visit the pier more! read more

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We had the most spectacular experience at the beautiful Harbor Restaurant on the 4 th of July . One of Santa Barbara's most incredible venues . The ambiance was amazing. Clean and elegant, yet inviting and comfortable. The wait staff were very friendly and the service /bar were exceptional. The newly renovated restaurant is perfect for date night cocktails watching the sunset over the Harbor . I highly recommend enjoying this restaurant! read more

This restaurant is a gem on Santa Barbara's pier! It overlooks the ocean, has incredible elegance (but is still comfortable), amazing food, and the most attentive waitstaff. I went with a couple friends for one of their birthdays and everything was so lovely! We had beautiful views, yummy drinks, and truly AMAZING food!! Their chef, Herik, is incredible and even visited our table as we ate during an off-time (2:30pm). I ordered the Chicken Milanese for my meal, with Papas Rotas for the table, and an Apple Tart for dessert. I ate EVERYTHING - which is extremely rare for me - and loved it!!! An overall incredible experience and I cannot wait to go back! read more

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Got the Brioche French Toast and devoured it within 5 minutes! Host/server was super kind and helpful with recommendations and great about checking in on me. The only negative I would say was that there were a lot of flies in the lobby and one kept flying around the window I was sitting at. I didn't get the sense that the restaurant was unclean in any way, so if they could be more attentive to those flies, I'd give 5 stars! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Brioche French toast - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The Harbor restaurant provided an exceptional dining experience. Our party of 21 gathered there to celebrate my god sister's birthday, and every aspect of the visit was excellent. The food was outstanding, our waiter, Francisco, was courteous and professional, and the staff delivered attentive service throughout the afternoon. We selected the chicken and salmon dinners, both of which were carefully prepared; the meats were tender, flavorful, and succulent. Robbie Waddell read more

I was staying in Santa Barbara for a couple of months and had the opportunity to have dinner at the Harbor Restaurant. Usually, I shy away from restaurants on piers or oceanfront, because they tend to be very touristy and more about the location than the food. I'm so happy to be wrong about the Harbor Restaurant. It was absolutely fantastic! The service was friendly, relaxed, and professional. One of my favorite things we had was a halibut ceviche appetizer. Absolutely a must try; bursting with flavor, beautiful and fantastic. We had a New York's steak cooked perfectly, that came with unfortunately amazing au gratin potatoes, which I stole most of and loved every bite, and I had the braised short ribs, which were divine. They also have a very nice wine list both by the glass and especially by the bottle. The bartender is also excellent as we had a couple of lovely martinis. We topped off the meal with dessert with an amazing chocolate cake that was rich and not too sweet, as well as a wonderful key lime pie. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I came back two other times during my trip. Once for lunch where I had an absolutely fabulous Harbor Burger and beer, also, may I say cook perfectly not overdone. And then the last time I came back, was for a happy hour where I had, a couple of sauv blancs as well as the halibut ceviche again and the crispy rice with hamachi-delicous! read more

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Very disappointed on dinner recently as one food dish wasn't even ordered by the rude waiter, came late then runner tried to get us another side dish, bread order was to hard to eat! Food was very sub par, and the service such a condescending waiter who didn't acknowledge our presence! Tourist are a one time shot and your marketing should be one nite for locals when your slow cus 3 tables on the Thursday night we came! First we wanted to try Long Boards and no room several tables for 2 but for 3 of us no place to sit! Couches why? The Harbor is not the same and neither is Long Boards, both have been spoiled by modern decor! Just thought you need to know! read more

I went to breakfast with my son and daughter-in-law on a beautiful Saturday morning and was seated in front of a large bay window. We had an amazing view. I ordered the Kir Royale to start, because it is one of my favorite drinks and very few places serve Kir Royals. It was delicious. Our group ordered the prosciutto Benedict, avocado toast, and the lobster Benedict. Everything was plated elegantly, and the eggs were perfectly cooked, nice and runny and delicious. The lobster Benedict had large pieces of beautiful lobster and gorgeous, bright green asparagus; the holiday sauce over the eggs was the best hollandaise sauce I had had in a long time. I adored the small Purple new potatoes that accompanied the dish. The avocado toast had delicious avocado. We all commented on how beautifully the dishes were plated. The wait staff here is very well trained; many from Stella Mares, and Chef Ironside from Stella Mares has really transformed the menu. I do hope that chef Ironside puts his delicious Moules Frites on the menu. Dining here is an exquisite experience. My son and daughter-in-law from LA loved it! Can't wait to come back! read more

I visited this seafood restaurant with some of my friends during my bachelorette and if I could put zero stars for this restaurant I would. It was probably the worst experience I had as far as establishments in Santa Barbara. Upon arrival there was initially no one at the front so we had to wait grab someone's attention then they guided us to our table. Our waiter did not even make eye contact with us when taking our order and skipped me while coming back to me at the end although it was my bachelorette. Every other restaurant in Santa Barbara made our experience so special with exception of this restaurant. Service was also very slow. We had to wait an hour for our food to arrive. The food quality was also just sub par and not amazing. I believe I even got sick after eating at this restaurant. Although the restaurant is beautifully designed with view of the harbor unfortunately the food quality and service is suffering. To make matters worse days after visiting this restaurant after checking my account I noticed the restaurant had charged me more than what I had signed and agreed to pay which had to be disputed with my credit card company as thankfully I had a screenshot of my receipt. I unfortunately would not recommend this restaurant and would ask you to avoid this restaurant as Santa Barbara has many other restaurants with great food as well as service. Updated note: The response from management is extremely disappointing as this was an honest feedback from myself and my friends. We did not make another reservation after that visit as that was our last night in Santa Barbara. My credit card was charged a different amount as the amount signed on the receipt did not match and I had to dispute that with my credit card company. If desired I can send you screenshots. Instead of bashing an honest feedback maybe try to train staff at the restaurant to provide better service to guests visiting your restaurant. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Went here Saturday, in the past we'd had great experiences however this visit was not a great experience at all. The most appealing part of the experience, was the hostess from Columbia who bonded with my children and my wife and of course the view of the harbor. Over the years, the food quality has changed. I had what was supposed to be a Prime Rib Sandwich. In apperance when served was very small in size, looked more like chipped beef and tasted nothing like Prime Rib! For $24 I'd have been better served going to Subway or Jersey Mikes. My wife hads a seafood stew, to which was not well at all, it had a very funny taste. Needless to say she did not finish it. One of my kids had an egg sandwich with bacon, and my daughter who rarely complains, mentioned the eggs had a foul taste. She did not finish the sandwich. My other kid had a hamburger, the only successful meal. A $9 up charge for a 6" piece of sourdough bread sliced in to 6 pieces? Seriously? The place wasn't all that busy, however service too a very long time. The view is wonderful, the drinks were okay...the food quality however, I don't believe we'll be going back again. read more

Absolutely amazing experience. Top tier waitstaff, food and ambiance. They have a skilled guitar player playing relaxing music and the view of the ocean is spectacular. I can't wait to be back. Shout out to Ulysses! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Scallops and ceviche - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Absolutely loved this place! The waterfront setting and ocean views made for a beautiful dining experience. We started with the Oyster Rockefeller, and wow--they were the bomb. Rich, flavorful, and easily one of the best we've had. The food, service, and atmosphere were all top-notch. Watching the water while enjoying a great meal made the whole experience feel special. Can't wait to come back! read more

This place sucks. We got seated And no one came by. We went to the bar ourselves to order and they wouldn't take our order and told us to sit down and they'll send the server. We continue to wait and no one comes by. We flagged the server and he still didn't come by. After 25 mins of waiting, we got up to leave. The hostess noticed and asked if anyone helped us... obviously not. What bad service. read more

This place is a real disappointment. I ordered crab loui salad , something I'm very used to. This was some weird concoction that the cook must've just dreamed up because it was weird and it wasn't good. The little bit of whatever crab was there were inside of some thick salad dressing. The clam chowder also wasn't the white colored traditional clam chowder that I would've wanted. It was something else the cook dreamed up and not good. I think the cook has too much freedom to do anything. He wants without paying attention to traditional ways The small piece of bread was extra and came wrapped up in a huge napkin . Only the margarita was just OK. Was it worth the 88+ tip? Hell, no I won't be back anytime soon read more

The food is a 10+!! The sauces are amazing with each of our dishes! The view can't be beat! Our server was also great! Very good food as it was prepared excellent! read more

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I'm from Los Angeles drove 2 hours to come and celebrate my mother's birthday here, the view was beautiful. But I will not be coming here again, service was horrible. We weren't acknowledged. Took 40 minutes for are food to arrive, no utensils. Like I said the view was beautiful food was good. But the service was horrible! read more

offers an exceptional dining experience, highlighted by stunning panoramic ocean views, fresh, modern seafood, and attentive service. Our server Nelson was knowledgeable about all dishes and specials and guided us to the items he thought we would most enjoy. 5 stars for Nelson too read more

Had a great Lunch here. With a great view of the ocean and Pier. The service was attentive and friendly. read more

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The service, food, view, and ambience were wonderful! The restaurant has amazing ocean views. We'll definitely come back! read more

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Great place to sit and have a bite and drink and beautiful view. If I lived here, I'd be here all the time. read more

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Group of 14 of us booked the window spot in the restaurant which was beautiful...however there were some less than pleasing moments thought out our meal. The waiter came up immediately and asked us for our drinks and we told him we had not looked at the drink menu and he rolled his eyes. I asked if he could grab us another drink menu because we did not have one so he grabbed it from the opposite end of the table and handed it to us and then asked what we wanted. It felt like we were in a rush. Oysters on half shell were delicious. The beet salad was delicious. I ordered my filet mignon medium well and it came out soooo red I could not eat most of it. My husband ordered the prime rib and got a sauce but our friend who also ordered the prime rib didn't get any sauce at all. Some inconsistencies there. And then we had the check situation. So to reserve a large party we had to put a deposit of $300 down which would go towards the check. Our friend is a CFO at his company so he knows math. The manager came out and told us we could not split the bill with the deposit that was put down and our friend explained to him how to make it work so we could split it. The bill split 6 ways would have been $175 per couple. The manager kept telling us that his computer was calculating it to be $225. We said calculate it on your phone to which he did and recognized the computer was wrong. He said it was impossible to fix... Eventually he did fix it but it took about 30 minutes to deal With that entire situation If you're a big party I would think about who's gonna pay the big bill... read more

Came here for a private wedding reception. They have tons of normal seating but also have private rooms to reserve for your party. The staff in charge of serving us was super friendly and fun. The view is unbeatable and the food was very good! read more

The Harbor Restaurant was always the place my family would meet up for their different Holiday Buffets. Even when I had moved far away we would still meet up on Stearns Wharf for our family gatherings. And now with the new ownership and redesign of the dining and bar areas we are enjoying it once again. This year we were there for their special Christmas Day Menu and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The new clean look of the dining room is fantastic. And still with those ocean views . . . truly magical. The Bar area too has a fresh look and am looking forward to going through their specialty cocktails menu. Upon our arrival for this year's Christmas Dinner the restaurant was pretty full and seemed pretty hectic at first. The host sat us pretty quickly and we had a nice table looking towards the ocean. Our waiter James alerted us to how busy things had been all day and he made sure that we knew he would be taking good care of us. He prepared us for the possible worst, but as the evening went along he made it all the absolute BEST. For their special Christmas Day Menu we all enjoyed the Organic Beet Salad, Ceviche, House Prime Rib, and split both of the specialty desserts amongst ourselves. We also had the pleasure of meeting Executive Chef Gonzalo, and were able to have him describe each of the dishes we enjoyed. He has an interesting history as a Chef and we're looking forward to going back to try so much more on their menu. Thanks James and Gonzalo for making our Christmas Dinner a special dining experience. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - New and improved. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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