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

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

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

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 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

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

Choosing The Harbor Restaurant for a special occasion was a terrible mistake and I do not recommend to anyone. First, we sat down for a birthday dinner and the waiters filled out glasses with water. Naturally, we didn't think much of it. They even kept coming back to refill our glasses without us asking. However, this led to $77 additional charge on our bill for just waters, a service typically given for free by most restaurants, without ANY warning or any notice of an additional charge. The same goes for bread. We were told (without asking) that bread was on the way. As many restaurants offer free bread while we wait, we didn't think much of it when two unasked-for small pieces of bread arrived for the table. Later on the bill, they charged us nearly $20 bucks for this bread. And lastly the cherry on top: for such a nice place, the service still disappointed. They forgot one of our meals for a long time and the rest of our food was subpar and not great. Combined with the small menu, not great food, and cheaped out management, and I'm utterly disappointed in this restaurant, especially for how nice it is on the interior. It's a shame that it was so scammy, especially when you take into account the premium prices you're paying. My advice: go somewhere else for a nice meal. 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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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

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

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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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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Came in for a quick happy hour bites. Next time, I definitely want to try their full service menu. I ordered a pineapple mojito...delicious! And the ceviche..so fresh! The location is also so perfect for sightseeing while enjoying the food. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Ceviche and pineapple mojito - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We had a wonderful dinner with a fabulous view and Amber was a great server. We V had surf and turf which was delicious. The mushrooms were amazing! read more

We came here on the 5th and sat at the bar top. First time checking out this place and the pier. Such a pretty restaurant and a beautiful ocean view. We walked there but if you drive they do have parking and I think it's free for the first 3 (?) hours. Scott was our bartender and he made great cocktails. We ordered the duck, squid ink pasta, and shrimp cocktail. All fantastic. We will come back most definitely to enjoy the tables in the restaurant (or sit at the bar again we love bar tops haha). read more

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

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We visited the Harbor Restaurant with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday which happened to coincide with the parade of lights. The restaurant is beautifully refurbished and totally decked out for Christmas with trees and twinkling lights. They were offering a prix fixe menu for the parade, 3 courses which were all delicious and came out nicely paced while we visited and enjoyed the parade and fireworks with a front row view! Our server was polite and attentive, even though the place was packed. It ended up being the perfect place for our celebration! Can't wait to return for breakfast/brunch another time and hopefully catch a glimpse of the dolphins read more

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We went here after my fiancé proposed to me because it was right at the pier. We kinda just wanted to celebrate with a drink. Once we came inside we were pleasantly surprised to see how nice this place is inside. We ordered some drinks and decided to get a quick bite. The beef tartare was a first for us and we loved it! It was delicious we literally almost licked our plate because it was so good! I ordered the Lobster soup afterwards and was also delicious! All the food was amazing! Our server was super friendly and checked on us frequently. I have nothing but good memories from this place! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Showing off my new - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We had a great time, live music, the clam chowder is amazing, the burger was really good, hibachi crudo was also fresh and thickly sliced. Yummy but too much jalapeño. The service was good and the restaurant has been recently updated so it's clean and chic. read more

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

Came here for a graduation celebration with a party of 9. Positives: - The restaurant was able to accommodate our large party one hour early before our reservation. - The interior of the restaurant and view on the pier was very nice. In addition, the presentation of the food was aesthetically pleasing! - Oysters were fresh and tasted great. However, the sauce with vinegar was overpowering. Cons: - Service was not great. It took almost a hour to get our entrees. We finished our appetizers and were sitting there for a long time. We were checked on once in a while for water refills and it wasn't even a full house for the entirety of our meal. - They forgot one of our party's entree and I had to politely check on the order. - Clam chowder: Was noted to be cold by a family member. - Fish and chips: Fish was bland and fries were cold when we got them. - I ordered the seared halibut and it was very dry which ruined my appetite after waiting so long for our food. The purée of mashed potatoes was lacking and very thick. Another member sent the dish back. Overall, would definitely not recommended. The location is promising with an excellent view. Unfortunately, the experience by my family and lackluster food lead for much to be desired. (Images show some but not all of the food ordered) read more

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Great view! But Tuesday afternoon lobster was a bust. So chewy I had to spit it out. I like the flavor but it was ridiculously chewy. I had to spit it out in the end. I also ordered the Firestone Sauv Blanc but I did not find it as a good pairing. I tried the Foley Chardonnay as a replacement. It was better. read more

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This is on the wharf, a cute spot where you get views of the ocean while you dine. We decided to stop by for happy hour and realized it was very informal which wasn't an issue. You get to sit on couches drinking a margarita and enjoying the views. We ordered a strawberry margarita, Mai Tai,Rockefeller oysters, clam chowder and lobster bisque. Services didn't take too long once we got our order in. The bartender was very quick and made sure we had what we needed both for our drinks and soups. The margarita was packing a punch but it was so good after a day out on the beach. The clam chowder was very tasty, and I enjoyed it very much. If you haven't tried oysters and want to ease into it, try their Rockefeller oysters, they were packed with bacon, parm and spinach. Their dinner menu looks big and their set up looks very cozy for a romantic dinner. read more

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Everything is literally great at this place: the views, the food, the prices, the waiters. We were a bit concerned because pier restaurants can indeed be a bit touristy, but we had a very great experience on a March 2026 Saturday night. Highly recommended, especially for the views! read more

The Bishop Garcia Diego High School Class of '67 held their 75th Birthday party in the Santa Barbara Room, hosting 41 guests. The room was beautiful with spectacular views! The staff, though new, performed professionally and were quick to fix and take care of anything we asked of them. The meals were excellent with beautiful presentation and delicious and filling. Special shout out to Yoko who met with organizers several times over the past 5 months. She anticipated the questions and answers for everything, ensuring we had ample choices for our meals. Reunions are special times, but Yoko and the beautiful newly renovated Harbor Restaurant made it a night to remember! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - A lovely walk to The Harbor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Just had a private event at The Harbor Restaurant in one of their private rooms with the most stunning sunset views over the Ocean! Excellent service and yummy food. I highly recommend this place for a beautiful evening on the water or spectacular special event. Had breakfast the next morning there too, equally yummy and great. read more

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First time and definitely won't be the last. The main lobster roll and fried fish sandwich it's a must have. Service was good our waiter was very attentive and we appreciated him for making this a good dinner. read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Fried fish sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

The Service: Our party of five was seated at a table where only forks were placed and no knives. We figured that they would bring us knives (butter knives). That never happened. They served us bread and guess what happened? No bread knife was provided. All of the waiters were too busy to routinely check on us because 25% of the restaurant was full (no joke), and that must have been just too much for them to handle. We were forced to break the bread by hand, crushing every little tiny slice of the tiny single breadstick that they provided for an entire table. We had to use forks to spread butter on our bread. We had to ask service for knives multiple times before they finally came out. Whenever we needed something, we literally had to hold our hands up (like we were asking the teacher a question in a second grade class) for them to notice to come over and service us. I've been served a thousand times better at my local Chili's. They should be ashamed of their selves at the level of service they provide at a restaurant that costs about $100 per person on average to eat at. Pretty pathetic. The Food: The Tomato concoction, the chimichurri, and the butter that they provide to be spread on the bread we're all very good. Only problem was is that the slices of bread no longer had surface area for us to spread anything on because all of the pieces were crushed from us having to break the bread apart by hand for lack of a damn bread knife. The Hamachi Crudo was excellent (best dish in the house). The Oysters Rockefeller needed serious help. They were very underwhelming. I ordered the seafood pasta. I don't know how they managed to pull this off but, the pasta was extremely underdone ("Al Dente" would have been an overstretch of a descriptor) yet the muscles, clams, and shrimp we're so overcooked that the meat was soft and fell apart as you ate it. Pretty terrible. The only thing good about the dish was the base sauce tasted really good. The recipe of the dish is good but the execution by the cooks was something they should be embarrassed about. I tried my son's lobsters dish and the lobster was also overcooked to the point that the meat was soft and falling apart just by sticking a fork in it. I tried my wife's chicken caesar salad and that was okay until you noticed that the strips of chicken that they serve with it are not only too long of strips (you are forced to cut them with your knife into bite-size pieces), but they are also overcooked (dry), and the amount of pepper that they put on that dish was enough to choke a horse. We had their creme brulee for dessert and it was just okay. Lessons learned: This establishment he needs to go up to Cambria to Moonstone Beach and eat at a little place called "The Sea Chest". That seafood restaurant serves Michelin Star Quality Seafood. I don't know that they have a Michelin star but they should because it the best seafood I've ever had in my 50 years of existence. The owners and chefs and servers from The Harbor could get schooled there and plumbed up enough maybe that they can justify charging the prices that they do. The Sea Chest charges those same prices yet provides you an experience that you will never forget. That place opens for dinner at 5:00 and every night they have a line about a hundred yards long of people waiting to get a seat within the exclusive, limited-seating, high demand establishment. That's an establishment The Harbor would learn from. As for The Harbor, we will never visit your establishment ever again. What a massive disappointment. read more

Fantastic ambiance on a stormy morning. Eclectic breakfast menu, Very professional, attentive Staff and delicious food & coffee/cappuccino. We'll be back for sure! read more

Ambiance , Service, Food, and everything was 5/5 . We went on a Sunday at 10am and had the best time. Nice and quiet and relaxing and got to sit with an ocean view read more

We went to celebrate our anniversary and the service was amazing, food and drinks we delicious. Dominick L was very personable did a great job taking care of us. We had oysters and the warm seafood tower. The restaurant inside is beautiful and the view was perfect! read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Oysters and painted cave cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Extremely rude hostess with no care in the world and absolutely no etiquette.. poor experience before it even started. Went on 3/30 at 4:30pm read more

I love the roasted romaine salad with caesar dressing. I added steak for protein. The service was good too and of course the view is amazing. read more

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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

Amazing food, amazing service. Josiah was an amazing server. 10/10 recommend, sat us down quickly and brought out food quickly. Also recommend the ceviche from the appetizer menu read more

The Harbor Restaurant - Salmon plate and Prime rib steak - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Amazing food, great service, Mitch was very friendly and always a nice view on the pier! Highly recommend and we will be coming back!

I was having a "Girls' Day" trip. It was 27 Ladies. We had gone to Longboards in 2023 and were very happy with everything. Unfortunately, Longboards was closed for renovations. I was told that Harbor Grill was fantastic, and upscale casual. Since the owners were the same, and we had a positive experience, I booked the reservations. The upscale was missing, the FOOD was TERRIBLE. Most of us ordered the Fish N' Chips. The fish was OLD, the breading was tasteless, no seasoning, and overcooked. The service was atrocious. Then we had to argue about the checks. I had solidified the process with the Events person when I made the reservations. We spend almost 30 minutes dealing with that issue. TERRIBLE experience. I reached out the Carolina Jiminez, one of the owners. She has yet to contact me. NEVER going there again. All of the Ladies will be expressing the same, and spreading the news. read more

So I'm local-born and raised in SB. I've been wanting to go back to the Harbor Restaurant since the remodel. I stopped in tonight after visiting our wonderful Deep Sea folks and I was so disappointed at the service. Me and my sister ordered one drink from a bartender that was seemingly there only to do a "job" and was not friendly or welcoming. He barely said hello to us. He left us and as I was sitting drinking my drink the next bartender came (we only had one drink there) and the next bartender seemed to be bothered that anyone was near the bar. It was such an uncomfortable feeling to see how miserable he was. He never acknowledged anyone and there were only two people at the bar. I've been going to the Harbor Restaurant since...well since I can remember and it was sad to see how poorly they treated people. The experience I had prior to this, for a family bridal rehearsal dinner party was absolutely wonderful but I can't say the same since this change. Very disappointing. read more