12 Must-Try Seafood Restaurants in Santa Barbara, CA
Are you looking for seafood in Santa Barbara? If yes, then you have landed at the right place! We have listed a few of the best seafood restaurants in Santa Barbara. Some of these restaurants even offer amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. So, Checkout these locations and choose from fish, crabs, lobster, or shellfish dishes, and indulge in a delicious meal.
Seafood Restaurants in Santa Barbara
Lure Fish House
Located in La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbra, Lure Fish House serves fresh, sustainable seafood. Their primary purpose is to supply guests with a healthy, tasty seafood experience locally.
Lure’s seasonal-focused menu offers fish tacos, classic mussels, chowder, lobster, ceviche, organic salads, and simple fish served with delicious side dishes. The restaurant also offers specialties such as the famous cioppino and charbroiled oysters.
On the other hand, they also feature a full bar with unique cocktails made from freshly squeezed fruit smoothies and a raw bar serving various fresh oysters.
- Address: 3815 State St Suite G131, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Lure Fish House
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
This restaurant was started in 1980 as a buying point for local Santa Barbara fish and oysters and a place to sell crabs.
Today Santa Barbara Shellfish has become one of the city’s most beloved local establishments for its range of seafood favorites.
The restaurant menu includes all kinds of oysters, but many local sources of live abalone, crab, and lobster are real stars.
Furthermore, local draft beer and cocktails are available, and you can pair them well with their small bites on a cold or foggy day. Inside there are bar seats, outside table seats, and also a walk-up window for orders to go.
- Address: 230 Stearns Wharf Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
Brophy Bros.
Brophy Bros is a family-owned casual seafood restaurant located on the dock of Santa Barbara Harbor.
The restaurant includes special seafood pasta, cold appetizers (shrimp cocktail, peel and eat shrimp,.etc.), and offer fried seafood such as shrimp-beer battered and bay scallops-breaded.
On the other hand, Brophy Bros specializes in seafood and stylish American food. In addition, you can order burgers, sandwiches, and salad options.
Take a seat on the restaurant patio, grab a plate of seafood, chat with friends and enjoy the unparalleled harbor views while sipping beer.
- Address: 119 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Brophy Bros.
Santa Barbara FisHouse
Located on Cabrillo Blvd across from Stearns Wharf and East Beach, the Santa Barbara FisHouse is an ideal place for ocean-side dining.
As one of e best seafood restaurants in Santa Barbara, a meal at Firehouse is always a special treat, which offers cozy food, happy hour meals, and happy hour drinks.
In addition to the dinner and lunch menu, local wines and theme cocktails surround your menu.
The ocean pictures are fantastic, and you may dine outdoors and enjoy the fire pit they have prepared for the guests.
- Address: 101 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Santa Barbara FisHouse
On The Alley
On The Alley is a casual, fraternal place in Brophy Bros, One of the most well-known seafood restaurants in Santa Barbara.
The restaurant offers quality lunch fare within a picturesque harbor setting, including fresh fish tacos, salads, and burgers.
Especially the restaurant Includes on the menu is a handful of Brophy Bros, such as fish & chips and fried shrimp plate.
Their breakfast is also served with smoothies and customizable dishes. If you are visiting here with kids? no problem, they also have a kids menu (12 and under).
- Address: 117 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: On the Alley
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach
Boathouse, located on Hendry’s Beach, offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. This restaurant, in particular, is Santa Barbara Shellfish’s latest venture.
Facing Hendrie Beach, tucked away in a calm area of town, this is a fantastic place for a Valentine’s Day, Birthday celebration, or Family Dinner.
Enjoy their signature breakfast to get your day started right. It is a filling and delicious dish made from well-baked crab cake with hollandaise sauce and poached eggs.
Lunch and dinner are provided daily—their perfect choice for lunch specializing in local lobster, steamed crabs, and ridgeback prawns.
Happy hour runs from Sunday to Thursday with an extensive wine list and cocktails, and parking is free but crowded.
- Address: 2981 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Boathouse
Yoichi’s
Are you looking for a Japanese seafood restaurant in Santa Barbara? Thus, be sure to check out Yoichi’s in the heart of downtown.
Japanese multi-course menu is at the heart of Yoichi’s menu. Enjoy this unique dining experience by taking the Kaiseki menu with eight different courses with the seasonal.
You can find everything from black cod to grilled crabs and other seafood and order delicious sashimi and wagyu beef.
Wine, sake, and beer are also served. So, you can consider one of their other deceptive Japanese wines for dinner.
- Address: 230 E Victoria St, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Yoichi’s
Bluewater Grill
Bluewater Grill is located in the iconic lighthouse across Stearns Wharf and is now a two-level restaurant with a beautiful outdoor patio and an upstairs bar serving some of the best ocean sights in Santa Barbara harbor.
It operates as a chain of restaurants serving fresh seafood in several locations in California and Phoenix, Arizona.
The restaurant has a complete bar with super fresh oysters and fish tacos, whole fried fish, lobster rolls, crab cakes, sea bass, etc.
They also have a separate menu for children under ten called Kid’s Catch. In addition to seasonal seafood, you can pair their brunch menu with beer or local wines that include happy hour.
- Address: 15 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Bluewater Grill
Chuck’s Of Hawaii
Chuck’s has been serving steaks, seafood, and wines since 1967, located at St Street. There is a comfortable bar in the front, and they offer high-quality service for visitors.
Get king crab legs, fresh ahi tuna, or Alaskan halibut from Chuck’s seafood list. There is a broad and award-winning wine list and draft beer.
In addition, you can find light bites here, such as New Zealand mussels or grilled artichoke, and you may consider fried mushrooms or Thai tenderloin made from onions and red bell peppers.
Chuck’s is an excellent place to have a day out, a birthday dinner, or a family party among the seafood restaurants in Santa Barbara.
- Address: 3888 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Chuck’s Of Hawaii
Joe’s Cafe
A historic dining and beverage restaurant, Jose Cafe, is Santa Barbara’s oldest restaurant. Since 1928, it has become one of the favorites for locals and travelers to chat about during cocktails or dinners.
Famous for its great evenings, Jose Cafe changes seamlessly from a community restaurant to a live bar in the evening.
The restaurant’s menu is a modern American favorite with hand-crafted, generous portions. Prime steaks and chops and gourmet lamb are offered for dinner.
You will find fresh seafood such as halibut, salmon wild with almond rice, and fish and chips. Also, they offer classic sandwiches, pasta, burgers, vegetarian inclusions, and salads.
- Address: 536 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Joe’s Cafe
Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood
Situated on State Street, this restaurant specializes in steaks and seafood. Where stocks are always generous, and prices are always reasonable.
The cozy and dark saloon of Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood inspires you to enjoy daily meals in the inspired outdoor patio or dining room.
The indoor spacious dining room adorns with brown leather cabinets, dark wood panels, and fun artwork covering exposed brick walls.
You may anticipate an American menu with hearty offers like seafood (grilled shrimp cocktail, grilled salmon salad, grilled halibut, halibut fish and chips, etc.).
Furthermore, the restaurant’s USDA prime steaks, including charcoal on a prawn or musket grill wrapped in your favorite bacon, complements an extensive menu of wines, a healthy collection of premium spirits, and signature drinks.
- Address: 512 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Holdren’s Steaks & Seafood
Loquita Santa Barbara
Situated on the corner of Yanonali, Loquita is the perfect place to go if you want to dine at the Santa Barbara seafood under a Spanish background.
The restaurant serves authentic food, including cold and hot tapas, wood-fired meats and seafood, and seasonal paella.
The wine list is almost entirely made up of Spanish wines, unique local wines that go well with food.
The cocktail list of Loquita shows a rotating selection of Spanish vermouth, farmer’s market Sangria, handmade cocktails, and the cocktail king of Spain, Gin Tonic.
- Address: 202 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
- Check Website: Loquita
Note: Since all the information in this article is based on the date of publication, for some reason (health, economic, social), these businesses may be temporarily or permanently closed or moved to another location.
