Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach

Outstanding setting right on the beach. Dine inside or out. Generous portions and we experienced excellent service. Met up with cousins we had not seen in years stayed for several hours and did not feel rushed at all! Highly recommend this spot!

Seafood is always delicious and fresh. Don’t miss this one!

My boyfriend and his dad literally ran into this place. They went for a morning run and found this place. Cute little place with a great ocean view and even better food! The poke belly eggs Benedict was incredible and the French toast with berries was awesome and beautiful. I love California!

Just went there — outrageous view, terrific food, very reasonably priced, excellent service. Nothing more to say. Negative reviews make no sense in lieu of our experience.

I was torn between 2 or 3 stars on this one. A friend suggested I try this place to celebrate a special birthday. So I made a reservation & drove up with the BF.
My experience was disappointing primarily due to how bad my food was. I ordered the mahi mahi with mango sticky rice. BIG mistake. The fish had no flavor & there was nothing mango OR sticky about the rice. I ended up smothering my fish in bbq sauce to get it down. The Calamari appetizer was decent but nothing to write home about. And the special punch tasted like pineapple juice with crème.
For the caliber of restaurant with waterfront ambience they really should resolve the fly problem in doors. I needed my own personal fly swatter and the window sill appeared to not have been cleaned in days because dead flies were everywhere.
The best thing about this place was the service! Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of our waitress who was super sweet. But Simon was awesome! He pitched in for practically everything & I loved his attentiveness.
Next time I might just go back to experience the beach with snacks minus restaurant dining.

Don’t come here on a weekend if you’re hungry. I say this because we had to wait over an hour to get seated, and then another 40 minutes to get served. The food is good but I suspect they have a small kitchen, as we watched food orders trickle out at a slow pace, contributing to the bottleneck. When our order finally came out part of it was missing.
I ordered a Boathouse Omelet and while I was eating it I found a piece of cartilage, I assume from a lobster claw.
It’s an ok restaurant but I suspect if they weren’t located in the beach they wouldn’t survive.

For those seeing this as the #1 restaurant under dog friendly they must have changed their rules or their current hostess just didn’t want to do it but the DO NOT ACCEPT DOGS. Given the beach is the only off lease dog friendly beach it is and odd policy but be prepared. Bring your own or just go up the road but don’t go here. Not dog friendly at all.

Boathouse is one of my go to places in SB. And I intentionally said places rather than restaurants because if it was just for the food, I would not be a patron.
The view, ambience, and service make up for the mediocre food. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh because I work at a 5 star seafood restaurant so I’m used to getting great seafood at a discounted rate, but Boathouse just doesn’t impress me. So far I’ve had the lobster roll, seabass, clam chowder, and fish and chips. Maybe I’m just not ordering the right things? But then again, those are staples at seafood restaurants so they really shouldn’t disappoint.
Nonetheless, I stop here for happy hour often or when a friend from out of town visits. Can’t deny its a beautiful restaurant, with amazing views, and a friendly staff.

Tried this place out while in SB for the day with some girlfriends. We didn’t have a reservation and because we were hungry we didn’t want to wait for a table so we sat at the bar area. This seemed like a good idea at the time but once the sun started blaring down at us it became a bit uncomfortable. We asked our water if they had an umbrella and he told us they couldn’t move them from the outside dining area. This was a bit disappointing but I guess it was our fault for choosing to sit in that area.
The food was very good, my bloody mary was so yummy, and the view is spectacular! I will most definitely eat here again but next time I will wait for a table with an umbrella or sit inside.

Great spot right at Hendry’s beach, it used to be the brown pelican years ago and it is a good restaurant with excellent service attentive staff fresh made to order seafood and appetizers plus they have a great Happy Hour Sunday through Thursday. 3 — 6

Great beachside restaurant that’s well known for their brunch… although we had just missed it.
Awesome patio seating that’s dog friendly, indoor seating is really open and feels as if you’re sitting outdoors still.
Food was delicious and the seafood was especially fresh. We ordered oysters (2of each kind they had), the fish n chips, and the ahi club. Oysters were exceptional, the fish n chips were perfectly fried, and the ahi club was so so good. Served with bacon, avocado, Cole slaw and pineapple slice… which was honestly the kicker.
Washed it down with one of their specialty drinks: hibiscus Collins. Delish.
Waiters and staff were very kind and cordial, the view of the beach was amazing, and the food was incredible. What more do you need?

Wow what a GR8T place to have brunch! We got here probably around 10:30 and the parking lot was already full so try to get here right when it opens. We also had to wait 30 min, but they give you a beeper and you get to sit and watch the dog beach so it is not bad!
The food/​drinks were really good. We both got the boathouse special which are crab cakes with hollandaise sauce and are delicious. Definetly what you should order. I also got a bloody mary which was good and i also think strong as well. Luckily we got a table with a view of the beach so that was an added plus. Also, Even though the restaurant was busy the service was fast and friendly and we got our food quickly.
I would definetly recommend to anyone looking to have brunch in Santa Barbara, just get here early for parking reasons!

Wife had the scallops. There were only 4. She left hungry. My sons and I had the steak. Each of ours were tough and no flavor.
Asked for extra bread. It never came. Mixed drinks were over priced and very weak.
If you’re not interested in quality, but are looking for a view, then this is the place for you.

I was taken here by one of my hosts when in the city on vacation — she told me this is the place she brings all her guests when they come to Santa Barbara, and I can see why! It was a chilly night so we sat inside instead of on the patio, but there are still huge windows and stunning ocean views.
Everyone who served our table was very polite and attentive; in fact, the service was so quick that our food got to the table before our waitress had even brought out the bread basket! (We got one a few minutes later.) And when one of our party asked about the bacon/​shrimp garnish that was missing from her Bloody Mary, which apparently only comes in the «signature» Bloody, our waitress quickly brought out bacon and shrimp for her. She was also very nice about taking a photo of our group before we left.
I had the scallops with lobster and crab risotto and broccolini. Scallops are a huge favorite of mine, and these were tender and delicious. Definitely a thumbs up from me. We couldn’t agree on a dessert so, of course, we had to get two: bananas foster and a brownie sundae (and an espresso martini, of course). The martini and both desserts were delicious… I’m definitely partial to chocolate, but the bananas foster was also very good.
Overall, my visit to the Boathouse scratched the itch I had for a California seafood experience. Great food and great views — who could ask for more?

Great seaside eatery! We came here on a cloudy day but the outdoor seating area was still really enjoyable. It’s a short drive away from downtown SB but totally worth it.
The ahi was the stand out dish here. It came out beautifully plated and the light sauce was a great complement to the softly seared and peppered ahi. Their drinks were also delicious and the sand was just two steps away for a post-​brunch beach day.
Perfect setting for a gathering of any kind, and one of my favorite spots in SB!

A few coworkers suggested to check out The Boat House. So My husband and I came for his birthday brunch yesterday. Upon checking in with the hostess we were seated right alway. Although we didn’t have an ocean view on the patio it was still pleasant with warm weather and the waves crashing in the background.
Our server & food are the reasons for 3 stars. After we ordered our server did not check back with us until we asked for the check. The food runner placed our food down without checking if we needed anything… I would have LOVED ketchup and hot sauce, but instead she rushed off in a hurry. Our waters remained unfilled as we dined.
The food was good but I prefer The Fish House or Shellfish Company better. It seems like they take more time to ensure its plated properly and up to the standard.

Not only great views right on the beachside but great food as well!
(inside or outside patio both should have great views/​restaurant is not too big and most seats are along the edge next to huge windows)
Small beach parking lot seems crowded but empties fairly fast/​waited 20 – 30 min strolling the beach after putting name on the wait list
Ordered for 4/​Saturday lazy lunch:
Fried calamari
Local rockfish ceviche
Fish tacos
Cioppino
Boathouse seafood pasta
With exception of the ceviche, every plate was great, wothy of a seafood fix!
Personally picked Cioppino and we couldnt stop sipping the soup… Its not exactly tomato sauce and its not exactly tomato soup — Its the perfect stew w tomato garlic and seafood juices… yummy yummy yummy!
Not a usual fan of fish tacos (tastes too americanized) but these were good — there are 2 big tacos so you can figure out how to split among 4 people… Er?
Ceviche was good but not enough fish and too much cabbage… Why cabbage in a ceviche?!? Why?!? (Or was it lettuce… Dont remember).
Pasta — ample amount of seafood w good marinara cream sauce
We were stuffed and chilled on the beach after!
The only downside: i had to tell them to place toilet seat covers like 3 times to 3 diff ppl until they finally put it in. Really, do i need to wait like 30 min just to go to the bathroom? Hosts in the front — dont nod and smile if you’re not gonna do it.

The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company family began on Stearn’s Wharf in 1980. Originally a fresh seafood wholesale operation, It was a popular place for lunch.
The Shellfish Company specializes in steamed crab, local lobster and ridge back shrimp.
In 1999, they opened the Santa Barbara FisHouse on Cabrillo ave, their first venture into the full dining.
Now with the Boathouse they have 3 oceanfront seafood restaurants.
So of course now we will have to try out the other two! Since they have similar menu items maybe lunch at one and dinner at the other,
We had stopped here before for a drink during a «Yelp Event Christmas Lights bus Tour»
Today we decided to give the breakfast a go so we got a table on the patio with a great view of the ocean. bring on the food!
I will always go for the Eggs Bene, and they have like 3 to choose form and the signature breakfast too!
Of course as always, we pre taste the hollandaise which was a bit more buttery than most I have had. I don’t think this would have worked with well with Canadian bacon, it did however compliment the black forest ham very well.
I got the CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT Served on a toasted English muffin, poached eggs, black forest ham, citrus hollandaise & Boathouse breakfast potatoes super amount of flavor and lots of garlic in the taters too.
My Partner in crime got the BOATHOUSE SIGNATURE BREAKFAST fresh poached eggs over fatty homemade crab cakes, with a tasty Chipotle hollandaise, fresh avocado, pico de gallo & Boathouse breakfast potatoes.
I gotta throw down 4 stars on this one as both of of our plates came out with basically hard boiled eggs and not the normal poached to perfection runny goodness we expect in a poached egg.
We summoned our server and she said oh that’s not right, then she was quick to take our plates and bring them back with perfect eggs in like 3 minutes. a big plus leaving no time to stew over the failed eggs.
The whole staff and service was great they all worked well together.

Looking for some legit fresh seafood by the beach? This is the place!
Ordered the calamari appetizer and salmon entrée. My sister ordered the seafood pasta.
The calamari was light and fresh– not greasy at all. Fair portion for $ 10.
My salmon dish was delicious. The fish itself was VERY well seasoned and paired well with the spinach and asparagus. The lobster mashed potatoes was good BUT it was served a bit lukewarm compared to the hot salmon and veggies– $ 27.
The seafood pasta was very good and they gave more than fair portions of scallops and fish– according to her/​$ 23.
We were very pleased with the food. Our server was nice but he forgot to refill our drinks/​waters multiple times.

We stopped here for a potty break during a «Yelp Event Christmas Lights Tour». Unfortunately I didn’t see much of the restaurant nor did I try any of the food. However the restrooms were very clean and located outside the restaurant a few steps away.
I remember the bartender was quick to serve us and everyone seemed cheerful.
On my next trip to Santa Barbara I will visit this location to provide a more detailed review. However I didn’t want to leave them out of the tour because they were friendly and provided us with quick service and great cocktails.