Longboards Grill

This has been a usual stop when we are in Santa Barbara. As a matter of
fact we had our first batch of steamed mussels here and loved them ever
since! It's location, right on the pier at Stern's Wharf, is a good way to
soak up the day. It's an all around casual place. Inside the cantina style
restaurant there's lots of surfer whimsy and a mesmerizing view through
large panned windows of sunlight dancing on an antsy sea. A day of sun on
my skin and plenty of time on my hands and it's "No worries brah." A tall,
refreshing Toes Over The Nose shot is the next logical order of business
with Stoli Raspberry, Absolute Citron, cranberry, 7-up and Chateau Monet
Champagne. The stage is now set to enjoy a Bucket of Steamers or Bucket
of Mussels. They serve them with a cheesy topped sourdough garlic bread,
which is great for sopping up the wonderful broth! Ceviche is simple and
tangy mingled with capers and chopped green olives, set on chopped
iceberg lettuce. The Crab Cocktail had surprisingly big chunks of crab
served a thrilling cocktail sauce that had eye watering amounts of
horseradish. Their Mahi Fish-n-Chips were good, but the homemade
Poppyseed Coleslaw that accompanied it as well as many of their entrees
was addicting! I'm not a coleslaw lover, but this one was rather sweet, not
too drippy with poppyseeds giving it a unique taste. We loved the Maui
Onion Rings which must have been about two inches thick and so sweet.
The beverages are a highlight here, with or without alcohol. Many of them
are offered in souvenir glasses for an additional fee. The Big Kahuna
Cooler is a favorite of ours made with Blue Curacao, Vodka, Rum, Gin, fresh
lemonade and 7-up, as well as the Mean Mai Tai which sounds so good
right now as I type. If you're not into seafood you'll find their burgers, ribs
and various other sandwiches more than accommodating. Though the
fresh ocean breeze will lure you to an outdoor table, be sure to insist on
one with an umbrella. Although they take every precaution to protect their
customers from scavenging seagulls, there was no saving us! We were
dumped on, and judging on the looks of things, it had to have been by a
whole flock of seagulls. It was a repulsive mess, on us, our food and in our
drinks. Even the waiters said they'd never seen it so bad. I was a bit
bothered that they only discounted our meal. Considering our evening
ended at that moment they should have taken care of the whole bill
immediately, while we could rush back to our hotel room to shower.

The downstairs restaurant, "The Harbor" is run by the same management
as "Longboards Grill", but is much more elegant, with a panoramic window
view and much fancier fare.

Located on the pier at 210 Stearns Warf.

Telephone (805) 963-3311