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Santa Barbara Shellfish Company was established in 1980 as a buying station for local Santa Barbara shellfish and fish and a place to sell crab. Over the years we’ve learned how to serve shellfish from recipes my family and I have appreciated and interpreted from our fishermen friends along the many coasts that we have traveled.
Casual waterfront restaurant serving seasonal seafood with ocean views, outdoor patio & fire pit.
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 230 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Phone: (805) 966-6676
Website: http://www.shellfishco.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Shellfish Co. – Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company was established in 1980 as a buying station for local Santa Barbara shellfish and fish and a place to sell crab.
Menu – Shellfish Co.
Official menu for Santa Barbara Shellfish Co Pickup. See the most up-to-date menus with photos and descriptions.
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company – Stearns Wharf Pier
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company was established in 1980 as a buying station for local Santa Barbara shellfish and fish and a place to sell crab.
Reviews
Miu Takeshi
Hands down one of the best seafood spots I’ve been to in Santa Barbara!
The uni was absolutely incredible — we literally watched the chef scoop it straight out of the water. It was so fresh, sweet, and creamy, with zero fishy taste. This completely changed my mind about uni — I never knew it could taste this good!
We also ordered fresh oysters and clam chowder, and everything was delicious. The oysters were clean and briny, and the chowder was rich, warm, and comforting. Every bite felt fresh and satisfying.
Such a memorable dining experience. I’ll 100% come back again next time I’m in Santa Barbara, and I’d definitely recommend this place to any seafood lovers!
… moreThe uni was absolutely incredible — we literally watched the chef scoop it straight out of the water. It was so fresh, sweet, and creamy, with zero fishy taste. This completely changed my mind about uni — I never knew it could taste this good!
We also ordered fresh oysters and clam chowder, and everything was delicious. The oysters were clean and briny, and the chowder was rich, warm, and comforting. Every bite felt fresh and satisfying.
Such a memorable dining experience. I’ll 100% come back again next time I’m in Santa Barbara, and I’d definitely recommend this place to any seafood lovers!
Gabriela Calana
This place is a must if you visit Santa Barbara. The lobster bisque was amazing, one of the best ones I’ve ever had. It was so good that I ordered twice. We also tried the oysters special and the crab cakes, which were very tasty as well. I loved the views of this place. We were lucky to get a nice table outside and the weather was just perfect. Our server was very kind and gave us good recommendations on the oysters special which we loved.
… moreJohnny Auyoung
This place seemed pretty popular for the uni so we definitely stopped by and it did not disappoint! There’s a great waterfront and sunset view here, though we saw that while hanging by the wharf before coming in. There was no wait for dinner for two during santa barbara uni season in the Winter (Jan/Feb). We opted to sit outside, though not all seats have heating so definitely bring a jacket so you dont freeze in your T shirt and shorts like me.
Santa Barbara Uni: $37 for 6 pc of fresh creamy uni, resting on top of scallops which were a bit bitter even with the ponzu sauce, so I ate them separately. You can tell it’s freshly shucked because the spines still moved. Our server, taught us you could “tickle” them by pouring the ponzu sauce over to trigger the spines to move.
Spiny lobster: first time trying this. The main body was simple to eat, but the legs took a lot of work/time and was even harder to extract because of the poky spikes. Came with just 2 onion rings and coleslaw.
The lobster roll and chowder bowls were standard delicious as expected, though they really cooled down quickly eating them in the cold night outside. And the oysters were fresh!
We ordered relatively a lot of food so the total came out to be $120/person.
Overall 4 for food and vibe, 4 for value, but will round up to 5 for friendly chill service from Lucas! Would definitely come back, mostly for the uni.
… moreSanta Barbara Uni: $37 for 6 pc of fresh creamy uni, resting on top of scallops which were a bit bitter even with the ponzu sauce, so I ate them separately. You can tell it’s freshly shucked because the spines still moved. Our server, taught us you could “tickle” them by pouring the ponzu sauce over to trigger the spines to move.
Spiny lobster: first time trying this. The main body was simple to eat, but the legs took a lot of work/time and was even harder to extract because of the poky spikes. Came with just 2 onion rings and coleslaw.
The lobster roll and chowder bowls were standard delicious as expected, though they really cooled down quickly eating them in the cold night outside. And the oysters were fresh!
We ordered relatively a lot of food so the total came out to be $120/person.
Overall 4 for food and vibe, 4 for value, but will round up to 5 for friendly chill service from Lucas! Would definitely come back, mostly for the uni.
Robert Bojorquez
Located at end of pier in Santa Barbara. Small unassuming restaurant. But is rated best place by many locals for fresh shell fish. Loved my linguine and class. Wife enjoyed her lobster roll w onion rings and coleslaw. Cup of clam chowder…all was delicious. Parking available on pier. Highly recommend visit. It gets busy and may have a wait.
… moreGo with Belle
This place is a gem.My husband and I had a weekend getaway in Santa Barbara and one of my friend recommended this place and my hotel was walkable ,So why not give this place a tried.
Food : Can’t get any fresher than this! We ordered spiny lobster,Lobster tacos,linguini clams and steam clams.Everything was fresh,Delicious.They have an open kitchen and cooked it right in front of you.
Service : We went in about 6.30-7 PM on Friday night.It was 65 degree and nobody was in there at all,So we picked a counter bar and the bartender/server came to us right away.He was nice and friendly and always checking on us.
Vibe : Relaxing and chill vibe.Everything was open and we loved it.
Next time we’re visit Santa Barbara.This restaurant will for sure be our first choice,No doubt about it.
… moreFood : Can’t get any fresher than this! We ordered spiny lobster,Lobster tacos,linguini clams and steam clams.Everything was fresh,Delicious.They have an open kitchen and cooked it right in front of you.
Service : We went in about 6.30-7 PM on Friday night.It was 65 degree and nobody was in there at all,So we picked a counter bar and the bartender/server came to us right away.He was nice and friendly and always checking on us.
Vibe : Relaxing and chill vibe.Everything was open and we loved it.
Next time we’re visit Santa Barbara.This restaurant will for sure be our first choice,No doubt about it.
Navita B
Walk up and right your name on the clipboard. It goes much faster than you think. We went on a Sunday for lunch and there were 13 parties in front of us (if I counted correctly, might have been 14). It took about 20mins for our name to be called. Food was good and atmosphere was what you would expect. Nothing was “extraordinary” where I would rate it high to come again. It was priced pretty high but it’s California after all and we are ordering fresh seafood items, so it’s kinda justified. Also parking is free for the first 90mins on the pier. You can also find street parking as well that is 90mins free.
… moreH K
This place is located at the very end of the Santa Barbara Pier, and honestly, the atmosphere is amazing. When you sit on the patio, it truly feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean. There are fewer people around, the ocean breeze is everywhere, the air is cool and refreshing — it’s a very unique and beautiful experience. Atmosphere-wise, it’s a 10/10.
But the food… I honestly don’t understand what happened.
Usually, at restaurants like this — especially when you’re surrounded by seafood on all sides — you expect the dishes to taste incredibly fresh. That’s the whole point of going to a place literally located on a pier. We ordered the clam chowder, a seafood bread bowl, a fried calamari sandwich with onion rings, and drinks.
The clam chowder was actually really good. Creamy, flavorful, comforting — we were excited and thought the rest of the food would be just as great. And honestly, maybe it was a mistake that they brought the chowder first because it set our expectations high… and everything that came after was a complete disappointment.
The seafood bread bowl was basically a bowl of bread filled with sauce — a strong tomato sauce that completely overpowered everything inside. I could taste the bread. I could taste the sauce. But the seafood? Nothing. I could see the mussels, the scallops, the crab pieces, the clams — but they had zero flavor. Absolutely none. It felt like eating bread soaked in tomato sauce, with seafood that tasted like nothing at all.
The calamari sandwich was the same story. The fried coating was nice, the bread tasted like bread, but the calamari itself had no flavor whatsoever. Chewy like resin, absolutely no seafood taste. The onion rings were okay, but that didn’t save the dish.
It was so strange and honestly disappointing. We came there wanting to enjoy fresh, flavorful seafood — especially in a place located on the ocean — but we couldn’t find any actual seafood flavor in the dishes except for the clam chowder.
I wish the experience were different. I wish the clam chowder came last so we could leave with at least one good impression. But unfortunately, everything after it was bland, sauce-heavy, and missing the fresh taste you expect from a seafood restaurant on a pier.
Atmosphere? Wonderful.
Food (except the chowder)? Unfortunately, a big disappointment.
… moreBut the food… I honestly don’t understand what happened.
Usually, at restaurants like this — especially when you’re surrounded by seafood on all sides — you expect the dishes to taste incredibly fresh. That’s the whole point of going to a place literally located on a pier. We ordered the clam chowder, a seafood bread bowl, a fried calamari sandwich with onion rings, and drinks.
The clam chowder was actually really good. Creamy, flavorful, comforting — we were excited and thought the rest of the food would be just as great. And honestly, maybe it was a mistake that they brought the chowder first because it set our expectations high… and everything that came after was a complete disappointment.
The seafood bread bowl was basically a bowl of bread filled with sauce — a strong tomato sauce that completely overpowered everything inside. I could taste the bread. I could taste the sauce. But the seafood? Nothing. I could see the mussels, the scallops, the crab pieces, the clams — but they had zero flavor. Absolutely none. It felt like eating bread soaked in tomato sauce, with seafood that tasted like nothing at all.
The calamari sandwich was the same story. The fried coating was nice, the bread tasted like bread, but the calamari itself had no flavor whatsoever. Chewy like resin, absolutely no seafood taste. The onion rings were okay, but that didn’t save the dish.
It was so strange and honestly disappointing. We came there wanting to enjoy fresh, flavorful seafood — especially in a place located on the ocean — but we couldn’t find any actual seafood flavor in the dishes except for the clam chowder.
I wish the experience were different. I wish the clam chowder came last so we could leave with at least one good impression. But unfortunately, everything after it was bland, sauce-heavy, and missing the fresh taste you expect from a seafood restaurant on a pier.
Atmosphere? Wonderful.
Food (except the chowder)? Unfortunately, a big disappointment.
Val T
I love this place. I’ve been twice now. And I’m sure if I’m ever in Santa Barbara again so passing by, I’m stopping here again. Expect a wait if you’re going a peak times, they get busy!
Food – their clam chowder is so good. Lots clams, lots of flavor. I always ask for extra crackers and they’re also to gracious and kind with giving them. Last time I went I had a cup there and ordered a bowl to go to enjoy at home later on. Lobster roll is my favorite here. Probably the best I’ve had on the west coast. I prefer a squeeze of lemon on mine for an extra fresh kick but it’s still good on its own. Buttery roll. Capers. Chives. Not too creamy. It’s great! Cole slaw is really good, I love that they add pineapple to theirs. And I’ll never say no to onion rings. All their other dishes are good too. Go with some friends so you can order and try different things! (the place isn’t really suitable for large parties though)
Service – soooo nice! Legit everyone (both times I’ve been) is nice. Great service. Fast service. Sitting at the bar top is fun because you get to see the cooks do their thing. We watched one guy have 4 pans of pastas going and it was awesome to watch the action.
Parking – there’s street parking and garages before the pier. But we just go onto the pier and pay for that parking. Driving on the wooden planks is a bit trippy but it’s closer and easy. Both times, didn’t have an issue finding parking on the pier though.
… moreFood – their clam chowder is so good. Lots clams, lots of flavor. I always ask for extra crackers and they’re also to gracious and kind with giving them. Last time I went I had a cup there and ordered a bowl to go to enjoy at home later on. Lobster roll is my favorite here. Probably the best I’ve had on the west coast. I prefer a squeeze of lemon on mine for an extra fresh kick but it’s still good on its own. Buttery roll. Capers. Chives. Not too creamy. It’s great! Cole slaw is really good, I love that they add pineapple to theirs. And I’ll never say no to onion rings. All their other dishes are good too. Go with some friends so you can order and try different things! (the place isn’t really suitable for large parties though)
Service – soooo nice! Legit everyone (both times I’ve been) is nice. Great service. Fast service. Sitting at the bar top is fun because you get to see the cooks do their thing. We watched one guy have 4 pans of pastas going and it was awesome to watch the action.
Parking – there’s street parking and garages before the pier. But we just go onto the pier and pay for that parking. Driving on the wooden planks is a bit trippy but it’s closer and easy. Both times, didn’t have an issue finding parking on the pier though.
Maissah Amin
This place is the real deal. If you want fresh, locally-sourced Santa Barbara seafood in an idyllic setting, this is the spot! Incredible and friendly service. Beautiful ocean views from the patio. And absolutely delicious seafood! Shout out to our server Dominic for the hospitality, he was so kind and gracious and really made our experience. Everything was insanely delicious. Cannot recommend enough
… moreTony Marks
This place hits the spot. Fresh seafood, ocean breeze, and zero nonsense. You’re basically eating right on the water, which already makes it worth the trip. Prices are fair for Santa Barbara’s waterfront, and the 30-minute wait is nothing for food this solid. If you’re passing through SB, this is an easy yes.
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