The Ellwood at Goleta Beach — Restaurant in Goleta

We were seated inside the main dining room at a small table for two as it was rainy and cold outside. There was a large row of tables for two and they were all tightly grouped together. A little too tight for my taste. Our server removed a lamp we had on our table because there's little room for it when food for two arrives. You also don't get normal sized dinner plates, instead you get something closer to a bread plate because, again, the table just isn't large enough to comfortably accommodate them. The tables are fine for coffee and a muffin, but not for dinner. The atmosphere to me was more like a bustling Italian restaurant, as opposed to the relaxing beach cafe it was. The dining area is a little too congested and it's obvious they're trying to maximize the number of patrons. We ordered the branzino, and it was very good, but was a bit small for two as claimed. The chopped salad was not what I was expecting, but it was excellent. We asked if we could get some bread but the server seemed a bit baffled with this unusual order, so we dropped it. Talking to a manager later, he found a way to deliver. We also ordered a butter cake with gelato desert as our main dish was on the small side. And I would definitely order it again - delicious! Service was quick and attentive, although we had to flag down a server to fill both our empty water glasses. They still have a few bugs to work out, like getting their liquor license, and adjusting the lights up and down a few times while we were eating. You would have thought the details would have been worked out with 2 years of preparations, but they're calling this a soft opening for a reason. The bar area in the back is very nice and has a completely different feel to it. Much more relaxing. The place is pricey, dinner for two ran $120 with no drinks. But I'll come back, especially when they open for lunch and it warms up outside. And I'll ask for a...

Been waiting for a long time for the old Beach side to get rebuilt and newer takes on old favorites. Am interested in construction and am aware of the problems...the build, the site, the permits, the contractors, food licensing, ADT regulations, plumbing, on and on. It is a wonder that this project got approved and finished. So kudos to all involved responsible parties. However,I was disappointed in my experience. The prices were higher than desired, but expected since much money needs to be recouped. No reservations for lunch. I was told the wait was 35-45 minutes. I left and came back at 2pm.........seated right away. Wanted to try some salad and side.Got clam chowder and Caesar Salad. Clam chowder served in a smallish tureen with au gra-teen (as pronounced by server) potatoes at the bottom. The chowder is poured over it...The Caesars salad was good. The chowder was good. Portions were smallish. Cutting the price by 25% would have been more appropriate. Service was ok. First cup of coffee was tepid. Refill at correct temp. Initial plate on table before I sat down had tiny, tiny bits of food still on it. Sent it back. The "house filtered" water was tepid also. Waiter said he lost my ticket, and forget the salad I ordered....ended up paying about $50.tax and tip. Not worth it.....will come back....it is a beautiful space..would really like to enjoy a hearty meal watching a nice sunset experiencing a cool ocean breeze....but will come back when more "standard fare" ( basic steak dinners, more types of fish) is served and prices are commensurate with quality , choices, and prices. Don't want Denny's or IHOP. P.S. The rumor I heard was that the free popcorn that used to be offered at Beach side was going to be retained. Will that be implemented? So final judgement....needs menu tweaking and upgrade in ancillary dining services...will keep watching. Best wishes to all involved in...

I miss the casual vibe (and prices) of the Beachside Bar-Café (RIP) 😢. That being said, I had a wonderful happy hour experience at the Elwood. From the moment we entered, staff were warm and welcoming. We sat outside at the bar, and it was super chill. The ocean view is lovely as always. The HH menu included several raw bar items (love!), so we tried the 1/2 dozen oysters, hamachi crudo, snow crab claws, and veggies with onion dip. I appreciate that the HH menu isn’t a bunch of deep fried items like so many other places.

Hits: -The oysters were fresh and fat, the hamachi was so good we ordered a second round (!), and the veggies were juicy fresh💗. -Presentation was beautiful on all dishes.

Misses: -I wouldn’t order the snow crab again. The meat should be sweet and delicate and it was simply tasteless, though the presentation was great. -The veggies only had a tiny dish of onion dip. We had to order a second plate of chips (which we didn’t eat) to get enough onion dip for the veggies. -Should be ice cubes not crushed ice in drinks. Crushed ice waters the drink down.

Other: -My espresso martini was good, my partner’s marg was mediocre. -The full menu isn’t offered during the happy hour, so we can’t speak to any of the main dishes. This wasn’t an issue for us, but good to be aware of. -For happy hour, you can only sit at the bar (in or outside) and the back patio by the parking lot. -They did a wonderful job renovating the patio. Through the glass, we watched dolphins swim by just offshore. There is a high, clear patio roof for sun protection and plenty of heaters if...