Holdren's Steaks & Seafood — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

We came upon this place walking along State street the Friday after the 4th of July. It was a perfect evening for a stroll and a good meal. The lovely hostess at Holdren's was friendly and accommodating, leading us to a nice booth inside which we had requested. It was a little later in the evening so there weren't many customers dining inside. The experience that led to the poor service rating began with waiting 10 minutes for a server to approach our table. Once she did it was obvious there was something amiss. She was scattered, confused, hurried, disheveled and overall a mess. I would describe it as 'twitchy' . I will mention the support staff were AMAZING!!! The food runner and busser were both courteous, on task and capable. Kudos to those two fine young men! Anyway, We ordered the grilled artichoke and a Caesar salad which was not listed on the menu. Both were tasty. Our bottle of wine, however never made it to the table. We observed the server aimlessly walking around clearly having forgotten. Once she figured out she had spaced out on the bottle, she hurried over with the bottle and two glasses in her hand, about 20 minutes later. Upon pouring, it is customary to have the person who orders the bottle to 'taste' the wine by pouring a small amount. She literally forgot what she was doing and poured an entire glass. Rather than paying attention she was gazing elsewhere and we had to halt her from overpouring. Our two entrees were delivered by the efficient food runner that were both perfectly cooked. I ordered the tomato soup, but received the clam chowder instead. I didn't have the chance to tell our server to fix it because I didn't see her and thought it may send her over the edge if I had. What I did notice however, was her drinking an espresso martini at the bar. Hmmmmm interesting. Being a restaurant owner I do not allow employees to stand at the bar obviously drinking a cocktail in uniform while customers are seated. It is incredibly unprofessional and also illegal. Once our dishes had been cleared she stops by and asks what else we may want, I ordered a dessert and an Espresso Martini of which she said..."Yeah, I'm drinking one too!" So, either drinking on the job is ok at Holdren's or she is just absolutely out of her mind admitting that to a customer. Then, I see her taking a 6 pack of beer to the kitchen staff. This all going on while the kitchen was still putting out food. In the meantime, I observe the support staff busily restocking plates, silverware, glassware, clearing and resetting the restaurant while the server is now sitting at the bar twitchily looking at her cell phone. This would have been a 5 star review if the service portion had been legitimate and behaved like the rest of the staff. I may be way off here, but if you are that desperate for alcohol, you may do what everyone in the service industry does and put your drink in a coffee cup so customers don't witness you drinking on the job. The service was sloppy and was left feeling like there was something more than just alcohol abuse...

My husband received an email from Holdren's Steaks and Seafood in Santa Barbara. They were celebrating their 21st Anniversary by offering entrees for $21 at the early bird seating from 4-6pm. When my husband shared this information with me, I knew we should drive up to Santa Barbara for this great special. Last time we were at Holdren's, we enjoyed delicious BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs. They were so delicious I did not want to pass up an opportunity to have some more! We made a reservation for 4pm on the day we were arriving, that way if we chose to we could go back the next night for dinner.  We arrived before they were open but they offered for us to wait inside.  Alec seated us at our booth and provided the menus. We did not even need to consult them. I ordered the Mesquite Grilled Salmon with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. My husband ordered the BBQ Baby Back Ribs with a baked potato. We agreed we would split both dishes so we could try a variety of entrees. Both dinners started with a delicious salad, including tomatoes. The balsamic dressing was perfect with this salad. The entrees were just as great as we remembered. The salmon literally melted in your mouth and the tropical fruit salsa on top just made it even better. The garlic mashed potatoes were served so artistically with a potato chip sticking out of the big pile. The ribs just fell off the bone! They were perfect. Alec, our waiter, was very solicitous!! He kept our water glasses filled at all times which was no easy feat. We talked to him about how busy it had been and he told us they had extended the 21st Anniversary Special through November 22.The ambiance of Holdren's is very relaxed and provides a romantic place to celebrate special occasions. If you love ribs or salmon or other entrees on the menu, I highly recommend this delicious steakhouse in downtown...

After a delightful trip to San Simeon and Hearst Castle, we decided to spend the night in Santa Barbara. Recalling a great Steakhouse from my previous visits, I was drawn to Holdren's. As I explored their website, the familiar name and the photos of the place sparked a sense of nostalgia. Despite the hazy memory of our last visit in 2008, the essence of Holdren's was still vivid, making it a unique and compelling dining option.

So we decided to give it a try and walked about a mile from our hotel to the restaurant. We were seated promptly, and the staff was very friendly. The waitress brought over the menus and took our drink order, a margarita. We were there early enough, so the price of $8 was a really good deal for such a tasty, well-prepared drink.

Our dining experience at Holdren's was a culinary delight. We started with the buffalo cauliflower, an appetizer that was so delicious it left us craving for more. The wedge salad with its flavorful blue cheese was equally delightful. For the main course, the Rosemary blue cheese sirloin was a standout, cooked to perfection and bursting with flavor. Paired with a baked potato, it was a match made in culinary heaven. The Mesquite grilled salmon, my wife's choice, was equally delightful. And, of course, we couldn't resist ordering another round of margaritas. By the time we left, we were in high spirits, grateful for the memorable dining experience.

Our dining experience at Holdren's was not just a meal but a celebration of our 42nd wedding anniversary. It was the best meal we had on our entire trip and the memories we made there will be cherished. I highly recommend Holdren's, and if I'm ever back in Santa Barbara, I surely will have dinner there again, perhaps for another...