Santa Barbara FisHouse — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

Located directly across the street from the Santa Barbara shoreline, we were warmly welcomed by the hostess who graciously gave us a table next a big picture window with a view.

We shared a bowl of clam chowder that was thick and absolutely delicious. For our entrees, we ordered the Crab Louie Salad and the Fish and Chips. The salad was loaded with sweet, juicy crab meat, covering a bed of greens with sliced egg, cucumber, and avocados. The dressing was homemade and truly did not disappoint.

Now on to the fish and chips.... you'll be hard pressed to find a non-greasy fish and chips, but we found one here at the Santa Barbara FisHouse!!! Crispy, tender, and flavorful with a side of tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side. The fries were typical but the coleslaw was unique. I usually enjoy a savory coleslaw instead of sweet, but this one was an exception. Raisins and pineapple bits sweetened the coleslaw but did not overpower it.

Our server, though friendly, could've been a little more attentive, especially since it wasn't very busy during the time we were there. She forgot the iced tea spoons, had to wave her down for another soup spoon even though she knew we were sharing the chowder, and she didn't clear our dishes before giving us the bill nor after we paid for it.

As far as pricing goes, to give you an idea, we ordered 2 iced teas, one bowl of clam chowder, crab louie salad and fish and chips cost us a little over $50.00.

On a side note, the bathrooms were clean, it is wheelchair accessible with the ramp along the side of the building, and only valet parking is available. There are plenty of parking opportunities all around the downtown area should you decide not to use the valet services they provide.

Also, they do have a bar area but since we ate in the restaurant, I can't really comment on that. All I do know is they have a television where they show whatever sport is playing at the moment.

I highly recommend!!! I give it five...

Service - Amazing, our waitress was very sweet and accommodating. I appreciate her patience and grace despite the (valid) complaints we had about the food.

Atmosphere - We walked in with no reservation around 6pm on a Wednesday and were seated immediately. The front dining area near the door was chillyyy. If you are uncomfortable in colder temps, I would recommend that you ask for a table in the back (or note that in your reservation request). I liked the fish tank near the door though, it really upped the decor.

Food - SO underwhelming and disappointing. The clam chowder was inedible. It was an Elmer's gluey, goopy mess. Way too thick, like they added too much of a slurry to it. Sent that back.

Had the blackened sea bass special and the spicy shrimp pasta special. Sea bass was perfectly cooked, seasoned and portioned. The spicy shrimp pasta was basically rigatoni in a arrabbiata sauce with about 5-6 shrimp. While not overwhelmingly spicy to the point your tastebuds will check out for the rest of the evening, I would not recommend this dish to those that start sweating when they see a mild buffalo wing coming, lol. It has a kick to it for sure. I would have loved this dish more if it was a creamy, spicy sauce, but that is personal preference.

The creme brûlée dessert was also horrible. It was severely undercooked underneath the caramelized topping. I have had so, so many creme brûlées, but never one like this. It was like the texture of a jiggly yogurt or pudding instead of a baked custard. I honestly questioned whether it was even baked, smh. Sent that back as well.

Overall, I wouldn't come back here again, nor would I recommend it to anyone given all of the other seafood restaurants in the area. I think this place has so much potential to be great, but the kitchen is currently lacking some much needed...

Honestly one of the worst meals I've had in a long time and my girlfriend agrees. It was such an awful experience, we left Santa Barbara for home instead of spending our Saturday out there after eating here. I ordered a beer and the lobster omlette and she ordered the sea bass, the sangria, and the chocolate lava cake. We also ordered water we had to ask about. The omelette was way overcooked and the lobster tasted rough. Her bass was the biggest disappointment. $35 and she shared a bite with me and I said "that was a potato" and she said "no". Genuinely thought she was mistaken until I realized it. It had absolutely no flavor. First time I've seen this girl leave potatoes behind too. Neither of us finished our food. The sangria had no flavor and that's about the first time in my life I didn't finish a drink for her before walking out. Never got offered another beer, which is fine, but I would have ordered another, because that was the only good thing about the meal, albeit it wasn't from there. The lava cake had a thick ball of chocolate in the center that she tells me was supposed to be melted, I've never had lava cake, so I wouldn't know. I tried a bite and had to cut it with a spoon. I wouldn't eat here again if I spent $50, but I didn't. I spent $105. There's a place 2 businesses down that costs about the same, maybe even a bit less named Blue water Grill and it is at least worth the price. Don't make the mistake of eating here. Seriously. I mistook the bass...