The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company is known for its freshest seafood selections. Whether you’re looking for lobster, crab, uni (sea urchin), or other shellfish, this restaurant has you covered. This restaurant is located at the far end of Stearns Wharf. During the weekends, expect a line, but it is worth the wait.
The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company Experience
You can access the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company by walking through Stearns Wharf or driving into it (free parking for 90 minutes as of the publication of this blog post). I was nervous about the stability of the planks, but they’re sturdy for the most part, with the ability to withstand hundreds of cars, dozens of restaurants, and all of the people. The restaurant itself can have a waitlist, but it should roll through fairly quickly. Just put your name down, stay nearby, and enjoy the view while you wait for your turn. The service overall was great and fairly quick.
This restaurant is really known for its special menu. Splurge a bit, because you won’t be visiting a restaurant like this fairly often.
Sea Urchin with Scallop
You absolutely need to try their sea urchin with scallop and lime. 6pc for $36, it was definitely not enough because I feel like I can eat 18pc on my own. It is so fresh that you can still see the uni’s spikes moving, which is completely fine.
Scallops Ceviche
The scallops ceviche is what the name suggests: raw scallops that have been marinated in citrus juice, making them edible, paired with diced tomatoes, chives, onion, and cabbage. I am not a personal fan of cabbage, but the portion size of this ceviche dish is HUGE, big enough for you to enjoy on your own as a main dish or share as an appetizer. This dish is served with tortilla chips.
Kumamoto Oysters
Kumamoto oysters are my favorite type of oyster because, although they’re smaller, they’re sweeter and don’t have a fishy aftertaste like bigger oysters. If you’re ever confused about which oysters to pick, always go for the smaller ones. If all else fails, Kumamoto will save you. I got SO SICK of oysters for a bit after having the standard large oysters every day for a week straight. We are SO back.
Fried Seafood
The fried seafood basket comprises fried oysters, shrimp, calamari, and onion (I know this is not seafood), with a side of coleslaw. I am not the biggest fan of this because you can literally order this anywhere. You can choose any combination, or one/two combos… I would say skip if you could.
Lobster Pasta
The lobster pasta was delicious. You get bits of lobster mixed into a plate of pasta. Was it as good as Italy’s pasta? No. Was it good in general, yes, considering. They were pretty generous with the lobster bits. This was all a great spread, and this dish is typically a main, but it’s better if you have it family style, so you can enjoy as much of the menu as possible.
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
230 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93109