The Harbor Restaurant is a 12,850-square-foot establishment on two floors that can seat 500 guests. It also comes with 17,000 square feet of wharf parking for your convenience.
The restaurant has a long and storied history, dating back to 1926 when it was originally the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. In 1941, it was purchased by Senator Alvin Weingand and movie star Ronald Coleman and converted into a restaurant.
The Castagnola family purchased the restaurant in 1963, leading it to become an internationally renowned eatery. However, a fire destroyed the restaurant and part of the wharf in 1973. The restaurant was not rebuilt and the site remained empty for eight years.
HIGH TIDE and LOW TIDE
1981-2022
The restaurant was purchased by the Williams family and completely rebuilt in early 1981. It has been successfully running ever since. In 1989, ScottCo purchased the restaurant, which was under the leadership of the Scott family for 33 years until 2022. They launched Longboard’s Grill upstairs and together The Harbor Restaurant and Longboard’s were two of Santa Barbara’s most well-known and highest sought venues during much of this time. Following COVID and other challenges the restaurant reached the point of needing a new chapter to be written.
COMPLETE REBUILD /
2024 REBIRTH
In 2023 Eugenio “Gene” Sanchez and his wife Carolina Jimenez became owners of the restaurant and then, in 2023, Olesya and John Thyne joined the ownership group. Together, Gene, Carolina, Olesya, and John brought to life their vision to restore The Harbor Restaurant and Longboard’s Grill to their Glory Days. Throughout 2024 the new owners have completely reimagined and renovated the restaurant to give it a contemporary look and feel and to elevate the experience for guests with new menus, a fabulous chef, and attentive staff.
Today, The Harbor Restaurant and Longboard’s Grill offer locals and visitors the most amazing over water dining experiences possible with a menu downstairs offering international coastal cuisine using local ingredients along with a stunning ocean-top bar featuring creative and delicious craft cocktails, and several private dining areas for the best memorable events one can have while the upstairs offers more casual dining and a large ocean view bar along with Santa Barbara’s largest outdoor over water dining on Stearns Wharf. This is the place to be!
The Harbor Restaurant is a 12,850-square-foot establishment on two floors that can seat 500 guests. It also comes with 17,000 square feet of wharf parking for your convenience.
The Harbor Restaurant is a popular local eatery located on Stearns Wharf, the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The restaurant offers fantastic views of the Santa Barbara Harbor and Santa Ynez Mountains, making it the perfect spot to watch a stunning sunset.
