Please come back, Breakwater! This is, by far, my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara. The food is amazing, the views of the marina are so relaxing, and the staff is the friendliest. They serve breakfast all day (which is great for vacation vibes but also for those of us with food allergies,) and their ice cream is an institution. When I heard it got bought I worried it was going to get replaced by one of these terrible trendy restaurants that keep trying to move into the harbor and then fail because food and service is so bad. Santa Barbara needs the Breakwater, a place where multigenerations are happy, comfortable and welcome💗
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrew Walkling
Service and atmosphere is about all you get here. Food is bleh, menu isn’t great either. No wait on weekends is nice, but it’s expensive for what it is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Bob Weisz
We’ve been regulars at Breakwater Santa Barbara for well over a decade. While it was never spectacular, it has always been one of our favorite spots for breakfast or lunch by the harbor. Unfortunately, after our experience on Saturday, January 4, 2025, we won’t be returning.
We arrived at 11:30 am to find the patio wet and slippery, which was concerning. The menu had changed, and while we were disappointed to see some of our favorite options gone, we decided to give the new offerings a try. Unfortunately, lunch was a major letdown.
The BLT was disappointing, with undercooked, tough bacon, overly ripe tomatoes, a heap of iceberg lettuce, and soggy, greasy bread. A $3 upcharge for a few thin slices of overripe avocado only made things worse—it just slid around on the already greasy sandwich. The tuna melt wasn’t any better—overly greasy, as were the fries. Adding to the frustration, a Diet Coke was $5, and there was an additional $3 charge for using a credit card.
We later learned that the restaurant is under new management or ownership, which might explain some of the changes. While we don’t mind paying for good food, this experience fell far short of acceptable. It’s disappointing to see a once-reliable spot take such a turn for the worse.
Breakwater, we hope you’ll take the feedback from your Yelp and Google reviews seriously and make improvements. Until then, we sadly won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Richard Jacobsen
Love this place. But..please bring back Non-Alcoholic beer and the Draughtsman Czech Pilsner. Please!! Thanks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish \u0026 Chips, Crab Salad, Sausage and Eggs
Kathy Beck
Always fast attentive service and great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Trisha Herrera
We stopped by for breakfast on our last day of our trip. We just wanted to sit, have some champagne, and relax. That we did. Service was great and very attentive. The ambiance was good, cute table outside with views of the marina. It was an overcast morning but still a great experience. Food was good. Not amazing but tasty. Would definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Trish Wright
We stopped by for breakfast on our last day of our trip. We just wanted to sit, have some champagne, and relax. That we did. Service was great and very attentive. The ambiance was good, cute table outside with views of the marina. It was an overcast morning but still a great experience. Food was good. Not amazing but tasty. Would definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Fran Harrell
Sat on patio...nice fabric type overhead covering (no big free standing cumbersome umbrellas). Beautiful view of harbor. Quiet location. Great breakfast and superb service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Francine Harrell
Sat on patio...nice fabric type overhead covering (no big free standing cumbersome umbrellas). Beautiful view of harbor. Quiet location. Great breakfast and superb service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rosalie Staudenmayer
Great rooftop location with ocean and coastal views; the fish tacos and the white wine were better than expected.
A bit foggy so not too crowded but full by lunchtime. Food was excellent, large portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S. S.
Came here for breakfast on a Sunday. The bill for the two of us was around $40. I tipped an for an even $50. When checking my credit card statement, it appears someone added an extra $3 to the total, total was now $53 even.
Unfortunately, I didn't keep my receipt so I won't be bringing this up with a manager but be warned. This business adds extra to their tips without consent.
I will never be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
J. S. Ard
Perhaps breakfast food is better. Lunch was awful. Ordered fish and chips. Very greasy. No vinegar offered. Cheeseburger is definitely precooked frozen burger. Grilled onions were swimming in grease. Iceberg lettuce!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
teresa henriksen
Friendliest wait staff in Santa Barbara and we bring in 4 dogs!! Revisited summer 2024 and realized management has changed and the menu has changed and everything is 101% better. Love that you can order lunch items at breakfast
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Niang Nuam
They treated me and my five kids poorly! They should be ashamed of themselves. Treating customers horrible and not caring.
Please come back, Breakwater! This is, by far, my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara. The food is amazing, the views of the marina are so relaxing, and the staff is the friendliest. They serve breakfast all day (which is great for vacation vibes but also for those of us with food allergies,) and their ice cream is an institution. When I heard it got bought I worried it was going to get replaced by one of these terrible trendy restaurants that keep trying to move into the harbor and then fail because food and service is so bad. Santa Barbara needs the Breakwater, a place where multigenerations are happy, comfortable and welcome💗
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service and atmosphere is about all you get here. Food is bleh, menu isn’t great either. No wait on weekends is nice, but it’s expensive for what it is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
We’ve been regulars at Breakwater Santa Barbara for well over a decade. While it was never spectacular, it has always been one of our favorite spots for breakfast or lunch by the harbor. Unfortunately, after our experience on Saturday, January 4, 2025, we won’t be returning.
We arrived at 11:30 am to find the patio wet and slippery, which was concerning. The menu had changed, and while we were disappointed to see some of our favorite options gone, we decided to give the new offerings a try. Unfortunately, lunch was a major letdown.
The BLT was disappointing, with undercooked, tough bacon, overly ripe tomatoes, a heap of iceberg lettuce, and soggy, greasy bread. A $3 upcharge for a few thin slices of overripe avocado only made things worse—it just slid around on the already greasy sandwich. The tuna melt wasn’t any better—overly greasy, as were the fries. Adding to the frustration, a Diet Coke was $5, and there was an additional $3 charge for using a credit card.
We later learned that the restaurant is under new management or ownership, which might explain some of the changes. While we don’t mind paying for good food, this experience fell far short of acceptable. It’s disappointing to see a once-reliable spot take such a turn for the worse.
Breakwater, we hope you’ll take the feedback from your Yelp and Google reviews seriously and make improvements. Until then, we sadly won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Love this place. But..please bring back Non-Alcoholic beer and the Draughtsman Czech Pilsner. Please!! Thanks
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish \u0026 Chips, Crab Salad, Sausage and Eggs
Always fast attentive service and great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We stopped by for breakfast on our last day of our trip. We just wanted to sit, have some champagne, and relax. That we did. Service was great and very attentive. The ambiance was good, cute table outside with views of the marina. It was an overcast morning but still a great experience. Food was good. Not amazing but tasty. Would definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We stopped by for breakfast on our last day of our trip. We just wanted to sit, have some champagne, and relax. That we did. Service was great and very attentive. The ambiance was good, cute table outside with views of the marina. It was an overcast morning but still a great experience. Food was good. Not amazing but tasty. Would definitely come back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Sat on patio...nice fabric type overhead covering (no big free standing cumbersome umbrellas). Beautiful view of harbor. Quiet location. Great breakfast and superb service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sat on patio...nice fabric type overhead covering (no big free standing cumbersome umbrellas). Beautiful view of harbor. Quiet location. Great breakfast and superb service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great rooftop location with ocean and coastal views; the fish tacos and the white wine were better than expected.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos
Restaurantji Recommends
A bit foggy so not too crowded but full by lunchtime. Food was excellent, large portions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here for breakfast on a Sunday. The bill for the two of us was around $40. I tipped an for an even $50. When checking my credit card statement, it appears someone added an extra $3 to the total, total was now $53 even.
Unfortunately, I didn't keep my receipt so I won't be bringing this up with a manager but be warned. This business adds extra to their tips without consent.
I will never be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Perhaps breakfast food is better. Lunch was awful. Ordered fish and chips. Very greasy. No vinegar offered. Cheeseburger is definitely precooked frozen burger. Grilled onions were swimming in grease. Iceberg lettuce!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Friendliest wait staff in Santa Barbara and we bring in 4 dogs!! Revisited summer 2024 and realized management has changed and the menu has changed and everything is 101% better. Love that you can order lunch items at breakfast
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They treated me and my five kids poorly! They should be ashamed of themselves. Treating customers horrible and not caring.
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