The Anchor Rose

I’m only giving 3 stars because the fish was delicious. They need to improve on quality of the other food items. I got a mojito and surprised to see 2 wilted dark mint leaves . My fish and chips were good but the cucumber on top of the coleslaw is yellowish, old, and taste bad . I don’t want to complain or embarrass the server , she tried her best. Our food was served after 63 minutes of waiting . Bill was $165 still tipped 18% for our server . The vegetables weren’t fresh . Standards should be set in the kitchen to ensure good food quality.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

The setting itself is lovely and I've had good experiences here in the past. However, when we booked for a party of six one saturday morning, there was no hostess to be found when we arrived at the reserved time. Turns out she was off to the side and on her phone and the rest of her vibe was carefree and aloof. We eventually were seated, the service was super slow for being the first ones in the restaurant at the time. We were told some things on the menu would take longer than others, which is okay and we were more than understanding. The food itself was disappointing. The eggs Benedict and the dish came out cold, the canadian bacon was super thick and tough to chew, and the english muffin was as hard as a rock and could not be cut easily with a knife. There are better harbor restaurants in the area that aren't overpriced and terrible.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Honestly, it was okay! We expected worse front the reviews, but I think people are hard on this place because the environment is very dumpy. It's just old and not super well kept, but the food is not horrible/not great, but just good enough; the service was fine! It could be a spectacular place, but maybe this is all the owners want...a super casual/dumpy place for locals. Compared to the rest of SB, it's really cheap and you can't beat the location.

We had a fantastic experience booking a private event at Anchor Rose. We hosted our wedding’s welcome drinks at their downstairs patio. The space was perfect for a large group, had access to a private bar, and came equipped with speakers and a microphone to make the whole evening seamless. The staff (Leilani) was also incredibly helpful at planning the event and responding to our questions about the menu, decorations, etc. Would highly recommend!

Amazing healthy food, friendly service, beautiful view of harbor. Inside and outside seating. Live music often, Good fun.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had really good cocktails (try the Siren Song) and very yummy clam chowder in a bread bowl. The sea bass was cooked excellently but the mango salsa atop it was from unripe fruit and wasn't really any good. That said, we'd go back again and we thought the service was lovely. Great views, loved sitting & watching boats & paddle boards come in. Could've sat for hours.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

I got the Baja Fish Tacos, and they were great! I inadvertently left my jacket, and when I came back for it, it seemed like everyone was waiting for me. Super friendly!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

There is a reason this place is nearly empty when all the other harbor restaurants are full. Went there against better judgement. It took a while before we saw a server, but when she showed she was nice and attentive. Ordered 2 beers, an order of calamari and 2 orders of fish tacos. Calamari was in soggy strips, edible but mediocre. Fish tacos looked ok but they were off - funky/rotten tasting fish. Had a few bites and stopped. Now home waiting to see if food poisoning comes on. What a waste of a great location. It would have been a great candidate for Gordon Ramsay's old Kitchen Nightmares show. The final insult is it's expensive, $80 pre tip for the above order.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 4

The service was exceptional, and the shrimp stuffed chile was excellent. The seabass was slightly overcooked, veggies good and mashed potatoes unexciting. The Kahlua cheesecake was really good.

Good times nice people good music great food and amazing drinks overlooking the water perfect sunset !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It’s so unfortunate because this place used to be so good. Now, unfortunately the food quality has gotten so much worse, the service is now terrible, and the space is very, very dirty. Especially for their prices. In the beginning it had great service, it was clean and the food was great with amazing quality. The prices used to be ok for what you got. Now it’s very much overpriced. 18 dollars for some fish tacos, but it’s bad quality and dirt everywhere. It’s very sad and now Gracie opened next door so maybe they’ll step up their game.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

My seat at the top outside gave a nice view of the harbor. The side Caesar salad was very heavy on the dressing. The salmon size was small and also had way too much sauce on the plate. The food was decent but I feel it was a bit pricey for the portion size; maybe we're paying more for the view?

Anchor Rose is the hidden gem I almost don’t want to share. The harbor view is unbeatable—perfect for sunset while watching the sailboats head out. Drinks are strong and well-made, and the fries are the crunchiest (and tastiest) I’ve found in Santa Barbara. The staff is consistently friendly—special shout-out to Stacy, who’s always kind and lightning-fast. 10/10 spot tucked just beyond the tourist traps.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

View was absolutely beautiful! The table we sat at was in a great location! Hostess was very kind. Our food was not that great though :(

I have never been to a restaurant where every single dish I ordered was terrible.
#1. Clams were ok, but lacked salt and flavor, it was the most decent dish out of all
#2. Clam chowder had a strange color, not enough clams, too much bacon and was too thick. It was curled. It lacked its classic seafood flavor, but a bread bowl was 10/10. I also looked at past reviews from.a year ago and their claw chowder didn't have such color and texture.
#3 steak was charged and this is what makes meat carcinogenic, its crust was weird and dry, but it was not overcooked instead.it came with the worst mashed potatoes I have ever had - not creamy, too thick.
# ahi tuna steak… its crust was too dry, chewy, while the fish remained raw( as it should be) inside. Warm fish was served with cold noodles and cold horseradish mayo sauce - terrible combo of flavours and temperatures, veggies were overcooked. I have to notice that fish was fresh - it is a pity that good quality food is being wasted/ruined like that. I could not eat my food, my boyfriend ate it somehow, we felt bad about recalling the 2 main dishes.
This place has a lot of potential: it is in a beautiful location, they have good service and they have great life music. But they need a new chef who can balance flavors, temperatures, seasonings, and they need a new menu.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5