Brophy Bros.

Aside from the surprise factor of its cheap price especially in a popular SoCal town (Only $ 10 per entrée!), Brophy Bros is seriously one of the best American seafood restaurants I have been!
First off, we were unintentionally bad customers for coming in an hour before closing because of unexpected Christmas hours but the waiting staff was still super nice in accommodating for our family’s unconventional Christmas dinner. Like I said before, we were surprised how cheap this place was despite being in such a beautiful waterfront property in SoCal, and the food was also stellar!
My choice of beer-​battered fried shrimps were really on-​point! Even though it was the chef’s last batch before they were dismissed for Christmas, the shrimps were still fried to perfection with the beer batter added a crunch without the greasy feeling. Definitely one of the best fried shrimps I had!
Really, Brophy Bros is flawless to me! I highly recommend making this your first meal choice in Santa Barbara for its excellent food, stellar service, and cheap pricing on top of a great harborside view!
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tl;dr version:
1) Awesome seafood restaurant by SB Harbor
2) Excellent service even at the closing hours
3) Delicious seafood at surprisingly Texas-​level pricing

This place was good but I think the nearby Santa Barbara Shellfish Company is much better. They are pretty pricey, we paid $ 22 for a plate of crab cakes, which were delicious but not the best I’ve ever had. I also got a hot combo plate, which came with two oysters, a few mussels, clams, etc. I normally LOVE shellfish, seafood is my favorite type of food. I could sit and eat an entire bowl of clams and mussels. The mussels here though were that great quality, they had undigested kelp or something in it, and also sticking out grossly so it was a grisly texture. The clam was better but I still sometimes chewed bits of the shell and would get an unpleasant crunch. Definitely not good for your teeth. They did serve an excellent sourdough that was really good with the clam chowder.
This place is really great for the view and atmosphere but their food I expect for their price point to be a LOT better.

I came here on a day trip to Santa Barbara with my boyfriend. The location is great, right on the marina, and if you’re lucky enough to get an outside table the view’s very nice. We ended up sitting inside though, because we were both hungry and that was first available.
Before we sat down, we ordered drinks at the bar. I had a dark and stormy, which was mainly rum and ginger beer and was delicious, and my boyfriend got a Bloody Mary which he thought was great although it was too peppery for me. You can eat at the bar if you don’t want to wait for a table, which is a nice option.
Once we got our table, we ordered ceviche to start followed by a tuna poke salad for me and cioppino for him. The ceviche was good, with a nice flavor and lots of fish, and the cioppino also did not skimp on the seafood and had a wonderful rich soup base. My tuna poke salad was okay; the tuna was good quality but otherwise it was pretty boring. If we come back here I’ll order a proper fish dish instead of just a salad.
The place was very busy but the service was good. The bathrooms are kind of a pain to get to, you have to go outside and downstairs for them and they’re not the cleanest. Other than that and the boring tuna salad I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a good seafood place in Santa Barbara near the beach.

It is worth the wait to sit outside (though we got lucky and didn’t wait long). I recommend any of the sample appetizers. The garlic baked clams are incredible, as are the steamed/​boiled shrimp, clams and mussels. I ordered the ahi salad for my entrée, and wish I’d ordered the beer boiled shrimp instead. The clam chowder is by far the best I’ve ever had. Skip the crab cakes.

Went here for a late v-​day lunch with a friend. We ordered the fish n chips and the fried shrimp.
Upon entering there was only one, very busy, waitress. We didn’t know if we were supposed to wait to be seated so we asked someone already eating. Found a place to sit on our own and waited for the waitress. After 15 mins we found out you have to go to the corner of the bar to order and they being the food to you.
First, the fish n chips. Nothing bad but not amazing. I wouldn’t order them again.
Then the fried shrimp; AMAZING. I will come back again for the shrimp.
Maybe this place would of been better if I drank.
Still worth a visit.

When I want to put seafood in my mouth, Brophy Bros. is the place I go!
When you’re feeling extra hungry but don’t want to end up with a big old tummy order the poke salad! …If you’re on a date and trying to kiss ass order the seabass!
Something to know:
~dinner hours, the place gets busy and they provide you with one of those vibrators. .(while that might pass the time) get your mind out of the gutter, its not for that.
Finally, if you survey 1000 Santa Barbarians, chances are extremely high Brophy Bros would be selected as the #1 restaurant based on price, dining experience and value.
Yep, it’s tasty!

Brophy Bros. serves some great seafood with a great view. I actually came for dinner and it was unfortunately too dark to see too much outside, but it’s location along the docks would be great in the daytime.
It’s not too large, and we were told that there’d be a 1 – 1.5 hour wait. However, there was a downstairs bar where we could drink at while we waited, and were seated in just 40 minutes.
The bloody mary at the bar was spicy and strong and very good. I asked for it with ghost chili infused vodka, which they filled to nearly 2/​3rds of the glass, and it had 2 generous scoops of horseradish to add to the kick.
As for the food:
Peel and Eat Shrimp — Fresh and bursting with flavor! A very simple dish of cold unpeeled shrimp and cocktail sauce, but the quality of the seafood made it an excellent appetizer.
Clam Chowder — Very meaty with lots of hunks of clam. Hearty, savory, and creamy, it made a good contrast to the cold, refreshing shrimp.
Ahi — Various patrons and the staff all recommended this dish, and it was definitely the right choice. It’s very lightly breaded with cashews, although the nutty flavor doesn’t overpower the fish at all. Raw on the inside and lightly seared, it had a great firm texture, extremely fresh flavor, and went well with the buttery tarragon sauce. Overall a really surprisingly good dish. Also came with a tasty cole slaw and an okay rice pilaf.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Brophy Bros. for a delicious, casual seafood experience.

We were looking for a great seafood restaurant for dinner and were directed here by a local. Brophy Bros is a casual joint by the water serving delicious and fresh seafood fare. The restaurant itself has outdoor and indoor seating but is not too large and the wait can be long. We were advised that there would be a 1 – 1 ½ hour wait and so we went downstairs for drinks to pass the time. Bartenders there were super friendly and the drinks (Bloody Mary and margarita) were good and very strong. We were happily surprised when our pager buzzed after only about 40 minutes.
For dinner we ordered:
Peel-​and-​eat shrimp: good portion of cold unpeeled shrimp served with cocktail sauce. Simple but very well executed. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and incredibly fresh.
Ahi: Neither one of us were originally considering this as our main entrée, but both of us ended up getting this because of the enthusiastic praise from the guys at the table next to us and the servers. So glad we did! Ahi is encrusted in roasted cashews and seared. The cashew flavor is extremely mild and didn’t overpower the fish at all, it just added a great crispy coating to contrast the texture of the fish. The tuna is sashimi grade and incredibly fresh and not fishy at all. Easily finished the dish. It’s also served with your choice of two sides. I chose the rice pilaf which was decent and the coleslaw which was really delicious and refreshing. You also get a choice of clam chowder or salad before the ahi.
As a sweets lover I was shocked to find out that they don’t serve any desserts here. They stick to seafood, but they do it so well that I guess I’m ok satisfying my sweet craving elsewhere. Would like to come back here for lunch or at sunset and sit outside. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area and looking for some bomb seafood.

Drove out to Santa Barbara for lunch. We had Brophy Bros for their seafood and wasn’t disappointed. During the weekend you’ll probably wait for a table a little longer. Even on a weekday for lunch, we waited for a patio table (outside) for about 30 minutes. It’s worth the wait though… you get an awesome view of the little harbor and the SB Pier.
The seafood was good. Plus they had the Anchor Steam (SF beer)…you gotta try it!
Oyster Rockefeller… delicious. The chowder is also good. My friend had the Mahi Mahi which was good as well. I liked the side of mango salsa that accompanied the fish.
The service was good. Just didn’t like sitting outside next to the standing bar. The people standing around drinking were a bit too close to our table.

After seeing the Oyster Rockefeller on Unilocal we had to try it out!
We showed up at 10:30 because we were checking out soon and good thing we did. The restaurant opened at 11 and there was a line already.
We were promptly seated and ordered the:
Baked Clams — Decent. I didnt like it that much.
Oyster Rockefeller — Very good. Almost like a Spinach Artichoke Oyster
Dozen Oysters — Fresh
Fish & Chips — Good
Clam Chowder — Very Good. Lots of fresh Clams
Fried Calamari — Good
Ahi Poke Salad — Very Fresh. Loved it
Cocktails
Bloody Mary — Sucked. One of the worst Bloody Marys I’ve had
Dark & Stormy — Good
Hurricane — Decent
Hot Press — Spicy but no flavor
Overall the food was Good and the drinks weren’t horrible. I may come back if I’m ever in the area.

Love! Love! Love this place!!! If you are in Santa Barbara, you have to check this place out! It is located at the Santa Barbara pier with an amazing view of the beach and pier!!! Best place is to eat outside on a nice warm day! I would highly recommend coming early because the place isn’t too big and it gets crowded pretty fast!
Gotta order the clam chowder. The clam chowder is one of the best I have had in a really long time. I love how they give you tons of fresh clams. You know it’s fresh clams when it’s not salty but sweet instead. They also served the soup real hot and they give you unlimited baskets of bread to dip with!!! So good and I’m always craving for more.
The crab and shrimp salad was also really good. They use fresh crab meat and the avocado complements very well together. They toss the salad with a special made dressing such was tangy cocktail blend. Goes well with the seafood.
Overall the service, food, and venue was exceptional. The waiter checked on us several times and was super friendly. I would come back again when I’m back in town! enjoy!

Uma boa experiencia! Sempre cheio, um pouco barulhento, porém com vista para o mar! Infelizmente pegamos uma mesa dentro e nao tinhamos a vista! Meu marido acertou em cheio no pedido!

Wir hatten nicht reserviert, kamen am späten Nachmittag an einem Samstag. Mussten 10 Minuten warten und bekamen einen tollen Tisch mit Blick auf den Hafen.
Gute schnelle Bedienung, wurden direkt gefragt, ob man uns etwas auf der Karte erklären soll.
Haben Fish and Chips und Fried Shrimps bestellt, gab es jeweils mit Pommes. Die waren wirklich gut, nicht so gesalzen wie sonst so oft und definitiv selbst gemacht!!! Sah man an der Schale teilweise! Dafür drei extra Sterne!
Schmeckte alles super! Preise waren naja, relativ hoch, aber bei der Lage am Hafen und in Santa Barbara…
Einzigen kleinen Abzug gibt es für die extreme Lautstärke, da dort essen und Bar und Küche alles eng aneinander bzw ineinander liegt.

Good view from 2^nd floor balcony! Waited half hour for Friday lunch time.
Good sized clam chowder & house salad for $ 11. The cold combo — we were able to get extra crab meat + ceviche (leaving out cold clam and oysters) ended up coming out as a huge meat platter good for 3 people. Mussel appetizer was served with a white wine sauce on side. It tasted like old white wine sewage. I never ever send dishes back to save myself looking like an asshole but I’ve had tons of mussel dishes and this was bunk.
Maybe the main dishes like mahi & other fish are the go to here. I would try again but this visit was not all that impressive.
Atmosphere is super casual overlooking beautiful commercial fishing dock. Bustling and loud.

I’d give this place a 3.5. It wasn’t amazing but it was good. First of all, if you sit outside the view is amazing. If you’re in Santa Barbara you might as well enjoy the view at all times. It is a little difficult because they allow people to stand around the bar outside but that means they’re extremely close to the outside tables. A little intrusive actually.
The service was good. No complaints there. The upstairs full restaurant is not that big so you may have to wait for a table. We waited for about 25 minutes so not too bad.
Some of the food was considerably better than some other food. The fish and chips were good but nothing to brag about, even though it’s one of their most popular dishes. The salmon salad was really good. To me, it’s a must have at this place. We also got the fried fish as an appetizer and that’s a total pass. Just not worth it.
This place is reasonably priced and they give you bread as an appetizer. The drinks were strong and not overpriced. I would go here again but I would be careful about what I order.