On The Alley image

On The Alley

Restaurant Breakfast restaurant American restaurant Seafood restaurant

👍👍 Well first off I want to say good luck finding parking. There is paid parking but no one wants to pay when it's free. I was craving fish and Chips and a local recommended I try On The Alley. We arrived and placed my order right away. I spent $20 for fish and Chips and a drink. We luckily got a table... People often mention fish, chips, great, good, delicious, fresh, taco, tacos, time, salsa,


Address

117 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, United States

Website

www.onthealley.com

Contact

+1 805-962-6315

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (608 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Saturday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Sunday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Monday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Tuesday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Wednesday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Thursday: 6:30 am to 7 pm
  • Friday: 6:30 am to 7 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: fish (34) chips (19) great (13) good (10) delicious (7) fresh (7) taco (7) tacos (7) time (6) salsa (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Daniel R. 1 year ago on Google
    Well first off I want to say good luck finding parking. There is paid parking but no one wants to pay when it's free. I was craving fish and Chips and a local recommended I try On The Alley. We arrived and placed my order right away. I spent $20 for fish and Chips and a drink. We luckily got a table, (you will struggle for seating) and as everyone got their food, I didn't. I went up to the front desk and inquired about it. There was a mix up and they refunded my order and still gave me my food. Less than 5 minutes later I received my food and I must say it looked delicious. The batter was crunchy as can be and when you dip it in the tartar sauce, the flavors just melt in your mouth. With great customer service and great food, this restaurant is a must. I haven't had such great fish and Chips in a while and I must say, On The Alley, you have exceeded my expectations and I will find my way to your restaurant in the near future.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mr. G. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place. Only went there one time, but I feel like we stumbled upon a really great local spot. The clam chowder was fantastic, and the service was surprisingly fast.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sevda P. 2 years ago on Google
    Good quality food at a reasonable price! Our number 1 to go place for the clam chowder soup bread bowl, fish n chips is also delicious at this place. The only thing is that it is usually busy and there is a pretty long waiting time, plus no guarantee for a seat!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Klaus B. 2 years ago on Google
    Great fish and chips, super fresh and tasty. Delicious burrito as well. Overall a great experience. A hole in the wall fun place with outside seating, partial view on the Harbour. Thirteen dollars for the Fish & Chips with fries and eight for the burrito is st. Barbara pricing. Little high.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Allen C. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a place that people can come to try fresh sea urchins and oysters. my first time to try those stuff. it's not so bad. some people like it and some people don't.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Nikhil J. 4 years ago on Google
    We tried the Crab Cake Burger, the patty was tasty but the burger felt slightly dry. The place has a nice ambience of the harbor and great outdoor seating. House made potato chips were heavy!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dan N. 5 months ago on Google
    Just had the fish taco. Was great and reasonably prices. Kinda like good fish from a fish and chips place in a soft shell with avocado and great sauce.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris F. 1 year ago on Google
    Always a great stop for good (Brophys) Food. If you haven't had the recently upgraded Burger .. I highly recommend stopping by. Yum yum fresh bun good
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lori A. 2 years ago on Google
    May be my favorite spot so far. The Baja fish taco was outstanding. Coupled with the tots and a cold beer. Sitting outside in the cool air overlooking the boats and mountains made this spot extra spectacular. Everything was hot and fresh even at 2 pm. They definitely make to order. Well done. The birds are probably the only downfall. Some spray water bottles might be a great addition to the tables.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 V O. 1 year ago on Google
    On The Alley has my favorite fish tacos in town - right by the marina/beach area - dank! 🤘🏽😎🔥
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hallie M. 6 months ago on Google
    Some of the best tacos and fish & chips I’ve had. Everything was really good. We took it to go and ate it overlooking the beach. It was perfect.

  • 5/5 M L. 7 months ago on Google
    Wow this food was delicious. Quality is Top Notch! The Fish Taco has pickled onions, which added this amazing pop of flavor. I never knew something so simple could make a fish taco so complete. All the flavors were so cohesive. The grilled shrimp tacos were equally delicious, if not even better. The mango salsa & the flavors just mesh together so well. I really have never had seafood that tasted so good. The fish & chips...cost $16...because they give you literally 6 inch long fish pieces. I was shocked to see such large pieces of fish! It was very much appreciated & the fish was so fresh. Myself & my family all ended up sharing the fish & chips after we left. Really it could be a meal for 2 or even 3 (we ordered it thinking it'd be a meal for 1). Everything was cooked/grilled/fried to perfection. As a Central Coast local, I will say this is the best seafood I've personally ever had. So glad we chose to come to On The Alley. Will definitely be returning! & walking along the Marina was an added bonus. It's a wonderful experience to eat your fresh seafood outside, overlooking all the boats. A real beach town restaurant. The ocean is literally next door. Wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend!

  • 5/5 Lise-Mari G. 6 months ago on Google
    Good portion for lunch, loved the batter on the fish and fries were perfect (not too salty). Calamari had good seasoning. Enjoy the views while you wait, it's a popular spot for a good reason.

  • 5/5 Elizabeth L. 5 months ago on Google
    We took a day trip to Santa Barbara and wanted some fish for dinner. We found On the Alley and are so happy we did. It is a little place and you can eat indoors or out. It is not too expensive and everything we had was amazing. My husband loves fish and chips and I tried his and the batter was perfect and the fish so fresh and tasty. We also had fish tacos and boy were they good. We had tator tots and a few other items. All were great and we were full when we left. The service is very nice and fast. The place is clean, parking is easy. Have a great time

  • 5/5 Melissa C. 7 months ago on Google
    Delicious food and friendly, knowledgeable staff! I love good crunchy fries, and these don't disappoint.

  • 5/5 Anna T. 4 months ago on Google
    If you had asked me if I liked fish and chips before tonight, my answer would have been a non committal shrug. But these fish and chips were absolutely the best. Those combined with the clam chowder and the fish taco made for an absolutely delicious meal.

  • 5/5 Leonard E. 9 months ago on Google
    Best fish and chips in a long while! Service was excellent and dog friendly.

  • 5/5 Rufina M. 9 months ago on Google
    A must stop when you're in Santa Barbara. The fish and chips are perfectly fried.

  • 5/5 Emily R. 1 year ago on Google
    Got a late start and all the other breakfast/brunch place we liked had already stopped serving. Found this place since their full menu is served all day. Based on other reveiws we got the breakfast burritos and waffle sticks, and they did not disappoint. The unexpected gem of our trip was their margarita! Strong with lots of lime, and tasted like it was handcrafted (not just a mixer with a shot of tequila). Can't wait to go back!

  • 4/5 Jonathan W. 1 year ago on Google
    Restaurant is order at the counter, tables are all outside. The fish and chips come from their main restaurant Brophy Bros, located upstairs. We had the clam chowder bowl which came with 2 slices of bread, a side salad, and fish and chips for 2. The fish was hot, flaky, came with cups of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce. Their fries were much too salty unfortunately which was the only negative of the food. Worth going to if the wait at Brophy Bros is too long!

  • 1/5 Christian R. 1 year ago on Google
    I am speaking from experience, if you are okay with staff being underpaid and not really motivated and little to no communication from the chef. I'm sure some experienced low options due to not ordering the proper ingredients. I really loved my 4 years here up until new management, I have seen great workers leave from unfair work habits. Just remember if the consistency isn't there then the cooks motivation isn't truly there6

  • 5/5 Zach W. 2 years ago on Google
    Delicious and very filling breakfast. Enjoyed probably the biggest breakfast burrito, filled heavily with eggs, chorizo, and potatoes. We also enjoyed some wonderful French toast and waffles. Staff was very polite. We would certainly feel comfortable returning in the future.

  • 5/5 Patty B. 2 years ago on Google
    Got lucky with no long line this time. You go inside to order, wait outside & they being you your food, which was very tasty. Would have been nice to provide some spicy salsa, or even small containers of chunky salsa with the fish tacos. They had containers of ketchup to pick up, but not of salsa. But when they were asked, they gave us some chunky salsa. We were surprised to see they added tortilla chips with the taco, and potato chips with the wrap, which my husband raved about being so delicious. Outside seating was very limited.

  • 5/5 Sharif M. 3 years ago on Google
    Amazing tacos awesome value right by the fish market and pier. Probably the best fish tacos in Santa Barbara. The cheese, sauces and salsa are savory and delicious. Vegetarians can get the fried avocado 🥑 🌮

  • 4/5 TheFood C. 2 years ago on Google
    Tried these last week , alley burger and the fish and chips . Definitely like it

  • 5/5 Megan J. 2 years ago on Google
    My boyfriend and I stopped here for lunch on the way to San Francisco. The service was fast, the food incredible (I ordered a Baja shrimp taco and it came with chips and pico de gallo. The chips and pico aren’t anything to write home about, but my god, the taco. I’m still salivating 18 hours later), and the views and environment better still! I’m definitely coming here next time I’m in Santa Barbara


Call +1 805-962-6315 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed
  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Breakfast
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
    • ✓️ No-contact delivery
  • From the business
    • ✓️ Identifies as women-owned

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