Boathouse at Hendry's Beach Restaurant, Santa Barbara CA
May 31, 2010
Arroyo Burro Beach Park in Santa Barbara, California is located minutes from downtown Santa Barbara and a short drive off the interstate. As you drive into the entrance of the park, you’ll see a cove, surrounded by sand colored cliffs that blend into the narrow beach and breaking waves hitting the shore. You’ll come up to the Boathouse Restaurant at Hendry’s Beach.
The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach offers a variety of dinning experiences from a casual breakfast to an elegant dining experience. The locals refer to Arroyo Burro Beach Park as Hendry’s Beach, hence the name. It’s the newest venture of the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company family, which began on Stearn’s Wharf in 1980. In 1999, FisHouse on Cabrillo was opened with full dining options and now, the Boathouse is the third in the family.
The patio seating area is nicely appointed with table clothes and heating lamps for cooler temperatures. The interior is more upscale with cushiony booths that overlook the water. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and a weekend brunch. Our dinner experience included a generous chile and lime crab cocktail and we had fish entrees that included soup and salad. Our table was on the patio, we arrived early, around 5:30 PM in May for dinner without reservations. We were seated within a half an hour on the patio, with only a clear partition separating us from the sand and view of the beach cove.
Locals enjoy celebrating special occasions with their families. Kids can enjoy the sand and surf while parents wait for their table. The Boathouse location is perfect for watching a colorful sunset while enjoying a selection of excellent foods. Breakfast is more casual, however, their may be a wait. And as you wait for your table, the time passes quickly because the landscape and activities are attention-grabbing.
Kids flying kites, surfers, runners, sun worshipers, walkers and all the traditional beach activities are presents. There is one parking lot parking very close to the narrow beach and there are plenty of easy, paved walkways and benches. The Santa Barbara County Park has activities surrounding the restaurant area, BBQ including bird watching, equestrian trails, fishing, whale watching platform and it newest amenity for dog owners, an easy-to-use, self-service Wripples pet washing and grooming station.
Arroyo Burro Beach County Park is located 5 miles west of Santa Barbara's city center on Cliff Drive near Hope Ranch. From Highway 101 take Las Positas Road south to Cliff Drive. Turn right and travel 1/2 mile to the park entrance. Website: www.sbfishhouse.com/boathouse/dinner.html Santa Barbara Parks Website: www.SBparks.org
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach, 2981 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 - 805 898 2628