Longboard's Grill (Santa Barbara)

Longboard's Grill
210 Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

I've been going to Longboard's, on Stearns Wharf, since I was a teenager. Usually I just sit at a table by the window, or, if it's a nice day, on the patio, and have a beer and some fried shrimp. Sometimes I order a ridiculous drink like the one in the second picture (I ordered that and my buddy ordered a pina colada; the waitress laughed and said "You guys are on vacation, right?")

-

But last time I was there I decided I would try their burnt ends sandwich. The menu claimed it was smoked, but it was the only thing resembling barbecue on their menu. I seriously doubted they had a smoker on the premises just to serve this. I was not expecting much at all - this is pretty much a place where everything is either fried or overpriced, average food for the tourists (meaning me.) And the sandwich was pretty much what I was expecting: it was tough, there was no smoke ring, and it was covered in a sweet sauce. At least it was edible, though.

-

Still, you don't pay for the food at this place, you pay to sit there and look out on the water, which is always nice.