It was a long wet winter around here, and if that trip to Cabo just wasn’t in the cards, the good news is we’ve got our own slice of Baja right here at Santa Barbara’s Leadbetter Beach — better known as the Shoreline Beach Café.

Any self-respecting beach community has got to have some beachfront bar/restaurants (looking at you, Los Angeles) and Santa Barbara is blessed to have several.

Only the Shoreline, at 801 Shoreline Drive, offers that authentic “toes in the sand, margarita in your hand” scenario.

“Regulars know to grab a drink at the takeout bar, and bring it over to the Adirondack chairs (hereafter, ‘The Chairs’) on the sand,” general manager Cameron Pyles said.

“It’s like a mini-vacation,” he added. “It’ll take your mind off of real life for a while.”

The Shoreline began life in 1997 after owner Steve Marsh returned from his travels in Baja. He was inspired, Pyles told us, by a place called “The Office” in Cabo that had a unique vibe.

Marsh wanted to create a version of that here in Santa Barbara.

“A lot of our menu is Baja influenced,” Pyles explained. “Our No. 1 best seller is still the Baja-style fish tacos, and all our salsas are handmade in-house.”

He describes the food as “California cuisine, which to us means fresh ingredients, seafood as local as possible, and great produce year round.”

Pyles, a Santa Barbara native whose background includes extended stints with the Morton’s The Steak House and Water Grill organizations, got a challenging introduction to life as a beachfront restaurant manager.

He started in late 2017, right in the midst of the Thomas Fire and the deadly January 2018 flash flooding and debris flows in Montecito that rocked the community.

“Weather is the biggest factor for us, since we’re all outdoor seating,” said Pyles, who is in line to assume an ownership role in the near future.

“But Steve has been an incredible mentor to me. He gave me support and the time to really learn the business.”

In 2020 came the COVID-19 pandemic, and while it was a hardship for all restaurants, it proved in some ways a blessing for the Shoreline, located at the base of Loma Alta Drive across from Santa Barbara City College.

“We were lucky to have been already set up for takeout, and during COVID our bar and takeout business doubled and has stayed at that level,” Pyles said.

Speaking of cocktails, it’s all about “The Chairs.” For dining, the Shoreline has plenty of patio (with heaters!) and on-the-sand beach seating, but its “bar area” is the big Adirondack chairs around to the right on the sand.

“We do lots of monthly special drinks and encourage our bartenders to be creative, but our best-selling drinks are still the mai tai, which has been on the menu since we opened, and the Shoreline Margarita,” Pyles said.

“In the winter, we have the most amazing sunset views from ‘The Chairs’,” he added.

We at Team Let’s Go Eat have been guilty in the past of taking this local resource for granted, at times forgetting it was there even. We’re ashamed.  

To atone, we’ve stopped in for lunch several times in the past few weeks, and here are the current Team LGE food favorites: The aforementioned Baja fish tacos, the Beach Burger and the Spicy Seared Ahi (sushi grade).

One of our more rebellious team members prefers to substitute the grilled salmon for the ahi. We pass this along without comment.

“The No. 1 appetizer choice, especially to go with happy hour, is the nachos,” Pyles said.

Being of a certain age, we appreciate that the soundtrack to all this eating, drinking and relaxing is classic rock. Pyles told us that on Sunday mornings the restaurant streams Bob Marley. Brunch with Bob!

A cool side note to the Shoreline story is that it employs so many younger people.

“Most of our employees are between age 16 and 23,” Pyles told us, “and for many it’s their first job.

“One of our goals is to help high school and SBCC students get some work experience.”

During the high season, he said, as many as 60 are on staff.

We asked Pyles what final thought he’d like to share with readers.

“Think of the Shoreline as that beach house getaway, if you don’t own a beach house,” he replied. “Bring the kids, let them play in the sand, relax.

“People tell us all the time, ‘this made my day.’”

Locals Only

There are two secret off-menu items:

The ahi wrap: grilled ahi in a sun-dried tomato tortilla with guacamole, chipotle, lettuce and salsa

Breakfast fish smothered in a Veracruz-style ranchero sauce

Happy hour is 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but guests are advised to come early to get the best seats in “The Chairs” area.

When You Go

Shoreline Beach Café is open from 9 a.m. to sunset Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to sunset Saturday and Sunday. No reservations.