Sambos Restaurant in Santa Barbara is the Original Breakfast Favorite

California Restaurants--For tourists seeking some affordable ocean view dining while visiting Santa Barbara, I returned recently to discover two restaurants continue to drive food value while providing Pacific Ocean and Stearns Wharf views from their tables overlooking the beach. Eladio's is known for its breakfast meals, but on a recent trip, I tried the restaurant after wandering Stearn's Wharf for a light, late-night dinner salad. Two eateries on the wharf offered a side salad. But neither offered it for less than $8 -9. Something small should be available for around $5, I reasoned, so I skipped the pier view dining and headed back toward my hotel, the Harbor View Inn, located along the waterfront.

One pizza place had a salad bar with the a trip for around $5. But the salad container was just about empty. Back toward the hotel, Eladio's had a side salad for around $5, so I wandered in with my significant other and we took an ocean view table in the small cocktail bar. That way he could watch the world series play-offs. He is such a meat eater and food value shopper, he had to try the Harris Ranch beef burger with his salad. And I must say, our food was delicious. The salad was crisp, fresh, and mine included nice pieces of bleu cheese.

The other restaurant I have to mention is Sambos. While many youngsters don't realize that Sambos used to be a chain of restaurants across the nation, one of the remain in originals sits beachside in Santa Barbara. Open daily till around 2 p.m., Sambos offer breakfast traditions and pancakes that folks return for once they've tried them. Hot coffee with a small insulated pot left at your table, real cream and a basket of small muffins with either blueberry bits or chocolate chips and real butter are part of the charms of Sambos. With outdoor patio tables and indoor booths that all overlook Stearns Wharf and the beach, this affordable breakfast cafe is one of our top choices for food, fun, sun and great prices in Santa Barbara, a beach vacation that's one of the best on the California Coast!