We heard nothing but great reviews of this location. So we made Reservations for Dinner @ 4:00pm when they opened their doors. The inside was decorated like an old Western Saloon Bar. Our server was good she always stopped by and checked if there was anything else we needed. As for the Food, their Chef, Guerrmo was the best. He and his 2 helpers knock out all of the orders. And there were a lot of people ordering food. I k ow that if we ever pass by Santa Barbara, this will Be one of our most stop and eat Restaurants.

The food was delicious and the service was good. If we ever return to Santa Barbara, we would love to visit again!

Our first time @Holdren's and, while I wouldn't say it was swing and a miss, I would say it isn't par for the course regarding steakhouse/bars. Food was good not great, service at the bar was excellent thought wait staff brought the wrong orders which was quickly cleared. Cocktails were excellent, but while my wife's tenderloin was excellent, my sand dabs were mediocre. Maybe they rely too much on their name but, having experienced NY cuisine, they could do better

Every now and then, we try to take a road trip up the coast to enjoy fresh, clean air and beautiful scenery. While out in Santa Barbara, we searched for a restaurant that had a great selection of seafood. Holdren's had some items on the menu that we wanted to try, so we stopped by for dinner. Holdren's Steaks and Seafood is located in the touristy part of Downtown Santa Barbara. The streets are walkable as many areas are blocked off to give way to pedestrians, while preventing vehicles from passing through. You'll find Holdren's in the mix of it all with other boutiques and eateries. The restaurant itself is small, but intimate. The outdoor patio is cozy, providing the perfect opportunity to people watch and enjoy pleasant weather conditions. The interior is rich in dark hues with a bar to the left, tables in the center, and booths on the side. It's a bit of a tight squeeze getting through the dining area, but it seems like it lends itself to providing more of an intimate dining experience with loved ones and close friends. The menu has a nice balance of seafood and meat. We opted for the herb crusted chicken and grilled halibut. While waiting for our meal to arrive, my husband ordered the chicken chowder soup and I got the grilled shrimp cocktail. Since I don't like cocktail sauce, we asked them to make sure that the cocktail sauce was on the side. They brought it out and it was served so that the cocktail sauce was below the shrimp, allowing for us to have the option of eating the shrimp with or without the cocktail sauce. That worked out perfectly for us! The main course was served soon after. One thing that I can say is that presentation was great. The chef's signature is written in some type of red sauce on each plate and a purple flower is placed on the side. The whipped mashed potatoes with the Pringles chip atop of it was cute. The halibut was delicious. I wasn't sure if I'd like the citrus beurre sauce as it varies from restaurant to restaurant. But, it complimented the halibut quite well, adding more flavor to a fish that's naturally tasty to begin with. I didn't try the herb crusted chicken because I prefer seafood and vegetarian food. However, my husband and enjoyed his meal. Our experience at Holdren's was great! We came at a great time because we beat the crowd. Therefore, our dining experience was great. I didn't know what to expect, but Holdren's lived up to the positive Yelp and Open Table Reviews. We'd definitely come back again if we're in the area!

We arrived around dinner time, we sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and the state street views. Our waitress was quick to bring us our drinks and eventually bread! We had an eye on the buffalo cauliflower appetizer and it was delicious. We ordered entrees -they come with soup or salad, and a side. There are so many sides to choose from! I decided to try their soup, so creamy and filling. Our evening was full of great food, meaningful conversation and laughter. Later, I went inside to use the bathroom and there are comfy looking booths and softer lighting. Next time I'll sit inside. Definitely recommend if you're looking for an intimate place to sit and enjoy a romantic evening.

Nice steakhouse atmosphere, dark wood walls. Good service. The food was good , but not spectacular. Both the ribeye and filet mignon were done as ordered. The lemon tart was good. The salad was quite good. The tomato bisque was very good, as was the twice baked potato. I was disappointed with the calamari. It was those tubular, calamari rings, kind of rubbery.

Holdren's is a beautiful steak & seafood restaurant situated in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara on State Street. Reservations were easy on Open Table although we didn't need them. It's very dark inside with an old-school saloon vibe and plenty of elegant decor. Service was thoughtful although somewhat inexperienced. No standard bread service here but that was ok. My Whiskey Sour to start was excellent. For my dinner salad I had the "Half Wedge". Very good with ample amounts of bacon, blue cheese, etc. All of the dishes were nicely presented. Grilled Shrimp Cocktail was interesting. I liked the shrimp but it was quite difficult to enjoy any cocktail sauce. The glass it was served in had a mass of some green ribbon vegetable substance that was tossed in a small amount of cocktail sauce, but it was nearly impossible to get anything out of it. I ordered my Rib Eye medium to ensure a good rendering of all the marbling and it was delicious. Nice amount of pink throughout. The Twice Baked Potato was mostly good. The filling was the best part. Unfortunately the canoe base tasted as if it was from a potato baked about two weeks prior.