Harry's Plaza Cafe Awards

Harry's Plaza Cafe Restaurant Review:

Tucked into the corner spot of a nondescript strip mall on Upper State Street, Harry’s is one of Santa Barbara’s most storied restaurants (it opened in 1968). Every town has its own version of Harry’s, a place where locals rendezvous over strong cocktails, and where lunch hour can include a few martinis. This is a restaurant where the food plays third fiddle to atmosphere (the place is covered in 1,500 old black-and-white Santa Barbara photos) and cocktails. To get the most out of Harry’s, settle into one of the red leather booths and stick to down-home favorites like the tuna melt or the jack-and-blue cheeseburger. There is a propensity for much of the food to be minimally seasoned, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but they could use more assertive spices. If you’re up for a challenge, the banana split is made with nine scoops of ice cream, two bananas and three toppings --- finish the whole thing and it’s free. Harry’s is a pleasant throwback, the kind of place that does it right with an old-school ambience, attitude and dependable food.