Brophy Brothers on the Ventura Harbor

A delicious and relaxing meal overlooking the Ventura Harbor awaits you at Brophy Brothers in Ventura, CA (they also have a restaurant in Santa Barbara). If you have been looking for a casual beach-theme restaurant for a special occasion (or not), you’ll definitely want to consider Brophy Brothers which was founded by the Bennet family in 1986.

It is located on Spinnaker Drive in Ventura Harbor Village. There is free parking available, but it fills up by early afternoon with all of the visitors to one of the many shops in the center. I chose to get there shortly after the 11:00 AM lunch opening time. As a result, parking spaces were prevalent.

Check-in is on the first floor where a host will assist you with table and time selections (reservations are not accepted). There would have been a half-hour wait for a traditional table looking out over the harbor. But I was satisfied with immediate seating at a high-boy table in the bar area with partial views of the harbor. A long bar facing the harbor is another good seating choice.

There are a variety of seafood choices. I chose a bowl of New England Clam Chowder. Priced at $9.50 for a large bowl filled to the brim, it was a wonderful lunch selection. It also can also be combined with a house salad if desired. Together with sourdough bread, I was pleasantly stuffed. I even brought home the leftover bread.

Together with the friendly staff (don’t forget to ask the host to help you log on to the restaurant’s password-protected, but complimentary wi-fi), this is a delightful and affordable way to spend some time at the Ventura Harbor.

Afterward, you can browse the other shops in the Village at your own pace. You can even rent a harbor paddle boat. On your drive home, be on the lookout for local farmer’s markets as this is definitely a farming community.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Brophy Brothers!