We came to Santa Barbara Shellfish Company for the uni and oysters, which were both incredibly fresh and delicious, but the real standout for us was the box crab. Absolutely a must-try if you visit. Sweet, fresh, and so flavorful -- easily our favorite thing we ordered. The seafood here really speaks for itself, and the casual waterfront atmosphere makes the experience even better. One tip: if it's a busy day, try to sit inside if you can. It made the experience much more enjoyable with less of the crowd and wind from outside. Definitely a spot worth visiting when in Santa Barbara. read more

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Overall good dinner at SB Shellfish Co. busy as always but also efficient. The views also never change. Still spectacular end of wharf scenery. Food is good but don't expect the "best ever". It's kind of a fast casual seafood spot. Expect that but with great views and you'll be okay! read more

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Located right at the end of the pier, this spot is such a Santa Barbara classic. You can either park on the street and walk the pier or actually drive directly onto the pier itself. Huge bonus: there's plenty of parking on the pier and it's free for under 90 minutes. It definitely gets packed on weekends, so whenever I'm in town I prefer stopping by for a Friday lunch. Usually no wait for indoor seating, though the outdoor tables can take a little longer (worth it for the view if you have time). The food is consistently phenomenal every single visit. The clam chowder in the bread bowl and the rock crab are absolute must-orders and honestly my go-to every time. Fresh, flavorful, and exactly what you want when you're eating seafood on the water. Service is also always solid. The staff is super attentive with refills, extra butter, napkins -- all the little things that make the experience even better. Pro tip: check the weather before you go. If it was rainy or rough weather the day before or that morning, the fishing boats sometimes don't go out, which means they can run low or be out of some of the local catch items. read more

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The view and the service here was amazing, I was seated quickly and had my order taken quickly. I came here specifically to try the uni on scallops and was unfortunately disappointed. The portions of the scallops and uni were very small and it was not as flavorful as I thought it would be. I am a huge uni fan so the experience was a bit of a bummer. The view was great, though, but the meal was a let down. read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Uni on scallops - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

What an amazing seafood experience in Santa Barbara. Walked up and placed our name on the clipboard. Seated shortly after. Indoor seating is bar style predominantly and outdoor/deck is table style. Sat at the bar. Excellent and friendly service. Started with the clam chowder and coconut shrimp which were both delicious. Went with the Uni shot since I was unsure of it and didn't want to get a full urchin. Interesting taste/flavor, personally would not need to order it again. The lobster roll was absolutely delicious. Cole slaw was mediocre but the onion rings were absolute fire. My spouse ordered the shrimp tacos which were amazing. We had a local beer and wine. The whole experience was delicious and so memorable. Highly recommend. read more

Steam clams 5/5 Uni 5/5 Lobster roll 4/5 Clam chowder 4/5 Service 5/5 Seating 3/5 wish the table was bigger for three people. We really struggle to dine in the table for 2. read more

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After Yelp-ing a few seafood options in the near area I decided to try this place. It did not disappoint! We came during the middle of the lunch rush on a beautiful sunny day. I got an order of uni and a king crab salad. We were hungry, so we also decided to place an order for bread. The Uni was very fresh- it came with a piece of lime Uni and scallop. All raw with the side of soy sauce/ponzu like sauce. Each piece was a treat to eat. The king crab salad - a very simple salad was delicious! The crab was fresh and sweet! Our waiter was very nice and patient. An outstanding place to sit and grab casual seafood. What's neat about this place is you can drive right on the pier and parking is free for the 90 minutes. It's such a cute place to walk around too. It was my first time so I was in awe with everything. read more

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Lots of seating, and hits the spot when you want to seafood right by the ocean. I ended up only getting fries because I wanted fish and chips, turns out they don't have any fish. Still was tasty, and I think reasonably priced given the area. read more

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Elvin provided the best service on top of the most excellent food. My mom, aunt, hubby, and I ordered soooo much food here. We had a blast. The birds were a lil too much for us. At one point, all our legs were folded up, but that's what we get for best views and food lol read more

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This restaurant is right at the end of the pier, with some indoor, and outdoor seating. You will need to wait longer for patio seats. It's the perfect spot for a delicious fish dish. read more

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Man this place is so good and has a lot of tourists. You can order on the outside as you're walking towards the end of the wharf you'll see a window on the outside. The service is great and the ambiance is the stillness of the huge oceanfront with calm waters. Fresh fish and seafood and good views! read more

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On a Sunday (Easter Sunday) we took a drive from the west SGV area to Santa Barbara just to have uni at The Santa Barbara Seafood Company. We got to the restaurant at the perfect time as there were 2 outdoor seating tables available. We were greeted by Emma and were happy to be seated outside. The table umbrella provided teh 4 of just the right amount of shade. Even on a sunny day, sitting by the water did bring cool bushes of wind so a light jacket is recommended. After reviewing the menu we knew what we wanted but Emma made great suggestions. Our order: 2 orders of the Live Uni on Scallops (I liked it, hubby didn't) Clams Linguini (fresh and good, it's a light creamy base) Box Crab (highlight of our meal! DELICIOUS...thank you for the rec Emma!!!) Oysters (so fresh and good as expected!) Lobster Roll (it was just ok) Abalone with rice plate (saucey wet rice plate, the abalone was good) Within minutes of being seated, the other tables inside and out, were filled and there was a crowd waiting to be seated. The parking lot (on the boardwalk) directly in front of the restaurant was totally full even though there is plenty of parking (just get there early enough, we go there at about 12:15). Emma checked on us throughout our meal and took care of our requests. She was busy with most of the outdoor tables but was always professional and sweet. Top notch customer service! We can't wait to come back for the Box Crab. The also have a to-go on the side of the restaurant. read more

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While walking around, we decided to eat at this restaurant. Getting a spot was quick, mainly because it was just two of us. Getting seated, we got to see the kitchen. It was so interesting and entertaining to see the workers cooking and multitasking. Our server was so sweet and great. He was quick, always reassured us, checked on us, even was sitting people down from outside. The clam chowder is amazing, the bread is soft and is the best with their chowder. I got the Live Sea Urchin! I didn't expect it to actually still be moving while I eat it. It was a very unique taste. It was my first time trying sea urchin and I don't regret it. I'd come back again. read more

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This place seemed pretty popular for the uni so we definitely stopped by and it did not disappoint! There's a great waterfront and sunset view here, though we saw that while hanging by the wharf before coming in. There was no wait for dinner for two during santa barbara uni season in the Winter (Jan/Feb). We opted to sit outside, though not all seats have heating so definitely bring a jacket so you dont freeze in your T shirt and shorts like me. Santa Barbara Uni: $37 for 6 pc of fresh creamy uni, resting on top of scallops which were a bit bitter even with the ponzu sauce, so I ate them separately. You can tell it's freshly shucked because the spines still moved. Our server, taught us you could "tickle" them by pouring the ponzu sauce over to trigger the spines to move. Spiny lobster: first time trying this. The main body was simple to eat, but the legs took a lot of work/time and was even harder to extract because of the poky spikes. Came with just 2 onion rings and coleslaw. The lobster roll and chowder bowls were standard delicious as expected, though they really cooled down quickly eating them in the cold night outside. And the oysters were fresh! We ordered relatively a lot of food so the total came out to be $120/person. Overall 4 for food and vibe, 4 for value, but will round up to 5 for friendly chill service from Lucas! Would definitely come back, mostly for the uni. read more

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We opted for outdoor seating but I'd probably pick indoor next time because it was very windy on the pier. Good portions on everything and tasty. Scallops, shrimp and clams were juicy. read more

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Super fresh seafood. Great to walk out on the pier and be able to enjoy such yummy food. read more

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This was me and my friend's last food spot before leaving Santa Barbara, so I knew I had to get something with Santa Barbara uni. I ended up ordered the Shrimp and Scallop Pasta and added the uni for an additional $14. I was very impressed by the pasta. I thought the uni tasted very fresh, and the spaghetti had a lot of seafood flavor. I do wish the pasta came with a lemon wedge to add a little bit of acid to the plate. Overall service was good, and location is great, as it's located right by the water. read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company is one of those spots that just sticks with you. We ordered the lobster roll, fresh uni, and a side of onion rings -- and honestly, every single bite was memorable. The lobster roll was packed, buttery, and perfectly balanced. The uni was incredibly fresh -- clean, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth goodness that reminds you why you're eating seafood by the ocean in the first place. Even the onion rings were on point -- crispy, golden, and not greasy. The food alone would bring us back, but the service was friendly and efficient, and the view? Classic Santa Barbara waterfront vibes. Boats, ocean breeze, sunshine -- it completes the whole experience. Definitely coming back next time we're in town. This is the kind of place you crave once you've had it. read more

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We stopped by Santa Barbara Shellfish Company for a quick lunch after it was recommended by one of the nearby shops. There was a line so be prepared to wait a bit. Ordering to go was easy which was a plus. We decided to sit outside and the ocean view was definitely nice and relaxing. However the food did not live up to the hype for us. The clam chowder was just okay and we have definitely had better. Overall it was a decent experience for the view but not enough for us to come back. read more

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We found this place on our trip to Santa Barbara and it seemed like a nice spot right on the pier. We chose to get take out and just sit on the benches across the restaurant. We placed our order and our food was ready pretty quickly. We were a group of 7 people (2 kids) so we got a few things to share. We ordered the coconut shrimp, fried calamari, oysters, shrimp and scallop combo, clam chowder in a bowl, and clam linguine pasta. The food was underwhelming, in quantity and flavor. The fried calamari combo was supposed to come with onion rings and it was literally 2 onion rings. The coconut shrimp was maybe 6 pieces and everything was pretty pricey. The fried oyster was not good at all. The pasta was probably the best item, nothing special but my kids enjoyed it. The clam chowder was okay, but all the fried items were pretty bland. I had higher expectations for this place but it was a disappointment. I don't think I would eat here again to be honest. read more

You can drive on the dock and park next to the restaurant. If it's within, I think, two hours you can get it validated. The food is extremely mediocre. The lobster pasta with the added uni was so bland. The uni itself was the only good thing. The combo platter ran out of oysters. I don't know how you mess up onions rings but they were so thick and bland. Given the location, I understand the price for the location but it's so expensive for bland food. read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is a gem.My husband and I had a weekend getaway in Santa Barbara and one of my friend recommended this place and my hotel was walkable ,So why not give this place a tried. Food : Can't get any fresher than this! We ordered spiny lobster,Lobster tacos,linguini clams and steam clams.Everything was fresh,Delicious.They have an open kitchen and cooked it right in front of you. Service : We went in about 6.30-7 PM on Friday night.It was 65 degree and nobody was in there at all,So we picked a counter bar and the bartender/server came to us right away.He was nice and friendly and always checking on us. Vibe : Relaxing and chill vibe.Everything was open and we loved it. Next time we're visit Santa Barbara.This restaurant will for sure be our first choice,No doubt about it. read more

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Enjoyed hanging out here today. Went fishing on the pier. And went back and forth for wine, Uni shots, Lobster tacos and clam chowder. Service was good, food was good. Great view of the harbor and the ocean. read more

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We stopped by for lunch as it is on our way up north. The staff and owner were super friendly and helpful. The seafood was fresh and tasted. We ordered the followings: Fish tacos Poke bowl Fried Calamari Cioppino All were tasty and we forgot to take pic of the Cioppino because we ate it up so fast! I would definitely come back if we are ever close by. They have seating and good selection of drinks. read more

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10/10 amazing fresh seafood in SB! Service is great here and it's right on the pier, so you can definitely walk around after. Free 90m parking, but need to pay after. * This place has lots of food/variety so theres something for everyone. Lobster Pasta: light garlicy white wine sauce w/ bits of lobster and linguine noodles. this dish is super straightforward and you can't go wrong with it. comes w/ a piece of bread too. Clam Chowder Bowl: pretty affordable compared to some of the other places around - it's decent but i don't think it's anything out of the world. lots of clams though. Uni w/ Scallops & Ponzo: shared this across the entire group and it was my favorite. extremely fresh & literally MELTS in your mouth! * NOTE: if you sit on the outside /by the ocean it's really windy but has an ice view read more

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Such a great spot to check out on Stearn's Wharf or if you're visiting the Sea Center! We stopped by around 11am on a Sunday to try this place out. Parking on the pier was interesting (and a bit of a squeeze), with 90 minutes free and $4 per additional hour. My only quip would be the waitlist to get in. They use a written sign-in sheet (with indoor/outdoor preference) and call your name. Since it's outdoors/windy, it can be a little hard to hear your name being called even if you're just on the side of the restaurant, so I recommend just waiting at the benches in front of the door. That being said, our server Emma was SO amazing and truly made our experience memorable once we got in. Even with how busy it was, she was so friendly and patient when helping us decide what to order. We ended up trying their Santa Barbara Blonde (they had a selection of local brews), which was nice and light -- and it was the perfect pairing to such a cool view of the water. Moving on to food... I've honestly been dreaming about their Uni and I wish we ordered another plate if we weren't already so full! I was skeptical of the hype at first, but after giving it a shot... it was SO GOOD. I may not be the biggest Uni expert, but it was so fresh (the spines were still moving) and sweet, and paired deliciously with the raw scallop and lime wheel. The Shrimp and Scallop Pasta also hit the spot. To all my tangy and sour-palated people -- this is for you. What looks like a simple dish actually knocked it out the park for me. These tangy noodles didn't feel too heavy (the sun dried tomatoes added a fresh burst of flavor) and the seafood was nicely cooked. I also thought it was fun that they added an orange scallop as the "cherry-on-top" for us. Last but not least... the bread bowl clam chowder! So yum and packed with clam meat in each bite. I saw a lot of reviews mention that they were unimpressed with this dish but I thought it was pretty tasty. Just warm, chowdery goodness (what more can you expect?). Overall, we had a great time, and will definitely be back the next time we're in town! read more

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Amazingly at start of dinner around sunset, it was slightly chilly and windy, then the wind suddenly calmed and it was perfect. Our server Dominick was thorough in explaining the specials, and we were sold on the local crab, that's only in Santa Barbara. He was absolutely right, the crab meat was unusually tasty and sweet - probably not best way to describe but it was great. It does take time going through the tough spiky shell, more spiky than other crab... worth it though. The crab fat... delicious. Overall, I'd suggest always to have a sweater with you, and get the crab! read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Awesome sunset - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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The wait was not too long and service was friendly. Very attentive. I's a small cute joint with yummy food. The lobster roll was yummy and the clam chowder was pretty good. The bacon in the soup was a new touch to the original clam chowder recipe you expect. read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Fourth time here. The food and service never disappoint! The seafood is extremely fresh and never fishy tasting. I highly recommend the uni and scallops with ponzu. Their clam chowder and oyster shooters are also delicious. I saw that they won a chowder award for Sep 2025. There's bar seating inside or tables outside. The outside area has patio heaters. I recommend outside so that you can take in the beautiful ocean view. Do dress a little warm though since it can be breezy outside. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! read more

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I've never eaten a meal so fast in my life. As soon as we sat down I ordered everything and the food came out so fast. Our server was super funny and brought the food out as soon as possible. The uni was so fresh and buttery. But the main star was the clam chowder. I didn't even have a chance to take a photo because I inhaled it. I will definitely be back here ! read more

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This place deserves a 10 star. We've visited Santa Barbara several times, walk the pier and always walk right by the Shellfish Co. I was sad we didn't stop here before. We sat inside at the counter watching them cook all the meals. We ate there on a Monday, but I know most weekends it's very busy there, people are waiting out the door. FOOD: We ordered the Seafood Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops. It was simply AMAZING. Everything was cooked to perfection, with an amazing flavor. It has more of an olive oil base rather than alfredo sauce. Along with the pasta we shared their Crab Cakes. They were absolutely perfect. Nice light crispy outside, and delicious crab meat mix inside. It comes with a homemade cole slaw, 2 giant onion rings, and a dipping sauce that was amazing. [a little on the spicy side, but still great]. STAFF: The staff was great, very nice and helpful being our first time there. Everyone was doing their job very efficiently. ATMOSPHERE: It was a fun place to be, I like sitting at the counter watching the chef at work. The presentation of each plate was spot on. CONCLUSION: I highly recommend passing by the other 2 restaurants on the pier. Their prices were high, and their Yelp or Google ratings were close to a 3-star. Shellfish Co were about a 4.2-4.5 star. Prices on food have gone up all over the place, but this meal was super high quality. I was able to tell the chef that was the best seafood pasta I've ever had, and I meant it. [I forgot to take photos] read more

Came here for an early dinner and there wasn't a wait at all. We were given the option of indoor and outdoor seating and chose outdoors overlooking the ocean even though it was a bit chilly. Had a good experience dining here. I ordered the clam chowder bread bowl and my wife got the Uni Special. Both dishes were really delicious! The clam chowder was really tasty and the bread was soft. It was my first time having uni so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was great. All of the food here was really fresh, I did find that we ran out of actual chowder pretty quickly though. The ratio of the dish was probably 30% chowder and 70% bread, which was a bit disappointing. Service was solid and you can't beat the location overlooking the pier toward the beach. A must try when you're in Santa Barbara! read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Clam Chowder Bread Bowl - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I always find my way back to this restaurant and with different loved ones each time. Great place for seafood lovers. I always get the abalone and rice dish. The abalone is tender, the rice is citrusy, and i find the meal so comforting. My husband is a fan of their uni, scallop, clam chowder, and fried seafood. All are cooked to perfection. Nothing has ever been overcooked. There can be a wait during weekends, but once seated, the service is quick and efficient. The views overlooking the pier and sunsets are beautiful. But I like to get a seat inside because there's a shorter wait. read more

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Enjoyed brunch outside on a sunny day, friendly service and just a beautiful view of the water. The menu was a little frustrating, limited to just a few items and though it was all delicious and nicely fried, it would have been nice to be able to order a basic fish and chips in addition to or instead of scallops and/or crab - on the other hand it's called Santa Barbara *Shellfish* Company for a reason! read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - We shared an order of crab cakes and scallops. - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

You Get What You Pay For Pleasant place towards the end of the pier. Lots of outdoor seating, inside is basically a bar and a couple of tables. There are no bargains here - this is the intersection of tourism, seafood and high wages for the staff, But the food is pretty good and the staff super nice, and of course one has the view. Lobster roll is maybe a tad too much bread, but is probably a 3 out of 5 and costs 38 I think. The California King Crab is hard to screw up, and they did not screw it up, but my god the price will make your head spin faster than Linda Blair from the old movie The Exorisct. read more

Liked the steamed mussels the most. They were super soft and the soup was nicely umami. Lobster bisque was pretty standard. A little disappointed at the uni special which was ~$35 but the uni pieces we got were really small and didn't seem fresh. The scallops were also local scallops which lacked that hint of sweetness u get from hokkaido scallops read more

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Very cute restaurant! They have a small menu but perfect for a casual lunch or dinner. The service we received was very friendly and patient with all of our questions. We all ordered shrimp tacos and lobster bisque, which was delicious with plenty of lobster chunks. We also shared their humongous onion rings and the best ever coconut shrimp. Everything was cooked on point. read more

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Great service and very tasty food... We sat outside on the pier...beautiful at sunset. We had the clam chowder, steamed black mussels, crab cakes and the linguine & clams.... Great tasting and very good portions. read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Santa Barbara Shellfish Company is a restaurant on Stearns Wharf. They have a sit down restaurant service and a walk up order window. I ordered from the window. I ordered the lobster roll. It was not great. The lobster roll was made of Maine lobster. But this lobster meat was tasteless, and chewy. It should have been sweet, and tender soft to the chew. The lobster chunks were barely seasoned and dressed. Very bland and tasteless. Possibly it was an anomaly, someone may have forgot to properly prepared the lobster. Also instead of a hoagie roll, it looked like a slice of bread folded over and pressed grilled. It was $37.95 for this, adding insult to injury. The side of cole slaw and two pieces of onion rings couldn't save this. The slaw was also tasteless; wet mayo tossed shreds of cabbage. Hmm. This doesn't jive with the other reviewers food experiences. I sat on the picnic tables close to the take out window along the pier railings. The tables were public for everyone to use. Even the birds used them. They flew onto the table and walked under the table, all the while pestering for food. Good grief. But at least the views were gorgeous. read more

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The Santa Barbara Shellfish Co is a pretty small place on the Stearn's Wharf with great views! We stopped in once we saw they had a special on uni and it was so fresh (they were preparing it there in-house). There is a no frills place and there is very limited outdoor seating. If you'd like to sit outside, you put your name on a list that is hung outside on a clipboard and then wait to be called. We ordered two beers and the uni which came out still moving (literally) which shows how fresh it was. The uni was served as a lime slice, a scallop with the uni on top and it tasted great. The staff was very friendly and happy to answer questions although sometimes they didn't fully know and seemed to make assumptions. We had to fact check some of what was said as it was a bit wild (ex. scuba divers going 800ft down to get the sea urchins) but regardless it made it fun to learn on our own about the process. All in all, this was a reasonably priced stop with incredibly fresh seafood. A fun little stop if you have time! read more

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company - Uni special - Seafood Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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