RESTAURANT REVIEW:

The Arbor seems to have been around forever, and that was probably part of the problem. It was showing its age.

There is a loyal following at the restaurant. It is an older crowd, but they faithfully show up for dinner and the entertainment.

New owners have taken over the Huntington Beach establishment and have tried to breathe new life into it.

I was told the changes were subtle, which seemed like a smart idea. The goal was to attract new customers, but not at the expense of the devoted.

Some changes included things like new flatware, a couple of small menu changes, just to start. I suspect more will be coming.

A friend of mine accompanied me on a recent visit. He and his wife used to dine at the Arbor regularly. He vividly remembered the sand dabs almandine and was relieved to find they were still on the menu.

In fact he didn’t really notice that many changes, so in that respect, the owners have achieved their goal.

I, on the other hand, making my first visit, viewed the restaurant from another perspective.

I thought the dining room was inviting enough. There is a bar and stage area for the entertainment to the right. The dining room stretches to the left and looks like a standard restaurant. The paintings on the walls looked a bit dated, but are nice nonetheless, up against what looked like new paint.

The menu reminds me of the dinner houses I worked at as a kid. Owned by one guy, or a husband-and-wife team, they catered to the neighborhood.

The appetizers were pretty standard: potato skins, jumbo shrimp cocktail and chicken tenders. There were also crab stuffed mushrooms and artichoke hearts that looked appealing.

Coconut beer shrimp won out in the end. The shrimp is coated in a crumb mixture and then deep-fried. It came with two sauces, a cocktail sauce, and a sweet and spicy sauce, which I preferred.

Instead of the coconut flavor in the shrimp mixture there were coconut flakes, and they didn’t want to stay on the shrimp.

We had salads before dinner that were included with our entrees, and both were fairly disappointing. The garden salad had cucumbers and tomatoes, but nothing else, and the ranch dressing was a little bland.

The Caesar had a good tangy dressing, but no Parmesan cheese flakes or bits of anchovies.

The sand dabs brightened my friend’s mood. They were much like he recalled, and the thin fish was well-prepared. They didn’t seem to have any notable seasoning, just breaded and cooked, which was exactly the way my friend wanted them.

I went with the shrimp scampi and scallops. The scallops were charbroiled and cooked well, but I was longing for something on them. Garlic is my first selection for any spice, though an herb-like basil would have worked as well.

The scampi was fantastic. Breaded with capers, it was cooked well and with four of them, provided a sufficient amount.

Though we were in the farthest corner from the bar and music area, we still were pelted with karaoke. It didn’t bother us that much and some of the song selections actually made us laugh.

The entertainment is much better and a great reason to go during dinner. Change is coming slowly to the Arbor, and the adjustments that have been made are for the better.

ARBOR’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD

ADDRESS: 6060 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 842-5111

CUISINE: Steak and seafood

SPECIALTY DISH: Prime rib

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar

DRESS: casual

FAMILY-FRIENDLY: yes, four-item child’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: ** 1/2 out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants for the Independent.