We enjoyed our first visit to Bantam's! Food was very good and service was very pro! Being that we live on the Westside, we can see ourselves frequenting this establishment. read more

came here for the first time and was not impressed. we ordered the soppressata and the margharita pizza. the margharita was really good! the soppressata wouldve been 5 stars if they didnt turn it into a layer of charcoal with honey on top. i was already aware that the pizza would be charred due to the wood fire oven they were baking it in. However, I wasnt expecting to taste charcoal every bite that i took it was almost painful to eat, the whole bottom of the pizza was black. We notified the supervisor and she told us it was supposed to be that way even though our other pizza didnt come out that burnt. She was really nice though and offered to make a new one for us which i appreciate. But instead of apologizing and just fixing it she decided to passive aggressively gaslight us by saying, "next time you guys come to let the servers know to have the workers cook the pizza lightly bcus its supposed to be a little charred (was definitey not a little charred)". And because of that I will not be returning. So i am making this review to let new customers know for future reference. When you go let the server know you dont want your pizza turned into a bed of ashes. You might want to specify that you would like it to be a LITTLE charred and not turned into charcoal so they know! i dont mind spending money on expensive food if it its worth it. but im letting you all know now if you want thin crust pizza with toppings that slide right off when u pick up a piece, you'll be happier eating little caesars instead of this. read more

Our go to place for a nice dinner, with great rotating selection of pizzas and entrees, and good selection of drinks. Nice attentive service and great friendly atmosphere. read more

It's an upscale-but-comfy pizza joint such as you would find in the trendy parts of Oakland circa 2005, and that's a good thing. My favorite of those places is Pizzaiolo, and to call Bantam a good version of it is, in view of the many delicious meals I've had there, high praise. We've come here about four times now. The pizzas are refreshingly simple (nettles and goat cheese! a classic margherita!) The sides are nice too -- I liked the sauteed Tuscan Kale. The cannelloni, when they have it, is very tasty. One thing that could be improved: the crusts are usually not as crisp as you want in this pizza style. I do think this is getting better. The first night we ate there (the day it opened actually) the crusts were actually soggy and too thick. More recently they've lost some of the sogginess and some of the overly-thickness, but I think they could improve on this. Another item for the wishlist is cocktails...! A little more mixology culture in Santa Cruz wouldn't be a bad thing. That said, the wine list is expertly curated -- a small selection, but carefully chosen. The beer is also well-considered. The service is friendly and prompt. It can get busy but we always stroll in on the early side and never have an issue with getting seated. It's become one of our favorite places! read more

After seeing many pictures of the delicious pizzas, I had to give Bantam a try. They curate perfectly topped and oven baked pizzas and they're large enough to share. For our party of 4, we comfortably shared the rocket salad, prosciutto pie and the kale/hen of the woods pizza. The rocket salad was perfectly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, so refreshing and tasty! My favorite by far is the prosciutto pie. how could you deny a pizza with heaping arugula (rocket) and mounds of prosciutto!? It is on the pricey side for pizza ($15-20) but it is easily shareable! you won't regret a prosciutto pie! read more

We came here with our kids over the 4th of July weekend. We thought it might get crowded so we got there early (highly recommended). We easily got a seat so it was no problem. I wouldn't say the food is super kid friendly but you can find items to make it work like we did. We started off with the olives, meatballs and burrata. Everything was super tasty and the meatballs and meatball sauce were extraordinary. We also had the margherita pizza with sausage on it and it was great. Modern spot with great food! read more

Cute, modern, classy, spacious spot for some yummy gourmet pizza! Portion sizes are adequate, 2 people can share 1 pizza. If you decide to take one on your own, you'll have plenty for leftovers to take home. There is a beer and wine list however there is no full service bar here. It's very roomy inside with more seating that I'd anticipated. Servers were polite and attentive. We tried the spicy sausage and the prosciutto... Both were awesome choices! The appetizers could probably be skipped, they're OK. We got the pig ears and fried fish appetizer. The name escapes me right now. They were both just inundated in that deep fried batter taste, nothing to ride home about. Come here for a good gourmet pizza! read more

My wife found this great spot when we took the kids to Santa Cruz for Memorial Day weekend. The place was packed and the host said it would be a 35 minute wait. Problem is, we have 3 small kids. When he saw we were somewhat disappointed he offered us the big table by the kitchen even though they had a larger group coming in about an hour. That worked perfect for us so we took him up on his offer. Service was great, pizza was amazing, fresh and unique. My wife got a strawberry cocktail and loved it. I don't drink so I ordered their lime soda which was fantastic. If you're in Santa Cruz, you have to visit this place. That is of course if you're into great service and outstanding food. Keep up the great work Bantam! read more

Favorite new restaurant in Santa Cruz? I THINK SO! Bantam provides anyone looking to throw "something new" into their usual pizza rotation with ample choices- and none of them bad. I've been there thrice and have left with a smile each time. Beer options are somewhat limited, but all tasty. Appetizers are varied, creative, and provide perfect balance to the carb-a-licious pizza options. Which brings us to the main act-- Bantam's Pizzas always satiate my pizza craving while also offering up unusual and fun flavor combinations. Wood-fired to perfection, made with all natural, local, organic ingredients (sometimes with names I don't recognize.... but that makes ordering fun!), and always creatively concocted. You simply can't go wrong here. So, If you're thinking of going- go. If you get stuck on ordering, close your eyes, point to something on the menu--- and prepare to be pleasantly surprised. read more

Really good food. I'll tell you what we liked and what was absolutely a waste of calories and money. First we started with the PORK SKINS and watermelon, this was definitely a random dish. It was literally 4 tiny cubes of watermelon with 4 porkskins from a bag of chips, we were expecting fresh, restaurant made porkskins. This dish could definitely be improved. The SHRIMP AND AVOCADO appetizer had great taste, the portion can be shared with one more person, and it's about 6 bites. PIZZAS are definitely a MUST. I'll ranked them best to worst below: 1. PROSCIUTTO 2. SAUSAGE 3. MARGUERITA read more

So when our close friends recommended this place and took us here we knew it was going to be good, but not this good. My wife and I are incredibly choosy when it comes to our pizza and this spot checks all the pizza boxes(of course the wood fire doesn't hurt) . We tried three pies, the Soppressata, the Margherita, and the prosciutto pie. All were good, we especially loved the Soppressata since it had a type of meat we dont normally eat, its close to pepperoni in taste but much better, and its made with a house made honey infused with red chilli pepper, and it includes fresh tomato and mozzarella. The margherita pizza had a slight char and smoky taste to it which I love, and the crust and cheese were just right and fresh as can be. We just came back from Italy for three weeks so we were being pizza snobs until we walked thru these doors cause Bantam is downright delicious pizza. I don't see how anyone could ever leave here disappointed. read more

Great for families. My two boys (10 & 12) each had a personal pizza. Wife and I ordered our own. Sizes are perfect so you can get yours with what you want, and so does the rest of your party. It was busy, but fun busy. We sat next to the cooks. They were fun to watch. Both food and beer excellent. Staff gave great service. read more

I stopped in here on vacation and it was amazing. I got the fried chicken and I wasn't sure what the purple sauce was but it turned out to be beets and delicious. My wife got the Prosciutto Pie and that was also amazing. Great service, great food. Highly recommend. read more

I've been going here at least once per week for the last year. Super friendly staff and the authentic pizzas don't get old (Napoli is my favorite)! Also good cocktails and a nice place to hang. read more

This place was excellent! I found this randomly on yelp because i was staying at an air bnb for the night in felton and needed a nice dinner. It wasnt too expensive for a romantic dinner for two. Got the sausage pizza and it was honesty the best pizza I have ever had. Also go for the chocolate flourless cake it was to die for. Definitely coming back here the next time Im back in town. read more

Best pizza in Santa Cruz. Oak & Rye in Log Gatos has a better menu/ vibe in my opinion. But their service is so awful that I'd come to Bantam any day over there, even drive the extra 20 minutes to do so. Fish was perfectly cooked and the flavor play was inspiring. The pizzas were perfect, spicy honey? Those crushed peppers? That cook on the dough? PERFECT. Things I will say fell short: Bar service is a little intense if you are the only person sitting there, but honestly, I bet most people love the server because she is SUPER friendly, and interesting, and fun, My friend and I just wanted to talk though so it was a little much for us, but now we know to just sit at a table next time! I have also had the sodas a few times and I think they are the worst thing on the menu, so sweet, flat, and no citric acid ever. They are just dull and disappointing, but if the worst thing on your menu is a soda? Well then you're doing pretty damn well. Their team also seemed to have a bunch of basass ladies on it which made me feel super excited and more invested as a lot of fine food places can be overshadowed by male dominance and douchiness which wasn't present here at all! Loved all our servers/ service. read more

We went here for dinner , so high price for poor food and service, very noisy restaurant , very cold we ate with our jackets . We don' t suggest this restaurant we are not going back there anymore.. read more

Came here for dinner last night and had a great experience. We came early, and were seated promptly. The noise level is a little high due to it being in a warehouse type building. But, I would say that is the only downfall. I enjoyed the strawberry cardamom house made soda, it was refreshing and not too sweet. So, exactly what I was looking for... We started with sharing the sunchokes and mixed greens. The sunchokes are fried crispy and served on an endive leaf with grated parmesan. It was a unique and tasty app! And the mixed greens are tossed lightly in a vinaigrette and served with thinly sliced radishes. We noticed the tables next to use ordering the caesar which looked like what we will be trying on our next visit. For dinner we had two pizzas, they are thin crust and we LOVE leftovers: margarita and sopressata pizza. The Margarita was very traditional and light cheese, fresh basil and a tangy marinara. It was light and refreshing. The Sopressata was definitely the highlight of the meal. It was topped with the sopressata and a spicy honey drizzle. We were asked if we wanted to have our pizza boxed while we looked at the dessert menu and we of course agreed. But, then our pizza disappeared to not return. When we asked the waitress she informed us that they keep the pizzas in the warmer to allow for room on the table until we were done with the meal. We were very impressed by the service. (As many SC residents know, you can sometimes be disappointed in the seasonal staffing issues in our restaurants... not here!) The sweet and salty combo were perfection! To finish the meal we we were recommended by the neighboring table to have the fig pudding. It is not the typical dessert I would choose. But, we were very happy with what we received. It came in a muffin type shape with creme fraise and warm butterscotch. It was perfectly balanced sweet and savory. We look forward to coming back here again! read more

The food is overpriced and overcooked in oil. I ordered a salad advertised as a salad with notes of peach and some sort of fancy cheese. Literally, I received a dump of cheese, a slice of peach and a sprig of lettuce for $12! Wine is expensive. Pizzas are so-so. Service was forgettable. I understand the Bantam sources local ingredients, but the end result is neither unique nor sexy. Rather, the food is over-priced, glorified, oily, American-Italian Cuisine. read more

The only food I've ever had here is the pizza, so I can't really comment from personal experience on their other menu items. However, their pizza is very tasty, cooked properly, and made with fresh ingredients. I always add an egg to whatever pizza I get, and it is always cooked perfectly and a great addition. I also really love the crust! I have dined with others that have ordered other things off the menu, and they have always been pleased with their appetizers and meals. One thing to note is that the appetizers and salads are somewhat small for the price. Bantam is more about quality, flavors, and taste than big quantities. The owners and staff are super-friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable about the food and wine. The restaurant is very open and can get somewhat loud if busy and crowded, however it has never bothered me. I've never had a bad experience here, and the only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars is the price. I understand they use local and organic ingredients, but it still seems a bit pricey to me. read more

First, I love the atmosphere. The food is pretty good, too. We started with a kale, prosciutto, herbed ricotta salad, followed by a sausage pizza. Yums all around! We finished the evening with a chocolate tart with cherries. Sinful! The bill at the end of the night was a bit more than I would have expected; the bill was closer to what I would have expected had we each ordered our entree rather than sharing a salad, pizza, and dessert plus we each had a drink. That said, this will not be a regular night out for us but rather a special occasion kind of place. read more

Our group ordered a bunch of pizzas here to-go. They were delicious! Note that their pizzas are very small - super thin crust, and not particularly generous with the toppings. On a hungry day I'd probably eat 1.5 pizzas easily, which makes them not cheap. Hungry men with larger stomachs could easily consume two pizzas in one sitting for sure. Toppings are top notch, you can taste how fresh they are. They separated the (generous amount of) arugula when we got them to-go, which gave us all a side salad to munch on :) Would order again, but with the mental preparation that you could easily spend $30 per person here, especially if you order drinks. read more

Hands down best food in Santa Cruz. Lived in SF for 5 years before moving here and this restaurant compares to some of the best in the city. Pizzas are delicious and so are all of the other dishes. Cocktails are great, love the atmosphere, and service is awesome! Go here. read more

This was our first time here... Menus differ from day to day, but if you see a pizza that you like from a different day they're more than willing to help you get what you want. For example, when my s/o and I came here, we had been browsing through Yelp and really wanted to try the pizza with golden tomatoes, sausage, and egg. We didn't see it on the menu but thought that we would ask about it anyways. In the end we couldn't order it but our waitress was happy to recommend us a pizza combination that was very similar to the original. I don't remember what the name of the base pizza we used was (Farm Girl or Early Bird I think?), but following our waitress' advice, we got that and added sausages and an egg. To our surprise the pizza was able to fill us up just right. The sausages were pretty herb-y, the pizza had a nice cream sauce, and the red tomatoes were skinless and sweet (one of my favorite things about the pizza). The egg yolk was nice and ooey gooey, the bread crumbs that were sprinkled on top of the pizza added a nice crunchy texture, and the crust was thin and chewy in the middle, but crisper on the edges. I'm not sure what the actual golden tomato pizza tastes like, but we liked this a WHOLE lot. Yum. read more

Another great Westside addition. Although the appetizers are pretty small for sharing, the pizzas are a good size. The price is high but the food is good and unique. The menu seems to change often. Very nice service. Lovely atmosphere - although with the open floor plan it does get loud. Some highlights: The avocado toast - nice addition to a dinner menu Homemade sausage pizza very good SOPPRESSATA pizza very unique with the sweetness of the honey The chocolate cake was to-die-for - like a gooey undercooked brownie served with real whipped cream - YUM! read more

Wow, great food, great service. The employees are friendly and super competent, my guess is they are treated well by the owners. We had something from each part of the menu, pickled cauliflower, the plum salad, the fried chicken, the bacon and Brussels pizza, and the almond and chocolate ice cream cookie! Everything was top notch! read more

Really enjoyed this place! Nice style and atmosphere...hoping for some better beers than what they offer in the future. The pizza was lovely. Nice, thin crust and the ingredients were top notch. I cannot wait to go back! This is the best "italian" pizza in SC! Skip Tramonti come here! read more

Their food is innovative and delicious, the atmosphere is romantic and relaxed. I had a pizza with radicchio and pistachios, an unusual combination that was divine. I'll definitely be coming back here! read more

Bantam - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Beautiful open space, nice friendly attentive service. We shared 3 pizzas and they were all delicious. Chicory Caesar Salad was excellent. Nice wine list. Only one suggestion for improvement and that would be a better, more interesting dessert menu. Definitely we will be dining at Bantam again. read more

Every dish is fresh and very delicious, but the best dish so far is.... Mussels with chickpeas, smoked tomato, escarole and saffron aioli! This is not originally Mussels dish. The combination of smoked tomato and saffron aioli gives another dimension to your taste. Smoked tomato provides such a deep flavor without acidity. Crunchy chick peas and leafy escarole work harmoniously with smoked tomato. Also, the main actor, Mussels, are so plumply and flavorful! Must try dish there! read more

So delicious!!! Flavors well balanced. Everything well done. Advise going outside peak hours... restaurant ambience can be loud.

I came on the recommendation of an Airbnb guest and I have to say it's a good place. The food was tasty but it's really noisy. The menu changes daily but they feature pizza. I had the margarita and the basil and mozzarella were unevenly distributes and it was cut very poorly. But it was tasty. My friend had orecchiette and it was good. The wine selection is limited but the Tempranillo was yummy. read more

We ordered the crab appetizer, the fried chicken, and margarita pizza. The food was very good. I thought that the pizza options could be a bit more imaginative. Also, there were a lot of burned areas on the crust that disrupted the flavor. The restaurant is popular and they do not take reservations. Plan on the likelihood of a wait, especially if it is a weekend evening. This is fine though; we recommend ordering one of the delicious beer options while you wait. read more

I really like this place. The atmosphere is fun, westside Santa Cruz trendy. Get a choice between sparkling and normal water, which is a nice touch. Their appetizers are always pretty good, but their pizzas are really creative and yet excellent! I say yet, because often you get a small pizza place that tries to put a new spin on a classic food, and fail miserably. Bantam pulls it off beautifully. The Pancetta pizza? I could eat that every day. Potato pizza? I'll take two please. I ordered a salad once, I remember it being really simple, and really freaking delicious. My only suggestion is that I wish they had more beer choices, but that's just nitpicking. From what I remember, they only had local brew, which is cool in principle, except that the local breweries on the westside (think SCMB), sadly, and despite anything you may hear from your local hipster, really aren't that good. read more

My first visit was on Sat 2/23. We arrived a little after they opened and there were a few other tables full. By 6pm the place was packed. My chair faced the entrance and the sun was right in my eyes; the hostess brought another chair so I could sit comfortably. The waiter we had was nice and this restaurant is gluten free friendly! I had the fried chicken with argula and a roasted potato and yes the fried chicken was gluten free!!! My dining companion had the pizza margharita with some kind of pale ale from Utah -- both were fantastic. I had a glass of French Cabernet and we shared the chocolate nemisis (gluten free) for dessert. The dessert was almost like a mousse inside-- it was wonderful. Can't wait to go again. read more

Where to start.... last night's experience was VERY disappointing. to keep this brief will bullet point my experience: Music too loud / noise level in general loud. the appetizer arrived BEFORE my wine had arrived, that's not cool. This was a theme, wine service was very slow. no bread offered pizza ... oh man, how can you get this so wrong? VERY burnt base, but not crispy & firm? The toppings just slid right off ..(wtf?) Nothing refined or "foodie" about these pizza's ... and they're over $20+ each? wow. Have you been to France or Italy and seen true thin crust pizza? It's about the texture and flavor, not the amount the topping and thickness of the dough. My fried chicken .... darn, I was excited to try this ... assuming it wasn't breast meat? kinda chewy and fatty, but that's not the real problem ... it was the batter and preparation ... I admit I can't cook fried chicken, I only eat when out as expecting something really good and especially at somewhere like Bantom. This missed the mark by a mile. (by 10 miles) I enjoyed the little gem caesar salad and my wife liked her dish, of something vegan and healthy. Our finished salad plate just sat there all evening, I think this should have been cleared ... our server just wasn't really "on it" . At these prices, won't be back. Very overrated and hyped. read more

Service poor, bread was cold, pizza had little cheese and was soggy. 1st time here, terrible first impression.

Great place in Santa Cruz! I love their selection of unique pizzas and appetizers. We had a gluten free person who didn't miss out on any of goodness because they had a chick pea crust pizza, very cool. We brought wine, $15 corkage fee max 2 bottles. Very friendly staff, definitely going back! read more

Bantam - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Exceptional! Both small plates I ate were stupendous. Pork belly and endive. The second, whole roasted sun chokes, buratta, pesto and pomegranate seeds. A perfect creamy Champagne to accompany. Delicious. read more

Bantam - L: Pork belly, grilled endive, honey and thyme. R: Whole roasted sun chokes, buratta with walnut pesto and pomegranate seeds. - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Bantam has friendly service, is delicious, seasonally fresh, & unpretentious...it's a special spot I love to go to during the once in a blue moon Santa Cruz visit. Thanks for the delicious meal. read more