Excellent service, food, and ambiance. It's clear there are some talented and passionate managers keeping a stellar show going.

Great customer service and yummy woodfried pizza with delicious tomato sauce and fresh ingredient. Their fresh crabmeat spaghetti with green garlic and breadcrumbs is my absolute favorite must try!!! Strongly recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves the fresh new American food :) read more

Bantam - Mushroom arancini - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Bantam has become our go-to for our weekly date night. It's got a great vibe going from the location, the room, with exhibition style kitchen and the west side sunset filling the floor to ceiling windows in the evening. Last time it was not only The Clash but Sandinista playing on the excellent sound system. The pizza here is delicious, the Prosciutto Pie being my personal favorite. The crust is perfectly cooked and the marriage between the rocket, the Parmesan and the prosciutto is amazing, especially with a little chili oil. Their fried chicken is simply amazing, really, just get some! And they offer a variety of garden treats from salads to veggies. And then, they make the best Negroni I've had to date. Now, I've just described our last dinner in reverse order. Lol. Great service, friendly staff complete the package. 5 stars! read more

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There was an intimidating line around the corner when they opened at 5:00 for Friday dinner, but our wait wasn't more than 20 minutes. The menu is smallish and everything we tried was great! The arancini was the best I've had. Our party of 6 ordered three appetizers and four pizzas and ended up taking around 1/2 a pizza to go. Service was friendly and we enjoyed the outdoor seating option. read more

A real gem on the west side of Santa Cruz. Great distressed architecture. Beautiful bar. I sat at bar though I don't drink. It was busy. Watched the bartender making well crafted cocktails. I had the warm olives with anise, and burrata with tomatoes and wilted greens. Had great sourdough with soft butter and parmesan. This was $8 but I see why. Free bread in a place that sells pizza is defeating in these challenging times for restaurants. Bartenders were nice. read more

Ambiance of the restaurant is aesthetically appealing and the food is good but don't let that fool you. The food costs way too much for what it is. It's good but not that good. The service wasn't the greatest either. Not a lot checking in, drinks taking a long time or even forgotten about and not entirely knowledgeable of the menu. read more

This is my go to place in Santa Cruz. Every time we go here the food and drinks are excellent and the service is great. Highly recommend.

Excellent pizza and salad. I also really enjoyed their wine list, lots of interesting things to try. Quick and friendly service, no issues getting seated even in a Friday night. Only issue was the setting sun was in our eyes the whole dinner and we were seated inside. My kid had to keep moving around to avoid it. read more

The pizza here is off the charts tasty. Fresh ingredients, thin crust. Wonderful. And Leslie provided excellent service and really made the experience great. read more

AMBIENCE 5 Whether you are new to town or having a catch up with some friends, this joint on the west side of town is your place to be. Parking was easy in the parking lot behind the restaurant. There are also other areas along the street that you can find free parking. They had plentiful indoor seating (shared tables, bar-style tables, and regular. As well as several outdoor booth style seats with warmers. I would definitely recommend coming right when they open or expect to wait 40 minutes to an hour and a half on a Friday or weekend. Now one of the reasons why I gave the ambience such a positive review, it's just the vibe of the place. It's busy, everyone's friendly, and just have a fun groovy vibe. There is a bar in the restaurant that you can grab drinks from while you're waiting to be seated. All so lovely! SERVICE 4 Now, don't get me wrong, everyone was extremely friendly. I just chose to come here during the peak rush-hour, so service was a lot slower. We ordered almost immediately after sitting and started with some bread that we nibbled on for about 30 minutes. A little over a half an hour later, our pizza and side arrived. Also, had to hunt someone down for water, the check, and our card back. But overall very great service! FOOD 4.5 Now the food really made it. We got the $5 bread and salted butter, the $21 roasted beet (avocado, wild rice, spring onion, kumquats, and almond) second, and the house sausage pizza (tomato, creon , and Calabrions). Perfect amount for two people (we were both stuffed. The bread was fresh made and super dense LOL... the beet second was PERF, covered with olive oil, with complimenting flavors and the exploding flavor and crunch of toasted almonds... magnificent! The pizza dough was also perfectly toasted to crunchy perfection... Overall, a great place to go for a nice night out! :) would recommend read more

Bantam - Outdoor - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Came here for pizza upon hearing this was one of the better places to eat in Santa Cruz. Got two pizzas (one with spicy honey and one with stone fruits) and both were pretty good. The pies might seem big, but one pie a person ended up being like the perfect amount of food. If I'm in town and want pizza, I'd def go back to here read more

Bantam - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Such great and personal service. The vibes are great and the food was delicious, some of the portions were smaller than expected but e ordered the perfect amount! read more

I've enjoyed and recommended Bantam for years, but unfortunately the last few times I've been there I've left disappointed and wanting for more. Tonight was the cherry on top to consistent bad food and I probably won't be going back :(. I got their fried chicken, which was paired with a season sweet corn succotash, and I don't mean to be rude (truly), but the succotash was a pathetic excuse for a side. The veggies were crunchy and swimming in an unsalted broth? Idk what that was, but it wasn't succotash. And regardless, why are you putting fried chicken into liquid ? Most of the veggies were raw, too. I asked for salt to make the dish better but unfortunately it did not help so I wasn't eating it. The waitress noticed and asked what I thought and I was honest. She happily replaced my veggies with their smashed cucumber appetizer and I tried so hard to like it, but it was just not good and nothing special. The whole experience had me wishing I had just cooked at home instead of spending the money. As far as ambiance goes, it's really nice until the whole restaurant is full and then the acoustics are wild! If you are at a table of 6 or greater, do not expect to hear the person at the other side of the table. If you get overstimulated by noise in the slightest, ask to sit outside if the restaurant is busy. read more

Sitting outside on a nice day or inside any day, this place is amazing. The open kitchen aspect so you can watch from afar your food being prepared and cooked is always a fun time throw in the best homemade pizza in Santa Cruz whattttt more could you want! We also had the fried chicken but it was so good I forgot to take a picture :) The staffs beyond friendly from the cooks to the waitstaff and you never go with an empty glass as they are hawks making sure you're taken care of. read more

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The food here was okay at best, the salad was a sad few chunks of lettuce with a few large soggy croutons on top with a bit of shredded cheese. They don't have a cheese pizza which is odd so I ordered the margarita which was so oily and sloppy the pizza would fall apart, keep in mind it has really tiny slices so it really shouldn't be a 2 handed pizza that falls apart. Coming from someone who lives in LA a place like this wouldn't survive a minute in an area with any competition. Overall if you are looking for a place with nice staff and good vibes this is it, but you won't find a good meal here. read more

Bantam - Salad? - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great food & excellent location. My husband is a very plain eater & wasn't impressed. I love to go on an adventure with my taste buds, so this was my jam! Bit too noisy for our liking, as we couldn't hold a conversation without yelling. Services was average. read more

If you love hand crafted Neapolitan style pizza , Bantam is the perfect spot. Their menu changes daily with multiple options. Chefs make the pizzas right in front of you and are baked in a firewood oven. The restaurant feels lively and the mood is set right for a date night. Our server was excellent, she checked in with us throughout our dinner and made sure we were taken care of. Featured above is the Black Trumpet and Prosciutto Pie. Both pizzas were delicious in their own way! The Black Trumpet was super creamy from the parsnip sauce and fontina. I was skeptical at first due to the black trumpet mushrooms but it surprised me. Prosciutto Pie was loaded with rocket arugula were it was borderline overwhelming. The prosciutto was thick and added the perfect amount of savoriness. read more

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I loved everything about this place. It was my first time and it was a winner. My partner and I showed up on a Saturday evening and waited around 35 minutes, just as the hostess predicted. We walked over to Stockwell and had a glass a wine and enjoyed the live music during our wait (highly recommend) and then were seated at the bar. It was a full house and I don't mind a bar seat, so it worked for me. Our bartender was super freaking sweet and attentive (thank you, it doesn't go unnoticed). We shared the celery root soup (yum), warmed olives (spicy and yum!), and TWO orders of the fried chicken (yum, could've easily shared a 3rd plate). We finished our meal with their gluten-free chocolate torte and it just melted in my mouth. The only bummer was that they don't have any gluten-free flour for the pizzas. The pizzas looked AMAZING but unfortunately those with allergies (hi, it's me), I couldn't indulge. My friend had shared that they lack protein options, which I do agree with, AND I think if you go into it knowing that it's more of a carb-heavy meal than you'll do just fine. I really look forward to going back one day. read more

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Amazing! I was a little skeptical about all of the rave reviews but it was bonkers good! Having lived in NY and Boston, where pizza tastes like it should, we've had a hard time finding a good pizza place in California so we're psyched for this place read more

Super happy joy joy vibes at Bantam! Great pizza, amazing citrus and fennel salad and ragu perfection. Paired with craft cocktails and quality service. read more

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I paid $28 for a pizza that was so spicy I couldn't eat it. I don't mind a little kick to the tomato sauce but this was over the top. Not authentic and certainly not worth it read more

Ambiance of this place was really nice and the pizza and Caesar salad was so delicious! Major plus was that all the wait staff was super attentive and friendly! read more

Bantam - Bacon pizza - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great pizza! And our server was very good and attentive. While the other menu items (ie salads, etc) look creative, they are a TOTAL rip off. As in, they seemed to have mis-priced the items. We ordered their Wood Oven Corn appetizer. It was literally 1 small corn on the cob, chopped up into 8 pieces, and sprinkled with tajin, and topped with 3-4 thin slices of jalapeño. COGS = maybe 50 cents ($0.50). The dish cost $19! $$$$ Not cool that is actually greedy :( Stick to pizza only, maybe even takeout. read more

Well for me unfortunately, did not feel I got the best out of this place compared to others reviews. Came here on a Friday evening and the place was buzzing. That always seems to be a good sign knowing everyone wants to come here. It was a long wait close to 40 minutes, which was not a problem as they were packed and it's understandable. Once a table opened the hostess got us in promptly which was great. Problem came with the service and food experience. The waiter took a bit to greet us, and when he did, it wasn't a greet and more of a "sup" and then waited for us to order lol. Asked the waiter his personal preference and/or what was good there as we were new. He basically described word for word the menu, so not much help there. Ordered the Prociutto Pie as it seemed delicious and was the most expensive, so figured they put the most work into it. But tbh, didn't seem the case. Honestly felt they grabbed a handful of rocket salad and threw on top of a already cooked cheese pizza. Then took some slices of prociutto and neatly placed on top. It was messy and hard to eat. Plus the prociutto is hard to cut, so you basically get one slice with the meat and the rest of the pizza is salad. As well the wines by the glass seemed pretty expensive compared to to other places. So all in all was a pricey not filling experience. I definitely would like to come back and try a different pizza and hopefully have a different experience. Sorry for the review, but thanks for having me. read more

Bantam - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Pinot and margarita pizza just like Conan! the chicken is always amazing as well as craft cocktails also had a nice asparagus soup and awesome pork belly sweet potato appetizer. Go early try everything! read more

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Overall probably the worst pizza I've ever had, and I have eaten a lot of pizza. The crust was super dry and burned in several spots. They put little dabs of cheese on the pizza, very skimpy. The fresh basil was put on the pizza /before/ it went in the oven so it came out crispy and black. Does anyone cooking there understand flavor? The service wasn't bad, but it wasn't stellar either. It was arguably the worst pizza experience I ever had. I wouldn't recommend to anyone and I would tell people looking for good pizza to try anywhere else read more

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Bantam does not disappoint. Silver lining to the pandemic, they now have outdoor seating and it's great. The Burrata with Heirloom tomatoes was awesome (they always do the burrata so well, but man, those tomatoes...). Pickled green beans were my least favorite part of the night, but they were still good - I just was dreaming of having them a little spicier. The fried chicken itself it always good - both so tender and crispy. But I was particularly please with the sides today - they all came together really nicely, and the eggplant was particularly delicious. Porkbelly with scallops and clams was delicious. There was only one scallop, which was kind of sad, but it was a darn good scallop. The chickpeas as a side here kinda missed the target. But are still a nice dish. This is not about bantam in particular, but why wine pours so small and so expensive? it's sadness. But I know, just how it is. read more

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We arrived at Bantam at 4:55, 5 minutes before they opened at 5, and there was about 8 other people lined up in front of us. We were seated, and as we looked at the menu, I was thinking about the fried chicken, that I did not order on my last visit. There was no fired chicken this time, but there was a crispy duck leg. I was thinking does one duck leg make a dinner? And it is served with yellow beans, bacon, turnips, rosemary and quince? I have had duck before, but never like this. The waitress said it was good, and that the duck leg weighs 6.5 ounces with the bone. I decided to order it, and I am glad I did. It was delicious, I took the duck meat off the bone, and I ate the pieces of salty duck with the beans and the other ingredients, the ingredients really balanced each other out. We also had Margherita and Soppressata pizzas. They were both good, the hot honey really dominated the Soppressata. read more

Bantam - Crispy Duck leg - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I love the vibe at Bantam, and we often go here when friends or family are visiting. But as the parent of a baby who doesn't always do so hot at restaurants, we also love getting Bantam pizza for take out. If you call, it's almost always ready within 15 minutes. Even if it's busy. read more

I've driven by and seen the crowds at the Bantan restaurant for years and considering that I live practically around the corner from it, I can't believe that I haven't tried it yet, until tonight! (09/21/2024! What have I been waiting for?!?! This place is Great! With some further research, I'm discovering that Bantam is a specialty pizza kitchen. And people that know me, know one thing...I'm a nut for pizza & consider myself a "pizza snob". I call the center of the pizza "the heart" and live by the belief that I say, "if a place can't make a decent cheese pie, forget it! Because if you can't make a good cheese pizza, I don't care how much other things you put on it, it's not going to be good!" Let's face it people, the foundation to any good pizza is the cheese pie! Everything else on the pizza is just a topping but you need a great cheese pizza to start with! What makes a good cheese pizza? A good cheese pie is a great crust! Crunchy, chewy and delicious, topped with an exceptionally flavorful sauce and enough of the sauce that blends nicely with the cheese that tops your pizza, (unfortunately too many pizzas I've had, skimped on the sauce...). At Bantam, you'll find the perfect blend of cheese and sauce on top of a delicious crust! If you dine at Bantam you'll soon discover why it's always busy there...It's So Good! Go and try it, you won't be disappointed! read more

i love this restaurant. they're pizzas are amazing. the menu items changes depending on the season. it's a chill place, very Santa Cruz, or very california. they have seating outside and a small bar area. the music playing gets you in the mood to chill and relax, maybe have a drink or two. read more

Bantam - menu - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Bantam was on a large list of restaurants we wanted to try while in Santa Cruz at the end of July 2021. We wanted to be able to sit outdoors, considering the pandemic, and the reviews looked good. This place was amazing!!! We actually returned there a second night during our trip, the food was so good. The first night we had the little gem Caesar, which took Caesar to a whole new level for us. We are now making our Caesar at home with Little Gem lettuce instead of Romaine. Way better! The salad was really flavorful and enough for two of us. We also had the Marinara pizza, and the crust was thin and had great flavor and just the right amount of chewiness. We didn't get photos of that meal because we ate it so quickly! The second night we had the Napoli pizza, which had just the right amount of anchovy to give it zing, with the same wonderful crust. We also had the pork belly, which actually blew our minds. My husband teaches Culinary at the high school and junior college level, and he was the one who insisted we come back a second night. Well worth it. Great beers on tap, friendly staff, comfortable and pretty outdoor patio with plenty of spacing too. We will definitely make this a stopping point any time we come to Santa Cruz. Thank you, Bantam, for two great meals during our anniversary trip! read more

Bantam - Napoli pizza and pork belly. Delicious! - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Everything was so great! Food, service, food, ambiance, food, drinks, and food! The food was so delish!! We love the soppressata pizza with the fab honey on top!! the ceasar was also so so good! Our hostess was Mari and she was so friendly and attentive! Go her! We'll definitely be back! we want to try the fried chicken!! read more

Bantam - Bread and buttaaaaa - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Magical place! A bit of a wait on a Friday night but the staff was so amazing. We started with the cauliflower and the "big" salad (that wasn't that big) but both were delicious. We had two pizzas - the Napoli (couldn't have been better!!) and the Margarita. It's a little loud but we're old, haha. Loved it here! read more

My husband, son and his girlfriend and I had the most AMAZING food and experience at Bantam-Wood Fire Pizza Restaurant in Santa Cruz last night (2/28/25). For starters, the well seasoned Warm Green Olives, Avocado & Grapefruit salad and the Chanterelles on a bed of Polenta were OVER-THE-TOP delicious! The two Pizzas we had were equally great;, one with crispy Soppressata and Hot Honey and the other was Margarita. We ended this already fabulous meal with a Fire-Roasted Almond Cake! Our server made it all come together by completely taking good care of us, thus giving us the BEST service. The atmosphere at Bantam is hip, lively and fun! As most locals and visitors already know, Santa Cruz, is loaded with Pizza Places. Moving forward, this is the ONLY one I will be going to when I visit Santa Cruz from now on! read more

Absolutely loved our meal at Bantam. We were just visiting the area, and can say with confidence this was one of the best meals we had on our entire trip, let alone in Santa Cruz. The staff were lovely, drinks were great and food was excellent. If you are in the area, and looking for a good meal for a reasonable price I wouldn't suggest anywhere other than Bantam. read more

Bantam - Sopressata pizza - Pizza Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Fried chicken, the best. Great pizza and salads too. Yummy cocktails and desserts. Noisy inside. If it's warm enough, sit outside.

Fabulous food. That is the real reason to come unless you are friends with the staff. Nice drinks but nothing special. We got okay service, but it was slow. Staff seems to spend a lot of time talking to their friends. We were really comfortable here, but in talking about it later, we could not quite put a finger on what vibe they want to present. Prices are reasonable. We will be back, especially for the food. read more

Went here for dinner and line is long,i was thinking ,it's going to be a good eats and yes it is, a little pricey though,but it got really good taste,if you like spicy, this got some kick but not too much,we've ordered the fried chicken which has the best crunch to it and meatballs,so yeah for six people it'll be more than $150.but we enjoyed our meal ,it was something different. read more

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This place knows crust Neapolitan style thin! The fried chicken was also excellent Had great service Could use a better tequila menu but not complaining Come early - the locals bitch about gettin tables just saying Appreciate the local and organic offerings read more