Good bartender. Good service. Great menu. great ambience. What else is there? Love this place!

We had an amazing lunch for our daughter's graduation and wanted to make sure we left our recommendation! Because it was UCSC graduation weekend, we made a reservation online to ensure our large party would be accommodated. We were seated right away inside the bustling restaurant and immediately given water and menus. We started with cocktails (the very best jalapeño margaritas ever!!) and appetizers. The calamari was perfectly fried and paired with two very tasty dipping sauces, an aioli and tomato relish. We also had the fried artichokes, which were also perfectly fried that had a subtle citrus flavor. Our meals were awesome with just the right portion sizes. My mom ordered the grilled fish sandwich, which everyone agreed was the best put of everything. Perfectly seared ahi was the fish of the day and it was delightful. I had the fishwich sandwich had a thin layer of mango on top of the lightly battered cod. I had requested my sandwich on Gayle's Francesi roll instead of the brioche bun it normally comes on because I was curious. Good call as the roll was just perfect. Loved all the flavors in the sandwich that also came with a homemade coleslaw that wasn't too sweet or made with too much vinegar. Also ordered was the burger, calamari steak sandwich (loved it...calamari had the perfect texture and was not chewy), prawn and bacon sandwich (bery good and tasty), grilled chicken and green chili sandwich (excellent) and fettuccine with steak....not one complaint from the seven in our party. We ended the meal with two desserts...the coconut cheesecake (loved it and I'm not even a coconut fan) and the mud pie (made with the right amount of each ingredient and a delicious chocolate cookie crumb crust). Can't wait to come back the next time we're in the area! read more

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Appetizer - ordered the mashed potato fritters. They're little balls of mash, but fried, so the outside is crispy. Came with a bbq ketchup sauce. Pretty good. Entree - ordered the grilled swordfish. I think it was a special for the day. Tbh it wasn't anything crazy by itself, but eating it in the same bite as the polenta (I think it was polenta) made it pretty good. The swordfish added nice, sorta gamey substance to the soft, salty-sweet polenta. The dish also came with some broccolini (long broccoli). I don't think it really added much. The fish and polenta were the stars. Dessert - I audibly moaned upon tasting the bread pudding. Drink - ordered the passionfruit coconut mocktail (non-alcoholic cocktail). Really sharp flavor. You gotta wait a few minutes for the ice to dilute it a little. Then it's nice and fruity. Ambience - we sat outside. They have a nice little courtyard out back. Bring a jacket in case it gets chilly. Waiter - polite, professional, available. Be sure to make a reservation. We showed up without one but got lucky. read more

Cafe Cruz - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

Good food! Had the sea bass. It was pretty good. The restaurant is way bigger inside than it appears from the front. I love their garden room. Service was excellent!! read more

This casual & seductive restaurant was fun and a great date night spot. They have regular indoor seating, or in between seating where you can be a puppy in the glass on high table tops or cozy on a patio covered with heaters. We came in late on a Friday night and the service was superb from the very start of being greeted at the hostess desk, bartender and wait staff. Some of our food items were more delicious than others. This still didn't take away from our experience there. Definitely a return spot. read more

Incredible food, ambiance and service. A mix of casual and elevated dining, where you don't feel over dressed or underdressed, everyone is welcome. highly recommend one of their sophisticated and fun cocktails as well as their special of the day. read more

Great service. Loved the filet mignon and crème brûlée was outstanding. Waiter was super nice and stayed to chat with us for a bit. Ambience set the mood and started us off with a nice night. read more

I made a reservation here for my mom's birthday, she's no spring chicken and neither are her friends so I asked for a table that would accommodate that. We were tucked at the back of the bar, squeezed into the wall by the noisy bussing station. Not great, and there were a lot of open tables, probably over a dozen but they wouldn't move us. Service was slow, having to order our drinks multiple times. Cocktails came not full either, which is weird to get a martini glass that looks like someone drank 1/3 of it. My food came out and the fish was raw, like cold in the middle and it wasn't supposed to be. I asked them if they could please cook it more and the waiter laughed, saying "oh you need it well done or something?" They did bring her out a scoop of vanilla for her birthday which was nice, but I was not at the table and missed it. For the high cost, this place is not worth it. read more

The fish lunch sandwich was excellent. Plus the French fries were cooked to perfection. Service was pretty good. Kept my water glass replenished. read more

Hidden gem in Soquel CA! Incredible food! Parking is a challenge, but most hidden gems are. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the blackened fish salad. The fish they used today was rock fish, it was absolutely delicious. It came with cayenne buttermilk dressing, but it wasn't so saturated that it was too heavy, it was the perfect amount. The staff is very friendly, we were well taken care of. I highly recommend! read more

Lorrrrrrrrrrrrrddddddd have Merrccccyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!! This place was fantastic! Drinks and Food was amazing! Erin is a sweetheart and she made me feel so special. She even moved me to a bigger table because I was ordering so much food. We had the steak with fettuccine! I know what your thinking how does that go together but it was amazing. We also had the Tri Tip with potatoes and the greens. The calamari made me take nap for 120 seconds right at the table! I had to tell Erin to come back in a few minutes just to order my food! As soon as we walk in and sat down for our anniversary they brought over us champagne ! The desert just made me fall in love with this place. I love me some apple martinis and u don't need but one but I may of had two or three shoot I can't remember! I do however remember how amazing the food was and how I was treated and it was just amazing to me! I could talk about this place all day! Now don't be deceived by the outside when u go inside it's really cozy and nice! It was a hit for me! read more

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What happened to Cafe Cruz? It was always such a treat to have lunch at Cafe Cruz, especially the Fish & Chips! Today, no much selection in the menu, so I ordered the fish sandwich with fries. Very, very disappointed - the fries were not the usual delicious large, crispy, homemade fries from the past. The fish sandwich had uncooked fish, tasteless tomatoes, and no dressing. So disappointed by the lack of quality I'd so enjoyed in the past. read more

We haven't been here for 6 years. Wow! It's still as amazing as ever. Everything fresh! AND everything local. . The service is top notch. We sat at the cooks counter and the chef's, Sergio and Cesar, gave us great recommendations and were great to talk to. The best.!! read more

Food is ok... Servers and hostess give off a very haughty and judgmental vibe making it uncomfortable to enjoy time there. Won't be back.

We had a terrible meal and service experience at Cafe Cruz not long ago for lunch. But we always like to give a place a second (possibly last) shot. I'm so glad that we did! We went for dinner tonight and the food and service could not have been better. Our drinks were delivered to our table minutes from ordering them. The bread was soft and delicious and the calamari was good as well. We both ordered the filet, medium rare which were cooked perfectly. Our server was very kind and attentive, refilling my iced tea before I even needed to ask. It was a wonderful experience. We will certainly be back. read more

Cafe Cruz - Filet Mignon - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

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We all enjoyed our food choices. I'm biased but I think my choice of the rotisserie pork loin entree was a home run. Our server,Nicole, was very good as was all of the support staff . We were a little bit worried when we arrived because of the outdoor seating we had ask for and the chilly evening but staff got the heaters going as soon as we sat down and it was perfect. Another fun evening at Cafe Cruz. read more

Delicious as always - both drinks and food. We always request to sit in the room off of the dining area because we love the ambiance with the surrounding plants and it tends to be a little quieter in there on the weekends. Service is always fantastic - attentive - and responsive. We always have a good time at cafe cruz. read more

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Heads up, the parking is tight if you're driving a larger vehicle. The restaurant is way bigger inside than it looks. Full bar area and lots of seating areas make for a cool atmosphere. The service is amazing, the food is acceptable. I'd come back but would plan for the smaller areas and right restrooms. Great food, even better service, a little difficult in logistics. read more

Have you tried the blackened chicken burger/sandwich? If not, run, don't walk to get yourself one. Life changing. Amazing. This thing is massive and so delicious. Can't wait to have it again for lunch . Worth every penny . I'd give it more stars if it was possible read more

This restaurant has options for seating. We sat in the garden room(?). It's enclosed with heaters but feels outdoors. We shared the artichoke appetizer which was delicious. I ordered the French dip special. It was ver good. Awesome service as well. Great place!! read more

Cafe Cruz - French dip - substituted slaw for Caesar salad - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

This place is so delicious! I came here for a business lunch with my client and ordered the animal burger. Wow the garlic fries were amazing! Service was excellent and the ambiance was nice as there's several different rooms at this cafe. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for scrumptious food. I'll definitely be back! read more

Cafe Cruz - Animal style burger - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

Me and my wife come here often for dinner. But we tried lunch one day and were really impressed by the quality of food. I got a burger and I'm a burger guy. It was very juicy and delicious, perfect cook. My wife got a Reuben which was also very good. read more

If i was writing a review on food and service this place would get a 5.... No doubt BUT.... could not believe how dirty our table and surrounding areas were. I am not a snob and I would definitely go back to the place because the food was absolutely amazing... best short ribs I have ever had, every one was so friendly and food came out quickly and hot. I just hope that they read this review and make some effort to clean more thoroughly Really disturbing! read more

Cafe Cruz - Floor and baseboards have not been scrubbed in a very long time - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

Oh my goodness their food is phenomenal. I had the mussels special on top of pasta with focaccia and it was to die for. Husband had the special of pork shoulder stroganoff and it was also so tasty! Our server was Alex and he was so kind and attentive. Parking is limited, so arrive a few minutes early! read more

Cafe Cruz - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

Always a good meal & service. It can get pretty busy around the typical dinner hours so if you want quieter go early or late but this place has been consistently good over 20+ years I always bring out of town friends here so there's no surprises or BAD meals!! . read more

Food is tasty- pork chops and crab cakes were spot on- and the service is good. I would give the food a 3.5 or maybe even four on some dishes. Nice out door seating area too. The reason I'm giving it a 3 star is the way they manage the outdoor seating. My wife and I came a couple of months ago when they opened in the morning, and there were multiple tables open but they wouldn't seat us - apparently waiting for people with reservations. We were made to eat inside. When we departed less an an hour later, there were still 3 free tables. This time we made reservations and, again, arrived when they opened. They put us at a 2 seater table in the back, toward the parking lot, squeezed in between two other tables with multiple people. The experience was dampened by the noise on both sides - even though both parties were talking in normal (not loud) voices. The tables should be further apart to provide for some privacy vs jamming them in this way. read more

Well, Cafe Cruz use to have great food but now.. Well! It's OK @ best. The service however was excellent. The ambiance is always a crowd pleaser. The parking is terrible. We had to park in the Home Depot parking lot and cross the street and that is never fun. read more

We have been frequenting Cafe Cruz and looove to sit at the Chef's Kitchen. Rene is absolutely amazing. Even when it's busy, and he is stressed, he remains professional, and kind. Cafe Cruz, and Rene, and staff, always come through to make the most enjoyable dining experience read more

Food was amazing and the service was great. A very popular spot so things were kind of slow.

Food: 9 out of 10 Service: 9.5 out of 10 Ambiance: 10 out of 10 Recommended by a friend. Had dinner here on a Friday night on the gorgeous back patio. So intimate and charming! Plenty of heaters to go around. Our food was very good. The cocktails were very good too. The only item we did not care for was a bottle of pinot noir that was not good at all. It wasn't corked or anything, just not at all on par with the quality of the food. will definitely go back. read more

I go to this fine establishment for a DINING experience... where the wait staff is knowledgeable about table etiquette. We asked our waiter, Joshua, to steam our veggies longer, so they would come out softer than usual. He tried to explain to us, that steaming them longer would not make them softer, and that that was not a real thing; then he questioned, "does that make sense?" When the waiter returned, I then asked him, " Which fork was the salad fork?" holding up both of my forks. He said that it didn't matter because they were both the same. My girlfriend pointed out that the salad fork should be the fork on the outside, and he hesitantly agreed. I only write this review because I feel that a person with that amount of confidence in both of these wrong answers and arguing us, is either working in the wrong profession, or needs to get his facts straight. It's just embarrassing for the restaurant to have someone arguing customers on how they want their food cooked when he is clearly in the wrong. The vegetables came out soft, because they were cooked longer... the food was phenomenal, as it always is here. Just disappointed in the arrogant false confidence which is extremely unattractive and caused this these less than perfect review. Humble yourself, Joshua... read more

We went to dinner last night a party of 7 who made reservations for our niece who was visiting out of state to celebrate her 15th birthday. If I could give our service a zero I would have! The only thing that made this review get a 1 was our busser kept refilling our bread basket 3 times because we waited that long to get our food. Our server was lackluster who was timid and had zero pep in her step with zero since of urgency what so ever. Our beverages were either too sweet the lemonades or the alcoholic beverages were too light on the pour. The food took 45 minutes for us to get and let's just say know one ordered anything more than medium states. None of the 7 dishes that came were piping hot and they all lacked flavor with the exception of the braised beef I was told was dinner and that you didn't need the knife. The other dish the swordfish I was told was edible and lacked flavor but he was so hungry he scarfed it down. We waited 15 minute for our server to return with our credit card to sign the bill. If you are looking for a place to take your out of town guest or celebrate a special occasion do not go to Cafe Cruz. You will be highly frustrated and disappointed. The quality of the food has gone down! The serving portions are smaller! The service level has dropped. This use to be my favorite place to go to celebrate special holidays or milestones and I am disappointed and angered in the direction they are heading which is down! read more

We ate here during a 3 day spring break trip to Santa Cruz. As a local friend said, "it has a menu of food people actually want." I was quite hungry after 6 miles of walking and started with the polenta and greens appetizer. The polenta was the perfect texture, creamy with just a slight graininess. The greens were red chard, which I had never had and did not know could be so delicious. For the main course, I had the petrale sole special. It was lightly breaded with a little bit of sauce - just the right amount. The sole was served over the most delicious lemon rice that I have ever eaten. I would definitely return here if visiting the area again. read more

I was in the area by the restaurant and smelled something so good my stomach had to search where it was coming from. We went to this place and ordered the filet mignon. Lo and behold, we felt we reached an all time food "high". Cooked to order, service was kind and helpful about recommendations. And dont get me started on their homemade desserts It does get pretty busy and my second time there our order took longer than expected. The restaurant owner and our waitress were on top of it letting us know and apologized for the delay. Would call for reservations as I said before, it does getting pretty busy read more

My favorite is the ambiance Although the food and the service is impeccable. We will be sure to come again and again and again read more

Another wonderful meal at Cafe Cruz! This place is a Santa Cruz institution, for good reason. The service is amazing and the food terrific. The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that we sat in the garden room, and it was incredibly noisy. My friends took me here for my birthday dinner tonight and as usual I had a wonderful meal. I ordered the swordfish and substituted the nectarine and mint chutney for the pineapple gremolade, which was a good choice! I'm actually not sure that I got the swordfish I may have gotten the sea bass because it was supposed to have come with forbidden rice, and it came with polenta, but either way it was absolutely delicious ! The fish was cooked perfectly and the polenta was yummy. My friend had the half chicken, which was enough that she felt she could get two more meals out of it took quite a bit home with her they brought me a free dessert, for my birthday which was lovely. This has become really rare lately I have noticed! the service here is just spectacular! when the bread gets low (which it does so fast because it's so good with the fresh grated garlic and balsamic and olive oil dip) it just magically appears full! for lunch or dinner or the early bird special dinner this is a great choice! read more

Cafe Cruz - Swordfish with shaved Brussels, polenta and nectarine/mint chutney - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California

Steak was delicious everything cooked to perfection would've eaten a second plate if they set it down!!!!! A must return!!!!

It is really loud in there, so be prepared for that. It is not romantic. The food is reasonably priced and it was really good. I had the blackened fish taco salad and really liked it. Adults were happy with their food. The kids did not like their avocado toast, but it's because they were expecting something very bland and what is served here is flavorful and well prepared. We got them a calamari when we realized they weren't going to eat the avocado toast and they really liked it. Parking in the lot is hard to come by. I can see why it's crowded, great food. Get reservations, especially if you have a large group, read more

We loved the warm, friendly setting with lots of light. Food very good. Loved the swordfish sandwich and my friend, the meatloaf sandwich. Tasty grilled cheese on the cibotta bread melting onto the meat. The watermelon margaritas was delicious as well. A very pleasant lunch. read more

Loved this dining experience. We sat on the patio and it was so pretty and lively! Food was delicious and service 5-star. We were visiting Santa Cruz but if lived nearby, we'd go to this restaurant every Saturday night. Loved it. read more

Cafe Cruz - Patio view - Seafood Near Me - Soquel, California