Decent fare and reasonable portions at a price that won't break the bank. This year marks Carpo's 30th birthday, and I'm sure this is not how they expected to be celebrating with the pandemic cramping their style, but here we are. Fortunately, Carpo's has gotten the whole covid dining thing figured out with both indoor and outdoor seating options. Indoors, every other booth is marked off as unusable, and plexiglass between booths provides an extra layer of protection. The salad bar is on hiatus, but diners can serve themselves from the garnish/condiment station (after donning the provided gloves). Kudos for keeping people safe during these weird times. The wife and I ordered the following: * Fish & Chips ($12.50): Beer-battered cod, lightly breaded and deep fried to a nice crisp! Served with cocktail and tartar sauces; the spicy mustard from the garnish bar was equally as good for dipping. * Grilled Chicken Breast ($11.99): A good sized piece and decent as far as chicken breast goes (it's hard to make amazing chicken breast). The condiments went nicely with this. Each regular entree comes with two sides. The wife enjoyed her pasta side that had a splash of pesto, and I'd asked for rice to be substituted in as one of my sides. The rice was seasoned well and had bits of onion in it - delicious! We each got steamed vegetables for our other side and found the veggies to be cooked just right. This was particularly important for the broccoli since it's easy to undercook or overcook that. Kudos to the chefs who are paying attention in the kitchen! Carpo's also sells homemade pies and other desserts. Other reviewers rave about the pie here, so I regret that we didn't try any! read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Fish & Chips and Grilled Chicken Breast - American Near Me - Soquel, California

Eat at the beer place next door. You can order from Carpo's through a window there. The best fish and chips! Nice outside vibe. No wine, only beer. read more

We used to eat here all the time when I was a teenager growing up in Soquel. I hadn't been in many years, and finally went back recently and took my family. Yep, Carpo's still has the best burgers! read more

I've been going to Carpos for at least 40 years. Today I went there to get two salad bars, and with the salad bar they give you three tiny little slices of bread, which were too little. Pieces of the loaf all we were eating was the salad bar so we went up to ask for more bread. They charged us two dollars for bread but only gave us three tiny little pieces for two people. I'm very disappointed in the new management that they have there. If you get all you can eat salad bar you should be able to get your bread when you want it and as much as you want. And not be chanced on three little tiny pieces. I'm very disappointed. read more

Food was delicious, pasta was so yummy. Had the fish and chips and all I can say is if I go to Carpo's again when I'm in town I'll get it again read more

Carpo's Restaurant - a man ordering food - American Near Me - Soquel, California

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Pops wanted to grab some lunch here for his birthday. We ordered 3 dishes for take out: teriyaki kabobs, Fisherman's basket, and chicken tenders. They let me know that the order would be done in 15-20 minutes, but when I arrived, it seemed as if they had forgotten it. Which is why I'm not surprised that my chicken kabob skewers were "nicely charred"... Once I got my take out, I asked for ketchup and the woman at the window rudely said it's over at the counter. I came back and asked for utensils and she said with an attitude that you have to ask for that or we won't give them to you. I wish I got photos of the chicken tenders, but my sister noticed that my dish had less food than hers. The 3 stars go towards their infamous pasta side dish. It is hands down still one of my sister and my favorite! This hasn't changed over the years. Overall, the food was gone down over the years. The pasta is still to die for, but the staff just makes me not want to come back. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Indoor seating - American Near Me - Soquel, California

One of my favorites was the tri tip sandwich. Unfortunately the last two were really tough and tasted old. Their fish&chips and fried shrimp are also not so good anymore. Signs of the times... read more

Rude service, tip baiting, carpo burger. worst food its an abomination overpriced. $5 for a side of fries?? ridiculous!!! never eating here again, YUCK! read more

We came here for dinner on Friday 11/13/20 and it looked dark and old inside. I think it's time for a renovation. There were lots of people eating in big groups and it didn't seem safe to eat indoors so we took our food to go in our hotel. The biggest disappointment was that they replaced the snapper dish with rock cod fish instead. For about 14 dollars, you get rock cod with steamed veggies and pasta. The portion is generous but the fish wasn't great. My best friend got a really bad gout attack from eating the rock cod and it was his birthday. Service was friendly. The best part was the berry pie. Not too sweet and full of dark berries. read more

Carpo's food is usually consistently good. I did notice today that the salad dressings taste watered down. My problem the last few visits has been with the service and the general attitude of the staff. It feels like they believe they are doing you a favor by selling you super expensive food. Then the tip option pops up. Tipping for what? Staff does no extra work other than wiping down and clearing tables. I've been going to Carpo's for 25 years or so? Time to take an extended break until they figure out prices, service, and gratitude. read more

My friend and I got to Carpos before they were open. We were sitting in the car in their parking lot deciding whether to go somewhere else to eat since they wouldn't be open for about half hour. Instead of leaving we decided to get out and take a walk and check out the vendor tents we could see across the street and then come back to eat there which we did When we finished our meal we went to the car to find this nasty note on the windshield The food was excellent but the note tarnished our satisfaction with the experience that day. I wrote via the their website to let them know my disappointment in being treated this way when I was a customer but did not hear back. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Nasty note left on my car - American Near Me - Soquel, California

Carpo's is a family-friendly seafood restaurant that seems to have been around the Santa Cruz/Soquel area for quite a long time. My friend and I came here recently after a day of being out and ordered some takeout. She raved about their salad bar which is still unfortunately closed due to the current health crisis. Maybe when everything resolves, they'll be able to bring this back and have servers helping you build the salad to minimize interaction from customers. We each ordered their Calamari Dinner Special with sides of steamed vegetables and pasta salad. They included a tartar and marinara sauce on the side for the golden pieces of squid. At first I was expecting the calamari to be similar to the apps but they were actually larger pieces fit for an entree. Our main was pretty good but could have used a bit more seasoning. Veggies were standard and weren't dressed in anyway, but the pasta salad was the definite win in terms of sides. Overall, Carpo's had a good dinner plate that I'd recommend for those wanting to fill a seafood craving. It didn't blow me away but it was still a very satisfying meal after a long day. Call ahead to place your order as it may take them up to 30 minutes on a busy night. Free parking is available in their private lot. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Calamari Dinner - American Near Me - Soquel, California

It's one of the best salad bars in town. Hands down. Their chicken tenders are great. Their pesto pasta is also awesome. BEST CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE Perfect consistency. EVER. FIGHT ME. read more

Carpo's has a large parking lot, however, be advised, that on a Friday night you may have to walk a couple of blocks to park on the street. That was how it was for us last Friday night. Carpo's is a great place to take a family with different eating needs. We went with a group of 5 including 2 vegetarians, some omnivores, and a very finicky child with a limited palate. Carpos worked well for our needs! We all walked away with smiles on our faces. They have a solid bar that I enjoyed going back to several times. It reminded me of salad bars from 50 years ago, however, since we were in Santa Cruz they even had yummy sunflower seed sprouts available at the salad bar. I also had a bowl of their clam chowder soup. Their sourdough bread was very fresh! My son-in-law and daughter were impressed with their Grilled Veggie Burger that happens to be Carpo's own recipe. It was huge--big enough to split and share! And it was only $8.50. We all enjoyed our dinners! I plan on coming here again! read more

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Husband and I wanted something to eat, happened to end up here. The people were insanely nice, the service was fast, the ambiance is perfect, family friendly and everything else. The place is clean. Great place to just hang out read more

I usually eat here when I visit Beer Thirty next door. You are able to order the food and tell them you are next door. They give you a buzzer, you go next door and the food is delivered via a to go window set up. I believe that Carpo's is connected to Beer Thirty by a secret tunnel. JK, anyways, it is convenient. I suppose you could also take your to go Carpo's order and carry it into Beer Thirty too. The only you cannot do is purchase a non alcholic beverage from Carpo's and bring it into Beer Thirty. Not sure why, but my non drinking friend wasn't able to. Finally the food! LOL, you can smell the barbecue from the parking lot. Smells so good. I had a cheesburger and onion rings. They didn't look too good when I opened the box, but dang! They were delicous! Hot and fresh and so many. We had loads to share. The burger was cooked perfectly medium with a slight pink center. If you don't like that be sure to ask for well done. I did not ask or was I asked how I wanted it cooked. I merely ordered and was happy. Huge amount of meat! Yummy. Lettuce, tomatoe, cheese and pickles. My friends grilled chicken sandwhich was gigantic! Like a chicken breast on steroids. The french fries from her order were perfectly fried and yummy too. Great food to have with beer.They have a huge parking lot and are located easy to find right off highway 101. Highly recommended. Five stars for consisently good, large portions, friendly staff and just plain yummy burgers and sandwiches. Happy Yelping. read more

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First time at Carpo's. My partner ordered 1 hot dog, potato wedges, and bred and butter. We were not in a rush or anything but after 30 minutes, my partner went up to the one of the workers to get an update on the status of the order. The worker went to the back for a second and came back simply saying it wasn't ready yet. He somehow couldn't provide any more information. After over 1 hour, I went with my partner to check on the order ( 3 small bites should not have taken this long). When we asked the guy if the order was ready, he simply said it wasn't ready but he did not check the back or anything. At this point, I politely let him know it should have been ready about 40 minutes ago. It had been an hour since my partner ordered. He noticed we were visibly distraught and radioed the kitchen to ask. Go figure, the food was ready! The worker up front was very unprofessional and the service was subpar. No complaints on the food, but the service will keep us away. read more

Son and I ate here on the recommendation of a local business owner (who we asked to direct us to the best burger in town). Lots of things on their "menu". You actually place your order at the counter and then it gets delivered to your table. Plenty of indoor and outdoor tables. Son got the burger and I got the cod sandwich. Both were very good, but we both agreed we've had better. They have a nice condiment station so you can fix up your burgers/sandwiches with the fixins you want. Their salad bar looked very good. The best thing was the french fries, which were deep fried to perfection. A solid option for lunch. Their parking lot is a little tight and for some reason seems very small in relation to the amount of seating available in the restaurant. read more

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I just got food to go they're always great for kids. It's a diner style food which is always good. I get the blackberry shake or Ollalieberry shake and it's amazing. read more

I cant seem to get past getting anything but the shrimp and crab sandwich every time I go to Carpos. Always so good with french fries, and a berry shake. Prices are affordable, and food is hot and fresh. A quick lunch before going to Capitola and a fav to not miss. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Shrimp and crab sandwich loaded with cheese - American Near Me - Soquel, California

The food is always excellent, as is the service! This is a family favorite since the '80s. Thank you to everyone who works here for providing a consistently satisfying experience. read more

This is our go to burger spot! The Carpo burger is the best. The salad bar is open again too. Fries and rings just delicious. The patio is a great place to enjoy your meal. Bathrooms are always clean and I believe you can tell alot about a place based on what the restroom looks like! They always have a good selection of pie and the carrot cake is heaven on a plate...its huge and I've never been able to finish it alone. I've been going here for over 20 yrs and honestly never had a bad meal. Staff at the counter have always been nice. If you've never been to Carpos...it's about time! read more

Carpo's Restaurant - American Near Me - Soquel, California

I hve eaten at Carpo's every Friday for years and have thoroughly enjoyed the fish specials on Fridays. The quality of the fish on offer has recently declined. The breaded halibut appears to have been frozen and reminded me of fish sticks. Previously the fish was always fresh and well prepared. Last week not only did the halibut remind me of fish sticks but the mango salsa was a mushy liquid that was unappeling in taste and teture. I have never had a salsa that was mushy liquid. It suggeste that this too had been previously frozen. read more

Ordered for pick up at Beer 30. Food was fast, hot and reasonably priced. The sour dough grilled cheese hit the spot. Place was packed but service was on point. Definitely recommend. read more

My all time favorite local spot. Everyone makes fun of me for that, but Carpo's just always hits the spot! I rarely deviate from my usual order of calamari + fries, salad bar, olallieberry shake, and sometimes I get the pesto pasta instead of fries. I love their outdoor patio- it's super clean and serene. They have nice plants, a fountain, and sometimes good music- can we keep the 80's rock to a minimum?- that's my only complaint :/ The food is consistent, comforting, delicious and fresh! What more could you ask for? Their Italian dressing is so good; I could drink it. The salad bar in general has so much to choose from and even a non-salad lover can find something there: pasta salad, potato salad, boiled egg, nuts, seeds, olives, cheese, you get the idea.... It's also a better deal if you get an entree and a salad bar combo if you are getting an entree + salad bar. Did I mention the salad bar is unlimited so you can really indulge! I know, indulging in a salad hardly makes sense, but trust me- it can be done! I will never stop eating at Carpo's no matter how many people roast me about it. They have the best calamari I have ever had I have a had a LOT of experience with calamari, ok? Their fries are also so scrumptious: thick and crispy but tender and soft on the inside. *Pro-tip: help yourself to their amazing condiment bar and also get a little cup from there and fill it up with 1000island dressing at the salad bar. Then, dip your fries in the dressing and a little ketchup and mmmmm you are set for life! Ok, brb I'm going to Carpo's. read more

Amazing atmosphere and staff super friendly and welcoming! Family friendly will go again

The Fisherman's Basket at Carpo's is the bomb!!!! I came here with a few friends and we ordered to sit at Beer 30 on a Saturday afternoon. The process is super simple - we ordered at Carpo's and they asked us if we were going to dine at Beer 30, gave us a buzzer, and we were able to pick our food up at a booth on the Beer 30 side. The Fisherman's basket order is a pretty large portion with fried calamari (giant pieces, not the small rings...), shrimp (very juicy), and white fish (cooked just right). I got my order with pasta and fresh vegetables and it balanced out the fried-ness really well. Pasta was surprisingly delicious. This will be my go-to order whenever I'm craving fried seafood down in Santa Cruz - I'm dreaming of it now... read more

My first time here, after a 6.4 mile hike at the medicine Buddha Trail, we were looking for a place to eat as we were very hungry. Great place and seems like a family run, opened since 1981. I ordered chicken grilled sandwich with sweet potato fries. It was indeed tasty with sauted onions in the sandwich and the fries was yummy. You order first and then you wait for the buzzer to light and get your food and you can either sit and eat or take out. We decided to sit and eat and their outdoor seating area is so beautiful and cozy that we enjoyed our lunch here. Very friendly and great customer service. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Sweet potato fries - American Near Me - Soquel, California

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My daughter was with me at dinner we got the ricotta with sour dough toast grill the cook burnt the sour dough I'm talking black he turned it over on the good side and served it to us totally ridiculous, I got the scallops with the risotto ice cold , my daughter didn't want me to say anything. It's to bad beautiful looking place but they need help with the food I suggest once a week talks with the cooks ,would you serve this to your mother . read more

I've been coming to Carpo's for years now. The last visit being Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We usually get the seafood kabob which has red snapper, shrimp and veggies on it. You can choose 2/3 sides between fries, veggies, & spiral pasta. The food is always fresh, & tasty to me. They have a full salad bar, and fresh bread there too. They also have a pretty good size toppings table and soup too. This place located right off highway 1 off porter/bay exit. read more

WARNING!!!...MISERABLE DINING EXPERIENCE!!!! I'm not new to Carpo's, I've eaten there for years. Personally I just eat the salad bar and it's pretty good most times. Sometimes the quality drops off and the ingredients are old and stale. This review isn't about the quality of the food. You don't go to Carpo's for Michelin dining. My review (and complaint) is about the dining atmosphere. I sat inside and the noise that was coming from the salad bar was like TORTURE. It was like sitting next to a Boeing 737 jet engine. No joke. I shot video of it but I guess Yelp doesn't have a video option... just images. I should have downloaded a decibel meter onto my phone and measured it. Imagine a LOUD, constant industrial engine hum droning in your ears for an hour straight. TORTURE! If you're looking for a nice enjoyable dining experience, do NOT go to Carpo's! It's been about 20 minutes since I finished my meal and my head is STILL humming. read more

It's food alright. Good burger. Salad bar was the worst tasting salad bar I've ever tried. Kinda feels like a geriatric go to spot. Shrimp and crab Sammy was yummy. Ranch is watery. Very local Santa Cruz vibe kinda funky but good and I hope it stays around. read more

Always my go to place for soup and salad. Excellent milkshakes. I wish that they had plain real potatoes French fries. Everything else is very nice. Outside patio eating, very pleasant atmosphere, great staff. Cash discount which is good. A life long favorite family place. read more

I never hesitate to recommend Carpo's for casual dining. Of norw-They do a great job with their fish specials. Even better than most high end restaurants at 2 to 3x the price. read more

Delicious self-service restaurant in Soquel. PROS: -The food here is delicious! Their house pasta is amazing and their turkey burgers are incredible. Their onion rings are literally the best things ever! -They have a huge salad bar and a great selection of foods. -The place is super family friendly and there is a lot of seating indoors and outdoors. -The customer service is great and all the employees are always smiling and happy. CONS: -It is always super crowded and there is limited parking - The food is pricey Overall, Carpos is a family friendly restaurant with delicious food! read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Turkey burger and house pasta. Yum! - American Near Me - Soquel, California

My son and daughter-in-law took me there for Mothers Day on Saturday because we knew It would be way too busy for us on Sunday. The parking lot was still full but we did get a close spot. We got a place to sit in the patio outside area. It was beautiful with pretty greenery all around. We got in our order and got our buzzer. Went and got the food in only about 10 minutes. Got our drinks and proceeded to eat. Everything was good and hot except the salads which were nice and cold. The food was wonderful. I had skewered shrimp with roasted onion, bell pepper, cherry peppers plus veges broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower and rice pilaf. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. We also had bread and butter ( delicious) and an order of onion rings. The children ( in their 50s) each had a salad bar and one had a shrimp skewer. My husband had a Tri Tip sandwich which was cooked to perfection but had too many grilled onions on it( oh my). He doesn't like onions so will just ask for no onions next time. We topped off dinner with a shared ice cream sundae which was out of this world. It even had black berries on it. Would come back anytime. Great experience! read more

I had the tri tip sandwich meat was so tough I couldn't chew it. My son had the fish and chips and fish was weird batter and greas. Daughter in-law had shrimp and crab sandwich it was spread was thin all you could taste was the toast. The clam chowder was very good and my granddaughter loved the salad bar but soup and salad doesn't warrant a return visit. read more

The Shrimp Skewers are actually shrimp kabobs with onions, bell peppers and mild pepercinis on the kabob. Good size shrimp but only 6. Comes with rigatoni pasta with a very mild basil & parmesan cheese sauce. The Carpo Burger is a good size angus-beef patty that is charbroiled and served on a good size bun. It only comes with a slice of melon and one leaf of lettuce. Any thing else added to the plate cost extra. But the no frills burger is fine by itself. Big enough burger to share; don't recommend for kids. The salad bar also looks inviting. Nice diner atmosphere. The restaurant has been here for over 30 years. They must be doing something right. read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Carpo Burger - American Near Me - Soquel, California

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It was a bummer to see the salad bar shut down, due to Covid, because it looked like it would have been a great spread! I got the grilled chicken entree, substituted rice instead of pasta. Chicken was delicious and fresh! A perfectly balanced meal, which was nice as I traveled and was trying to eat clean. Staff was friendly and kept the place nicely sanitized, as each customer left. Masks were required for entry. Overall, I had a nice experience and would recommend! read more

Carpo's Restaurant - Grilled chicken with rice and veggies - American Near Me - Soquel, California

A convenient stop to New Brighton. We were aiming for the pizza place nearby, alas it was closed. Spotty cell reception had us winging it at this establishment. The menu looked promising. They've been in business for some 39 years so the had that going for them. The salad bar had so much selection that it turned into the buffet option. Lots of vegan options including lentil salad, a wild rice salad, barley salad, mixed greens etc. and a nice mix of fresh fruit. Vegetarian options included two types of pasta salad and a couple versions of potato salad. All were plenty good in a salad bar kind of way but none were fantastic. It's an order at the front counter set up. The service was very friendly and accommodating. We opted to split a tri tip sammich and it was very tasty. Some delicious grilled onions and a crunchy roll made it a hit. We grabbed a seat outside on a beautiful day and waited for our buzzer pager to alert us it was time to grub. A very popular spot with the locals. It was the right place for the right time. Certainly a place to repeat under the same circumstances. read more