My boyfriend and I planned a little overnight getaway to Santa Cruz and stumbled upon this cozy hidden gem. The atmosphere was classy, relaxing, and the view was absolutely beautiful. The service was outstanding! I wish I could remember our server's name--she had shoulder-length dark hair and such a bubbly personality. We were there on Thursday evening (7/23/26). I think her name may have been Kaylie. She truly made our experience even better. The food was delicious! We both had the prime rib, and it was cooked perfectly. I'd rate it a 4.8 out 5 (only because a little too much fat)--very flavorful and definitely something I'd order again. Parking was a bit challenging, but that's honestly the only minor downside. If you're planning to visit, I highly recommend requesting a table on the patio. We didn't this time, but after seeing the view, we'll definitely do that on our next visit. Overall, it was a wonderful 5-star experience from start to finish. Thank you for a memorable evening--we'll definitely be back! read more

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Santa Cruz has many great places to eat a nice dinner. Consider them all then eat at the Crow's Nest, our harbor goto for over 30 years. My partner, J does something similar with her entree selection. The steaks look good, our waitress suggests the Halibut with the Chardonnay Cream sauce served over polenta but after due consideration she orders the Sand Dabs. Again. As she always does. I enjoyed the Halibut and J the sand dabs but we ended up swapping plates to get both of us a bite of each entree. We brought in a Bargetto 2024 Viognier from an earlier in the day tasting which complemented both dishes and finished with a rich Ollaliebery pie slice ala mode. Pro tip: Get a window seat a couple of hours before dusk on a midsummer night and watch the boats entering the harbor at sunset. Who needs variety when the standards are served so well! read more

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5 star service and ambiance. 3-4 star food. They certainly have the location and are an old school marina restaurant. That means heavy woods, typical seafood, steak, crab cakes and salad bar menu. We had their complementary mud pie for a birthday - again good though not great. Ordered the grass fed rib eye burger, medium, but had to send it back for a re-do. Grass fed often comes out dry and this was no exception. But if you're paying $30 for a burger I figured we should be happy with it. Our server Gabriel agreed and the second one was much better. Gabriel was friendly, efficient and we certainly would ask for him in the future. Crab cake was decent, as was the salad bar. My martini was good sized and I made my own bleu cheese olives via the salad bar bleu which was a nice touch. I'd come back again to try out the Happy Hour and upstairs. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Birthday Mud pie! - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Visited for brunch with a friend around noon on a Sunday and was able to get a table outside on the patio. I want to acknowledge that we showed up during a rush period and it was clear that the servers were being sat multiple tables at the same time, so the service was slow. Typically I would be more critical of that experience because everything was delayed but our server was nice and we weren't in a rush. I love eggs Benedict and order it as much as possible and this one was solid. The eggs were fluffy and the hollandaise was well made. My friend really enjoyed the variety of the salad bar as well. All in all a good experience and I would visit again. I would give the experience a 3.5/5, so I'm rounding up. read more

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We got there Sunday after 7pm for happy hour. I got an aloha palmer and smoked salmon. If you dont get these appetizers during happy hour you are blatantly getting ripped off. The taste of the smoked salmon was pretty good but it came in cubed pieces instead of the typical slices. The aloha palmer was refreshing and nice and the service was good! I just cannot in my good conscience direct people to this establishment because of its blatant price gouging, no matter how beautiful the view is from the deck. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Aloha Palmer - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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27 wedding anniversary dinner....I had sword fish. Was not seasoned. Just some funky looking butter and a few sprigs of Parmesan. Cooked well, but geez. Where is the flavor? The side of vegetables needed a few more minutes. The mashed potatoes were weird, lots of heavy cream, I believe. Wife had the lobster ravioli. She isn't as picky as I am, so she was happy. This place is really pricey and they add some $3 server compensation surcharge. I wasn't impressed and the quality and quantity to price ratio is not good. However, the views and location and staff are very good. I have a feeling this place is a hit or miss situation. Not going to be a place I crave and want to come back to. read more

Expensive and slightly bland, but a beautiful view! I came for a birthday dinner with a group of 7, and thank goodness we had reservations, as the wait would have been two hours. All of the servers were great, but the food itself was lacking. We all ordered a different dish, and no one seemed really wowed (my pasta was definitely lacking seasoning). I really wanted to like this place as I know it's a Santa Cruz institution and many people recommend it for the seafood (which the birthday girl really wanted), but it didn't live up to the hype. read more

We've been to the Crows Nest quite a few times and enjoyed it. Unfortunately this was not one of those times. Service was a -4, food was a 2! So disappointing, from the minute we were seated it all went south. They literally couldn't see us and we were in the middle of the room. We had to ask for everything, water, drinks, bread, and the food twice, the food took over 45 minutes, we lost track. We saw 3 other tables be seated and then get up and leave after 30 minutes of being ignored. That is what we should have done! Extremely disappointing especially when the bill shows up and it's over $150.00 for the level of service received. I honestly felt like we were ripped off considering the whole experience. We won't be returning anytime soon. Disgraceful. read more

Came here to check out a well known spot near Santa Cruz. Great views as expected given its location, but it was overall disappointing Salad bar was great! But that's about where the story ends Got the special Prime rib and it was oddly tough and flavorless. Other people at my party for the swordfish, and it was...not great. Pretty expensive too so won't be returning personally read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Went in on the 9th of May and had a good time , excellent location with great beach view and both inside and out seating. We had a 6:45 reservation and it wasn't until about 7 we got seated but they kept us informed and the place was stacked with customers looked like locals and a lot of tourists Our server Colin , was excellent , super friendly and the reason this is a 5 star rating vs 4. Service really matter and we appreciate how he handled us even with a capacity crowd Salad bar was good , lots of variety and something about the pasta at it I was hooked. Fish and Chips was good portion and as for quality not the best in Santa Cruz but very good and all wrapped up this was a great dinner with perfect service ! Highly recommend Crow's Nest read more

Gordon Ramsey would lose his mind if he came here. The only reason I am giving one star, is so I can write this review. I came here last night with my mom and son. We are pretty easy to please when it comes to food, however, this meal was atrocious. My son loves crab cakes so we were so excited to order an appetizer. These would give canned cat food a run for its money. Pate anyone? Definitely not fresh and definitely inedible. For our main course my mom ordered spinach ravioli served with prawns, artichokes, and tomatoes. Maybe the prawns had babies? And that's what was served with this dish. The artichokes were canned, and the tomatoes quartered and placed as an afterthought. This was supposed to be a pasta dish, but it looked like soup. My son ordered noodles with fettuccini sauce. That's it. Simple. In theory. His noodles were doused in a watery sour cream sauce with a splash of butter and cheese. Even a jar of fettuccine sauce would have been better. After sending two of the four dish back and choking through the other two we went across the street to cash in on my sons free ice cream that came with his meal. The topper, the ice cream machine was out of ice cream! He was offered a free cookie which he ate as his appetizer. Never again! read more

The food is always top notch and plenty of it. The girls at the front desk and the waitresses are always five star. The view is awesome. The combination of all three makes this one of my favorite restaurants of all time! read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - How can you beat this? - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I've been coming here for years and it never disappoints. It's worth the short wait times to sit out on the patio to see the ocean. Even in the winter the patio is nice and warm under the heaters. First up is the ahi poke, originally I thought I was going to ask for a sauce to accompany it but the fish was extremely fresh and the rice to fish ratio was perfect. No more sauce needed! Next up my friend got the fish and chips and noted that the batter was nice and light so that the fish itself was the highlight of the dish. Not pictured but always consistent was the clam chowder bowl which had a generous serving of clams. Finally the chicken azteca which my friend said was perfectly cooked with a good protein to sauce ratio. She raved about the perfectly cooked veggies. To top it off, we had an extremely kind server. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Went here on a Saturday night with my boyfriend during a little weekend getaway to Santa Cruz. He made a reservation ahead of time--which I highly recommend because this place gets busy. Our reservation was for 8 PM, but we got hungry early and decided to show up around 7 PM to see if they could take us sooner. With the number of people waiting, we didn't expect much, but the hosts were incredibly friendly and managed to seat us about 35 minutes early! We were seated outside. It was chilly, but there were plenty of heaters, so it was comfortable. Our server was attentive, easy to reach whenever we needed something, and overall provided great service. For starters, we ordered their award-winning calamari. I'd give it a 7/10--the squid was fresh and tender, but I personally prefer a crispier breading. For our entrées, my boyfriend got the Chargrilled Ahi Brochette and I ordered the Hawaiian Mahi Mahi. Both dishes came in generous portions with sides. He liked the flavor of his dish, but the ahi itself was surprisingly tough to chew. The vegetables that came with it, though, were well-seasoned. My Hawaiian Mahi Mahi had a nice flaky texture, and the macadamia crust with mango salsa was a great pairing. Unfortunately, the sides were a disappointment. The vegetables tasted like microwaved, bagged veggies, and the rice was... let's just say it could use some serious improvement--it was way too mushy. The prices are definitely on the higher end: $26 for the calamari and about $38 for each entrée. While nothing was bad, the food didn't quite live up to that price point. Honestly, the best part of the experience was the service. Overall, I'm not sure we'd return on our next trip to the area--there seem to be better options nearby. read more

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Husband and I just returned from dinner there. He thought his food was average, the swordfish and vegetables were warm but not hot. I had the Australian lobster. Although the lobster tail was a large portion, I had to use a steak knife to saw the lobster meat out which was a new experience. The vegetables were overcooked, so they remained on the plate. The staff and server were very good which we always appreciate whenever we eat out. The outside patio is always a positive for views, and relaxing. We knew ahead that it would be pricey, but we didn't know that there would be an add on of an "operational surcharge fee" once we got our bill. Therefore we decided that overall it's just no longer worth our longstanding tradition of going to the Crows Nest ! read more

Upon arrival, the host greets is warmly and takes us to a requested outdoor table. The view was spectacular from where we were seated and good vibes all around. I did enjoy the food. The dishes were very flavorful. I gave it a three star because of our waiter. His attention span for outer table left a "Why are we having a datenight here?" kind of moment. He was super attentive and sparked conversations with the tables around us, but lacked the same attention for us. I've waitress before so i know he did the bare minimum as a waiter for us, which is unfortunate. read more

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The food is well-prepared and so delicious it was my first time eating sand dabs that I love. I loved the red mashed potatoes. The Pina Colada added so much to the meal. Service is attentive. Seating is comfortable we had a view of the Pacific. It is a special place to dine. read more

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Food; the calamari, burger, and fish & chips were horrendously plain and severely overpriced. For those things, in addition to one Shirley temple the total cost was $96.75. Wth. The view of the ocean is sublime of course, but for the love of god, please understand this food does not come seasoned. read more

Food is over priced and very over rated. Had the sea bass with polenta and mushrooms. Looks like a nasty bowl of chowder. The cream sauce is under seasoned and will up the bowl like it was a soup. The calamari is not very crisp and very oily. Kids Burgers appear to be frozen patties. Clam chowder is flavorless and I don't think I saw more than two clams in it. It was way too thick The fries were actually good and seasoned and our server was very good. This place is running off of location and nostalgia The fries were good. read more

This time came for happy hour. Great prices on the appetizers and beer, but DON'T order soda...$5.85 and wasn't offered a refill. Service was unfortunately meh, but do like the ambiance. Especially on a nice day, sitting outside and watching the boats come and go. They are also a tip fatigue spot with 20, 22, 25% recommendation with barely 15% service. Parking is paid. 30 minutes free. Around $2 for 2.5 hours per the sign, but was charged $3 for 1.5 hours. Dude's explanation was $2 for first hour and $1 for 30 minutes, but that's not what the sign says, lol read more

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Took out of town friends for birthday celebration We were in bar and grill with the best view! Food is great grilled chicken sandwich very yummy Salad bar is fantastic Our server was very busy but always attentive Been 6yrs since we were there last. We won't wait so long this time read more

How bad could it be... right on the water overlooking the marina, not a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the mid-70s. And NO!!! I was not in Palm Beach, FL but in Santa Cruz, CA. There were 6 of us for Saturday Brunch. We were all visiting Santa Cruz to attend my niece Danielle's wedding to Alex. Of the six of us, two were Non-Dairy, Vegan, and Lactose Intolerant. The rest were over 70 and quit caring about Cholesterol, Sugar, Blood Pressure, IBS, etc. Everyone ordered something different. The unanimous consensus was the Crow's Nest Restaurant was a 5-Star Winner. To top it off, the Wait-Staff was superb from Brunch recommendations, to serving our food and keeping the coffee 'topped'! We all agreed it was worth traveling 3000 miles just for the Brunch (but the Wedding was incredible as well)! read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - A gorgeous view of a gorgeous day to enjoy our gorgeous food! - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I love stopping by here because I grew up coming to this restaurant. Now that I no longer live nearby, it's not as convenient for me to visit, but every time I'm in Santa Cruz, I make sure to stop by. One of my absolute favorites is their fried calamari it's a solid 10 out of 10. I could easily eat two plates of it! I also really enjoy their fish and chips, which are made to perfection. They have a great selection of IPAs, a welcoming ambience, friendly staff, and the restaurant (including the bathrooms) is always clean. And of course, the beautiful ocean view just makes the whole experience relaxing and memorable. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

My friend Denise and I were having a day in Santa Cruz and the first order of task, was to have coffee in a setting with a view. The first place we hit, was by the water, more in a hopeful kind of way. I needed to walk to the corner that was near the restaurant to see the waters of the ocean. I was misguided by Google. I was explaining the story to Denise, while scrambling for another spot that would checkmark by view requirements. Then a woman with purple hair informed us that the the Crow's Nest had ocean front dining and it was not very far. She then instructed us to get the Calamari. She meddled, but it was welcomed, because the Crow Nest was exactly what I needed, what I imagined, it was view and food, and all was of excellent qualities. Over the years, I have seen television shows where folks visit the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard in the winter. The typical sun drenched beach, with its blue hues all around, becomes a gray slumber. I felt the cold and the yuck factor of walking in the open chills of a Winter beach day. When I was at Crow's Nest, I was a visitor of a beach on a Winter Day. I felt the chill of the breeze, I had to wear a beanie and a jacket to be able to withstand and stay, but the day was not a gray slumber, instead it was lovely in gray patience. The noise and sun light of a Summer beach day became subtle, almost non-existent, and I enjoyed a view that spread with quiet glamour. As i looked out in to the yonder, I saw rippling water that was motion in slow time. And in the distance was a lighthouse amidst a cobblestone path. As I revisit the picture, I felt the peace of noticing a moment where Mother Nature removed color from a scene to remind that sombre climate is pure and still and thus invites undisturbed feelings into the body. I did not have to imagine the lush of a vivid scene, I just had to accept the slow tender drawl of Winter beach day. As I saw around, I took a video of two birds. I want to say that I caught a glitch in the Matrix and just saw these birds flying without moving, but, the moment was the contrary. The birds were a pair of dancing gliders. It was a short video, no longer than 10 seconds, but the birds fluttered in slow circles around each other. It may not be spectacular, it may be common place for those who know beaches in Winter, but for me, it was movement in flight that communicated birds have traditions in movement that are perhaps courtship or play, either ways the birds had fun and feathers. The menu spotlights the fact that the Calamari is World Famous. And after trying it, I will say that the Calamari has a specific quality that makes it memorable, which in itself makes this calamari one that is worthy of note. Most Calamari that I have had, have been a light brown. Here the Calamari was a deep brown. It was not golden brown, it was solidly friend, to a shimmering brown. Moreover, the coating wrapped around the calamari, and held strong. I have had other calamari where the light brown crust cracks and falls, but not here, the fried brown was sturdy. I also got a turkey sandwich. It was a strong and solid showing. It was not grand beyond description, but it does not need a paragraph to justify its solid taste and presence. I do not a quarrel with any aspect of the sandwich, I do want to give it an Oscar. In short, it was a great bite, which suggests that the restaurant in general offers a wonderful view of the beach, solid food, and opportunities to marvel at the natural wonder. I have no complaints to offer, other than the service could have been faster, but, perhaps all movement was impacted by the chill of a Winter Beach Day. read more

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Always a great time whether you have a small or large party! Customer service is outstanding and this time we had Westley! He was fantastic with our party of 11 with kids and adults. He got us seated together in a beautiful spot that overlooked the ocean. On top of our drinks and orders. Super friendly guy that even gave us some laughs. Thanks for helping us enjoy a fabulous dinner Wes! read more

Beautiful place to have lunch and witness the beautiful Santa Cruz Beach with relaxing views. It's beautiful and inviting here. We were seated right away and our service was fair. I ordered the pear and Gargonza salad with grilled chicken. Normally the pears are sliced thin, but they were in large chunks, which I did NOT enjoy. However, the grilled chicken was deliciously flavored !! My spinach ravioli with shrimp, artichokes and mushrooms was absolutely amazing!! They give you plenty of ravioli too! I recommend this dish wholeheartedly!! I will be back to try additional items on the menu and of course for that view!!! read more

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Price does not reflect quality, quantity and presentation of food. Food was bland- can't remember the last time i had to salt and pepper my own food. Bread was not served- We had to ask. Water was not served timely. All in all this was a poor experience. read more

Follows adage of food quality inversely proportional to view. Chef can't follow allergy instructions. Clueless about sauce contents. Definitely overpriced. $8 coke??? Warning- paid parking despite many open spots on a weekday. Pleasant waitress, overworked. Pleasant receptionist. read more

Service 5/5 (upstairs in the bar area) Ambiance 5/5 (great views from the deck, walk in seating, heaters outside) Food ranges from 2.5 (poke bowl - should have known better than to order this) to 5 stars for the calamari, freshly cooked, and the clam chowder. I got the calamari over the pear Gorgonzola salad and it was to die for. My partner got the poke bowl and was not a fan. The tuna in the poke bowl was a light color and not as flavorful. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - View from the outside seating at the upstairs bar - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great ambiance , terrible food. All dishes we ordered were honestly just disgusting, which sucks because we love coming here and have for years. The best thing we got was the calamari appetizer, all the mains were bad. And I mean bad. Skirt steak supposed to be cooked medium was gray and so chewy it was inedible. Chicken sandwich was bone dry, no sauce juice or any flavor. Fish tacos came out burnt and had a weird taste. Really a bummer but for $500 bucks you would expect at least edible meals. It was a party of 7 for a birthday dinner. Waitress was also informed it was a birthday and didn't do anything about it. Even brought out a normal dessert we ordered and didn't mention or say anything. Repulsive experience. read more

Today I had chance to eat breakfast at this great restaurant. I ordered omelet with grilled chicken even though chicken was not part of build your omelet. It was delicious. My friend ordered with smoked salmon. Service was excellent, Samantha did amazing job taking care of us. There are indoor and outdoor seating available with beautiful view to Ocean. They also have second floor with open from 11am. Parking available and you will need to pay for your parking. There some parking available outside of that parking lot. You will need to walk. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Build Your Own Omelette - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Leaving this restaurant, I felt as if I was robbed. First, let's start with the positives. The wait staff was fantastic, from the hostesses, to the servers, everyone had a positive attitude and was extremely helpful. The ambiance was very pleasant, the decor and wood paneled walls gave it the feel of a cruise ship, which is great for Oceanside dining. The view was also incredible overlooking the inlet to the harbor where you can watch the sailboats come in and out. The negatives...the food itself and exorbitant prices you are charged for them. I ordered the spinach ravioli with prawns, which comes with tomatoes, and artichokes in a scampi sauce... which sounds incredible. The artichokes were canned, and the "prawns" were frozen gulf size shrimp. The ravioli itself tasted like the Costco brand. If I had made this dinner myself, I would have been fine with my choices, but to charge $40 for a meal with such low quality ingredients seems unfair to the consumer. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the food as I almost exclusively do reviews of my most positive dining experiences, but this experience was so disappointing it needed a review... like I said views and service were great. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - View - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Love this place- have come here multiple times- food is pretty good, fresh, staff is friendly. Love the seating here right on the beach. Came for Thanksgiving this year- book in advance. They have a special menu- got the seafood pasta and halibut- both good. Could use a little more seasoning; but still delish due to quality of seafood. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Seafood Fettucine** - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Crow's Nest in Santa Cruz is pretty old school but not in the sense that I like. It has been there a long time that their flow of customers is so steady, that they can pretty much do whatever they want and get away with it. Their prices are pretty high for what you get, but it is near the water so it is justified by many. An older crowd seems to love this place. Roamed in from the neighboring beach probably smelling like sunscreen with a little sand stuck in small patches. Hit the Happy Hour and liked several of the offerings. Half off on beer and well drinks and appetizers. Bloody Mary ($9/4*) solid bloody, nice robust mix with good zing without it being overly spiced, still refreshing. Loved the garnish of celery, olive, pepperocini, and pickled onion all skewered on a long toothpick. Very classic and old school. Just a tiny portion, I wonder if they make the HH versions smaller since it is much cheaper as well. For the price it matched. Clam Chowder ($5.75/4.5*) very solid chowder, creamy, thick, briny and good chunks. Great at HH pricing but $10+ for regular outs would have been iffy for such a small cup. But for this price it was awesome. Crab Cake ($8.75/3.5*) you can do 1 or 2 crab cakes. This was HH price for 1 crab cake. Again fine this outing but at full price of $15+ for 1, would have been a poor value for me. The crab did seem fresh, but just had a good amount of breading in the filling. Like more mushy than it was chunky. Good flavor tho and the mustard-y saffron aioli that was drizzled on was actually a nice compliment. Harbor Breeze ($14/4*) this was a regular cocktail that isn't on the HH list. Absolut Citron, grapefruit juice and a splash of cranberry. I often drink this mix when I'm golfing but usually with just regular vodka. Love it on warm sunny days. At the full price it was in a much bigger glass which made it proper. Ahi Tuna Appetizer ($13/4*) Cajun spiced and seared rare. Served with a side of wasabi and soy. The spice rub made it salty enough that the soy was overkill. But a dot of the wasabi did give it more pow and wow. More commercial frozen tuna but still nice and meaty bites. Great score on the HH hour pricing once again. Service is nice and lightning fast. Lots of seasoned vets that can turn and burn covers. Went on a weeknight and the bar area was busy but not full. I'm sure it is much busier on the weekends. I would come back but try and maintain the same timing. Early evening on a weeknight. Any busier and double the price wouldn't be worth it for me. read more

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Heard this was a great longtime local spot, but sadly not the best meal for the price. Went for dinner, and the ambiance and service were great. Ordered a cocktail, and it was a little watered down but not terrible. We got calamari as an appetizer, and it was truthfully the weirdest calamari I've ever had. Overly breaded, and unfortunately the breading wasn't cooked all the way through, so it was very gooey in texture. Got the seafood risotto for dinner, and essentially I had a rice in soup. The flavor itself was okay, but texture was totally off for risotto. Typically I wouldn't harp on the negative especially when I like the atmosphere, but our meal really was expensive for the food being pretty subpar: 1 appetizer, 2 cocktails and 3 entrees was $180 + tip. I'd maybe come back and try brunch to see if the food is better then, otherwise I might have to pass and go to another place where the food is more worth it for the cost. Cocktail -3.5/5 Food - 2/5 Ambiance - 5/5 Service 5/5 read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Seafood Risotto - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Been going to the Crows Nest for years. Usually eat downstairs but they are closed between 3-4:30. So we went Upstairs to the bar for half price appetizers. Unfortunately disappointing, we had the famous calamari which we usually love, was ok, but small portion and chewy. We had the large size smoked salmon which was chunks of salmon with some wasabi sauce and 2 slices of cucumber, the salmon was ok, a little dry, and they don't give you any crostini or bread to layer the sauce with it, so we purchased bread and it was so stale. We got the burrata which we did enjoy with nuts and apricot jam and it did come with 4 little pieces of bread, but it was so stale, we could barley bite into it, so we bought another side of bread again just dried out and stale. Then we split a fish and chips and the fish was really dark, overcooked and dry and just not tasty but the Fries were good, the drinks were just ok, the waitress did a good job. But overall I'm just so disappointed at the decline in the quality and care that used to go into the food. Beautiful view though. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Calamari - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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The ambience, view, and service are superb. The food less so. The "award-winning" calamari was tender but not very crispy, and the quantity for $18 was too small. I wonder who bestowed the award. The fish and chips are barely okay. The chips were warm, crispy, and tasty but the small pieces of cod were coated in a thick batter and quickly became a soggy mess to eat. read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Fish & chips with small, mushy, thick-breaded fish pieces. The coleslaw and fries very good. The sourdough rolls cold and too chewy. - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Such a wasted opportunity. Great location, Horrible food. The staff is awesome. How can you be next to the SC harbor, near Castroville and Salinas only to have nothing fresh?? I cannot say anything positive about the food. The drinks were good, but, how do you not have one local beer??. Clearly, the owners like their alcohol profits and one-time visitors. Not hard to have a fresh-based simple menu. Again, a wasted opportunity to pair food as good as the location... read more

Its ben 2 years since I've been here, so I went on 3/27 for Dinner. I haven't seen my only favorite server of 13 years, Justine, Who Is a Full manager now. Cause of my New dentures Im still limited in what I can chew on. My standard Dinner is the pork porterhouse. Instead of the Usual French bread, I had the Buns. So for dinner, I had the Halibut. It was Delicious read more

Crow's Nest Restaurant - Halibut - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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This is for the upstairs, Breakwater Bar and Grill.The Crab Martini is all you need to know! A couple of those, some clam chowder, a fried calamari, an order of the Ahi Ruby Rare and keep the House-Made Potato Chips coming for a great night! The service is always prompt and with a great attitude. That, along with a very chill, lowkey, yet romantic vibe, you're surely up for a great time! read more