Something that historically great chicken bacon avocado sandwich never disappoints - only available during lunch though.

Came in for dinner since we had a thing to go to nearby. It is a cute little spot with a bar area and we walked it and were told to seat ourselves. My son loved it because he was able to watch football born both TVs. The people were all nice and helpful. The food was decently priced for the amount we got. I would say though that the food was lacking in flavor and my husband got the fried chicken and it came out piping hot and juicy but the pieces were quite small. I got the short ribs and there was a lot of fat on them. read more

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This place is amazing! The food was delicious, we finished everything. The service was 5 stars, they were very kind, quick to attend, food cooked within 20 minutes and the ambiance was peaceful with great music. We came after hiking and it was the perfect place to go. 10/10 recommend read more

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This was a great place! So glad we found this gem. The food was really decent and the price was surprising! We did the early night specials from 3:30 to 5:30. Nice dinners for a more than fair price. This was a small restaurant that seemed to be filled with locals. I was happy to get away from the crowds. read more

Empire Grill - Catch of the day- Snapper - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

The place is laid out very well so the tables aren't so close together. The staff was nice and the food came out pretty quick. The burger was really good and so were the onion rings. The fries were great. They had that double fried crunch on the outside. Would definitely come back. read more

Empire Grill - Western Cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

I have been here for a couple times already and their burger is very good. Their fries are good also. I could taste it home made. So that's a plus. read more

I shouldn't eat French fries, but I eat theirs! Friendly, professional servers. The food comes out fast. Great bartenders. Lively bar crowd. read more

My husband and I visited Empire Grille (Felton, CA) after hiking in Henry Cowell State Park. (07.25.2024). The restaurant is unpretentious, and it seemed that there were mostly locals at the tables and at the bar area, with a few obvious tourists or visitors from Henry Cowell. The restaurant advertises that they serve hearty comfort foods and offer a full bar. The restaurant was moderately busy, but we were greeted and seated quickly. We chose to dine indoors although outdoor seating was available. As we usually do, we split our entrees. My husband ordered the American Cheeseburger ($10.95, rating: 4/5), which is made from 100% ground chuck, with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and mayonnaise on a toasted sesame bun. The burger was served with crispy French fries. (5/5). The burger was cooked perfectly, and was tasty. A slight reduction in the rating because the burger was overwhelmed by the much larger bun. My entree was the Asian Chicken Salad ($15.95. Rating: 4/5). The salad was advertised as having "crispy greens, mandarin oranges, roasted cashews, ginger sesame dressing, Thai chicken, and crispy chow mein noodles." The salad was also very good, as was the serving size. It would've been better with more greens. Additionally, it was light on cashews and the chow mein noodles, but I did enjoy the addition of cucumbers and sesame seeds that weren't advertised on the description. Service was good. We especially appreciated that the waitress regularly replenished our waters. We were very thirsty after having been hiking in the sun. Thumbs down. There was an undisclosed, automatic add-on "credit card processing fee" on our bill. (Rating: 0/5). While minimal in amount, this is a deceptive and disturbing business practice. read more

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Have come here a few times. This place has a comfortable vibe to it. They offer a decent selection of meals and the prices are reasonable. Service is also very good. read more

The food here is reminiscent of school cafeteria fare that was left out in the sun for a few hours. Over cooked, bland, and as well thought out as screen doors on a submarine. The prices are ridiculous for the tiny and tasteless portions. The staff would give Karen's Diner or Dicks Last Resort stiff competition for rudeness but without the good natured flare. There is a special place with lakes of fire for the rude and inconsiderate staff. read more

Solid diner. The salad was great. Didn't hold back on crab meat and shrimp. the fries were great. The Ruben was fine and the tuna melt wasn't great. This is one of those situations where it might have been the wrong choice and if we chose something other then the tuna melt my rating would be higher. That being said the server wasn't helpful. A quick "are you ready to order, no ok let me know when you are" situation then gone. Then small talk when the bill is dropped as a way to say "ok I did my job" overall I think this place lands in the good not great category. read more

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The food was really good and the kitchen was very kind to make accommodations for our group's dietary needs. Our IBS support group rarely gets to go out for meals together due to the nature of our illness so it was a real pleasure to make the drive to Felton. Such a cute little town. If there is any thing that could be improved it would be to add an additional bathroom. When we were there some woman came in and completely wrecked the toilet so our group had to wait ("hold it in") while the staff cleaned up after her. read more

Staple for locals, food never disappoints. My favorite is a hamburger with their awesome seasoned fries. Cocktails are good and sitting outside in good weather is the best. Dogs welcome read more

Excellent food . We have crabs and bay shrimp Louie salad, deep fried calamari steak and beer . The crab meat and shrimp are so fresh , lots of different types of vegetables. The salad is good size and very fresh ingredients. Good price too . The calamari steak was fried for too long . It tasted like rubber and we gave up after one piece . I think the coconut prawn would be better choice . They have special price for happy hour starting at 2 pm . read more

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Good menu, great food, reasonable prices and very friendly service. Ate outside and the waitress even offered to get my dog some water. Definitely my go to spot in Felton read more

Empire Grill - Had the chicken fried steak. Best I ever had - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

So delicious! Great service they did forget the appetizer but over all was good! Had music playing and great sitting it was a really fun time read more

Empire Grill - Delicious kids food was very descent special was so good! And really good service they did forget our appetizer but still was great! - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

Amazing food. Crab cakes appetizer so delicious. Visiting from Charlotte, NC or I'd come back. And dead on a random Thursday! The drive here alone is worth it read more

This little diner is great and seems like a staple in the community. I ordered the salmon special and my partner ordered the crab burger (or krabby patty!) and we were very satisfied. The meals were fresh and there were lots of comfort food options. Would come again. read more

Empire Grill - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

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This is a towny spot and I am a proud towny! I often go here with a book for a late lunch or early dinner because I work in Felton. Not a lot of tourists here, just nice down home food and folks you likely know. I sit on the deck with my dog and read. The servers are the absolute best and the food is consistently good. My favorites include the Chinese salad with grilled chicken and the beef and blue salad. They make house fresh daily sweet pickled veggies and put generous helpings on each plate. They have a bar if that is your thing, full of lots of colorful regulars ready to chat you up. They love dogs and will spoil yours with scratches and a bowl of cold water. If I go by myself and just order an entree and a beer, I am out of there during lunch or sunset dinner specials for less than $25.00 including tip. Oh, the French fries are insanely good, too. read more

Great burgers and great service! Stopped by for Burger week and the Sweet Chili Bacon Cheeseburger was perfectly awesome...try Sal's Burger too. It was hard to choose read more

We sat outside as we had our pups with us. The patio is dog friendly but a bit on the breezy side. Brrr! I'm reading in other reviews there's a deck - guess we missed that? The service was attentive and spot on. (5/5) My husband ordered a veggie burger of some kind and I ordered the special, which was a shrimp and crab sandwich. The bread was toasted and a bit on the greasy side (butter?) which is maybe a 'thing' to do for a shellfish sandwich (maybe going for the lobster roll experience), but it was sorta tasteless. it also had lettuce on it, which seemed was unexpected. It was hard to find the crab. Wouldn't order that again. Alas should have ordered a patty melt or something else. (2/5) read more

I normally go to empire grill for drinks, drinks are alright and from what I remember the room is climate controlled. I spoke up about the "local" salmon because I'm pretty sure we don't have local salmon farms and wild local salmon is illegal. The next time I went there the menu board had been corrected. I ordered the medallion steak salad, with greens from Watsonville. The steak was not medallion and half the greens were generic bagged lettuce. I ordered a burger, the side salad was excellent and I enjoyed all the greens. My medium burger was very raw in the middle and it felt a bit sketchy to eat. I also believe there was some American cheese on it which I'm under the impression is not real cheese. Long story short, I don't trust the menu. I wish their fried chicken was gluten free because it looks really good. Cheers! read more

The burgers are amazing and the service is wonderful here! One of my favorite places to eat!

Great food and amazing service! So well priced with big portions 10/10 recommend Also got the honey glazed chicken after and was blown away. It was a special but go soon and hopefully you can try too! read more

Empire Grill - All this for 100 bucks, hard to bet anywhere else! - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

Yeah. This is what I'm talking about. One of those days where you're with your three buddies and you go inside and he make two new buddies. My first new buddy was the Bangin western burger. I say Bangin because that's what I said after I took each bite. My second new buddy was the waiter. Benjamin. We started calling him then. He never asked us to. Seems like the guy. Before this I was thinking about the other guy. I was thinking about him because it's his birthday and usually on his birthday we wrestle. He is such a good wrestler. My favorite time we wrestled we were blindfolded, we were wearing mittens on our feet, and listening to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Pretty nice. read more

Empire Grill - This is the only picture I have ever sent to Natty who's birthday it was he has never sent me a picture of himself I hope he does one day - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

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Friendly and prompt service. There is a nice outdoor seating area. There is ample parking and good quality food. read more

Empire Grill - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

We stopped at this place because the restaurant we'd intended to go to wasn't yet servicing lunch items. Sometimes it's a happy accident when that happens. Looked on Yelp to find something else within walking distance of where we'd parked and hello Empire Grille! It was just opening so very empty, but we had great food and service. I had a sandwich which they called an Egg Banjo. Who can resist a name like that? It was excellent with smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg. The menu has some diverse options as well. read more

Awesome service!... quick and accommodating with changing /substitutions Amazing food with good sized portions and GREAT fries! Dog friendly ! read more

Wow. The beef and Bleu salad might be my favorite salad ever. No joke. Cool casual atmosphere. Very dog friendly patio.

I love their food! Their honey fried chicken is awesome!! But I have 2 peeves with them, #1, I'm 66 and I have mobility issues, so I do a lot of DoorDash, for some reason they're no longer offering the honey fried chicken on their DoorDash menu, #2, they use those god awful plastic food containers, when I order something with a side of fries, I get 2 of those POS boxes I have to throw in the trash! Come on there's other more environmentally friendly containers that you can use, Ben Lomond Market use those thin cardboard boxes that work just great! and they can be added to a compost bin, So from now on I'll NOT be ordering any take out from Empire Grill anymore! Sorry read more

Best staff, so warm and welcoming. They are quick to get a cold drink in your hand. This small town diner is full of locals swapping stories, enjoying sports games on the TV together. I like the chicken sandwich, the potstickers and the Mule. It is a big, clean open area with an outdoor seating area that's perfect when we have our toddler or puppy with us. there is a cute little park next door if you need to take a stroll after your meal. there's a thrift store across the street and a liquor store in the parking lot if you need to get yourself a little something extra to take home. read more

Empire Grill - Full bar - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

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Empire Grille in Santa Cruz is a really nice and cozy place to eat. It has a friendly feeling, and the food is super yummy. They have lots of different things on the menu, so there is something for everyone. The people who work there are really nice and make sure you feel happy and comfortable. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, and it's a perfect place to relax and enjoy your meal. You can sit inside if you like, or if it's nice outside, you can sit on the patio. I personally love the Western Cheeseburger with juicy and flavorful patty with fresh pickles and onion, and a crispy onion ring in the middle of all the layers. They serve the burger with a side of crispy fires that you take home and air fry it. If you're ever in Santa Cruz and looking for a place to eat, Empire Grille is a great choice. They have fresh ingredients and alternatives for vegan, dairy-free, or lactose intolerant. The food is tasty, the people are kind, and it's just a fun place to spend time with family and friends. read more

After spending the morning at Mount Hermon Adventures playing on the ropes and zip lining Ariel Adventure course, my co-workers and I were FAMISHED! Thankfully Mt. Hermon Adventures had a list of local restaurant suggestions posted for their guests. We actually drove to a one spot in Felton, but it was closed, so we tried another restaurant. Empire Grille was conveniently located on Hwy 9 right off of Graham Hill Road (the road that Mt Hermon Road intersects at a T by the train station. Empire Grille looks like a neighborhood joint, with country decorations, a kitchen counter, and a few outdoor picnic tables w/benches. I bet Empire Grille is a local hangout. We chose to sit outside and were thankful for the large umbrellas to provide shade. The menu wasn't too expansive, but it had enough delicious sounding items for everyone to choose from. One of the items that really appealed to us was the bacon cheeseburger. I was impressed by the large assortment of cheeses, including smoked Gouda, listed as options. It turns out they didn't actually have them though. Doh! American cheese it is. ha ha! Our group ordered a French Dip, a plain turkey sandwich, a mushroom burger, a couple of chicken bacon avocado sandwiches, and a bacon cheeseburger with lettuce instead of buns. Our server didn't introduce herself, but she took care of us, bringing us drinks, refills, the sides of ranch a couple of people asked for. I really liked the fries. They were crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. Everyone's food looked good. I was impressed with the amount of bacon on the bacon cheeseburger, and the mushroom burger had a little pink in the middle, which is always a plus in my book. My French Dip was fine. Compared to everyone else's it was pretty plain, but the meat was very tender. I should've asked to add sauteed mushrooms and or onions. The edges of my roll were toasted which gave it a little crunch, so that was a nice detail. Overall, a satisfying meal at Empire Grille. 4 1/2 stars! read more

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Their hamburgers are delicious. Hubby typically gets salmon burger. The French fries are also quite good. Establishment feels like it could use a scrubbing read more

A cute local place with great food & large portions at a reasonable price! Good service too! The menu has a nice assortment to choose from. read more

Empire Grill - Honey Fried Chicken Dinner - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

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My wife and I frequent this place and it has become one of our favorite places to enjoy a tasty meal and an adult beverage! I'm upgrading my older 4 star review to 5 after we had lunch here for the first time in a while (we usually are here for dinner). Just like dinner, the lunch was amazing! Empire has awesome food, great draft beer and booze, and awesome service, all at a fair price. I've never had a bad experience here. Lunch was great, I had the patty melt and my wife had the Reuben sandwich. The patty melt was kicked up a notch with pickled red onions, what a great idea. It added a nice vinegar sweetness to the melty goodness! Both our sandwiches were flat top grilled on rye bread, oh so good! If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and stop in to the Empire Grill, tell them Yelp sent you! read more

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We are visiting Felton from out of town. My fiancé and I got seated right away. Clean atmosphere. Service was great! I got the crab, shrimp sandwich special and Duke got the patty melt. Fries were hot and fresh! read more

Empire Grill - This is the shrimp and crab sandwich special - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

Update: We wanted something close a couple nights ago and we have eaten here before. It's not the worst food, not the best, standard run of the mill diner type restaurant here. (We are tough critics, mind you) The menu is semi limited but it is a small town. Each time we have gone there, there is only a handful of diners and the seating is pretty much carte blanche. We started with the Calamari for an app. It showed up pretty quickly, but to our surprise...it was breaded calamari sticks. That'd be a NO for us, we live in Ca, we want rings and tentacles. (We looked back at the menu and it doesn't specify "rings" or "sticks" so I guess Calamari is Calamari). My bf ordered a bacon cheeseburger without cheese. It showed up loaded with enough mayonnaise to condition your hair. The bun was cold, the fries were cold. But, it was a burger and did its job. In all honesty it's pretty much what we were expecting, so no disappointment or loss. I ordered The Beef and Bleu Salad. Now, keep in mind as it calls out on the menu for Beef Medallions. What actually showed up was, wilted lettuce with a non modest amount of bleu cheese, and a medium well steak that was supposed to be rare (Notice I said "steak"which is far different from a medallion.) We ate most of it as we were hungry, and we reminded ourselves of why it's a run of the mill place. I'm sure at some point we may grab a burger there for lunch or something due the proximity, but will be prepared for nothing short of non spectacular. The service was good and our waitress was friendly. 2 months ago: My bf and I stopped into Empire Grille yesterday for lunch. We entered the restaurant and were promptly greeted with a friendly smile. We were seated right away and received our drinks quickly. We ordered the special riblet appetizer, jalapeño burger and bacon cheeseburger. The appetizer was delivered in an appropriate amount of time before our burgers arrived. All the food was delicious and our waitress was attentive and accommodating to our requests for side condiments not provided on the table. Our meal was a great value for the quality of the food received. read more

Empire Grill - a close up of a plate of food - Bars Near Me - Felton, California

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Awesome service, good food, local vibes! Would recommend for their veggie burger and fries! read more

Great food that gets changed up periodically so there always seems to be something people enjoy. The staff is friendly and the cooks get food out quicker than anywhere. There's always a few locals at the bar however it's still very family friendly. It's low key overall and a great place to stop by or hang out and get a few beers. read more