Been several times and its the best place for drinks I've found at the boardwalk by the Beach. It was a beautiful sunny day alongside the beach, sunny but not hot but also a breeze that made sitting on the patio the ideal choice... Ideal... sorry, fun uncle humor. Unfortunately we were misled by front hostess, after being seated and arranging my baby neice next to me we proceeded to be told we had to order some type of food in order to be seated in our area. So we ordered begrudgingly a side of Garlic Fries which were made fantastically. On this visit it was simply drinks. I ordered a Tropical Mimosa to start, followed by an El Presidente with an extra shot of Don Julio Blanco (no picture unfortunately) and topped of with an Aperol Spritz and a Malibu Planters Punch. The Mimosa, as expected, was just exceptional... incase you haven't notice the trend I lean largely in favor towards Mimosas. The El Presidente was a delicious opposite of "woah wake up" time strong. Next time I won't add a second shot and may be able to finish it faster. Aperol Spritz was a weird one. I don't know if I can say I liked it or not but I personally know it was not a drink I would normally order anyways The Malibu Planters Punch was a tad bit stronger than my usually rum and coke type drinks but I think at this point the bartender was challenging me and I do love when they challenge me. Remember, 3 of 5 isn't bad. I did not have a bad experience I just feel like it could have been better. Getting seated was fast but we were not told we had to order food as we declared out intentions. Our Waitress always had a smile on her face and was very energetic and optimistic. Otherwise, yea, I'm coming back baby! read more

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Its shameful how bad the food here is. Why ask how you want your $28 burger cooked if its automatically well done? Bun not toasted. Check Frozen 5oz patty. Check Undressed. Check Undercooked bacon. Check How about a $23 order of 4oz calamari with dime sized pieces and no tentacles? Oh yea Served with sauces in plastic ramekins. Shameful. Oh. What about coagulated Alfredo with zero salt. Playing club music to entice families??? Please please please dont come here Tourist trap deluxe. This place is incredibly horrible read more

I went here for the "we believe run" and ordered the "goddess" scramble. The scramble included three eggs, roasted vegetables, and potatoes which was eighteen dollars. I also added avocado for an extra three dollars. I guess inflation prices. I also noticed the protein bowl was astronomically priced. The bowl had no meat but to ad chicken it was an extra $8, chicken and salmon was an extra $12. I understand inflation, but that's crazy. The scramble came out and I was quite disappointed. Unfortunately I was so in shock I did not take a photo. The portion was small and the three eggs looked like one egg scrambled. The avocado was embarrassing. Three dollars for less than a quarter of a whole avocado? Maybe when I think of breakfast , I think of something hearty or even a bigger protein even when it's healthy. I did finish the food and left considerably hungry. The positive was the ambience was good due to the DJ as well as the service. FYI: There is a 4% surcharge for employee benefits. read more

Had a reservation here and only waited a couple minutes for the table. Nice location right on the beach and open feel. Service once it got going was great but there was definitely some confusion on who's section was who's. Ordered a variety of items, calamari wasn't anything. Special, but oysters were fresh and delicious. I had the special of the day which was a pork tenderloin which was decently priced and a good amount of food. Others has pasta, and lobster rolls. Both of which were a little underwhelming. You do pay for the location here, but the food could be a little better. Still some great items on the menu but for a party of 6 dropping $300 for just okay food I don't think I'll come back here for a full meal. read more

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Been here many times through the years. Always good. Had lunch with elderly Aunt here on Sunday afternoon. Dined outside, very nice. No parking on wharf or nearby so hubby parked at boardwalk parking, $35. We had fish & chips, basic burger ( no condiments), fish tacos, that's it, just 2 tacos, oysters, 1 beer. With tip it was $150 for 3 people. A bit steep for lunch. We had to ask for everything, ketchup, mayo, more water, salt & pepper, hot sauce, malt vinegar. We were feeling embarrassed asking for so many things that should have been brought or offered to begin with. Overall a good experience since the location and weather are perfect. Just be ready to open your wallet very wide. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Oysters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We love coming here! The food it's always delicious and you get a really nice ocean view. The service its impeccable. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Grilled Salmon salad. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Easy online order and ready to pick up in 20 minutes! A perfect lunch on the beach and portions are HUGE!! We enjoyed a very delish clam chowder full of tender clams in thick broth. The grilled fish tacos were a HUGE portion of fish with cilantro crema. They did fall apart but were so good. The breakfast burrito made with egg whites was packed full of eggs, cheese, potatoes, black beans, corn, and spinach! The BLATT was huge- served on whole grain poppy seed bread it was full of ripe tomatoes, greens, fresh turkey, avocado and bacon served with crisp fries. The chicken tenders were ok. Great spot read more

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We ordered the clam chowder, seafood platter, and Caesar salad. Everything was okay--nothing particularly memorable. We did wish the seafood platter had more calamari, and it would have been even better if it came with fries. On the positive side, we were seated right away, and the restaurant is quite spacious, offering outdoor seating, a bar area, and indoor dining. Our waitress checked in with us and made sure everything was going well, which we appreciated. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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A great spot for local brews with an amazing view! I stopped by to quench my thirst after exploring the boardwalk and pier area, and I'm so glad I did. It's just a very short walk from the Boardwalk, but the beer prices are way better (beers on the Boardwalk can be really expensive). I felt like I found a total gem! The view is excellent, the service was very friendly and helpful. It's the perfect place to relax and grab a drink away from the main crowds! read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Draft Beers - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great views and friendly servers. We ate lunch at the bar while watching a game. Burger was just okay, sangria was really sweet but other drinks/food were alright. It's about what you'd expect from a beachside bar. read more

Overall happy with the visit. Went down to Santa Cruz for brunch and picked this spot. Had a good selection of food and drinks while offering patio seating right off of the beach (my favorite). Staff was friendly and the food came out fast and making a drink a double was only $3 more (what a steal). Only downside was my bacon and egg breakfast was a bit bland but I partly put that on myself given it's a "basic" breakfast. Would go back again, just would order something else. read more

Pros: - Great atmosphere with a scenic beach view. Tons of space and can accommodate big parties - Have a kids meal and daily drink specials which is convenient - Service was decent. Host and wait staff was very attentive and quick with food + drinks Cons: - Pricey. Especially $5 for soda (no refills) and most of the seafood options are $25-30 - Food was very basic and some weird choices. The seabass was the special when they already have another seabass on the menu. I ordered the island sea bass (as pictured), which came w/ a weird "island rice" that was super sweet. - Only paid or meter parking. They do not validate so be prepared to spend $25 for the lot or get lucky with a meter nearby Overall - I wouldn't say this is the worst place, but definitely would hesitate i recommending to others. I would only return if it is convenient and out of other options for a sit down in the area + want to maximize my parking. read more

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We can here later on Saturday night 9pm. The bartenders seemed very busy cleaning up. I ordered clam chowder in a bread now. The chowder was good. Could have used a little more flavor but I just added a little tobacco. The bread bowl was delicious! The poke bowl got 2 stars from my husband saying the noodles were hard and the ahi wasn't fresh. Our friend said the fish and chip were good but the Maitai wasn't drinkable. He left half of it sitting there. The restaurant is beautiful and clean. Maybe coming later in the night was a bad idea due to everyone re setting and doing closing duties. I get it! We will try again earlier next time. read more

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Came here for some quick dinner and was not disappointed! Our waiter said the Clam Chowder was award winning and I can see why!! The sourdough bread was so fresh and flavorful. The clam chowder was the perfect thickness and didn't need any extra salt or pepper. Usually I go for a little Tabasco in mine to add some heat but honestly I didn't even wanna ask for any because I was so content! This came out in maybe 5-6 minutes I'm not even kidding! I ordered an orange cream dream mock tail (which was super yummy) and my soup came out BEFORE it! I would definitely reccomend this place for their clam chowder, the rest of the food was kinda pricey for a cheap meal but what can you expect! Great spot at the start of the boardwalk, and the inside is a sweet middle between fancy and comfortable read more

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Restaurant is fine but do not waste your money at the coffee shop. This was supposed to be an iced latte...clearly forgot one of the main ingredients. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Supposed to be an iced latte, clearly missing the milk. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I stayed in Santa Cruz for a week, right across from the main beach and I think this is one of the best places available to eat. It was usually crowded, but never had to wait for a table. I also can only speak to two menu items bc they were so good, I had to go back and have a repeat meal. The clam chowder here is good, better than stagnaro bros on the pier. The Buddha Salad is SOOOO freaking good!! So fresh filled with different flavors and textures, and a really big portion too. My mom and I asked to split it, and they plated it sooo nicely (the first time) and made individual salads , whereas the second time it was plated differently. Just annoying with the inconsistency. I like the outside seating better than the inside. The outside is right on the beach and has a nice beach feel, exactly why people go to Santa Cruz. I also got a double vodka cranberry which was standard and good. read more

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Stopped in for drinks on the patio and was told we had to order an appetizer. We went with the $9 chips & salsa - they were fine, but we weren't really hungry. Ended up passing them along to a nearby unhoused individual on our way out. Service was friendly and attentive read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Chips & Salsa. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

When we first walked in, they said that they had open seating at the Beachside view, but then they told us that it would be a 20 minute wait so we went to where they directed us and there should've been a bunch of free tables, but instead another 20 minute wait then they kicked us out and told us to go to the Mexican restaurant across the street read more

We stopped here after the boardwalk since it was close by and didn't want to drive anywhere. The hostess was super friendly and sat us right away outside. The menu prices shocked us, definitely up there like a fine dining spot so our expectations were high. Unfortunately, service was slow at first and when our server arrived, while energetic, he wasn't very sanitary. I saw him grab straws by the tip with bare hands after cleaning tables and handling payment books, which really grossed me out. For a place that charges this much, they should be using individually wrapped straws at the very least. Food portions were generous, but the flavors fell flat. The ceviche was okay but not super fresh, the Caesar was basic, calamari was good, and the kids "ideal cheesy noodles" was literally penne with melted cheese and Goldfish crackers tossed on top with no flavor at all. For two salads, two apps, a kids' meal, and a couple sodas, the bill came to $128, which felt ridiculous for what we got. Honestly, you're better off saving your money and finding another spot. read more

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Very accommodating to large parties! Open outdoor seating for pets. It is set right on the beach of Santa Cruz so you can people watch and get the water front view. I wish I got a signature cocktail. Sidecar was not to die for. Their happy hour double drinks? Maybe. I ordered the horseradish salmon and it was everything I could've wanted. Description on menu meets expectations perfectly and had me set for the long night we had after. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Horseradish Salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We really enjoyed our visit to Ideal Bar & Grill. We stopped in to grab a late Sunday breakfast and we left completely satisfied. It started with the friendly hostess Naima (more on her in a bit), who sat us per our request (outside, under a heat lamp). The waiter immediately took our drink orders and gave us a few minutes to read through the menu. I got the vodka mule to start, followed by French toast with fruit on the side. My hubby got the Bloody Awesome bloody mary along with the fish taco. The French toast was perfectly cooked -- Texas toast with a heaping chunk of butter and tasty maple syrup on the side. Minor quibble: the syrup was served in small packets, which was fine but not ideal. Hubby really enjoyed his fish tacos -- the fish was super fresh, grilled to perfection, and served with a pineapple salsa. Service was fantastic. Our waiter was awesome -- as busy as he was, he was attentive and fast. And the hostess Naima was so accommodating and friendly. We watched her go out of her way to bring a bowl of water out to a dog that was tied up on the boardwalk while its owners were dining inside. Fantastic service and food. And the view cannot be beat! read more

Walked over last minute for food and dranks.. Sat near the bar area and a waiter came by and wasted no time to order: a margarita and a Mai Tai, Fish and Chips and I got the Blackened Ahi Filet and a side of Sweet Potato Fries. Oh man it was FiRE!! The bartender made the drinks the way we requested and the food, phenomenal. Not kidding. After a 10 minutes tho, the restaurant and bar started to fill up. We had great timing to beat the crowd. Hehehee!! read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Blackened Ahi - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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This was an unexpectedly fabulous place! It's right on the boardwalk and the beach and it has a cool beach vibe but we didn't expect the food to be as good as it is. We had two meals today, but the most dynamite thing we ate was the garlic, brie and fig jam platter. Generous portion for very reasonable price. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Roasted Garlic & Brie - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Waiter was ok, did his job. Some wait time.. But I ordered the avocado toast, 3 pieces of dry crunchy stale toast w BARELY teaspoon of avocado spread. $20+ for what?.. the cinnamon roll would be great if they warmed it up. Hard as a rock. Drinks were good. But don't waste your time. Expensive cost for crappy food. Cool view from the outside patio. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Avocado toast. Burnt hard toast w feta, pickled onions and peppers & pumpkin seeds. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We had an amazing time here! Service and food was awesome. The location is obviously Incredible! We got oysters, had to ask to fix it with because we were not sure about the shucking but then they re-did it and it was amazing! From cocktails, to lobster roll, to other seafood and stake- everything was delicious. The best part of the night was our server- Rocco. He was incredibly kind, super friendly and very agile with our requirements. He was the super star for sure! The kid will go great lengths read more

This was the third time for us visiting this place, primarily because it has really nice outdoors view of the boardwalk. And finding seating is relatively easier as well. Service has been pretty reasonable, food is alright as well. We have tried a few different things, popular dishes. Fish and chips, kebab platter, seafood platter, garlic fries, chowder, etc. The fried ones like calamari, fish and chips are decent. The one thing that really was disappointing in our last visit was their non alcoholic drinks. Fresh pineapple juice felt like a tablespoon of pineapple juice to give you a hint in a glassful of water lol. Coconut creme and pineapple mocktail was also disappointing for the price. But i guess you pay for the location! 2* in my book relative to all other places i have visited. read more

The views are very good of the busy Santa Cruz wharf and boardwalk area. The food is just ok and not wow. The service was very slow today. So.. if you need to eat a quick lunch, then this is not the IDEAL place for you. read more

Kind of weak they promote happy hour on the menu Monday-Friday from 3:30-5:30 but then they don't honor it because the manager said so.

We were walking down the pier and stopped here to grab a bite to eat! It is nestled in a great location right by the beach and also close to the pier and our local hotel. We were seated promptly and our server was helpful in the menu recommendations. The food was pretty decent! They have a pretty good selection for kids. I appreciated the nice balance of veggies and French fries to protein! My daughter had the salmon with fries and broccoli. I had the Buddha bowl and it was divine! Our waiter recommended adding the blackened salmon and it was a delicious addition. It had. A good balance of veggies, salmon and dressing. Highly recommend that salad! They also pride for their "prize worthy" clam chowder so Ofocurse I had to try that! It was tasty, I'd recommend ordering a small bowl if you're up for trying it. I could see how it could win a prize! I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but if you are in the area and your looking for a quick bite I'd recommend stopping by. read more

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We had lunch here today and our waiter, William was amazing.The food tasted extremely good. It tasted fresh, made with love, I would definitely recommend coming here.If you want a good meal for a good price. Atmosphere is very relaxing, kid friendly. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I came in for a cup of chowder and a coke and was so pleasantly surprised by the service I had to pause, and leave a review. The chowder was thick and yummy, the Coke is well, Coke but these folks add a cherry! Now the music was chill, the clientele is mostly tourists on the outside deck but I'm leaving this review specifically for the service. I had a server named Marina and she literally dances circles around the deck, customers and staff while simultaneously investing her personal touch coupled with her server style. She has a sweet genuine soul that's capable of actually listening to her customers, being the perfect amount of attentive and somehow managing to make all of that seem effortless. read more

the food here is so good!! we had a great view and the hostess was so kind! Alejandro was our server and he's the BEST. prices were reasonable too. I loved the fish and chips. Thank you guys!! read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

McKenzie provided exceptional service at dinner! We dined inside with a nice window view of the waterfront. My spouse ordered the burger with fries and I had the Caesar salad. We had a few gin and tonics with the meal which were so refreshing. The food came out quick after ordering and I would definitely recommend dining here. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Food was delicious. Stuffed salmon and the chicken parm were delicious. Ordered the Bloody Mary, not terrible, but seemed watered down. The waitress we had was very sweet but didn't like seafood so when we asked what was good or if the food was ordered was recommended, she didn't seem to be too interested in it. Sat right by the window and watched the waves and people watched with dinner. Fun place. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Salmon stuffed with crab and shrimp. Stuffed Salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Used to love going here. Was always mine and my husbands go to for drinks and food. However, everything states that they allow pets. We tried to bring our dog in and they said no and we'd have to chain her up to a railing outside of the patio (not within the patio). It says pets welcome on every platform... this needs to be corrected. We found other dog friendly places though that are really nice! read more

Disappointing. Food was mediocre, service was sub par. Meal overpriced--you're paying for the view (if that). My coworker and I opted for open seating at the bar. We sat down and were tended to at the expected speed when it comes to bar seating, but the server was not hospitable at all. It felt like we were a bother. Was in-between then chicken parmesan and pesto chicken penne. Was recommended the pesto chicken penne--mistake. Dish was flavorful but /soaked/ in oil. Pretty gross. I expect some oil when it comes to pesto but definitely not a pool of it. After tax, my dish was $30. Save your money and go elsewhere! read more

Came here after spending the day at the beach boardwalk and it was good. It was a nice view. Service was just okay. But for the food...the burger was okay nothing special. The sea bass was a hit or miss with each bite as some pieces were perfectly cooked. While someone was dry and over cooked. The mango salsa was good but needed more. The spinach was a bit overwhelming as there was too much. Could cut down on the spinach and add more salsa and rice. Don't forget to squeeze the lemon cause it surely needed it. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Came in for a few drinks- got the Strawberry Fields and the El Presidente (not shown in picture). Drinks were refreshing, vibes were high, and service was great! my husband and I had a great time hanging out at the patio bar :) read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Strawberry Fields - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Stopped by ideal for some dinner. Checked out the menu and the island Seabass and ahi tuna caught my eye. Got the Seabass, damn good! Fresh, not filling and most of all....delicious! It's an awesome spot to hang out and grub. Must check out if you're in the Santa Cruz area. read more

Ideal Bar & Grill - Island Seabass - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Very rude bartender. He seemed so stressed over minor details. They don't treat tourist well. Go to Riva's on the warf instead.