We had dinner tonight and while the food tasted great, the portions were small. We left still…read morehungry after 2 appetizers and 2 mains. We came straight home and ate a meal. A bowl of soup was $18. It should at least come with bread to try to add some calories. I ordered the tuna confit pasta and no exaggeration, there was only about 2 oz of tuna, about the size of a cutie tangerine with the dish. So for $29, pasta with a light tomato based sauce, 2 oz fish, some diced tomatoes and 4 pieces of artichoke heart. The pork belly main came with 2 small carrots and about a cup of spinach. No starch. It was like a snack.

Absolutely delicious, local hyper fresh food! Beautifully…read morebright space with glorious tree art by local artist. Katherine Stern and crew deliver divinity over and over. Great wine list. Impeccable, original desserts. Our go to for every day lunch or special occasion. Santa Cruz gem!

Go for the breakfast burritos. Nothing else matters. It's a breakfast burrito joint, kk?…read more There is a convenience store there too, but I swear people just go there for the breakfast burritos.... or maybe an occasional coffee or sandwich.

The place really doesn't disappoint. We come a few times a year and today it really hit! The mexi…read morecali was good, but what was really fantastic was the carne asada in the Cali Breakfast Burrito. Incredible and chock-full of meat and goodness! The tortilla is fresh and toasted warm and the fries were nice and crispy which really makes a difference. Couldn't have been happier and you'll likely need to skip lunch!

Harbor Cafe absolutely lived up to the hype--and then some. My girlfriend and I stopped by…read morerecently, and it honestly exceeded my expectations. She ordered the spicy machaca con huevo scramble, and I went with the country steak breakfast--both dishes came out hot, fresh, and packed with flavor. Everything was cooked perfectly. This place used to be my go-to spot back when I lived in Santa Cruz, and coming back after all this time, it was even better than I remembered. Same great vibe, amazing food, and just an all-around solid experience. If you're in the area, Harbor Cafe is a must. I'll definitely be making it a regular stop again.

I have 3 words for Harbor Cafe: cute cute cute!!!…read more It's a clean, no-frills breakfast-brunch type diner place with harbor-themed decor and lots of patio seating for great outdoor dining. I love the diner vibe where you get free refills on coffee, except Harbor has an exceptionally special menu with things like Eggs Benedict on polenta cakes instead of bread or California Benedict with thick bacon on croissant instead of English muffins. I did get one coffee refill, but it took a long time to get our order taken, even when we sat down before other tables. It also took a long time to get a box and a check, even after sitting for a long time and then asking for them. So I'd say service could be better, especially for the price. Our meal hit the spot, and the menu had unique items, so overall, Harbor is a win for us.

Generous portions, good coffee, and exceptional service -- exactly what you hope to find on…read morevacation. We were hunting for a solid breakfast spot and honestly weren't sure from the outside. But the moment we walked in to a warm welcome and were seated right away, we knew we'd picked the right place. My grandson -- who can be a bit high‑energy -- was treated like a little gentleman. Seeing him enjoy himself let me actually relax and enjoy my own breakfast: a massive plate of French toast so good I couldn't even finish it. Linda's Sea Breeze Café is the kind of place that wins you over fast. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a great start to their day.

Tried this place out for the first time since it had so many good reviews but in all honesty, I…read moredon't get the hype. We got there about 10 am and had a bit of a wait with people continuously arriving so it's clearly popular. You write your name down and request inside or out or first available. It was a bit chilly so we opted for inside. We were seated after about 20 minutes. It's pretty small inside so the addition of the picnic tables outside is a plus. We all ordered different items, sausage and eggs, bacon and eggs and blueberry pancakes. The egg breakfasts came with a side of either toast, a pumpkin muffin or a cinnamon roll. We ordered a muffin and a roll. The food arrived fairly quickly which was good because after a 2 hour drive we were ready to grub. The egg breakfasts were pretty average in taste and portion. The blueberry pancakes however were good a good size and came with 3. I did think the pumpkin muffin was fire and my bf said the cinnamon roll was excellent so maybe it's their baked goods that are part of what makes this place so popular? I didn't think the amount of food we got was that much of a value as it was a $60 breakfast. Other downsides for me was the parking situation which is common in SC. We found a spot about 2 blocks away. Also, the bathroom is outside and in dire need of a makeover. Lastly, they don't take cards. It's cash or check only. WTH? I haven't seen a restaurant take checks since I was a kid so that's been a minute, lol. Overall I can't really see myself returning other than to get the pumpkin muffin or cinnamon roll. Maybe I just need to try something different.

This place is wonderful. I wish I had it where I lived. Don't pass the chicken schnitzel sandwich…read more If you're a fried chicken sandwich lover this is one of the best ones. I've had overall the atmosphere was great. The service was great. I can't wait to come back down to Santa Cruz so I can enjoy another meal here.

Came here for dinner last Friday before catching a movie. We arrived before 6pm when it wasn't busy…read moreyet; there're more people when we left. I liked their causal vibe and Christmas decorations. They even had an upside down Christmas tree! I had pork chop, which came with smashed potato and spinach. Unfortunately, the sauce was so salty making the spinach inedible. The pork chop was not bad after removing the sauce and so was the smashed potato as it wasn't all covered in sauce. Our server, Simone, was very nice and offered to get me another side order of spinach, which saved the day! My husband enjoyed his baked salmon entree, which was recommended by Simone. We skipped appetizers so that we could have room for dessert and the lava cake didn't disappoint. Overall, not a bad dinner experience.

Santa Cruz has many great places to eat a nice dinner. Consider them all then eat at the Crow's…read moreNest, 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!

5 star service and ambiance. 3-4 star food. They certainly have the location and are an old school…read moremarina 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.

East End Gastropub consistently delivers delicious, solid food…read more Started with Crispy Shrimp Bao Buns which were crispy and tasty! Came for their Burger week Soft Shell Crab Burger !!! Amazing! Soooo Tasty! Get yours before they are gone!

We've visited East End Gastropub several times over the years and have always enjoyed the food and…read moredrinks, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Last Saturday night, my wife and I sat at the bar expecting the same level of service we've received in the past. There appeared to be only one bartender working. While the restaurant was steady, it wasn't overwhelmingly busy. We were served our first round of drinks, but after that we were completely forgotten about. For over 20 minutes, no one checked on us, asked if we'd like another drink, or even offered us water. Sitting directly at the bar, it was frustrating to feel ignored, especially when we were hoping to spend the evening enjoying a few drinks and dinner. Unfortunately, the lack of service left such a poor impression that we decided to leave. We've always enjoyed East End, which makes this review difficult to write, but customer service is a big part of the experience. Hopefully this was just an off night, but it was disappointing enough that we won't be returning anytime soon.

We had a staycation in Scotts Valley, found this place and made my trip fantastic! We ordered 6…read moreoysters, Pan-roasted halibut, and Dungeness Crab Bucatini. All are above expectations. Price is affordable and it's the best value with great service and food. Ambiance is great it's playing World Cup and my dog enjoys seeing other dogs, they allow interior seating with dog too! If I have to pick one, I highly recommend Dungeness Crab Bucatini, they are generous with the crab meat. I'll definitely come again when I'm in the area :)

We found the fish on the "Fish & Chips" to be unlike most places and quite a bit better. In…read moreparticular is was light and crispy vs the typical heavily battered usual. The chips were both a little overdone and not very crispy, but that was overshadowed by the fish. The crab bucatini was excellent as well. The views of the boats in the water were pleasant and made it worth making the reservation rather than just walking in. Service was good. It is a bit loud inside with all the hard surfaces reflecting the sounds of people talking.

Food: * curry moco: loved the fried chicken, super crispy…read moreand fresh, good portion size * b.a.e: a little bready, but still pretty good. loved the caramelized onions Ambiance: super cute, clean, and nicely decorated!

Mad Yolks in downtown Santa Cruz has one of the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had! The flavor-…read moreWOW! I got the mad chick, the chicken was juicy and had the perfect crispy outside. The crunch was complimented by fresh lettuce and an earthy, savory basil aioli. The fried egg was a great addition, proving a nice texture. The coffee was equally delicious. The ambiance is laid back, trendy and matches a fast-causal vibe. Our service was fast, friendly and the crew member gave us good insight regarding the menu.

We had a fantastic stay on a Sunday in the Lilac Room. Stunning views, our own balcony, clean and…read morecomfortable room. Bed was great, shower had great water pressure and the continental breakfast was top notch and delivered to your room at your requested time. When we checked in the woman was taking care of caterpillars in the office to help breed the monarch population. She showed us what they're doing to help. It was a really cool thing to see! She even put a butterfly on my finger. She took us to the room while explaining the history of the place as well. Very cool spot. Highly recommend!

It's a Bed & Breakfast with its own character. I think it was built in 1887. Based on the…read moreinformation book in the room, Al Capone has stayed here before! It's a historical building so there is no AC but fans are provided. The Inn has a trail to the ocean with has nice views. It is dog friendly which is the main reason we stay here. The property manger is super friendly and helpful. I think she is the reason the Inn has great reviews.