I tried Ulterior, a speakeasy bar on the second floor; it's up a stairwall behind the restrooms. one cocktail was a stand-out: 5/5: Speak Softly. Great sophisticated boozy martini with creme de violette and an edge of absinthe. It's a very chill atmosphere upstairs. Great for lounging. $15 is a good price point for cocktails of this caliber. They also have a food menu. read more

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THIEF AT THE DOOR!! Be warned! The woman at the door collecting cover fees gave herself a 22% tip on everyone's cover fee who wasn't paying attention. I looked at my bank account after paying and sure enough there was $2.20 taken out in addition to what I had paid. Make sure you're paying attention so you don't get robbed. Not cool!!! read more

Alright, I'm going to preface this review by admitting that I'm a bit bougie when it comes to speakeasys. Their speakeasy Ulterior was horrific. Talk about a dump. Women screaming, horribly loud music and the energy was that of a low tier dive bar. If you are looking for a real experience go to Alley Oop! 5/5 read more

New food place upstairs was terrible - bad food & worse attitude- these smashburger "chefs" really don't think they need to treat anyone with respect. Been coming to this bar 20 years & wont ever go back upstairs until (I'm sure sooner than later) there's a different food situation. read more

Saw a reel stating that this was one of the best burgers in Santa Cruz. The burger was ok. The chef asked how I would like my burger cooked and I told him Medium. It came out medium rare minus. Had it been cooked properly, it would have been much better. If you want medium, you should probably order medium well plus. $21.90 (Food Talk) was the price for just the burger. Disappointed, over hyped. read more

Motiv - The burger - Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The bouncer there Ryan was actually the weirdest most perverted person I've ever met and I've never felt that uncomfortable with someone. He would not let me and my friends into the club until he was done flirting with my friend and talking about her body and to top it off as we were leaving he grabbed her butt. I will never ever be going back. read more

My friend got grabbed by a male worker for no reason and she was really hurt. That was really unprofessional and unnecessary. I don't recommend this place to any woman. So bad. read more

I went here last night with some friends and the bouncer very smoothly checked my ID, stamped my arm that I had rested on the table, and slid my ID back into my hand SO PERFECTLY!! I was honestly very impressed, he didn't just hand me the ID back, he put it between my thumb and palm so effortlessly it was stunning - a true artist at his craft of returning IDs. Other than that, Motiv is a pretty standard dance club esque bar. The upstairs is awesome because you can look over the city and they almost always have Adventure Time playing which is one of the coolest things I've seen at a bar. It's a nice time to decompress and watch adventure time if you're a person like me to likes to take breaks during a night out :) read more

Our Lyft driver recommended this place and after some food and hitting a few bars we ended our night here. Our group had so much fun dancing at Motiv. We followed a couple upstairs after we heard the bartender telling them there was a bar upstairs that was more chill. Sure enough a bookcase down by the restrooms is the entrance to the upstairs bar. It's not as loud as downstairs and you can actually enjoy a drink and a good conversation. Overall a good ambiance for those who like to dance, make new friends, and have a drink or two. read more

Motiv - The secret upstairs bar we didn't know it existed - Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Excellent bartender staff and i really enjoyed the music. There is an upstairs bar which can be a fun change of space. Been visiting off and on for a year now and am grateful there is a spot like this in SantaCruz. read more

Motiv is a fun spot and the concept of the bar is unique and interesting. It is well decorated and pretty clean for a bar in downtown Santa Cruz. The only downside is that the drinks are very expensive for what you get. I could understand the prices at an upscale restaurant bar, or a drink made with premium liquor, however that is not the case here. I'd still recommend checking the place out, I've never been disappointed by the DJs and music. read more

I had some good times here. I'm been a local here in Santa Cruz for quite a few years. Im sorry for this review but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the same! Some of the staff, especially the security/ bouncer are overly abrasive and have an ego problem. I work in food industry/ hospitality. I get sometimes you have to be like that but these guys are overly abrasive when it's not necessary. Some of them are just bullies! Don't come here unless you enjoy feeling like you are walking on egg shells.. Drinks are very good but good luck trying to enjoy it in peace without them in your business. I won't be back or recommend this place. There are better bars in Santa Cruz. read more

This 3 stars is for the friendly door staff and the cool vibe and good music. The bartender was not friendly. Kinda felt like we were a bother to her sitting at the bar and wanted to pick a fight with us. Maybe just a bad day. Best part about this place were the lights on the dance floor. Lights and music were killer read more

Great music, fun vibes, and clutch bathroom. There's a specialty urinal room for men. We had a great time on the dance floor.

rude bartenders, bad drinks, bad music. The woman with blonde hair at the door who was checking IDs was awful. She was impatient and rude. I noticed her behaving this way to other groups as well who had done nothing to warrant such disrespect. Honestly why doesn't Santa Cruz have a better club?? Just disappointing in general. read more

My go-to spot in downtown SC. Motiv became the new "Red Room" for the local college students about a year ago. I really like the modern setting & club atmosphere. This place is pretty much as chic as Santa Cruz bars go (aside from maybe Clouds) Upstairs bar has awesome mixed drinks. I had one of the house specials, a Basil Gimlet made from fresh greens in front of me last night and it was so delish! The paprika added a pleasant kick. But if you aren't trying to intake your daily servings of veggies, there are plenty of fruity drinks (and the typical stuff) as well! I love the electro DJs they've been booking lately. DADA Life spinned last night & I got to see them for free (w/guestlist)...pretty awesome! Also, I love their stromlights/visuals...really sets the party mood =) Oh and there is also a free coat check! SCORE! Anyways, I would def. recommend this place for a night of dancing. If you actually want to converse, get there early and head upstairs. Because later on the place will be packed and the music will be blasting, just how we like it! --- Only downside: filthy ladies restrooms (always out of toilet paper) & the sink has scorching hot water (I actually saw the steam coming up last time) read more

Motiv - cookies for DADA Life - Bars Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Wow, What a great Santa Cruz club/bar! Jamal was the man providing amazing service and vibes. The DJs are also top notch with Anthony as a stand out. Overall great experience, would recommend to anyone trying to have a wonderful night 10/10 read more

Great yummy cocktails at the top part of the club. Love the vibe here. Last nights bar tender on the top was killin it.

My girlfriends and I came to town for a night out. Stopped by during the day and it was clean. Jacob the bartender was really helpful and made good drinks. He was too cute to not look at. My girls and I will def come back! read more

Amazing night after another amazing Downtown Santa Cruz Halloween. Music was off the chain kids partied their tails off .

I don't live in Santa Cruz. I came here on vacation and came to this bar/club. Bartender's we're quick and very nice people. Good demographic for mid 20's people. The bouncers also did a great job of taking care of me when I had a creep bothering me. Highly recommend this place for a good time. read more

Jacob gave wonderful service! He was fun and made great drinks. Will come back for the vibes and great service!

First off this place is absolutely the best place in Santa Cruz. Not only does the establishment offer an amazing place to dance and hang out with friends, they also push people to step up their dress, and they play the newest and upcoming music. The employees are all helpful and are constantly doing their job well. The upstairs is also amazing, giving a more trendy ambience with room to sit down and have a drink. For those who hate on this place for having to dress smart casual, or not having the security guards remember your name, you might want to try put a club in LA. I'm sure you'll change your mind and see that MOTIV is an exceptional business. Yes, not everyone will be happy, and people will always complain, but in reality this is a great local business. And on a side note if you think Rosie McCann's one DJ who plays the same top 40 music every night that you listen to on KDON is better than the DJs and MOTIV you should probably reconsider your taste in music. read more

Was denied entry for having a fake ID when I'm 22. Only complaint is the incompetent bouncer, but tough to give it above 1 star when I can't even order. read more

Just came into motiv for a quick drink with my mom and younger brother. Three Tito's and sodas for a decent price, but the best part was the conversation from the bartender. He is a genuine nice and funny guy, will definitely find myself coming back during the day to grab a drink and talk to him. Didn't catch his name but he is doing a great job. read more

We walked into Motiv around 5, and enjoyed a couple of drinks. Jacob is the best! He provided great conversation, and excellent service. I definitely recommend stopping by to say hello to Jacob, and grab a drink! read more

Came here to watch UFC248. The video kept cutting out on both the big screen projector and one of the TVs at the bar. It made me cautious of buying drinks because I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth it to stay. And surely enough the video feed cut out for the entire length of the pay per view. A lot of people showed up just to watch the fight. I think an establishment shouldn't even offer to host the fight if their equipment is not properly operational. read more

This place made me angry....and Im NEVER an angry drunk As much as it WANTS to be a Hollywood club it is NOT. so WHY must I stand outside AND pay a cover?! two things I *dont* even do at Hollywood clubs. I hate to sound like a stuck up Los Angelino but SERIOUSLY. They had people walzting in and out but were making people wait in line. FAIL!! if people want to leave thats on them to bad so sad let the rest of us in. I've never experienced that (being allowed back in w/o a wait) at a dance club that charges a cover. If it was up to me I would have just left but it was a friend'd bday and he neede to meet up with friends inside. So once we get inside (BTW fellas no hats because they think they're upscale) I head to the restroom and Oh boi there's nothing in there. And by nothing I mean no toilet paper, toilet seat covers, no paper towels. WTF. It was only 12pm folks have another hour and a half of peeing to do here! The crowd here was pretty unfriendly and pushy unless you knew them. then you were the person they were running to as they pushed everyone out the way. thankfully I wasnt here longer then 30 mins before my friend's 5 million drinks hit him and we had to usher him out for his honorary 21st birthday pukefest. read more

So so so fun. Good music, nice people and solid drinks. Definitely come here for a night out!!

I have to say this is the second time, that I have been truly disappointed with Motiv. For some reason this is the only bar, ever, that has questioned my age and ID, twice. Also the second time, the same bouncer questioning me, has asked for another form of ID. Ugh, NO my ID is my ID! Considering that I am 23 this is very insulting. Also considering both occasions were week nights when the bar was empty and my girls and I just wanted to dance. I am not sure if this bouncer is having a power trip or he really doesn't believe my ID is actually me. No one looks like their ID picture, that was taken when they were 17!! Needless to say I won't be back for a while. read more

Everyone told me to go to Motiv for my birthday. It was a Sunday so the bar was pretty empty--I think a total of 10 ish people was inside. The bartender was really nice and made our drinks lightening fast. I received a free birthday drink (watermelon vodka shot) but someone had to make a drink purchase in order for me to get the shot...obviously, I got the drink and the shot all to myself. The drink I ordered was a midori sour & I felt like it was a little watered down--my whole group got the same drink and the taste was different in each (i.e. some were stronger than others). read more

Server Bella was 10/10 and bathrooms were more than amazing can't wait to come back!!!

This place is pretty cracking when it comes to the free night, which is Thursday. Every Thursday it is free of their entrance fee, not sure if having an entrance fee is the best business decision but oh well. Never really experienced any other day than a Thursday, so cannot say much about other days. But on Thursdays it can be pretty packed and the dance floor is filled with people, sometimes too filled that you can't even walk anywhere. The bathrooms are always pretty filthy, I guess that happens when you got drunk people flying everywhere. There is also a dress code or somewhat enforced dressed code. Sometimes you cannot wear hats, depending on who's security. I have also gotten stopped by wearing just a white t-shirt... I mean it's just a bar... but I guess they are trying to enforce the whole clubbing thing too because they have a dance floor but come on, I can't get through because of a white-T! I bet they'll let lil Wayne in, and all he wears are white Ts. Drink prices are alright here, expensive as heck like any other bar. Definitely check this place out when it;s Thursday, it can get rowdy! read more

I was here on vacation and we got a recommendation to come here from some friends. "Get there before 10," they said. "It'll be a good time," they said. They were right on both counts. The place was really bumping at 9:30 when we rolled in. No cover and no line before 10, but there was a queue to get a drink at the bar. After about 15 minutes of waiting for service, we got 2 beers and a mixed drink for 15 dollars. The price is right. I had a great time dancing here! The DJ was playing what I think is considered house music. It's not going to be recognizable songs, but I liked the diddies that I heard. The clientele is very friendly and funny, and a good time was had by all! Be sure to check out the upstairs section if you want to take a break from dancing a little bit! read more

Come over for LGBTQ happy hour on Saturdays 3:30 to 6ish (discounted drinks are served until 7:30!). Dance to DJs spinning electronica most weekends. The one exception is on the Saturday nights that they have UFC (boxing/fighting) projected up on the back wall. Join their Facebook list to get in on the schedule. read more

Motiv is definitely not my first choice of bar to go to whenever I'm out in Santa Cruz. However, it is the only place that offers a decent sized dance floor, so if you're down to get down, this is the best place to do so. The music they play here is pretty good too; lately I've been hearing EDM and/or mainstream music. You can't expect too much but at least it's music you can dance to. As most other reviews say, come here on Thursdays nights when there's no cover charge! Especially if you go to UCSC and you have a lot of friends who go out Thursday nights, you're bound to run into some people you know. Not to mention, the dance floor gets way too packed on these free nights and it gets super musty and sweaty. They have little booths and a bar right before you hit the dance floor, and there's also an upstairs bar with more seating and for a more chill night. I've gotten this sage lady drink here at Motiv which was pretty good! They have a good selection of cocktails, but since I don't come here too often, I don't know much of what they offer here or what their specials are. It's always a good night when you're drunk out of your mind here or with a good group of friends dancing the night away. read more

Why not...? It's really the place to go in Santa Cruz. The only real place you can go if you want to dance the night away. People are haters because it's cramped and they're probably comparing it to their home town's club scene... But you can't really expect much from Santa Cruz being Santa Cruz! Thursdays are the most crackin' days. The DJs are usually local residents that are working their way up to make it big or sometimes random people I feel like... The music they play is literally all mainstream with the occasion of some throwback hyphy music. The bartenders are generally super friendly if you're friendly back. If you're gonna yell at them for your attention, don't expect to get attention. I can't remember if they make their drinks more expensive on Thursdays or not, but I've come here for my friend's bar crawl on a Sunday evening/ Monday morning and drinks were ONLY $7! What a stealllll duuude. Or the bartender was the real MVP of the night (much appreciated!). read more

Had a great New Years and shout out to bartender Bella for being amazing! Went two nights in a row!

Came in with my boyfriend on a Saturday night and the UFC fight was on. Luckily there was an upstairs with a bar and food. We had the fried chicken that was pretty good and some grilled cheese sandwiches. Our bartender, Patrick, was super nice. I told him to surprise me with a drink and what he made me was perfect. He also slid us some sauce for our food that was delicious. Upstairs was really chill. The ambiance and music was really mellow. We went downstairs to dance and the DJ started off with a mix of kinda old pop/R&B music which was cool...but it got old really quick. I only heard one or two songs from 2017-2018. After I heard two pit bull songs I was done. I'm sure he was trying to cater to the diverse crowd, but at least play recent music. He had videos that corresponded to his mix and he's probably been using the same mix since 2015. read more

Worst place ever. Owner has no respect for his customers. Heavy cover charge, nothing inside but an upset wait staff. Surprised this place is still in business. I guess location is everything cause the service is horrible. Told us, " I don't need your business, I have every other dumb ass in Santa Cruz giving me money." Really a poor experience read more