This is my favorite restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. Great menu, delicious food and attentive staff. Went last week for husband's birthday and everything was perfect. Forgot to take photos but he had the lamb shank over gnocchi (best gnocchi I've had in ages) and I had the duck confit. Both amazing. My picky 16yo had the fried chicken off the pub menu. I really appreciate that they have that pub menu which has yummy options at a lower price point than the regular menu. I always recommend this place when people ask me where to go in Santa Cruz. read more

Been here a few times now and it has been wonderful each time. The food is excellent and the service is great too. Price is high but the quality is worth it. Very fresh and decent sized portions. Best espresso martini around!! read more

Oswald - two glasses of coffee on a table - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Went there on a busy Driday night without reservations and they were able to squeeze us in quickly. We sat at the bar and were served right away. The cocktails, meal and service were very good. I had the burger which was cooked perfect and the French fries were excellent and super crispy. Someone in my party orders the duck and although it was overcooked, it was tender. It was a bit loud in the restaurant compared to other similar places I have eaten. read more

Oswald is very charming and I've been twice now. Once for an indoor dinner and another time for a drink on their patio under extremely satisfying heat lamps. This can be both a classy or casual experience; players choice. All that was eaten was super flavorful and tasty. The menu is gluten-free friendly. The wine and cocktail selection is quality. And please, try to save room for a gluten-free chocolate lava cake soufflé wonder.. you will not regret it. read more

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I love Oswald's. The food is great as are the drinks. The owner is awesome! The staff is basically so so. Sometimes good service, sometimes not so good. But the food and drinks are always excellent. I particularly love the fried chicken and their hamburger. read more

Staff was very friendly & attentive. Our waiter gave us great recommendations on food and drinks. Drinks we delicious! Had their season cocktail and it was fruity but not overly sweet and had a good amount of alcohol. My pork loin was delicious and cooked perfectly. Very juicy and was paired well with crispy potatoes and asparagus. Had the lemon pudding cale it was very moist but not soggy. Also very lemony whcihis what I expect when having something with lemon. Will definetly be back when in santa cruz. read more

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Say something like I love the bar setting at this restaurant. Not only does it boast a couple top notch bar tenders, there is always an eclectic group of people to visit with and a yummy cup of soup and delicious martini. Great place to go after a movie. Even as a single! read more

Oswald - I love the bar setting at this restaurant. It boasts a couple top notch bar tenders, and an eclectic group of people to visit with. - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I came here on Friday night with the last-minute reservation of 7:45 PM. The hostess was kind enough to seat my partner and I 20 minutes early and we got a table for two Janelle. Our server was one of the kindest most attentive servers I've ever had at a dining experience. She checked on us multiple times, ensuring that all of our needs were attended to. She gave us good recommendations and we had the skirt steak and mac & cheese, which was delightful. I would definitely come back to this restaurant thanks Janelle for the best date night ever.!! read more

Ozwald restaurant is located in downtown Santa Cruz on the corner of Soquel Avenue and Front Street. To the right of the main entrance is the bar area, which has open seating available if you don't have a reservation. I found a small table in the open seating bar area nestled up to a corner defined by a short wall and a large picture window. For my an appetizer I ordered a cheese, dried fruit, and nuts board to start paired with a flute of sparkling wine. The sharp goat cheese complimented the seasonal fruit compote in an interesting yet delicious way and was quite tasty when spread together on the sliced fresh baked baguette. For my entree I ordered the herbed fried chicken served on a fresh spring tossed salad. Oswald's fried chicken is coated with a light and airy Panko style crust seasoned with fresh garden herbs and spices. And the spring mesclun salad was tossed with Extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar... a scrumptious partner for the fried chicken. Ambiance: The ambiance at Oswald is simple yet eclectic. The walls and sills are tastefully adorned with two and three dimensional artwork made by local artisans, which provide interesting conversational springboards. Reservations are recommended unless you find a seat in the bar area. read more

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Great food, Skirt Steak is phenomenal. Old fashions are incredible. Focaccia bread was on point. Drinks are well balanced.

My wife and I were pleasantly surprised. Food was absolutely the best!. Service Excellent! Ambiance 1st class. Thank you all for making our day!!! read more

We dined again at your establishment Oswald's last weekend (our 2nd visit for dinner in a month) yes the food was delicious! I enjoyed the Fuyu persimmon soup!!! My friend enjoyed the Chicken orzo soup. He ordered the famous hamburger because his son from San Francisco suggested he would love it, he did. I tasted the winter squash agnolotti, it was tasty. The squash filling was sweet and savory, I was expecting a ravioli but this is similar but different. The specialty cocktails are extremely appealing. I loved the Paper Plane because of the Amaro. Tim ordered your Spiced Old Fashion! He likes it. We tried the Negroni last time and it's also delicious. Love the square ice cubes! But I want to mention that our evening experience was complimented by the style, communication and wait person skillset that our waitress shared with us. Her Confidence was abounding. With that said, this is what I found most helpful from her - as your dinning room patron. She explained the specials very clearly and we could hear her, she made eye contact in a way that made us feel special. A very fine trait for a waitress. We felt like she moved us through an event almost... she was accurate in her descriptions too! Next, and I told her so, I was impressed that she did not walk up to our table, 2 top, and interrupt our conversation that we were having. She uniquely hung back, she paid attention to us and she returned at a better time!!! This is wait person attribute that I find is , albeit elusive at most dinner restaurants, is a skill. Her abilities added to our relaxation that night. Thank you Oswald's. read more

No place for a vegetarian. There is nothing vegan at all and a horrible overpriced lacto ovo bread pudding as an entree! Very few mushrooms and so easy and simple to make. They were out of three of the deserts early on a Saturday night and service extremely slow and uneven for the price.The miso asparagus inedibly salty. Can't believe this place is so busy. Must be the drinks. read more

I am sick of tourists trap designed for locals. Ordered 2 burgers and appetizers and the bill was $150. Kind of surprising so I was curious and checked it and I am seeing focaccia bread ... my first reaction was , wait a minute , I did not order that, then I realized that the waiter brought some bread and olive oil, while we were waiting, and then apparently charged us. Not a big amount, it was something like $10-15, but I did not order it and it was not on the menu at all. I had similar experience years ago in tourists traps in Portugal where they will put on the table some not ordered bread and spread and if you touch they will charge you for it . If you don't know it is a trap you would guess it is a welcome snack, and then you see unexpected $20 on the bill. The same scam is going now in Oswald. Sorry Oswald, I hope these $10 or 15 worth loosing a customer. P.S. Also , too much salt ... on anything appetizers, burgers, how the hell did you manage to prepare a salty burger ? Actually , for the burgers, I guess you reduced the size of the patty but continued to use the same amount of blue cheese as before and that is why it is so salty. Maybe it is physically not possible to cut so little blue cheese to match the size of the burger patty. I would say burgers are slightly bigger than cocktails bites .... definitely too small for $26 price tag. read more

Great food, great atmosphere and a nice variety of drinks. Staff is very friendly and attentive. Good date night spot. They get super busy on special days (Valentines) so do yourself a favor and make a reservation. read more

In the downtown Santa Cruz area this is one of the nicer restaurants. On the last night in town and after a long day of walking, touring, and happy hour on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, I was ready for a nice glass of wine and quality food. And it came highly recommended by the people where I was staying as well as great Yelp reviews! Such a classy place. Beautiful bar lots of glass and windows. Elegant ambiance but still Santa Cruz casual and cool. It was just the perfect place. The young woman who greeted us was super nice too. Really made you feel welcomed . That is a nice touch and always a good sign. Sat at the bar enjoyed a nice glass of chardonnay with a delicious Caesar salad with chicken and a bowl of carrot soup to die for. It was just perfect. A nice group of people around the bar ...most looked like regulars. Josh our bartender was super nice and obviously super talented with his craft. All the staff seemed to really enjoy each other and that really made it fun. David the chef even wandered out to the bar towards the end of the evening talking to some of the regulars. Was able to have a brief conversation with him and he is quite funny as well as a super chef. This place really rocks! I would come back in a heartbeat and try some of Chef David's incredible sounding, mouth-watering mains on the menu and more of Josh's cocktails :-) P.s. the bread is fantastic no matter what that other yelper said LOL Highly recommend! read more

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Reliably delicious and great service. Best fried chicken in town. they know their wine there too.

The food was just wow! Loved and enjoyed every bite of it. I had the chicken orzo soup and the oxtail pappardelle and they were delicious! My husband had the beef brisket that was so good and we loved it. The service was okay, I would give it 4/5. The ambience was also okay. The place was crowded and there was a lot of people. Highly recommend the food! read more

This restaurant is a true gem of Santa Cruz. I remember the first time I ate here, I couldn't believe how amazing the food was. The atmosphere and overall energy of this restaurant made me forget I was in Santa Cruz. I appreciate the fact that this is a local restaurant that I feel like I have to dress up a bit. Not that you have to dress up here, but it kind of goes hand and hand. The owner Damani has done and incredible job with this restaurant. My absolute favorite things to order here are the dungeness crab and the cheese platter to name a couple(oh, and the creme brûlée). This is a higher end establishment so it can be on the pricier side, however, the bar menu is better on the wallet. I will continue to dine here for as long as it's open. I love this place. read more

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The hamburger are great but expensive for a burger. The fries are the best ever. Service was good the atmosphere was airy and nice.

I love the food! The service is okay, but the good is great. The vibe is great! This is my first time here and it won't be my last

I had a reservation and there was a little bit of a wait to be seated. I tried the apio gimlet from the signature cocktails and la finca, they both were definitely not watered down! The bread we had before our meal tasted freshly baked. We waited 40 minutes for our food and weren't disappointed. The skirt steak was tasty and well cooked, as well as the potato gratin. I tried a bit of the pork loin and it wasn't bad! * They did not have their seasonal fruit cocktail or salmon/halibut dish available. read more

Oswald - Pork and skirt steak with potato gratin/carrots - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Outdoor seating is a joke. The food is mediocre at best, and service ho hum. Lots of other places to try. read more

Oswald - Lasagna - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great simple menu with a huge drink menu! I went for dinner with my family on Friday. It was busy but everything was fantastic. The fresh bread is good. Comes out very warm. We started with a Mac and cheese and the cold vegetable salad for the table. Both were good but the Mac and cheese was great. I got the skirt steak which was cooked beautifully. The portion was very good. My girlfriend got rhe salmon. She liked it as well. For dessert we tried the almond torte, lemon meringue, and the souffle. Every dessert was amazing. The souffle was definitely the star. But the meringue was right there with it. read more

Three of us attended a birthday lunch for my 82-year-old friend at noon on January 18, 2023. We were all saddened at the level of rudeness and odd behavior from our waiter and staff, so much so that it's come up several times in conversation since then, so I finally decided to post a review. We arrived on time for our reservation and were seated. The waiter was okay at first, although we did have to wait for him more than you would expect, considering the place was less than half full. Toward the end of the meal (also they were out of the dish we came there for), things got really weird. The other 3 or 4 tables that had been seated for lunch had all left. We could see our waiter at the bar drinking wine and chatting with people. He seemed to be lurching about/had strange behavior when he managed to make it over to our table. As we were finishing eating, we ordered 3 espressos and a dessert (no special treats or options offered for the birthday girl when Ihe was asked about that). He took about 30 minutes to bring our espressos to us, badly made, and failed to include the dessert. When questioned about this 15 minutes later (45 minutes after ordering the dessert), he claimed to have informed us that there had been a problem with the dessert, and they had to start it over. Not one of us at the table had heard him say anything like that. He then claimed - out of the blue - that his drinking on the job wasn't affecting his service, to which I responded that it clearly was. (We hadn't said anything to him about the drinking, it was clearly an issue for him.) Finally, after waiting another 15 minutes for the dessert (a full hour at this point) that never arrived, I went to the bar/kitchen area and canceled it. At that point his co-worker in the kitchen laughed and made a teasing comment about the dessert being canceled. Super fun! At no point did our waiter apologize AT ALL, or offer any discount, in fact he was arrogant and snobby, as if it were a joke that we were customers who deserved any kind of service or attention. I've worked in food service, and have also seen/experienced troubled drinking, & because of these reasons I hesitated to write this review. But this person was borderline cruel/sarcastic to elderly women, as well as myself, so at this point it's less about complaining, and more about letting people know that this could happen to them at Oswald Restaurant. It was such a shame too, because she was so excited to celebrate her birthday there, and she even wanted to make sure he was tipped anyway because she is so nice, even though she was very disappointed and upset. I don't think he deserved any kind of tip, or that the restaurant should have been paid for our meal at all, considering how things went. It's taken awhile to sort out how awful and confusing it really was, especially considering we just wanted a celebratory lunch at a Santa Cruz favorite restaurant. We left feeling confused and hurt. This place is dysfunctional, and they really don't deserve the "good" reputation they have in this town. There are definitely plenty of great local spots with much better food, and most certainly better service. Personally, I have no interest in keeping a toxic place like Oswald's in business. We don't need this garbage in our community. read more

I've been to Oswald three times now over the last couple of years and while the food is good the service has always been disappointing. 1-2 years ago, I dined at the bar of a very empty Oswald the night before Thanksgiving. The male bartender had only one other customer and neatly ignored me and my partner during our entire meal. A few months later, I ate at the bar again where I was served by the same male bartender who ignored my repeated requests to get his attention and instead poured free shots of Jameson's to his favorite clientele seated at the bar. Tonight, we decided to give Oswald another chance. After all I was ordering takeout so presumably bad service wouldn't be a problem. Boy was I wrong. I called to place my order and was told it would be ready for pickup 25 mins later. We arrived 30mins later only to discover that the man who answered the phone and took my order had forgotten to tell the kitchen about it. He told us that he would try to make it up to us with a gift card (I never asked for anything). We waited another 20 + mins in the car before finally receiving the order 55 mins after I had originally placed it. We didn't get a gift card (or even a free dessert) in recognition of our free time wasted. My $22 entree was tiny and just not worth the price. I think we will be taking our business elsewhere going forward. read more

Oswald - $22 for a very small main dish - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Ordered rabbit cooked 3 ways...1 & 2 was way over cooked...3 was not over cooked, but ...PASS. Also ordered black cod and crab/avacado salad....delicious. Soft and tastey Decor oa read more

I hope we came on an off night. We had reservations for 6 and after being seated waited about 20 minutes to be approached for water or drinks. The food service was not much faster. We came during restaurant week so I'm going to chalk it up to that. The food itself was tasty for the most part when we got it. I ordered the mushroom soup which was lack luster and bland. My partner got the mussels which came in a delicious white wine sauce that everyone wanted to drink. The main course I chose was trout and the sauce it came was crisp and tangy. My partner got the short rib and it was fall apart tender. Desserts were not memorable and were left half eaten. I'd try this place again on a regular night to better indicate the quality of food and service. Giving the benefit of doubt with a 4/5 read more

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The ambience was lovely. The innovative, colorful light installations set a mood that was elevated and elegant. The mac & cheese was divine and the fries were the crispiest. Our waitress, Annie, was the best part! read more

My husband and I both had the lasagna and we both thought it was the best lasagna we've ever had. 11/10. It was a large portion and was plenty for each of us. It came with a salad that was simple, but tasty as well. Cocktails were a bit strong so proceed with caution. read more

This is a first class restaurant with high-quality food and delightful Service. Warmly recommended!

This place was a gem! My fiancé and I where in town from Portland and the food was great, I got the shishito pesto pasta and he got the duck confet. We got a bottle wine and a vanilla creme brûlée. The food was fantastic, our server was great! She had a great wine recommendation and gave us other suggestions for food and hikes in the area. Food is a 5, service is a 5, decor is the only thing that is a 4 at minimum. Candles wouldn't hurt :) Would recommend read more

Not worth the high price point. What we ate - crab and avocado appetizer pretty good, a little bland but was the best of what we ordered. Needs more salt - fried chicken - bland, bland, bland - needs to be seasoned and maybe brined w salt. Slightly greasy. The mixed greens served w it were overdressed and the dressing was bland - beef lasagna - bland bland bland - also needs salt What we drank: - cocktail w tequila, lime, celery - not good and we sent back and replaced with gin and tonic - mock tail - blood Orange and passion spritzer had very little passionfruit flavor and was a bit too sweet and no fizz as a spritzer should have We also let our server know we were celebrating our anniversary and she just put a candle on a plate w two tiny chocolate pieces (the kind you get for free at end of meal at some restaurants). She did make a point of telling us that she gave us a candle to celebrate our anniversary- so generous. I honestly would have felt better about the restaurant if she had just not give us the candle and gave us nothing. It was really lame. The food was so mediocre we didn't bother ordering dessert. We won't be going back. tbh even if the prices were lower we wouldn't go back simply bc it's not very good. read more

Oswald is one of a small number of fine dining restaurants in Santa Cruz. They have a busy bar scene in front and a modern, but elegant restaurant space. They always have a good wine selection. My husband and I recently dined there and both had a fabulous dungeness crab appetizer and a beautifully-sauted sole entree. Both were fresh and perfectly prepared. Our meal was so good that we returned a week later when we had a friend in town and we both ordered the exact same items, happy to enjoy them again. Other Yelpers have mentioned a limited menu at Oswald. This is somewhat true, but not out of the norm for this kind of restaurant. I have run into challenges. For example, maybe there is only one fish entree on the menu and it isn't a fish that I care for, so I have to hunt for something else. This can relate to a second challenge--they refuse substitutions on the side dishes. I can understand that they want to manage costs and potential waste, but the prices are high and to be told that you cannot have potatoes instead of a veggie or another starch you don't like is frustrating (this is a real example--when we returned, recently, our friend was told she could not have potatoes instead of cauliflower). For the price, I wish their service was more accommodating in that regard. On a good night, Oswald is easily a five-star vote. On an evening when their options happen to not be your favorite or you wish you could make a small substitution it can be a four-star. Overall, Oswald is well worth a nice evening out or a special occasion. read more

I used to REALLY love this restaurant. I understand that Covid wasn't easy on restaurants but I'm so disappointed in what has happened to this once super exacting restaurant. Martinis were full and made right there was enough food to meet your dinner expectations, but this has all changed. Mediocre cocktails (at normal high cost), smaller portions and yes, at slightly lower prices, but you leave, after 2 people with 2 cocktails each and ape and dinner and dessert) $1560 and you're STILL HUNGRY) you m sorry, but it's not enough. We went to another bar after and are STLL hungry. BTW I used to LOVE this restaurant. I understand "COVID" times and am very supportive and understanding, but there's a difference between "COVID " times and just plain laziness. Sorry Oswalds. You lost a very faithful customer. read more

What an amazing experience. A gem in laid back Santa Cruz, Oswald is a chill, upscale restaurant with fabulous food, a great wine list, 5 star service, and cool decor. There was nothing I did not adore here. I will definitely come back. read more

Randomly peeped this place driving by and decided I should check out the local places more often. Quiet inside with some outside tables and high tops in shade/sun. Paired a Sicilian white with spaghetti carbonara which was lighter than expected and deliciously spiced with pepper. It would be fine for a lunch but I decided to dive deeper with a mixed greens salad and yet another glass of wine. Good people watching. Good service although slow in the middle of the day. Don't know what it's like at night or on weekends. Solid Italian menu. Good wine choices. read more

Oswald - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Oswald is one of the few black-owned businesses in town and consistently superb. The service and food are top notch. I enjoy the upscale atmosphere without all the judgement and stiffness. Try the corn chowder. read more

Oswald's has always been one of our favorite go-to places for special meals, so last week we decided to give the take-out a try. While the rest of the meal was okay, the SEAFOOD STEW (at least the take-out version) was a very expensive appetizer at best, costing $32 for a small portion. In addition, there were NO scallops as mentioned on the menu, replaced with white fish smaller than usual fish & chips, that was not mentioned on the menu. There was a single shrimp, shredded crab and some mussels. They have since changed the menu and deleted scallops from and added fish to the listing, but left the price the same. As I do with all pick ups given inevitable mistakes made, I checked the order first and mentioned my concern about the small serving of the seafood stew being "an entrée." The staff member said he thought it looked better when served to seated customers. I also pointed out that there was another item in our order that we had not requested or paid for, so he checked with the kitchen and took it back. When I called after our "special" meal, the staff person said they could delete the 20+% tip. I said, "No, I didn't want to take it out of the staff during these tough times," and asked to have the manager call me back. The manager never called, nor did they deduct from my charge. read more

We had heard about Oswald's years ago, but never brought ourselves to try it because we prefer pet-friendly alternatives downtown. However, with the outdoor patio seating and a better weather evening, we decided to give them a try. I'm glad we did. We ordered the Dungeness Crab Salad to start, which was very good with a layer of fresh Dungeness Crab on top of an avocado cake with a side of Arugula (but not quite as good as the Crab Salad at Passionfish in Pacific Grove). Next, we had the Fried Chicken (Salad)... Very tasty (and garlicky) 3 pieces of chicken (thigh, drumstick and wing drummette) over a very nice mixed green salad. Nice small plate. We then shared the Burger and Fries... Awesome! Tender, juicy burger patty make from house ground skirt and ribeye steak, caramelized onions, blue cheese, served in a nice fluffy brioche bun. It can get a bit noisy and windy but the busy Front Street, but the good food quality and preparation make up for it. We will definitely be back to try other popular dishes like the Skirt Steak. read more

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