Paradise Beach Grille

Any idea when they might reopen after the storms?

They're open.

Are there any birthday specials?

Yes. Chocolate mousse for the birthday person upon request

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What time does the kitchen close?

The kitchen closes at 9:00

Do they have a place for a private banquet?

No they don't.

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What a special place in Santa Cruz for live music. We caught the group Sambada and had a blast! If…read moreyou are visiting check out their schedule of live music. The vibe is awesome.

I had a very uncomfortable experience with an African American security guard at the Latino event…read more From the moment I arrived with my family, I felt singled out. He asked for my ID despite not asking any of my other family members, even though it was obvious I had arrived with them. That immediately made me question why I was being treated differently due to his tone and professionalism. Throughout the event, he continued staring me down in a way that felt intimidating and unnecessary. Then, after already announcing that there were 15 minutes left before closing, he approached me again and told me I needed to finish my drink right then. The tone and approach felt aggressive and disrespectful. I understand security has a job to do, but there is a professional and respectful way to interact with people. Instead, I left feeling targeted as a Latina, uncomfortable, and unwelcome at an event that was supposed to be about celebrating community and culture.

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Nice little Cash Only dive bar. Great price for a shot of Don Julio 1942 - only $22. Most other…read moreplaces start around $30. If i come back to Soquel, I'll definitely come back.

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The Sand Bar

I have beet to the sandbar twice and both times have been outrageously good…read more Kylie, our server, steered us to, what I experienced to be, the best breakfast of all time. Excellent sourdough, the perfect crispiness, perfect eggs, cheese and sausage mixed in. And the Denver omelette, perfect. Thank you Kylie! This is my favorite breakfast on Capitola and the table on the beach made for a perfect breakfast view.

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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.

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Fabulous Patio where the fun people gather

Panini looked sad and smashed with a side of Chex mix?!

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Nicknacks & stocking stuffers.

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36 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

FM W.

14 years ago

Deducting stars for slow bar service, and a server that went ok to bad. I came here on Sunday, and it was a beautiful day in Capitola. It was really busy because of the weather, so I put my name in for a table on the patio with the hostess, who was very friendly. I proceeded to the bar to get a drink. There were no stools available, so I stood to wait for service. I worked as a bartender for six years in a high volume restaurant, so I understand the signs of when the bar staff is slammed. However, I stood for several minutes without any acknowledgment from the female or male behind the bar. The female seemed to be consumed with just cleaning glassware and refilling fruits/juices. The male seemed to be handling the service well and bartop. They were clearly under staffed for such a busy day. What bothered me was that neither stopped to say that they would be right with me. As a customer, all we want is acknowledgement when you are busy. The nice gentleman sitting in front of me at the bar kindly grabbed the bartender so that I could get some service. After receiving the wine list, it took several more minutes to order a drink. I'd say from the moment I arrived at the bar, to eventually getting a drink, it took about 15 minutes. I would suggest that the bar back be trained to acknowledge guests and let them know that someone will be helping them shortly, especially if her counterpart is slammed with 20 tickets in the service well. The male blonde bartender was friendly once I could get his attention. The pluses about this place is seating on the patio as well as the Hawaiian band that was playing. It was very relaxing to sit in the sun by the water, with the ukelele in the background, allowing me to teleport back to the islands. If I was rating this restaurant just on the patio and band, it would have gotten five stars. The food was decent, but nothing to write home about. However one of my friends did devour her fish tacos and said they were delicious. We had a female server and she started out really good. She did get part of the food order wrong, but she fixed it immediately. We had another person join our party towards to end. After she brought the menu for our additional member, we would have ordered another round of drinks, but the server never came back to check on us. It took so long that by the time she came by we just decided to close out. Too bad, since we were in a Sunday Funday drinking mood and could have raised her sales a bit more. I would come back here for the ambience and Hawaiian band. read more

Chris W.

17 years ago

Visited yesterday (March 30)....took the family here since it boasted "Best of 2007 & 2008" signs in entry. The decor inside seemed nice enough and there were only a few tables, but on a Monday I figured that to be normal out of season. The wait staff seemed to be prepared in the beginning, but the locals sitting at the bar kept the entire staffs attention for our entire meal. I actually had to get up and ask for my check by walking to the bar. This being after our food was dropped off and that was the last of our server we had for our late lunch service. NO REFILLS offered obviously. My wife ordered the coconut shrimp which had a nice side of blanched asparagus. The shrimp were "blackened coconut", so aside from the poor cooking she managed to scrape off the black and enjoy the rubbery shrimp. I had the Kona Style "Fire Roasted" chicken club with "caramelized pineapple" and mozzarella cheese. Sounds super delicious and if my memory serves me correctly the sandwich was between $13-16. when it arrived it certainly looked good. However, I discovered the chicken to taste as if it were microwaved and the "caramelized" pineapple that I was anticipating came hiding under the mozzarella and soon discovered that this pineapple came straight from a can. NO TASTE! Not only do they false advertise, they don't even have a grill apparently. Fire roasted means "Fire" has to touch the chicken at some point. Caramelized pineapple also means some type of reduction. Fresh pineapple would have been the proper touch and at the price of the plate should have been the proper presentation of this sandwich...but lacked horribly. The best part of this meal was the fries and that's sad to say when you have two lunch plates and two drinks and walk out spending over $50. Stick with "Pizza My Heart"......you will be more satisfied and your pockets will have more money to pay for the parking situation to spend a day in this tiny town. My wife loves Capitola...but I think its a beach town "wanna-be". I suspect that this restaurant provides 95% of its dishes from frozen bags and cans supplied by Sysco Foods. The owner obviously thinks that people "like Myself" will be enticed by the pricey menu as the draw for this restaurant when it should clearly be the quality of food. Don't be fooled! read more

Jack M.

3 years ago

Title: Decent Experience, Room for Improvement I recently visited Paradise Beach Grille and had a mixed experience. While there were some positive aspects, there were also areas where improvement is needed. Let's start with the positives. The location of the restaurant is fantastic, right by the beach, providing a great atmosphere and beautiful views. The outdoor seating area is quite pleasant, especially during sunny days. The staff was friendly and welcoming, which added to the overall experience. In terms of the food itself, it was decent but not exceptional. The menu had a good variety of options, but the execution fell a bit short. Some dishes lacked flavor and could have been more carefully prepared. While the portion sizes were decent, the prices seemed par for the quality provided. Overall, my experience at Paradise Beach Grille was average. With some improvements in food quality, it could certainly become a more appealing dining destination. read more

Peter R.

13 years ago

Walked in, plenty of tables available to be seated. 10min wait, WHY? 3 people walked in after got seated. Sorry but i do not play the game. Rude! Check your staff and hostess to be trained properly to work with the public.Service and respect to customers is key to success and can be a quick failure in the business if this is not good. For this reason I left and found another good restaurant with great service and good food right around the corner called Stockton Bridge Grille. read more

Ann O.

13 years ago

Amazing Food and Fun Location I know it's a tourist destination but the food is really good. We have eaten here at least five times this year and have never had a bad meal. There's always four of us and we each get something different every time, so we've tried almost the entire menu. We all sample each other's meals and the ribs have got to be our favorite. Looking forward to eating there again soon. Only drawback is that it is a little expensive. read more

Henry M.

13 years ago

Can't ask for much more as far as outdoor seating, but can ask for a little more as far as food. Ordered the fried calamari as a starter, which was pretty good. Comes with nice aioli sauce, and some other red sauce that is definitely unnecessary. However, The skirt steak was cooked poorly. Had to fight with for a few minutes to cut a piece of it, just to realize it has no taste at all. Drinks are decent, so overall a 3 stars experience. read more

Deborah R.

7 years ago

OMG there was hardly one anyone in the restaurant had to get our drinks at bar 40 min later. Waitresses disappeared..after ordered our food 1:45 min later ...we Walked out.. GOOD LUCK GETTING FED OR ANY SERVICE! WE LEFT HUNGRY AFTER REPEATED PROMISES OUR FOOD being on its way.... WHEN I said to the so called manager how really bad things were going..She replied...LOOK HUN!! REALLY?@#%* Do no go to this really badly run restaurant !! read more

Renee K.

Elite 25

103

2 years ago

Over time, my go-to spot for pasta has lost some of its charm. However, one thing that still hits the spot is their baked brie--it's consistently delicious. The ambiance is relaxed and perfect for kicking back, especially with its beachside view. The staff are friendly and always make you feel at home. While the pasta might not be as impressive as it used to be, this place remains a cozy spot to unwind and enjoy some comfort food. read more

Susan M.

11 years ago

I take friends and visitors here regularly. Despite a wide variety of likes, from meat-lovers to vegetarians, everyone finds something yummy for themselves. The Ahi portions are the most generous I've seen for the price and very good. The patio is wonderful with a great view. I would like them to add some pillows to the tables that have deep seats over the water. Not comfy but most seating is good. Enjoy your meal and the view! read more

Bev H.

12 years ago

This is the best place in Capitola to go have a drink, an appetizier, or a full on dinner! The food is great & if you try the Beach Blanket Breadalon you're bound to make it a tradition when visiting the area!!!! It is soooooo good! The wait staff is friendly & on top of things, the view is beautiful should you choose the patio seating but inside is nice too, and the prices can't be beat. I love this place! ENJOY! read more

Marge C.

13 years ago

I go here mostly for lunch. I love sitting out on the deck, looking at the ocean, Capitola river and those darling, colorful beach houses along the beach. The food is outstanding. I love their apple, walnut salad, and have a piece of Ahi put on top of it. Their fish tacos are awesome too! I've never had anything there that wasn't absolutely delicious. I haighly recommend Paradise Grill! read more

Tanya B.

13 years ago

The new management is HORRIBLE! Paradise used to be one of my favorite places to go to eat lunch or dinner. But the new manager is a piece of work. He acted rude, tasteless and flat out unacceptable. If they treat patrons of their restaurant like this I can't imagine how they treat visitors! I will NEVER COME HERE AGAIN! read more

Renee R.

7 years ago

This is one of our favorite restaurants in Capitola Village! The manager is so kind. She has a little treasure box so the kids can choose a gift after the meal. The kids meals come on frisbees. Delicious food, delightful ambiance, & they treat families with kids very kindly. We especially enjoy their lunch menu. Yum! read more

Ma P.

16 years ago

Been to Paradise Beach Grille four times now and they have consistently delivered. It really is the best place (food quality, ocean view, atmosphere) to eat on the water in Capitola in comparison to the rest. Four stars because the food is good value for money when it could be exceptional! read more

Eric B.

13 years ago

Has to be the BEST New York Steak Ive had in Santa Cruz...it seems such a simple thing to make...meat + fire= goodness, but so many places around here have absolutly no clue how to do it. So heres to Paradise, the only place around here to get a perfectly cooked steak! read more

Sherpa F.

15 years ago

I love lunch here. Great way to break the day up or spend a long afternoon by the water. Food is consistently good, I love the steak salad. The staff always takes care of me; Eve, Lauren, Anne-Elyse are delightful. read more

Wendy J.

15 years ago

AMAZING!! The food, the service, the atmosphere! This is my new favorite restaurant when my husband and I can get a sitter for the kids and sneak out for a date night! read more

Nicole D.

303

7 years ago

This is the best appetizer I have ever had. Seriously amazing. Went with 4 family members and every dish was amazing and everyone loved there food. View was amazing read more

Audrey L.

16 years ago

This is my favorite Capitola eatery! I have never been there when the service hasn't been awesome and the food great. Coconut Prawns and Mussels are fabulous! read more

Michael J.

3 years ago

Not so sure what happened to this place I remember couple years ago it was really good. Service can be better and maybe the food needs a little more love. read more

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Paradise Beach Grille - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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Crow's Nest Restaurant

3.4

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•$$$

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.

Venus Spirits Cocktails And Kitchen - Westside

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We came here for dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday. I just wanted to shout out our waitress,…read moreHelen! Both of my sons have food allergies and she was super helpful and accommodating to their needs. She would double check everything with the chef to make sure they were safe with what was on the menu. Food wise, everything we ordered was delicious and my wife said her martini was strong but very good. Thanks again Helen!

3% fee for credit cards…read more I highly recommend the distillery tour. Book it in advance. It's super informative and fun. Afterward, there is a tasting of each spirit; however, the pours are very small; about 1/4 ounce of each spirit. It's such a small taste that it's not much more than "smelling" the gin. Which is fine. They make a total of 21 spirits, including 7 whiskeys. Highlights: For their gin, they use Lambic potstills; they have no column stills with baskets. Since they only use potstills, they macerate all the botanicals; it's a "wet" gin. Gin 01 is the flagship, and loaded with lavender. They sell 10000 cases per year. It's available at Whole Foods state-wide, and at the Santa Cruz Costco. Costo sells Gin 01 for $28, a significant discount from the $34 price at the distillery. Gin 01 works best with floral and citrusy cocktails like a corpse reviver #2. Gin 02 is a lightly barrel aged gin. It's aged for 2 months, and each barrel gets used twice. The gin is infused with bay leaf, sage, and fennel: it's more savory. They use bay leaf foraged at Delaveaga park, and they get sage and fennel from a farm nearby. I detected a cedar flavor. It's better with heavier cocktails, like a Paper Plane. They do seasonal gins: One for each season. For gin and tonics served at the distillery, they make their own tonic: it has a lavender note. It also uses chinchona, bitter orange, grapefruit, and elderflower. They have blue agave spirits. They get agave from farms in Yolo county. The farms do the pit roasting for them. The blanco tequila uses champagne yeast. The reposado spirit is aged for 11 months. Their mezcal is more peppery, less smokey. For whiskey: - They have a Port barrel finished whiskey that is really tasty. - I thought the rye was very sweet. - For their peated whiskey, they use malted barley imported from Scotland. Their single malt uses a crystal malt. Overall, it was a very fun visit.

Hula's Island Grill - Santa Cruz

3.9

(2.7k reviews)

My friend was raving about this place for happy hour because all the drinks and pupils are only $8…read moreeach! It's everyday from 4-6 PM so we had just made it at the tail end and sat at the bar. The Kona style wings were my favorite, but the spicy edamame and sweet potato fries really hit the spot. I also got a double martini cocktail ($16) and it tasted so fun and tropical. I would definitely recommend for happy hour if you're in the Santa Cruz area!

Dinner here on June 29th was great. We made it in time for Happy Hour and ordered some apps and…read moredrinks. Both flavors of wings were excellent and their Mai Tai was one of the best I've had in a while. I've been here a handful of times over the years and I almost always order the Spicy Thai Chicken Bowl. This time, it was a bit bland and seemed like it was missing an ingredient in the sauce. The plantains that came with it were amazing though. I'll have to try a different menu item next time. Service was good and everyone was friendly and helpful. Ambience was nice and islandy. We had no problem finding parking on a weekday. There is street parking and a couple of parking garages nearby.

Pete's Capitola

4.4

(98 reviews)

Service A+! Larry was attentive and warm…read more I had the branzino which was grilled perfectly! Accompanied by the best grits and veggies. A++! My husband had the pasta and clams and raved about the sauce!

Pete's is in Capitola Village and can be easy to miss because it's right at the curve of Esplanade,…read moreand you need to look up and step up into the entrance. (I have, no joke, walked by it dozens of times without realizing it!) I found it from seeing it on a list of restaurant participants for Burger Week. Overall, I give Pete's 3.5 stars, and here's why... **Ambiance: 5 stars** With the bright and tastefully-decorated dining room along with the multiple windows overlooking the spectacular beach, you really can't beat this ambiance! Pete's has the fine-dining vibe that's perfect for that first date, anniversary or other special dining occasion when you want some quiet and mood lighting. **Service: 4 stars** We were seated right away, even without reservations. It was a Sunday, and there was no wait or crowd. Service was quick and friendly. Mid-dinner, a server broke some glassware right behind my seat and needed us to move so they could sweep under our table and feet. They ended up moving us to a better table (next to the window) instead of having us stand there to watch them sweep. Accidents happen, and I felt they handled that well. **Food: 3 stars** Every item we ordered was delicious and fresh, and all arrived quickly. However, the menu was fairly compact, and the amount of food is even more compact. I was excited Pete's had lobster rolls (one of my all-time favorite food items EVER; $28) on their menu, so I didn't hesitate to order that along with a lychee martini. My partner ordered the bolognese ($30) and an old fashioned. We ordered the polenta as an appetizer. All of it was tasty, but oh-so-small. The cheddar polenta was like a taste test size (maybe 4 TBs), and the lobster roll was the smallest I had ever seen in my life. I didn't want to be rude, but I wanted to laugh when it arrived at our table! The lobster roll was smaller than my hand. It looked like circus food with all super tiny sizes. **Price/Value: 2 stars** You don't come to Pete's for the value because the portions are.... micro. TIP: If you have a big appetite or skipped a meal that day, I suggest going elsewhere or be ready to turn over a paycheck because you'll need to order a lot to fill up. It is worth it, however, if you fancy a light-filled room with views of the sparkling ocean and sounds of the waves crashing on the golden sands of Capitola!

Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery

3.9

(1k reviews)

Amazing drinks and vibes. Get a reservation to ensure no wait time. Rotating bar is amazing as…read morewell. I come here every time I visit SC. 10/10

The rotating bar & all the tiki decor are nice. We were disappointed to see that the Mr. McKay…read more drink came in the zombie cup, not the one pictured, since we ordered based on the picture. The AC was super cold (had to go get a jacket). It's very nice on the water side of the rotation, but dark on the other side. The Drinks were slow coming out. The crab dip was amazing. The chips that came were super crispy and delicious. The triumph and disaster cocktail was good and strong. Overall decent experience, but need more light on the back side of the rotation and need to serve drinks in tiki cups, as pictured on the menu. I've been to tiki bars all over the US, and proper tiki cups can add to aesthetics/experience

Solaire Restaurant + Bar

3.6

(240 reviews)

Great food, professional service everybody working bar and restaurant, knowledgeable and…read moreprofessional great customer service thank you so much

This is the restaurant inside the Paradox Autograph Collection Santa Cruz hotel. I would only eat…read morehere if ur staying at the hotel and tired from swimming. The service was very slow and the food was not good and overpriced. I'm still confused how there was no soup in my French onion soup. They wanted to bring everything out together maybe for lack of staff so my fish and chips were cold. The chips were way too thick not good. The worst part is 2 small soups and 2 entrees with water were over $80. I can't imagine what the bill would have been with the expensive alcoholic drinks. I would skip this place lots of other food in the area.

Hook & Line

4.2

(128 reviews)

Perfect night out!…read more Seated right away at the bar on a friday night and enjoyed the mussels and fries (in the most decadent coconut lemongrass broth that blew my mind), the cesar (good!), and the tinned fish plate (tuna belly, to die for, sooo buttery and rich). The staff was nice and service was prtty quick. We also got martinis which were pretty good, but one of the weaker elements of an overall fantastic meal. So excited to come back next time I have somethign to celebrate :)

Visiting family in Santa Cruz and in search of a seafood dinner, I found Hook & Line on Yelp…read more We walked in without a reservation around 6:30pm and were able to be seated at a "quieter" table, which meant the room adjacent to the main seating area. The acoustics in the restaurant aren't great so the music was loud and people had to speak loudly. It was kinda loud, which is why I took off a star. We ordered King Salmon and Halibut. Both fish were cooked perfectly with the skin nice and crispy. Both came with the olive oil potatoes, served mashed with lots of garlic. They were delicious! My halibut was also served with some type of tempera, all I could taste was the batter though. I have no idea what was inside, haha. The restaurant itself is nice. Looks like a great date night venue, with the bar in the center. They serve a great Manhattan ;)

The Point Kitchen and Bar

4.1

(91 reviews)