My husband and I combine our morning Capitola walk then share a "Big Turkey" sandwich and sit on…read morethe benches in the Esplanade to eat. It's one of my favorite sandwiches (from anywhere). The service is great. The price is great. The portions are great. The owner is very friendly. I've lived in Capitola a long time and have seen places come and go. I hope he sticks around. Tell a friend!

Food: 5 stars. Service: 3 stars…read more The food was excellent and made the visit worthwhile. The staff, however, came across as a bit cold and unfriendly. I get that it's beach time and things move at a different pace, but being a little nicer to customers and visitors would make a big difference. Hopefully next time the service will be as good as the food. EDITED - Saturday, June 20, 2026 I'm updating my review after reading the owner's response. First, I want to clarify that the response appears to be a copy-and-paste message aimed at people leaving negative reviews. If you had actually read my original review, you would have noticed that I never complained about the food, the wait time, prices, staffing, or anything related to the quality of the business itself. In fact, I enjoyed the food and had no issue waiting. I visited on a Thursday, and the café wasn't packed. The owner was clearly working hard, and I respect that. However, when I walked in and said hello, I was completely ignored. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment, and no sense that my business was appreciated. That was the only reason I left a 3-star review in the first place. The response talks about staffing shortages, minimum wage, food costs, and the challenges of running a small business. I understand all of that. Running a business is difficult. But those challenges don't really address the point I was making. A simple "Hi," "Welcome," or even a quick smile costs nothing and goes a long way. I also don't think customers should be made to feel responsible for business challenges such as labor costs or rent. Those are realities of ownership that every business owner has to navigate. That said, after thinking about it, I'm changing my review from 3 stars to 5 stars because the food was genuinely good, and I do support small businesses. My hope is simply that future customers are greeted with a little more warmth and appreciation when they walk through the door. One final thought: when someone leaves a critical review, it may be worth responding directly to their experience rather than posting a generic response. Sometimes there's valuable feedback hidden inside reviews that aren't really about the food at all. I wish you and your business success, and I genuinely hope you continue serving great food for years to come.

This place is gold. We stumbled upon it looking for a good sandwhich spot and success! Both had…read moreturkey, bacon, cheese with pesto Mayo. Delicious! The inside is small with a few table, a few tables outside as well. A drink fridge and chip options. The service was wonderful. Very nice and accommodating. My site is terrible and the young lady at the register was very helpful. We will definitely be back!

Came here the other day after a long work day and hadn't eaten since breakfast. Was sooo hungry and…read moreI was near Chunk's. I had a pastrami sandwich there once before and it was pretty good, so figured this would do. Ordered the burger combo with Lentil soup. Asked for my burger medium and when it came out it was well past that and I'm pretty sure it was a frozen patty. I have frozen patties I cook at home that are great, so guessing it just wasn't very good quality to begin with. The lentil soup was flavorless and I only had a few bites before tossing out. Seasoning, a ham hock, and some aromatics would do a lot for this soup. Left feeling very disappointed as there are a bunch of more satisfying options in the area and I chose the wrong one. As I was sitting in traffic, my stomach started feeling like I ate some broken glass or something. Obviously there wasn't broken glass in the burger, just a fitting analogy. I had stomach pains for the next few hours. This is all I had eaten in like 10 hours, so I'm positive it was the burger. The woman at the counter was friendly and the place was pretty clean. I've got a pretty iron gut and it takes a lot to make it turn. Don't think I will be going back.

it's ALL about the FOOD! SERVICE! COMPANY CULTURE! I share this from, the , lens of a sugar/ fat…read moreaddict, who ,is a native born , "Cruzian". The ambiance ? Crowded, poor feng shui, and full of tall people craving sugar and caffeine. For a short person like myself it's the one down side. The remedy is to order things for pick up or get your food out of the prepared food section. The ambience , triggers, my fight or flight instinct (personal problem.)Thanks for listening Many ago I,was in with four Girl Scouts ,to pick out meetings goodies. My vigelnce and ,protective neurons, on high alert We, ordered some delicious food and as I went to the cash register to pay , Gayle, came out ,and paid the total of my order. She's watching all she did was smile and I knew that she'd read my face ,seen the panic ,and acted on it. Gayle's, is a place, that I will always take visitors.

Ok, so I'm not much a dessert person theses days, but when on vacation, I'll perhaps cheat a little…read morefor some of my long time favorites pastries since I'd need doing a lot of sightseeing and walking around for exercise anyway. I searched around the area for some popular bakeries and Gayle's came up on top, so off we went to try it out. As expected, the place was very busy when we walked in, we immediately grabbed a number, and waited to be called to place our order at the counter. It'd be a good idea, though, if you had made a good round to browse at all the goodies they have to offer, so you know what you want once your number is called... at least this is what we did. So, we ordered the Pain de Amande (almond croissant... my fave), a Bear Claw (loved these as a teenager), a Raspberry Napolean, and a Fresh Berry Tartelette with pastry cream. OMG! The almond croissant was aaammmaaazzing! I'm going to say this with all confidence, but this was the very best almond croissant of ever eaten! The croissant had a very nice light crisp on the outside, lovely dense layers of pastry inside, and that almond paste was just the best.... it has excellent flavor, just the right sweetness... not overly, and just pulled the whole croissant together to give one amazing yummy bite.... that you won't be able to stop eating! The Raspberry Napolean was excellent too....a bit sweet because of the raspberry jam. Regular Napoleans have flaky layers holding the sweet fillings, but this was more of a butter biscuit layer.... not quite the same, but still oh so yummy! The berry fruit tartelette was also excellent... fresh berries on that delicious pastry cream, inside a perfectly baked pastry shell. Lastly, the Bear Claw.... used to be one of my favorites, but I thought it needed something more most and creamy or moist on the inside, otherwise it tasted just a little bit dry.... still very good, but just needed something more. The one thing all the delicious baked goods we tried had was, they were obviously very freshly baked with the freshest ingredients.... and prepared to perfection. If I'm ever in the area again, I will definitely pay another visit to Gayle's as their pastries are simply the best you'll ever find anywhere.

This was my first time ever had this particular sandwich spot. I've seen a handful of people sit…read moreoutside or walk along this corner pressure point. I wanted to check out the other stores since they had a little market outside. I ended up ordering the Firebird sandwich with an Izzy and I was surprised on how many different styles of drinks, wine and so does they have inside there? Sandwich shop. They also had deli meat you could buy and stuff you could take home with you. The lady that helped me was incredibly friendly impatient since I had no idea what I wanted to eat. She gave some options since I wanted a hot sandwich and I liked cheese that melts. Lol when I got my fire sandwich, I neglected to ask if there was any condiments or vegetables inside besides the bell peppers. I always like lettuce or something with a crunch. Sandwich was pretty basic, but I think it needed something extra like a spicy aïoli sauce or something added to take it up to a different level of flavor. I usually like different flavors within sandwiches so perhaps I'm just picky. Overall, I thought the sandwich shop itself was incredibly cute and I liked all the drink drinks and glasses or even bottle of wine you could purchase and then walk down the way to the beach! That's exactly what I did after I ate my sandwich.

We shared both the Tri-Tip & Chimi and the Hot Bird, and the tri-tip really knocked it out of the…read morepark. The arugula and chimichurri packed an exquisite punch, and the meat was thinly cut (but thickly piled on) and soft. The flavor combo of rich steak and intense herbs on top of fresh ciabatta with some sort of subtle creamy garlic sauce? Perfection. The Hot Bird is thermally hot, not spicy, and very rich and creamy. The meat had a subtle smokey flavor and the roasted peppers were almost tangy, but it sort of melted away into the richness of the mayo and turkey. It was tasty, but the chimichurri really "wowed" me. I don't think I'd order the Hot Bird next time, but I'd drop the $14+tip on the chimichurri again in a heartbeat.

If you're looking for great seafood in the Santa Cruz area, Pete's is absolutely worth a visit…read more From the moment we walked in, Colin and Jacob made us feel like old friends instead of just another table. The service was genuinely welcoming and attentive without ever feeling forced. The food was excellent. Everything tasted fresh, well prepared, and high quality. It's refreshing to find a place in a tourist area that doesn't feel like it's just trying to turn tables. Instead, Pete's feels like a restaurant that genuinely cares about the experience, from the hospitality to the food. We'll definitely be back, and a big thank you to Colin and Jacob for making the meal even better. Side note Colin was on point with the beer recommendations.

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!

It was my first time trying their deli, you order at the deli counter on the right hand side when…read moreentering and pay at the main checkout. Your name is called out when ready. We tried their salami sandwich and turkey sandwich. Both were very good and would definitely go back. There is some indoor seating available, we decided to eat there and it was perfect. It started getting a bit busy after we ordered, but our sandwiches were ready pretty fast. There is plenty of parking and I would definitely recommend trying it out.

My first visit! Sandwich was very tasty! Maybe this is just my internal old person, but dang did…read moreeverything get expensive! Nearly $20 after tax for one sandwich with no additions. I was hungry and one sandwich was just a lot right to feel full. Be aware for first timers the process to get your food is a bit confusing. You'll head into the back right hand side of the store to place your order verbally with a staff member. Then, get in line at the regular register to pay. No one told me what to do after that, so I spent a long time waiting in front of the staff member I had placed my order with. This was wrong. You're actually supposed to stand in the area between the register and the liquor section and they'll call your name there. Hopefully this will save anyone reading this the same confusion I had :)

Excellent food and beverages all around. The Nona's Caprese and Church are exceptionally tasty…read morevegetarian options. They also have delicious take away, heat and eat meals and sauces. And the baked goods...good luck not indulging. Castelli's coffee deli is top quality service, food and just steps away from Seacliff beach.

Great place to pick up sandos for the beach, hiking, or for wineries that allow outside food…read more 5/5: Tortellini salad. $5. It's perfect. 5/5: Chocolate hazelnut bomboloni: $3.50: perfect brioche, filling is great. 4/5: Limoncello cake $5. 3/5: Nonna's Caprese sando $15: sliced turkey. The bread gets too soggy from the pesto. The chicken pesto sando at Zoccoli's is much better. 3/5: Reuben sando $17: Not as great as I expected.

Delicious every time! I'm rarely disappointed by anything I've tried at Pretty Good Advice! Huge…read morefan of the Blue Cheese Salad and the chia is marvelous! They usually remember me by name and it's great service!

I don't normally write reviews, but when things don't go well I feel people need to know what…read moretranspired here. My girlfriend ordered a breakfast sandwich a that we were going to share. The counter service female was very nice and helpful. The sandwich was very good and we've eaten there many times in the past. When we both sat down to eat we noticed that our sandwich hadn't been cut in half. My girlfriend went back to the counter and asked a male kitchen employee behind the counter if he could cut our sandwich in half. The sandwich was completely wrapped in paper and we did not unwrap it at all prior to asking for it to be cut. His response was extremely rude and nasty. He claimed that it was already contaminated despite the fact that it was still completely wrapped in paper. He acted like we were putting him out by us asking him to simply cut the sandwich in half. He accused my girlfriend of "contaminating" the sandwich (in his words) just by touching it despite the fact that it was handled by 2 people before we even touched it. Basically, it was his scolding condescending tone that totally turned us off to ever visiting this place again. It only takes one lazy a--hole employee to ruin a great dining experience.