Excellent traditional breakfast menu. Fine selection. We had everything from pancake sandwiches to country fried steak, hashbrowns and pancakes. We'll be back! read more

What a dissapointing experience. Service was absolutley terrible and they weren't even busy. Food took over an hour to come out and forget even asking for anything because you'll get it another hour later. My girl friend ordered an omelet and it came out wrong, a few minutes later the waitress comes back and says oh we can save that omelette and slides it off onto another plate in front of us to give to the correct person. Definetly don't reccomend. read more

Good food and good service! Had breakfast there several times while we were working in Santa Cruz. Friendly servers and the food was always excellent. Would recommend if you are in the area. Ample parking lot too! read more

This place is legit. Found this place at the last minute and my husband and I loved the food and the service. It's a very cozy homey feel and the service was outstanding. The food, OMG...do good but the place is really small so limited seating. read more

One of the greatest breakfasts I've ever eaten I honestly wish I could give more stars. Every single item in my groups order was perfect anytime I come out this way I will be stopping here for the amazing breakfast and the awesome service read more

I went to this place because my daughter told me it was good. I arrived Sunday morning about 7:45am and sat down, the waitress asked if I wanted coffee, I replied not, some water would be great. But she was already walking away. Then she took my order and I again asked for water and was told ok, but it never came. She NEVER looked at me again, so I figured out how much my bill was walked to the register, she threw out my tag, I paid her the money and told her, she would have gotten a tip, if she had brought me the glass of water I asked for multiple times. I will never go there again. It's not like it was busy, she was talking about doing "book work" to customers and finding the pink slip to their cougar. She needs to quit talking and do her job. TERRIBLE customer service. Mediocre food, it was so salty, I needed the water to wash it down read more

The omelette was tasty but the eggs were overcooked. I don't mind it but its something take note of. Food price is good. You can see them prepare your food. Not that it matters to me but it gives you an idea on how big the place is. The service itself is awesome. One great thing about small towns. I am honestly a food snob, being a self-confessed foodie in SF, so this place food-wize isn't that great. But I still love it. read more

Sat there for forever, they let people chat and talk while we sat outside for an hour, finally left hungry. Sad and disappointed

This was one of the best homemade style breakfast I have had. Amazing coffee. Great service and all food was made fresh. Great place to eat if you are in town. read more

Loved this morning's diner experience. Great service. Old school breakfast. Small town atmosphere. read more

The Cook House - Cook House old school breakfast with Dez and Tom - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Capitola, California

Stopped here for a quick breakfast. It is old school diner vibes and solid. Very nice staff and lovely home town vibe.

I loved the overall idea of a Mom and Pop style diner but the food could have been better. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best the Hashbrowns were a 9, eggs were a 9, bacon was a 1(I believe he pulled the bacon out of the deep fryer it was harder than beef jerky) the waffle was a 1 as it was super dry, chewy, and almost paper thin. It was an almond waffle and apparently they cook the almonds inside (Which I have never seen) My wife and I both got a basic breakfast which was bacon eggs and hashbrowns and shared the waffle and it was $50!! Won't be back! read more

I've been a local in SC for most of my life, and have been to The Cook House throughout the years. I never really thought it was worth it but decided to give it one last try. I ordered the biscuits and gravy and my girlfriend ordered the broccoli and egg linguine. First thing we noticed was how expensive the food was, especially in relation to quantity and quality. The biscuits were dry and ocean salty, the gravy was watery and also ocean salty (didn't finish), the sausage was some cheap, extra greasy, Farmer John style sausage, and the eggs and hash-browns... you cant really mess that up. With a cup of coffee the total ended up being $17.25 for my small, pretty god awful meal alone, the B&G was worth tops $8. My gf's omelet came with a Sara Lee bagel (that's how cheap the place is), similar small portions and bad taste, and she actually felt sick afterwards. I've worked in the restaurant industry for many years and am not one to complain about my food or write reviews, I just don't come back, (maybe I'm just mad that I actually paid that kind of money for shit food, and to still be hungry, and didn't say anything when I was there), but that place is like the Chum Bucket from Sponge Bob. Even I-Hop or Denny's puts this place to shame. But hey, somehow they've got people excited about it and are making a killing off of cheap food, good for them. That being said, the server was very nice and I appreciate the home town feel but save yo damn money! If you want some good food with real portions at the right price, go to Linda's Sea Breeze, Silver Spur, Zachery's, Walnut Cafe, Sunrise Cafe, Harbor Cafe, ANYWHERE but that place. If you do go, don't be like as hesitant as me, speak up (nicely) if your not satisfied! Don't leave hungry! read more

The staff was very friendly, and that was the only good I can say about this establishment. I ordered the alvacado bacon and cheese omelette with hash browns. The omelette had almost no flavor and was overcooked. The hash browns were fried with so much butter that they tasted like..... Butter! My wife order 2 eggs, hash browns, and bacon. The bacon was ok and it's hard to mess up eggs but it was the same over buttered hash browns for her too. The food was very bland as if they use no seasonings what-so-ever. For the quantity and quality of food the prices were redicoulous. My omelette with hash brown was over $19 and my wife's was around $14. After a 20% tip we were almost in for $50..... We both walked away very unfulfilled and unsatisfied. Another downside was that we were seated near the door which was propped open and it was around 58° outside So, from the time we were sat down till we left we were freezing. I would not recommend dining here after our experience. read more

The cook house is always amazing. The chef makes the best Hash-browns ever! I've been a couple times to sit down and eat, but lately I've been getting Togo because it's on my way to work and my brother cries for me to pick it up for him! I get him a 4 egg veggie omelette with hash-browns and a homemade muffin! He eats everything and we are going back probably 2 days out of the week. The staff is so sweet and nice, always have a smile on their faces. It makes it so nice! read more

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Over priced, bland food and small portions. The service was poor. I could buy this meal at Denny's for cheaper.

This was the worst breakfast I have ever had. took one bite and pushed it away. the chicken fried steak tasted like a piece of tar they scraped off the sidewalk. the coffee was cold and the creamer was curdled. The service was horrible. the waitress just ignored us. but was sure to give us a 30 dollar ticket for our breakfast we didn't eat. I don't recommend this place. stay away. don't waste your money. read more

I can always count on my arteries clogging just from entering this greasy spoon on Saturday mornings when I'm in Capitola. The breakfast selection is quite varied (celery in an omelet?!?), and you can order things a la carte if you want to have some control over how full your plate is. The good (for you): Oatmeal, Egg Beaters Omelets, Fruit Cup The bad: Everything else, but would be GREAT for a hangover. Carol and her daughter are fantastic- always on top of the coffee refills even when it gets packed in here. I can't necessarily rave about this place in terms of breakfast, but it gets the job done. read more

Knowing everywhere we'd go would be extremely crowded, this place came highly recommended as Gayle's Bakery and Rosticceria is literally right behind the restaurant and my family and I go to Gayle's as often as we can (given the long lines which are a constant reminder to us to go right when they open; not to mention, and in spite of their tasty treats and yummy coffee, their stuff is quite pricey). So, having not been, we didn't know what to expect. We arrived and the restaurant was SO overcrowded that it became blatantly obvious that the cooks, hostesses and servers were totally overwhelmed, short-staffed, not prepared to handle the large amount of hungry patrons, and were taking short cuts to accommodate everyone. Many of the customers walked in and out of the restaurant without masks. The restaurant served not only inside but outside, too; however, not every table outside had umbrellas, which did not make sense as there were elderly people roasting in the sun/heat while those on the younger side sat comfortably in the shade. One of the servers would walk right past tables full of hungry people who had already been waiting an hour (before we arrived) to be seated and now were waiting an additional hour to place their orders, to go talk to those waiting to be seated as they waited outside their cars with their dogs. The server would even PET a dog or two and then come back inside the restaurant and return outside with food on plates and I doubt she washed her hands in that short period of time. One of the children seated at the table next to us had asked for orange juice and she was given apple juice instead with no explanation. Overall, this restaurant was too crowded, too poorly managed, lacking in proper sanitation between guests leaving and guests being seated (for e.g., an elderly woman with her adult children were grumbled at by an older, unhappy looking hostess who just pointed with her finger, indicating to them to sit down at a table that had not yet been cleaned/sanitized and which still the dirty dishwater from the prior family who had just left!). I mean, if we weren't so hungry by the time it took us to be seated and then for us to receive our food (which at least I can say was the least deplorable part of the whole experience), we wouldn't have ever stopped there in the first place. Avoid the Cook House unless you have the patience of a saint and/or have snacks to wait the hour long wait time it takes to be seated and then eventually have your order taken! read more

I've lived in Santa Cruz my whole life and never knew this place existed until about 3 weeks ago. My boyfriend kept telling me how good the breakfast place behind Gayle's was and I had no idea where he was talking about. The first time we went together, I began to doubt his recommendation. The chairs and tables were kinda old and funky, and the interior looked like it hadn't been updated in years. That being said, a second after we walked in a woman came over to us with a huge smile and told us it would be couple minutes for a table to open up. We walked outside where there was a collection of chairs lined up and waited no more than 10 minutes when she came out and offered bar seating. We said yes and headed in. The bar faces a small open kitchen with a single chef who was making breakfast for the whole restaurant. I ordered the Maverick scramble (a scramble with green chilies and bacon served with toast and hash browns) and my boyfriend got the chicken fried steak. Not a long wait for the food, and watching the chef work was impressive. Our food was served to us quickly, and that first bite made me let out a moan that was on the edge of inappropriateness for the general public. I have NEVER tasted bacon that crunchy, especially in a scramble. There was a solid 3 minutes where I don't think I said a single word, I couldn't stop shoveling the scramble into my mouth. I may have stopped breathing for a bit also, it was all a blur...it was hands down the best scramble I've ever had. The hash browns and toast were just average, but the Maverick was incredible!!! For the first time ever, I finished my meal before my boyfriend (who I commonly refer to as "the machine"). I've been back there once more since and ordered the same thing, it was just as amazingly delicious as the first time. The woman who was working both times (I think she's the owner) is such a sweetheart. The service was great, the food was awesome, and the Cook House is officially my new favorite breakfast spot :) read more

A hole in the wall with only 25 seats if you are lucky. It always get full around 9 AM. The CFS (country fried steak) is my husband's favorite. For 10 bucks you get 3,000 calories of CFS, bread choice, eggs and lots of gravy. The pancakes are always fluffy and the bacon is always crispy. The servers always are stellar and service is truly with a smile. My other favorite thing is their boysenberry syrup. Prices are decent, and coffee cups are always refilled. Highly recommend! read more

The Boyfriend was craving some "greasy spoon" food, which is sorely lacking in the Santa Cruz area. (Unless you count Santa Cruz Diner, which is more Sketchy Spoon.) We'd heard good things about this place and decided to give it a try before going to Aptos to donate blood. This was just what we were looking for! For about $20 total we got huge helpings of food plus a cup of coffee each. Boyfriend got a hamburger patty with fried eggs and hash browns with rye toast, and I got an Italian sausage and mushroom scramble with hash browns and sourdough toast. The portions were just right for two hungry people on a Wednesday morning. It was fairly empty - just us and maybe three other people, all of whom the waitress greeted by name. It's not a place I'd eat every morning, but Cook House is good at what it does. It's homey, affordable, and simple. Sometimes a place like this is better than waiting 20 minutes for someplace like Walnut Avenue Cafe or Hoffman's. read more

I wouldn't call myself a breakfast conniseur, but the Cook House has some amazing breakfast, especially if you're looking for something of the Denny's variety but 10 notches up. I came here with two lovely gentlemen who suggested it to me. Here's what we ordered: Fruit Bowl- So I am a fruit bowl skeptic. Nearly everytime I ordered a fruit bowl, it ends up being a few pieces of melon with a lone strawberry clinging to the top of my very unexciting bowl of melon. BOO MELON. However, Cook House's fruit bowl had an exciting array of fruit! Fresh strawberries, crips delicious red grapes, and (of course) sweet juicy melon, topped with banana slices. An exceptional fruit bowl indeed. Biscuits and Gravy- I would be appalled if anyone found a way to fully mess up biscuits and gravy but these biscuits were so-so. I prefer my biscuits to be of the flaky, bisquick variety and these were more like buttery cake without sugar. Gravy was on point though. French Toast with Sausage and Egg- French toast was amazing. Perfectly fluffy and definitely not soggy or too sweet. The kicker tho was the... SAUSAGE. AAAHHHHH.... Jimmy Dean was not found for miles because this sausage was AMAZING. Crisp and slightly burnt on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. I've never had sausage quite like it. I tried some of my friends' hash browns which were also quite standard, but good. The only drawback to the Cook House is the long wait. Although this comes with going to a delicious hole-in-the-wall, just make sure you arrive with some good company and a huge appetite. The service was actually quite amazing considering there were only two incredibly attentive waitresses working. They were patient, sweet, and never let my coffee cup go empty. read more

It's been traditional for us to kill time and eat breakfast somewhere right after our yearly Wharf-to-Wharf run. After you break out a sweat with 25000 other people on a 6 mile run from the Santa Cruz to the Capitola wharves you can always count on artery clogging meal from a greasy spoons like this every year on Sunday mornings... The Cook House is a greasy spoon diner in the best possible way. This place is a piece of Americana, with a clearly out of date motif, but many return customers. The breakfast of champions could be one of a variety of omelets on their menu. For example, there's the ABC Omelet, made with avocado, bacon and cheese. Then there are shrimp, cheese, and a page full of other omelet combos. Be prepared to answer, when the waitress asks you, "You want it with two eggs or four?" Today I woofed down and specified a two-egg Linguica and artichoke omelet for about $7.95. This included hash browns and choice of breads. I had my post-Wharf-to-Wharf decaf and a large OJ. On these Sundays, there were many runners, but clearly many locals. It's always hard to get a seat, but after all these running years, it's worth the wait. read more

I have been coming here for 8 years. The hashbrowns are fantastic, always crispy, the omelets are full of flavor and the french toast is a sweet treat. I can always count on this place for a consistent, and yes artery clogging breakfast. read more

The Cook House is a greasy spoon diner in the best possible way. I give it four stars because it is a good restaurant in the group it competes in. People who go to a small little diner like this and expect super-brunches or something are misguided. I have eaten her at various times over my 26 year life starting out with my parents when I lived in Santa Cruz. I had breakfast there over Memorial Day weekend and the same lady (the owner) was there and friendly as ever. My whole group (six of us), had omelets. I had the maverick with peppers, bacon and cheese and it was delicious. Exactly what I needed after a night at the Red Room. To answer some other critics complaints. No the chairs are not brand spanking new, and look like they have seen the butts of a lot of people, but they are clean and I don't know why anyone would have any qualms about sitting in them. The tables, floor, dishes, etc were all very clean. They also have the cook right out in front of everyone and he looked totally fine to me. For a good, cheap, friendly breakfast, the Cook House is the place to go. We all enjoyed our breakfasts and left with smiles ready to go conquer the beach and a cooler of beer. I will definitely be back. read more

Yummy. I love the chicken friend steak breakfast. Great, friendly staff. Come often and they remember what you always order. Must have: coffee cake! mmmmmm read more

The Cook House - Eva loves the Cook House - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Capitola, California

New to the area and first stop for my "go to" breakfast place. Menu is typical of most diner type places. One server and one cook for the small joint which gives it a nice hometown feel. Service good was good, but the food was just ok. Chicken Fried Steak is my standard for a good breakfast place and theirs was just ok. Eggs and hashbrowns were standard and nothing special. Got the feeling a little bit here as a newbie I wasn't so welcome (same is true with people who work at the liquor store across from here) just from the looks from the locals, but hey I am a local too now so screw them. read more

First time here. Tried one of the specials: french toast with fresh strawberries -- Yum! I accepted the offer of whipped cream, too -- no butter or syrup needed. Got a side of bacon, four meaty strips, cooked just right. Across the table, two poached eggs came white outside and runny inside, as they should be. Hashbrowns were simple, a generous portion, with very little seasoning -- add as much salt, pepper, and hot sauce as you like. The other specials looked good -- omelette with Italian sausage, onions, and cheese, or two biscuits and gravy. Not a big place, but not tiny either, and chairs outside while you wait. Once seated, the server was quick to bring over the coffee pot. Looking for an American breakfast in a diner atmosphere with friendly service? This'll do nicely. read more

The Cook House - Fresh strawberries and whipped cream on French toast. Yum! (Today's special) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Capitola, California

I was on my way to try this place out today for the first time, but they lost my business before I even walked through the front door. I'm sure it's annoying to be located next to Gayle's, but yelling out, "I guess you can't read the parking signs!" in a rude and aggressive voice before your potential customers have even left the parking lot is a sure way to make sure we never set foot in this place. Additional deductions for also screaming at a toddler to not smudge your glass windows with her hands. As soon as I saw her touch the windows (she wanted to look inside), I asked her to stop. She certainly didn't need an angry stranger inside to yell at her as well. read more

Small place. Delicious. In a small shopping center. Definitely a hidden gem. Many locals inside. It was our first time and we had a delicious omelette and also an almond waffle. Definitely going there again when in the area. read more

The Cook House - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Capitola, California

Not a bad "greasy spoon" / hole in the wall. Really quite welcoming and not too busy compared to many restaurants that serve breakfast and brunch. A bit expensive for what you'd expect but the food was good so can not complain. read more

Came here for breakfast two days in a row during a brief trip to Aptos. Probably the best blueberry pancakes I've ever had and the bacon was perfectly crisp and delicious. Very sweet and homey diner vibe. Looking forward to coming back next time I'm in the area. read more

Breakfast in Capitola , small old family feel to restaurant, regular style food nothing really outstanding to say, keep looking

Popeye approves of this establishment !! The ladies working are the best! Food is absolutely incredible! Best home cooking I've had in a long time. read more

Tried the cook house for brunch, was just ok. Waitress was sweet but food was less than stellar. Bacon cheese avocado omelette was dry! Have you ever had a dry omelette? Don't even know how that can happen. My husband asked me if we got bacon or beef jerky! read more

Tried the Cook House today, I'm not sure I'd return. It wasn't an awful experience but definitely not great. The food itself was good. Bacon waffle and avocado cheese bacon omelet was tasty. Definitely diner food, if you want the slightly greasy food (which isn't alway bad) this is the spot for you. The place is very small so you def feel cramped and we were in a spot where people kept squeezing behind my son to get through. They were busy, it was a weekend, but the server was very distracted, almost frazzled. She kept either looking away while we were ordering or leaving so quickly we couldn't ask for more creamer. I think had we not felt like we were in the way or that we were kind of putting her out by asking for coffee, it would have been a much better experience. read more

Cute, very tiny breakfast joint. Food wasn't amazing but it fit the price which was reasonable. We had 6 people eat for $65. Service was great but if your party is over 4 you'll probably have to wait if you go on Saturday or Sunday. read more

Still good! :) I have continued to order to-go since the shelter in place. I picked up my Sunday breakfast, and saw they set up some tables outside. They were slammed! People waiting for their takeout, and people waiting for tables. The mother daughter team were hustling tables while keeping their smiles. I don't envy them - keeping up with all the new protocols while trying to please the general public! Now that they're operating with more tables again, the regular cook and busser that have both been there for many years are back. Was happy to see that! I know how much extra work has to go into serving the general public during the pandemic, so hats off to anyone able to make it through this! Thanks Carol and Kathryn - see you next weekend! read more

Stopped into this little ol' greasy diner because we were overwhelmed by the crowds and parking in Capitola. Couldn't get within 5 miles of parking near the beach, nor could we even find a simple place to eat, since we were starving, having come from a long weekend road trip. Came upon this little place and stepped into a mom and pop operation if I've ever seen one. Obviously a place loved by locals, as we got some sideward glances because we were obviously out of towners. I knew if the locals loved it, it must be good, so we stayed and ordered, especially since it was already 1:00 pm and I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet! I was surprised by how good the coffee was, seriously...I am so sick of gourmet and Starbucks, etc...this was great coffee. Service was friendly and prompt and reminded me so much of my husband's parent's restaurant they operated in an extremely small town, for many years. Right down to the one server, one cook, one dishwasher, who knew the crowd and actually talked to each other about the happenings of their daily lives. Nostalgic brown coffee cups and silver creamer cups, just an old fashioned, unpretentious but hospitable place to get a bite to eat. I ordered a patty melt, and one of my daughters ordered a cheeseburger, the other ordered an stack of pancakes. This was seriously the best patty melt that I ever ate in my life. The bread was grilled perfectly, the cheddar was generous and it was perfect. I know it's so stupid, I've had tons of patty melts in other places, but this was the best ever. My daughter's even kept talking about this place, the whole 3 hour ride home, about how good the food was. Seriously, it was just pancakes and burgers, but it was something unlike any other place you can get real, I mean, real diner food. Could use a good scrubbing, and maybe another open window but it was a great place to eat and I would definately go there again. Thanks for a great meal! read more