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The Sand Bar

3.3 (347 reviews)
Closed • 9:00 am - 11:30 pm

The Sand Bar Photos

Business Info

THE SAND BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Sand Bar

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Tacos, calamari sandwich & priceless view
Peter L.

Food avg, view is the best at the Esplanade. We were fortunate to grab the outdoor patio seats that directly faced the colorful Venetian houses. Ahi tacos were ok, steak tacos slightly gamy, tortilla wraps not fresh. Salsa was too watery but tasty, chips were ultra crunchy. Calamari sandwich good. Prices reasonable.

The Alex with fries
Chelsea C.

My friend lives close to Capitola so we ride our bikes over when I visit...that hill is a killer going back to Santa Cruse, but well worth not fighting for parking. There is not a lot of parking in Capitola. We often go to the Sand Bar for their cute back patio view and sea air. I tried the Alex, which is their blackened chicken sandwich and it was the best thing I've had on their menu. They also have great fish tacos, my friend's favorites were the salmon and mahi mahi. I'll definitely eat that sandwich again. They also have fun music in the evenings. One works of caution...their water/soda water has a very heavy sulfur taste. It's overwhelmingly often so I'd advise don't order unless it's bottled.

Ceviche
Tamara P.

Stopped in for a quick lunch while in Capitola. This is one of several restaurants along the waterfront in Capitola. They have inside and outside dining. The outside dining is nice as you get the fresh breeze from the ocean air and some sun! They have live music and a bar area as well. We ordered the ceviche and the fish tacos. Both were good. Next time we are in town we will have to come by when they have some live music later in the evening or try breakfast. The service was good, they were a little busy. We totally understand that though. The food came out pretty quick though.

Jaina T.

Visited the sandbar during a trip to Santa Cruz and it was a nice little American Grill/bar on the beach. our server was super nice and the view was the best part. It's located right next to Margaritaville and Pizza My heart in Capitola. The parking can be a little tricky depending on the time of the day that you come, but if you're just looking for some simply good food, then this is the spot to be. We didn't stay late enough to see the live performances, but they do have a schedule outside of live music that happens inside of the bar, which would've been nice to see. Pricing was pretty standard and I got the piña colada, which was a little less creamy than I would've hoped for, but it was still good. I also got the happy hour burger and fries, which was delicious as well!

Steak taco
Mags W.

My Hubby and I decided to take a little drive to enjoy the sunshine in Capitola. We drove from the Bay Area and as brunch was approaching, we opted to try The Sand Bar. We have walked by this little location a few times and have enjoyed a sip nearby at the neighboring business. I have always wanted to try this spot and this would be the perfect day to do just that. We shared an order of 2 beef tacos. When the tacos came to the table, we looked at each other like it wouldn't be enough to satisfy us. I think the server noticed our faces and asked if there was anything else she could get us. We laughed and told her that we would let her know if we were still hungry. To our surprise, the tacos were small, but they were filling. My Hubby had a beer on draft and I had a margarita. The server was pleasant and the view was amazing. I had a great time and can't wait to come back with friends. Cheers!

Annie T.

(Note: this review is for the evening bar portion; not the dining portion) Overall, I think The Sand Bar is a solid place to visit when there is a band you know playing. The cover charge is usually $5 per person, and drink prices are reasonable. Frequent customers are mostly made up of older adults and retirement ages with a sprinkling of younger adults. What is wonderful is that everyone is super chill and there to have fun. You will always find people dancing and laughing, regardless of age; and there are groups as well as singles. The atmosphere got pretty hopping' and happenin' after 10pm, so if you don't like crowds, go before that time. And if you like people-watching or socializing, go after 10pm. The only reason for the stars knocked off is for the venue. I think it works for a daytime brunch or lunch place because it is beachside, but the venue lacks a certain warmth in the evening. Chairs of different sizes are casually strewn about, there are tables but not many, and there are stacks of supplies overflowing on the sides. There is a single bathroom in the back corner with what looks like thin walls and a makeshift door that Uncle Bob put it together (haha), which gives camping vibes. But honestly, none of that matters when you're having a good time with good music, happy people dancing around, and good drinks. Another reviewer said this also, and I agree: I think the place would be pretty "dead" in the evening if there wasn't live music, so I'd check to make sure there was a band playing before heading there.

Big basket- includes calamari, shrimp, fries, cod
Anne C.

Amazing view + nice outdoor seating!! As 2 people we shared (I think it's called) the big basket- it has cod, shrimp, fries, and calamari so instead of picking just fish and chips or separately ordering a bunch of stuff you can get a mix of a little of everything to share

Rob M.

3 1/2 stars. Son and I both tried their Sand Bar Breakfast Burrito. The size was decent and taste was good, but it was extremely greasy. The bottom of our serving boat was covered in grease by the time we finished. The chips that came with it were pretty plain. No chocolate milk, so my son got orange juice, which came in a cup slightly bigger than a shot glass. Service was excellent.

View outside.
Thomas C.

Great location. While visiting Capitola we wanted to grab a quick drink and relax near our hotel. This place looked cool. The bar is in great location for the area. And the outside seating has a nice view. We ordered a few drinks and an appetizer. Everything was reasonably priced. Inside has plenty of seating. And they have live music in the evenings. Definitely worth checking out next time. Service was good and fast. If you are in the area it's worth stopping by and getting a drink or something to eat. I'll be coming back next I'm in Capitola.

I said the mahi was dry and they took away the whole plate after I ate a few bites of just the fish. and then only took off $1.70.
Claudia C.

Horrible food. Clam chowder bread bowl was oily and too chewy and there was a giant chunk of celery in my clam chowder. I got their grilled mahi tacos which they claimed were very popular and my mahi was overcooked and unseasoned. They took the dish away before I could take a pic or even just eat the fish off because I still had to pay for it. I also got fries and they were soaked in oil and not crispy. It's a nice view but there are other restaurants.

Punk band.. Don't know the name but they were fun.
Daniel B.

The punk band was great. But something needlessly shady/confusing about how they charge for tickets. The guy at the door says it's $10 a ticket, cash only. I didn't have any. So he said I could go see the bartender to pay. I asked for a ticket and water. He charged me for my bottle of water, and 3 tickets $5.00 each (total of $15 in tickets). Before signing the receipt, I asked him what was going on.... "Oh I thought you wanted three tickets", was his response (clearly I was alone). So he then removed one of the 3 tickets from my bill ($bringing it back down to $10.) Either way however you look at it, none of it made any sense. And was needlessly confusing. Good band.. though. Enemy of my enemy was great. And the band prior (don't know their name) was great too. I

Coconut shrimp tacos

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Excellent!!!! The bartender is the best in the biz. I reccomend the tequila. Even though there were a lot of kazoos

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1 year ago

Great service!! Best bar on this little block. Didn't try the food but it looked yummerz!

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1 year ago

Great music! Alex Lucero and band. Good wait people, fun crowd. Ambiance great too. I would definitely come back.

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Page 2 of 9

Ask the Community - The Sand Bar

What is the parking like?

There is limited, metered street parking out front and in the area. Parking can be very busy on weekends.

Is there a cover charge for music?

What time does the kitchen close?

8 PM

How often do they have live music? And also which are they're vegan options?

Live music 6 nights a week. Very limited Vegan options.

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Zelda's

Zelda's

2.7
(1.5k reviews)
0.0 mi
•$$

We came in the past & LOVED it, but this time wasn't good. We actually left & went to…read moreMargaritaville instead. They changed their chairs outside to these crappy plastic ones, which are not good for tall, heavier guys, so we had to sit inside, where it was very cold with no service. Service took forever on the inside before we were even acknowledged & he never came back after delivering drinks. We came for their amazing Artichoke hearts & were told they aren't served until 430 with the dinner menu. The Mai Tai was good & strong; the skinny spicy margarita was also good. We had to go to the bar and pay because the server never came back, and they apologized, saying he had a very full section outside, but it's still unacceptable not to keep up with his tables inside. If the outside is so busy, someone else should watch the inside vs losing customers.

We girls were missing beach which led to a quick SantaCruz trip and that is how we landed at…read morezelda's for a late lunch or rather a early dinner. The location of this place is stellar with beautiful ambiance. The menu is typical American food with lots of choices, we settled for nachos and burrata with spicy margaritas and lemon drops. The food and drinks were great. My only disappointment was the service, we kept waiting nobody stopped by to check or to provide us with menu, so decided to walk to over and get one. However, it got a bit better once we ordered the food. Had a good time and wiurk recommend this place to hang out with friends and family with beautiful ocean view!

Photos
Seating area
Seating area
Cobb salad so good
Cobb salad so good
Billionaire Margarita double shot baby!

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Billionaire Margarita double shot baby!

The Sand Bar - cocktailbars - Updated June 2026

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