Quick takeout order: calamari and green beans, and a side of rice. Calamari was very crisp; delicious. Green beans were cooked just enough and the coating was very good. We ordered at the bar and the server was friendly and efficient. While we waited we sat near the fireplace and it was warm and cozy. read more

I really want to like the revised West End. Went once for oysters at the bar and the first ones lacked any mignonette and was served just with lemon. The second dozen came with mignonette. Service at the bar was attentive and friendly. Second visit was for a birthday dinner. This time the oysters were already dressed, but with what was uncertain. The soba salad was unremarkable, shrimp toast was okay, the raw menu items were just okay, and the fish on niçoise salad seemed less than its freshest. Again, I want to like the new menu, and the expanded patio was lovely, but the food won't bring me back. read more

We had a great experience here on a Sunday afternoon. After a beach day we decided to pop over for a late lunch/early dinner. Wait was 20 minutes and we got seated in their outdoor area next to a heat lamp. They have a good list of beer and wine which is a plus. Our server was hilarious and super attentive. The portions are VERRRRY generous! Y'all my kid's corn dog came with a HUGE bowl of fries. Yes, I may have had most of them! The fries are AMAZING- perfectly crispy. The Caesar was great- big portion with lots of fresh cheese. The calamari was and had a ton of jalapeños. The burger was delicious and came with basically a whole avocado on the side. The parking lot is busy and there a ton of cute tasting rooms around. Also, it is located on a bike path which is directly in front of the entrance. read more

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Apparently, they closed the business a few days before we showed up. None of their social media was updated. We stumbled upon Santa Cruz Mountain winery and had the best experience. So sad we couldn't try the West End food the reviews and pictures showed were great. read more

Excellent place to stop and eat! We were impressed with the mushroom flatbread and fish and chips. Absolutely delicious, fresh, and good portion sizes. Servers were nice and attentive. Overall, great experience and worth a try. read more

West End - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Izakaya west end Needs a big mend Food was not up to par Atmosphere gets zero star Miss the old diner Where the chow was finer read more

I had a terrible experience at West End Tap this week. I took my 97 year old, quite able and with it friend for lunch there. Terrible service and awful food. We shared an onion soup and she ordered the cod and chips. I had their burger which WAS great, but the soup was absolutely terrible and the fish all breading. What got to me was the awful and rude service. The "oh well" attitude of the staff. No adjustment to our bill. We left hungry after paying $65 lunch. It's been a favorite restaurant but no longer. I'll take my business elsewhere. read more

We were drawn to the many japanese items on the menu. The best things we ordered were the Ahi tuna tower, the okonomiyaki fries and the yuzu hazy ipa. What missed the mark were the wagyu smashed burger (bland and boring) and the karaage chicken from the kids menu (not karaage at all, just nuggets). The kids bento box was also bland (they said) and the treat (cookie) tasted as if from a grocery store. The service was good overall and they did bring out a birthday dessert with a candle for someone in our party (but the dessert wasn't comped). Finally, they added 3% for credit card usage. Wouldn't go back. read more

Well..... we keep trying to see if anything has improved. But nope. It's actually gone further downhill. We came late afternoon. Got seated immediately. Took the server forever to come take our order. She was too busy socializing with her coworkers. Ordered the lentil soup and after one taste I wanted to spit it out. The lentils were not cooked through and the flavor was beyond bland. Also ordered a salad, which was very underdressed and boring. Partner ordered burger and fries. Nothing special there either. After this visit we both said "there is seriously no need to ever come back here." Unless you're just coming for a beer, don't waste your time or money on this place. The sister restaurant on the east side is amazing, so we'll stick with that one. read more

Found a hasty and condescending Stanley Tucci look alike here. Why name it izakaya if not holding on to our culture and tradition of warm welcoming guests, a genuine hospitality. We used to love this place so much. We received the opposite love ... an indifference. Plus a discrimination ... we thought coming to an izakaya will make us feel home. This place don't follows izakaya philosophy. Nope ... we walked out. read more

This very friendly neighborhood grill was perfect for a late Sunday afternoon lunch/snack and bottle of wine. Other than the wine, our choices were all some of the eclectic menu items. We loved the popcorn in duck fat with lemon and basil. Very rich in flavor. The house-marinated olives were very good and paired great with the wine and other starters. We shared a mushroom garlic flatbread which had very flavorful garlic on it. For us, we shared a bottle of wine that brought all the parts together in an incredible medley of flavors. read more

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The calamari was a great starter to lunch, especially with the deep fried jalapeños, glad I had the sour to balance the heat. Had the fish sandwich and the serving is generous. Great coating and sauces. The slaw was a little sweet but still good. My friend said the house salad was delicious. Service was good though there was a slight delay between app and entrees, good excuse as any to grab another sour. read more

Way exceeded expectations! Open for dine-in taking the necessary precautions (i.e., wear mask when not at table). We practically inhaled the steamed mussels, which were tender and soaked in a godly tomato sauce. We asked for more bread to dip in the sauce with after - only wish was for the bread to be softer/more absorbent. Salmon, covered in a miso glaze, laid on a bed of farro and spinach. So easy to eat but just has a tad salty aftertaste. The tomato flatbread was bomb!! Tomatoes were so tasty and fresh, spread on soft yet crunchy-edged bread. I do wish there were more light beers on their list vs. IPAs and ales. Definitely worth the trip! read more

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To be honest, I don't get the hype and don't understand why they have all these reviews because everything was so underwhelming. I'm talking about the food, portion and flavor wise, and even their very limited lunch menu. I ordered the kimchi fried chicken sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the west end burger. Only good thing about those dishes were the fries, the burger patty was overcooked (we asked for well done) and the kimchi slaw gets the bun super soggy for the chicken sandwich it just becomes inedible. Their food just tastes so bland and I would not recommend coming here for their food. However, I have not tried their beer but I hope it makes up for the food. read more

Let me start by saying that I have been coming here for the past fours years almost every weekend. The food was consistently 10/10; however, over the past month or so the quality of the food has gone downhill. The Korean ribs just were terrible. They were dry and lacking the usual great flavor I had in the past. The quality of the flatbread went downhill as well. There was so much flour all over the flatbread as well as definite undercooked crust. I can usually eat anything, but the last time I had the flatbread, it was unedible. Others who I came with complained about the cranberry chicken wings. I ate one and for wings, the skin was soggy. The sauce on the wings were definitely good but inedible with the soggy chicken. I hope there are improvements because I really loved going here. The waitstaff has just the best customer service . read more

I went to order takeout and got their Caesar Salad with grilled chicken added, as well as a side of fries. I went to go eat it at the wine bar across the street and noticed that they forgot my chicken. So, I walked back over and told them. They quickly brought out the grilled chicken which, no joke, looked like shaved deli meat. I asked the waiter if it was indeed grilled chicken because it looked like deli meat, and he replied "it is the grilled chicken...but we actually get the deli comment a lot". Yikes. I dumped it on and quickly realized after getting into it that they forgot the fried capers and croutons (standard with their Caesar)... so I walked back over again to tell them ‍. They felt really bad. But honestly I just don't get how you can mess up a simple salad that badly! They sent me off with my toppings and back to the wine bar I go. Now I finally get to eat my salad! Lack luster. All that work for nothing special. Next I open my fries and I'm not kidding, I got a small handful of them. Let me put it this way...The box was so sparse that when I opened it, my friends and I just started dying laughing. $30 mistake. Learned my lesson the hard way lol...won't be coming back. read more

Great staff support and wonderful service! Everyone uses good Covid-19 guidelines to keep everyone safe with requiring masks and social distancing. They made their menu into a QR code. On one hand this is nice because you aren't having to touch something however, this could be problematic as it reduces accessibility. We ordered appetizers for our meal and enjoyed all of them. Their appetizers are larger and fit to feed a whole table of people. The wild calamari were lightly breaded and tasted super fresh! The addition of jalapenos is a nice touch and not really spicy (but I love spice sooo be warned!) The salmon board was the star of the show! Each thing on the board complemented the smoked salmon. They give these little bread toasts to go with it, but personally I think it was just fine without. The house pickles are tasty and a large serving, we couldn't finish them all. Definitely come early as they aren't doing reservations currently! read more

West End - Wild calamari - photo by JITB @JITBPhotos - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Cool location, great food and reasonable service. I had the same don salmon and my friend had the karate fried chicken. Both were cooked nicely and had great flavor. The corn bread with the chicken was great. We also ordered the Hokkaido milk bread and be advised, it's a large loaf of bread. I recommend this restaurant. read more

I went to this restaurant in Santa Cruz at the recommendation of a friend, and at first I was a bit discouraged by the relatively expensive prices. But my goodness, am I happy that I came here. Parking was easy, as they had a fairly large parking lot outside. At our request, we were seated outdoors under a nice little tent. That day, it was a bit cold, so even though we were the only party seated outdoors, our waiter came over and turned on two of the outdoor heaters to keep us warm, even without us asking. My party got started by sharing a Prosciutto & Blue Cheese Flatbread, which was quite unlike any other flatbread that I have had before. While I was not used to the taste, I appreciated how well all the flavors melded together, with the sweetness of the honey complimenting the saltiness of the blue cheese and prosciutto, which balanced well against the bitterness of the arugula. I think that they overdid the honey a bit too much, but the flatbread was overall a hit with our party. As my entree, I ordered a House Ground Burger with cheddar. It came with a HUGE pile of fries on the side. To me, the burger was absolutely perfect. It was fatty and juicy, yet the pickled onion and lettuce gave the burger a touch of freshness which prevented the fattiness from getting overwhelming. The subtle sweetness of the brioche bun only added to my enjoyment of the burger. Typically I would skip over the fries, but I have to write about these. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside, while also having an absolutely gorgeous golden color to them. My only complaint was that they gave us so many fries that I ended up eating way more than could possibly be good for my health. Overall, this place is the perfect Santa Cruz restaurant if you are looking to splurge a bit. Bring a date, bring a friend, bring your family, bring yourself, bring anyone and they will almost certainly enjoy it! read more

West End - House ground burger with cheddar - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Have been coming here for years and am finally getting around to writing a review. I love this place. Big portions, high end (but affordable!) pub food. The salads are awesome and huge. I dream about the mussels in the marsala broth. Incredible. Great wine and beer list, too. Great for kids and dogs. We came here after seeing the Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo. Really nice day. read more

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Solid 3.5 stars for this place. Nice service and the foods were enjoyable. Love the ambiance and location - located near wine tasting rooms and across from a brewery. There were a couple food vendors outside as well as live music from a random dude who rolled by in a van. The foods we had were good but nothing outstanding that would make it worth coming back or paying the very steep price. We were seated in about 30 min on a Saturday slightly before 6pm. We would have been seated immediately but we wanted an outdoor table that didn't have high chairs to accommodate our dog. They were accommodating and didn't mind our dog waiting inside for our table. We started off with two beers, I tried their stout on tap which was smooth and delicious. The duck infused popcorn seemed appetizing so we opted for that, a smoked salmon board and the chicken tomatillo flatbread pizza. The duck infused popcorn came out in less than 5 min, it was super fast. A bowl filled with delicious popcorn - I definitely tasted the duck and loved the flavors. Our foods came pretty quickly after our popcorn, I would say another less than 10 minutes. The chicken tomatillo pizza was flavorful and good! I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much even though it had no red sauce (and I'm a sucker for red sauce pizza/pasta). The pizza had the right amount of chicken, green sauce, and red peppers that were sweet/sour, so good. I ate only 3 slices and felt stuffed. My husband tried the smoke salmon board with cheese, sauce, bread, and other items. It was starting to get windy/cold so the workers turned on the heater halfway through our meal which helped offset the cold wind. Our meal came out above $70 and thought it was okay priced given our experience. I was glad the flatbread pizza turned out good. I would try the calamari next time and a salad - both looked good! The salad looked colorful and plentiful. read more

West End - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I came here for my roommate's birthday celebration and West End Tap definitely delivered. It was my first time checking out the pub area around Mission and everything about this place including the decor, food, and drinks were all spot on. Inside the restaurant is huge. High ceilings with very modern and rustic feeling decor that was dimly lit for a good dining experience. They have tables to accommodate all parties and our group of seven were seated inside a booth that had a chalkboard wall on top so we could leave behind our messages (like happy birthdays!) We started off with two orders of their Calamari ($14) and these were AMAZING. Nicely battered, super crispy, and there were slices of jalapeno thrown into the mix. The two dipping sauces it came with were phenomenal and I may even say that these were the best plates of calamari that I've had in Santa Cruz. My Grass-Fed Burger ($14) was delicious as well. It was prepared just how I like it but I felt the buns got too soggy with my added mushrooms. Fries were good too and it took some effort for me to finish my massive burger. Definitely a good choice if you're looking for a hearty and filling meal. I did see our table ordering a lot of flatbreads which also looked amazing! Drinks here were very reasonably priced for being a tap room. Many will set you back $6-8 so go and enjoy a nice cold one with your food. West End Tap really delivered and I'm looking forward to coming back at some point for some more. read more

West End - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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My bf and I were looking for a good happy hour place Friday night and I found this place through Yelp. Happy hour is bar seating only and it wasn't packed at around 4:30pm; it steadily filled up though by 5. Service was a bit awkward; the greeter at the front seemed pissed to be there, our server was indifferent to begin with but she warmed up and became more friendly later. Water was refilled a few times and our server boxed our leftovers too. Putting aside the service, however, the food was pretty good. + Sauteed Shrimp Pasta: The star of the meal- so so good and for $16, it's definitely a good deal. The shrimps are small (not jumbo shrimp) but they're still scrumptious. The sauce is creamy & tomato-y and the pasta arrived piping hot- absolutely delicious. Portion size is also decently big. $16 + Duck Fat Popcorn (HH): So fatty! It's a pretty big bowl, hot, and is a nice balance between salty duck fat and lemon- yummy $4 +/- Mozzarella pizza Flatbread: could've been better. It was pretty bland, the sauce wasn't super flavorful. It did come hot though so that's a plus! $8 +/- La Marca Prosecco: It's okay-bubbly, and a light fruity flavor $6 It would be a solid 3.5/5 for the food alone, specifically the shrimp pasta. read more

West End - Sautéed shrimp pasta - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Service was great, we had the chicken Cesar salad 3 out of 5, tasted a bit too fishy for my liking. Salmon salad, 5 out of 5, classic burger 5 out of 5, fries 5/5 and kids pizza 5 out of 5. Great place for kids. read more

Amazing salmon dish! I could eat that every night! Also the shrimp toast and the bao buns Are great as well read more

food was just ok, not what i was expecting. Given the description expected much more flavor in the food. Miso broth was good

Food, service, and Ambiance is fantastic. We ordered a round of 12 oysters and it was great. I am not the biggest fan of the oysters but honestly the horseradish and lemon they give you makes it very well rounded! We also all tried the House Ground Burger and were blown away. Great juicy burger. Very impressed. The Portobello Burger was also extremely amazing, would definitely recommend if you are not a meat eater. If you like IPA's the Mosaic Pale was amazing. We also gave the Mai Tai P.A. a shot which was also great. The dog was also given a bowl of water so she was happy also! Also our waitress was extremely sweet and was very attentive. read more

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This place is great. Loved the atmosphere, loved the decor, loved the menu. My daughter and I stopped in for a late lunch after a gorgeous drive along Hwy 1 on a lovely Saturday afternoon. By 2pm we were starving and wanted to try something new. West End got great reviews and it was close by so off we went. Parking is somewhat of a nightmare of days like that one. Spaces are limited in the lot and street parking is really hard to find. We broke the rules and parked in the Grocery Store lot and prayed my car would still be there when we got back, West End Tap is located in a cute strip of shops, tasting rooms and tiny eateries. I know I've been to some of the tasting rooms before but I seriously need to go again. So cute! West End is no different. They have a cute little patio and the interior is very inviting and on this particular Saturday, it was filled with very happy customers. We saw two stools at the bar and quickly grabbed those before we noticed that the staff hadn't cleaned up from the folks before us. The nice man in the seat next to us (obviously a regular) asked the bartender to please clean it for us. The server did so without a single expression on his face. No "welcome? Have a seat and I'll clean that right up for ya". No nothing. Just wiped up the crumbs and put new menus out for us and walked away. I just don't understand why some people stay in the service industry when they clearly aren't enjoying it. Anyway, we looked over the drink menu first and my daughter picked a Cider while I went with the Root Beer. Both were delicious! We also decided to share a burger and the house Farmer's Market Salad. Here's what we thought: Farmer's Market Salad: HUGE! We opted for the small size and thank goodness we did because it was giant. We both agreed that this simple salad was good. The perfect amount of dressing and toppings. I enjoyed the toasted nuts and the ricotta the most. Burger: We added Grilled Onions, Avocado, and Blue Cheese. I thought it was weird that the avocado came mashed up and on the side in a seperate cup. I expected it to be already layered on my burger. Just odd. Anyway, the flavor of the burger and the cook was spot on. Really delicious however pretty messy too. The bun just didn't hold up and I had to do a lot of finder licking because the whole thing just fell apart. Be even though that was a disappointment, we still ate every last bit. The Frys: The burger came with fries and OMG they are SO GOOD!!! The best thing we ate for sure. I also saw a few folks eating the Muscles which is what I'll get next time and the calamari looked delicious too. I loved the vibe here with the exception of the lack luster server at the bar. We'll be back for sure. read more

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Their broccolini appetizer... Wish I could be eating that again while I type this right now. Their flatbreads are great also, light and healthy meal to eat for sure. I am vegan and still love it, I am most definitely sure you will too eating non-vegan foods. LL! By the way, ALL your staff is extremely welcoming and so sweet. It's honestly refreshing to see in a restaurant- especially lately. GREAT TEAM! read more

The Ramen wasn't very good and at nearly $30 it's pretty pricey. Overall our meal was pretty unimpressive for what they charge. The service was noticeably slow as well. read more

This was our second time here for lunch since they changed the name and menu. We got the Asian Chopped Salad, Poke Bowl and Tempura. All were delicious! We eat out in Santa Cruz quite a bit - for lunch and dinner. So I was very surprised to see that I was charged for each "refill" of iced tea! I drank $9 in iced tea for lunch!. I husband was charged for his Sprite refill, but that was not as big of a surprise. No where on the menu does it indicate that refills are NOT free. I just can't remember the last time I was charged for a refill on iced tea - so bizarre! read more

The slow roasted tomatoes flatbread pizza is excellent and the perfect size for sharing. I've had it here twice. When it's busy it gets pretty loud and dogs are allowed inside. I like it's local feel and menu choices, but would not recommend it on weekends when it's a bit crazy. I'm a fan of lighter beers and they have a nice cold blonde on tap. read more

This place was kind of hard for me (I was on a bike and I didn't use a gps) to find but omg, the duck fat popcorn here is absolutely scrumptious. I tried the lemon basil duck fat popcorn and the shrimp pasta, both dishes were fantastic and the portion was way bigger than I anticipated so I was stuffed by the end of lunch. The popcorn was rich but that basil and lemon gave it the brightness that it needed to counter the duck fat. As for the shrimp pasta, it had a ton of shrimp, the pasta was cooked well, the sundried tomatoes cut through the pink cream sauce (idk the name but it was good) and I enjoyed every bite of it. I would love to come back here soon. It's a bit of a drive but I think this place is fantastic! read more

The new menu is fantastic. I highly recommend giving it a try. The service at the bar was fast and friendly. Vibe was mellow but not too quiet. read more

On Monday, after taking a ride on the Roaring Camp Railroad, the family and I were starving and decided to have lunch at West End Tap and Kitchen on our way to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. West End Tap and Kitchen is housed in a large industrial building. Much like you would expect with a brewery or brewpub these days. We arrived around 12:30 and it wasn't too busy. We were seated right away and Danielle, our server arrived to take our order. She asked how we were doing and what we were up to and we shared our exciting journey on the Roaring Camp Railroad. We were seated at a table outside that was housed under a tent. It looks like West End has the outdoor dining thing down. There is an additional outdoor area that was 100% in the sun so if you like warm beer with a sunburn, have at it. To start things off, I ordered a glass of the West End Amber Ale. It was really good. On the food side of the fence, we ordered the Wild Pacific Calamari as an appetizer. You'll notice that the calamari is really popular and once you taste it, you'll know why. Not only is their fried calamari in the dish, there is also fried jalapeños. The breading is really light and you get A LOT of calamari. The dish could easily be shared by 3 or 4 people. The calamari is served with a lemon, a ginger mignonette, and a buttermilk herb sauce. For our main dish, the Mrs. and kiddo ordered the house ground burger with cheddar cheese and cartelized onions. I ordered the burger as well with bacon and cheddar. Both were cooked a perfect medium rare as requested. Probably one of the best burgers I/we have ever had. The burger patty is made from grass fed pasture raised beef and served on a potato bun with lettuce tomato and pickled onion. The burgers are served with fries. The rest of the staff we interacted with were nice. Parking was pretty easy to find when we arrived. West End shares a parking lot with a few other businesses. I can imagine parking would be more difficult on the weekend. read more

West End - Wild Pacific Calamari - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Asian fusion dining experience. We had the house salad (delicious highly recommend) and a variety of baos (the fried chicken bao was our favorite, much better than the pork belly bao). Went on a Monday night around 6, easily got a table. Tables were full when we left. Fun vibe, great service, good location. read more

I went here for a late lunch after biking in Santa Cruz on a Sunday afternoon. Descent food, although pricy. I think the atmosphere is the best thing about this place. The space is beautiful with high ceilings and a great design. I think is a pretty standard restaurant at this price range. read more

It's hidden in the back of the warehouse Super cool vibe, patio seating with heat. Lunch menu is small but looks delicious can't wait to try the portabella mushroom burger. Nice beer selection and so far our server has been attentive and prompt. read more

We had a fabulous dining experience at the newly transformed Izakaya West End. A creative Asian-themed menu that included fresh, top quality ingredients - every dish was flavorful and expertly prepared. Our group shared everything so that we could taste all the different dishes. We started out with a couple of items from the "Raw" options: 1) the oysters on a half-shell - with a bright vinaigrette - they were small and tender (my favorite kind). 2) Then we tried the raw Hamachi- thinly sliced on top of a citrusy sauce (delightful). From the "Start" section we loved the Grilled Hamachi Kama - delicate and moistly cooked Hamachi - that we picked off the bone. Our server recommended the Hokkaido Milk Bread - what a treat - it was like a brioche - fluffy and milky - divine with the koji/honey butter. The Tempura Imari was an imaginative dish - little deep-fried pockets stuffed with fish/shrimp and were so flavorful. From the "Main" section we chose the Prime Rib Eye and the Karaage Fried Chicken- we all agreed that the steak and the chicken were the best we had ever had anywhere. These dishes included sides of mashed potatoes and sesame green beans and the fried chicken included cornbread with a unique, hickory-smoked butter - outstanding! Our server also gave us a brief crash course of the different sakes they offer. My favorite is the raspberry infused sake - smooth and slightly effervescent. All in all, a great dining experience - from the attentive staff, casual/comfy ambiance and especially the delicious food: beautiful presentations of textures, colors and flavors. We will definitely be back soon to try the other items (we saw another table that ordered the Wagyu Double Smash Hamburger and it looked to-die-for). Kudos to the chef and staff! read more

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I've been here several times and it is always good, great service, and ample outdoor seating. Popcorn with duck fat? Yes please! It is so good you just can't eat it fast enough. And the kale salad is everything I want in a delicious fresh salad. We got out outdoor table pretty fast even though there was a waiting list. read more

West End - Calamari & corn bread yumminess! - Gastropubs Near Me - Santa Cruz, California