This is the 3rd time I've dined here just because I love their friend calamari. I came on Black Friday between 4:45-5:15pm, and I think I waited a good few minutes to be seated. However, the server and hostess were really efficient once I was seated, so I would not be deterred by the seating wait time. Black friday is one of the busiest holidays, of course it's going to be busy. I didn't wait long for my food. The dinner menu only offered fried calamari, but I'm sure one could order a side of fries if one wanted. I also ordered a half garden salad for the first time, and I learned the portion size was huge enough to feed two people alone. I did take leftovers home, and I'll probably go back again the next time I am craving it. The garden salad tasted fresh. I always recommend this place. I have yet to try other restaurants around to compare their calamari just because my experience here has been consistently great. I literally take all my friends here asking if they're craving seafood just so I can have my fried calamari fix. read more

Zelda's - Calamari and Calamari & Fries - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

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Incredibly disrespectful that the customer is NOT first. I know this seems small to some, but after all these years, it's an issue to me and I've addressed it many times at the restaurant, even with mangers. They will NOT make virgin drinks a glass because "that's just not how we do it." The first time trying my favorite Lava Bomb, ages ago, they served it in glass and it was so fun and pretty. Really?! So even for my birthday? Hard NO. So the only glass I have to clink with friends is a bright paper cola cup. Geeee...thanks Zelda mangers, for just not caring. I WILL SAY...a couple times waitress tried their best and were also told no. Twice they poured it in a water glass for me (because even then...I was not allowed the 'special' glass. But they tried. The lava and drink all mix together and its a mess, but that level of kindness is so appreciated and makes all the difference. I am an adult and I offered to show an ID but was told that didn't matter. This came up because we were looking at places to eat in Capitola (we'll go elsewhere). read more

I went here for dinner with my girlfriend tonight and I regret giving the server an 18% tip. We were served by a blonde waitress on the outside patio and she talked to us super condescendingly. Any time we asked a clarifying question she looked as us like we were stupid and answered us with a scoff. Definitely not coming back, and we do not recommend this place to anyone. We didn't feel very welcome. EDIT: Gluten contamination in the kitchen is pretty likely here. Even though I ordered gluten free items, I had a serious digestive reaction to the food. Do not go here if you have Celiac disease. read more

Had my first & last visit at this restaurant. My boyfriend & I were starving and saw it as we were walking the strip. It looked good, ambiance seemed fun, & the view looked great! Everything was fine until we got our food, keep in mind their menu is SUPER limited & a little over priced but we overlooked that because we were in a very touristy spot. Not only did our waitress slam down our food on the table but she placed the tartar sauce so close to the edge that it ended up falling in my lap. She glanced at it as it fell all over my pants and the side of the wall & proceeded to walk away. No napkins, no asking if she could get us another sauce, or even apologizing for it falling. I had to ask another server passing by for napkins who gave me attitude as if I was being an inconvenience. Food was okay but could have been better for the price but the attitudes and service coming from the staff definitely needs improvement. Please do better. read more

Been to Zelda's 25+ times. I had the Fish & Chips recently $26 . . . AWFUL! The fish was some kind of pre-breaded, pre-frozen, quasi-Panko-seasoned (not batter) nonsense that was still uncooked inside---from the PermaFrost. The fries were the seasoned variety of 'Out of the Bag' frozen potatoes that are soggy before the basket gets to the table. Yes, I know there was a storm, but this is another Covid casualty. Prices go up 30% and the quality goes down. read more

Never forget to close your tab on your credit card, we came back just 20 minutes later and they had added a 30% tip to our tab. "Policy and posted" nit good enough, thats just terrible customer service. read more

This used to be my favorite place for lunch on the beach, but the menu and food quality has changed here in the last few weeks. For some reason, they changed the Caesar Salad entree to Kale Caesar...yuck! Because I didn't want a kale salad of any kind, somehow I don't see tourists coming to lunch for a kale salad, I ordered Fish & Chips. The fish was soggy and not good at all. My girlfriend had the Seafood Melt which she enjoyed. I asked for a comment card so I could give my view if the menu change , but they didn't have any. read more

The worst service and food was mediocre. The server never asked if we wanted more water, only came to us when she brought the check. I will never go back there again. read more

This is my second time eating here and both times were good. I only gave this four stars because we sat outside and the birds wouldn't leave us alone. One came up and ate off my baby nephews plate. The coconut prawns and caprese salad were really good. We also shared the grilled salmon w rice and vegis. The Salmon was Seasoned really well and the zucchini was cooked perfectly. I would definitely revisit this restaurant again. Great location and great service read more

Zelda's - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

It's difficult to find plant based food in smaller towns and we were delighted to find this place! Our server was attentive and friendly! The menu is very simple but better than nothing! Complimentary chips and salsa! Margaritas tasted like they are made with premix, I don't like it and ordered a glass of beer. Their guacamole is made with mayonnaise- whyyyyyy? Please, consider adding jackfruit or TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein - highly nutritious soy product) to turn your place into vegan destination! There many resources on internet/YouTube! Wishing you all the best! read more

Pricey but very good food. Service was fast and attentive. I had eggs Benedict with hash browns.

Was not that great I had a reservation and they let some one in before me that had a later reservation. read more

Zelda's is at a great location right by the beach. I stopped by here to grab a quick lunch and do some computer work. I sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly, but honestly i felt a bit out of place because seemed like everyone their was a local/regular having personal conversations and I was an outsider sitting in. Regardless, she was prompt and friendly and the food was okay. I'd definitely come back to try some other dishes, but I'll sit in the dining area next time read more

Zelda's - Chopo tle Chicken Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The only thing is restaurant has going for it is the location. It is conveniently located right next to the beach, which makes it super easy to hop over to grab a quick bite. Food as a whole is very subpar and nothing to write home about. read more

Such a great view!! & the service was top notch! We had the poke nachos & some mimosas & all was great. I will say tho we came at 3pm & came specifically for oysters. We were told that they weren't serving oysters til 4pm... which is super weird cuz oysters is an all day kind of food. I've never heard of a place not serving oysters til 4pm. Still a great place to visit. Vibe is cool & you're right on the beach. read more

Every dish was dry and not prepared properly. The service was terrible. The wine was OK.

I got the chipotle chicken sandwich and it was like any other sandwich. Chicken was slightly dry and the sandwich required more sauce. Had a nice view of the beach though read more

Zelda's - Chipotle chicken sandwich - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Went for lunch, what a disappointment. Seafood mix sandwich had a weird taste, something about the herbs they put in it. My daughter had the blackened mahi mahi fish sandwich, too much bread and the fish was very dry. The clam chowder was ok but for the price $$ of the meal, wouldn't go back. Get the pizza (two doors down) instead and save some money. read more

Came to Capitola in the morning because of a recommendation from a friend, and found the obvious best choice for beach side eating. Capitola itself is beautiful! And Zelda's complimented that beauty perfectly. The staff was all smiles and extremely helpful. My time there was the epitome of the perfect brunch experience that everyone strives for. I came by myself to work on some photo edits and it was the absolute perfect environment to get some work done. Cheers! read more

Zelda's - Caprese Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Best location in Capitola. Good drinks, great servers, great breakfast (until 2) and stuff like calamari, fish&chips, etc. And dog-friendly. And we are so excited that they are back open after the horrific storm damage from January 2023 - welcome back! read more

Host was nice, but had a 30 minute wait to let the kitchen catch up. Very loud inside. wanted oysters, but were 1 hour too early for that menu. Went with the poke. Ahi tuna had a little brown on sides and was a bit fishy, squeezed some lemon on it to help. And ahi had parts with the string tissue which is tough to chew. Its basically a tourist trap. Not a local destination. Mens bathroom was completely a mess, and prices are higher then average. read more

Came in on a Friday afternoon and the restaurant wasn't even half full. Yet, it took around 20 minutes for a waitress to even come by to ask about beverages. Then it took an additional 30 minute to just simply get 2 bread bowl chowders. I mean, how long does it really take for you to just scoop some pre made soup into bread? Service is below mediocre, unless you're a White customer then I'm sure you're fine. As the only Asian customers in the restaurant at the time, I felt the difference in service compared to everyone else. Location is nice, but that's really the only thing going for this place. read more

The food, drinks, & the service at this place is good. Right now indoor & outdoor seating is available with limited capacity. They're careful to sanitize everything before seating people. The wait time for a table on Sunday wasn't bad. I think that a table was ready in 10-15 minutes. This place is in the corner & it's right by the beach. The portions are a decent size & the prices for the food & drinks are reasonable. I ordered the fish & chips & a cup of clam chowder. The clam chowder was really good. The fish & chips are breaded & the fish tasted fresh. The fries were good too. My husband got a cheeseburger. I also got the lava drink & made it a double for a little extra. That was really good! The manager of the place was nice. The umbrella didn't cover the table enough, so he helped fix it. Our waitress was attentive & nice. She kept on asking us if we'd like refills on water & on my diet coke. We will definitely come back to this place the next time we're in the area. read more

Had the clam chowder bread bowl was good nice view while we ate fast service will come back read more

Zelda's - View - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

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Another restaurant where the view is so great that they figure they don't have to concentrate on the food. Ordered a glass of wine, the clam chowder, and the fried calamari appetizer. Chowder was bland -- hardly any clams, and too many potatoes. The calamari was AWFUL. It was overcooked and so tough I could barely chew it. Almost inedible. I asked the waiter to take it back and ask the chef to make a new batch and just fry it for less than a minute. The chef sent it back to me, with the message "the pieces are cut small, so that's just how they're going to cook up"! Unbelievable! I'll never go back, and I'll never take my out-of-town guests there. read more

Terrible dining experience. Sat outdoors during a slow afternoon during the week and was placed at the table closest to the seagulls. After receiving my food, 2 seagulls flew over to my table and started eating off my plate. Manager/waitress never apologized and was given an attitude when I refused to pay for the meal. Steer clear of Zelda's read more

Beware! Bizarre business practices! Walked here to order take out. The bartender was super nice, took our order and brought us our receipt. There are numerous extra charges that say "$TOGO $1.00". Um... I am almost 40 years old and have never seen a charge like this. There was another charge... "4% Surcharge (4%)". This apparently had something to do with COVID. Uh, excuse me? It's August 2022. People don't even wear masks anymore. What am I paying for? The place ruined a repeat costumer to tack an extra $6 onto a $100 order. Plus suggested an additional 20% for the bartender. We did tip her because we Love her and don't hold her responsible for the theft. But why suggest to give $20 to someone who listened to our order? Nobody waited on us. We weren't at a table or offered drinks. We ordered to go. The bag of food was sopping wet. The food was pretty good. Coconut shrimp with spicy pineapple sauce was amazing. Steak was really chewy if you like it like that. It wasn't what I was looking for but it was ok. Sauteed mushrooms were great although were packed in a way that our food containers and utensils were dripping in it's sauce. I honestly had to have a laugh. I have 40+ 5 star reviews and one single 1 star review. Service was great, food was pretty good. I'll never come back here again. Eat at your own risk of tourist charges. read more

Zelda's - Dripping utensils - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The only thing I like about brunch here are the complimentary blueberry muffins that was served shortly after ordering. It is a nice touch since I have only seen that method used at restaurants serving either bread, breadsticks, or biscuits. We biked here from home which was less than a mile away. We asked to be seated outside which was nice, I suppose. I did not care about the sun beaming down on me but then again I am not one to sit and watch the "amazing views". Watching the same thing for more than 5 minutes gets pretty old and uneventful for me. It wasn't 11AM yet. I ordered a scramble, Craig ordered the huevos rancheros, I think and Tess ordered the calamari and fries. Our orders did not take long but what was served was bland and abysmal. The price per entree did not match the taste and quality of our dishes. The kids' menu is expensive. The potatoes on my plate was pretty good but everything else on my plate left me feeling very unsatisfied and disappointed. I guess when you have an "ocean view", charging outrageous prices for mediocre food is justified. I think not. Never. Returning. Ever. read more

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Great outdoor setting on the beach. The staff was really nice. The nachos... weren't. The "cheese" was like what you might get at a convenience store, straight out of can. They were out of sangria. The restroom had a sign that asked that the staff be allowed to use the facilities first. Something I've never seen before! read more

Dishonest business. They advertise prices, than tack on a 4% surcharge on the total bill. This business owner is running a con job by advertising one price and charging a different price. read more

We froze, but the view was worth it, our food got cold fast, but still tasted good. Just stopped in on a whim walking by. read more

Gosh I just love this place! The view, the food and drinks... everything! Anytime I come into Capitola it's a must to visit. We got our seats right away outside, it's was a gorgeous day outside. The service was great! My breakfast burrito was amazing. Also my blood mary was soooooo good, like always. We hung out after on the deck and had a mimosa. Always a good time there. Anytime I go back to Cali it's always in my itinerary! read more

Zelda's - Mimosas by the beach - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The only reason to come to Zelda's is for the view (right on the beach). Food is mediocre at best. Nothing exceptional. But, average priced. The basic breakfast is $14 which is the going rate (+/-) around this area. Unfortunately, not prepared very nicely. The fried eggs were crispy and overdone. BTW, the restaurant was a bit stinky when we walked in. Smelled like an old dive bar (yes....I've been to old dive bars back in the day). It would certainly be more attractive if it smelled better when walking through the door. read more

Beautiful view and a great place to grab drinks! Staff is friendly, and they also have a great chilaquiles.

This place was just okay. Prime location right on the beach, but the food was pretty boring and bland imo. They had live music which was nice and did bring the ambiance up a bit, but overall still meh. I got the clams which were alright. The bread it came with though was super sad and stale. My cousins got the clam chowder bowl and the pulled pork sliders. Nothing to write home about. Will probably check out surrounding restaurants next time I'm in Capitola. read more

Cute views, but that's it. Breakfast burrito/nachos/French toast were all just alright. I wouldn't be excited to come back here. Staff was friendly and heater lamps were helpful for the chillly morning that I was there. read more

Eh it was alright. Nothing special here. Typical on the beach restaurant with small variety of foods to choose from. I didn't really care about the amount of items on the menu, it was more about the types of the items they have and the lack of flavors. It was pretty boring for my first time. Don't get me wrong though the seating is nice because there's a view of the beach, the wharf, surfing sites, and the venetian view. I had their lunch special ($12) which was a small bowl of clam chowder which was probably heated up Campbell's chunky soup or even Progresso lol! It was flat and canned tasting. Their half sliced tuna melt sandwich was decent because the bread was grilled with butter, the tuna filling was melted with the yellow cheese and I there were slices of fresh onions and celery to provide some texture and flavor to it. Overall, this place is ok. If you're craving for a quick bite then this would be a good place to stop by for small spending. read more

Zelda's - Lunch special for $11.95 : Tuna melt and clam chowder - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

A good time! We went on Saturday night, 4th of July weekend and had good food and great service. Can't beat the location and there was a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Drinks and food came fast and service was excellent. They even run the credit card at the table for max efficiency. Kids food came with the appetizer to keep everyone happy. Food was fresh and tasty and the drinks were fun. A great vacation dining spot. read more

Zelda's - Mahi mahi ; Cioppino - Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Food was bland, no flavor. Flys all over, and I get it's by the water, but bathrooms were dirty and overall cleanliness is not it. Waiter was very nice! read more

On the patio is always a favorite. Beach, sun, ocean. It's a great spot! Ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer. Incredibly fresh calamari, thick strips, perfect fry. I ordered the beet and arugula salad, also incredibly fresh, dressing was delicious, perfect balance to the appetizer. Fish and chips weren't our favorite. Fish was good, but not battered in a traditional styleCocktails are perfect and a $3 extra shot makes it a very good value. Our server was non-invasive, and we were allowed to linger as long as we were ordering. She kept the drinks coming. :) Zeldas has a cool beach vibe. read more

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