Best Casual Restaurants in Santa Cruz

Always above average food and excellent service. Always our go to for a date night.

We went for breakfast.. the food was excellent. I had the lemon ricotta pancakes and wow - they were delicious. Service was great, beautiful views. Overall great experience!

Gavin was amazing! Such a wonderful knowledgeable server! The entire wait staff and host were attentive friendly and fun!!

There’s a bar on your left as you walk in, the space is laid of beautifully. The open kitchen anchors the room and there’s fresh persimmons hanging to dry. Despite the kitchen being open, the noise level was minimal. Looking up the ceiling, I saw that the noise is managed by acoustic paneling that absorbs the sound. The staff is welcoming, friendly and attentive. We started with the Santa Cruz greens which is a bowl of salad greens and dressed simply in a delicate vinaigrette. It’s light, citrusy and the leaves were fresh. Delicious. We had the hamachi lettuce cups next. The crispy rice was a nice counterbalance to the delicate fish. We shared the ribeye katsu Sando with caramelized onions. What a great bite! Milk toast toasted perfectly and the rib eye cooked medium. The Brussels sprouts with pickled garlic and balsamic/maple glazed and pork belly was the surprise hit of the evening. We couldn’t stop eating it! We also had their version of margarita which was light, citrusy and not overly sweet. We really enjoyed dining here. It’s perfect for a date night!

Super good pizza. The remodel now had a mix of walk up counter service, pizza by the slice, or full order. To get a table that is reserved, you talk with the food at the bar. It still took about 15 min to be seated. Our server was super friendly. Great selection of pizzas.