Top Noodle Shop in Santa Cruz
Monster Pot
431 Front St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Read a good amount of reviews before deciding to try this place. Some people claimed the food tasted rotten. I came prepared. Before my partner and I were greeted, a lady spoke to a man who emerged from behind one of the front counters while having his phone out. I tried to think nothing of it. I ordered teriyaki tofu and rice, Kung pao tofu and rice, sesame balls, and a Thai tea. The food took the same speedy amount of time one would expect and wish for at a fast food establishment. It felt less than 5 min and both dishes were ready. The Kung pao tofu was spicy and flavorful. Whole thing was consumed contently. Sesame balls were good. The problem came with the teriyaki tofu. A few bites were chill. Its your standard teriyaki dish in terms of flavor. I had a slight funky taste in a bite of white rice. The funk for sure was present in one of the tofu pieces. It tasted sour/gone bad. I had to spit the bite into a napkin. My appetite left. Id order the Kung pao again and even try a new dish, but the fact I and other people have had not so good experiences give me great hesitation to come back. The lady at the front was nice. The place was dead for a Saturday evening. I expect and dont mind waiting for a restaurant to cook some fresh as can get food. I dont expect a garden in the back. Please dont serve any more old food. Spent like $40 and didnt get to enjoy what was paid for. Also, parking is small, so its best to park somewhere else close by and start walking.
Top other services in Santa Cruz:
Two Birds Books
881 41st Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, United States
Two Birds Books is the best bookstore in town. I live on the Westside and still take the time to walk or run all the way out here because the vibe is so wonderful. Gary sits at his desk with a very straight back and always has great things to say when I ask about a book. The selection of featured books is well curated. I read 400-500 books a year, but theres always something I dont know and end up buying. I never leave without buying a book or knickknack, because in this day and age we need to support our indie bookstores. It is way too hard to exist alongside the behemoth that shall not be named. Please help me in supporting Two Birds Books!!
Mariposa Coffee Bar
1010 Pacific Ave Suite E, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Maripose Coffee Bar is such a special gem to have here in Santa Cruz. Their fusion of Cuban and Vietnamese culture, recipes, and vibes elevate this place to a whole other level. You can just feel the love that's put into everything they do. Watching this start as a little pop up and turn into the dreamy, peaceful, community full place it is today has been such a wonderful journey to be apart of. After living in Miami for a few years I was so sad to leave behind the Cuban coffee culture. I am so grateful to now be able to walk downtown and get my fix ! Cuban coffee is so special and I wish people would take more time to learn what it actually is. The staff at mariposa is very knowledgeable and always crafting these special coffees to perfection. I love all the new things they come out with and am always so excited to try them. Don't even get me started on the food ! Ever since I had my first spring roll I was hooked ! All the ingredients are so fresh and seem to be made to order. Nothings premade and sitting around all day. Mariposa coffee bar reminds me to relax, take a breather, and just be in the moment. It's always one of my more favorite parts of the week to walk and see all their friendly faces and get my coffee fix ! Thank you for all that you bring and do for this community! Emoji and I will always be your biggest fans ! ?☕️
El Salchichero
402 Ingalls St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
This is not a review about the meat here.This is a review about crappy, snarky customer service.I called several days ago to reserve a prime rib roast for Christmas. I wanted something in the 3-4 pound range. The butcher who I was speaking with told me that a bone-in prime rib roast ran 1 - 1 1/2 pounds per bone. So, to be safe I ordered/reserved a 3 bone roast, and placed a $40 deposit.So, when I showed up today to pick-up the roast - it checked in at 5.8 pounds. I told the butcher at the counter that this was much larger than I expected and contrary to what I was told when I placed the order.I got several uninterested and unhelpful responses:Response 1: Three bones at 1.5 pounds per bone would be 4.5 pounds - so thats kind of close (to 5.8).Huh? In what math class? Thats like 29% more! And at $17.45 per pound - thats almost $23 more...Since this was much larger that I had expected, I asked if there was anything smaller or some other alternative - and I got Response 2:No. Nothing. This is your roast.Hey! Merry Christmas to you too, buddy!No apologies, no willingness to be helpful - just heres your roast - take it or leave it. And by the way, were going to keep your $40 deposit one way or the other.I know that these guys are very busy and popular - so customer service does not need to be a priority for them - but they should at least get the staff together and agree on how much a prime rib roast weighs per bone.
11th Hour Coffee
1001 Center St #1, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Nestled in the heart of Santa Cruz, this enchanting café is a haven where time seems to slow down, and every moment becomes a melody of comfort and delight. Just as birds seek out the perfect perch to serenade the world with their songs, this café is the sweet spot where free spirits converge to let their creativity soar.Step into a realm where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Imagine a place where the walls echo with the laughter of old friends reuniting and the gentle clinking of cups as strangers bond over shared stories. This café isnt just a space; its a symphony of flavors and connections, a haven where friends gather and strangers become kindred spirits.Picture a canvas bathed in sunlight, a canvas that captures the essence of the outdoors and brings it within these walls. The atmosphere is not just inviting; its AAA+, a culmination of meticulous attention to detail and an innate understanding of what it takes to make every visitor feel like theyve found a sanctuary. With every sip, the ambiance infuses your soul with a sense of belonging.As you enter, youll be greeted by a sense of spaciousness thats reminiscent of open skies, and the air dances around you, playfully inviting you to settle in and breathe deeply. Its a refuge where the indoors and outdoors intertwine, where light and air flow seamlessly, creating an environment that nurtures both body and mind.And oh, the goodies that await! The menu is a culinary adventure, a treasure trove of tastes and textures that cater to every craving. Its not just a menu; its a journey through gastronomic delights that promise to tantalize your taste buds and satisfy even the most discerning palates.So heres to the café that captures the essence of birds finding their nests and free spirits finding their groove. Inhale the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, indulge in the symphony of flavors, and relish in the camaraderie that blooms within these walls. This café isnt just a place; its an experience, a testament to the fact that sometimes, all you need is the perfect spot to let your creativity take flight.
Yarn Shop Santa Cruz
765 Cedar St UNIT 103, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
The people who work there are very friendly, kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. They can give you advice and recommendations on just about anything knitting or anything else yarn related there. They have a wonderful selection of yarn and other related tools. They sell quality products. I love the bamboo knitting needles they carry, they feel and look so nice. I wish I could buy all of their multi colored yarn.Yes, you could buy all the products they carry online, but you would not get the wonderful environment, experience, and help they can offer you. I love going there and will continue to do so.They are also follow covid protocol, wearing masks and only allowing two customers in at a time as it is a small space. The shop is very clean as well.
Steamer Lane Supply
644-670 W Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Nice gem on the cliffs. All I wanted was coffee without driving down to the boardwalk area super pleasant surprise to stumble on this place. House made and organic eateries much appreciated, agua de frescas, watermelon slices, donuts, breakfast food and lunch menu. The prices are reasonable considering the convienance and location. The atomosphere was super chill with outdoor seating nestled among the wooded area and giant jenga. The only thing I could say that could be improved was the service. I went here 4-5 times over my vacay while chiilin at the beach with my son. The staff was not all that friendly to us. They saved thier pleasant attitude for thier other guests. They are not very personable seem bothered by answering simple menu questions, wear poker faces, looked like it would kill them to smile or interact and engage with us. I thought maybe I look like a vagrant, lol, to them? bc I had been in there with beach wave hair and sand in my nails. I noticed they were friendly to the older white ladies that looked touristy. I came back another day not in my beach bum attire and same type of service to the point when I said TY to them they just uttered mmmhhhh. Typically, your welcome follows a thank you. But they already knew that bc they had all the pleasantries for the next customer in line including have a nice day and thank you. I work in marketing. Service thats not inclusive will always set apart your sucess. Maybe the new cofffe shop opening up on the cliffs will train thier staff to smile and say thanks to ALL thier customers!!!
Dig Gardens
420 Water St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
This place is a trip and a 1/2 let me tellYaI'm a local and always walking past here I always wondered what they have besides plants here and let me tell yaAfter close to 4 years of wondering I finally went inI was greeted by the lady who welcomed me and offered me sanitizer and asked if she could be of any assistance then. By a younger male who was also willing to assistMind you I'm physically challenged and so they were gracious about helping the one side was from back East so we had some commonalitiesHe was well versed and I will be going back the there as they were outta stock on what I was interested in findingA mini Botanical garden is what this place is if you ever been to Chicago I know what I mean of not look it upNeverthelessThank you to the owners for having such awesome customer service andWe sure are blessed to have stored like this in Santa Screwed
BAD ANIMAL
1011 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, United States
Overall, I had a poor experience at the restaurant in Bad Animal. From food, to service, to ambiance, all aspects of our experience left a negative impression. I never leave reviews but this was so especially bad that I felt compelled to.Food:We ordered three savory dishes and one dessert.1. Mieng was a set of 3 small nasturtium leaf wraps with toasted coconut, peanuts, lemongrass, apples, ginger, shallots, tamarind sauce. They were nearly falling apart, composed of chunky items rough the size of a peanut and these items were not held together. This made the wrap awkward to eat, as it was a small round leaf filled with large loose items that had to be corralled, lest they fall out either end. To to add to the awkwardness, the wraps arrived already dripping out excessive tamarind sauce. The items should have been lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or chopped finer and held together by some kind of a binder—perhaps some sticky rice.2. Yum makua was a small salad on a bed of fire-roasted eggplant, with minced pork, fish sauce, celery leaf, mint, fried shallot, cilantro. The dish again was unbalanced. The pork had a overly-strong aroma of pork characteristic of boar taint, and this flavor was not balanced out by the aromatics. It should have been cooked with plenty of lime leaf and the sauce should have had more lime juice. It also sorely needed more mint, cilantro, and celery leaf. It also lacked fresh allium to balance out the heavy pork flavor, such as minced shallots and scallions. And strangely the mint was cut in a chiffonade, when it most certainly should have been torn to limit oxidation and preserve a fresh flavor.3. Gai Tod hat yai was coriander rubbed fried chicken thighs, served with a Laotian roasted tomato relish. First of all, the chicken itself was bland and slightly dry, and had minimal coriander flavor. It needed an accompaniment but unfortunately became nearly inedible when dipped in the sauce. The sauce was overpoweringly salty. I know Laotian food can sometimes be salty but this was beyond that and unreasonable. We had a couple of bites and did not touch the rest. When our server came to ask us if we were done after a while, we said yes we were done, and that no, we did not want a box. I even added, this dish is not working. It is overly salty and not balanced. The server ignored me, avoiding eye contact and continued clearing the plates. The server did not apologize, inquire further, or defend their cooking, and, of course, they charged us all the same when it was time for the bill.Despite a poor track record we decided to try dessert, partly because we still held a kind of cruel optimism that the restaurant would redeem itself, and partly because we simply needed to cleanse our palate after an extremely salty dish. Water alone wasnt cutting it, and something sweet helps to relieve an overly salty taste. We ordered the pavlova which was composed of a meringue topped in strawberry & rhubarb compote, lime cream, toasted coconut. Unfortunately, the meringue was not optimally fresh—it had a stale texture, as if it had been sitting around for too long in the humidity of the Santa Cruz air. The dish did the job at cleansing the overly salted palate but was poorly executed.Service:The nadir of the service was the moment I complained about a dish and the server ignored my complaint without any sign of recognition or apology. This was characteristic of our entire experience that night, disaffected service in which the front of house and the servers seemed like they could barely bother to give us any thought or attention.Ambiance:This is the least important aspect for me, but somehow they still managed to offend. Visible piles of dust and debris in the corners of the room, below their sofa, and a very dirty rug. All these issues make one feel icky and question whether or not this establishment ever sweeps and mops their floor.
Dunlaps Donuts
3791 Portola Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, United States
Delicious array of sandwiches and doughnuts. And the service is phenomenal! We called in a large order of (15) sandwiches, as well as doughnuts and coffee for an event we were hosting. We gave them a few days notice and asked to pick up the order at 6:45 AM. (Note that it is very difficult to get breakfast for a group that early in Santa Cruz county). Everything was ready when I got there, the staff was super accommodating and friendly, and they were still able to deal with the throngs of people coming in while helping me with my order. They greeted many of the people walking through the door by name and even knew what they were going to order before they could say it. You can tell this is a staple establishment in the neighborhood. And a fantastic little family-owned business. It will be my choice for early morning breakfasts going forward!