We Ordered 2 large Brisket meals . Sides: Potato salad,…read moreMac-n-cheese and baked beans. The brisket was very tasty and juicy. All the sides complimented the meat so well. The service was excellent. As patrons finished their meals, and left.the tables were cleaned quickly and ready for the next guests to sit down.

Came here on a last-minute whim, and was surprised how great Mission St. BBQ is. Not surprised…read morebecause of anything I read, or the actual restaurant, but it's usually hard to find great, authentic barbecue... This place is great and authentic! We ordered the three meat combo and got ribs, brisket, and barbecue chicken with potato salad, mac & cheese, and cornbread. Well, I was going on about how tender and delicious the ribs were, my wife could not get over how flavorful and tender the brisket was. It had a great bark, perfect smoky flavor, and the right amount of moisture and fat. If you want to dip it in some of their barbecue sauce, you can, but honestly, it's not necessary at all. And to me, that's some of the best authentic barbecue... Not needing to slather it in unnecessary sauces lets you enjoy the flavor and tenderness of the meat. The barbecue chicken was also really moist and delicious, although it would be hard to top that brisket and those ribs As for sides, the mac and cheese looked more like macaroni salad, but it was really good and cheesy without going overboard. A white cheddar or similar cheese. The potato salad was also good. but expect a brown potato salad maybe with a little bit of vinegar rather than a traditional creamy potato salad. The cornbread was crispy from the skillet, but moist, with a subtle hint of sweetness and the perfect crunch. They also have great blues music playing in the background, and a fantastic selection of beers, ales, and ciders on tap. If you're craving great barbecue in Santa Cruz or surrounding areas, definitely give Mission St. BBQ a visit. We were so happy we did, and this will be one of our new go-tos anytime we're in town.

I chose Aptos St BBQ to cater my staff appreciation day. It was great and everyone was pleased. I…read morewill use again.

Review from early August, I'm just a bit late in submitting! Aptos St did the catering for my…read morehusband's retirement party at a winery up in the mountains. Delivery was spot on time, food was hot and presented perfectly. They even brought all the plates & plastic ware, although we didn't need them as the winery was supplying all that. The young man who delivered it had all the food set up quickly and without any issues. Best part, everything was delicious and we had plenty to go around even after having more people attend then we originally planned for! We were sending people home with leftover plates and still had enough for us to enjoy another couple dinners. I highly recommend them for your catering needs. Thanks Aptos BBQ for helping us have such a great party!

My husband and I were on vacation here in capitola and I have a shellfish allergy so it's very hard…read moreto find a place to eat especially if I want fish n chips because most places have shellfish and cook it in the same oil as the fish and chips. I had been craving some good fish n chips... who doesn't when you are right by the beach right... so we searched everywhere and came across this place on yelp.. I called and the young girl at the front desk was super sweet.. very understanding of my shellfish allergy.. got to our hotel and was super impressed with the food, they give you a lot of food and the price was great too! Highly recommend this place if you are ever in the area

Cole's was a mainstay all four years while I was Banana Slug. Any time me and my ex were in the…read moremood for some serious BBQ provisions, we looked no further than Cole's. The crazy thing is, we never tried anything else on the menu. We went for the first time late in our freshman year, got a dinner combo (3 different meats and a side) and never switched up. For reference, this was our order for the following 3 years at UCSC: Combination, choose (3): BBQ Chicken, Beef Ribs, Hot Links and Macaroni Salad as the side I don't recall the total, but back then (late 90s-early 2000) I believe a 20 covered it. The folks that worked there are always awesome and they were generous with the student population. I would certainly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for a filling meal at a good price. The dining area is small, but quite nice and fairly quiet as most orders are to-go. I'd also urge you to consider ordering an array of different items to see what you like; from what I heard, they make a pretty good cheese burger too

Food: A This place…read moreis awesome, definitely a treasure trove for the charcuterie enthusiasts out there. Great selection of house made goodies. Close your eyes and randomly grab a couple items, I'm sure your will end up great board either way. Oh Companion Bakeshop not that far away, do yourself favor and grab a loaf of sourdough. Service: A - John

El Salchichero is a cool little local butchery that specializes in the art of charcuterie in a…read moremodern take. They source meat from specific local farms and utilize most if not all what they receive. They don't do a whole lot of fresh cuts laid out for a home cook like raw roasts and steaks like a regular butchery would. They'll have a few items processed/cut in cryovac ready to go but not a plentiful amount. Maybe there's more in the back, but up front in the display case, i only saw a few. Now in what I saw a ton of were their house made charcuterie. From salamis to different types of bacon to sausages and even jerky. Everything is portioned into smaller quantities and cryovac sealed. And they are modern in terms of they will take newer flavors and concepts versus just using old flavors done for centuries. They do have some classics but I was surprised in some of the labels I was scanning. Pate Campagnola ($12ish/4*) Everything is sold by the pound and most things are cut/portioned to different weights. Just pick a size you like. But this is a rustic and coarse pate. Kinda resembles Spam in looks. Lol. But much different taste. Even tho pretty salty there is a ton of garlic, maybe onion and other mild spicing. Some thin slices of this along some cheese and good bread was a nice treat for me. This has a moist cooked meat texture versus a dry/cured texture of a dried salami. So to have both on a plate/board is a nice ride imo. Dried Finocchiona Salami ($14/4*) Their salamis are pricey compared to commercially made ones. Here a small stick will cost about $14-$23. Whereas a normal store one you'd be able to get for $8-$12. But I still had to try one of their versions to see myself. This version is a thinner stick, dried out pretty well. You don't have to refrigerate these. For some reason the color is quite dark, never seen a salami quite like it. Most salamis I've seen are usually reddish/pinkish. Quite salty that I can only have a few pieces. And a very strong presence of vibrant fennel seed which sets this off for me. Awesome with red wine. Garlic Mushroom Sausage ($12/3.5*) Again quite pricey compared to regular store sausages. This price is for 3 sausages. But after trying these on my grill, these were very substantial sausages that 1 person would be pressed in eating a whole one, these are much bigger and denser than a standard commercial sausage. There were nice big chunks of mushrooms visible, but I didn't really sense a strong mushroom flavor. I did taste a unique spicing profile that you don't normally run into. Similar to a bratwurst but not quite. I definitely got nutmeg in my impression. And not really a knock for me but can be for others, is that the texture of the sausage is very firm and bouncey. Not sure how they get it like that, but it was very noticeable to me. Service top notch, like they will answer any questions and/or try to accommodate any questions or request. To that I say it justifies their pricing. Great find, I'll probably try and hit this up anytime I am in town.

Wanted something interesting for lunch and came to Pono. There is a parking structure nearby that…read morewe parked at since we couldn't find beach parking. Interior is huge with a large outdoors and it looks like they have live music. Near the bar area where we went was the most amount of Hawaiian Sun beverages I have ever seen, cases and cases stacked on each other. For some reason the menu was confusing and hard to figure out, I think its because it was so large and so much variety. Tuna Poke Bowl: Shoyu marinated ahi tuna, sweet onion, green onion, Hawaiian kalua pork. Comes with Pono furikake seasoned rice, seaweed salad, edamame and pickled ginger. Got this for my parents and they devoured it, it interestingly comes with their Kalua Pork which is excellent. Loco Moco: Two scoops rice, two grass-fed beef patties, two eggs your style and 'ono brown gravy served with macaroni salad and house-made Kim Chee! My wifes favorite and she loved their take on it, the beef was nice and savory and the gravy was perfect. BBQ Combo: Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Teriyaki and Kal-bi Ribs with Pono brand furikake seasoned rice, house-made kim chee, mac salad. For the kids, very upleveled hawaiian BBQ. Fried Fish Taco: I want to call this out because it was so good! The fish was tender and the breading was super crispy, I got the Kahlua Pork taco as well but liked this one a lot more.

Located about 15 minutes from UCSC, parking is limited and very hard to find. We got lucky with a…read morelot that had free parking which was only a block or so away. The interior is nicely decorated and spacious making it great for big groups. Loco moco burrito (4/5): delicious. The skin was crispy which I liked. A bit mushy but the macaroni was soft and well done. The beef was tender and flavorful. I still wonder why the tortilla was red though. Tap to pay is accepted. Overall, Pono Hawaiian Grill has some delicious food. The vibe is good too.

This shop has amazing cooked foods and sides. My recent lunch there was delicious. The store is…read moremodern, spotless and clean and is the best butcher shop I ever seen. There are some nice tables outside to sit outside and enjoy your meal.

This review is for Carne, the new location in Live Oak. We went for the soft opening and holee…read moremolee it was sooooooo sooo good. There was a long line of happy people patiently waiting to order hot food at the counter. The butcher shop has a different line and register. The Brisket was insane, fatty, tender, perfect. The meaty ribs OMG so so tasty and tender. The hot link was hot and well cooked, but not really my thing. I didn't really care for the bbq sauce, but who cares bc the meat was flawless and needed nothing at all. The beans were a little hard, I've no doubt that is a one off, bc they were hustling so hard. The service is kind and attentive. Lots of enthusiastic diners tucking into generous piles of food, a happy sight.

Hula's completely saved my birthday dinner! After arriving at the restaurant I had originally…read morechosen and being told they couldn't accommodate my party, Hula's was able to seat our entire group and made it feel like my birthday was always meant to be celebrated there. The customer service was amazing from beginning to end. I wish I could remember the staff members' names, but hopefully they remember our group! Everyone was so kind and attentive. They complimented us throughout the night, took pictures for us, and truly made me feel celebrated. The drinks were great and made just right. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better birthday experience. Thank you, Hula's, for turning the night around and making my celebration so special!

Delicious food! Jerk plate is phenomenal! And so is there…read moredesserts. We got the oreo based pie with the local ice cream as the filling which had macadamia nuts in it; it was so good! And it's enough to share for 2 people. I will definitely be back for the jerk plate and the desserts! Service was good! They checked in on us. Gave us great recommendations. Maria was our server and she did such an amazing job! Made us feel welcomed. There is plenty of seats inside and some outside as well. We chose to sit inside as it gave beautiful dim romantic atmosphere.

Burgers were delicious, fries were very good as well. Little tough to find a table on a Saturday…read morebut the live music and overall vibe are solid. Slightly overpriced since there is no table service. Parking is less than ideal as well since it's central to Santa Cruz but that's expected. Maybe the best part is the fact that everyone in your group can find something to eat (even if it's not Belly Goat) since there are several options in Abbott Square. This is what the US should look like. People of all ethnicities enjoying food from all over the world (I know, I know, I got a burger lol). But everyone just chillin', enjoying great weather and good food. Highly recommend a stop here

If you're a cow eater, this is your place. My husband devoured his Cowboy Burger ($18.00). He…read morethought the burger was juicy and prepared perfectly with paired toppings. The Lost Boys ($6.75)(garlic fries) were perfection. The fries are separate from the garlic confit and herbs provided in an Individual container. The garlic was well balanced in flavor, far from being overwhelming, fresh and so satisfying when paired with the fries. The Ahi Burger ($15) was not my favorite. The brioche bun was soft and toasted slightly, the slaw was crunchy and flavorful, the burger itself needed flavor. It felt like an afterthought rather than a main highlight of this dish. If we return, I would try the Forager ($14) a portobello, avocado mash burger I missed on the menu.

Enjoyed my meal. Loved how many options for ingredients were available. Staff was very helpful…read more Explained the process and cooked each meal well while keeping a clean cooking station. Plenty of seating inside and a few tables outside as well for guest with pets. Value is great for food quality.

Great value for the amount of food you get here. $20 for a huge plate of noodles, wontons, soup,…read morerice, and ice cream. One thing is for sure, you won't walk out hungry! Is it the best tasting food you'll have? Certainly not, but it's not bad, and I can see why this place is so popular with university students. Good experience overall!

September 19, 2026 - Scotts Valley, CA…read more We were dressed for a wedding and stopped here for lunch on the way. Luckily, it was nice enough that we didn't feel out of place in our wedding-guest attire. The restaurant has a large bar area as well as a comfortable dining room. We chose to sit in a booth in the dining room. Service was great from start to finish. I had the Ahi Salad, and it was perfect--fresh, flavorful, and just what I was looking for. A very nice stop for lunch, especially when you're dressed up and don't want to feel like you wandered into a casual roadside restaurant.

Have been here a few times now, the first one being during the World Cup games. They have a…read moredownstairs and an upstairs area. I've only dined upstairs as the bottom looks a bit smaller. The upstairs seems to also have more tv's and four TV's to make a giant screen. They also have a beautiful outdoor area. The times that I have gone, I have only sat upstairs indoors. It is spacious and has plenty of tables. I have tried their burger, Alfredo pasta, fish, and chips, and chocolate shake. I was unfortunately not a fan of the pasta, but really enjoyed everything else. Service has always been quick and everyone has been friendly and helpful. It is located in a shopping center with plenty of parking. Would definitely recommend!