We had an early dinner here last Sunday. They were super busy for the Holiday weekend. We decided to eat in the bar since it was too hot to enjoy our reserved patio table. The service was very friendly, but quite slow. There was only one man doing everything! We had the fried calamari appetizer and the sea bass entre. Both were delicious. read more

From the atmosphere to the food quality to the over-the-top service this place is awesome. I will return there for Mexican food anytime I'm in the area. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the wrong thing for my daughter, and they easily took it back with no charge. We then proceeded to leave our doggy bag there at the restaurant. When we remembered it the next day we called to see if they had it. Of course they didn't but they said why don't you just come in and we will remake it for you. That kind of service just doesn't happen. Our whole family was super impressed with this place and we do a lot of Mexican. The food is super quality and tasty. The only thing I didn't love was the house margarita. It was a bit bland, but everything else was really great!! read more

The food was fantastic but service was horrible. Our waitress forgot two sodas until we were half way through dinner. This is after having to be reminded about the drink order twice as we had chips and dinner served . After dinner we waited more than 15 minutes for the check and finally had to wave the manager over to ask for a to go box and the check. Once we got the receipt back and the 7 of us stood up to leave the waitress ran over to us and insinuated that we were trying to leave without paying. Omg! We only left mandatory 20% tip because it was automatically figured into the bill for the group of 7 people. She was very nice, but surely didn't deserve half that tip. I'm really disappointed as we had talked up the restaurant to our kids and frankly were embarrassed about the service. read more

This restaurant generates excellent Mexican food, some of the best I have tasted. That being said, they continue to shoot themselves in the foot with understaffed service. The last time we ate there, it took 30 minutes to get drinks from the bar. Tonight it took 45 minutes to get a glass of water, and another 10 minutes to get our bar drinks. Get another bartender please!! The food is consistently good although every time we go, the menu is always transformed. We went a month ago and the menu tonight was at least 50 percent different. Thankfully they kept the yummy Baja fish tacos. I really want this place to make it. The servers are very friendly but they have too many tables to serve. We were a group of 6 and three of our courses never made it to the table. They take orders on paper notebooks. Very inefficient! Please! Please! I really want you guys to make it, but you keep getting in your own way. This is a management problem, not a food problem. read more

Wonderful ambience, great food, and delightful service. The chips are fried but not the least bit oily and the salsa is unique and delicious. read more

Ignore the haters. This place is amazing!! I will admit I am a bit of a snob about where I eat and this place did not disappoint. The drinks? Superb! The fresh fish? Delightful! Everything was amazing! From the drinks to the crudo to the steak to the churros. Exactly what our area needs, a modern twist on Mexican food. Thank you Dos Pescados for upping the game! Also shout out to the bar team, Sean & Josh - great service and great drinks, can't wait to come back! read more

Dos Pescados - Seafood Near Me - Aptos, California

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Baja fish tacos were delicious. The crab nachos were also very good. Great service! Don't forget to ask the waitress about the Dirty Dave IPA. The KOA Bois will back! read more

Had lunch at the new Dos Pescados the other day with wife and friend. Menu is interesting and adventurous but good. We had Baja tacos, vegan enchiladas, ceviche, and guacamole with our complimentary chips and salsa. Not traditional Mexican food but everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Plates a bit smaller than the old Palapas but so are the prices. Service was really great and looks like lots of the same familiar staff stayed on which is nice. I fully recommend it. read more

We went for the new happy hour and were greeted by a huge basket of chips and yummy salsa when we sat down. We had several rounds of cocktails--all delicious and expertly crafted by Paul, who is an absolute legend here. Next came the tacos--birria, poke...(stellar) followed by house made guacamole drizzled with a spicy chipotle (I think?) oil. We topped it off with tangy coleslaw and more cocktails haha! Delicious food, great drinks, VERY accommodating staff and gorgeous ocean views. I am a local and it's like being on vacation every time I go here. read more

Amazing service, baskets of chips, fun atmosphere, great drinks, fun happy hour and great views. Cheers

Really bland and overpriced. Amazing view but the fried fish tacos were not good at all. Employees are very kind though!

My family used to go to Papalapas all of the time when we were growing up. We were so sad to see it go downhill the last couple years but so happy that Dos Pescados showed up and took the spot. Everything we got was delicious but had a slight spin on it. Fish tacos were fresh and light, chile verde was very flavorful and had a great addition of pickled jalapeños and onions on top.Started wit by guacamole, salsa and chips which were all very good! Can't wait to go back read more

Finding small owned restaurant in Santa Cruz with excellent service can be rare, but Dos Pescados managed to impress us in every way possible. Our server, Leah, was never without a smile on her face and always anticipated all of our needs --water, additional chips, etc. We ordered the carne asada and the quesabirria tacos, both of which came out quickly and tasted amazing! The general manager made sure to check in at the end of the night to guarantee our experience was positive, and I assured him it was. We will definitely be returning! read more

I had a great experience the new manager was great. All the staff were very on top of everything and the meal was perfect. I loved the feel of the restaurant the atmosphere and the live music was super fun. The bartender Paul was very nice and was making my party laugh the whole experience. read more

So much better than La Palapas! The ceviche is amazing. I can't wait to see what the new chef comes up with next.

A refreshing experience for us locals here in seascape! Food was to die for and drinks we awesome. The frozen margarita was great on a hot day. Our server was great and was working very hard to make sure we had a good time. The new general manager came over and checked in on us and he shared a bit of background about the restaurant and plans to improve. I can't possibly see what they could improve on, everything was perfect! read more

Loved this spot. From the moment we arrived, greeted with friendly welcoming smile, to the clean bright freshly painted walls to the delicious authentic salsa fresh made with perfect consistency. Chips warm. So happy this place took over for prior Palapas Restaurant! read more

Beautiful restaurant by overlooking the ocean. Delicious food we reached at the place 10 minutes before closing. They accompanied our family with seating outside looking towards the ocean. Fast service cleanness, peaceful, set up was great. I recommend this place to family and friends. read more

Our second time coming to this yummy restaurant. Our waitress was so sweet and bubbly, Leah was wonderful. It was a warm evening and beautiful, sparkling water off of the balcony. Our food was delicious. We got chicken parrila, guacamole, salmon belly, street corn, and oysters to eat. Drinks were Paloma and Dos Pescados margaritas.... UuuuUmazing! read more

A bit different than its predecessor, which is OK, but did miss the tasty chips.... Halibut ceviche was nice, but need to garnish with more than just cucumbers. Sea bass was good with a near perfect crust. Tasty salsa, but could use a bit more "bite". Excellent cilantro garnish!! Yes we like cilantro. Enjoyed the margaritas, not too sweet. Service and staff did a good job. We plan on returning in the future. read more

A group of us ordered takeout. Fish tacos, steak quesadilla, birria tacos. It was delicious! Time from ordering to eating was only 30 min. While we didn't dine in, we did love the food. read more

This restaurant has replaced Palapas near Seascape Resort in Aptos. What an upgrade! Michelin star restaurant brings a modern touch to Mexican cuisine, on a par to what you can get now in Los Cabos, MX. read more

Highly recommend this restaurant. Creative and delicious menu. Cocktails are really good too. Staff very friendly. Great views if you sit outside or near windows too. read more

Chef Trent is first class and his food is next level, I normally don't touch raw fish - but he made a believer out of me!

11 out of 10. The salmon is so so good. Their take on a slaw is just fantastic. Great salads too, arugula and the ceasar. Yummy. Really good and great people! read more

Dos Pescados - The salmon is an obsession. - Seafood Near Me - Aptos, California

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First encounter, we were abruptly told we have to have reservations. We left. Decided to return. Salsa was odd. Taste was off, not Mexican. Our friend ordered ahi bowl, basically she got just the bowl. It was 1/4 filled. At least pretend to fill it with lettuce or something. Meager at best. The men had chili verde. My husband went home to eat more food. Obviously not enough to fill him up. Meat was chewy. I had the quesadill. Full size. Taste was not Mexican. This owner has a long way to go to fill Palapas shoes. It may not have been five stars, but better than odd tasting, meager plates. read more

We had our first visit to Dos Pescados for lunch today and it was lovely! We sat on the patio looking out at the ocean. The wait staff and general manager were very attentive to us. The food was truly outstanding! It was fresh, and delicious, and was brought to us in a timely manner after we ordered. The chips were warm and crisp, and the salsa was so good. They have a daily Happy Hour and we plan to be back often. We are thrilled to have a fabulous new restaurant so close to by. read more

We had a lovely lunch on the patio with the usual beautiful ocean views. All three of us were very pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the unique menu. Our choices of empanadas, caesar salad and chicken enchiladas did not disappoint, and in fact we savored every bite and appreciated the unusual but very tasty combinations of flavors. And the chips and salsa were addictive! Love that the ingredients are so fresh, with many locally sourced. After many years of going to Palapas with friends and family, it's a huge relief that this "replacement" is going to be a new favorite. The wait staff was prompt and friendly and the kitchen crew clearly knows what they're doing. read more

I met a friend at Dos Pescados for dinner last night. She lives in the neighborhood so has been there before but it was a first time for me. We did not need a reservation and were given to option of dining indoors or on the patio. Given that the sky was clear and sunny we opted for outside. The service was excellent and our server was cheerful, outgoing and kmowledgable about the menu. My friend has some dietary constraints and the server was able to ensure that the constraints were met without making my friend feel like a nuisance. We each ordered a margarita, the El Jefe, and were left to our chips and cocktails just long enough. When our entrées were delivered we both declared them delicious. My friend had a salad with the addition of the salmon and I had the shrimp tacos. Super yummy. We finished our meal and lingered over our cocktails. The server brought the bill but assured us that there was no hurry and she seemed to mean it so we li geared for another 45 minutes. I was very impressed and can't wait to go again. read more

Very expensive for weird food. How do you screw up chili verde with corn tortillas. Had weird rice also. Won't go back.

So I know this restaurant is in transition but it appears there's much work to be done. My husband went last night to get us food to go, as we live about a half mile from the Village. He sat at the bar and had to walk around to find someone to take his order. After that it took about another half hour for his food to come. We ordered the chorizo and potato tacos, quesadillas and guacamole and chips. I opened the box with my tacos and it looked like they'd just thrown 2 corn tortillas with a dab of chorizo and potatoes in a box. No fixings to be found. No lettuce/cabbage, onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa...nothing. The quesadillas were the same story. Way overcooked with zero fixings. Just meat and cheese in a dark brown tortilla. The guacamole was merely an avocado mashed with nothing added, including salt. We decided to give them another month or so before we try Dos Pescados again to see if they're able to iron out both the wait staff and kitchen issues. read more

Palapas was a joke from the outset many years ago. Dos Pescados is so much worse. They might try to have some adults actually working there. Not kids who are still in high school as the wait staff. Just so lame. read more

Food service drinks all fabulous. Food was fresh and not heavy. Great flavors and unique. Super yum.

Found multiple small but thick black curly hair in my dish disgusting. Food was bland and over priced. Waiters were friendly however they couldn't let me and my wife just eat to talkative. Music was horrible. If you want good Mexican food go to Manuel's big thumbs down dos pescados read more

We were at the cantina and food was very bland, margaritas were poor. Get's a star for a beautiful balcony!

Delicious food and great service. Will definitely be back. Great views of the ocean if you sit on the outdoor deck.

The salsa is an odd brown and bland served with stale chips. Odd club beating roxy style music doesn't fit here; teenage bus peeps and servers nice but so utterly inexperienced it was painful to watch. Ssslooooooow service with the place far less than half full. Beautiful presentation of tasty halibut ceviche but took more than 20 minutes to arrive and only after we took our last bite, our drinks were delivered. Chicken tacos and quesaberria were tasty but could not save the aforementioned failures. We are local and looked forward to trying this place following Lily Belli recent write ups but this place does not have its groove on. read more

We had an amazing meal at Dos Pescados. We really enjoyed the Hamachi appetizer and the Chili Verde. The drinks were fantastic. I appreciated the wonderful meal with appropriate servings as well. I dislike wasting food and I ate every bite on my plate(s)! Also the service was great and the drinks were fantastic and creative. We will be back! read more

We had a wonderful meal there today. Great service (thank you Nate), great food for my 96-year-old Mother and 3 of her daughters. Delightful setting with a beautiful view. Exceptionally clean....margaritas recommended. We will be back! read more

The location is scenic, but unfortunately, that's where the positives end. The food was mediocre, even by Santa Cruz standards, and the prices were exorbitant, especially given the small portion sizes. We were so hungry by the time our food arrived that we didn't think to take pictures. I hope they improve since they've just reopened, but I won't be returning anytime soon. read more