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    Harbor Cafe

    4.4 (1.7k reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Harbor Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    HARBOR CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Harbor Cafe

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    Derek C.

    Harbor cafe is a cute spot for brunch has great outdoor seating area for dogs and pets alike. Inside is a bit small, but roomy. Waitress helped with the to-go order so can't say much other than that. Off to the food review 4/5 - Breakfast Burrito - All around good with everything you want in the breakfast burrito. Egg, hashbrowns, and I added some meat in it to make it all the better. I always feel breakfast burrito needed some meat. The salsa definietly adds acidity to cut down the greasiness of the burrito and adds a nice spice as well. Definitely recommend this. 2.5/5 - Frittata - Not sure what to say about this. Expected a good crunch from the looks of it but just had a stale crunch instead. Feels very heavy on carbs and cheese. Hard to cut with a knife and avacado seem a bit old as well. Salsa and sour cream helped a bit but cannot save the dish. Order something else probably next time

    Brioche French Toast
    Marnie P.

    Food is great, service is fast and Ambiance is surfer vibes it has a very casual cool feeling when you dine in. They have parking lot and price is reasonable. Will definitely recommend it if ur in Santa Cruz area.

    Churro Belgian Waffle
    Isaac G.

    Harbor Cafe is my favorite place to eat in Santa Cruz, I've been here three times and I will definitely be back. On the rare occasion we stay in SC more then just a day trip to the Boardwalk we have some favorites we visit and for breakfast/brunch our usual spot is the Harbor Cafe. Everything I've had from here is freshly prepared hot and delicious. This last time the kid got the churros waffles the wife got a club sandwich or Monte Cristo and I got the chicken and waffles (BOMB)! Our server Molly was super friendly and even offered her favorite dish and the chicken and waffles I ended up getting when we were seated. Restaurant and Restroom was nice and clean. I would recommend getting here early they fill up quick and there is only a scant amount of parking even on the street.

    Country Steak Breakfast
    Alex O.

    I happened to be in Santa Cruz one morning and looked for a breakfast joint with excellent reviews and landed on Harbor Cafe. Went on a Monday morning and got seated right away which was great. I decided to get an orange juice which was fresh squeezed which was delicious! Service was okay as we only got checked on at the end but if we needed something we could have flagged them down I guess. Here is what we got. Country Steak Breakfast - 9/10 Hash browns were good but a bit on the crispy side which I don't mind! I just want some softness at the bottom of them but that's just me nitpicking! Steak had nice flavor and the gravy was delicious. Get the biscuit, super flavorful and soft. Country Benedict- 10/10 Delicious! I mean, I love any Benedict so I'm bias but you wouldn't regret this one! If you're ever in the area, swing by! Super comfy inside and feels like home! You won't regret it.

    Salmon Benedict
    Chantal G.

    The food is as good as always and I am stuck with the bebedict each time I visit. The services are amazing, the servers are so energetic and always happy. Very family restaurant so the ambience is normal to not too loud Its easy to stop by each times I am in Santa Cruz

    Arlo T.

    Harbor cafe was on a list when I went to visit Santa Cruz. It's a cool little breakfast spot and you can tell it's a community staple. Get there early for parking if not, just park a block away and walk. We got seated fairly quickly for a bust Saturday morning. The service was hella quick and always had our waters filled. We ended up getting an omelet, croissant open face sandwich, and mimosas. It was pretty good and rich. The pricing is fair, but you really come here for the ambiance and the feel of old school Santa Cruz. If you're here early enough, definitely worth the trip!

    Cali Benedict
    Karl S.

    A quintessential California seaside cafe in Santa Cruz. Rustic surf decor, and great indoor/outdoor seating. It was a busy Saturday morning, we were seated after a short wait. Service was prompt and attentive. Food was casual brunch, ample and tasty. An enjoyable time, Well worth the visit

    Avocado Benedict, salad
    Misha S.

    Food was great. The hashbrowns were so crispy and flavorful, and I love how the Benedict's come on croissants. The service was great, everyone was so nice and they gave our dog water when we sat down. Ambiance was amazing as well. Very lively with music playing and large seating area outside where most people had dogs. I had a great time and can't wait to be back!

    Sam R.

    We visited Harbor Cafe for a last minute brunch and it was a good experience. The restaurant was quite busy, so we waited for about 15-20 minutes before getting seated. They have both outdoor and indoor seating available. A few things to note- customer service was friendly and attentive, despite the restaurant being very busy. I ordered the basic, two egg plate with scrambled eggs and hash browns and a biscuit. The scrambled eggs were great and I enjoyed the hash browns, as they were crispy, although I couldn't finish them. The biscuit was good but a little dense. I also ordered a kitchen coffee, and that was quite delicious with just the right amount of sweetness and a sprinkle of horchata flavor. I was a little bummed that they overloaded the drink with ice, and should've requested less ice. They did the same with a soda that we ordered towards the end of our meal. Our server mixed up our order unfortunately, as we had requested fish and chips and they inputted fish tacos accidentally. However, they were able to fix that for us, as we pointed it out immediately. My mom also ordered a side of fruit, and that was tasty and fresh with a good variety of fruit. Pricing for each dish seemed reasonable, and the menu has several options for savory and sweet items. In addition, our server was kind and gave us a slight discount over the order mix up, which was thoughtful and considerate. Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Harbor Cafe and would likely return to dine here in the future. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're visiting Santa Cruz or Capitola.

    Sausage omelette
    C. M.

    Was in town to visit a friend in the campus and had breakfast in this cute little cafe. Place was packed and service was great! Would definitely come back again next time. We had the country steak breakfast, eggs Benedict & sausage omelette. All tasted good!

    Country fried steak
    Fani J.

    Great service, food was delicious! Definitely recommend it. They have a nice patio area, and inside it's also very cozy. Our server was awesome. Everything was great!

    Nutella French toast
    Prasiddha H.

    Had a chance to try Harbor Cafe and this was truly a nice experience. We came here for brunch on a Saturday morning and this place was packed with people. Thankfully I was able to quickly put my name down on the table and was seated within 20 minutes outside. The ambiance was cute and there was an outside heater and some trees around which made it cute The service here was awesome and I felt the person helping really paid attention to make sure we had our best time here! For food we got: * Breakfast burrito with carnitas - this was delicious and absolutely loved every bite. I love how the meat was seasoned and that all the ingredients were mixed up together so every bite was an amazing explosion of flavor. The salsa was also top notch *Nutella French toast with strawberries - this is a yummy delicious dish packed with a chocolatey gooey flavor. Every bite was awesome and we were able to take some home to eat the next day! Overall, great experience at Harbor!

    Polenta Benedict
    Karen M.

    What a cute & delish spot!!! Found it by using yelp 4 breakfast suggestion on our sisters trip. There was a line 2 b seated, but it went fast since there tables were open. My sister & I opted 4 a savory & sweet dish 2 split. We got the Cali Benedict which was on a croissant instead of an English muffin & a churro waffle. Both were a hit!!! The hash browns were crispy just like I like them!!! They had the "correct" condiments on the table: pepper sauce & chulula!!! I also enjoyed a hot coco. There was a bar in case u want an adult beverage. My other sisters shared a polenta Benedict & the Nutella stuffed French toast. We all enjoyed our meal!!!!

    Veggie scramble, hashbrowns, biscuit

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    19 days ago

    Great find with an outdoor area perfect when you have a dog. Best Huevos Rancheros I believe I've ever had!

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    Page 1 of 43

    Harbor Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Harbor Cafe

    I see reviews of clam chowder bowl from June - but it isn't on the menu. What's up with that?

    Do they still offer the Shrimp Benedict? I don't see it on their menu😫😢. Thanks!

    Best to call and ask. There menue changes. Not alot but I know it has twice in the six months I tried to get the same thing and didn't offer it.

    Does this place take reservations?

    No it does not.

    Any gluten free options?

    The kitchen doesn't have strict prep rules so, if you're celiac, it's unlikely this place works for you. If you are gluten sensitive, you should be fine. The Polenta Benedict is a good option.

    Any chance a party of 9 could get in at 9am on Mother's Day?

    You have to get there super early! Or wait in line a very long line.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Betty Burgers

    3.8(1.4k reviews)
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    We loved Betty Burgers! We absolutely love Betty's Burgers in Santa Cruz! This place has become…read moreone of our favorite spots whenever we're in the area. The burgers are always juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, and you can really taste the quality in every bite. The sides are just as good--crispy fries and delicious shakes that complete the whole experience. What makes it even better is the great atmosphere and friendly staff. You always feel welcomed, and the service is quick and attentive. If you're in Santa Cruz and craving a really good burger, this is definitely the place to go. Highly recommended!

    It's been a while since we've been here, and the last time we visited Santa Cruz, we decided to…read morestop here and grab some burgers. I expected the same quality of the burgers many moons ago; however, this wasn't the case on our return trip. Firstly, the service wasn't as friendly this time around as the staff is mostly consisted of younger people in their early 20's. They were too busy concentrating on each other cracking jokes with one another instead of taking care of their customers. When we received our burgers, they weren't as juicy as our previous visits. The flavor was decent, but chewing on every bite resulted in a dry texture that wasn't appetizing. Our side of sweet potatoes was also inconsistent; some were soggy and some were crispy. Don't know what was happening in the kitchen, but all I recall observing was a lack of proper execution. Perhaps they needed to concentrate better on their tasks on hand. Overall, it's still a decent burger, but the quality is not the same compared to our previous visits. Betty would be somewhat disappointed.

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    Oblò - The Croquettes that were potato, mozzarella, and ham inside and had a very yummy sauce.

    Oblò

    4.4(84 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Upon entering, we were promptly greeted and lead through their nice lounge area to the…read morewell-appointed dining room. After selecting our drink preferences, bread service was initiated. Attention to details by our host was evident and appreciated. Our entrées arrived nicely plated in a short time. We greatly enjoyed our entrées of Spagetti alle Vongole and Seabass Fish of the Day. Live music was being performed in the lounge throughout our dining experience which greatly enhanced the ambiance of the meal and restaurant. The live music was a contemporary jazz quartet followed by a clarinet and drums duo ensemble. The atmosphere of Obló is conducive to a relaxing rendezvous for a drink or dining with friends, or to embrace the intimate and romantic undertone of their fine dining venue with one's significant other.

    Oblo is located in the cusp of downtown, across from Abbott Square where you are close enough to…read morehear (and feel) the music while dining in a circular glass windowed room. Oblo has a family-style warmth with the paper menus and touch lamps that look like candles and yet it also feels like the perfect Date Night restaurant because of the ambiance, cool lighting, top shelf bar menu, great service and impressive food. I was there for a birthday, and Oblo surprised even me with their stellar service when they marched a line of smiling staff members out with a slice of beautiful cheesecake over a zigzag of blueberry compote and sung happy birthday in such a joyful way that the other customers joined along. It was definitely special. We had great service all night -- from the first person we saw to the last. Every dish was delicious!

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    Jack's Hamburgers - Regular Hamburger with Basket Fries!!

    Jack's Hamburgers

    4.0(598 reviews)
    1.6 mi
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    Such a cute staple of Santa Cruz. I have not gone for years. Little place on the corner, behind…read morepacific ave. Some seating inside, a little cramped but nice for the size of the place. Seating outside as well. I took my order to-go. Cashier super friendly, you can see the kitchen, cooks are working hard! You can see the fresh patties! Got my meal quick, it was super hot and the fries!! Thick cut and so yummy. I'm not sure if they are fresh cut? But they are very good. Burger was substantial and very fresh and yummy. If you are not a big eater I suggest a single patty! Definitely a place to try if you need a good classic burger that is fresh.

    Alrighty then. Originally we headed out tonight to go to Chubb's Chicken Sandwiches. Closed on a…read moredang Saturday night. WTF. Immediate zero stars. (can't normally leave that!) So we thinking...been in Santa Cruz 17 years and have never went to Jack's. Let's give it a whirl. Local favorite. How can we go wrong.... Let me count the ways. I order the Big Daddy Super Special Burger, aka "The Diablo Burger With The Works". Got all the cool ingredients for a little fire in the hole type of thing. Wifey went with basic bacon cheeser. Fries too. (Decent fries!) So we get'er home. Damn Diablo is biggg! Nice! First bite ends up in a messy, soggy disaster. No, they lied; not toasted French bread. It's gooey raw French bread. The kind that does not hold up to an overcooked, undersized meat patty. No way to salvage this. So let's strip off all of the bread, get it down to the basics and go Animal Style on this burger. Bottom line; pretty much hockey puck territory and as I write this review with dried special sauce on my fingers, I'm thinking about my turkey leftovers in the fridge...

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    Jack's Hamburgers - Full menu

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    West End - Fountain

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    We had dinner here during our stay. We ordered the okonomiyaki fries and pacific calamari to share…read more I ordered the steamed mussels for my main. The okonomiyaki fries were delicious. The fries with the spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce made the dish. It was very savory. My son enjoyed it. The fried calamari was also good. The calamari and jalapeno peppers were crispy and salted well. The sweet and sour sauce that accompanied it was added a slight heat to the dish. We enjoyed our meal here and would return the next time we are in Santa Cruz.

    I returned to West End over a year after my last visit, and so much has changed! They rebranded to…read moreWest End Izakaya and now serve Asian-inspired dishes, rather than their previous American farm-to-table menu. Honestly, I can't say this change is an improvement. My grandma and I visited around dinner on a Saturday and were seated on the (dog-friendly) patio. They did have propane heaters, but not enough of them, so it was quite chilly. For drinks, we both got hot Green Tea to warm up, which was very standard - served in pre-packed tea bags. For food, we ordered the Okonomiyaki Fries and Maitake Mushroom Flatbread to share. The Okonomiyaki Fries were pretty good and I enjoyed all the toppings, especially the spicy pink mayo. I usually prefer thinner fries, but I liked the crispy texture. However, the Maitake Mushroom Flatbread was a bit disappointing. There just wasn't enough bechamel and mozzarella on top and the flavor somewhat bland. Service was friendly, but I miss their old menu offerings, like the Heirloom Tomato Flatbread. Not a huge fan of the rebrand!

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    Harbor Cafe - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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