We've visited East End Gastropub several times over the years and have always enjoyed the food and…read moredrinks, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Last Saturday night, my wife and I sat at the bar expecting the same level of service we've received in the past. There appeared to be only one bartender working. While the restaurant was steady, it wasn't overwhelmingly busy. We were served our first round of drinks, but after that we were completely forgotten about. For over 20 minutes, no one checked on us, asked if we'd like another drink, or even offered us water. Sitting directly at the bar, it was frustrating to feel ignored, especially when we were hoping to spend the evening enjoying a few drinks and dinner. Unfortunately, the lack of service left such a poor impression that we decided to leave. We've always enjoyed East End, which makes this review difficult to write, but customer service is a big part of the experience. Hopefully this was just an off night, but it was disappointing enough that we won't be returning anytime soon.

East End Gastropub consistently delivers delicious, solid food…read more Started with Crispy Shrimp Bao Buns which were crispy and tasty! Came for their Burger week Soft Shell Crab Burger !!! Amazing! Soooo Tasty! Get yours before they are gone!

We visited with family, a group of eight, and had a reservation. Even though the restaurant was…read morepacked and lively, it never felt overly loud, making it easy to enjoy conversation. The exterior doesn't do the restaurant justice. Inside, the dining room and patios are beautifully decorated, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. There's plenty of space for both small and mid-sized groups. The food was fabulous! We started with the calamari, which was honestly some of the best I've ever had, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. We also ordered the seasonal Caprese (tomato stack) salad, which was incredibly fresh with a wonderful combination of flavors. Even the complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar stood out. The balsamic was so good I forgot to ask what brand they use so I could buy some for home! Our server was friendly, attentive, and helpful. When I ordered the fettuccine with steak, she thoughtfully confirmed whether I wanted the Gorgonzola Alfredo or the traditional Alfredo sauce. I chose the traditional Alfredo, and it was absolutely perfect. I shared it with my daughter, so the photo shows about half of the original portion. Everyone at our table loved their meals. The rotisserie chicken received rave reviews as well, although I forgot to take a photo. If the weather is nice, don't miss the outdoor patios. There's a table for six near the fireplace that looked especially inviting. I wanted to take a picture, but I couldn't get the angle without including other diners in the frame. I also tried the watermelon martini, which was refreshing and delicious, and the wine pours were generous. If you're in Aptos, this restaurant is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back.

Never judge a book by it's cover. The front looks old and is windowless, but it's a totally…read moredifferent scene once you step inside. It's huge with a lot of seating. It looks like it would be a great place for large groups. We have never been here before and were confused as to where to park. The front area has 2 or 3 spots but I don't know if they're for customers. We found a drive way that led to the back of the restaurant that is shared by several businesses. The service was great. Everyone was very friendly and our server gave us really good feedback on the dishes we asked about. Someone was always walking around filling water glasses. We sat in the back patio. It's very spacious with a lot of umbrellas to keep guests in the shade. My husband had the meatloaf sandwich. He said it was ok, but a little dry. I really enjoyed the roasted mushroom and avocado melt, but it was hard to eat. Every time I took a bit, all the other ingredients would spill out. Lol I took out some of the greens to make it more manageable. The calamari was well seasoned and the Rock Fish Ceviche was our favorite. We'll come back to try their dinner service when we're in the area.

My family had dinner here for the 1st time. not only was our food really good but the staff was…read moreextremely nice, attentive & accommodating. We came from San Francisco & spent the day at the boardwalk. It was dinner time & we didn't know where to eat & majority of places closed at 9pm. However, based off good reviews we found this place nearby. We weren't sure if they would allow us to dine in since we arrived pretty late around 8:40pm. Luckily, the waitresses didn't hesitate to seat our party of 6. (3 hungry kids & 3 adults) We ordered the: -Garlic New York Steak- medium rare & it was so good. Cooked perfectly & topped with roasted garlic. Mixed in the garlic herb butter with the mashed potatoes. It was delish! - Mac & cheese: we ordered a large & it was really yummy & enough for all of us to share. - Tiramisu: I was excited to order this and it did not disappoint. I'm always on the hunt for a good piece of tiramisu, as it's hard to find especially infused with rum. Not only was the flavor & texture perfect, it was paired with whip cream sprinkled with cocoa powder & strawberries. Such a tasty combination. Also, I'd like to give a special shout out to our waitress & chef for being so accommodating to us. They stayed open way after closing time & didnt rush us. For one of our entrees, as we cut the steak, we accidentally dropped 1/2 of it. Since it was our fault we weren't going to ask for another steak. However, when our waitress found out, she asked the chef to make another one. Surprisingly, they were very generous to give us an entire new plate. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and will be sure to dine here again during our next visits!

The water street grill was a nice little hole in the wall. It is quite small but in a cozy way…read morerather than cramped. The service was excellent and the servers make sure you are well taken care of all the way through. However, some of the food items were hit or miss. We started off with the calamari appetiser which for 18 dollars was a bit disappointing. It was greasy and a bit chewy, lacking flavor as well. Then we ordered our mains which were the garlic steak with asparagus and mashed potatoes and the new york with prawns, asparagus, and roasted potatoes. The new york was beautifully cooked however the garlic steak was slightly overcooked yet still marinated wonderfully. The mashed potatoes were really good but the roasted potatoes were rather gummy and a bit lukewarm. The asparagus were some of the best we've ever had. We also ordered a side of garlic bread with mozzarella but it was more akin to a ciabatta bun with shredded cheese on top. Overall some of the food was incredible, and some was lacking, but the service was amazing.

Came here for lunch & the beer flight. We got the fish sandwich, steak sandwich, margarita…read moreflatbread, and a Caesar salad. Everything was delicious. Baby slept while we enjoyed our beer and lunch. Great spot! Will return when we're in the neighborhood.

Live music 3rd sat is great: Ashley Lloyd 5:30-7:30. Good acoustic…read more Honestly, I did not like any of the 6 beers that I tasted in the sampler flight. But there are about 6 more that I will try later. And the live music was good. Parking is OK; they have a lot of spaces in the back.

Delicious every time! I'm rarely disappointed by anything I've tried at Pretty Good Advice! Huge…read morefan of the Blue Cheese Salad and the chia is marvelous! They usually remember me by name and it's great service!

I don't normally write reviews, but when things don't go well I feel people need to know what…read moretranspired here. My girlfriend ordered a breakfast sandwich a that we were going to share. The counter service female was very nice and helpful. The sandwich was very good and we've eaten there many times in the past. When we both sat down to eat we noticed that our sandwich hadn't been cut in half. My girlfriend went back to the counter and asked a male kitchen employee behind the counter if he could cut our sandwich in half. The sandwich was completely wrapped in paper and we did not unwrap it at all prior to asking for it to be cut. His response was extremely rude and nasty. He claimed that it was already contaminated despite the fact that it was still completely wrapped in paper. He acted like we were putting him out by us asking him to simply cut the sandwich in half. He accused my girlfriend of "contaminating" the sandwich (in his words) just by touching it despite the fact that it was handled by 2 people before we even touched it. Basically, it was his scolding condescending tone that totally turned us off to ever visiting this place again. It only takes one lazy a--hole employee to ruin a great dining experience.

The fillet was out of this world! Sunday sauce was so layered and flavorful on the meatballs…read more Absolutly the best fettuccine alfredo I have ever had. Cannot recommend enough!!

Lillian's Italian Kitchen is incredible. My boyfriend found this place when exploring Italian…read morecuisine in Santa Cruz. Located in the east side of Santa Cruz, there is a coastal vibe in the area that lies flat. Don't be fooled by the maps because there is plenty of parking behind the restaurant. We advise to make reservations as it gets booked quickly. We made reservations about a month in advance. The staff were welcoming and accommodating. We came an hour early and they were able to get us to the available seating right away. You'll notice some vintage photos of people enjoying the restaurant many decades ago. With jazzy music in the background and a friendly atmosphere, I knew this was a good spot to choose. There's a variety of pastas you can get. I got the spaghetti pomodoro with chicken. Chicken and other meats have an additional cost, but they are so worth it. The spaghetti I had was chewy, fine, and tasty. I've never had anything like this before in Santa Cruz. The restaurant has a bar setting for those who want to casually take a sip. This is a great place to go on a date or celebrate for a birthday. I would 100% recommend.

Hideout is a poppin!…read more Every time I come here the food is fantastic. Sometimes there's a wait and although worth it , it can take some time. But we have yet had a bad experience here dining. My last visit my friend and I decided to share appetizers so we could try a variety of items and try a few things on the menu. Everything was so tasty! The onion rings were crispy and came with bbq sauce, one of my fav items we got! TIP: It is a good option to order for a large group, it is a large portion for $10. We also shared the burrata and tapenade, I like that it came with balsamic glaze for a savory and sweet effect. We got the Mac and cheese and added short rib. It was a really large portion too! It was as $15 for the Mac and + $9 for the short rib I believe which I didn't think was a bad price at all for what we given. We had a ton left over which will last us 2 days as a side dish for dinner later on. Buffalo wings came with 11 wings, they were garlicky and the buffalo sauce had great flavor. Overall this is always a great spot to drop by for dinner, drinks, and/or appetizers. It's easy going here, the staff is friendly and accommodating, and the food is delicious.

Really enjoyed our first visit to The Hideout! We had the fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato…read morefries and the prime rib. The sandwich was delicious, and the chipotle aioli was especially good--creamy, flavorful, and one of the better ones I've had. The sweet potato fries were crispy. My partner really enjoyed the prime rib, and the portion was large enough for leftovers. Service was quick, attentive, and friendly. We sat outside with our pups, which we appreciated. The only suggestion would be to update the patio layout a bit. Our table was directly across from the waiting area, so it felt like we had very little privacy while people waited. Other than that, we had a great experience and would definitely come back.

We stopped by for some take-out to bring with us to our beach picnic. They were having a FIFA watch…read moreparty at that time so customers were enjoying their food while watching Spain and Argentina play. I ordered the Point Grinder which is a burger with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and green onion and it was a great combination! The only reason why I'm giving a 4/5 stars is because my patty was still very red instead of a standard well-done. My friends and I also ordered one side each and tried garlic fries, sweet potato fries and onion rings and all were delicious. Garlic fries were seasoned well and had lots of garlic, sweet potato was slightly thick cut and soft and yummerz and the onion rings wasn't just batter, it had thick slices of onion! Their ranch was also creamy and aromatic! Parking could be difficult on a busy day! 9/10 would recommend!

We were staying nearby and were so excited when we saw that Betty's was within walking distance…read more This place is consistently delicious, and everything tastes fresh. I ordered a burger, chili cheese fries, and a beer while we watched one of the World Cup games. It was the perfect spot to enjoy food and catch the game rather than take the kids to a bar type of setting to watch the game. The large windows are so nice, you can enjoy some people watching (my favorite) while you eat and soak in the neighborhood vibe.