Today was my first time dining here. I highly recommend you taste their aguachiles verdes, callo de…read moreacha, and molcajete! The taste is exquisite! The aguachiles were spicy but not too spicy to where you cannot enjoy them! The service was great! The ambiance was fabulous. It's not a loud place, everyone can enjoy their food with nice music in the background. Music is leveled perfectly. I will definitely be back! Stop by whenever you're in Watsonville, Ca!

Service was bad. Food was not good (my opinion) I LOVE Mexican food and im not sure what happened…read morehere, but I won't be back.

5 stars easy. I came up to Watsonville from LA for work for a couple days and was looking for a…read moresolid spot with good food, cold beer, and somewhere to catch the football game. I almost drove right past this place because it's a true hole-in-the-wall, but once I saw the parking lot full of people I knew that was a good sign. Walked in and the place was lively, full of locals, old-school vibe, and the bartender was awesome. I was starving and ordered the steak, chicken and shrimp plate. Bro... that skirt steak was ridiculous. Everything tasted fresh, even the fries and coleslaw were way better than I expected. Big portions too, and they even throw in a little piece of chocolate cake which cracked me up, but somehow fit the whole vibe perfectly. The food was so good I came back the NEXT DAY for lunch and got the New York strip. I was still chasing that skirt steak from the night before but the NY strip was fire too. You can tell this place takes care of its regulars and actually cares about the quality of the food. No fancy BS, just good people, great food, big portions, and a legit local atmosphere. Anytime I'm back in Watsonville, Wooden Nickel is an automatic stop.

Amazing food and great customer service!…read more I ordered a non-alcoholic beer that was served at just the right temperature. For dinner, I had the mushroom burger, which was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. It came with French fries, coleslaw, and even a little piece of chocolate cake! I guess I'm just not used to this level of service and such generous portions! I'm really enjoying the small-town feeling. I am definitely coming back!

Awesome bar with fancy drink selection! We walked over after eating at Odeum! Can't wait to return!read more

Quaint place right off the railroad tracks. Pretty cool to see the trains passing by as you sip on…read morean adult beverage. Vintage decor throughout establishment and music is of proper volume to have a cordial conversation. The appetizers were mediocre at best and the mixed drinks (Bee's Knees and French 75) were overly sweet. It's a cool place to hang if you lower your expectations.

Long story short, Second Story was one of the best cocktail bar's I've ever been to. We went there…read morelast night for our friend's birthday party, and we were just ordering drinks from the bar. The bartender (manager?), Filippos, recognized we had a lot of people, and proactively got us a comfortable seating area for all of us. Thank you Filippos for being so thoughtful and hospitable! And once we got seated, we had a server named Tikka, who was amazing. She made our whole night smooth and memorable. The service was above and beyond. Also, shout out to Dakota, one of the best bartenders. He was super friendly (even though it was very busy) and wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. In terms of drinks, I recommend the Vesper and So Fresh So Clean. All their drinks are exceptional. The ambiance was the most impressive part. It's very spacious and you don't feel cramped like other cocktail bars. And they have two bars that are both well-staffed, so no one is annoyed trying to order a drink. Even when it's crowded, you don't have to wait. Thank you, for all the hard work behind the scenes to create best-in-class customer service and cocktails.

What a wonderful night it was! A huge Thank you to Melissa…read moreand her team who executed the perfect Happily ever after party for my son and daughter in law. The night was exactly what they wanted; Great friends, incredible cocktails, yummy food, music and a whole lot of Love and Laughter!!! Do not hesitate to book a party at SS,

We just had the best dinner! Freshly made broccoli and cheese soup, a beautiful garden salad and an…read moreincredible hot pastrami! Not the stringy pastrami but thick pieces with carmelized onions and soft bread. It's open until 6 and the specials are special! Perfect spot for watching FIFA!

This is also run as Carmonas, which was a bbq restaurant in Watsonville. Other than the specials…read morethere was no bbq. The food was subpar and expensive. When we entered the restaurant there was no one to greet us so we took a seat at a table. The waitstaff never acknowledged us. She even had time to chat and clean. I pull menus for us. Still ignored. I finally went up and asked if they had table service. This restaurant is in a golf course so you never know. We used to golf here often and went to the restaurant during and after a round. The food was edible but not interesting. A hot dog is $14. And sandwiches $18+. A BLT with avocado was over $20. If the food was wonderful I wouldn't mind paying as much, but it's not. Sorry, not coming back. I don't know how they almost have a 5 star rating.

Great Food, Great Service & a Manager Who Actually Says Hello!…read more Loved this place! My bride and I had a fantastic experience from the moment we walked in. This restaurant has an incredible indoor and outdoor space, a great menu, and an atmosphere that somehow manages to be both chill and professional. You'll find a wonderfully diverse crowd here, and everyone seems to fit right in. Now, let's talk about the food! I highly recommend the meatballs--they were fantastic! And the garlic bread? Fabulous. Honestly, I could have made a meal out of the bread alone, but I exercised some restraint...because I'm an adult. My bride ordered the hamburger, and she loved it. The salads were excellent, the bread was outstanding, and the dessert selection was enough to make someone suddenly forget they were "too full for dessert." Our server was incredible--attentive, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. And then, as if the experience couldn't get any better, the manager actually came out and welcomed us! You don't find that everywhere. That personal touch says a lot about how this place approaches hospitality. Everything was clean, the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the ambiance made us want to hang around longer than we probably should have. One warning: Parking can be a bit of a challenge. But trust me, this is one of those places where you circle the parking lot a few times and say, "Lord, give me a parking space!" Yelp Elite verdict: Absolutely worth the hassle! Great food. Great people. Great atmosphere. Great service. And apparently, great managers who actually come out to meet their guests. My bride and I will definitely be back! #YelpElite #FoodieFind #DateNight #GreatFood #GreatService #Meatballs #GarlicBread #DessertLovers #RestaurantReview #WorthTheHassle #FoodAndFun #FiveStars

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.

Hands down my favorite restaurant in San Jose. The food is always excellent, and their cocktails…read moreare delightful. I have never once been disappointed with a dish, and I love trying new dishes on their menu. The staff is awesome, and the place has a cool astehtic vibe. I highly recommend, just know that it is a bit pricey but the experience is totally worth it. P.S. they give you palate cleaners snack in between courses for free. I had hibiscus herbal tea and and an adorable mini waffle cone, filled with crème fraîche, and topped with caviar (honestly never thought I'd like caviar before trying out this place for the first time).

A solid 4 star, approaching 4.5 star…read more We had a birthday dinner celebration this Saturday night. The fact that the restaurant is in the heart of San Jose downtown poses pros and cons. It is a great place for bar crawlers and party goers, but in the day where we ran into a Sharks game, a $25 parking fee is an unavoidable loss. Eos & Nyx is big and pretty, it's hard to miss. The huge glass walls, green plants inside that reminds you of RH Roof are pleasant. The bars are beautiful, the tables are set elegantly. We were seated upstairs, the only thing I wish was a restroom upstairs, but the bar there was beautiful and we had less traffic, which was nice. I also like that each of the restroom stall has its own sink and paper towels. All they missed is a mirror, which was covered in the public areas of the restroom. Service was good. Upon checking in, we were warmly greeted by the hosts and the farewell was also proper. Brian took good care of us; introducing the menu, refilling water, small talks, clearing dirty dishes and replacing them before the next entree, everything is a check mark done right. I also got a card signed by the team to wish a happy birthday. Through and through, they presented the birthday wish warm and well. As for food, I like the options on the menu. Plenty of sharable choices, big plates for pasta, meat, pizza and also lots of drink choices. Even 0 proof has some fancy options. We ordered Hamachi Crudo, Leafy Things (Spinach / endive / strawberry / halloumi / pecans), and Scallops (Hokkaido scallops / legumes / wasabi / turnip / gremolata) from Sharable. Then we followed Brian's recommendation and picked Rigatoni (Short rib ragu / pecorino romano / peas / carrot) and N.Y. Strip 12 Oz (Celeriac espuma / black garlic / bone marrow reduction) for entrees. We wrapped it up with a Tahini & Caramel ice cream for dessert. The Hamachi Crudo tasted fresh and it has avocado mesh but a tad too much lemon juice for me. The Leafy Things was huge, but I think they replaced the spinach with cabbage and it was a tad too bitter. The chunky grilled halloumi cheese was a hit for the kid. The Scallops were pan-fried well, I didn't like the tangerine wedges in the dish and the wasabi was a bit too subtle. Our favorite was the Rigatoni, good balance of short ribs, el dente pasta and the right portion to share. We were disappointed at the NY Strip. It was sliced out for us, which was convenient, but I tasted some soft bones on the outskirt and the kid complained it was burned; maybe the charcoal flavor was too strong. What I didn't like the most was the unevenness of the sauce. Some bites we had a strong spicy kick while some bites were mild. This made the sweet potato puree tasted excellent. The ice cream was ok, nothing to write home about, in comparison, I prefer vanilla more as the tahini and caramel were too grounded and lacking that distinct piercing hard to forget aroma. In between dishes they brought in refreshments to cleanse our palates. I like the cucumber water, but both were pretty good. We also ordered a glass of Syrah which was good, blended well with the food and a glass of Mount Vesuvius (Santa teresa 1796 rum / passionfruit / pineapple / coconut / strawberry). The Mount Vesuvius tasted very sweet, just like pina colada. All and all, we enjoyed the night and left with an overstuffed stomach. I would do a girls night here as well, which is what the ambiance calls for.

Me and my co worker did the happy hour in the front which is Still OG…read more This place is for those that dig the vinyl era because they play the albums and place the cover in front of the turntable. The drinks are named after actual songs which is which is cool. I really enjoyed the So fresh So clean which was refreshing and not so sweet. Each drink is made with fresh ingredients. Their food menu is small but still has enough to choose from to snack on. The bartenders are knowledgeable about the drinks they serve and willing to help you pick the best drink for your taste. We did not get a chance to try the Alter Ego which is behind the curtain but next time.

Wow, I don't think I've written a review of a bar/lounge in like 10 years lol. Aging + having a kid…read morewill do that to you. Anyway, I met up with some friends here last weekend and we had a reservation at Alter Ego. I guess it's technically 2 places with Still OG. I have to say, I have really fond memories of Original Gravity from back in the day (ah, the days of my youth...) so it's nice that it's still sort of around though.. technically completely different since there's no more craft beer or duck fat fries lol. We hung out at our table for the whole night, like 4 hours. We all ordered cocktails off the menu and later on ordered some stuff off the menu based on the bartender's suggestion. I first ordered a Calabrian Spritz from the menu which hit the spot for me. Personally, I am not a hard alcohol fan but I enjoy wine and fun lil cocktails that are slightly sweet/not super strong lol. So this drink was nice because it wasn't too sweet and had a lot of volume (I like just sipping on stuff in general and it sucks when you order a cocktail that's like 3 sips of liquid and the rest is ice). The next cocktail I ordered was off the menu and called Like This or That (I think). I think it was some sort of passionfruit + vodka mix and very delicious! We also ordered the cold soba noodles and fries. Fries were crinkle cut and nicely crispy, no complaints. Soba noodles were also good, though some component of it was really spicy, I think the cucumbers. Overall I had a good time here and look forward to coming back, though given how little I go out, who knows when that will be haha.

Dive Bar with heart and standards. Great drinks, fun live bands and entertainment, and impressive…read moreservice. I believe its because its under new managing ownership with Amy at the helm, leading by example. An industry OG who cares about delivering great drinks, service, and experience while also making sure her staff are well supported. Any bar can make a drink, Mission West makes a fantastic one, but the service and overall experience is what differentiates Mission West.

I've lived in Santa Cruz county for almost 10 years and haven't really visited a lot of bars in…read moretown. My sister came to visit so I looked up a few to check out and she liked their drink menu here so we checked it out. Walking in its divey inside, but I always love a good dive bar. The bartender was super friendly, happy to chat and offered us the drink list to look over. They had a pickle martini on the menu and that's what we opt'd for. I never had one before, but I DUG it. It's savory and a bit sour, love. We sat outside and they had pizza to order back there and line dancing happening. It was fun to watch the environment and people dancing. Good crowd of folks and friendly to conversation.

Hindsight is a small spot located inside Fruition Brewing in the East Lake shopping center. They…read morespecialize in oysters, but have a few small bites that pair perfectly with the sours and saisons Fruition makes. On the Sunday we visited there was a carrot chowder, clam chowder, two versions of a grilled cheese, and $1.50 oysters. While the grilled cheese was tempting, we were here for some oysters. It's hard to find oysters for such a deal and I just knew that the tart sour I planned on getting would be best enjoyed with the vinegar goodness of a mignonette. It was just as imagined! Can't wait to try a little more when I've got the appetite!!

The kitchen has now been renamed Fruition Kitchen, but the food remains excellent. Perhaps the best…read moreclam chowder I've ever had, shells and all...