Just south of Pescadero is @highway1brewing (Instagram has their live music schedule and pics of…read moretheir sunsets) I had not been there since 2013 but but now having returned in autumn of 2025 i absolutely plan to go back. They have a relatively new beer garden, which is shown here in my photos and there's just so much to look at. They also have a #vegan burger from @beyondburgeroffical and the combination made for a wonderful lunch in the sun shielded from the wind. Service Alive and smiling fast in a busy Saturday too. this place has been wonderfully remodeled in the past couple years. The beer garden is chockablock with clever coastal Kitch. The fence is half reinforced with surfboards and snowboards. so much to look at. Parking has gotten a lot easier too. There's a enormous parking area right next to the gas station that you might not think is part of Highway one Café, but I confirmed that it is. Also, you can sit out front and there you'll find a view to the ocean. The beer garden is my favorite tho. Suggestion: why not carpool here and then go down and ride @cotonicoastdairiesnm which has more than 8 miles of trails and a gorgeous view of the sunset. starting in October each year sunset is visible from the west side of Santa Cruz and Davenport where cotoni is!! It's free. Heres the detail: https://www.blm.gov/cotoni-coast-dairies

*This place is opened back up *…read more Highway 1 Brewery is a really cool spot with a lot of potential. Some of the beers are actually pretty solid, and the food is okay -- nothing bad, just not especially memorable. One of the best parts is sitting at the bar and looking out toward Highway 1 and the ocean. The view alone makes it worth stopping in. Service is just okay. It usually seems like there's only one bartender working, which makes ordering difficult when it gets busy. Cleanliness is also a concern. The place doesn't feel especially well-kept, and we noticed what looked like something growing in the lemonade container, which definitely took away from the experience.

It's so hard to find a good barbecue place but I found one!! Saw on yelp that a line forms early on…read moreso my friends and I got there at least 30 min before it opened. It was a nice day so we opted to sit outside. Theres plenty of tables outside and inside. Live band outside is a plus. The owner makes an effort to say hi to the customers and helps out too. Food wise, the brisket melts in your mouth and so does everything else (but highly recommend the brisket) :) the Mac n cheese was made fresh, you can tell bec the cheese wasn't hard, corn bread was just as good. Great variety of beers on tap for you beer drinkers. Parking gets packed but there's residential parking around the area.

Visited a day they don't serve meat trays! *sad face* NOTE: only served Thursday - Sunday! I failed…read moreto read that in other reviews and items are from their Country Kitchen menu of sandwiches, tacos, snacks, and sides. That's okay plenty of options but wanted something to sample their brisket! First visit ordered: :: Brisket Melt with caramelized onions cheddar cheese on toasted, thick slice of sourdough... delicious. Tender beef, juicy, fatty, nice smoke...just the way i like it along with Breakwater's house pickles. Used a bit of their sauces to try but wasn't needed. - 4 stars :: French fries - I tend to like my steak fries or a thicker cut but Breakwater Barbecue knows how to make a thin but still fluffy fry topped with their special seasoning! - 4 stars :: Fish Tacos - beer battered and perfectly fried, apple, cilantro slaw, with a smoked aoili. It's something I'd expect when getting a fish taco but a tad bland. It comes with smoked aoili but possibly, it could be elevated with a smoked chipotle sauce! - 3.5 stars :: Mac n Cheese: simple, cheesy, with black pepper. Good try - 3.5 stars Overall, delicious food and will definitely return on a weekday to get my Brisket Tray fix. Just getting a sample of the brisket has me craving more! Service: order at the counter, food brought to your table. Located on the corner of Highway 1 and Paloma, across the highway from Pillar Point. Plenty of lot parking, outdoor seating, and clean bathrooms!

Every time we drive home from Monterey, I always see the big red Yelp sign that reads best BBQ…read more That sign did its' job and it got me intrigued and grabbed my attention. We finally got the chance to check it out. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. The Prunedale Market is located along side the highway 101 freeway in the small town of Prunedale. It just takes a few long right turns to get there. Parking is easy and accessible out in the front parking lot. From the front, the market does not look like a popular BBQ spot. It looks like a simple small market store to grab quick snacks and drinks. Once inside there is a BBQ and deli section to your right. A small dining area is to your left. The decor is old fashioned and quaint. The 2 gentlemen greet you with friendly hospitality. We ordered the Tri tip sandwich, half slab of ribs which includes 2 potatoes and a cup of corn chowder. The pit master/owner Martin, who use to work for Original Joe's, was kind enough to also include a quarter chicken leg, a sausage, and extra ribs. It was so much food for our party of 3. Everything was delicious and hearty. The Tri tip sandwich was scrumptious with the flaming Fritos adding a nice crunchy texture and kick with every bite. The ribs were juicy and smokey. Potatoes complemented very well with the rest of the meat and chicken. Corn chowder was so tasty and creamy. I did not know corn chowder was that good. Overall we enjoyed our experience at the Prunedale Market. The staff were super nice and accommodating. They even offered for our son to grab some free ice cream to go. We politely declined. The prices were very reasonable. All that food fed us for the next 2 days. Lol. We hope to be back when we are in the area with other friends and family.

Passing thru Prunedale on regular basis, I always see the barbque sign on the hill. I always like…read moreto support local businesses (being from Morgan hill). Now this place is a bit difficult to find, and they only take cash, but DAMN! What a find! And Martin, the owner, amazing. Had the tritip and he gave me sausage sampler, delicious! We will be regulars!!

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.

-- Worth every mile!…read more I drive over an hour from my house to eat at Aptos St. BBQ, and it is worth EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. This is my favorite BBQ restaurant, hands down. The food, the flavor, the atmosphere, the music--everything comes together for an experience I absolutely love. The flavor is INSANE. Everything I've tried has been fantastic, but the brisket and tri-tip deserve a standing ovation. That rich, smoky flavor is exactly what I crave when I want great barbecue. Choosing between those two is the hardest part of coming here, so my recommendation is simple: get both. You'll understand immediately why I'm willing to make the drive! And the atmosphere makes the whole experience even better. The live blues give this place so much soul. Sitting down to incredible BBQ with great blues playing is pretty close to my idea of a perfect outing. Come hungry and give yourself time to enjoy it--you'll want to stay awhile. Some restaurants are worth stopping at when you happen to be nearby. Aptos St. BBQ is worth planning your day around. I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who loves seriously good barbecue and an awesome atmosphere. Best BBQ I've ever had. Five stars without a moment's hesitation!

Friendly bbq place, tasty food. I ordered ribs, collard greens, smoked beans and cornbread. The…read moreribs were juicy and falling off the bone. The other items were very good, too. All of them. Hayward traffic, on a Friday, at 5pm, was atrocious, but so glad they were in that smaller shopping center, rather than the bigger one.

Ambience: Two stars cause I like the sarcasm of the owner…read more Service: Reasonable time. Food: The brisket is not seasoned. The sandwich was $16 w/ tax but it should be no more than $6. The meat was 7/10 tender. Disappointed. I could have gotten something tastier and worth the cost. Reviews: im more upset with the reviews of this place. Either bbq standards decreased or im convinced people dont know what good bbq is. And not talking Texas, kc, or any other place. Just what good bbq is. Bbq shouldn't be carried by the sauce. The real measure is tender and seasoned enough to standalone. Use salt and pepper at least.

Our server Patrick was great! He changed our grills many times, cooked our premium meat to…read moreperfection. Very attentive and friendly !

The service and ambiance is great! Travis did a great job working with us and our party. Would come…read moreback to enjoy the service again.

I had brisket, ribs, mac&cheese, beans and corn bread. The brisket was delicious. The ribs were…read morealso good, but a bit dry. I usually eat ribs with dry rub (no sauce). I feel like these ribs needed the sauce. The mac&cheese was phenomenal; if I had it all to do over again, I'd have ordered a larger size. The beans were ok; there was nothing in them like meat for flavoring. They just tasted like plain pintos. The corn bread was fine. I miss the old days when you could order a combo. The staff was friendly. They forgot to put my cornbread in the bag. I didn't realize until I had already left. I called them and they told me to come back and get the cornbread. In hindsight, I should have checked the bag before I left. The parking lot is treacherous. It feels like your whole car could disappear into a pothole. I can't speak for the ambiance, because I took the food to go. Overall, I would recommend it and would return.

We pulled into their parking lot at 6 PM, not realizing that was the closing time on a Saturday. A…read morecustomer left as we were about to walk in, and the glass door was shut in our face. Through signals, I pleaded with a young woman on the other side of the door to let us come in to buy just one item, and she repeatedly shook her head no, so we walked away. She was technically right because it was a minute past closing time, but if I'm the owner, I'm not happy with that inflexible customer service. As a former customer, I'm definitely not.

Good spot open early for breakfast. I ordered the breakfast taco early to be picked up at noon, and…read moreit is still hot when picked up. Good job!

The food is delicious. My daughter loves the fries and we both love their drink selection. The…read moreservice is great and manager is very friendly. I definitely will be a returning customer!

Their bread texture is fire. Smelled heavenly. Bought a garlic artichoke loaf while it was still…read morewarm and had it with goat cheese and olallieberry jam that they also sell ‍ Didn't get to their made to order sandwiches because I was in a rush :(( everyone knows what's up because the line went to the door! Bread is medium soft on the inside but slightly crumbly / crackly on the outside. Not tough like sourdough but not mushy like wonder bread. The artichokes in the middle of the bread were just a tad bit soggy but tasted good The bread itself is not super flavorful but pairs really well and is great as sandwich material

Pescadero Local: "You have to go to Arcangeli Grocery." Me:…read more"Yes, that's the plan...I'm going to grab their Garlic Herb Artichoke Bread before heading home." Pescadero Local: "No, no no.... you have to get a sandwich! They toast their garlic herb bread and with the melty cheese...BEST sandwich ever!" Said Sandwich ($14.95): https://tinyurl.com/4zbnrr5k IDK whether to laugh or cry - the pic of the "hot pastrami" sandwich speaks for itself. After several bites, we tossed it. OK, their famous Garlic Herb Artichoke Bread ($9.99 x2) has to be bomb, right? A few on socials say it's the "Best Bread in the World". They even have a placard highlighting their feature on "The Best Road Trip Food Stops" (FoodNetwork.com). With all the mad hype, it was sorely disappointing...even tearing into it fresh out of the oven and still warm. Lightly crisp crust with a fluffy soft interior like French bread that was surprisingly flavorless. It was studded with a few pieces of artichoke...some tender, others stringy...but noticeably less than what I've seen in other pics/reels/TT. And if "garlic" is in the name, I want my breath humming into the next day! Other than the dusting of garlic powder on top, the garlic itself and garlic flavor was MIA. Some may say I should've bought one of their creamy dips to go with it...IMHO, good bread shouldn't need a supporting actress to steal the show. I know Arcangeli Grocery is a beloved Pescadero institution and I may get hate for giving it anything less than 4-5 star but based on this visit, I don't get the hype and felt like I wasted nearly $40. =T