Really like the atmosphere here a lot. The food is good. Nothing out of this world but the atmosphere is fantastic. The restaurant does a really good job at creating a brunch place that is good to sit down and eat with a bunch of friends or family. read more

I'm a slightly picky eater and they will get you anything you want. I told the waiter exactly how I wanted my bacon and eggs and exactly what I wanted on my plate and that's exactly what I got. The portions are huge and the prices are fine. The servers were normal servers. They do their best to provide a nice environment. I noticed a few other tables who were being quite rude and that's possibly why they didn't appreciate the service. They were super busy but you could tell all the servers were working as hard as they could. Its odd that other people have reviewed them as bad solely for the fact that they were too busy.... I think that usually indicates it is a good restaurant.... My best advice if you go on the weekend... be patient! They are busy but they will seat you as soon as they can and if you are patient with them you will have a great experience. read more

Been coming here my whole life. The food has always been mediocre. The wait staff has such a bad attitude and they seem completely unorganized every time we come. We had to wait an hour and a half after being told 20 mins. Then the hostess was very rude when asking if we could have update on time or see a menu while we waited :( Too bad it's the closest restaurant to our house and now we don't want to come anymore. read more

Don't waste your money ! I ordered the Jambalaya omelet with pancakes and my wife had the Denver omelet. To begin with, the pancakes were chewy. I told the server and she quickly brought out replacements. The center of those were perfect but the edges were hard. Even Denny's or McDonalds pancakes are better !!! Also, both omelets were very dry. When we paid the bill, the waitress said that I was the "only one" who ever complained about the pancakes and suggested that I try the potatoes next time -- no, I'll try SOMEWHERE ELSE next time !!! read more

Dog friendly outdoor seating. Attentive and fast service. AWESOME food (mexican scramble, country sausage and eggs). Good coffee. Always a great place to visit when we are in town. read more

Yum! Good grub, friendly service, fast delivery, monster portions, and they serve beer!!

Came here for brunch a while ago; one of the few decent restaurants in Deer Park Ctr. We were having brunch for four here and it was pretty busy for this area on a Saturday. Came a little after the lunch rush so the wait wasn't too long. There were some nice guitar musicians playing music inside the doorway, which was kind of cool. They had this outdoor area where people could eat, somehow the area seemed kind of make shift... but the area was still quiet open enough to enjoy if it wasn't too windy. We preferred to just eat inside after seeing this. The place is actually pretty small inside, with another small dining section to the right of the entrance. The interior is brown and seems very old, and yes their were many senior citizens eating here at the time. Luckily the food we ordered wasn't too bad. I got a crab cakes Benedict and my sister had gotten a spinach omelette of some sort. The crab cakes were good, moist and fresher than I thought they'd be. The eggs were poached just the way you want them in a benedict... so the yolk just melts out when you slice into it. I got some orange juice that we started to ponder about whether it was fully fresh squeezed or just half concentrate. It might have been half. Overall, our server had good suggestions on our menu questions and it was a fulfilling meal. I won't go as far to give them 5 stars, but it's still truly a little hidden gem in this plaza. It's hard to come by decent food around here, so this place is a definite stop if you are in town. read more

So, it was my 2nd visit here and the food was just as delicious (and filling) as the 1st time. The service was ok too but I really wish my server would have cracked at least ONE smile. There are two reasons today for the 1-star demerit. One: No substitutions allowed, even for something as simple as substituting tomatoes instead of mushrooms (which I believe the tomatoes are of equal or lesser value than the mushrooms on the "add on" list). I don't know, call me "frugal" I guess but if I'm paying almost $11 for an omelet that is supposed to include mushrooms but I don't want them, doesn't it seem only fair that I should be able to substitute something of equal or lesser value at no extra charge? I'm just saying... The other reason for the 1-star demerit is because the table (the one closest to the door) was sticky all over. I don't think it was even from any food or drinks. It looked like the shiny, smooth finish had been stripped off. I looked around and none of the other tables seemed to be like mine. SUGGESTION: Use the "extra tomato money" you get from everybody and refinish that table. Oh...one more little "tip": let the servers know it's tacky and unprofessional to discuss their salaries and tips in front of and/or within ear shot of customers. read more

Food was decent with big portions. The pancakes were really good. However, the waitress had a little bit of an attitude when we ask her to double check the bill because we were getting a lower amount. She did and then came back and said, "Now it looks like you owe more." My friend asked if she could have her confirm the amount by going through each item and the waitress said she had to come over to the register with her. The waitress was impatiently going through each item and my friend didn't really get a satisfied understanding of how the bill worked out. She felt uncomfortable so she stopped asking questions. We had a party of 6 and tip was included but there were illegible markings that we didn't know it was for. I never had an experience where a restaurant's policy is to come back and add more after asking if it's right. My advice is to double check your bill! read more

Went to Red Apple twice in the past two weeks. The first time was on a Saturday morning around 10am and the only available seating offered was on the outside patio. Despite it being freezing, it would have been fine if service was up to par. We received our drinks and gave in our orders only 20 minutes after ordering because we were ignored for those eating inside. After waiting AN HOUR after ordering food and not being waited on at all, we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. This was super disappointing because no other place around still had breakfast! My family decided to give it another try a week later and we came in expecting better service given that it was a late afternoon stop in. Well, there were not many people there but the service still sucked! I did not get my water refilled even once, the food took just as long as before and I wish we never gave it a second chance! Horrible service Gross omelets and salty potatoes Rude waiters/owner DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU WANT FAST SERVICE AND AN ENJOYABLE MORNING MEAL. read more

Don't be dissuaded by the funky decor when you first walk in. They have the best home fries, selection of Corralitos sausage, and stuffed french toast I've had so far. It's nice having your morning coffee seated outside on the patio under the trees. read more

Great place for breakfast in Aptos. Solid classics plus some special pancake and French toast options. Coffee is really solid. Neighborhood vibe and the service is friendly! read more

This is the second time I have tried this place and I am just not impressed. The service is slow, the food is average and to pricey for what it is. They lost a star for each of the following: We sat, ordered 2 coffees and 2 waters. 2 waters show up, 1 coffee. No one checks back on us for 15 minutes even after I was making eye contact with many of the staff. No one really cared. My meal came with pancakes or potatoes and a muffin or toast. I wanted to sub in a cinnamon bun (less value of included items) which is a request other places around here will do. They wanted to charge me the full price. Ok what ever. Third, Bacon came out cold. Forth, Goto pay, and they take every credit card other than Amex. Listen if you don't want to take specific cards, just be a cash only establishment. Take all or none, if you take discover, no argument over not taking amex. Sorry .5% more isn't a legit reason, get a better processing company. Finally the food just isn't all that good, it is average. For 37+tip for 2 people it is not worth it. Almost any of the other places around the santa cruz area is better. read more

I now know why there are a few bad reviews here. Went to get breakfast this morning and I guess the B squad was working. There were about 10 empty tables outside and the other couple time I have been here you can just sit down outside and the wait staff will come by and serve you. This morning my wife and I went to sit down outside (there was no line outside or anything) and the waitress outside said in a very lippy tone that we had to go check in with the hostess. Ok . Then my wife went to "check in" with the hostess that wasn't there. She waited about 3 or 4 minutes and there were a couple other people waiting inside for the hostess. No hostess was there. Needless to say I left and spend my money elsewhere. Yes, this was fathers day Sunday, but the place was pretty quiet at 830 am. A suggestion for the Red Apple. Establish a better policy and procedure to managing your PAYING CUSTOMERS. And if you want people to check in with the hostess perhaps a sign at the outside seating area stating so. And then get a hostess that is actually at the front to seat people. I can get food anywhere, I don't expect poor service with it. Please let me know when the Red Apple gets their house in order and I might stop by again. Until then I will go elsewhere. read more

I ate here 3 times. Chicken fried steak 2 times and bacon and eggs another time. I working close bye and found this gem behind the CVS in Aptos. I would go out of my way to stop there again in the future. Chicken fried steak was crispy and was good sized and flavorful. A definite go to. The bacon is thick and tasty. Eggs were cooked perfectly. I will definitely recommend to anyone looking for breakfast. I have not tried the lunch yet. read more

Tried eating here twice, and both times have left with the same impression: ehh, there is better out there. The menu does look promising, and the board specials (although I suspect they never change) do look enticing. However, the service is so-so, and the food just lacked the kind of panache I'd hope to see. Turkey omelette (I forget the details, but it sounded like it had it going on on the menu) was really pretty dull, and the home fries were simply not the win. I don't expect a lot of excitement from breakfast food, but this needed to bring it a bit more than it was brought. Later, tried the tostada salad, which was ok, but again, simply nothing special or to write home about. Portion size is substantial, but what breakfast place isn't? Thing seem a buck or two pricier than other places in town (i.e. the Harbor Cafe), which doesn't help the equation. The outdoor dining area does seem nice, at least. read more

I used to really like it for breakfast, but the last time we went was to meet up with a friend and her daughter and catch up. We finished our food but were rushed out by an older pushy waitress rudely asking that we finish up. We had not been sitting more than 5 minutes after we finished our meal. Anyway, I guess they are busy enough not to need our business so we just decided not to keep this place on our breakfast place. read more

As classic as apple pie. Your coffee cup will never be empty and your plate will be full. Food is good not life changing but classic and hearty. Standard American breakfast that won't disappoint read more

The wait to get seated was short but from there downhill. 10 minutes to get menus and another 10 for the waitress to finally show up, seemingly with no idea we'd been waiting to order for 20 minutes. Our food (eggs and pancakes which is easy) then took another 30 minutes and this while the restaurant wasn't even full. During this 30 minutes the waitress never came back to offer more coffee, water whatever. The food was pretty good but the service wasn't just terrible it was non existent. Wouldn't recommend coming here unless you have a lot of time and enjoy truly terrible service. read more

Well we took our family group for a late afternoon brunch. We were seated after only about a 15 min wait (usually busy earlier in the day particularly on weekends ). We had a variety of dishes including make your own omelet, pancakes, huevos rancheros, eggs Benedict . All were beautifully prepared and served piping hot! Very fresh ingredients, cheerful service and an overall pleasant experience. Large portions and well worth any wait.Great for breakfast lunch or brunch. Thanks to Dan and Gracia for making this a great dining experience. Lastly you can dine inside or on their large patio area. read more

I was craving french toast for breakfast one morning so we decided to try this place. It's located up behind a small shopping center against a hill. The view from where we sat and had our breakfast was beautiful. Now those of you who live in the area may not have even noticed the view, but this transplanted gal from Cali to Texas sure did. I decided on the bear claw french toast. It was very good and the sausage was excellent. The one major downside to our meal was the imitation maple syrup. When we questioned our waitress, she admitted we were not the first customers to comment on it. I makes me wonder why they can't spend the extra money to get the real thing. At least have some on hand for those that want it. read more

I'm always in search of a good place for breakfast. They are indeed getting harder and harder to find. I found this place by accident a day trip we were making down to Carmel on New Years Day '09. The selection was amazing, my breakfast was outstanding and the portions were very generous. This was my only visit so I can't say how good everything else tastes on the menu. I resisted walking around tasting things on other peoples' plates. Everything I saw come out of the kitchen looked great and the place was very busy. My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to get a seat at the counter. Starting off with a good breakfast at the Red Apple Cafe was a great way to start our New Year. We're also thankful they were open on Jan 1. It's definitely on my list of places to stop on my next road trip down Highway 1. read more

We came for breakfast mid morning and we're seated immediately. Then they got really busy! Food was home style- very good and generous portions. I would definitely come back! read more

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A favorite spot for my boyfriend and I, to go to for breakfast/brunch. They have live mellow music that's just as perfect & as refreshing as the servers are - I've seen violinist, harpists & guitarists playing elegant pieces that are soothing while you wait for your meal. -Once or twice we've sat at the bar to enjoy our meal & the one thing that bothered my bf was the fact that he noticed one of the newer gals (one we don't see much) had made a latte & didn't clean off the milk steamer afterwards, which to a 'big coffee drinker' as my bf claims to be "it's a real big deal" apparently. & I've also worked as a barista before & my boss did stress to us to learn to always have a hot towel ready to keep the steamer clean for sanitary reasons - although as a non-coffee or milk drinker, I wouldn't care either way, cause I wouldn't drink it nevertheless - Lol. +The chocolate milkshakes are amazing & the owner gave my bf one for free once for his birthday & that was totally amazing & gracious of her... we always get greeted with a smile and have come to really enjoy the atmosphere the energy creates, that's why this place DESERVES 5 stars for they've created a place with pride where I can relax and enjoy a meal with flawless service, which in Santa Cruz most places can only dream of becoming. If I had a favorite teacher I wouldn't give her a piece of fruit - I would give her the Red Apple Cafe :P read more

Really nice menu selection. Very good food. I had the Huevos Rancheros which was great. Fresh cinnamon bun also looked good. Friendly staff. And you get to ride the escalator :) read more

Pretty delicious Id say overall its a 3 star but the fresh apple juice is worth an extra star by itself. I love the breakfast menu. large portions...you have been warned. read more

Our family of 5 went here for Sunday brunch for the first time. The wait was a little long but obviously anywhere with great food and service, there's going to be a wait. Turns out 2 servers called in sick but the wait was worth it. The food was excellent and the service was just as good. We were served by Nelly who was sweet as pie and hustled to get our breakfast which came out surprisingly fast. The restaurant ambiance and outside area was nice and clean for such a short-handed staff. I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and eggs which was the best I've had in a long time. All in all, a great fun experience. read more

To: Marilyn, you're not the only person that got the watery scrambled eggs, the sausage was cold and not cooked in my breakfast, some of these "5 star" reviews seem fake! Cause food wasn't tasteful, I rather drive the extra 10 miles for the red apple in watsonville for great tastful food!! Not going back to the red apple in aptos.. read more

This is our go to breakfast spot. The food is fantastic and the staff friendly. We always feel we get a great meal for a good price. We enjoy taking out of town guest there. read more

This resaurant has great food, but the service is terrible. We were told that we would have a 35 minutes wait, which turned into an hour and ten minute wait. When we were seated, it took at least 15 minutes for anybody to come to our table. We ordered, and were brought a coffee mug with lipstick on it, and no silverware. Finally the food came but unfortunately so did a yellow jacket, and nobody came to check on our table, so we decided to take our food to go. That was a very disapointing way to spend $70 on a breakfast for three. read more

Love the food and the staff was friendly! We will definitely be back. Benedict's, garden scramble, traditional egg breakfasts reubens, french dips so much to choose from. During the weekend it can be a bit of a wait but it is definitely worth it. read more

Had a late breakfast on Sunday morning sitting outside since it can be a bit hot inside the restaurant on a warm day. Service was somewhat slow but the place was busy so that's ok. Seems like our waitress didn't know we were her table but once she acknowledged us all was well. She took our order and brought our food out pretty quickly. Unlike last time the food was cooked properly though I did ask for my bacon crisp and some parts were still a bit undercooked and appeared raw, but most was fine. The eggs and pancakes were great . If you have a chance to try this place eat outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and be patient especially if it's busy. read more

Mediocre breakfast. Ordered a waffle, egg, side of linguica sausage and coffee. Service was good, prompt and attentive. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre. The waffle had obviously been made earlier and was warmed back up for the order, not fluffy, but rather toasted and tough. They did make a new one upon request, which was fresh but still not a fluffy waffle you would expect from an experienced breakfast place. The Linguica had also been previously cook and was warmed to serve with the meal. It was dried out. Finally, the egg order 'over medium', and served over easy and cold. read more

Food is ok, expensive. Service is terrible. Every employee around here woke up in the wrong side of the bed.

Horrible service never gonna go again. Every question we asked our waiter she ignored us. Will not be going here ever again ruined my day.

I go here 1x 2x times a year when I visit Santa Cruz. Always a tasty meal. Inside can be a bit cozy, especially if you try to squeeze into the bathroom. But the specials are tastier than anyplace else I've tried for breakfast in the area - I'd put them up against anyone. read more

Cute little Cafe for breakfast or lunch. We came for lunch which you can eat inside or outside. I ordered a mushroom burger with some minestrone soup. My husband ordered a giant sandwich that later did not sit well with him. The burger was really good but the soup lacked flavour. The girls had chicken strips with sweet potato fries that were was too crispy for kids. The portions were crazy big for kids as well. The service was a bit slow overall. Prices were decent. The place seemed a bit dirty with food on the floor from breakfast. Place was just ok. read more

Super Dog-Friendly! Lots of outdoor seating. Very friendly service! King crab cake Benedict is soooo good. Would highly recommend this place. read more

I have been going to eat breakfast here for years. The place has a variety of decor hanging from the walls - from whale pictures to African dancers. There is a choice of either sitting inside or outside on the patio, which can be nice on a sunny day. Red Apple Cafe is by no means posh or even all that clean but I keep coming back for their pecan waffles. For the most part the quality of food is consistent; however, I have come here and been served a hard-as-rock waffle (you win some you lose some). And one time the waitress spilled hot syrup on my pants (sooo hot)! But my family and I keep coming back. The pancakes are also good, and in general the portion sizes are large. I would describe Red Apple Cafe as a hole-in-the-wall, with generally good food. read more

I enjoyed the buckwheat waffle and my husband ordered potatoes loaded with salsa sans egg. They give you a ton of potatoes. You do NOT leave hungry. read more