If we are going off of experience and scenery, Shadowbrook is five stars!! For starters they offer a shuttle service with cute retro cabs for free! When you arrive a cable car elevator takes you down to the restaurant. The restaurant is filled with history and there is an overall great vibe to it. The staff is also super kind and really help make the dinner a nice experience. As for the food, I wouldn't say it's amazing. They have a pretty limited menu and aren't accommodating to many substitutions. I had the Pasta Verano and it was nothing out of the ordinary. We also had both the salmon variations and felt like they had a pretty strong fishy taste (which I personally don't enjoy). As for dessert, we had the Jack Daniel's Mud Pie & the Chocolate Meltdown. Both were very good, but also hard to mess up. Overall I think its a great place to go if your looking to go on a little adventure and have a fun dinner experience! read more

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I went for the kitschy and left with a happy belly. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I expected this to be mediocre food because it's so touristy and kitschy. Food was great. Service was great. The gardens are beautiful, I walked up after dinner, I recommend coming early and walking down and wandering. Then taking the funicular back up. read more

Shadowbrook - Funicular! - American Near Me - Capitola, California

This place has ita own vibe. It kind of has a stuck in the 70's feel in both look and menu. This is not a bad thing. Parked near the entrance and proceeded down about 8 flights of winding stairs to the actual entrance of the restaurant. You enter into a large active room with a bar. Gotta say the drinks were perfectly balanced and delicious. After a short wait ( we were early for our 7:30 reservation) we were led down one flight to a high ceilinged room with a huge stone fireplace. After being seated the service was exceptional and attentive. Overall we had a great time and enjoyed. Only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that the food while ok was not stellar. It was OK. If the seasoning had been more on point this would be 5 stars. read more

Shadowbrook - Prime Rib - American Near Me - Capitola, California

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At Shadowbrook the restaurant itself is nice, we sat on the patio which was nice as well. The trolly was a cute little ride and there is also stairs if you don't want to wait for the trolly. We were a walk in table of 2 and waiting only about 15-20 minutes, now the service it's self was a bit slow and definitely different, we were not shown to our table by staff we were told to go to the "only empty table on the patio" which was definitely different, and we weren't given menus we had to wait for menus for when our server greeted us. Now the food itself I personally was a bit disappointed as I expected more considering prices of these plates, in my opinion the food was very basic and had nothing really that made it stand out and there was no flavors that stood out. We got a shrimp scampi, octopus, and beef Wellington, the octopus was well cleaned however there was no flavor there, the scampi was good just nothing special, the beef Wellington was good but nothing special. We ordered a blood orange Italian soda and it tasted like soda water with syrup and was definitely not our favorite. Overall it's a 3/5 for us because it was basic and not bad enough to give a 2 read more

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It's been years since I've been to this restaurant. My girlfriends and I decided to come here to celebrate our friendship. When you arrive at the restaurant, you get to ride on a cable car that fits up to six people. It takes you to the main entrance to the restaurant. It's absolutely beautiful. It's definitely an experience. I love the ambiance, the vibe, the feel, everything about this restaurant. Very vintage like era feel to it. We started with their spinach salad, which was absolutely delish. They added thick pieces of bacon which were so good. For our entree, we ordered their braised angus beef short rib, osso buco, and black truffle gnocchi. All three dishes were delicious but my favorite was the braised angus beef short rib.....YUM! Now, the service....well let's just say it could have been better. It wasn't terrible but our waitress seemed like she wasn't having a good night (not really friendly). I don't normally complain about service because I understand it can be a little overwhelming at times for them, so I won't complain too much, but the service could have been a little more friendly. Would I come back again? Absolutely! read more

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This restaurant offered not only good food but great service and a funicular ride to its entrance. The parking lot is located above the restaurant itself and guests either can take the scenic route down some winding stairs or take the funicular. We took the funicular down and after dinner walked the stairs back up to our car. It was a lot of fun doing both. Onto food, we had the harvest salad with steamed persimmons and Fuji apples and goat cheese. The mixed greens had some very wilted leaves which I pushed aside. Not a fan of steamed persimmons but I did enjoyed the beets. Our mains were beef stroganoff and osso bucco. Both were great! They are heavy dishes but very flavorful and filling. I already recommended this restaurant to family and friends. Definitely worth checking out. read more

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Food was decent, my husband surprised me for my birthday. We drove from Sacramento to not only have dinner but experience the restaurant overall. I will say it's definitely overrated. The elevator experience isn't the greatest, it's very small and you have to share your ride with other passengers. My dinner was okay, unfortunately my husband was very disappointed in the shrimp scampi it was very dry and flavorless. Although we did enjoy the wedge salad and the calamari. The highlight of the overall experience was getting our photo taken and having the crème brûlée. The staff was friendly, but it did seem as though our meals took quite some time. I don't think I would return, but it was nice to try something different. read more

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The Shadowbrook is truly an amazing restaurant with a cool history. It sits right on the Soquel Creek and was originally a log cabin turned summer home before it became a restaurant. It has a bunch of different rooms to sit in and very cool style. The shadowbrook embraces nature with its garden room and rooms with trees growing through them. They have the CUTEST funicular (cable car) you can ride up and down to the restaurant. They also have stairs that go through the gardens. My dad recommends taking the stairs down and the cable car up. They also have some cool old taxes that will pick you up and drive you there if you are close enough. The number is on the website. Our server Andrew was incredible. He went above and beyond at each step and truly embodies hospitality. He gave thoughtful recommendations and sold the items without it feeling pushy. I started with the Shadowbrook House salad (recommended by Andrew), and it was amazing. The flavors combined really well. My husband enjoyed the clam chowder, and my dad and his friend said the wedge salad was great. The salads are great to split as a starter. We didn't get them this time, but I do recommend the bacon wrapped prawns as well. For my entree, I got the lobster tail. I wanted it to melt in my mouth a little more than it did, but I still really liked it. Their mashed potatoes are incred. My husband got the black truffle gnocchi and added the filet mignon brochettes. My personal opinion is that this is the best item on the menu. The goat cheese bechamel is wildly good. My dad got the scallops as usual and enjoyed them. His friend got the salmon and said it was great. The Shadowbrook is a really cool restaurant, and I highly recommend checking it out. It is definitely upscale and the prices reflect that. For the dining areas I would recommend a reservation. They also have a great bar area that is first come first serve with a pizza oven. Super fun spot!! read more

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Lali, you made my birthday so special. You have such an incredible personality. This location is absolutely gorgeous and the food was great. I opted for the house salad because I always choose a Caesar and it was so good with candied pecans. Cocktails were very good and our entrees were divine. I'd love to visit again. read more

Shadowbrook - Salad Shadowbrook House - American Near Me - Capitola, California

I had seen so many Instagram reels about the historic tram ride that brings you from the top of the hill where parking is to the restaurant, and finally had a chance to dine here recently. The pictures of the inside of the restaurant make it seem a little stuffy, but it's really hard to do justice to how beautiful the restaurant is in photos. It's multitiered with numerous rooms and most have a lovely view of the greenery and water outside. Ambience is vibrant, social, and can be romantic as well. I assume they almost always have a full house. I think I didn't have high expectations for the food since I thought the main draw was the tram ride and ambience but we enjoyed everything that we ate. Our server seemed busy but he gave us really good recommendations about both food, entrées and wine. I don't always enjoy the wine that is recommended to me but both of the rats that he advised me to order for both perfect. We started off with the cream of artichoke soup. It was a vegetable forward flavor, personally we appreciated that it wasn't very creamy. Also had their refreshing fall harvest salad seems like they usually have specials. I had the sole fish which was pretty thick and very tender came on a small bed as sautéed spinach and a side of rice. My husband got the Lamb -it was a loin cut not chops and ate like a steak. We also liked that it came with the mushroom bread pudding since that seemed interesting and was very very good. I definitely recommend ordering the mushroom bread pudding as aside if it doesn't come with your entrée. We ended with a molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, hard to go wrong with that choice. It was great. They do have some basic dress code rules, such as not wearing flip-flops. There's a pretty decent kids menu, but there's also signage about making sure your kids are well behaved which personally I found too intimidating to bring my kids. Haha. Overall, had a delicious meal and a fun time read more

Shadowbrook - American Near Me - Capitola, California

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We've been loyal regulars for years, so it's genuinely sad to write this. Since the restaurant brought on a new chef, the food quality has dropped noticeably. The rolls, which used to arrive hot and fresh, now come out rock hard and cold. The chocolate meltdown, which has been a dessert we've loved for years, no longer has its signature warm, molten center. It arrives solid and lukewarm. And for a fine dining restaurant, removing the only filet mignon dish from the menu? A disappointing choice. Service remains excellent. But great service can't make up for these kinds of consistent misses in the kitchen. We hope management addresses these issues and sees that this is not the new normal, because we'd love to come back and have the experience we used to know. read more

I want to start by saying Bo hopefully spelled correctly was training and fantastic! We loved his energy and for him alone I'd give a five star review. We arrived and I wanted to ride down but the trolley wasn't coming. I called to double check if it would be ok to wait for it. No answer. I'm happy we walked down loved the walk it is very pretty and nice. If you're going to book and really want photos or videos I'd say go in the day time. It's very dark and romantic look inside. We made reservations in Pacifica the night before and these reservations at shadowbrook were for our actual anniversary. If I had to do it over again I would've switch the reservations out and did Shadowbrook the day before or even Saturday for lunch.. When we arrived, we checked in the gal that went to seat us didn't really greet us or say hello and where she sat us; I was immediately not thrilled because I had wanted to sit next to the water. I said this for my call. I called exactly 30 days before to make these reservations because you can only make them 30 days in advance . My other reservations, I made them about 45 days in advance. When you call to make reservations, the way they tell you about the cancellation fee is a little off putting. I ate many places where they have the cancellation fee, however it is said a little bit more tactful. From the very beginning when we were asked about the wine list and I said we do not drink my husband said he felt uncomfortable because Dimitri made him feel like he thought he was broke . We just choose not to drink and drive and our faith and relationship it's been a beautiful choice for us and it was our anniversary so that was offputting in the very beginning We didn't let that bother us too much, but Bo was extremely nice and checked on us constantly filling our drinks and asking if we needed anything. He smiled and was happy. There was a point when my husband asked for a different straw Dimitri the way he told my husband that the straw he had which was kind of a mixer. I traded my husband a straw I had however once in my life, I did waitressing and I would've just traded it out, especially for the entire experience They do offer photos for birthdays. It is complementary. My husband wanted one which I thought was sweet. The cost is two dollars. Very minimal. I did notice that after I gave my American Express card. It seemed things change. You never know who you're serving. Let me skip to the food if you come here, please get the bacon wrap shrimp It is so good. The photos definitely don't do it justice. It was both our favorites. We skipped soup and salad because I really wanted dessert. Bacon wrap shrimp 5-5 My husband ordered the chipotle Alfredo. He said the sauce was really really good with the chicken breast. He said the chicken breast was amazing. 5-5 I ordered the scallops. They were delicious. 5-5 I've been to many restaurants over the years everything from the low end to the very high end this one for me I would say is a 3.5 and honestly with Bo it became a five but I do have to include all the other stuff for future guest. For something romantic and more secluded, I would choose somewhere else. These tables are a little close together. It is a great experience. Would I eat here again? Yes, definitely, I would come here in the daytime with the girls or something. I would not come here for my anniversary again or my birthday. For two entrees one appetizer, one dessert one soda, one iced tea. The cost was $160 gave a $30 tip and hope Bo received it as he did the work. We did ride the trolley back up the best thing about it was the couple that rode with us. They were super sweet. They come here often and we actually walked down the stairs with them too sweet warm couple. If I brought my granddaughter here, I would definitely only want to do it in the daytime so that way she could view everything and see it. You don't truly get the experience at night time, read more

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Food : 8/10 . Ambience : 11/10 Service :10 / 10 I mean the place has a funicular!! There is no place like Shadowbrook in the Bay Area. A historic business built into the side of a cliff going down to a creek / river. The food has always been solid and consistent. they do standard American fare and do it well. Their steak specials are always great. Where they shine the most is the location. Suggest walking through all the rooms to pick where you want to sit ( you will need to call ) . We hope to keep coming back ! read more

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Ate out on the patio- great heaters everywhere:) great service/ great food:) There was a big line for the incline so we strolled down through the beautiful gardens-well worth it:) read more

A wonderful experience! Our server, Eli, was so kind and welcoming. We were celebrating our anniversary, and we had a lovely time. The butternut squash ravioli was delicious, and we had the meltdown chocolate cake for dessert. Everything was incredibly fresh, and this was such a memorable experience. We will definitely be back. read more

Always a five star experience here! This is my 4th or 5th time and it is always wonderful. We had a later evening reservation and it was still really busy! We of course took the cable car at the entry down to dinner which is such a cool experience and necessary when dining here. Founded in 1947, Shadowbrook has been known for "romance in dining". Beginning with the atmosphere, the amazing food, and considering fantastic service, it is a must have experience and we highly recommend trying it at least once. However once you do, I am confident you will be back. The short ribs were so tender, full of deep full bodied flavor and the salmon was cooked perfectly. The mud pie was delightful- the only regret is only ordering one to share instead of two! read more

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My wife asked for a medium well done and got a burnt steak ! The waiter didn't even care to asked if everything was okay! When my wife asked to sing happy bday to our daughter the-waiter said we had to buy a dessert unless we wanted to sing happy bday with just a candle. That was so rude to say read more

Shadowbrook - Burnt stake - American Near Me - Capitola, California

Wow! I already want to go back. The prime rib was so tasty, perfectly cooked. The ambience is very romantic and pretty, by far the most beautiful restaurant I've been to ever. Service was excellent, the servers are personable and I felt they really do their best to ensure you have the best dining experience. read more

Shadowbrook - American Near Me - Capitola, California

Food: The food was decent but didn't quite stand out for the price. We ordered the prime rib with mashed potatoes, broccolini, and mushroom bread pudding--everything was solid but fairly standard. The shrimp scampi linguini was unexpected, with thick, round noodles rather than traditional linguini. Flavor-wise it was fine, and the prawns were large, which was a plus. The kids' macaroni and cheese was a very generous portion, but disappointing for the price since it didn't include a drink or sides. A smaller portion with fruit and a drink would have been a better value and more practical. Service: Service was the biggest issue. We had a 4:45 PM reservation for six and checked in 15 minutes early. However, we ended up waiting over 30 minutes past our reservation time. After 18 minutes, we were told outdoor seating was available. We explained we had two toddlers and a newborn, but were told it was heated--when we were finally seated, the heat lamps weren't on. Once seated, service continued to be slow. We ordered from the kids' menu right away, but the food took a long time to arrive. Drink refills were delayed even after being acknowledged, and we eventually had to ask another server just to locate ours for the check. We purposely booked an early reservation to accommodate a newborn's schedule, but the delays made that impossible. Overall: For the price point and reputation, we expected a smoother and more attentive experience. The food was fine, but the service and overall timing significantly impacted the visit. Parents - feed your kid a snack before coming since this was the second time I came and both times the table was available after the reservation time. If you have a baby that doesn't sit or eat, you still need to include them in the reservation. Only the soft drinks are refillable, not milk. There are lots of steps so be careful. There is no ramp for the stroller so plan to wheel it into the cable car or carry it down the long staircase. The restrooms are outside downstairs so preplan potty breaks. read more

This dinner was for the purpose of riding the cable car. And it was worth the trip to Capitola. The car can only fit 6 people at a time, carrying people from street level to the restaurant and back. It was a busy evening (8PM) so the line going to the restaurant was pretty long. I recommend going 20 earlier than reservation time to be able to make it on time. We were seated within 5 min of checking in. The host staff did a great job pacing and tracking tables. There was a nostalgia feeling to the restaurant. Inside had large windows with views of the water and houses across the way. Carpeted floors and Wooden tables and chairs. The drink menu was bigger than the dinner menu. We ordered a few drinks. I forget The name of the drink we ordered, but it had a flavor reminiscent of a Vietnamese dessert. Food ordered was the ahi carpaccio, black truffle gnocchi, half roasted chicken, and beef Wellington. The carpaccio had these fried shallots topping and a vinaigrette which again had a Vietnamese flavor. When the beef Wellington came out that looked like a pate chaud, Shadowbrook should be listed as American/Vietnamese cuisine. The gnocchi was creamy and pillowy. The half roasted chicken was super dry. The chicken was the only dish that was disappointing. Wait Staff were friendly and helpful. read more

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This was our second time visiting this restaurant, and unfortunately, we were very disappointed with both the food and the service. First of all, there was absolutely no view or atmosphere in the area where we were seated. It honestly felt like we had been forgotten in that section, and the food took a very long time to arrive. One of the dishes we ordered was the fried artichoke, which came out cold and didn't taste fresh at all. We were seated in the Redwood area, right next to the kitchen, and throughout our dinner, we could smell smoke and unpleasant cooking odors around our table. It really took away from the dining experience. The only star I'm giving this visit is for the free toys my kids received. read more

The food was okay, nothing particularly special--but the views and atmosphere definitely boosted the overall experience for me which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. Shadowbrook is a very romantic restaurant from the beautiful garden to the fun cable-car you can ride! I was very happy with our table and where we got seated as it was a corner table in the room, overlooking the river. Highly recommend making reservations in advance as it is a very busy spot. Depending on the time you arrive, parking can be a little tough but there are a couple parking lots specific to the restaurant you can check out. The service was great, our server was very attentive. She answered any questions we had and provided recommendations. For the appetizer, my husband and I thought the Bacon-Wrapped Prawns were better than the Seared Ahi. For entree, the Butchers Filet was better than the Blackened Ribeye Steak. If you have a special occasion or going on a date, definitely worth checking out if you appreciate a nice view. read more

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Wow, I can't rave enough about this place!! I made a reservation for 8 of us to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday, and I already can't wait to hopefully come back again. The ambience and experience here was magical, and although the food could've been a bit better, everything else made up for it. It was very easy to make a reservation through Yelp, and they placed us in a private dining room (without me asking!) That was so nice because we could intimately celebrate my dad's birthday. You can also call the number to order a free ride (with recommended tips) from a vintage taxi that will pick you up anywhere within 3 miles. The car we ended up riding in was really cool and from NYC, and our driver, Greg, was also very friendly and prompt. When we arrived, we lined up to take the red tram down to the restaurant, which was also so unique! I would recommend getting there early if you have a reservation, since the line for the tram can take a while, and there is only one. Each tram fits 6 people, so we had to wait for the tram for our entire party. There were multiple different dining areas, and each was unique and beautiful. I would love to be seated in different rooms moving forward. There is so much beautiful greenery as well as natural light. We ordered the blackened ribeye steak which was juicy and delicious, and the baked Brie had a unique jalapeño jelly which was interesting. The other items were good but not amazing, which were the scallops, shrimp scampi, calamari, and clam chowder. The shrimp scampi was the one we were most disappointed with; it did not even look like a classic shrimp scampi. However, it was all over a great experience, and we had a great server, who made my dad's birthday better. The creme brulee was also absolutely delicious! Can't wait to come back. read more

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Food was amazing and ambiance was even better. Lobster was buttery and the ferns next to me kept teasing me to take them home :) read more

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Start off, the place is cool. Beautiful spot on the river. I like the old timey feel of the restaurant. Service also had that old style feel, quite formal, but also very pleasant and attentive. Menu feels a bit dated too, but it fits the settings, and I was good with it. Unfortunately the food was a let down. The Wellington had a tiny piece of steak in it, and it was overcooked. The ravioli was good, but a bit under seasoned. The Caesar salad looked quite good, but didn't try any. The blackened lamb, was ordered medium rare, but saying it was medium well would even be generous, it was way overcooked. The sides were decent. So, if I had some bigger family thing, I'd give it another go because of the setting and experience. But if it was just me and the wife thinking of a place to eat dinner, wouldn't be here. read more

This place is a classic! Great vibe, great location, amazing ambiance and they have a really good wine and cocktail list. By all means, schedule the complimentary checker taxi service, it's an added experience that makes everything truly memorable. Lots of picture worthy spots on the grounds, and the various themed rooms are fun too. While there were lots of groups and birthday celebrations, I was on a date with my partner who has never been. It was really fun sharing the experience. The service was friendly, and the food was really delicious. Lots of local ingredients, and the new chef has done an amazing job with the menu. I can't recommend this place enough, and it makes even the ordinary night out something special. read more

Came to visit a friend in Santa Clara, and more specifically, wanted to visit Shadowbrook restaurant. It did not disappoint! It was a wonderful experience. The food was delicious! I had the French onion soup and the Shadowbrook house salad. For dessert, the three of us split the Jack Daniels mudslide. It was so good! read more

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First time visitors for my birthday. I made reservations about a month ago. My wife and I arrived, took the funicular from street level span to the restaurant proper, and about 5 minutes before our reservation time. Waited about 15 minutes to be seated at our table...time to get drinks at the bar. Seated at a window with a lovely view of Soquel Creek. Our server, Andrew S, came to our table, saw that we already had drinks, asked if we would be wanting wine, and left us to look over the menu. He was friendly and personable but tended to speak a bit fast for us. Andrew returned, answered our questions about the menu, took our order. Our cups of artichoke soup arrived. The soup was delicious. After that, our sea scallops were brought to the table. They were also done to perfection. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals. After dinner, Andrew sang happy birthday to me and took our picture. Before leaving the restaurant, we got a couple more pictures on the grounds. We then departed via the funicular. A very enjoyable birthday dinner at Shadowbrook Restaurant. read more

Nestled on a hill along side the river, this once home turned into local iconic romantic dining restaurant. Take the hillavator down or the beautiful landscaped stairs to main entrance. There are numerous rooms to dine in, for our first time here we were in the garden room. Early evening reservation with a view of the water, and paired with an October rain storm was the idillilic experience. We started with the calamari appetizer. The sweet chili dipping size was my favorite. Shared a Cesar salad to try their famous croutons, they were cheesy and flavorful. Romain lettuce was crisp and dressing was enjoyable. I tried the ribeye special for the night and it was delicious perfectly cooked medium, tender. My husband opted for the blackened prime rib and he really enjoyed it, said it was the best prime rib he has tried in a long time. For dessert with finished off with the molten cake topped with Marriane's vanilla bean ice cream. Overall this was an amazing dining experience highly recommended making the reservation and celebrating your special occasion here. If no reservation may dine in the rock room which we will try next time. read more

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Ambiance is outstanding, service is first class, the food was very delicious and fresh! Kudos to the staff !!!

great experience here on a Saturday afternoon in June! We were a party of 6 seated within a few mins with no reservations which was great (though I do recommend reserving in advance as it was packed). We sat in the patio. There is a formal dining area, patio deck and lower deck as well! The food was delicious and the server was sweet. They do have an elaborate kids menus / coloring book which was a plus! My only issue is that during late-lunchtime, they offer both the lunch menu and then the full dining menu... The issue was our party ordered from both menus and the folks who ordered from the full dining menu got their food about 20 minutes later! Apparently that food is made in a different kitchen or area? I think they should let folks know in advance that if you are ordering from the different menus, some entrees may arrive later. Also our appetizer salad & side of fries either arrived super late or just never showed so we canceled it. I think they just need to coordinate better with the different kitchens. Overall pleased- would return for dinner experience in the formal dining or lower deck by the water! read more

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Visited Shadowbrook which is a beautiful restaurant in lovely Capitola. It was a very nice and sunny day so we chose to eat outside. Josh was our server, and he was great. Cocktails arrived quickly, and while they are pricey, they are very good. I had one of the lemon martinis that claimed to be a "double" but I did not notice any extra than normal alcohol. French Onion soup was one of their featured soups for the day, and I ordered a steak sandwich, which is probably one of my favorite meals. My spouse had the braised beef lasagna and the prawns for an appetizier. Unfortunately, the soup and prawns arrived with lunch, versus arriving first as an appetizer. The bacon was slightly burnt on the prawns (4), and my $15 onion soup had not even a table spoon of liquid, and could not have been more than a single laddle's worth of onions and topping. I wasn't necessarily expecting a huge bowl, but for $15, it could have been much more than the tiny "pot" container it arrived. The braised beef lasagna had very little braised beef. The steak sandwich was quite hearty, so much so that I couldn't finish it, but not really anything special. Shadowbrook is a beautiful and iconic restaurant that should be experienced for its beauty and little trolley system that takes you down to the restaurant (there are stairs too). The dining room is romantic, and they do have a dress code. Since we ate outside for lunch, this dresscode is not imposed. I was happy to experience this place, but prepare to pay Capitola prices. read more

We were super excited to try shadow Brooke. They have an excellent reputation and the restaurant is beautiful. We were seated over 15 minutes after our original reservation time which was a bummer but understandable. They were busy. The food arrived and was truly inedible. I had the edamame ravioli and the sauce was clumpy and oddly sweet. I've never had the misfortune of being served anything like it. I love edamame and I love ravioli, but this was truly vile. It took them over 45 minutes to replace the dish and by that time, we were starving and totally fed up. The manager just made excuses and argued about our original reservation time even though I had an email confirming. I'll never go back and if you enjoy quality food, you won't go either. read more

Had dinner in the barrels room which was perfect. Setting, service , quality of food & drink.

Shadowbrook is just like its name its in shadow. Its and experience besides being a great restaurant...Finally, this time i was able to reserve a table but it was at 10pm...So late! But if i go back ill do it again! The reservation was through opentable and it was the only time available. The restaurant was pretty busy but all workers went above and beyond. As they say: team work, dream work! The reservation itself is pretty big and it will be hard if there is no hard wotk...For start we orderrd cocktail shrimp and carpaccio...Mama mia fresh and delicious! For the main course ribs and seared scallops, blackened rib that came with spinach and horse radish! The ambiance wS very romantic. We came here for birthday and they charged us for $10 icecream! It was interesting! It was first time that i got charge for celebration but overall this plave is really good & get fully booked asap! read more

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This was such a fun and unique dining experience, and the first "fancy" dinner for my 8 and 11 year old. While the funicular was a bit claustrophobic for me, my boys enjoyed it. We were seated in the greenhouse and given rolls and butter to start. The staff took good care of our kids and the kids menu is very accessible. They also got to color and pick a tiny toy out of a top hat at the end. My mocktail was delicious, as was the artichoke soup. My lobster was a bit chewy, but the potatoes and broccolini were great. My husband enjoyed his prime rib and we shared the chocolate lava cake which didn't really have any molten center and while good, was pretty basic. Overall, the atmosphere, vibes, decor, and waterfront setting made for a great dinner. read more

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Did you really go to Capitola if you did not visit Shadowbrook?!?! My daughter insisted that I take my wife here, so here we are. Quality/Quantity - We got the following specials: Watermelon-Prosciutto Salad - Not bad. Well my wife really liked it. Refreshing. Decent portions (for one person) and we are light eaters. Creamy Salmon Pappardelle - Sadly, VERY disappointed. I felt the salmon was over cooked. And the noodles were definitely NOT pappardelle pasta! The noodles looked identical to my wife's tagliatelle pasta. See pictures. At best, this was a 3 star dish. I should have gotten my ribeye... Beef Stroganoff - The better of the two dishes. Probably a solid 4 stars. The complimentary bread was SO good!! Hearty! I actually asked for a second roll. As a light eater, I was able to finish my entree and two bread rolls, plus a sample tasting of my wife's salad. This might give you an idea for portions, plus my pictures. Oh, and prior to dinner, I visited two breweries... 3 pints, snacks, etc. Again, gives you an idea of the quantity of food served. Lastly, complimentary chocolates. Atmosphere - Interesting. A must visit. Small 6 person tram or a maze of a walk through the garden. We did both. During peak hours, there can be a wait for the tram. Plus, the inside is like a maze; my pictures do NOT do it justice. We came back the second day with our daughter, so she could also see and experience the above. Plenty of parking, they also have an overflow lot. Service - 5 Stars. Very professional. Very accommodating. Price - $84 + tip; includes a 4% surcharge. We felt expensive for what we got. I felt that we were paying more for the atmosphere and service rather than the actual food. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1947. 1958 - Cable car added. 1972 - New owners. Added a cupola entry and a deck by the river. 1978 - New owners and current owners = Ted Burke and his partner Bob Munsey. 1980 - Wine cellar added. 1992 - New landscaping and paths. read more

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If it weren't for our waiter, this would be a one-star review. The cable car ride was the only highlight but nothing to write home about! It's cheesy, busy and way overpriced, and overall a miss for us. We were seated in the basement under the stairs and had to ask to move. Two of us ordered prime rib--they were out. The beef Wellington came out raw. Calamari was average, and the pork chop (as a replacement) was also disappointing. Wouldn't go back and don't understand the hype. read more

Shadowbrook - raw wellington - American Near Me - Capitola, California

I haven't been to Shadowbrook in about 8 years. Decided to bring my son and we had a great time. We went at 4:30pm and it was perfect, sat on the lower inside building with a great view of the river that goes through. The food was fantastic, I got the lobster tail and it was a good size. My son got the lamb and he ate the entire thing. It's always a special place to dine. The service was excellent as well. read more

Shadowbrook - American Near Me - Capitola, California

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After my original review went live in April, the manager called to explain away the front desk staff's behavior. Unfortunately, his reasoning didn't hold up. As a consolation, he mailed me a $125 coupon and asked us to call ahead so they could "properly prepare" for our visit. My girlfriend and I decided against giving them advance notice. We didn't want to risk "special treatment" so we returned unannounced on a Saturday lunchtime in May. The 2nd go-around didn't go any better. We were again greeted by disengaged, visibly checked-out staff, and after a round of grunted responses, we were seated in the bar area. The menu itself was a problem: we were told 90% of it wasn't available at lunch, and half of the remaining 10% wasn't available until 2 PM. The food was a repeat of April's disappointment. The clam chowder arrived cold, and no hot food was available at all. Service remained slow and inattentive, and the staff couldn't even process their own gift card. Shadowbrook is a poorly run restaurant with substandard food and service to match. If you're looking for a special-occasion meal in the Bay Area, look elsewhere. This place needs a serious overhaul in the kitchen and on the floor. read more