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    Surf City Sandwich

    4.0 (448 reviews)
    ModerateSandwiches
    Open • 10:30 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Surf City Sandwich Takeout or Delivery

    Surf City Sandwich Photos

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    SURF CITY SANDWICH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Surf City Sandwich

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    Crispy cod wrap, reddish tint from the red canopy outside.
    Sharon W.

    Hubby wanted sandwiches for lunch. The sandwiches all look great except I was craving a salad. Fortunately they have a Cobb salad on the menu, with the option to add avocado for an extra $2. It's a casual restaurant with lots of outdoor seating. The server was very nice.

    Surf City Philly Cheesesteak
    Daniel T.

    A surf-themed shop with cool interior design and tasty sandwiches/burger! We were looking for burgers and were glad to find Surf City. Service was excellent and had helpful recs. The Philly cheesesteak is their most popular and it is excellent and cheesy. The ghost pepper Jack is subtle but provides the right amount of kick. The burger was also surprisingly good, and they cook the patty to order. The Vulcan Mindmelt was okay, basically a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings but in a sandwich form. A little underwhelming. The homemade chips were a nice touch. The subgarden salad was a little too sour with the dressing. You can add chips or salad for $0.99. Fries were good and came with the burger. About $16 per item. All in all a good find and would come again!

    Cod wrap
    Patty C.

    I got the cod wrap. The fish was really good and there was a decent amount of it. The other flavors of the cheese, onions and sauce really melded together well. Bonus was the homemade chips. Nice and thick but not at all greasy. Would definitely come back.

    Burger and fries
    Paulina D.

    A favorite! Delicious sandwiches. Can't be in a rush here because it takes time but worth the wait. We love the pork belly bahn mi. Today tried the burger - juicy! We also got the cubano, yum! Quality food. Service is always friendly and helpful. Indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor decor is fun and surf themed. Outside is dog-friendly. Woof!

    Pork belly bhan mi
    Sokna S.

    Food: 3/5 order the pork belly bhan mi, a bit salty pickle carrot and dican was a bit too overpower and cut too large. Meat was ok but way too much sauce. Service: 5/5 quick and speedy. Ambiance: 4/5 great decoration and surf theme. Love it.

    Menu November 2023
    Katie R.

    Read about Surf City in a Visit Santa Cruz article about sandwiches in the Santa Cruz area. Glad I read about it, because even having driven past it many times, I never noticed it in the busy intersection. The sandwiches here are unique. There were a couple that sounded pretty traditional that you'd likely seem elsewhere, but the majority felt one of a kind. They have a variety of both hot and cold sandwiches with a lot of the hot sandwiches seeming to focus on BBQ and spice for the main flavor profiles. They did have some other more mild sounding sandwiches as well. Since I'm not huge into spicy or fried foods (a few of the sandwiches came with onion rings) a lot of the sandwiches had a few too many things I'd want to substitute, so I played it safer and went with the pork belly banh mi. The banh mi was really good! I did have to take some of the jalapenos off to be able to eat it without breathing fire, but overall it was a good sandwich. It was loaded up with pork, so much so that the meat was overflowing - exactly what you want. The sauce on the pork was super flavorful and had a nice sweetness to help balance out the heat. Sandwiches came with housemade chips. Chips were super thick and crispy, could've used a bit more flavor, but was really happy with the texture of them. We took our sandwiches to go but they did have a good amount of seating for the space both inside and out.

    Surf City Sandwich
    Denica D.

    After going to the beach my son and I just wanted a sandwich. We saw the Surf City Sandwich sign and went in. There is a casual order at the counter vibe. The cashier and I had a misunderstanding while I ordered about the tuna , which was most likely due to my being starving. They fixed our order right away. My son enjoyed the kids menu and I had an amazing cod wrap. Outdoor and indoor tables are available. Try it!!

    Shrimp wrap

    Ordered the shrimp wrap and it was amazing! So much flavor and if you like some spice I recommend adding the pickled jalapeños! Ordered online and order was ready quickly. Employees were friendly and helpful. Sorry for the half eaten wrap it was too good to wait.

    Paulina L.

    Saw this place while running an errand in the area and decided to try it out. Ordered Togo and got the Cuban sandwich! And I must say this is on my top 3 of Cuban sandwiches that I've had! They have this spicy sauce that just makes it so delicious! I'm assuming all sandwiches come with their potato chips that are homemade. Those are okay, it can use a little salt or a dip of some sort, but the sandwich was definitely A1! Little small spot, they have drinks like yerba mate and stuff. They have some seating inside as well as outside. Great friendly service as well!

    The Vulcan mind melt
    Karen G.

    The sandwiches are delicious . The chips are homemade and they are nice salty crunch to the sandwiches or wraps. It does run a bit on the pricer side but I think that's reflected on the quality of the food. I would definitely be visiting again.

    Classic Pastrami .

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    4 months ago

    Lovely service and best sandwich I've ever had!! Highly recommend the Philly cheese steak!!

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    10 months ago

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    Elaine F.

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    5 months ago

    I've been here once and my Ruben was amazing really good nice and hot 10/10 I will be returning to this spot

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    2 years ago

    Best BLT Sandwich I've tasted in Santa Cruz County. Great customer service. A MUST TRY!

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    Ask the Community - Surf City Sandwich

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    Food: 5 stars. Service: 3 stars…read more The food was excellent and made the visit worthwhile. The staff, however, came across as a bit cold and unfriendly. I get that it's beach time and things move at a different pace, but being a little nicer to customers and visitors would make a big difference. Hopefully next time the service will be as good as the food. EDITED - Saturday, June 20, 2026 I'm updating my review after reading the owner's response. First, I want to clarify that the response appears to be a copy-and-paste message aimed at people leaving negative reviews. If you had actually read my original review, you would have noticed that I never complained about the food, the wait time, prices, staffing, or anything related to the quality of the business itself. In fact, I enjoyed the food and had no issue waiting. I visited on a Thursday, and the café wasn't packed. The owner was clearly working hard, and I respect that. However, when I walked in and said hello, I was completely ignored. There was no greeting, no acknowledgment, and no sense that my business was appreciated. That was the only reason I left a 3-star review in the first place. The response talks about staffing shortages, minimum wage, food costs, and the challenges of running a small business. I understand all of that. Running a business is difficult. But those challenges don't really address the point I was making. A simple "Hi," "Welcome," or even a quick smile costs nothing and goes a long way. I also don't think customers should be made to feel responsible for business challenges such as labor costs or rent. Those are realities of ownership that every business owner has to navigate. That said, after thinking about it, I'm changing my review from 3 stars to 5 stars because the food was genuinely good, and I do support small businesses. My hope is simply that future customers are greeted with a little more warmth and appreciation when they walk through the door. One final thought: when someone leaves a critical review, it may be worth responding directly to their experience rather than posting a generic response. Sometimes there's valuable feedback hidden inside reviews that aren't really about the food at all. I wish you and your business success, and I genuinely hope you continue serving great food for years to come.

    We found this hidden gem by accident while walking. As we walked in, we were greeted by a very…read morefriendly gentleman. I ordered a latte with almond milk, and it was made to perfection--smooth, rich, and nicely strong. My husband had a mocha with almond milk, which he also really enjoyed. He added a poppy seed muffin that was served warm and was very good--a nice touch. The inside of the café is cozy and welcoming. We decided to take our coffee to go and sit by the beach, which is just one block away. We will definitely be back."

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    Pointside Meat Shop - Tri tip sandwhich

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    This was my first time ever had this particular sandwich spot. I've seen a handful of people sit…read moreoutside or walk along this corner pressure point. I wanted to check out the other stores since they had a little market outside. I ended up ordering the Firebird sandwich with an Izzy and I was surprised on how many different styles of drinks, wine and so does they have inside there? Sandwich shop. They also had deli meat you could buy and stuff you could take home with you. The lady that helped me was incredibly friendly impatient since I had no idea what I wanted to eat. She gave some options since I wanted a hot sandwich and I liked cheese that melts. Lol when I got my fire sandwich, I neglected to ask if there was any condiments or vegetables inside besides the bell peppers. I always like lettuce or something with a crunch. Sandwich was pretty basic, but I think it needed something extra like a spicy aïoli sauce or something added to take it up to a different level of flavor. I usually like different flavors within sandwiches so perhaps I'm just picky. Overall, I thought the sandwich shop itself was incredibly cute and I liked all the drink drinks and glasses or even bottle of wine you could purchase and then walk down the way to the beach! That's exactly what I did after I ate my sandwich.

    We shared both the Tri-Tip & Chimi and the Hot Bird, and the tri-tip really knocked it out of the…read morepark. The arugula and chimichurri packed an exquisite punch, and the meat was thinly cut (but thickly piled on) and soft. The flavor combo of rich steak and intense herbs on top of fresh ciabatta with some sort of subtle creamy garlic sauce? Perfection. The Hot Bird is thermally hot, not spicy, and very rich and creamy. The meat had a subtle smokey flavor and the roasted peppers were almost tangy, but it sort of melted away into the richness of the mayo and turkey. It was tasty, but the chimichurri really "wowed" me. I don't think I'd order the Hot Bird next time, but I'd drop the $14+tip on the chimichurri again in a heartbeat.

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    Pete's Capitola - Iberico Pork Skirt "Steak"

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    The best experience I've ever had! From the moment I arrived, everything was absolutely…read moreexceptional. The bartender was phenomenal--friendly, knowledgeable, and crafted some of the best drinks I've ever had. The oysters were unbelievably fresh and absolutely to die for. Every member of the staff provided outstanding service, making me feel genuinely welcomed and well taken care of. To top it all off, the view was absolutely breathtaking. It truly doesn't get any better than this. I can't wait to come back!

    I stopped by for a drink on a hot Tuesday afternoon. I was absolutely committed to a seat right by…read morethe water and although Pete's doesn't have the largest volume of patio seating, all of it is right by the water. Since it was an off-time, I also had the whole patio to myself. I ordered the Garden Gimlet (which I finally learned with a hard G, like "gift"). The drink arrived ice-cold (which hit especially well on such a hot day in Capitola) with a balance of punchy fresh lime juice, delicately herbed syrup, and the classic botanical sophistication of gin. The drink also comes with a decorative edible flower. I don't know my flowers too well but of the two different flowers I had in the two gimlets I ordered, both had a very subtle licorice flavor (nothing at all close to jäger) and an herbaceous quality. Pro-tip: dip the flower in the drink for an even more complex experience. The drinks and the ambiance were both excellent but the service took the experience to the next level. I had the pleasure of being served by Erik, who is normally the bartender but was also my server today. He was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and served a consistent and delicious drink each of my rounds. I certainly benefited from it being slow the afternoon I visited because I got some extra time to chat with Erik about some of the things on my mind that brought me to grabbing a drink overlooking the water in Capitola. Definitely say hi if you see him working sometime; he's a wise soul.

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    Pretty Good Advice - Tofu Banh Mi was whatevs

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    If you don't already know... you need to know... this place is so bomb. You need to give it a try…read moreregardless if you are a carnivore or not. I always get the tofu bahn mi cause that's my jam. I've never strayed. Then I might get the Brussels sides or any one of the their delicious salads. However TODAY I was convinced by the lovely gentleman at the counter to get the heirloom tomato peach sandwich. His reasoning? It's all fresh in season produce that comes from the owners farm. What's a girl suppose to do with all that knowledge? Well, I caved. And happy camper I was. Ingredients are so fresh and juicy- tomatoes and peaches go together like bread and butter. Only word of caution, don't get this on a first day. I had whipped goat cheese up to my cheeks by the time I gobbled down my sand which. Thanks for the rec and the delicious fresh food!

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

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