On my drive to hike to the redwoods, was a bit hungry and came across this place that seem to have a lot more reasonable food prices compared in the general area. Service: great, servers were funny and lots of personality Ambiance: felt like a small town type of restaurant with sport flair. Located middle of the woods 1/2 lb patty $7 (5/5): as strange it was ordering from the K9 menu, it sounded like a good cheap protein snack for the hike. Asked to season it since dog version came with no seasoning for dog-safe consumption. This came out to be a huge patty added grilled onions and so well seasoned surprisingly! Would definitely come again before or after a hike by the redwoods. read more

The Sawmill - 1/2 lb patty with grilled onions - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

I love coming to the Sawmill, the ambiance is fun. Love sitting in the outdoor area, it's dog friendly and the servers are always cool. A draft beer and burger hit the spot on a beautiful sunny day in the Santa Cruz mountains. I definitely recommend the cheese curds and onion ring tower. One thing I'd note is I notice they use jarred garlic and I think there's a distinct taste to it and not something I personally enjoy. read more

My husband and I came in for lunch and we were not disappointed. I ordered the French dip with fries and onion rings (frings) and he ordered the big smack burger with garlic parm fries. Everything tasted very fresh and didn't sit heavy afterwards. They have a good list of beers as well, I ordered a sour. Also wanted to give a shoutout to our server, Valerie. She was friendly, attentive and fun to talk to. She took great care of us and because of her we will definitely be coming back! read more

This place is one of my go to places to chill and have food and a beer. The outside area is the place to be. They are dog friendly outside which is nice because it is all enclosed and it is artificial grass. Food wise I usually get their garlic cheese curds, onion rings, and a wrap. They always have craft beer on tap which is part of what makes this place so good. They have live music outside sometimes which adds to the ambiance. Service is friendly. If you happen to be in Boulder Creek, this place is solid. read more

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My first time eating here. I ordered the fried cheese curds for our appetizer. These are legit! I spent some time in Wisconsin. The Sawmill Cheese Curds are spot on what you get in Wisconsin. Wife had the Fish Tacos with fries. She liked them. My son had a BBQ burger. It was massive. I saw the patty and it was a little pink. Perfectly cooked and spot on. I am a total cheese steak snob. I had low expectations, but this one delivered the goods! It really is rib eye, sliced really thin and the cheese blended into the meat. I was very pleasantly surprised. It is a good sized sandwich that I could not conquer. We all ended up with to go boxes, as the portions are very generous. We will be back. Solid place to eat in the middle of no where. read more

We decided to go here further away instead of a closer restaurant to our hotel, based on the good reviews. The service was definitely slow and we waited quite a long time. The server girl was friendly though. The ambiance was not all that great, just an empty cold and dull space with some booths, tables and chairs inside. The food was sadly disappointing, we both ordered mushroom burgers, it took a very long time to receive them and once we received them, they were extremely bright red inside and the bloody juices caused the buns to be soaked and mushy....we sent our burgers back because we asked for medium with a little pink originally. After some time, they sent our burgers back to us a tiny bit more cooked but still not medium and also on the same sopping wet buns and meat juice soaked plates. The burgers needed a whole lot of salt because they were super bland. The garlic fries were greasy and hard and crunchy. We wished we had just gone to the diner that was much closer down the street from us instead. It's always a total bummer when something as simple as a burger and fries turns out to be no good at all. Definitely not worth the price either. read more

Made this a destination for our drive to explore the Mountain roads. The Sawmill has a certain amount of charm, I recognize that and when there's live music, seating outside, and a vibrant weekend crowd I'm convinced that its a different experience. Today we were greeted by a welcoming staff and enjoyed a good meal but in comparison to other similar locations, it was just ok. Burger was cooked well and tasted. A little heavy on the BBQ sauce but overall a good sized portion and cooked well. The fries were forgettable. The Smashed Burger appeared appetizing as well and received a similar review. Glass was never empty and the service was on point. I would go back if I was in the neighborhood again. read more

The Sawmill - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

I love the onion tower and their salads and burgers. Great environment and vibe. Very cute spot along the greatest hiking trails around. Great place to grab a drink and some eats and chill out. They play football on the tv on Sundays and whenever it's on. Feels very homey. The service is great too! Love everything about this spot. It's definitely one of my favorite. Thank you!!! read more

The Sawmill - Arugula Salad (has sautéed mushrooms, pickled onions and pistachios). I added grilled chicken. Delicious! - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

Such a great little local spot! We wanted to sit outside, and our server Valerie suggested the front porch since the yellow jackets were getting a little feisty -- and honestly, it was the perfect spot. We started with a couple of beers (they've got an awesome selection!) and decided to split a Reuben. When we mentioned we were sharing, Val brought it out already split on two plates -- so thoughtful! Later, when we got one more drink to share, she even brought it out in two cups. Val is an absolute gem -- full of smiles and fun stories, just super easy to chat with. The Reuben itself was delicious -- smoky, tender meat and perfectly toasted bread. Everything hit the spot. Between the great food, the porch vibes, and the awesome service, we'll definitely be back! read more

Cute place with great service! The food was very tasty, I ordered their Iceberg wedge and it was delicious! The bleu cheese dressing was amazing and the bacon bits made it perfect. My hubby ordered one of the burgers with frings (French fries and onion rings). read more

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Awesome place to stop!!!! Amazing food and amazing service, cool inside nice restroom, but the food really rocks!! Incredible barbecue chicken wrap, the best I've ever had ! And really yummy tasting burgers, rings, fries! A memorable lunch for sure ! Our wait person was delightful! And thought of everything! Keep it up! You rock read more

They have gone down hill in the past year or so. Very slow and always 30 to 45 minutes late with to-go orders even when order placed 1 hour before pick up. Quality of food is slipping as well. read more

Foods good, usually takes to long, got the pastrami sandwich once, way to dry, never again, and have had a few bad servers, haven't been back in years, hopefully those servers are gone. And way over priced read more

Rule of Saw Located at the home of the former Roadside Café, The Sawmill has now been in operation for nearly two years and features a classic gastropub fare of fresh-tapped beers and classic American chow. After a full morning of hiking at nearby Big Basin, some frosty ones and comfort food sounded really good. The Good: *Less than 15 minutes from the entrance of Big Basin *Huge dog-friendly outdoor area w/ cornhole boards (upon request) a band stage for performances. *Twelve local beers on-tap, plus some in bottles. There's also fermented grapes if you're into that, as well. *Service from Melissa was very prompt and friendly. *Fried Garlic Cheese Curds app was ridiculously good, and we couldn't stop scarfing them down. *Their Reuben featuring their housemade Pastrami was fabulous and one of the best I've had. The Meh: *Carissa's Morrell sandwich was just OK. It was supposed to be a chicken thigh but almost seemed like a breast?? Irregardless, it was pretty dry, but the one saving grace was the high-quality bacon they use on it. *Fries were just decent and nothing to write home about. I don't know what it was about them, but they just didn't hit like they should. I also would skip the garlic fries upgrade as it's not worth it; the garlic is burnt and muted. I'd prefer it be more Gordon Biersch style, served with EVOO, raw garlic, and some parsley. The Ugly: *Occasionally get a wiff of the sewer line (septic tank?) when you're seated outside. TLDR: Overall, it's a nice spot for a beer and burger after a long hike. read more

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Food: the food is tasty and tastes very fresh Service: The service is touch and go. Depends on who is working that day. You can get "good" service or "terrible" service Ambiance: The restaurant is nothing special. I do like the outside dining, during the spring and summer. Here is the BAD news of the establishment. All of the food is Expensive. The service is extremely slow, no matter if there is no one in the restaurant. The establishment is cold. If the rating was based on the freshness and the taste of the food it would be 4 or 5 stars, the cost, the service wait and the temperature has ruined the experience for me. read more

The Sawmill is exactly the kind of place you hope to find in the Santa Cruz Mountains -- relaxed, welcoming, and genuinely delicious. The moment you walk in, the warm atmosphere feels comfortable yet special, like a local gathering spot where both regulars and newcomers belong. The menu strikes a great balance between hearty favorites and creative twists, and every dish I tried had bold, clean flavors that felt thoughtfully prepared. The service was friendly and attentive without ever feeling rushed, and the attention to detail showed in every bite. If you're in Boulder Creek and want a great meal in a great setting, The Sawmill is a must-visit. read more

I can't even explain how good the burger at The Sawmill was. Everything was really fresh and delicious, zero complaints. We also enjoyed the cheese curds! Hot, melted cheese is great. My boyfriend and I were visiting the town for the weekend and we both enjoyed this little restaurant. We hope to come back soon for the chill environment, scenic route, and delicious food. Shout out to the chef! read more

The Sawmill - Cheese Curds - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

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Food took forever to get to the tables. The $14 wedge salad was a rip off. The staff were friendly and hard working but were confused with what food went where. We waited 43 min to get our food while listening to an outside band. It wasn't that crowded which was a bit concerning. The food is good here but I'd nurse a beer because it might be awhile until you get the food! read more

We tried dinner here our first night in Boulder Creek, and the food was average at best, and the prices were high: Fish & Chips Fish was very overcooked Onion rings were soggy, and only 4 on the plate Burger Burger tasted like a Sysco special Bland and overcooked, even though we ordered "some pink" Service Service was so-so. Had to ask to get the check after waiting for a very long time. I'd say look further out if you have to. You'll probably be glad you did. read more

Top quality food and great service here. My husband's favorite is the big burger. I have to admit, my go to is Caesar salad and favorite dessert is the pineapple upside down cake. Can't go wrong here! read more

This is a gem of a place! We came for dinner, too cold to sit outside but the backyard looks incredible. Games and turf with Edison lights. Nice ambience. Limited parking in front. I hen you come inside the place is smaller, has about 20 tables. The staff was extremely friendly and cordial. They have a great selection of beers on tap. The food though, just fabulous. My husband got the smash burger. YUM! I got the BBQ tri-tip sandwich. It had homemade bbq sauce. Perfectly seasoned fries. This place was truly delicious. Good for kids too, we will be back! read more

The Sawmill - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

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This was an unexpected stop for our family on Memorial Day exhausted they weee actually open! THANK YOU for feeding us and THANK YOU for feeding some of the BEST burgers we've ever had!! Great service, great food, and loved the option of eating inside or outside! Next time we will bring our dogs and feed them from the K9 menu!! Absolutely loved it and will be back without a doubt! read more

The burgers were fantastic. Perfect flavors blending together on both the mushroom burger and the BBQ Burger and wow at 1/2 lb patty, you go home stuffed. Their onion rings with their awesome ranch were great too. Great indoor and outdoor seating options too. read more

Pricey for what you get.. Food is good. Options are good. There is a surcharge for to go orders.

I am so sad I didn't take any pictures today. This place is awesome. Came in on a whim after a 5 mile hike in Big Basin State Park. When we arrived they said they were short-staffed and busy and it would be 45 mins to an hour to get served. We decided to stay and glad we did. We had 6 people in our party. Two of us (including me) had the Smashburger. Honestly one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. (Minus points for the cold onion rings. If I knew they upcharged me for the rings I would have sent them back). One had the fish tacos. He said they were ok. The others had the salad with walnuts and pears, and the Rueben sandwich. They said the food was delicious. And the staff? Friendliest in the world. We will be back! (Serve hot onion rings) read more

I only come to this establishment once in a while when I come to visit my friends up in Boulder Creek, but I will say the food is pretty good. They're reliable and decent prices. I believe a family saved restaurant. Who ever tends to you all have a friendly disposition. read more

My fiancé and I came here for a Facebook Marketplace purchase. While waiting, we popped inside to ask to use the restroom. The employee behind the counter (didn't get his name!) said yes and let us through. After my fiancé got his RC car, we decided to have lunch at The Sawmill. We were greeted with an enthusiastic "You're back!" by the same employee. He sat us on the outside area. This area was turf and pet friendly! Valerie was our server and she was super sweet! She let us know where the water station was outside if we needed refills, brought me a "too full" beer, and took our order promptly. She always had a smile on her face and was very welcoming. My fiancé ordered the wedge salad with grilled chicken added and I had the Dougherty burger with a garlic fry upgrade. Let me tell you, this portobello burger was stuffed with blue cheese and garlic. The fries were crispy and flavorful. My fiancé was very happy with his salad and the grilled chicken portion was generous. We both completely finished our plates. Valerie came back and joked about how we must've "hated our meal" and offered to get us new plates, haha. We let her know this is the first time in a long time we finished everything in a meal. She was very appreciative of the compliment! The Sawmill was a quiet change of pace for us since we're based in San Jose. The outdoor seating area had shade, heaters for colder weather, and dog friendly. The inside decor was welcoming as well. Bathrooms were clean too!! We can't wait to come back again; definitely worth the drive. Thank you Sawmill staff! read more

The Sawmill - Dougherty Burger, garlic fries, Wedge Salad with chicken - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

We love Sawmill! Good service, good food, and a great atmosphere. It's our go-to spot for dinner out. The BBQ wrap is a favorite menu item and the fries are excellent read more

The Smash Burger is the best in the area!! We were at our summer family cabin, and within walking distance of Sawmill! This is not a good thing!! Ha! We are at Sawmill at least 4 times while we were there for a month. The live music is just great!! read more

Finally made my way to Boulder Creek! Sucha random spot up in the wilderness. Felt good to be among trees. I got the alcoholic Booch on tap it was hella good! So smooth not too bubbly. I got the tots but idk they were kinda too greasy for me and over cooked. I like the patio area it's so cute. read more

The Sawmill - Kombucha - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

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I was too tired to go all out for my anniversary so I walked over to the Sawmill and had a mini party there. I love the overall vibe and the food. Had a good local wine, fried cheese curds, burgers and chicken tenders. Everything there, including the fries and ranch is really good. Staff is friendly. One day I'll gain the courage to go to Tuesday trivia night. read more

Really liked the place. It's nice and quiet outside. The onion rings are the most delicious. Burgers are great. Would definitely be back read more

Hubby and I stopped in on our way home and glad we did! I got the cheesesteak with garlic fries and hubby got the tri-tip sandwich with onion rings. Both were delicious. I really liked the bread that they use. Didn't get soggy and not too hard. The staff are super sweet and very nice. Great service! They have an indoor and outdoor seating area and I saw a doggie outside so I'm assuming they allow pets. All you need to know is this is a great place! read more

I went to The Sawmill at 6:30 last night. The service and food were great! We've been there before when the experience was less enjoyable so we were very happy that they seem to have their act together. We were seated right away, the food was served hot, and it was very tasty. read more

This is an awesome place to grab lunch or dinner after a long ride or drive down highway 9. It's right before you get into boulder creek and has a very nice woodsy and historic feel to it. Food is pretty standard fair but done well and has good value. We ordered a cheesesteak and fries, a cheeseburger, and a kids burger. All the food was good and fries delicious. The kid's burger is a tad small, next time I might aim to order a regular burger for my 10 year old, it's listed as a 1/4lb patty for the kids burger but seemed to be less than that. The service and people there are nice. They have a decent out door area that allows open seating and dogs as well. The one dock or negative I would give is they can be a bit slow and short staffed. This is no fault to the people working there, but just the nature of the beast. I think it would be cool if they setup an order window and a pickup/pager system, this would speed up service and convenience for customers. read more

We came here today for the first time!! Was happy to see one of our favorite waitresses on her first day. I had the short ribs and my husband had the chicken caesar salad wrap and a cup of chowder. Everything was delicious and the outdoor seating is great. We will definitely be back to try other things. read more

The Sawmill - Outdoor area - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

Simply love this place. The out door seating is comfy, the food is great and they have the beer (death & Taxes) that i love.

Had such a lovely lunch outside yesterday. Shannon was so great! It was our first time there and she made the atmosphere very welcoming. We ordered the cheese curds, fish & chips, and a burger. The fish was some of the best I've had in texture and freshness, and the cheese curds were divine. The burger was cooked perfectly and was tasty as well. My companion ordered one of the ciders that was on tap. Since pricing was mentioned in another review, just wanted to share that I think our bill was $55 before tip, which I found reasonable and worth it considering the quality. If in the area I can't recommend The Sawmill enough! We had just done a hike at Henry Cowell and it was the perfect place to go after. We'll be back! read more

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Tony and Shannon were amazing. Came to see friends and Sugar by the Pound. Awesome friends, awesome show, awesome Venue. Shannon saw us, saved us, got us everything we needed, and made us feel at home. Tony found us at the furthest ends of the property and kept is in constant in the s as me flow. Great venue! Back super soon! Go Shannon! read more

The Sawmill - Burgers Near Me - Boulder Creek, California

A friend and I were on a circuitous mountain drive back from Santa Cruz to San Jose and we decided that we wanted to grab dinner along the way and found this spot on an internet search and were VERY HAPPY that we did. The sun was still up and we sat at one of the picnic tables out on the large astroturf lawn and had some difficulty making both beer and food selections as there are so many appealing choices in both categories, we ended up with French Dip+fries (me) and Baja Wrap (with some customization)+salad (friend), all was delicious and we had a lager and a pilsner from the well curated tap list. Our waiter was super helpful and attentive. After we'd finished eating we retired to the adirondack chairs on the lawn to finish our beers and enjoy the last of the sun. The lawn area has lots of very tall redwoods and other trees behind it and it is a very pleasant place to sit. All in all an A+ experience and we'd definitely go back! read more