Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    West End

    4.0 (1.2k reviews)

    West End Reservations

    West End Photos

    Business Info

    WEST END ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like West End

    Recommended Reviews - West End

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Carissa A.

    Found this place on Yelp after searching for a cute dinner spot in the area. It was tucked away in the far end of the building but had lots of parking available. The vibe was really cute inside. The bar area was large and had lots of TVs. It was nice to sit there because we wanted to watch the Lakers play. We were seated right away but it took a long time for the server to come to us. She was running around and very busy so it was understandable. We asked her to move us to a different table to be further away from the door and the breeze. She obliged us. We weren't sure about what to order but decided on the ahi poke, calamari and mushroom flatbread. The ahi had fennel all around which gave the whole dish a licorice taste that we didn't enjoy. The calamari batter taste was good but the consistency of the squid itself was a little tough. The best part of the meal was the mushroom flatbread. The beschamel sauce on it was delicious. The mushrooms were tasty. The crust was nice and crisp. Overall, the place had a nice ambiance and the service was average. The food was ok.

    Outdoor patio seating area, dogs allowed!
    Nezelle A.

    Made our way to Santa Cruz from San Bruno city and our maps took CA 1. Boyfriend was craving a burger so when we exited the highway, I searched the closest burger spot and came across a couple. We decided with West End. They have a shared parking lot plus street parking on the back of the building. West end ambiance was nice, calm and were greeted at the door even tho there wasn't exactly a host waiting. Different waiters would come up to anyone who walked through the front door to sit guests. There were was small kids menu provided and provided paper gami folding for kids to learn to fold a cat (Asian/ Japanese fusion) there was patio area for dining and inside but we decided inside as it was a light breeze. Dogs are welcomed on the patio area! We arrived around 1pm and it was pretty empty as well on a Saturday. Honestly didn't really know what to order but my bf ordered the smash burger and side fries ( don't like you have to pay $5 for side of fries) I think fries should always come with a burger. My kids (3 years old) shared the mushroom pizza . Mushrooms were shitakee like, Medium pizza with 6 small slices, it was MID. Not worth $22 also Didnt want to try anything else. Advice: come for the smash burgers and fries, soo good and even my girls wanted the burger more than their pizza, they loved the mushrooms too even tho they normally take out all toppings! I have a 3 star because it was pretty empty and waiter didn't refill waters or ask if we needed anything During our time

    Steamed P.E.I. Mussels.  Great !
    Julio V.

    Great burger here. Reminded me of an In n Out burger. The string beans were also very flavorful. We also really enjoyed the mussels! Service was ok, friendly but not very attentive. The place was large but had an awkward area in the middle that you had to walk around. Anyway a good spot to grab dinner.

    Sashimi, Egg Roll, Korean fried chicken flatbread
    Ben W.

    A large, cool space, with a big long bar for drinking and eating. The sashimi was perfectly cut with a delicious, citrusy sauce; the egg rolls were crispy with an unreal thick, sweet sauce. The flatbread perfectly captured the essence of Korean fried chicken. Cocktails were strong, and inventive. Will definitely be back to try the burger and dessert.

    Bree G.

    This review is specifically for the new menu which has some gluten-free options but not many. We started with a dozen oysters and they were delicious. There was what seemed to be some tiny slices of apple on each, which I hadn't experienced before and actually enjoyed. I do prefer more of a vinegar/spice with my oysters, and it was cool to experience a sweeter version. Then we both ordered smash burgers with gluten-free buns and regular fries. SO satisfying. My only feedback for the new menu would be to offer different types of cheese for the smash burger. American Cheese works and it just isn't the most sophisticated/clean option out there. Overall, I'd recommend! PS, customer service is inconsistent. Focus on the food. ;)

    OKONOMIYAKI FRIES
    Sarah C.

    I like their rebranding. All in all I thought the food was really solid. For starters: Calamari, Tempura Inari, and OKONOMIYAKI Fries were all tasty. Although I ill say the Inari was not what I was expecting. I liked the tempura jalapeños that came along with the Calamari - nice pairing. SAKE-DON was quite tasty. Really liked how all the flavors in it came together. The fish itself could have been a little bit more tender/juicy. Good things were said about the Ramen and the Fried Chicken that my fellow diners ordered. My husband got a "kiss Godzilla" cocktail which I thought was quite nice. Service was a little slow. This maybe was exasperated by the fact that I had kids with me that got really antsy. Kids menu is lacking, but they do have French fries and all kids love French fries I"m pretty sure, so you can totally bring your kids. Was pretty busy on a Saturday night, but they do take reservations!

    Menu
    Chris M.

    This place is awesome! Nice employees, great food, and even better drinks! We came during a happy hour on a Thursday and we ordered 2 oysters, a Mozzarella flatbread, a beer, 2 wines, and a wine cocktail. Our bill came out to $26. What an awesome spot with nice outdoor seating. Will definitely be coming back.

    Bay M.

    For starters we got the calamari & the shareable fries. A little too chewy for my liking but can we please talk about that vinegar dipping sauce! I could drink that. I will pay for a bottle. Their fries are good. We got 2 of the Portobello mushroom burger. We added bacon on one of them. Side salad or fries. Burger was okay, it could use some sort of aioli. Flavor was flat. The ribs was good. Tender and delicious. The griddled ham & brie sandwich was great, especially paired with their house salad which was massive. Drinks & beer were good. We sat al fresco. Nice patio area. But the interior was also pretty cool. They have these individual booths with chalkboard paint - we saw people write happy bday or whatever they're celebrating. Food came fast. Service was good.

    Wagyu smash burger
    Erika R.

    Been here before with the old menu, loved the old menu, but we still gave it a chance since we were already seated. We ordered: Wagyu Smash Burger: the taste was delightful and the only burger it seems on the menu now. Calamari: seemed like we got just pure fried jalapeños and a bit of calamari (maybe we got the end of the barrel. Pao Buns Pork & Shrimp: tried the Pao buns and they were refreshing and something different. We went on a Tuesday so they had specials for the Pao Buns and the Margaritas Regular margaritas: Mine was served so strong, I didn't even enjoy it or drink it, so not quite sure what happened there. The service was exceptional as always. But the food menu definitely changed....we loved the old menu... probably won't be returning.

    Mark K.

    This has now become one of my favorite places for dinner in Santa Cruz. It was hopping last night with live music next door (playing outdoors) and a food truck in the parking lot. My daughter had been here before so she suggested we start with the Castelvetrano olives. They were very garlicky and we quickly finished them. My daughter ordered the mortadella and pistachio flatbread. The flatbread was a very pizza-like dough which I prefer. It came with a white cheese sauce rather than a tomato based red sauce. Unique choice of ingredients and excellent flavor. I would order this again. I ordered the burger. The pickled onions and house sauce made the burger special and set it apart from others. The side of fries were hot. They tasted great but were even better with a side of ranch. What I noticed about this place is that they may have similar menu items as other pubs or tap rooms, but they put their own spin on it. Everything had a unique flavor. I will be back.

    Calamari
    Shelly S.

    A lot has changed since the last time I posted. New name and definitely new menu. Again, we were seated right away but this time it took awhile for a server to take our order although it looked like there were plenty of staff walking around. We ordered the calamari and the burger, had to add fries for an additional $5. The calamari was bland and seemed to have more jalapeños than calamari. The burger was actually pretty good. The fries were good but expected more for the additional $5 charge. We also had a beer and sake bomb. Overall, I don't think we will be back. Nice location, but service and food quality/selection will need to improve before we would try again.

    Inside
    Daniel C.

    Its a family-friendly gastropub set in a large, open and casual space. It's adjacent to another brewery, coffee spot, and several wine tasting places. Expect the atmosphere here to be lively for sure. They have their own parking lot in the front along with a shared lot in the back. I don't drink beer much these days but I do enjoy the occasional cider. The Scrumpy Ginger Lime Cider is refreshing for a warm evening. The menu has many small bites and larger entrees. We ordered: * Smoked Ribs with Chipotle Beet and Mint Greek Yogurt sauces on the side. Excellent appetizer for sharing, and the meat was soft and seasoned without being super salty. * The Kid's menu did not have burgers, but man they have an awesome cheese pizza that's super soft and huge for sharing. The Grass Fed Burger is decent though its a bit too big for a toddler. * Roasted Sea Bass was a solid dish and came with mussels! Definitely Asian influences with the coconut curry and shredded veggies. I wished they added some sides like steamed rice. * I ordered the Steak Frites medium rare but it turned out a bit more pink and chewy than I'm used to. I probably should have gone with Medium. Good, thick-cut paprika fries. Definitely a fun place to dine, and our 3yo had a blast exploring and running around outside after dinner.

    Mayra D.

    Went here after seeing they were a "dog friendly" place, and we had our corgi who we just took to the dog beach. We found parking right away, but had a hard time finding this place after we parked. Once we found it, we were seated right away outside. I'm not sure if we went on a bad day, but none of the staff seemed like they wanted to be there. The host, who sat us, saw us with our dog or why she would sit us outside, and our server saw our dog as well, but never did they give her a bowl of water. All the other customers who were coming in with dogs were given a bowl of water. This pissed me off because why were we treated differently. The food was good as well as the drinks. The service was horrible and I'll rather go somewhere else.

    Fingerling Potatoes

    See all

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike B.
    15
    289
    9

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Bay M.
    473
    904
    6511

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul N.
    122
    19
    5

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Rose L.
    492
    7
    179

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Celia M.
    23
    41
    11

    11 months ago

    Great place to hang out. Service is excellent, food is good and breweries all around. Great place!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 31
    Thanks 0
    Love this 23
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 30

    West End Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - West End

    Are dogs allow?

    Yes, dogs are allowed on the patio! Very dog friendly place.

    Are they taking reservations during COVID outdoor seating?

    The day we went they didn't take reservations but there was more than one table available

    Is there a space for private events? If so, how many people does it hold? Thanks!

    If you have the cash you could probably rent the whole place out. I would contact them directly about specifics...

    Is this place dog friendly?

    Yes but dogs must stay on the patio and are not allowed inside. There are several tables outside on the patio where you can order from the full food and drink menu and enjoy the seaside air with your pooch and friends.

    View All 8 Questions

    You might also consider

    Pho House - Baby Gimbap

    Pho House

    3.2(79 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    My husband and I live in Santa Cruz and finally gave it a try. I was a little apprehensive at first…read moreone because of mixed Yelp reviews, two because the exterior signs suggested it's both a pho house and Mexican spot, and also because the inside was empty on this Friday night around 6:30. We decided to give it a try and are now so happy we did. I got the veggie pho and my husband got the rare steak, meat ball, tendon pho. The veggie pho included tofu, mushrooms, bok choy and green onion, as well as a healthy portion of noodles. The full-bodied broth was absolutely delicious (I did add the accompanying spice from time to time). My husband was super happy with the bowl he had too. I haven't seen him get so excited since he last had pho in Seattle. The service was also wonderful. The younger cashier that took our order, brought us water and served our bowls of pho was super friendly and attentive. Additionally, my husband initially planned to order the vegetarian pho with meatballs added. The cook (possibly owner) came out to ensure that's what he wanted. He instead recommended the dish my husband ended up ordering and commented that it would cost us a little less money as well. I felt that said a lot about the establishment and its workers. The restaurant was clean and really large. I noticed some coming in for pick up orders but my husband and I were the only ones dining in at the time. I was sad thinking about all the restaurants that came before it in that exact space that eventually closed. Given the great service and delicious pho (best I've had in Santa Cruz), I highly recommend trying it out. This spot deserves our business!

    I was really happy with this banh mi. The bread was soft and easy to bite into, which my jaw…read morehonestly appreciated, and it made the whole sandwich feel comfortable and satisfying from the first bite. The fillings were fresh and well-balanced, with pickled veggies adding a nice tang and herbs keeping everything bright. It's not about a loud crunch here--it's more of a smooth, easy-eating kind of sandwich that still delivers on flavor. Service was friendly and the space was clean, making it a great spot for larger groups. I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the pho next.

    Photos
    Pho House
    Pho House
    Pho House

    See all

    Union Foodie Truck - The truck

    Union Foodie Truck

    4.3(8 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    Just got a chance to try this new foodie truck tonight at our local brewery. An Asian Mexican…read morefusion truck with a small but tasty menu. I'll start out by saying that the food I tried was quite tasty but... I had the Banh-Torta, an attempt at a fusion of the Vietnamese Banh Mi and the Mexican Torta. You can get either of these on their own in San Jose for about 6 bucks but adding guacamole makes this Bahn Mi 9 bucks? The bread had a tough bite, not the crunchy crust and soft center of a killer French baguette or the yummy texture of a great Torta roll grilled on a flat top. More like a day old sourdough that wasn't sour, not a good fit in my opinion. Lots of good flavored fillings like pickled and fresh jalapenos, and Sriracha mayo. The real disappointment was that everything was cold. If the steak was first warmed on the grill (standard practice for any food truck) or the bread was toasted or something to add some warmth to the equation, maybe I would have been swayed to 4 stars. I know they are just starting out and this is the first Yelp review but I did mention I was going to add them to Yelp and Rachel the chef/owner handed my wife her cold sandwich while smoking a cigarette with the other hand. I'm not sure if this is some sort of health code violation or what but California's no smoking laws don't allow smoking within 25 feet of any door or window leading to a place that serves food. Smoking in the kitchen is a pretty bad display of disregard in my opinion. I won't be lining up next time this truck is in town but you should try them for yourself and hopefully my honest review gives them some direction for success.

    Just had an I Love Lucy sandwich. Absolutely delicious, perfect balance of crunch, salty and…read moresavory. Friendly, fast service, and getting a sandwich presented this beautifully is rare. Recommended without reservation!

    Photos
    Union Foodie Truck
    Union Foodie Truck
    Union Foodie Truck

    See all

    Shun Feng - 水煮魚,又麻又辣。

    Shun Feng

    3.5(372 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    We stopped for lunch today after doing a little post holiday shopping and returns. We were greeted…read moreand seated immediately. Shun Feng has a large lunch menu with items ranging from $12 to $15. We had the Prawn Chow Mien and Hot & Sour Chicken. The food was fresh and delicious. I love how the staff is consistently friendly and helpful. They check in on you often and keep things moving. They have a computer set up by the register to make take out orders easy and efficient. It's easy to use and our orders always come out in a timely manner. If you need to place an order to go, it's fast and effective. It's a great place to grab lunch or take out!

    Special Noodle is widely regarded as the most popular Chinese restaurant in the city but we wanted…read moreto try another area that would serve authentic Chinese food. We decided to give Shun Feng a chance and were not disappointed! It's a nice cozy restaurant with traditional feel and decor. We were seated at the round table and had an amazing family style Chinese dinner. The owners and managers are all from China so it makes sense the food was authentic. We ordered a full slate of items including chicken feet, mapo tofu, beef cold cuts, and much more! Food was good and came out fast. Owners were very kind and provided great service. Pro tip: Traditional Chinese folks can look at the menu by the register for a more authentic menu

    Photos
    Shun Feng - Food sitting out, exposed. Next to an open back door.

    Food sitting out, exposed. Next to an open back door.

    Shun Feng - Sweet and sour pork lunch special

    Sweet and sour pork lunch special

    Shun Feng - Por stickers

    See all

    Por stickers

    West End - gastropubs - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...