.Best of Santa Cruz County 2025: Restaurants

Appetizers

Hula’s Island Grill

Silver—VIM
Bronze—The Crow’s Nest

Barbecue

Aptos St. BBQ

Silver—Mission St. BBQ
Bronze—Cole’s Bar-B-Q

Breakfast—Aptos/Soquel

Pretty Good Advice

Silver—Red Apple Café
Bronze—The Farm Bakery, Cafe & Gifts

Breakfast—Capitola

Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria

Silver—Busy Bees Cafe & Catering
Bronze—Avenue Cafe

Breakfast—Santa Cruz

Walnut Avenue Cafe

Silver—Harbor Cafe
Bronze—Zachary’s

Breakfast—Scotts Valley/SLV

Heavenly Roadside Cafe

Silver—Auntie Mame’s
Bronze—Trout Farm Inn

Breakfast—Watsonville

Cowboy’s Corner Cafe

Silver—Red Apple Cafe
Bronze—Beach Street Cafe

Brunch

Harbor Cafe

Silver—The Crêpe Place
Bronze—Süda

Burger—Aptos/Soquel

Parish Publick House

Silver—Betty Burgers
Bronze—Pretty Good Advice

Burger—Capitola

East End Gastropub

Silver—Carpo’s Restaurant
Bronze—Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery

Burger—Santa Cruz

Jack’s

Silver—Belly Goat Craft Burgers
Bronze—Betty Burgers, Seabright Avenue

Burger—Scotts Valley/SLV

Emerald Mallard

Silver—Bruno’s Bar and Grill
Bronze—Cowboy Bar & Grill

Burger—Watsonville

Wooden Nickel Bar & Grill

Silver—Ella’s at the Airport
Bronze—California Grill

Calamari

The Crow’s Nest

Silver—Riva Fish House
Bronze—Aldo’s Harborside Restaurant

Cheap Eats

Charlie Hong Kong

Silver
Pretty Good Advice

Bronze
Jack’s

Chef

Jesikah Stolaroff, VIM

Silver
Damani Thomas, Oswald

Bronze
Santos Majano, Hook & Line

Chinese Restaurant

Special Noodle

Silver
Canton

Bronze
Shun Feng Restaurant

Chowder

Stagnaro Bros. Seafood Inc.

Silver
Riva Fish House

Bronze
Gilda’s

Deli

Zoccoli’s

Silver
Garden Liquor & Deli

Bronze
Seabright Deli

Falafel

Zameen

Silver
Achilles by the Sea

Bronze
Falafel of Santa Cruz

Food Truck

Scrumptious Fish and Chips

Silver
Pana

Bronze
The Real Taco

French Fries

Parish Publick House, Aptos

Silver
Jack’s

Bronze
Carpo’s Restaurant

Gluten-Free Menu

Dharma’s

Silver
Chubbs Chicken Sandwiches

Bronze
Hula’s Island Grill

Greek Restaurant

Zameen

Silver
Mozaic

Bronze
Achilles by the Sea

Hawaiian Restaurant

Pono Hawaiian Grill

Silver
Hula’s Island Grill

Bronze
Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery

Indian or Pakistani Restaurant

Ambrosia India Bistro, Scotts Valley

Silver
Namaste, Mission Street

Bronze
Ambrosia India Bistro, Aptos

Italian Restaurant

Lillian’s Italian Kitchen

Silver
Lago Di Como

Bronze
Tramonti

Kid-Friendly Eatery

Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar

Silver
Carpo’s Restaurant

Bronze
Pono Hawaiian Grill

Late-Night Dining

Manuel’s

Silver
Charlie Hong Kong

Bronze
The Crêpe Place

Mexican Restaurant—Aptos/Soquel

Manuel’s

Silver
Tortilla Flats

Bronze
Taqueria Los Pericos

Mexican Restaurant—Capitola

Tacos Moreno, 41st Avenue

Silver
Mijo’s

Bronze
El Toro Bravo

Mexican Restaurant—Santa Cruz

El Palomar

Silver
Copal

Bronze
Los Pericos Market

Mexican Restaurant—Scotts Valley/SLV

Taqueria Los Gallos, Mount Hermon Road

Silver
Maya Mexican Restaurant

Bronze
Taqueria Los Gallos, Victor Square

Mexican Restaurant—Watsonville

Cilantros

Silver
Jalisco

Bronze
El Frijolito

Middle Eastern Restaurant

Laílí

Silver
Zameen

Bronze
Mozaic

New Restaurant

Emerald Mallard

Silver
Hook & Line

Bronze
Cavalletta

Outdoor Dining

Laílí

Silver
The Crow’s Nest

Bronze
The Crêpe Place

Patio Dining—Aptos/Soquel

The Hideout

Silver
Home

Bronze
Bittersweet Bistro

Patio Dining—Capitola

Shadowbrook

Silver
Zelda’s on the Beach

Bronze
Paradise Beach Grille

Patio Dining—Santa Cruz

The Crow’s Nest

Silver
Laílí

Bronze
The Crêpe Place

Patio Dining—Scotts Valley/SLV

Laughing Monk Brewing

Silver
Cowboy Bar & Grill

Bronze
Heavenly Roadside Cafe

Patio Dining—Watsonville

Ella’s at the Airport

Silver
Cilantros

Pizza—Aptos/Soquel

Mentone

Silver
Buzzo

Bronze
Village Host Pizza & Grill

Pizza—Capitola

Pizza My Heart, 41st Avenue

Silver
East End Gastropub

Bronze
Village Host Pizza & Grill

Pizza—Santa Cruz

Pizza My Heart

Silver
Bookie’s Pizza

Bronze
Bantam

Pizza—Scotts Valley/SLV

The Pizza Series

Silver
Redwood Pizzeria

Bronze
Boulder Creek Pizza & Pub

Pizza—Watsonville

Ozzy’s

Silver
Cassidy’s Pizza

Bronze
Slice Project

Restaurant Desserts

Gayle’s Bakery and Rosticceria

Silver
VIM

Bronze
Chocolat

Restaurant Takeout

Charlie Hong Kong

Silver
Real Thai Kitchen

Bronze
Scrumptious Fish and Chips

Restaurant View

The Crow’s Nest

Silver
Jack O’Neill

Bronze
Chaminade Resort & Spa

Restaurant—Aptos/Soquel

The Hideout

Silver
Home

Bronze
Mentone

Restaurant—Capitola

Shadowbrook

Silver
Trestles

Bronze
Paradise Beach Grille

Restaurant—San Lorenzo Valley

Emerald Mallard

Silver
Trout Farm Inn

Bronze
The Grove

Restaurant—Santa Cruz

VIM

Silver
Oswald

Bronze
The Crow’s Nest

Restaurant—Scotts Valley

Bruno’s Bar & Grill

Silver
Laughing Monk Brewing

Bronze
Back Nine Grill & Bar

Restaurant—Soquel

Café Cruz

Silver
Home

Bronze
Sawasdee Thai Cuisine

Restaurant—Watsonville

California Grill

Silver
Ella’s at the Airport

Bronze
Cilantros

Salads

Soul Salad

Silver
Café Cruz

Bronze
The Crow’s Nest

Sandwiches

Zoccoli’s

Silver
Garden Liquor & Deli

Bronze
Seabright Deli

Seafood Restaurant—Aptos/Soquel

Akira Santa Cruz

Silver
Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen

Bronze
The Hideout

Seafood Restaurant—Capitola

Shadowbrook

Silver
Pete’s Fish House

Bronze
Paradise Beach Grille

Seafood Restaurant—San Lorenzo/SLV

Rumble Fish

Silver
Trout Farm Inn

Bronze
Scrumptious Fish and Chips

Seafood Restaurant—Santa Cruz

Hook & Line

Silver
Riva Fish House

Bronze
The Crow’s Nest

Seafood Restaurant—Watsonville

The Fish House Bar & Grill

Silver
California Grill

Bronze
La Perla Del Pacifico

Server

Isa Abbotts, VIM

Silver
Josh, Oswald

Bronze
Jason Webb, The Crow’s Nest

Small Plates

Hula’s Island Grill

Silver
Chocolat

Bronze
Jack O’Neill

Steaks

Shadowbrook

Silver
VIM

Bronze
HIndquarter Bar & Grille

Sushi/Japanese—Aptos/Soquel

Akira

Silver
Sushi Garden

Sushi/Japanese—Capitola

Miyako

Silver
Geisha

Bronze
Naka

Sushi/Japanese—Santa Cruz

Akira

Silver
Mobo

Bronze
Shogun

Sushi/Japanese—Scotts Valley/SLV

Otoro Sushi

Silver
Rumble Fish

Bronze
Sushisan

Sushi/Japanese—Watsonville

Miyuki

Silver
Imura

Bronze
Sushi Garden

Tacos or Burritos—Aptos/Soquel

Taqueria Los Pericos

Silver
Manuel’s

Bronze
Tortilla Flats

Tacos or Burritos—Capitola

Tacos Moreno, 41st Avenue

Silver
Mijo’s

Bronze
Busy Bees Cafe & Catering

Tacos or Burritos—Santa Cruz

Tacos Moreno

Silver
Los Pericos Market

Bronze
Taqueria Santa Cruz, Soquel Avenue

Tacos or Burritos—Scotts Valley/SLV

Taqueria Los Gallos, Mount Hermon Road

Silver
La Chimichanga Cantina

Bronze
Taqueria Los Gallos, Boulder Creek

Tacos or Burritos—Watsonville

El Frijolito

Silver
Cilantros

Bronze
Super Taqueria

Thai or Laotian Restaurant

Sawasdee Thai Cuisine

Silver
Real Thai Kitchen

Bronze
Bangkok West

Vegetarian or Vegan Restaurant

Pretty Good Advice

Silver
Dharma’s

Bronze
Veg on the Edge

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