A downtown Santa Cruz go-to just got a glow-up, and is ready to reintroduce itself.
The Hindquarter Bar and Grille (303 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz) reopens April 10 after a furious week-plus remodel.
But the things that make it great aren’t changing one bit.
What is changing: The old-school bar area, classic dining room and some exterior elements, with refreshed paint, lighting, signage, furnishing and more.
“A full remodel and update,” reports HQ’s answering machine—itself a nod to the vintage flavor that makes this place magic, and one of the oldest restaurants in the area, up there with Shadowbrook and Stagnaro Bros. Seafood. “We’re excited for you to come back and enjoy wonderful food, drink and hospitality.”
What isn’t changing: the vintage vibe; the full-bodied range of herb-butter hanger steaks, baby back ribs and ground-chuck cheeseburgers, hand prepped and smoked in house, under the direction of master griller-smoker-meat wizard Sam Yanez; nightly specials like Monday’s margarita steaks or Thursday’s smoked pork chops ($25-$31), plus prime rib Friday-Saturday, ($39); or arguably the best happy hour in the vicinity.
From 2:30-5:30pm Monday-Saturday, well drinks, house wines and draft beers from the likes of Discretion and Humble Sea are $6, as are small plates like spicy barbecue meatballs, mini corn dogs, spicy green beans, a house mini burger, garlic fries and a daily surprise dish.
Another unchanging element would be the most important: the rare bond between staffers and a loyal clientele.
The vibe starts at the top. Co-owner Yanez, who began there as a dishwasher in the 1980s, anchors HQ’s long-tenured leadership, which includes multiple managers with close to 20 years on the job.
Manager Ashley Byrd, for example, has been there for 17 years, and she’s the least senior manager, which doesn’t happen often in hospitality.
“We’re just a family unit,” she says. “We all get along so well.” thehindquarter.com
STAY CONNECTED
The Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project is a good thing, full stop. It will make the stretch more resilient to earthquakes, incorporate 6-foot-wide bike lanes and a 7.5-foot-wide sidewalk and transparent barrier rails, allowing for better harbor and ocean views. But it will take a while, and lay a wallop on a number of Surf City standout restaurants who call the Santa Cruz harbor area home, from Johnny’s Harborside to Aldo’s Harbor Restaurant to the Crow’s Nest and beyond. Let’s rally to keep them cooking. They’re still accessible, and merely require a little extra effort. santacruzharbor.org/restaurant-listing.
NIMBLE NIBBLES
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced it will close the commercial and recreational Dungeness crab fisheries using vertical fishing lines south of Pigeon Point—including Monterey Bay and Morro Bay—effective April 15, to prevent further whale entanglements; areas off Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, and Bodega Bay will remain open, wildlife.ca.gov…ICYMI: The Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market is moving to a temporary location on Cedar Street between Walnut and Church Streets in May, and will also fill the parking lot next to the downtown Santa Cruz Public Libraries branch, aka Lot 16, santacruzfarmersmarket.org…The N.Y. Times reports the revolving restaurant, “long regarded as a mid-century novelty,” is staging a resurgence, with spinners in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco…Legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer, please top us off: “The most important thing you can do is make the distinction between customer service and guest hospitality. You need both things to thrive, but they are completely different.”
