Red Apple Café is an Aptos gem that has had multiple generations come through its doors since it opened in 1988. Their philosophy is focused on quality food and delivering service and hospitality that sets them apart. Open seven days a week from 7am-3pm, they serve breakfast and lunch all day—so yes, you can get a hamburger in the morning or pancakes in the afternoon. In 2009, owner Gracia Krakauer had been living in Santa Cruz and looking for a local restaurant to buy, so she and her husband jumped at the opportunity to purchase what was already their favorite breakfast spot in town. She spoke to GT recently, highlighting some of their favorite food fare.
What are your best breakfast dishes?
GRACIA KRAKAUER: Any of our eggs benedict are great, the hollandaise is made fresh every day. The traditional freshly sliced ham is popular, but my personal favorite is the Maryland Blue Crab. The fresh crab flavor really stands out. And our potato dishes are good hearty portions—we have six options. The customer favorites are the bacon pots and the veggie pots. All these options are sautéed together then topped with scrambled eggs and cheese. Our most unique pancake choice is our Bacon Cheddar Stack, which has fresh crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese baked into the pancake. It’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet; guests are usually surprised at first, but once they have a taste it’s like they’re in heaven.
What lunch dishes stand out?
I definitely want to highlight our burgers, we have six options that are all half-pound Angus beef, all cooked to order and fresh, never frozen. My favorite is the California burger, which is topped with avocado, bacon and jack cheese. All burgers are also served with soup, salad, or French fries. Another popular item is our Baja Chicken sandwich. It has fresh grilled chicken breast underneath onions, jalapeños, red bell peppers, and melted jack cheese. If guests are looking for a nice hot lunch, we have our Mahi Mahi fish platter. The grilled filets are topped with macadamia nut butter and served over rice with grilled seasonal vegetables. It’s very popular and is a great option for those trying to avoid red meat.
783 Rio Del Mar Blvd #15, Aptos, 831-685-1224; redappleaptos.com.
