99 Bottles is one of those places you really must try at least once. ESPECIALLY if you love beer as I do! I love being able to try almost anything my heart desires.. though if it is a good one, don't be surprised if they tell you they're out of it and you need to go with your 2nd choice.
I've tried a great portion of their menu and though I have enjoyed everything, the best thing is one of their burgers and fries. Their fries are perfect, and the burger usually makes 2 meals for me because they are so thick and well stacked (yea yea, I know, "That's what she said"). My favorite I think is the one with cilantro-jalapeno-cream cheese (I forget what it's called?), oh my goodness sooo good! I'm pretty sure I've tried all the different burger combos and haven't been disappointed yet.
The service, though once in a while not so very attentive, is for the most part pretty decent and helpful. I haven't had a "bad" waiter here yet, and I've been here many times!
I also applaud their efforts to keep those under 21 from purchasing by carding at all times (yes, even me, and I'm almost 30!) and being extra vigilant in the late evening hours (as I've witnessed a couple of times under-agers being turned away in the past). It's hard to say no to people, but it's very responsible in these circumstances, and I appreciate it very much. Thank you!
Upon entering there is a somewhat helpful host who attempts to seat you. Should you choose the fate of sitting outside where the air is fresh be prepared to get inattentive aka BAD service.
Get our menus, wait wait wait. Order our beers and food, not one attempt to upsell or advise us of our choices of sides or heaven forbid ask how we would like our burger cooked (I know that is very challenging for people in the customer service industry -UGH). So now I am already wanting to leave even before the beers have arrived.
Beers come, yay. They are good. Wait wait wait wait, flag her down to try to get another, wait wait wait wait. Listen to the table next to us consider ordering salmon thinking DON'T DO IT to myself.
Food comes with criss cross fries (would have upgraded had she asked). Half the fries were cooked and the other half were raw...guess the kitchen could not tell by the difference in color?. My lovely pre-made frozen beef patty was perfectly shaped and cooked well with tons and tons of pepper - gross. The jalapeno burger that sounded like a jalapeno popper on a burger was just plain disgusting. The chicken sandwich was done real sneaky by taking a very small breast and pounding the heck out of it so it would fit the bun...so that is what $10 gets ya huh? Oh right did she return to find out if everything was alright...heck no! Not sure if this is from experience of people being unhappy or just her lack of anything customer service. She didn't even know the menu!
Watch the party next to me try to flag down the waitress numerous times to get a beer as she chats to her tables inside - nice! I push my burger around and wait for this disgusting food to get away from me.
Note: do not ask for ranch it is VILE, full of vinegar like this review.
Had to ask for our check and take it inside, my husband too polite to tip her what she was really worth (nothing).
So much for the new owner and new menu. Guys you need another revamp and while you are at it get some decent chairs for outside...my god they don't even go with the place.
Really unless you just want a beer and a basket of part cooked fries please save your dough for a place that appears to care, that is not here.
Interesting concept but I'm not fully attracted to this place. They have the most extensive beer menu I've seen. $6.75 for a taster flight of 3 beers. However, you can only choose off the ones that are highlighted in gray (in their menu)- not a huge selection but pretty much one from every big "type" of beer.... meaning you get one choice in the ciders, one wheat, one ale choice etc... I do have to say that the sample pours are quite generous though. Yes you can get buzzed from the 3 pours if you're a light weight like me!
Review Source:New owner has worked wonders. Don't get me wrong, I liked this place enough before-but I never considered it a place for good food. Beer, yes. But now the new menu is amazing! Â Plus they've made an effort to carry local beers on tap. AND renovated the bathrooms. All the updates have made 99 a great restaurant instead of just a decent pub. It's like it was on a secret episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
Review Source:99 Bottles is for the beer lover. Â They have ninety-nine different beers to enjoy, and if you drink all of them, you get your name on the wall. Â You can also file for financial assistance, because drinking ninety-nine beers will probably clean out your checking account.
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I love this place, don't get me wrong. Â But something really bad happened. Â My friend ordered a beer and after he had taken a few sips we noticed that the pint class was cracked in the form of a triangle, by the rim. Â We notified the waitress, who is awesome btw and apologized profusely. Â After some time, the waitress brought out a new beer - half full. Â The look on her face read, "I KNOW right?" Â Apparently, the 85 cents of filling up the glass to the top was too much.
Review Source:Hard to go wrong here if you're at all into beer; while I typically gravitate toward IPAs, seems like there's plenty enough else on tap to get all but the snobbiest beer snob through a pint or two.
Could do with some more local stuff on tap, though -- Sante Adairius? Santa Cruz Ale Works? A place I could walk to with those IPAs would be treeeeeeemendous. Just sayin'.
Haven't tried too much of the food since the big menu renovation, but can say that the chicken wings are now excellent. Great sauce, you get a bunch of them. Win. A solid ahi salad during our most recent trip, too.
Fun place to visit on a weekend trip to Santa Cruz. Lots of different beers to try out, and they have a flight of 3 or 5 to sample. I tried a chocolate ale, a cider, and a peach ale; all were unique and tasted great!
For lunch I had the California burger...they are massive and yummy! Something that should definitely be shared though. Overall, I enjoyed going there for lunch because of the atmosphere and it's proximity to downtown.
Stumbled upon 99 Bottles as the name sounded intriguing. Stood in the entrance for a few minutes before we were greeted and then asked if we had preference where to sit. Dear boyfriend and I sat in the front near a window. The waitress who was the same person who greeted us asked what we wanted to drink. We exclaimed we needed some time to look over the menu.
I proceeded to go to the restroom where there was only one stall for men and one stall for women. After waiting approximately 15 minutes for the bathroom (several women in front of me) I went back to the table with my boyfriend confused why I was gone so long. Â Waitress came by and we each ordered a beer and some wings. The wings came out hot. We never saw the waitress again to get us extra napkins. We probably would have ordered another beer, but decided against it as the service was just not on par. While this place does have a lot of beers to offer, I'd suggest avoiding this place all together and stopping at Bevmo to pick up something tasty.
They have a beer menu that is 11 pages long! Unbelievable! This is my favorite beer spot in Santa Cruz and I have to stop in every time I'm in the area. They have a small outdoor seating area outside in front where you can enjoy the occasional Santa Cruz sun and do some people watching.
The ambiance:
I've only sat in the bar area or outside so this is not a review for their dining room. As for the bar - I have found it to be friendly, the locals will to strike up a conversation with you about their beautiful city and if you ask them about the wall of names, chances are they will be happy to explain the requirements on how to get your name on a plaque on the wall. (Hint- it takes a lot of drinking!)
Service:
Our bartender was busy but still managed to oblige by letting us have several tastes of the numerous beers on tap. It's not easy to decide when there are so many to choose from.
Recommendation"
This place is a must stop if you like beer. Cheers!
Service is Terrible!! Â Worse the server we had was rude and acted like we were an imposition on her. Â It took over 30 minutes before we could get her to take our food order and another 30 minutes for simple food - salmon burgers and salmon salad. Â It was a Sunday afternoon and they were moderately busy. Â The new owners are going to lose lots of business if they don't correct this soon - we won't be back despite loving it in the past and enjoying the patio on a nice sunny day. Â Food has always been just OK and beer selection is good, but no one wants to deal with bad service when there are so many places to go where you are treated well.
Review Source:Beer selection is enormous! You can find beer from all over the world.
I had the Double Western BBQ Burger which was one pound of meat. Unfortunately the meat was not juicy anymore, the burger was not hot and I didn't taste any sauce. Maybe next time the meat died not twice before its ending up on my burger
Wife ordered the Pesto chicken sandwich which she said was quite tasty. With a side salad - which had A LOT of avocado (a good thing!).
I had the Honey mustard chicken sandwich with the waffle fries; both of which were also pretty good.
Ours was a slightly later than normal lunch on a Monday. Very not busy, server was attentive w/o being overly so.
Just under two hours ago I took my mother to 99 Bottles for the first time. She was excited to finally dine there because of my rave reviews from previous experiences, and because she had saved a 50% off appetizer coupon (flyer) to use on her first visit. Unfortunately, due to our server Aracelia, my mother's first impression of the place was negative.
As always, the food was fresh and impressive and the drinks were stellar. But, Aracelia had an attitude almost immediately, for no apparent reason.
When she brought our beers she asked if we were ready to order our "foods", to which I responded, "We need a little more time for our entrées, but we would like to place an appetizer order in the meantime-"
She cut me off, saying she'd be right back, only to take drink orders from the couple next to us (who sat after us), leave for a while, and then take their food orders first.
When she eventually came back to us, I made eye contact with her for a quiet moment, hoping she'd adjust her attitude, but she remained short and rude. This wasn't a nervous server-type problem. I noticed her eye the 50% off appetizer flyer, which I had on the table top next to my wallet.
We placed our appetizer and entrée orders, and everything was smooth sailing until she brought my take-home box. When she handed it to me, she pointed to the coupon and lazily said, "That don't work no more; it's too old". BAD FORM.
Even if that WERE the case, my mother and I spent $50. The least she could have done was comp half the $6.99 dill pickle spear appetizer we ordered, or tell us that she'd ask her manager. The flyer coupon had no expiration date.
I really love this place, and have never before experienced bad form here, but it just goes to show how one rotten server can ruin the bunch.
I've often struggled with the question of immortality - but, thanks to 99BOBOTW, I'll never have another sleepless night.
Hundreds of suds-loving souls have gotten their names inscribed in individual, gold-lettered plaques on the wall of this venerable pub. Above the bar, yet a more exclusive club - the 99 x 10 - have an even loftier place in beer heaven.
We stopped by on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The sun warmed the streetside patio, and we sat at the bar sampling brews from the extensive tap collection.
Haven't yet tried the food, but the service, and the beers, were definitely worthy.
American style bar food and beers. Lots and lots of beers. Ales, bitters, stouts, lagers, and a bunch of other terms that I don't really know anything about (but don't worry they explain them all on the menu). Even I, a perpetual Blue Moon drinker because anything darker just doesn't taste that great to me, found a list of about 10 beers under their "fruit and spiced ales" that I was willing to try. And the bartender's recommendation, the tangerine wheat ale, was on point--light, citrusy, and sort of like Blue Moon!
With TVs, patio seating out front, tables in the front room, back room, and upstairs, and bar seating, this is a great casual place to hang out whether you want to grab a few bites with a group or just enjoy a game over some beers.
I'm not really a bar fan and neither is my GF so was kinda hesitant about going here even after reading a good review in the local tabloid. We were both pleased with the service and food. I like the vast selection of beers and the stamp card. I have a goal of completing all 99 beers and get my t-shirt and plaque on the wall.
Review Source:Yey Under New Ownership!
OK lets face it, 99 fell so far down over the years that getting your name on the wall was nothing to be proud of, it was a testimony to becoming a sad sack who had been 86ed out of everywhere else...
Enter the new owners, who have turned this zero into a hero in less than a year!
Upon entering the "new" 99, you immediately are relieved that the suspicious smell that once lingered in every corner of the place - especially the bathrooms - is GONE! GONE! A-Mazing!!
Then comes the menu, both for beer & for food - changes - but all for the better. The beer menu now includes more local fare & also brewed beer by the owner - how cool! They have also updated the recommended section so its no longer a snobs list of perfect craft beers, it is an actual "hey check this out" list of decently priced & tasty honest to goodness beers to try.
The new items on the menu are also crazy good. Gouda cheese dip, pasta selections & sliders are amongst the new fun & improved pub items that really make a difference.
Give it a shot & then take some shots - of tasters - while you figure out exactly which 99 you will try - then get your name on the wall - you deserved it!
& hey, who really deserves the kudos here? The new owners who have devoted their time & energy to reviving this establishment so much so that their images are engraved in the window & on the pint glasses. Hats off to you & your adventure bringing great beers to the masses in downtown!!
No one will be disappointed eating/drinking here for any occasion, being a drink before a movie or a full-on date night downtown. See for yourselves this week!!
They make a very good  burger, they really do. My jambalaya was terrible. Tasted like they used McCormick seasoning packet (not saying that's what they did, but that's how it tasted).
Friendly service, but the ambiance was blah.
I've heard that changes are in the works, so, I hold out hope, and will return..and will update.
Back in the day this was a place for some friends to drink and watch hockey. I distinctly remember having had quite a few of said "99" and deep into Stanley Cup game 7 my friend says "i gotta break the seal. Of course the minute i leave someone's going to score and win it all in overtime" sure enough thats what happens. Good times
Review Source:My friend and I came here on New Years Day to watch the Rose Bowl. Since I live in San Jose and he lives in Watsonville we decided that this would be a good mid-location for us to drink a few beers and watch the game. Living in Santa Cruz back in the days I used to go to 99 Bottles frequently as it was one of the better bars in town due to their large beer selections. This was my first time back here in over 10 years and going there filled my mind with nostalgia.
One thing I remember is that I used to always order their calamari steak sandwich. Going through their food menu I was excited to see that it was still on the menu. I eagerly ordered the sandwich and after the first bite I have to admit...it's just not the same. I don't remember what the sandwich was like back in the days since I can't even remember what I did last week. And the fries weren't as crunchy as I wanted them to be. While the food is edible it just didn't satisfy my expectations.
On the other hand they literally have 99 bottles of beers to choose from. Most of them are in bottles or cans and they have a few on draft. Lot of the beers are imported too. Ask them to see their beer menu and you'll find beers from Brazil to Japan. Our bartender Tom was super friendly. He was very courteous and attentive.
Not what I remember it to be but still the better place in town to drink some beers and get some decent pub food. I would go back in a heartbeat just so I can try some of the other beers from their selection. Also worth mentioning, I'm not sure if they do this anymore but if you finish all 99 beers you can get your name on their wall. You don't have to finish all the beers in one sitting. That would be crazy.
This place is awesome!!! Great selection. Fun venue! They often have live music so I go to enjoy a refreshing beer and hang out with friends. Â They have an upstairs area, which is where I usually go because I often bring a large group! Â
The staff is friendly and patient. Â One time at the bar, the bartender whipped out some dice so we could play! Â I always enjoy coming here and definitely make an effort to visit now that I moved back to San Jose.
If you're looking for a cool place to chill, drink beer or grab a bite in downtown SC... This is one of my favorite spots!
I'll give it 5 stars for the extensive and marvelous beer selection and 2 stars for everything else so that averages to about a 3.5 rating. It seems like every beer ever crafted in the greater Northern California area is on their menu! It was a fantastic selection, I was very impressed. However, the food and food menu leaves much to be desired. It was blah...and overpriced blah food at that.
If you like a wide selection of beer then this is the place for you!
The perfect place to kick off a 30th birthday celebration Treasure Hunt. Yes, treasure hunt. Designed by the celebrant's parents! Our first clue led us to this establishment, where we proceeded to assemble puzzles into the shapes of letters. Props to the staff for hooking us up with the back room in order to figure out our next destination, as well as being quick with the pitchers of beer! Of our 3 beers, I liked the Pilsner the best. A true German at heart when it comes to Oktoberfest!
TIP: They have a HUGE selection of beer. An extensive menu with detailed descriptions. This is beer-lovers' heaven.
My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant yesterday and we loved it. Â The food is tasty. Â There is a wide selection of food and at reasonable prices. Â I had the mushroom and cheese turkey burger with a side of sweet potato fries and found it very filling. Â The waitress was very nice and accommodating. Â The great thing is that this restaurant is open late. Â This is the second time my boyfriend and I ate here and like it.
There is only one thing that I do not like about this restaurant. Â When we went there last, there was a lady who seemed to just hang around waiting for us to finish so she could clear off the table. Â She made me feel uncomfortable as well as felt rushed to finish. Â This lady was not the waitress who was very nice to us. Â The lady who seemed to be compulsive regarding clearing off our table did not even say a word, even when I said "thank you" in regards to clearing the table. Â She did not seem at all friendly and very zombie-like.
We were looking for a good place to eat in downtown Santa Cruz. Well we found it.
More beer than you can shake a stick at. I had the sampler. Great way to try 5 beers at once. My wife and I split a California burger. More than enough food for both of us. It was really good - perfectly cooked, fresh and tasty. Go there, you won't be sorry.
Although this place is known for their extensive variety of beer, it seemed a bit too early to have any before heading out to the beach.
My friends and I were seated at the booth to look over the menu. We decided on burgers! I got the California Burger which came with Avocado, Thick Cut Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Pickles, Onion and Tomato. Patty- cooked medium obviously. The burgers come with fries and since we came in on a Monday most appetizers and burgers were only $7.49. You can easily share these burgers, they're HUGE. I think that might be an understatement, but it'll suffice for now. The burger was juicy and had fresh ingredients. The fries were crisp and you get a lot of them on the side.
The service on the other hand was a bit strange, kinda slow ... but then again that might be the hungry-San Jose-restaurant server/host in us (We all work in restaurants!) that wasn't used to the slow service. Then again we noticed there was only one waitress managing the entire place. She did help while she could and checked up on us, so I give her that!
The price for the portions here are awesome and pretty good quality food I would like to think. We were definitely tempted to grab some beer here, but already had plans to drink down by the beach. Maybe next time!
Really good bar food and Santa Cruz (read kinda slow) service. Been there a couple of times and it was packed with patrons. Looks and feels like a standard bar and grill.
The burgers were great and picking a beer to try was a challenge given all the choices.
Overall a decent pic when downtown Santa Cruz.
I came here with some friends after a day of swimming and hiking. The idea of having a selection of 99 beers after a long day out in the sun seemed brilliant and refreshing.
I was very overwhelmed by their beer selection but got no help whatsoever from the waitress on what to order. In short, I ended up getting a boring old Stella, because I was too nervous to try anything new without any guidance. If you're going to work at a place that serves THAT many drinks, you should be knowledgeable on them or at least lie about the customer favorites. Other than that, the waitress was very friendly and apologetic when our food wasn't coming out fast enough.
Aside from the beer, I ordered a the cream cheese and jalapeno burger. There was nothing special to it, besides the hugest glob of cream cheese known to man slathered on top. The ratio of burger to cream cheese was maybe 2:1. It was pretty good but nothing stood out.
Not a great food place but I am sure it is super fun if you are just looking for a drink. We had a large group (6 adults and 1 child) and they seemed to have a difficult time finding tables to  put together for us (read as: I wouldn''t recommend this place for parties of 4+). The food was pretty basic bar food: burgers, sandwiches, and a few salads. Nothing to really rave about.
Their beer selection (including number of draft options) was quite impressive. Again, I would recommend this place for a beer but not so much for a meal.
Came here for a drink with the boyfriend the other night and it was pretty busy. The bartender was slammed (and didn't have a barback, which I thought was quite unfair) but he was very accommodating when I tasted my Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and had a very sour tinge to it... the boy sensed it right away. I only date men with mature pallets...
We wanted to try the Young's Double Chocolate Stout so he poured me one of those, and my-oh-my was that rich. Tasted like I was indulging in a dark chocolatey treat. I actually preferred what the boy was sipping, which was the Double Daddy Speakeasy Imperial IPA (Dont quote me on the exact name on that one..). That one was delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone that likes a casual environment to enjoy some nice flavorful brews!
Came here to catch up with fellow yelper Tiff. She took me to Saturn Cafe on my last visit to SC. I swear she wanted to poison me with her vegetarian food because she knows I'm a meat eater.
We sat outside since it was pretty packed inside. The patio area is super small, but it was okay since we only had 2 people. The waitresses were pretty attentive considering we were on the patio, which is a plus when  you're used to waitresses purposefully ignoring you.
I ordered the roasted garlic and blue cheese burger. I actually ate everything that came with the burger, which is a surprise since I usually pick everything but the meat out. Not quite a fan of blue cheese though. The burger was really big so I saved half for later.
The burger came with a good helping of delicious waffles fries too. The place is conveniently located in Downtown Santa Cruz so you can shop off those calories once you finish eating!
Santa Cruz inhabitants - I know that you guys are done with dumpy watering holes, endless sushi restaurants with crappy food (but you keep going back because they do free sake bombs). Â You yearn for a decent beer joint that provides tasty beers. Â 99 Bottles seems to do that just fine.
I was thoroughly impressed with the beer selection that they have - anything from light and smooth to cask ales. Â The draft and bottle selections both excel. Â
Compared to other joints - the crowd is a bit more mellow and are mostly local. Â The bar obviously attracts most of the crowd, but there's ample seating downstairs and upstairs if you want to sit down and have a beer or two with food.
I have not tried out their food - but I owe it to me to try it out. Â I will definitely return here the next time I am in Santa Cruz and am wandering around for a decent joint to meet up with friends. Â Wait - I won't be wandering anymore...99 Bottles is where I will be heading in.
The song you sang as a kid during long family road trips is a real place. There really are 99 different types of beer, albeit not mounted on the wall unless it's draught. There are about 35 beers on tap, with the remaining in bottles. The beer selection is good, but nothing too crazy that an above-average beer aficionado hasn't already heard at least half of. If you're there with a below-average beer fan, 99 Bottles offers domestic macros like Bud and Coors Light. Oh, and WATER. Just kidding, sorry to sound like a jerk. They also serve wine and limited mix drinks. The food here is pretty decent for a bar, just nothing to write home about. Happy hour is Monday-Friday from 4-6.
If you're planning on coming back here relatively often, be sure to get a stamp card to keep track of all the beers you've tried. Drinking all 99 beers gets you your name on the plaque wall. Drinking all 99 beers 9 times gets you a brick on the wall. Let this be your goal in life.
I've been coming to 99 for over 15 years now, and it has layers and layers of good memories and celebrations. It took me a good dozen years to get my name up on the wall, but I've done it. I still look on in wonder at the giants who came before me, getting their portrait done on the half wall above the bar. Heck, I even remember when the upstairs was painted to look like an enchanted kingdom with green rolling hills.
What else can I say? This place has introduced me to more varieties of beer than any other place I've gone to. I had my first lambic here, I came to appreciate white Belgiums here, and I've walked the edges of hoppiness (I like less hoppy beers.. I skip IPAs now).
Perpetually casual, I've had very mellow interactions with wandering locals and other travelers like myself. A great place in many ways.
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