One star for having tuna melts.
One star for being within walking distance from my work.
Minus 3 for... well... just not being awesome.
Scotts Valley has very little to offer for lunch food. I have my 3 favorite spots and one is the grocery store. I end up at Mint on some days because I can walk there in a shorter time than I can drive to any other restaurant. However, it comes at a price.
They do offer gluten free bread. Which is awesome for me because I'm allergic to wheat (allergic to wheat, not celiac). My symptoms include headache, wheezing, stuffiness, runny nose, sore throat, achy stomach, long visits to the restroom, you know... all the things I'm experiencing this afternoon because they FORGOT to put my sandwich on gluten free bread. I took my sandwich to go so this was not noticed until I sat down at work to eat it. I did not have time to go back to the restaurant so I passed off half my $10 sandwich to a coworker and ate the rest. It isn't going to kill me but it is uncomfortable and $10 is a lot of money for a sandwich that makes me sick.
I order takeout now because on the two occasions I ordered to eat there it has taken 20 to 30 minutes to get my food leaving me with little time to enjoy my food before rushing back to work. Last time I requested water then waited 35 minutes, no water. So I took my sandwich back to work to eat it and get a glass of water.
I will return because it's close to my work but I would not go out of my way to eat here.
This place was adorable, it felt like i was at someones house enjoying some wine instead of at a restaurant/lounge. The food was so yummy and even our chief came out to great us which was pretty cool cause it felt more personable. I liked how they had a couple tables and then some nice couches to sit on so its more comfy.
Review Source:Today marks my husband and my 20th wedding anniversary. Â Thought we would grab a movie and then go to The Mint.
Upon entering, there was no greeting. Â I had to ask, "Do we seat ourselves?" Â We found our seat and our beverage order was taken and received within 5 minutes. Â That gets a star! Â Then we ordered our lunch. Â My husband ordered the tuna sandwich and I ordered the tri-tip sandwich, no tomato.
Our sandwiches arrived rather quickly, which earned another star. Â Unfortunately, my sandwich was coated in tiny tomatoes that I had to pluck off. Â No onion. Â No lettuce. Â The waitress took my sandwich back and the onion and lettuce were placed on the sandwich.
Now for $10, I'd expect a bit more WOW. Â Granted, the meat was lean and had nice flavor, but I can get a HUGE sandwich at any street festival that dots our beloved little towns during the summer time with twice the meat and a friendlier staff.
The Mint seems like it wants to be more than what it is... a Subway shop with it's nose stuck in the air. Â We will NOT be coming back here. Â Ever.
I was very disappointed, the food was horrible. Â I ordered a tri-tip steak sandwich. Â It came with a small pile of broken potatoes chips and a small amount of meat. No greens were provided with the sandwich. Meat tasted like it came pre-prepared, with a bad marinade. Â Will not go back for the food, maybe for a beer.
Review Source:Not thrilled. Â Been here four or five times now, nice atmosphere at night and good wine selection, but the prices are really high for lunch.
Two salads cost almost 30 dollars! Â They tasted good but the service was very slow.
While waiting to pay, I watched them make an $11 panini. Â One slice of Costco cheese and sliced lunch meat and a few potato chips....did I mention it cost $11??!!
Not going back
Mint was a good find. I love the wine and beer selection. Saturdays there are sparkling wines, which are my favorite. I really enjoy meeting friends there and hanging out for wine and appetizers. The four stars is for the cozy atmosphere and wine selection. What prevented me from given 5 stars is the inconsistent service and the sometimes odd take out food. I see that others have commented on the service and see how someone coming for the first time wouldn't know if they should sit down and wait or order at the counter. I have been there at least 10 times and still feel awkward. The last time I was there I sat down and waited for my friend to arrive and no one acknowledged me at all. My friend and I finally ordered and then were ignored. When I ordered take out, I waited and waited for the food. 10 minutes later, I asked if it was ready and they were a bit snippy. When I got the food home, I'm glad I didn't put it in the microwave since one of the main dishes was wrapped in foil inside the cardboard container. The other container had salad and the entree which meant I needed to take one of them out in order to heat the entree.
I really do like Mint. There are just some things about the place that bug me and prevent me from recommending them with no reservation.
My experience here at Mint was awful! I was just coming home from a day at school over the hill and decided to yelp in the hopes to find a new restaurant. Mint was the first that popped up, looking very cute and inviting, the food at mint looked delicious as well; however, this was far from the case. I came in on a Monday to be greeted by some pretentious woman asking," are you her for lunch or something?" I was in complete shock to say the least. While this such attitude, disrespect, and belief of high self greeting was happening there were about 4 young girls giggling and laughing so loudly behind the counter. After my initial shock of how I had been treated I set the menu down and knew that this restaurant is the last place that I would ever give my money to!
Can't make any comments about the food because I didn't get a chance to try it, with that being said would you even want to.....
We have visited Mint at least five times for dinner over the last six months. Â It has been quite enjoyable every time. Â I see reviewers knocking the prices as too high. For dinner the prices are fair. Â Perhaps the others are having lunch and expect this to be some simple sandwich/soup place. Â Entrees are priced well below $20, on the less expensive side for dinner. Â We generally have one or two appetizers followed by two entrees. If we have dessert we spit it.
We like to order two different entrees and share them. Â Always the food has been good to excellent. Â The flavors are distinct and full. Â Not wimpy and bland. Â The menu does change so you may or may not see your favorite dish served every time you visit. Â One of my favorites is the Green Chili Chicken enchilada stack.
The ambiance is unique. Â An upscale sports/wine bar? Â TVs all around the bar area. Â Or is it a casual hangout where you sit on the couch drinking wine while updating all of your online friends with every sip using your smart phone? Â Or is it a dinner spot? Â It's all the above in my opinion. Â The decor is artsy and cool/eclectic. I've not seen many if any other place quite like Mint.
If you want to try before you buy, they are very generous with providing wine samples to make sure you will be happy with your selection. Â
I like the owner. Â He has always been very friendly and helpful. Â
The service is sometimes spotty. Â Nothing outrageous. Thus I'm giving 4 stars.
I could almost give this cozy cafe three stars--but only because it's cozy, and among the few places in Scotts Valley where you can have a leisurely lunch with table service and relatively healthy food (though limited vegetarian options.) But it's frustrating to have to pay such high prices for simple foods like egg salad sandwiches or grilled cheese which are prepared in the most ordinary manner. You order food at the counter (generally from the same annoyingly placid, mildly rude woman who appears to want to be someplace else.) Then the food is delivered to your table--often minus a drink or silverware or something else that should have arrived with the food. So then you have to go stand in line and hope the placid lady notices you again. The nicest thing about Mint is the comfy couches and pleasant outdoor seating. There is an odd assortment of knick knacks and crafts which give the place the feel of someone's livingroom. But  I was there this week (at the end of January) and there were still Xmas decorations around which felt kind of depressing. Mint fills a niche but could be so much better with some effort and energy.
Review Source:The first time I came here, I was really annoyed. Â The old man who owns the place gave me serious attitude which was uncalled for. Â True, I brought a little toddler, but still, we spend some $. Â Came again last week because we had heard Happy Hour was quite the happening scene.... um not! Â Of course it's the Holidays so who knows. Â I'm trying to be a wing woman for my single girlfriend who lives in Scott's Valley. Â Alas, it was mellow yellow. Â I'm surprised we didn't see grandmas sipping tea! Â BUT, we enjoyed some tasty wines (the wine menu is very nice) and perused the menu, which looked great. Â Unfortunately we were still full from a fabulous lunch. Â Loved the fact that we could hang out on one of the fluffy, comfy couches drinking vino while little toddler took her nap. Â Win win! Â As for my friend, thinking we'll hit Santa Cruz next.... surfer boys? Â oh yes!
Review Source:We love to join friends or family at Mint whenever we can. The food is always wonderful with a variety that is ever changing and always yummy. Some items are pricy but are always worth it. I never go when I am in a hurry as it is a relaxed, slow paced environment which is perfect for lounging on one of the cushy couches and eating an un rushed meal.
Review Source:I had a lovely lunch with a friend here today. We split the Vege Melt sandwich (a good idea, as the sandwiches are quite big, and neither of us wanted to overdo). It was really tasty...crisply grilled whole wheat bread with a filling of very nice, fresh tomatoes; loads of fresh, raw spinach; provolone; and a yummy pesto aoili. The sandwich came with a salad of mixed greens with a mild vinaigrette that was also a nice size for splitting.
The person who was working the counter was very pleasant and friendly. The atmosphere was quiet and low-key (apparently the gift shop that some here have complained of is no more...the space has been given over to dining tables).
They don't have a huge selection for vegetarians. In addition to the Vege Melt (which I highly recommend), they offered an egg salad sandwich and a green salad. That said, the sandwich I had was delicious...this clearly isn't the kind of place that just throws together a vegetarian option as an afterthought (thank God for chefs who think that their vegetarian food should be as appealing as their meat offerings!).
The wine list was pretty good, and the desserts looked tempting.
It IS a bit pricey -- the sandwich my friend and I split was $11. It is a nice choice for a party of mixed diners, however...plenty of good-looking meat- and seafood-based options, and a couple of satisfying veg options. Not so good for vegans, but if you eat eggs and dairy, you'll be happy with the offerings here.
Love this place! I am mad I am just now finding out about it.
The atmosphere is totally cozy and fun. Reminded me of the set of Friends with cushy couches, tables, cool artwork and neat lighting.
Everything we ate was excellent - the bruschetta, pea soup, hot links with honey mustard, tri tip sandwich (soo good!!) pie and a warm chocolate cookie for dessert - all of that, 3 glasses of wine and a cute tank top came to about $83. Not pricey, imo!
The only reason I didn't give 5 stars, was that the service was a tad slow. There was a large party and one more server was really needed on a Saturday night.
We will be back and I encourage others to as well!
I love this place, good wine, good food and super mellow atmosphere. They have couches and comfy places to sit if your there for a drink or they have tables if you are there to eat. Everything i have had to eat has been wonderful. Only draw back is the server i had was a tad rude but not to bad. Love this place!
Review Source:We walked in and were barely acknowledged by the woman behind the counter. Â We waited and waited not knowing whether to even sit or stand. After about 5 minutes, someone else walked in and walked right in front of us. The woman behind the counter immediately greeted her and took her order then turned around and began making her sandwich. Â We were stunned and left.
Review Source:Okay, so I just discovered dinner here. Went with a sizeable family group and the dinner menu was *fantastic* - truly something for everyone and everyone really enjoyed what they were served. Â Dinner entrees ran $14-$18, lots of changes weekly, a bistro atmosphere (complete with neighborhood-friendly service), very good (and reasonably priced) wine list. Â We thoroughly enjoyed - from the 5 year old all the way through the 85 year old.
Unless I'm out for sushi, thai, cambodian or pizza, this is now hands-down my favorite place to eat dinner in SV.
I guess I visited these guys on the wrong day. Â I stopped in for the first time based on a local recommendation from Scott's Valley Spa that's right across the street. Â
I walked in and thought the place was cute -- lovely little breakfast bar and very cozy. Â I decided to order a sandwich to go. Â When I stepped up to the register, the older blonde woman working the register barely said hello. Â When I ordered the grilled cheese and asked if it was vegetarian just to be sure -- she looked at me for a long time and then said slowly -- "It's bread and cheese" like I was an idiot. Â I said, "Well, I've been burned before so I always like to make sure."
After that, i waited 30 MINUTES for a bread and cheese sandwich. Â When I asked after 25 minutes how much longer she shrugged and said "They're in there making it." Â I said that this was my first time at the Mint and I wondered if this was normal -- she said that they hired a new girl and she wasn't as fast as they'd like. Â Seriously, not my problem. Â This woman was plain rude.
When I finally got my sandwich, she did offer me a cookie as consolation for waiting. Â At that point, I had already wrote a negative Four Square tip, posted a negative review on my Facebook and reminded myself to write this Yelp review. Â That is how FAST bad customer service can travel these days -- in minutes from experiencing it. Â I have 600 friends on Facebook that won't be going to the Mint.
PS -- the sandwich was good. Â Still won't go back, tho.
I went here over the weekend, cute little place. It was busy and you could tell the staff had not anticipated such a rush of people. Â The staff was kind, we did wait awhile for our meal but there was four of us who ordered. Â I had the Fancy Tuna sandwich melt and boy it was good. Â Lots of tuna and cheese melted just how I like it:-) Â We ate outside since the weather was warm and sunny. Â A great place to go for a nice lunch.
Review Source:How fun is this place? I liked the low pressure wait staff and the various items and artwork that were for sale around the restaurant. I enjoyed chatting about wine with the owner while I waited for friends. He even offered me little samples of the various red wines that featured Mourvèdre.
The menu was a little American mishmash of everything. We wanted things to share, so my table split a cheese plate and an arancini plate. They had wonderful selection of cheeses to choose from and the accompaniments was amazing: salami, cashews, apple slices, sliced artisan bread. The arancini plate was delicious with roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, greens and, of course, my little fried rice and Port Salut balls. My only small complaint would be that the arancini were too big, four balls of half the size would have been preferable to two. But this was nothing that a little knife couldn't fix.
This is a lovely place to chill out, chat with friends in one of the beautifully arranged seating areas. Lots to look at, a little singer-songwriter DMX radio going softly in the background. I'm excited to try some of the larger plates on the menu. I can't wait to return.
Just tried Mint for the first time this week--we wanted a casual "weekday night" dinner place without fuss, close to home. The sort of place that wears well after a long day, and offers both a nice atmosphere and that all important flatscreen for a medicinal dose of sports programming.
My Tri tip salad was wonderful, a great entree salad I'd have again, featuring perfectly cooked green beans and deep-red roma tomatos as well as a nice plush bed of crisp greens; we also had an exceptionally delicious mushroom barley soup.
We were impressed with the wine selection by the glass (i think there were 25 offerings) and the reasonable prices. My husband and I split the enormous slab of homemade carrot cake for dessert, which could easily feed three. Everything we had was exceptionally fresh and tasty, right down to the toasted bread. One glitch: our dairy-allergic friend's meatball sandwich did arrive with cheese (he'd requested a cheese-free version.) This was corrected cheerfully.
Ed, the proprietor, provided service that was down to earth, friendly and warm. Definitely a "come as you are" feeling and a nice welcome.
A really great addition to our Santa Cruz area eating-out repertoire.
Quirky storefront in a nice "strip mall" (I hate that phrase) with artsy & craftsy objects available for purchase or perusal, Mint has a nice selection of sandwiches, soup, quiche...Very good selection of beer, wine & other beverages. I had a sustainably-caught tuna salad sandwich & gf had a great grilled cheese made with multiple cheeses. Nice little tomato & onion chunks in my dish, and not too mayonnaisy. Good quality, hearty white bread. Sandwiches served with rippled potato chips. Pleasant coffee house-like atmosphere.
Review Source:For the most part I LOVE the Mint. Everyone is super friendly and 99% of the time their veg special is absolutely super tasty. Every so often it's a miss for me, but that's few and far between. -And it's usually because of ingredients I don't care for, not that their food is bad. I wish the website featured their daily specials, but other than that I don't have any real complaints.
Review Source:Cute space and plenty of seating. Very close to my work so it's nice to be able to walk and grab coffee or lunch.
So far I've had:
- chai latte - really yummy
- tuna melt $9 - their menu says they can turn their tuna sandwich into a melt by adding cheese; well, they took off the lettuce and tomato--bummer.
I love this place. It is CLEAN, comfortable, and classy. I once had an amazing veggie wrap with chipotle dressing, but the menu changes certain items and for us vegetarians that can be rough. I usually go with a girl friend for a glass of wine and a snack or dessert. The deserts are amazing, the bread pudding is very sweet, but very good and the carrot cake is fresh and soooo yummy. For people that like to meet up with friends for a good glass of wine, and not have to be in a bar setting, this is the place to go.
Review Source:We discovered Mint @ a farmer's market because they had a stand. The guy working it was really friendly, and had some awesome tapenade that we bought from him. He told us that they had sloppy joes on the menu which is what directed us in the door. Let me just say this: awkward.
Music was quiet and ambience was uncomfortable. The women working were rather stuffy and didn't make us feel like customers, but more like they were doing us a favor by feeding us the $10 sloppy joe.
We walked in the door, none of the women said anything to us. Placed an order at the counter, got scowled at for telling her we were going to split it. We were the only people eating at the place and the order-taker-lady was basically hovering while we ate... just felt like we were being stared at. Again, like i said, awkward.
The sloppy joe was pretty good, buut definitely something we could have made at home. I'd say if you're in the area, take your $ and go down the street to Malone's...their burgers are way better and the atmosphere is more relaxed.
Just about our favorite place in Scotts Valley. Friendly and comfortable atmosphere- we always relax on a couch for dinner. The food is always awesome. I love the tri-tip sliders and the cheese plates. The owners give folks special attention and there are always happy laughing customers. They all seem to know each other. I have never bought anything on the retail side but we go to the restaurant almost once a week.
Review Source:I like the combination of a cafe / bar / retail home furniture store. At the counter where we ordered, there are also bar stools available to sit on and pretend like its happy hour. instead, my friend and i decided to order and sit outside since it was such a nice day!
My friend and I ordered one dish each so we could split them. I highly recommend the special menu's pastrami sandwich that comes with a side of chips and a pickle. We also ordered the tuna sandwich made from the panini grill, a little too crispy for my taste but still just as amazing.
We also ordered two beers to go with lunch. the perfect combination of a nice day, food, and beers. I would definitely go back next time im in scotts valley
Tucked away in one of several small strip-malls along Scotts Valley Drive, Mint is a eclectic mix of wine bar, café, and boutique showroom. Apparently run by gourmands who want an excuse to meet new people and share their love of food, it is unpretentious and seriously casual.
The small menu focuses on simple combinations of good flavors at very reasonable prices. The tri-tip was very flavorful (not dry from sitting around) and the salmon quesadilla (a potentially catastrophic dish) was clean, fresh, and crisp.
Mint is closed on Sundays and not open late (it is in Scotts Valley, after all), and is worth making time for.
Overall this place was great. Hard to find their website online, but I called and got it all figured out. I arrived after a hard day to pick up some dinner to go for me and the hubby. I was really happy with the laid back atmosphere and the great prices. Especially for Scotts Valley, we generally have expensive crap.. I ordered the tri tip sandwich for him and tri tip salad for me. I asked what the salad had on it and the guy behind the bar said an array of good veggies like asparagus and such. I was interested in a good veggie filled salad and took the challenge. After ordering I was planning on having a glass of wine while waiting for my food and I was not disappointed. He eagerly offered me a variety of tastes before I settled on a $5.25 glass of Zin. A Los Gatos Zin which was not on the menu...no biggie. I was astonished at the price when my bill came...and quite frankly at the prices on the wine list and for that matter the dinner menu also. Very very reasonable, I do not think that there was a wine over $8/glass! I was very impressed at the service based on my appearance have been battling with a sick toddler all day..enough said.
Once I got my food and headed home I plated it up for the hubby and I. The tri tip sandwich was scrumptious, however the potato chips from Costco made me laugh (I had given them to him in his lunch). Come on maybe some baked Sweet Potato fries or something?? The smoke flavor really comes out in the meat and I was impressed, however, the salad left much to the imagination. One asparagus spear, 2 maybe 3 slices of mushroom, some mealy tomato, not enough onion to mention and a few thin slices of cucumber. Good thing I had more at home to add! After adding some almond slivers, red bell pepper, fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a few croutons it was a great meal. Overall it was great, I am not complaining, just informing. I will definitely be back!
What a FANTASTIC find. Thank you Yelpers!!
In my quest for tri-tip I would have never thought to go or find this place. Unless you are looking for it you won't find it.
The cafe has a great selection of fresh foods and the tri tip salad is pretty darn tooten good. I don't know if they make it on the premises but the use of the microwave is a little disappointing. But the meat was flavorful and warm over my bed of greens.
I will definitely be going back to try more of the menu.
Mint has a super friendly staff willing to accommodate any of your food specific needs. Â They have a great list of wines, of which they are very knowledgeable and tons of other yummy goodies including sandwich and salad specials every week to accompany their already well rounded small menu. This is a much needed lunch spot in Scotts Valley and a cute boutique as well. Plus, the super cute blonde girl that works at the counter.
Review Source:This little boutique store just opened up a hit cafe! I ate there for the first time yesterday during lunch and was happily impressed with the quality of the food. Â The menu is small, consisting of salads, quiche, hotdogs and a few sandwiches, but anything you order will be fresh and of good quality. Â
I thoroughly enjoyed my Big Chili Dog with cheese and must say it is the best chili dog I've found since moving to the west coast. Â The hot dog was about 2 inches larger than the bun (I hate when you get more bun than meat) and the chili was thick and tasty. Â This monster looked like it was going to fall apart into mush at any moment, but the bun held true which saved me from any messy cleanup.
Those who accompanied me can vouch for the pulled pork sandwich and the egg salad sandwich (though she said the bread for the egg salad was a bit too chewy) but I didn't get a chance to taste theirs as I was busy devouring my own lunch. Â
This place is pretty tiny so you might want to think about calling in your order for pickup. Â They are still working out a few kinks but seeing as how they've only been open a week, they're doing pretty well. Â And special props for the espresso bar serving up a dollop of real whipped cream on my hot chocolate...yummy-yummy!
I can't wait to go back to try everything else!
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