Club Review:
I feel like such a dumb ass, never knew that this awesome place existed in Santa Cruz? Â Our friend who is going to UCSC took us here. Â Okay total pluses, free admission! Places to sit down! Â Oh and no insane dress code! Â Great DJ. Â
Inside the room is all red, including the light shades, furniture and I think floor??? Â I ordered the Laura Palmer, so good. Â We tried each others drinks and they were all really good. Â I am so going back here someday.
This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. Whenever I visit, I come eat dinner at The Red Restaurant and Bar. The food is always delicious. The drinks are fantastic. The waiters are usually very kind and helpful. The decor is old and reminds you of a speakeasy, and just adds a little romance in your life.
The last time I went I had a yummy cucumber mojito that was very refreshing!
Definitely some of the better dinner cuisine and drinks in Santa Cruz. Â Early evening, there's a nice "grown folks" vibe. Â Light on the volume jazz music, lovely table service, fabulous martinis, a beautiful fire. Â As the evening goes on, the slugs like to descend on this place which results in cranked up pop music and general college esque obnoxious behavior. Â One cool thing about the night life is there tends to be a diverse draw, I've seen live hip hop and other seemingly impromptu though talented live music performances.
Review Source:Chill & Relax. This place has a charm of its own.
The ambiance is relaxed yet chic, the specialty beer selection is fantastic, appetizers and grubs are great!...What else can you ask for?...maybe just one, service could use a bit of tweaking but honestly not a big deal especially if you're already buzzed and all Mr. Smiley after your third pint of stout!
In summary, I highly recommend this place for groups or if you just want to have a great night of beer tasting! ( it is the bar & resto upstairs ladies and gents)
Cheers y'all!
Food was very disappointing. I got the sliders which sounded very gourmet and delicious. I have been in the restaurant industry for 8+ years and this was the worst food experience I can recall. The sliders came out with cheap store bought buns. The meat was microscopic. No joke, the chicken piece was the size of a quarter, a fraction of the slider bun size. I asked the server is the fries were good and he said yes but he likes them crispy. I asked for them like that and saw that he wrote it down. They came out soft and not golden brown at all. My boyfriend got the chicken and waffles and the chicken was all batter which was unappetizing. The waffles were dry and the syrup wasn't very good either. The server was nice enough but never checked back. The only reason I am not giving this place one star is because the bloody Mary I got was one is the best, if not the best I have ever had.
Review Source:I had never been here before but my best friend, the one I went with, had been and I know a lot of others who have has well. We got there on a Thursday around 830 and it was quiet but got busier over time. This place is AWESOME! The food was amazing and the drinks were perfectly made! I would suggest the Cool Hand Cuke or the Cucumber Mojito, both refreshing and delicious! Our bartender, Sherri, was super friendly and talkative! We automatically liked her, she gives off a fun and entertaining vibe and definitely lives up to that vibe! We met some awesome people an had a great time! We will ABSOLUTELY be back! :)
Review Source:I would give this place 4 stars for location, decoration, food and drinks, except for the clientele ruin it every single busy night ever. Â Loud, crass obnoxious people. Â The worst of the university; all ditsy Valley girls and creepy older men watching them, combined with latinos and bikers flexing their arms and flaunting their machismo by pushing their way past you to the bar without a thought. Â A dive crowd without a dive bar that feels comfortable. Â Too loud, usually bad music. Â
Too bad.
The food and drinks have always been pretty solid every time I come here. I do enjoy the decor, even if the furniture is a little bit, um, "loved." Â The staff tend to be pretty laid back, which I guess has translated into a lack of service for some previous reviewers on here. Â I'm sorry to hear that, but I've never encountered that problem myself. Â The crowd here is usually pretty obnoxious, but you can't fault the establishment for its patrons I guess. Â
After having a really  awesome Valentine's Day, hanging out at the Red was the perfect way to end the day: sipping on Makers Mark and listening to the DJ spin Marvin Gaye and Al Green. Man, that was a fun night.  In fact, I'm listening to Marvin Gaye right now to get myself in the mood for this review.
My friend and I came here for dinner tonight even though I was hesitant because of several bad past experiences.
We chose to sit at the bar for dinner and the bar tender taking our order did not seem to know the menu nor did the chef -- they both thought we were trying to order off the menu and they did not want to make one of the things that we were ordering. We explained that our order was indeed listed on the menu and and it finally got placed -- the waiter/bar tender said that prior to us no one had ever ordered what we choose from the menu and he was going to have to add a button for it on the cash register computer database. We found this odd given that what we ordered (Cesar salad with salmon) was definitely not complicated or extraordinary and was clearly listed on the menu and probably had been for some time.
When our soup was up and ready to be served to us, at least five to seven people walked by and even noticed the bowls in the serving area several times and never even thought to deliver them to us. And our waiter/bartender was nowhere to be found. People seemed aloof and, well, somewhat clueless and uncaring.
We finally left because no one seemed to care if we got our order or not. So we decided that we didn't either. We went downstairs and grabbed a nice, warm and tasty burrito that was seved quickly and with care.
The most and best service we got from the Red all night was when four people came to look for us and found us ordering our burritos downstairs. When our waiter/bar tender came up to us, we explained the situation and he must have understood because after that, he walked away and left us alone.
I have never been inclined to join Yelp until tonight but I felt compelled to do so after yet another incredibly poor experience at Red -- after years of such poor service at what could be a very fine and enjoyable establishment, I finally reached my limit and needed to try to warn people in advance that the service at Red is extremely poor. Consistently.
I love the ambiance, drinks and menu at Red but the service is horrible and that part of each and every experience I've had there has never changed for the better. It's a sad state of affairs.
Good looking place. But other than that I'm very displeased with this establishment. They charged me for a tip that I did not offer. $3 dollars isn't much, yes I know, but the fact is I DID NOT tip the bar tender. Therefore this is totally UNACCEPTABLE. Also got charged $9 dollars and I had no clue what it was for, never got a receipt. I called to inquire about these charges. A woman answered and "took notes" for the manager. She said he would give me a call that same day or the next day. It has been well over a week now and I haven't received a single call.
Review Source:I came here for my friends 21st. Â I havent been to many bars in Santa Cruz but this did not impress. I ordered a "winne" for my friend. Â I tasted it and it was pure sugar. Â the sweetest drink that left your mouth sticky, gross.
I ordered a bloody mary which looked good but was the saltiest bloody mary i have ever had.
I brought it up to the bartender and he blew me off "a bloody mary is a salty drink"
Yes....I know, it is my favorite drink, so I know a good one.
I talked to another bartender because I obviously wasent going anywhere with this one. Â Â He was very nice in trying to fix the situation (saving this place from a one star). Â However i learned that the rude bartender was the Manager!
Cool atmosphere but horrible drinks: Â i would stick to beer here, they don't know how to make a good cocktail
Don't confuse this place for the Red Room downstairs, which is just a bar (that I don't care for all that much). Â Been here a few times, nice bar with lounge seating as well as table seating on the other side of the room. Â Dark, chill kind of place, nice tunes but easy to carry on a conversation even when there are a good number of people there.
Our last trip was yesterday on Christmas night when virtually nothing was open in Santa Cruz, but drove by and yessirree, Red was open and serving food til 1am. Â The food & drinks were good as usual and our server was pretty attentive even though I think she was the only waitress on the "dining" side. Â Oh, and they have Chimay on draft, another plus.... Only downside was the long wait for drinks as the bar was slammed. Â
All in all, great go to place for some late night bites and a night cap (as well as regular dinner hours too... :)
My company is based in Santa Cruz, so I come up to the area a few times a year from meetings and trainings. Â A coworker who is local to the area recommended this place to myself and other out of town coworkers to check out for dinner and drinks. Â We came for the first time last year and have come back every time since then (often twice in a week). Â
We ate dinner here a few days ago and it's still as good as we remember. Â To start off, the drinks are amazing! Â I asked if they would make a non-alcoholic version of a drink on their menu and it was delicious. Â All of my other coworkers drinks were also super yummy. Â We were greeted as soon as we walked in and seated in back at a table (per our request). Â Our server, Claye, was awesome. Â Very sweet and came back often to check on how we were doing. Â
There's a great vibe and is totally unpretentious. Â They have a really good roasted summer vegetable salad in the summer months. Â I had the sea bass this time around and it had a wonderful glaze and was cooked to perfection. Â One coworker had the chicken and waffles (she loved it) and the other had the calamari w/squid ink risotto (also a hit). Â We split the ceviche and arugula salad (both good). Â For dessert, we had the hot chocolate cake. Â Love the toasted marshmellows on top, and the gooey chocolate goodness on the inside. Â We had to waddle out of there after everything we ate!
They allowed us to use three different credit cards to pay our bill without any issues. Â When we asked for another copy of the itemized receipt, they had to finagle the computer system, but were more than happy to get us one. Â Claye was super friendly and a great server! Â It's become one of our "must" places to eat whenever we are in town now.
My friend and I came to dinner upstairs on a Wednesday night. Menu looked awesome, food was amazing, but service was absolutely horrible! Waited 30 minutes just to get an order taken, another 30 minutes later our food finally came out. Got a water refill only once, had to request a box and bill 30 minutes after all that. Sad because I enjoy drinking here, but don't think we will come back for dinner. :-/
Review Source:I've NEVER come here for their food but I have come here plenty of times for the lounge/bar experience. Love it.
It gets pretty packed some nights but I like it when it's not that packed because I actual want a place to sit! There's lots of areas for you to sit and hang out with a big group of friends. It's bigger than the Red Room downstairs. I prefer this over the Red Room.
Try the raspberry  beer. It's really good!
Usually, for the birthday bar crawls, we come here for the birthday cake shot. Cake cake cake! I will miss coming here for all the bar crawls now that I've graduated but it's been fun.
I really love this place and am surprised it only has three stars. Â This place has a full cocktail menu (which in and of itself is five star worthy), extensive appetizer menu, and something that can please anyone's palette. Â I've come here for birthdays, date nights, just to hang out and grab a bite to eat and never been disappointed. Â It gets a bit chilly in here at night because they tend to like to leave the windows open but that's my only complaint.
The bar downstairs is kind of a dive (though last I checked they do allow indoor smoking if that's your thing, a real rarity in California), but that's not to be confused with the restaurant upstairs which has a completely different vibe.
I was here after spending the day at the Boardwalk celebrating a friend's birthday and before this I didn't spend a significant time in Santa Cruz. Just by walking in, I felt like I was transported to a different place - Red feels like the Hotel Mac in Point Richmond. The ambiance is dark but comfy with couches and cocktail tables. Â One would think you're in a swank rendition of a speakeasy with the lighting, seating and decor, until you walk out and realize in you're in Santa Cruz. I ordered a Jane Grey to enjoy while I waited for my friends to show up - it was made with an Earl Grey tea infused gin, syrup and lemon juice. I thought the bergamot in the tea offset the juniper berries in the gin nicely, it was one of those cocktails that was meant to sip and not guzzle. I finished off the night with a Hendrick's and tonic and a order of fries.
The service was decently good given the crowd, out waitress was a doll and she even gave us plates and a knive for our cake. I'm impressed by this place, it would be one of my go-to places in Santa Cruz.
By the time I was a senior and able to drink (in public)  in college, the Red Room (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-red-room-santa-cruz#hrid:A6lzYG7Sccjds1iQc_umGQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) took over the upstairs portion of the building they're in, and created Red.
Just as cool as its downstairs neighbor, but WAY more classy, The Red offers quality late night dining and a more elegant vibe, complete with a fireplace.
Definitely more my speed these days.
It's still loud as f*ck, so if you're old and irritated, or hard of hearing, don't go - cause it's probably not for you. But if you're young and not a total hippie or frat boy, this could be a pretty solid little spot for you.
Definitely come for happy hour here!
The Red is one of my favorite bars in Santa Cruz. The ambience is really casual and cozy. You can be with a big group of people or really intimate with someone on the big couches or by the fireplace. During happy hour they have a lot of different cocktails, beers and appetizers for a great price. Try the cool hand cuke, it's a really light and refreshing cucumber flavored drink after a long day. (sorry can't seem to remember what exactly is in it)
The red room has some wow capability. This wow ranges from - wow, did I just enter an opium den with the dark lighting and number of listless people on couches to - wow this bar is really on tonight!
I find it best to start here and slowly work down towards the blue. A doppler effect strategy to the bars will guide you from a sit down conversation to some stranger meetings toward the lower end of town. There are a greater number of food locations open late with this method.
The red is all in all a fun place to start but the bar and couches never stay open for long on weekend nights.
Well, I'm a sucker for cool old buildings. Â So right off the bat I was feeling this place. Â We got a great seat next to an open window with a cool ocean breeze flowing in. Â Also, we had a GREAT server. Â Very chill and knowledgeable. Â He took time to talk to us, get to know us, and give us some history on the building (upon my request), without being annoying or lingering too long. Â I wish they turned the lights up just a touch, but I supposed that's all part of the *vibe*.
All the food was delicious. Â I had crab cakes, a salad, and the mac and cheese. Â There was one problem though, the mac and cheese was absolutely devoid of salt and pepper. Â I fixed that up real quick and was back in the groove. Â The salad came with a parmesan crisp that was literally bigger than my head. Â Overkill, yes. Â But better than wishing I had more of that crispy cheesy goodness, I suppose. Â
The server told us that they get their produce from local farmers "whenever posssible" which makes me wonder how often it is "possible". Â That could just be my cynical New York attitude coming through though. Â All in all, it was a wonderful meal enjoyed in good company, in a very cozy and classic atmosphere. Â Highly recommended.
Another yelper said that this place was dark with red lights and a vampire-like atmosphere...hey, sounds like my kinda place! Â Honestly, been coming here for years and yes, it has always been too loud and crowded, especially on weekends, but regardless, it is always a fun stop on a wild night of bar hopping in Santa Cruz.
As with most bars/clubs, if you don't like crowds, avoiding prime time on Fridays and Saturdays can make for a very different scene. Â On certain nights, the place takes on an entirely different personality before the crowds take over. Â I have always loved all the wood and overall atmosphere of the place, especially the red lights and glass accents. Â I'm sure the place has a lot of history behind it.
Far from perfect and the crowds can get pretty ugly, but regardless, one of the better places to drink while in Santa Cruz.
The Red has been open for about 6 years now and one would think they would work out their horrible service issues in all that time. Alas, that is not the case.
The food is consistently good and the cocktails are great - basically the bar and the kitchen hold up their end of the bargain but the waitstaff just cannot seem to get it together and actually deliver. You will be seated and then wait a full 10 minutes until your server acknowledges you, then wait another 15 minutes to come back and take your drink order. Eventually when you get your order dont expect to have the waitstaff come by your table periodically to check up - I suggest you order 3 drinks at your initial ordering so they will last the whole time.
This is not an isolated incident - every time I have been to The Red this same scenario plays out. You can look at the other tables and realize that you're all in the same boat. Its as if the waitstaff have just collectively checked out.
If you dont mind terrible service in exchange for good food then by all means check it out.
Food-wise the "Vegetarian Platter" is great for sharing in a small group, it features some roasted almonds, babaganoush, hummus and a cucumber salad with toasted pita. The burgers are great, especially the sliders / mini-burgers and the Bluto burder is perfect with grilled onions. The fried chicken sandwich is wonderfully crunch and scrumptous. Salads are also very good. You cannot go wrong foodwise.
Wait staff: pull your heads out of your asses! Its been 6 years and you still havent figured it out.
I keep going back to Red because I like the food, the couches and people-watching. But I am so irritated by some aspects of the place that I am inspired to gripe about them here. I would say I have been there for dinner, eating in the lounge area, about 15 times in the last few months!
However, I am now seeking a new spot. Not just because the service can be quite spotty - I recommend you never go there hungry because the wait can be outrageous.
But what really irks me is the arrogant (and terrible) Â DJ. Every time he's there (seems to be most weekend nights), the guy blasts his music so loud that casual diners in the lounge - and happy hour drinkers - can't talk above his noise. So unpleasant not to be able to talk to someone two inches from your face. And no, I am not hard of hearing.
This past Friday, I approached this DJ, whom I recognize and dread seeing, and requested the music be turned down, noting it was too loud to talk. He acted offended and seemed very reluctant to make any changes. In fact, he could barely bring himself to give me a petulant ok.
The guy is deluded that he is  spinning at a nightclub - when it's 7 p.m. on a Friday night at lounge. Worse yet, a restaurant server was standing with him at the time and also seemed indifferent also to my request. I was really peeved by how they handled it.
This has happened before and I will have to stop going! I understand if it's 10 p.m. and after for rockin time, but it's dinner and drinks. Where to go for dinner with good food, couches and audible conversation?
The Red is probably the best young 20's bar in Santa Cruz. Granted, Santa Cruz is not exactly a nightlife Mecca, but still, were this in SF, I would go to it.
As a restaurant, it's a great place to go for dinner mon-wed when it is not going to be a bar night. The food has always been really good and I particularly like the burgers, the Assault and Battery Seafood Platter, and the steak is decent.
As a bar, it's pretty decent. The bartenders are friendly. If you bother to get to know them during less busy hours rather than treating them as drink dispensers, that might help you get faster service. Also if you want good service tip well. Advice to college kids, particularly young men: make a good impression here and tip the staff well. This is probably your bar for at least a year, so invest in it. If you can't tip about 30-40% then don't expect special treatment and don't expect special service. That's how the game goes.
The bouncers are pretty friendly. If you're not an asshole and do not routinely throw up in the bathroom, you'll find that they are much kinder to you than if you do engage in such activities. If you do engage in such activities... well, that's why the bouncers are there.
Should you, through some act of gross stupidity, get yourself 86'd from the red room, come back sober at some time and apologize, explain that [insert your horrific drunk action here] will never happen again, and really, you're an upstanding member of the community with a heart of gold 99.9% of the time and they just caught you during that unfortunate .1%. That will get you back in their good graces much faster than sneaking in. And bouncers seldom forget idiots. So don't try it.
The loss of full stars is because bathrooms are particularly not well managed. Being in them makes me want to rub Purell all over myself.
It's mostly a college kid bar, but there is some diversity. For a more local scene, clouds is likely a better option.
The house cocktails are pretty decent. The 515 or whatever its called is a very solid drink. I like it.
All in all, the red is consistently crowded and consistently a good place to end your night. I would start elsewhere because the drinks are on the pricier side and downtown Santa Cruz is a pretty good place to bar hop, however, 9/10 times, I end up at the Red.
Also, it is wheelchair accessible, though I have only seen that elevator used twice in three+ years.
I'm not a hater. I just keep it real. Ok, maybe occassionally I call it out on those yappy chihuahuas snapping cheap beers at the Catalyst, but usually I'm just that girl trying to have a good time.
Which is funny, cause for some reason it's the cool thing to do... hate on the Red. I'm guilty of it. On multiple nights over the course of years of my life in Santa Cruz: pre-UCSC, the grad school years, the post-grad unemployment year.
And I was good at it. I could spit mad insults about all sorts of issues: the service staff (could those girls get any bitchier?), the popped undergrad collars, the too cool for you Santa Cruz surf crew. It was almost too easy.
But the Red is like family. You become critical because you love her. You want her to reach for the stars and become everything you missed out on in life. You, you self absorbed nobody, you want to live vicariously through her.
And vicariously you will. Her happy hours (4-7p) are lithe with champagne cocktails reminiscent of Marlyn Monroe in red velvet. On Tuesdays DJ AM will remind you that you're not too old to drop it low. Sure you'll be the only one on the dance floor with any skills, but what do you care. You're too busy fronting the complaints. The weekend will bring everyone in Santa Cruz in, and yes, getting a drink will be a challenge. And finally by Sunday night you might get one of those coveted seats by the fireplace, looking to unwind from another week of too much work, too much surf, too much hating.
Red. I've done you wrong on many nights. I haven't been the nicest, and for this I'm sorry. Cause last night, when DJ AM flashed me one of those cute lesbo smiles as I put in my request for a little Ron Browz' Pop Champagne, I knew that I had been wrong.
What is this? a bar for vampires!?!?!?! What is up with the dark room fused with blaring red lights? The people were talking very loud due to the megaphone speakers they call a sound system. At times it felt like the people and the radio were trying to top each other seeing who could be louder. This place was packed as hell and my friends and I had to squish into a little table that could barely fit all our food. 1 star cheap drinks. Another star good happy hour menu. Everything else was pretty much downhill. Waitress was rude to my friend because she ordered a glass of water. Food came out late, and we had to remind her to give us the check.
But I will rather spend more on drinks than to be packed like a sardine in a extremely loud and vampire like atmosphere waiting for my damn check. My aging 21 year old body cannot take all the ruckus. My friend said it best: "I feel like I'm dining in hell"
My review is for the bar only.
HORRIBLE SERVICE. MEAN AND ANNOYING BOUNCER. SLOW AND ANNOYING BARTENDERS.
They called last rounds at 1:15 am. Then the bartender kept asking us for money for the drinks when she didn't even make it yet. It took her 10 minutes just to make 4 shots of chilled belvedere when there were only 8 customers and 2 other bartenders. The bouncer kept mugging at us and telling us to bottoms up at 1:30 am when they are supposed to close at 2am.
We were down to pay for 15 shots since they said last call and the bartender kept asking us if we are sure like 10 times. SO ANNOYING. They don't know how to do business.
My friends and I didn't even mind wasting the alcohol we had left. We just wanted to chill and take our time. Now I understand why they charge so little for their shots. They need the low pricing to make up for their attitude. I also understand why The Red Room downstairs was packed and they weren't. So yes, if you want to have a fun time go to The Red Room instead because the one friendly bartender beats all the mean ones from this Red Bar.
F*** this bar. HOW CAN THEY RUN OUT OF GREY GOOSE?!?!
Ohhhhh, so The Red is upstairs place? Interesting.
This place is swarming with college kids waiting to get crunk. You've pretty much got every college demographic covered here: frat boys, party beezies, ghetto peeps, and they're all willing to knock back a couple dranks. I've only been here a couple times, since it feels like you have to roll up with a huge posse every time you step into the place.
The drinks aren't that good, if ya come to think bout it. They prepare all their drinks fast in order to attend to more patrons. This results in their drinks being more alcoholic than they should be, (which is kinda a good thing, I guess. More bang for your buck). But still, mixed drinks should be tolerable enough to drink.
Oh. My apologies to this place. I wasn't able to hold my liquor after a night of sippin on some sizzurp.
Shame on me for not consulting yelp before setting up a dinner here. Â Service was terrible and the food was not good either. Upside is that we need exceed our budget but I'm not convinced I wouldn't have rather thrown in some more money elsewhere for a decent dish, Â No one liked their dish and the timing of food service was off. Â They missed the arugula on a friend's pizza, they took away to fix the sitch and it took probably 15-20 minutes to throw some arugula on. Â We were done by then. Â Very annoyed they tacked on an 18% gratuity because we were a party of 6. Â No way would they have deserved this. Â The bar seemed super cheesy too so after our mediocre dinner, we went elsewhere for drinks. Â
Another quick note. Â In their bathrooms they have windows that are completely open and it's on the second floor so I can't even begin to imagine what could happen should some stumbling chick come over and lean against it. Â Yikes.
On a special invite only night before this bar was open I got punched in the face by a boy.  Don't worry he got his.  My tooth is chipped he's missed 2 now.  The place was nice at first, we enjoyed it.  The cozy fire place and clean air.  But once people found out about it in about 3 weeks it became an over populated bro fest.  Mini skirts on a freezing winter night  and badly bleached hair.  I would much rather be down stairs in the smoke of the Red Room.  The drinks are stronger down there anyway, better company as well.
The music sucks up stairs in the Red too.
PS: Does anyone really order food up there? Â It's ok I guess. Â The cookies were good.
The Red is aight. I wish I could add another star but honestly, it is just too loud and too busy. It's more classy than most of the bars on Pacific but good luck trying to find a seat in the place from Thursday to Sunday. A lot of students from the university end up coming here as well and, well, sometimes they're a bit inappropriate. I mean, It's a bar right? The purpose for going to a bar is to drink alcohol but c'mon boys and girls, vomit's been out of style since the 70s. It seems like a lot of the young professionals congregate here as well. I see a lot of people that sure as hell can't be students around here but God knows where they come from. I thought the term 'young professional' was taboo in sc.
Things that are good about the red:
1. They have a great drink selection and their bartenders know how to make them. Most often they know what kind of drink you want and if they don't, they'll ask instead of guess and usually it turns out really good.
2. very cute bartenders. I'm just sayin
3.great beer selection. I'm a beer guy and they always have some good ones on tap.
Things that are bad about the Red
1. BUSY. It's possible to wait up to 15 minutes for a drink on a busy night. Your friends begin to think you've stumbled down the stairs because you've been gone for so long. Then, once you have your drink, good luck trying to find a place where you're not in everyone's way.
2. Loud. Ok, there's no dance floor in this place so why does the music have to be up so loud? It's like at a 13 and I'd still be happy if it were at an 8. I'd prefer to not have to shout and it gets harder to hear with every empty glass.
Overall I'd say this is the bar to compare others to in Santa Cruz; there are some that are better and many that are worse. I'll still drop in for a drink once in a while but most days I'd rather find some place a little quieter and less hip.
I can't decide how I feel about this place. Â I've been here quite a few times to get some drinks and never have I ever gotten one in fewer than 10 minutes. Usually it takes longer, even at 9pm on a weeknight. Â Once I made the mistake of asking what beers they have on tap only to receive the answer "uh, we have like over 100 beers I'm not going to name them for you". Â Wow, sorry for not knowing you have so many beers, maybe it would be helpful if you actually had a drink menu at the bar so I could somehow find out what beers you have. Â
I also find this a pretty awkward place to hang out when it's crowded. Â When all the tables and couches are taken, there is really no good place to stand around. Â I always feel like I'm in someone's way. Â Unless I come here with interesting and fun people I usually end up bored and wanting to leave. Â
I say I don't know how I feel about this place because while I generally don't like hanging out here, they do make some strong drinks. Â I believe in getting more bang for your buck, espeically when it comes to alcohol.
Sits atop the old Santa Cruz Hotel. Back in my day this same space used to be the one, the only, and first Korean restaurant in Santa Cruz. A splendid idea whose time had not come yet then. That owner has moved on to create Mobo Sushi.
I've only been here once. Impressive selection of Belgian Ales. I had "The Three Philosophers" which was very nice and I conjectured one of the great thinkers to be Epicurius but more likely they are malt, cherry, and chocolate.
For the main course: tenderloin filet with shitake merlot reduction; on the side, roasted red potatoes and sauteed greens. Kee-Reist that was good eating.
The menage-a-trois of philosophers and the Angus beef upper cut to my gastronomical solar plexus knocked me out. I lay dazed amidst the flickering flames of the fireplace and waxed nostalgic of my college years here-- the more carefree spent days of youth unencumbered by the toils of an approaching mid life...but I digress.
Great food, great wine selection, good ambiance, good value.
The secret is to get a flight of wine: five dinner-sized pours for $15. And the server suggested a great Pino and an interesting Zin.
Great small plates (appetizers) and a very nice soup. The Hanger salad had a full-sized steak's worth of meat in it. Someone in the kitchen really likes food.
They were out of home-made ginger-beer when we were there; we hear it is great. The decaff latte was really good: smooth and even.
Comfortable service; not east-coast frantic: attentive and skilled.
We'll be back
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