The Crow's Nest Reviews

Awesome view but service was super slow. We were in the bar area for happy hour and could see staff just standing and talking while we waited for drinks.

My husband and I went for dinner for our anniversary, great experience. The views that day were amazing! Very romantic setting and wonderful service. Our server even sang us a happy anniversary song...adorable.
Food was delicious but we ate way too much on account of having such a good time.
We will definitely return next time we're in Santa Cruz.

Great view, fresh seafood with a few other options. Staff is always too notch! Patio seating has heaters, and a great view of the sunset, but bring your sunglasses, it gets bright!

Crow's Best had been one of my favorites since the '80s! Salad bar and food is amazing, as well as the view. Had a slight issue with cold food (eggs) , but the server took care of it right away.

Wow.. nice view, nice ambiance.. but.. based on the appetizers.. which we stopped at.. way too expensive and lacking quality.. $17 for two small crab cakes that were not very tasty.. $10 for a small pizza with weird hard crust.. a beer and a margarita plus tip.. $65.. not happening again!!

Went with my brother Matt and Sahar K (0f Drumskull Drums here in Santa Cruz)to listen to Dave of Drifting Compass perform and I gotta tell ya the service from the waitress was absolutely fabulous
Not sure who hired her but they may actually have One of Santa Cruz Co. Best servers. The server kept our drinks full and was beyond courteous not pushy at all and didn t forget a dam thing
I didn t get the name but this server is what makes coming out on a Thursday night worth it Food was okay nothing extraordinary that may need to be pointed out But the music and the service was great
Not bad for a cold night in January
Hats of to the one who hired her
One could only hope to get awesome wait staff here in this town like what was given this evening.

Great food cute waitresses nice location just up the beach from lighthouse

it was pretty epic and very warm outside with the heaters emma was our waitress and she was very nice the bathrooms are very nice and the pancakes were humongous but very expensive but the food is very good also i like the plant based cups those are epic if the manager or whatever is reading this give emma a raise bye bye

One of the best restaurants in Santa Cruz County, if not all of California! Good eats, vibe, and view. Only thing bad is the parking when it s busy.

Thursday special rocks!! Appetizer, main dish and desert for $28.95. Great food. Service was good too!

Whether you are coming here for a evening show, dinner, lunch or brunch you can always know to expect the same quality of experience. The service is great and quick and the food is always delicious. During the summer time this place has outdoor parties on the beach on Thursdays.

Every Sunday night they have a comedy show upstairs in the bar and I believe they have reggae night on tuesdays.

Whenever you do come I suggest you make reservations as this place is very popular and can get busy. It is fairly pricey but you pay for what you get here, good food, good view, and good service.

Expensive for two dollar signs. The only chowder I ate in the area with sand and grit. Staff were pleasant.

Been here numerous times without needing reservations. Just go upstairs to the bar. Full service great deck. Wonderful views.

Good food..service subpar for the price. Enjoyed the view for 45 mins while we waited on our waiter to order. Not as bad as waiting 45 after dinner for our check.

The Crow's Nest is a long standing restaurant / bar / nightclub located on the east bank of the Yacht Harbor. Some things they do are outstanding - beach parties every Thursday during the summer, great views from the decks upstairs, comedy on Sunday nights, some quality live music, and a decent happy hour. Other things are not so easy to stomach - rather high priced & touristy (as one should expect based on their incredible location), crusty sea dogs can get a rather salty after a few too many, staff is hit or miss, food similar. Go and enjoy the beach vibe, especially if you have a larger group.

My favorite place to eat in Santa Cruz, its a bit hippie and the food is good. Fun people and GREAT views of the Harbor and Ocean.

Went for the summer beach party. Was fun, but very crowded. Good was ok.

Great location and great vibe. Food is decent and the salad bar is historic. I've been coming her since I was a child and its a Santa Cruz icon.

The Dungeoness Crabcake Benedict, the Halibut and the Ahi Tuna salad were all delicious. The Raspberry Colada was more like a dessert than a drink - yummy.

Fried Calamari and clam chowder after a day of fishing!!
Sooo good!!

Still a great place to eat....Good food, drinks,service.
Had to pay for parking in Marked spaces with no validation

Great happy hour deals, ahi was very good. Chowder was okay.

This is my favorite Restaurant in Santa Cruz. I highly recommend the Fish and Chips at the Bar and Grill. Best French Fries I have ever had.

Amazing food, service and view, couldn't ask for more.

I love this restaurant. Good food, great atmosphere, and lovely views!

Much nicer than I expected... Middle of the road as far price and food... Very nice scenery, we were seated right by one of their many windows.

Beautiful patio. Solid service and good food. They have an enclosed patio and an open patio - depending on the weather, you choose. It's on the expensive side.

My third time there I has the Wednesday night special Prime top sirloin it was tender cooked med with mashed potato and vegetables for dessert their mud pie

I have been going there fir many years and have enjoyed many fine meals.

Very DISAPPOINTED!
My boyfriend took me here last night for a nice dinner date. First time I ordered the Hawaiian Opah and it was actually good. Long story short, hour later when we got home which by the way 45min drive from santa cruz to san jose. I started feeling sick to my stomach. Then light headed as followed, few mins. later, next thing i know, i found myself in the bathroom and throwed up at least 4x. I started getting headache and untill now, I am still having a pain in my stomach. My boyfriend and I was already a bit dissapointed with our server as soon he took our order. He seems to having a bad day or night (And who doesn't anyway, right?) My boyfriend is also a general manager at the restaurant so we know its not an easy job, so we kinda ignored it and just enjoyed the night but obviously NOT after what happened. I am giving 1 star for having a nice view.

Every time I go to the crkws nedt I have the best time of my life!! Last night was amazing! Great service, awsome live music, dancing, and lots of drinking!!

Good food, half price happy hour appetizers and drinks until 6:00 on weekdays, and the best server ever tonight..Hannah...she loved her job and you can tell.

Best place in town. To relax and oversee the ocean view.

Food is ok, nothing really stands out except I do enjoy the smoked salmon. It's a little too big to be considered a fun beach place, but its fun anyway. Good mix of locals, beach goers, and boaters.

Food was good and eating in the parking lot wasn't that bad

Went to comedy night with a friend who has lived in Santa Cruz for twenty two years and had not come here for this, ever.

Great food and view, of course they come with a cost, but we were willing to pay!

Excellent every time! Salmon burger, scallops with nice tall drink. Casual out door or inside, upstairs too

Excellent location. Great vibe. Very nice folks. Definitely trends more "classic rock", but don't let that stop you from checking this place out!

Good restaurant, but parking shared with the harbor and limited

Great views of the beach and harbor. Super happy hour and wonderful atmosphere.

I go there for the view, awesome bands and I just love their salad bar.

Great views from this classic beachfront institution. Several room choices: dining room, heated patio dining, upstairs bar or outdoor patio, private dining. Great bloody Mary's, Mai Tais, fresh fish and an excellent salad bar. Nightly entertainment; bands, comedy. View the sailboat races or go on Thursdays nights in the summer fir my favorite, the beach party!

Great views good service, more expensive than we thought

Great food, great service! By far our best meal when visiting Santa Cruz. It may be a bit pricey but it's worth it.

Hello ALL! I have been a Crows Nest Fan since you don't want to know!! I can't believe that I am not allowed to give a 1 star rating

ITs Sunday afternoon. Whoa. This place has changed!! Ewwwwww bad attitude bad attitude bad, bad, BAD EVERYTHING.. I work for a private COUNTRY CLUB. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EVERYTHING.. AND I ALWAYS HAVE GREAT MEMORIES WITH THIS ESTABLISHMENT... BOOOOOOOO IF I WERE THE MANAGER I WOULD FIRE SO MANY OF YOU... If you want me to name something specific..well its way to much. IF MANAGEMENT would like input to improve..PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.. IM VERY disappointed in CROWS NEST HISTORY...

Great views and good food. Love coming here for breakfast.

Best happy hour ever! Don't forget to try the calamari, it's awesome!

Excellent food and ambience!! Worth every dollar spent!

Even though it was busy, excellent, friendly, and quick service. Perfect place to bring visitors and friends. Beautiful

Great bloody's and in the summer they have an epic beach party!

A favorite place for quality american food. great hospitality. will surely make a return trip. prices are reasonable i would say. i can see why they have so many reviews.

Great views. Good food but a bit pricey for the quality. Fun place and we had no problem parking in the lot. $2.25 total for parking. Ruby Tuna appetizer is excellent.

This place has a nice, calm, upscale vibe to it, and the prices are decent for what you get in the attentive service, nice decor, great views, and delicious food. They also have a stage, and while I haven't been there as a show is going on im sure it'd be great. Overall a good place for the price and a decent atmosphere.

If you're looking for a fancier place to take family or a loved one, this is it. The seafood alfredo was delightful and there are a number fresh selections to choose from. The wine selection is quite expansive as well. However, this is a very popular locale, so book beforehand

Friendly staff & delicious food. Location is right on the beach and the view is lovely.

Best Happy Hour upstairs with ocean & harbor views. Great Calamari, Ahi. & Smoked salmon. Apps at half price. Get there early in the summer. Downstairs is fine dining.

Excellent food and location. You can't beat the views from the dining area since you look right out onto Monterey Bay. Prices are a bit high but anywhere with a view that serves well made seafood dishes is comparable. There is also a great selection of drinks available from their bar.

Very nice decor with a wonderful view of the Ocean, the food and the service are also very good.

Great atmosphere by the harbor and good option for casual dining upstairs or more formal downstairs. They have a great salad bar, and they have a good selection of draught beers to choose from.