The Crow's Nest Review

Food was just ok, steak had no flavor, Lamb pops were pretty good, salad bar is excellent. Definitely over priced.

We went there years ago, and took our out of town friends there based on recommendations from friends. Even though it wasn't very busy, we were placed far in the back (at a table up against an emergency exit), then largely ignored. We had to wait a long time even to order, got our mediocre food, then had to call for someone to get our check.

Given that one of our friends is very dark-skinned, it left me wondering if that was involved.

Needless to say, we haven't gone back since.

Summer beach parties. I love the crab cocktail (5 dollars off during happy hour). You can see the beach and harbor from various seats.

The Crow's nest was awesome! It sits on the edge of the beach and the view is nice. The best Lobster and steak dinner ever! Everything else looked delicious and presented very well. Our waitress was great! She was very courteous and professional. The wait time for the food was reasonable. I highly recommend if you ever travel to Santa Cruz, Ca that you treat yourself to an enjoyable dining experience.

Band UTurn was amazing but will not eat there again. Took over almost 1.5 hours to get our dinner and it was cold once we did. Never even offered to bring more bread while waiting. Bar service also poor and staff was rude. Will go back to see Gary Blackburn and UTurn play but that's the only reason we would return

My top spot for delicious American food. i often meet people here to talk. the place has a nice feel to it. if it wasn't far from my work i would come by more.

Appetizer was great, friendly staff, amazing location.

Salmon hash with poached eggs for breakfast. Fabuloys!

Lots of great window seatihg with great views. Food is awesome. Not too expensive. Upstairs is open seating and super casual. Downstairs is a little bit more formal with white linen table cloths.

Great place for dinner. Menu always top of the line.

The calamari was amazing, I personally had the seafood risotto and although it tasted great it was a little watery in my opinion. I liked the atmosphere and the place was very clean. The staff did a good job as well. I would definitely go back but I think for the cost you can find just as good a meal for much cheaper in Santa Cruz so this may be a one and done for me.

Overpriced. Waitress are not attentive. The only good thing is view. Risotto and pasta was too watery and taste just salty.

Being asked to pay for the use of their parking lot after paying $100 for dinner was a little tacky. Other than that, an average restaurant.

Would rate about 3.5 if I could. The view was was wonderful and the service friendly. The service was a little slow but with the great view we enjoyed it. We ate on the heated patio since the day was so nice. Good wine list. The food was good but not as good as I was expecting.

View is great, food not so great and pricey for the quality

Enjoyable for the entire family. Kids really love the view of the lighthouse and the boats and seals entering and exiting the harbor. Friendly staff. First come seating (upstairs) and the food is good!

Fantastic service, great atmosphere, and the scenery is always beautiful... Even during a storm.

The staff was very friendly. Made sure that everything was good. The view to the ocean is amazing. My fiance and my future mother in law love their food. We had a great time

The Crows Nest is a wonderful restaurant friendly environment you have a view of the entire Bay they even have Jamaican music and fair on Thursdays how to make a visit if you are ever in Santa Cruz.

Food was very good. Service was excellent. The view of the ocean is spectacular. One of our favorite places in the area.

Over priced and over rated, food was barely okay, would hope more from a place on the wharf and you have to pay to park, no validation

Wonderful restaurant
Great food

I'm sure this place is great for others but I wasn't convinced.

Over priced entree food, extremely crowded and only slightly attentive wait staff. It's lovely that it's right by the coast so you have a lovely view and the food is alright enough but I'd skip this if you're looking for something more peaceful and attentive.

Was great place to have dinner. salad bar was good. steak was perfect. will be going back.

Goes without saying this place has great views, however service is slow, food is pricey and not gourmet by any means. Will I go back absolutely...

A trendy restaurant and bar overlooking the Santa Cruz harbor...need I say more?

Dude! Go here! So bomb! Me and my girlfriend loved every bite!

It's an okay food on a good location. Not too pricey if you want to eat and chill on a sunny day.

The waiter didn't seam like he wanted to be there. Service was fast. The food however... It's terrible. I ordered the boiled lobster tail which came with a steak, bocolli, and baked potato.

Let's start with the lobster. It was absolutely flavorless. All it was was texture. I ate five bites and stopped because it was pointless. The rest of my family agreed.

The steak, which I ordered medium well, came solid as a rock and dry as hell. It also tasted like a dirty grill. The rest of my family agreed.

The baked potato was actually decent to good. My brother had a potato dish as well and it was pretty good.

The bread and butter they brought out was weird. The bread was really good but the butter was flavorless. It was like I was putting fluffy air on my bread. Idk how you mess up butter but they did.

I also tried the tuna that my family got. It was dry and flavorless as well. They tried to hide the dryness and flavorness by drowning it in sauce. They did the same thing with my brother's new York style steak. Dry and flavorless but drench in sauce.

I feel like they freeze a lot of their meats. That has to be the only reason it tastes so dry and bland.

On top of all this, the prices are rediculous for the quality of food you get. You probably are paying more for the location than the food. Parking isn't even free.

I would avoid this place by all means.

Great appetizers. Friendly service nice view of the harbour.

Enjoyed the Salmon sandwich and the great outdoor view

American food, mmm, awesome. The service here is friendly.

Really wonderful place with good food and service. Killer views!

This place is really nice. Food was ok but the cheesecake is the best. If you re not a local might find/think the service is not great but in reality everyone is wonderful. People just go and take any available table. First come first serve. Sometimes they re just busy but whoever is taking care of your section will get to you, be patient! We were visiting and not in a rush so kinda had time to see how things work around. Will come back if I m around the area again.

Great place to go for local comedy night on Sunday's (laughter will be hit-or-miss). The bar is also a good place to stop by for a drink. The views are wonderful and the food is adequate. It can sometimes get really busy so plan in advance.

Great service, and good food. My rack of lamb was tasty but a bit over cooked.

This is place has THE BEST calamari I've ever had, anywhere. And I have traveled. Gorgeous view of the ocean and incredibley pleasant and accurate staff

For Valentine's Day we went with another couple. 2 of us had the spinach raviolis, the other ordered the ex-large Sirloin steak, and the other a dish ordered was pasta with prawns. Two of us shared a shrimp salad. We all had magaritas. The raviolis were the best tasting dish I've ever experienced anywhere!
The steak was perfect especially with baked potato n their trimmings! The salad was large, fresh, chilled, and delicious, with generous amounts of shrimp. The whole meal was tasty beyond words!!!!
I ordered tiramisu for dessert and it was perfect!
The Crows nest had live music during dinner, we were seated within 7 minutes and the service was great. We did have late reservations for downstairs with an ocean view. We could converse comfortably while the band played upstairs .
I wanted to go back for the following 3 nights just for the ravioli dish!
It was that spectacular!

Good food a bit pricey best deals or to hit the happy hour time they have some good meals

Mediocre and overpriced dinner. Brunch is more worth it because you at least get a view. Steak was overcooked, food came out cold, everything ne Mushy vegetables. Super bland.

Good food, great atmosphere. All night happy hour on Wednesday's.

Beachside, great views, great place to watch the sun set, good food.

Good food, small portions, great view of the boats leaving dock.

The Crows Nest is a great place to go on Wednesday night to see the sailboat races and a salad bar is amazing and so is the food and the view and you can watch volleyball though when the sun go and out again it's just a fun places to go. in Santa Cruz

Really tasty food, and great vibe! 11/10 would go again

Nice spot for delicious American food. Fell in love with this place from the 1st taste.

Terrible food but a great place to hang out at the bar!

Great place to meet friends. Wonderful sunset views, good food, $$$

Wonderful restaurant featuring fine meats and fresh seafood. Beautiful views of a lighthouse leading into the harbor.

My all time favorite restaurant by far. A bit pricey but the kids menu items or at least the steak is the same size as an adults meal. The all you can eat salad bar is great, the bread they serve before your meal arrives is delicious. The staff always accommodating and nice. Reservations recommended.

Great service, good prices, wonderful atmosphere and views and delicious food! The menu is not overly stack with items, which is much appreciated. Overall it was a great experience!

Acceptable beach bar food very busy on an April afternoon

A good stop in Santa Cruz. Good portions. Good food. Good service. All with a good view. I m glad I got to stop here. Don t pass it up if you re in the area.

Had an opportunity to celebrate my great uncle and aunt s 70th anniversary here. Great choice and one of their favorites. Breakfast was great - build your own omelette was a good choice and the potion can be shared. Great service and friendly staff. Great secret/ they have a treasure chest for kids to pick a toy of their choice.

Dinner: Food is tasty and delicious. You get what you pay for even if a bit expensive. You get to view the sailing ships pass by when eating outside. Superb view

Great food, great drinks, excellent view! Right on the harbor, it's a fun place to hang out and watch the boats come in. There's a dining room downstairs, but I like the bar upstairs better.

If there wasn't such an issue with rent control and affordable housing, I believe this place could do way better with happier employees. The views, people, and food are great.

The views alone are worth the visit, but the food is excellent as well.