.Best of Santa Cruz County 2023: FOOD & DRINK

The best bread, new restaurant, wine selection and more

READ ALL BEST OF 2023 COVERAGE:

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Acai Bowl

Café Brasil
1410 Mission St., Santa Cruz,
429-1855, cafebrasil.us

RUNNERS-UP Samba Rock Acai Café, Amazon Juices

Appetizers

The Crow’s Nest 
2218 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz,
476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP Shadowbrook, Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen – Westside

Bagel

Bagelry 
320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz, 429-8049;
1636 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 425-8550;
4763 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 462-9888,
bagelrysantacruz.com

secure document shredding

RUNNER-UP Firefly Café 

Bakery

Best-Of-FOOD-Desserts-(Bakery)-The-Buttery

The Buttery
702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz,
458-3020, butterybakery.com

RUNNERS-UP Gayle’s Bakery, Companion Bakeshop

Barbecue

Aptos St. BBQ  
8059 Aptos St., Aptos,
662-1721, aptosstbbq.com

RUNNERS-UP Mission St. BBQ, Cole’s BBQ

Bar Food

Parish Publick House
841 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz, 421-0507;
8017 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 708-2036,
theparishpublick.com

RUNNERS-UP Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen – Westside, The Hideout

Bread

Companion Bakeshop  
2341 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 252-2253;
7486 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 612-6655
companionbakeshop.com

RUNNERS-UP Gayle’s Bakery, Manresa Bread

Breakfast

Santa Cruz

Zachary’s Restaurant
819 Pacific Ave.
427-0646, zacharyssantacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP Walnut Avenue Café, Harbor Café

Aptos / Soquel

Red Apple Café 
783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Aptos,
685-1224, redappleaptos.com

RUNNERS-UP Silver Spur, Sunrise Café

Capitola

Avenue Café
427 Capitola Ave.
515-7559
RUNNERS-UP Gayle’s Bakery, Zelda’s on the Beach

Scotts Valley/SLV

Heavenly Roadside Café 
1210 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley,
335-1210, heavenlyroadsidecafe.com

RUNNERS-UP Auntie Mame’s, Rocky’s Café

Watsonville

Cowboy’s Corner Café  
946 Main St.,
761-8996, cowboycornercafe.com

RUNNERS-UP Red Apple Café, Beach Street Café

Brunch

Harbor Café  
535 7th Ave., Santa Cruz,
475-4948, harborcafesantacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP The View at Chaminade, Crow’s Nest

Burger

Santa Cruz

burger.
1520 Mission St.
417-0419, burgerlovesbeer.com

RUNNERS-UP Betty Burgers, Jack’s Hamburgers

Aptos/Soquel

Betty Burgers
415 Trout Gulch Road, Aptos,
612-6668, bettyburgers.com

RUNNERS-UP Parish Publick House, The Hideout

Capitola

Betty Burgers
1000 41st Ave.
475-5901, bettyburgers.com

RUNNERS-UP East End Gastropub, Carpo’s Restaurant   

Scotts Valley/SLV

Malone’s Grille 
4402 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley,
438-2244, malonesgrille.com

RUNNERS-UP Bruno’s Bar and Grill, Two Doors 

Watsonville

Wooden Nickel  
1819 Freedom Blvd., Freedom,
724-2600

RUNNERS-UP Fat Boy Burgers and Grill, California Grill of the Pajaro Valley 

Burrito

Santa Cruz

Tacos Moreno 
1053 Water St.,
429-6095

RUNNERS-UP Taqueria Vallarta, Taqueria Santa Cruz

Aptos/Soquel

Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant 
261 Center Ave, Aptos,
688-0911, manuelsrestaurant.com

RUNNERS-UP El Chipotle Taqueria and Restaurant, Taqueria Los Gordos 

Capitola

Taqueria Vallarta
893 41st Ave., Santa Cruz,
464-7022, enjoytaqueriavallarta.com

RUNNERS-UP Tacos Moreno, Mijo’s Taqueria

Scotts Valley/SLV

Taqueria Los Gallos
18 Victor Square, Ste. A, Scotts Valley,
439-9803

RUNNERS-UP Taqueria Vallarta, La Chimichanga Cantina

Watsonville

El Frijolito 
11 Alexander St.,
724-8823

RUNNERS-UP Super Taqueria, Ranch Milk Market

 

 

Calamari

The Crow’s Nest 
2218 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz,
476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP Café Cruz, West End Tap & Kitchen

Caterer

Barbara & Company
2431 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz,
426-6051, barbara-company.com

RUNNERS-UP Five Star, Busy Bee Café & Catering

Cheap Eats

Charlie Hong Kong
1141 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz,
426-5664, charliehongkong.com

RUNNERS-UP Pretty Good Advice, Scrumptious Fish and Chips Food Truck

Cheese Selection

Shopper’s Corner
622 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz,
423-1696, shopperscorner.com

RUNNERS-UP Staff of Life, Cheese Shop 831

Chinese Cuisine

Canton 
900 41st Ave., Santa Cruz,
475-8751, cantonsantacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP Panda Inn, Red Pearl

Chocolatier

Donnelly Fine Chocolates 
1509 Mission St, Santa Cruz, 458-4214

RUNNERS-UP MacKenzies Chocolates, Ashby Confections

Clam Chowder

Stagnaro’s On The Wharf
59 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz,
423-2180, stagnarobrothers.com

RUNNERS-UP The Crow’s Nest, Riva Fish House

Coffeehouse (independent)

Cat & Cloud
3600 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz;
10 Parade St., Ste. A, Aptos
719 Swift St. Ste. 56, Santa Cruz
Abbott Square, 725 Front St., Santa Cruz,
catandcloud.com

RUNNERS-UP Verve, 11th Hour Coffee

Cookies

Pacific Cookie Company
1203 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz,
429-6905, pacificcookie.com

RUNNERS-UP Crumbl, The Buttery 

Cupcakes

The Buttery 
702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz,
458-3020, butterybakery.com

RUNNERS-UP Nothing Bundt Cake, Buttercup Cupcakes 

Date Night Restaurant

Santa Cruz

Oswald
121 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz,
423-7427, oswaldrestaurant.com

RUNNERS-UP Gabriella Café, VIM Dining & Desserts  

Aptos/Soquel

Best Of FOOD - Best Date Night Restaurant - (Aptos/Soquel) - Cafe Sparrow

Café Sparrow
8042 Soquel Drive, Aptos,
688-6238, cafesparrow.com

RUNNERS-UP Mentone, The Hideout  

Capitola

Shadowbrook 
1750 Wharf Road, Capitola,
475-1511, shadowbrook-capitola.com

RUNNERS-UP Trestles Restaurant, Café Cruz

Scotts Valley/SLV

Ristorante Casa Nostra
9217 Hwy. 9, Ben Lomond,
609-6132, ristorantecasanostra.com

RUNNERS-UP Scopazzi’s, Otoro Sushi 

Watsonville

California Grill of the Pajaro Valley 
40 Penny Lane, Watsonville,
722-8052, californiagrillrestaurant.com

RUNNER-UP Cilantros, Jalisco Mexican Cuisine

Deli

Zoccoli’s Delicatessen
1534 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-1711, zoccolis.com

RUNNERS-UP Garden Liquors & Deli, Seabright Deli 

Desserts (Bakery)

Gayle’s Bakery
504 Bay Ave., Capitola, 462-1200, gaylesbakery.com

RUNNERS-UP The Buttery, The Farm Bakery & Gifts

Desserts (Restaurant)

Chocolate Restaurant
1522 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, 427-9900, chocolatesantacruz.com

RUNNERS-UP VIM Dining & Desserts, Bittersweet Bistro

Donut Shop

Ferrell’s Donuts  
2227 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 457-2760

RUNNER-UP Dunlap’s Donuts, Allbright’s Donut Shoppe

Falafel

Achilles by the Sea 
1404 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, 621-2834, achillesrestaurant.com

RUNNERS-UP Falafel of Santa Cruz, Zameen 

Food Event

Greek Food Festival
Downtown Santa Cruz

RUNNERS-UP Clam Chowder Cook-Off, Gourmet Grazing on the Green

French Fries

Betty Burgers
1000 41st Ave., Santa Cruz, 475-5901;
505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-8190;
1222 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 600-7056, bettyburgers.com

RUNNERS-UP West End Tap & Kitchen, Parish Publick House

Frozen Yogurt

Yogurtland
1955 41st Ave Suite A4, Capitola, 462-3100
1487 Main St #102, Watsonville,  761-1500

RUNNERS-UP Top A Lot Yogurt, 

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