Restaurants in Aptos

“Churchills is amazing.”

“I had an amazing birthday here. The staff are so friendly and right there when you need them. The food….omg the food. I had lamb shank with mashed potatoes and sautéd veggies. Everything was cooked to perfection! I live 4 hours away. I can’t wait to come back.”

“I had lunch with a friend today and I wanted to try Soul Salad I was not disappointed. Fresh, flavorful and the customer service was top notch The owner offered to make me something special: he grilled me sesame crusted tofu and put it on the Wasabi salad. That was so cool and I appreciated it too. btw it was delicious I ate every bite I was also able to customize a salad for my husband. Thank you Team Soul Salad for an amazing lunch 🥰🙏🏻🥗”

“Every time I go, spot in with the food. This is what I look for in a restaurant. Think out of the box menu with consistency every time I go with every item I order. I keep working down the menu to try everything. They obviously make their own sauce, the ranch, super bomb diggity. Fries, onion rings, salad all fresh and crisp. Mac and Gouda cheese bites, Yes! Chop cheese, you gotta have one of these! Mushroom cap “burger “ something you will crave, Parish pie, goodness wrapped up in one dish. Salmon fish & chips, fantastic. And I forgot to mention beer, beer, beer, they also have beer and mixed drinks. There is always specials on the screens. Last time I noticed something about tenderloin and bacon …… can’t wait to go back and find out!”

“Wonderful family deli. The Cali sandwich is my go-to. The pastries are also a must try. Lunch is busy during the summer. You can order ahead. Great place for lunch if you're heading to the beach in Aptos.”

“My husband and I decided to check out the restaurant for lunch and it exceeded our expectations. We order the empanadas as a starter and they were absolutely delicious. The tocos we ordered were so yummy. They had such flavor, texture had depth. The wait staff were wonderful; professional, responsive, and always attending to our needs. We can't wait to return.”

“Honestly, this is one of the best BBQ places in the Bay Area. Their meats definitely have that WOW factor! I love how welcoming the staff is here. It feels like they genuinely want you to feel comfortable and enjoy some great BBQ. We’ve ordered takeout and dined in many times, and I’ve always appreciated the consistency of the food. The quality of the meat is top-notch, with a perfect smoky flavor and tenderness. Their brisket is the best — a great balance of lean and fatty cuts, crispy edges, and juicy, flavorful meat that falls apart beautifully. The tri-tip is also moist and cooked to perfection, though you can definitely notice the difference in tenderness between the two cuts of beef. The ribs are meaty, perfectly cooked, and have a wonderful smoky flavor. They shouldn't fall off the bone on their own, but they come off easily — exactly how ribs should be. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The pulled BBQ pork melts in your mouth, incredibly moist and perfectly smoked. One thing to note: items tend to run out early, so it’s a good idea to call or order ahead!”

“We had a wonderful takeaway family dinner last week. We ordered the family truffled cheese tortiglioni meal, three short rib dinners and two salmon. Our food was ready for us on time, beautifully packed and the heating instructions perfect. Everything was absolutely delicious! Thank you Cori & crew for offering pick up meals and we look forward to experiencing your beautiful outdoor patio some day.”

“They make a great latte, and I can always find a few familiar faces on the patio”

“Been enjoying Manuels since 1966. Love the red snapper, the salad, flautas with guacamole...great food always! Hopefully coming to dinner tonight! ♥️”

“Fourth time here and still left impressed. Pizza, gnocchi, ragu, and sole dishes were fantastic. Didn leave room for desert but tried the strawberry and cream and lemon curd, anyway. Glad we did. Drinks were great too. Nice enough for a date night. Casual enough to be a great neighborhood hang. 10/10.”

“I've been getting the Meat Lasagna takeout for a few months now and its REALLY good. Its a LARGE slice and comes with a side of garlic bread. I'm over stuffed if I eat it all and the bread. Great locals pizza shop, friendly staff, hole in the wall kind of atmosphere that you just want to keep going back to and support.

I would add a photo but I've already eaten half of it! YUMMERS!”

“My favorite Indian restaurant in Santa Cruz county. I love Indian food but I usually can’t handle too much spicy. Ambrosia is very thoughtful about that, they make a delicious food just right and if you want to add more spice you can. My favorite is the buffet, because you can try many different dishes. Love this restaurant!”

“Reliably good artisan pastries. I would not not put them in the same tier as Manresa, but definitely the sole residents of the next tier down.

That being said, I had the pistachio dream (I think that’s what it was called) and wow now that is an excellent confection and more like something I would expect from say Tartine in the city or Quail and Condor. Definitely a dessert (not breakfast) treat, it’s a flaky pastry cup (I’m sure there is a more accurate term) with a baklava-esque pistachio filling, topped with Italian meringue. Phenomenal.”

“First time there … loved the vibe will be back”

“They make the best ice cream in town, with over 100 flavors to choose from”

“Favorite roaster around! Haven't had a bag of beans I don't like. Currently on a kick of pulling shots and making lattes with After Party. Super thick crema and great tasting notes. Don't see myself changing up from Cat & Cloud anytime soon!”

“This place is perfect as a modern study vibe. You can come here to do work, hangout with friends, or just sip on some coffee which is priced below average but tastes immaculate. The service was beyond exceptional and the wifi is extremely fast. I highly recommend anyone to come and check it out, great upstairs seating with my only recommendation being to have another couch space on the other side of the upper level. Currently there is one couch space, but a second one with tables in the middle of the space would be fantastic.

Also what was surprising was that for as modern and trendy as this place is, there is a mix of all age groups which was nice. It isn't just a place for younger people. Fantastic open breathable space with a lot of seating space.

Recommendations to the owner/staff:
- 2nd couch space on the other side of the upper level
- More outlets around the shop, ideally one more on the upper level and 2 for the tables.
- Upstairs bathroom? That would be awesome!
- Slightly longer hours would be fantastic for people who work/study a bit more.

Overall score:
4.5/5, fantastic environment, great atmosphere”

“Best breakfast and ambience 🥰”

“The best coffee in aptos homemade muffins and pastries , cozy warm atmosphere”

“It’s one of those places where you can’t go inside you have to order at the window.if it’s cold outside that is the down side you can’t enjoy your ice cream there. I ordered a turtle Sunday and my only complaint is it would of been nice to actually get a brownie in my Sunday since that’s what turtle Sunday’s are known for and it’s was pricey still with out one so yeah.The location is good though.”

“Have been coming here for 20+ years (yes, I know, it was Surf City before). Today’s experience was probably the best ever. The staff is super friendly. The quality of the food is great. Love the choice of cheese for the dawners. And the eggs were perfect. Unfortunately we aren’t locals or we would be back more often. But, we do come back to the area, it’s on our “must go” list.”

“The clam chowder is worth the trip.”

“Owner was very nice and friendly food was also exceptionally good

Kid-friendliness: Owner came by and interacted with our baby and made sure we had everything we needed for him”

“We’ve always loved Akira, but recently their chefs have been taking their sushi game to a whole new level. Very delicious with big portions of food & we have yet to have a roll that we didn’t like. Highly recommend!”

“Pizza is very good. Friendly people work their. Staff is very good and help you rite away. Price is good and lot of space. Love to visit again”

“After dropping off the 7 Winklesticks and two boxes of Bluehanker Gobblygoons to Uutaacuss Coombaba the Sea Urchin diver from Uganda I was whipped. I think he's going to use those things to scrape the barnacles off his trawler, and I told him that's not what they're designed for, but he just mumbled and made some popping noises like the Bantu tribesmen do. He paid me and I couldn't get out any faster. I made a beeline straight for Eric's DeliCafe they're the best on the coast.5 stars all day long. ☆☆☆☆☆”

“Excellent atmosphere! Do yourself a favor, stop by.”

“This past weekend, we decided to visit Lester Estate Wines. The property is beautiful, with spaces for events and parties. Following the signs to the tasting room, you enter and see a long room decorated with all kinds of different woodsy/nature themed items. The staff greeted us and led us to a nice outdoor seating area. I tried the new Pinot Noir reds and she tried a mix of sparkling and still whites. Overall, it was a pleasant time and there is plenty to see! Another good wine tasting experience in the mountains north of Aptos!”

“We were on a walk and felt the craving for a a California burrito, this was it. Everything about the burrito was on point, ratios, taste. All three salsas were also amazing, plus their staff were super friendly. I definitely put this on my favorite burrito list.”

“This club has been such a blessing in my life. For the past 18 years I have relished the physical and social uplift from my very regular visits there. Swimming by the ocean year round is the highlight of my day however I have taken advantage of many classes that Seascape Sports club offers. Re-opening after the lock down was such a relief! A daily dose of sanity.”

“The service was great. The food is good and portions are large. Moderate pricing, but dog friendly!”

“Beautiful restaurant with excellent food.
Solid vegetarian section for those who needs it, and they had no issues customizing a dish (making it without egg in this case).
Very fast service, helpful staff, and a wide selection of food.

Vegetarian options: Vegetarian section in the menu with plenty of options, and they were happy to customize an order as well.”

“Service was wonderful, food was excellent. Special deal if it’s your birthday! Don’t worry, they don’t sing to you😂”

“First time golfing, the staff was great! The course was great!”

“Wonderful lunch for about 28 people. the food was delicious and healthy. the service was impressive”

“I ordered the vegan mendocino. You can't order it by the slice, you have to pay for the whole pie. It only took about 10-15 minutes for them to make. Although, it was kinda pricey about $30 for a 12". It was super garlicky and delicious, the cheese had a nice flavor and texture, but I felt like it needed just a tad bit of salt. I really enjoyed the fresh tomato sauce and fresh basil on top. Anyway, I'm super stoked that there's vegan pizza available near my home. There's 2 more vegan pizzas, so I'll be back to try those too. Updated from previous review on 2025-01-09”

“I am a die hard Starbucks fan, and this was my first time having Peets coffee, they are amazing and way better than Starbucks! :)”

“Best pizza in Aptos! Friendly staff greet you as you walk in! Reasonable prices for the food and quality of food is great! Dinning room very big and kept clean! Definitely coming back here!”

“It's an old fashioned burger joint right by the beach. For some it is a traditional stop when leaving the nearby beach.”

“Good food, decent service. Really popular, was quite busy on a Wednesday night. There are games for kids and tv for sports, right near beercan beach ??

Kid-friendliness: Games”

“Food is delicious. Service was top notch. Staff is extremely friendly.”

“Love the fresh, healthy ingredients and the warm smiles on the faces of staff! The Clean Juice app is a great way to order ahead.”

“I wrote a detailed review on 831 Best and Worst Facebook page and this was definitely the BEST category ! Cannot go wrong IMO !”

“Great food and coffee and my wife and I will be back again and again.”

“I’ve been eating at Gordos for 22 plus years now. Favorite taqueria of all time. Always recommend it to friends, only leaving this review because the burrito I had last night was literally the most perfect burrito they’ve ever made for me. It blew my mind. I’ve literally ordered the same thing for 22 years almost weekly 😂 love this place. Thank you Gordos!”

“Always good place to eat. Staff is super nice”

“Excellent ice cream with vegan options. Gluten free waffle cone too”

“Wonderful food $. Affordable Fresh Fish. Wishing success in Aptos, try Poki Bowl Aptos!”

“Friendly staff & great location.”

“Love this place! I stop by almost every time I’m in Aptos. The vegetarian breakfast burrito is one of my favorite veggie breakfasts in the area. I’m also a big fan of their paninis—anything with palm sauce is especially delicious. Staff are friendly and professional as well.”

“The food is very good and the portions are ample. Their meats are flavorful and the saffron rice is moist. We are here whenever we make our way to Capitola or Aptos.”

“We three had an EXCELLENT brunch there today. We all opted for the California Eggs Benedict. Absolutely Delicious!! Service was impeccable, Atmosphere delightful with the nice Aptos sun ? out. We all just raved about the good food and service. Highly Recommend !!

Wheelchair accessibility: Need someone to help you with your wheelchair - two small steps. Go to the right (not main entrance) toward the outdoor seating. I was on crutches and had No problem.”

“I ordered the vegan mendocino. You can't order it by the slice, you have to pay for the whole pie. It only took about 10-15 minutes for them to make. Although, it was kinda pricey about $30 for a 12". It was super garlicky and delicious, the cheese had a nice flavor and texture, but I felt like it needed just a tad bit of salt. I really enjoyed the fresh tomato sauce and fresh basil on top. Anyway, I'm super stoked that there's vegan pizza available near my home. There's 2 more vegan pizzas, so I'll be back to try those too. Updated from previous review on 2025-01-09”