Good vibes, good wine, absolutely incredible food.
TheJoanneirene
Absolutely LOVE the idea of this restaurant and store. The vibe, style, and menu were on point. The menu is very limited but my group enjoyed everything we ordered. The only thing I would change is serve cocktails.
Dave Mitchell
Is it a used book store with a wine and beer bar or a wine and beer bar with a used book store? Either way, it's super cute, unique, hipster spot downtown with a great used book store and delicious Thai restaurant, Hanloh Thai, inside.
Catherine Friedl
Bad Animal serves innovative, flavorful Thai food with topnotch service and great ambiance. They let us sample a few wines so everyone in our party of six was happy with their choice.We had the chicken, black cod and pork belly along with the tartare and glass noodle appetizers. Everything was excellent.
Annette Steiner
Great food, cozy atmosphere and great books
Shain Holden
The food is clean and delicious and the restaurant/bookstore has a great ambiance.
Michael Girouard
Amazing food and wine list. Love perusing the books as well!
Cynthia M.
OMG this was such a unique concept!! Hanlow Thai Food teamed up with this bookstore and created a mini restaurant inside. The ambience was fantastic being surrounded by books while you dine. The service was top notch walking through the menu and describing what's in each dish and what makes it unique. All the dishes we ordered were amazing. My family enjoyed the entire experience and we would definitely go back. Reservations are a must.
Stefan C.
The food was exquisite! The wines were superb. The atmosphere was artsy, cozy and friendly. Nice neighborhood too. Highly recommended.
Stan J
OMG, just go. No. you’re not getting out cheap. The small plates run high teens / low twenty, the big plates mid twenty / low thirty. You’re not going to find the vibe fancy, it is a bookstore after all (though we loved it) that has that old Santa Cruz feeling throughout, not to mention a friendly and helpful staff. And while the sizes are not going to stuff you, the tastes are fantastic. BTW; The current menu showing online is not the same being served now, so I gather the details change every now and then, but it is still in the same spirit and price ranges. (And to the review below that thought it was overpriced street food that they’d pay $3 for, there is a Five Guys in the area and you can pickup up a little burger for $8 I’m sure you’d enjoy.)
I do NOT give 5 stars out lightly! You cannot miss this Chef!I love the whole concept at Bad Animal, the DJ was so on point, just enough funk for a Brooklyn/Berkeley vibe, and the books and ambiance are eclectic, interesting and warm. They have a killer collection of books and poetry. But this gets 5 stars because of the current resident chef, Chef Lailita Kaewsawang. She and her Chef de Cuisine Mauricio Ortiz literally blew my mind on Saturday night last weekend. The authentic Thai food was the real deal, complex in layers of flavors, the incredible balance of sweet, heat, salt, texture...It is hands down the best meal I've had in Santa Cruz, but also in the greater state of CA in like a decade. I've lived in some hotbeds for culinary nerds; Sonoma, NYC, DC, Culver City, and I LOVE good food. I've been let down so many times in Santa Cruz, where we live in the middle of an agricultural oasis... but no more! I hope to GAWD Lailita opens a full time restaurant here. It was worth the money, the portions were right on, the flavor was OUT OF THIS world. Here's my recommendations: Get the quirky little starter Mieng, it's tiny but if you like awesome textures, and a peppery finish, this is the bomb. We had Gaeng Daeng with seared scallops, so flipping good, but not sure if the menu changed already. We had a fantastic salad as well that is also not on the menu anymore and paired it with the Vinho Verdhe... but the salad looks like it's not longer on the menu... so run, do not miss this chef before the next chef in resident swaps out. I am begging her to open a permanent restaurant here. ALSO, the staff, was brilliant. Our server, and I may have her name wrong, it might be Kiara? She was blonde, lovely, and so professional. She tended to us, but didn't hover, she was helpful with our ordering, and was friendly to boot. She gave us info about the menu, the chef, etc. And the other server, we confused him a little when we didn't realize he was bringing what we ordered, but he was ALSO friendly and professional. The whole thing was at once the most chill and exciting culinary experience I've had in a long while. If I can go back with my husband this weekend I will. I plan on making it my new spot! Thank you to the whole staff, and particular kudos to Chefs Lailita and Mauricio!
Elise Wood
Nice atmosphere. Put reserve signs on reserve tables to help clients navigate seating.
Casey M.
Such a unique spot. Bookstore, wine bar, and delightful restaurant. The food menu changes seasonally and each season we've visited has been great. The food has a Thai influenced menu and the wine is phenomenal.
David Crain
Very creative cuisine. Not precisely Thai food, but definitely heavily influenced by Thai style cooking.
Laurent Devriendt
My favorite place in SC. I removed a star because despite the great atmosphere and the quality of the food, it is a bit overpriced
Good vibes, good wine, absolutely incredible food.
Absolutely LOVE the idea of this restaurant and store. The vibe, style, and menu were on point. The menu is very limited but my group enjoyed everything we ordered. The only thing I would change is serve cocktails.
Is it a used book store with a wine and beer bar or a wine and beer bar with a used book store? Either way, it's super cute, unique, hipster spot downtown with a great used book store and delicious Thai restaurant, Hanloh Thai, inside.
Bad Animal serves innovative, flavorful Thai food with topnotch service and great ambiance. They let us sample a few wines so everyone in our party of six was happy with their choice.We had the chicken, black cod and pork belly along with the tartare and glass noodle appetizers. Everything was excellent.
Great food, cozy atmosphere and great books
The food is clean and delicious and the restaurant/bookstore has a great ambiance.
Amazing food and wine list. Love perusing the books as well!
OMG this was such a unique concept!! Hanlow Thai Food teamed up with this bookstore and created a mini restaurant inside. The ambience was fantastic being surrounded by books while you dine. The service was top notch walking through the menu and describing what's in each dish and what makes it unique. All the dishes we ordered were amazing. My family enjoyed the entire experience and we would definitely go back. Reservations are a must.
The food was exquisite! The wines were superb. The atmosphere was artsy, cozy and friendly. Nice neighborhood too. Highly recommended.
OMG, just go. No. you’re not getting out cheap. The small plates run high teens / low twenty, the big plates mid twenty / low thirty. You’re not going to find the vibe fancy, it is a bookstore after all (though we loved it) that has that old Santa Cruz feeling throughout, not to mention a friendly and helpful staff. And while the sizes are not going to stuff you, the tastes are fantastic. BTW; The current menu showing online is not the same being served now, so I gather the details change every now and then, but it is still in the same spirit and price ranges. (And to the review below that thought it was overpriced street food that they’d pay $3 for, there is a Five Guys in the area and you can pickup up a little burger for $8 I’m sure you’d enjoy.)
Restaurantji Recommends
I do NOT give 5 stars out lightly! You cannot miss this Chef!I love the whole concept at Bad Animal, the DJ was so on point, just enough funk for a Brooklyn/Berkeley vibe, and the books and ambiance are eclectic, interesting and warm. They have a killer collection of books and poetry. But this gets 5 stars because of the current resident chef, Chef Lailita Kaewsawang. She and her Chef de Cuisine Mauricio Ortiz literally blew my mind on Saturday night last weekend. The authentic Thai food was the real deal, complex in layers of flavors, the incredible balance of sweet, heat, salt, texture...It is hands down the best meal I've had in Santa Cruz, but also in the greater state of CA in like a decade. I've lived in some hotbeds for culinary nerds; Sonoma, NYC, DC, Culver City, and I LOVE good food. I've been let down so many times in Santa Cruz, where we live in the middle of an agricultural oasis... but no more! I hope to GAWD Lailita opens a full time restaurant here. It was worth the money, the portions were right on, the flavor was OUT OF THIS world. Here's my recommendations: Get the quirky little starter Mieng, it's tiny but if you like awesome textures, and a peppery finish, this is the bomb. We had Gaeng Daeng with seared scallops, so flipping good, but not sure if the menu changed already. We had a fantastic salad as well that is also not on the menu anymore and paired it with the Vinho Verdhe... but the salad looks like it's not longer on the menu... so run, do not miss this chef before the next chef in resident swaps out. I am begging her to open a permanent restaurant here. ALSO, the staff, was brilliant. Our server, and I may have her name wrong, it might be Kiara? She was blonde, lovely, and so professional. She tended to us, but didn't hover, she was helpful with our ordering, and was friendly to boot. She gave us info about the menu, the chef, etc. And the other server, we confused him a little when we didn't realize he was bringing what we ordered, but he was ALSO friendly and professional. The whole thing was at once the most chill and exciting culinary experience I've had in a long while. If I can go back with my husband this weekend I will. I plan on making it my new spot! Thank you to the whole staff, and particular kudos to Chefs Lailita and Mauricio!
Nice atmosphere. Put reserve signs on reserve tables to help clients navigate seating.
Such a unique spot. Bookstore, wine bar, and delightful restaurant. The food menu changes seasonally and each season we've visited has been great. The food has a Thai influenced menu and the wine is phenomenal.
Very creative cuisine. Not precisely Thai food, but definitely heavily influenced by Thai style cooking.
My favorite place in SC. I removed a star because despite the great atmosphere and the quality of the food, it is a bit overpriced