50 Best Dog Friendly Restaurants Santa Cruz

“Great tacos and great view🏄‍♀️“

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“11th hour coffee is the best in town! Small batch quality direct trade coffee roasted with love. Happy to support a local growing business in the community.“

“I absolutely despise this place! NOT BECAUSE THE DOZEN GLAZED I GOT WAS BAD.....BUT BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE THIS PLACE BACK EAST AND I WAS RAISED ON DUNKIN DONUTS....I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BEST! THEY LIED TO ME! I HAD NO IDEA SUCH A GLAZED DONUT EXISTED. WHEN I WALKED IN THERE AT 0544 AND SAW THE DONUTS IN THE DISPLAY CASE THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPENED AND THE ANGELS SANG! THE SERVICE WAS FRIENDLY GENUINELY FRIENDLY NOT THAT SCRIPTED STANDARD FORMALITIES CRAP. 💪🏾🤎🥰“

“Try the breakfast sandwich. 😋“

“I love my family member, but they don't use DoorDash and request I DoorDash for them. This is great, except not always, as you can imagine - especially because they can be picky with their add-ons. Which is why I'm writing this review: because Gilman's CAME THROUGH this Thursday night.

My loved one wanted a burger, and I think Gilman's Smashburger is one of the best in Santa Cruz. They're on DoorDash, so I recommended it as an option. My loved one said that sounded great, with two requests: NO sauce, and NO cheese.

Unfortunately, on Gilman's DoorDash menu, you can't request no cheese, and they don't allow for written requests (which is so valid). And as we all know, just because you select "No [Ingredient]" doesn't mean it'll actually come without the despised ingredient.

So, I had to pick up the phone and call Gilman's to make my special request. Reminder: They don't even allow written requests. I CALLED IN a request. The shame was nearly unbearable.

However, Koa was a total homie and got my name before I sent in my order. Koa then confirmed with the chef, Adan, that there would be no cheese and no sauce on the burger. Koa was kind, friendly, and didn't make a single sigh of frustration at my request. THE RELIEF I FELT: immeasurable.

The burger arrived without sauce, and without cheese. My loved one was THRILLED, and I was able to avoid dealing with DoorDash support/refunds/etc.

Not only are you getting the best burger in town when you order from Gilman's, you're getting amazing customer service as well. 10/10, five-stars. THANK YOU Koa and Adan! You've made my life easy. Customer for life over here.“

“Coffee conspiracy is by far my favorite roaster (and now cafe) in Santa Cruz. Eddie is genuinely kind, hard-working and determined, and I’d definitely recommend stopping in to give his coffee a shot!“

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

“Amazing! That’s all that needs to be said. See you next visit!“

“Always so good and the owners are really nice to my dog and I. I have no problem suggesting this place to anyone. Every time I have the person has been very thankful“

“Every time we drive over from San Jose we eat there.“

“Simple menu with all the basics , delicious food, unbeatable views of the pacific from the parking lot, and fantastic indoor and outdoor seating options with a beautiful
beautiful beautiful garden to stroll around.

Oh and it’s a non profit venture of the church so that’s kind of interesting“

“This is a cozy cute place with delicious café de olla, and Mexican dishes, live music and kind owners, convenient location to have food before walking to the beach.“

“very friendly staff, clean restaurant and delicious food.“

“Authentic Arepas! 5 star service. Everything was made fresh and delicious“

“🇧🇷 Food and CraftBeer need I say Moore ! PSST! Live Music 🎼“

“My husband and I had a great breakfast I got a breakfast burrito and a frittata. Both were very good and big great food for a great price and the customer service was amazing.“

“This place has some really delicious drinks and great food. I also love how dog friendly it is. I came back twice in a weekend.“

“I don’t understand how an amazing coffee shop can, at there discretion, close there coffee shop at any time they want? Why would u treat loyal customers this way. Sometimes posted in Instagram, sometimes not. So inconsiderate of daily customers. Very disappointing to walk all the way there, excited for my greeting from the staff and my great latte, only to find a note on the door, closed at 11:30? How can u feel good about people showing up and not open and it isn’t even close to 3:00? Confusing to me how everything else but this one issue can be perfect?“

“Absolutely delicious food. I got the vegetarian soup and it had a clean yet flavorful broth, tofu with a deep blackened flavor, fresh veggies, and a robust chili sauce. Small menu but well executed. Friendly service and a casual vibe. We also got some local kombucha. Dog friendly- even brought out some chicken for our dogs!“

“I've been here as a young man & it hasn't changed at all. The chicken parmesan sandwich is my go-to for a hot sandwich, while the muffeletta is the best cold sandwich I've ever had. I highly recommend grabbing lunch there before hitting the boardwalk.“

“I love Pana!! It’s a hidden gem of the Central Coast. Serving up amazing Venezuelan food, the arepas are so good! If you’ve never tried an arepa you are missing out… I recommend the Reina Pepiada (shredded chicken, avocados, and mayo) or El Tiburon (shrimp, mozzarella, avocado) and of course an order of delicious fried plantains! I discovered the Pana Food Truck at the CSUMB campus (they are most often in Santa Cruz) and I was pleased to find that they have a location at the SAP Center in San Jose. Highly Recommend!“

“This was honestly the best food truck food I have ever had. I eat healthy all week, but I know when I go to a brewery on a weekend, I’m gonna have to make some compromises! No compromises had to be made for this food, as they had tons of healthy options! But healthy doesn’t always mean delicious, but this place was truly some of the most delicious food I had ever had at a brewery! (Humble Sea beer garden on the Santa Cruz wharf) I'll search out this food truck anytime I'm back in the Santa Cruz area.

Vegetarian options: Absolutely delicious!“

“This was the absolute best breakfast I’ve had in maybe years I don’t know when the last time I had a breakfast like that was!! They do like a potato mash on the side, but it’s perfectly crispy on top and bottom and has amazing flavors!!! The service was just over the top. This is definitely a kind of little restaurant I would support. I’ll definitely try coming here every time I come down to visit.!! Most definitely recommend!!“

“Great scone mixes - even my BIL now likes scones! Very fast delivery (I live out of state) for mixes. The Lemon Curd is delicious - on top of scones or licked off of a spoon.“

“This restaurant is amazing. Definitely worth visiting. Small and romantic. And the food..... Fantastic. I visited from out of town, had a late lunch. This is a place worth going to. The staff is warm and welcoming. I would definitely come back.“

“Great food, atmosphere all the waiters are nice. Great location.“

“This is always my goto coffee shop when in Santa Cruz. The Americano (or any other coffee we get) is always on point. The bagels... Ohhhhh the bagels. You have to try for yourself but they are always fresh and amazing. Go check it out! You will not regret it.“

“Best service and food in Santa Cruz county!!!!!!“

“Best place in Santa Cruz by far! I try to go at least once a week. The crew is what make this place so special! Go there to feel a little bit how Brazil is warm when we talk about food, how people take care of each other and you dont have to pay $$$$ to eat good food! One of the best value for what you get in Santa Cruz. Good quality food and welcoming and warm crew! Prato feito or Fish fillet, also feijoada are the best!“

“11th hour coffee is the best in town! Small batch quality direct trade coffee roasted with love. Happy to support a local growing business in the community.“

“I actually haven’t eaten here yet, but I don’t have to have eaten here to know that it’s a highly recommended place to go. I was just sitting here waiting for my haircut and I had two people ask me if I needed help within minutes. That’s good customer service and when I let them know, I was actually not providing business. I’m just waiting for a great cuts. They didn’t give me a hard time. They said no problem and let me sit here anyways awesome. Highly recommend this place“

“Fun place …..also has a taco truck for food.“

“Selection of condiments is unmatched!“

“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!“

“Had flowers delivered to my mother in law and she was blown away by the arrangement delivered. I'm not local to Santa Cruz so I was really trusting the images on the website when I chose this shop. Her excitement about the arrangement was worth every penny. Thank you Flower Bar for making such a great arrangement and delivering it to my hard working mother in law. She deserves the recognition and I couldn't have done it without Flower Bar! 10/10 would recommend.“

“I ordered The Masterpiece and my friend ordered The Moon and they were wonderful. I would definitely return again. And the best part is that they had a whole page in their menu that just said in big letters VEGAN which made it very easy for us to order and made us feel that they wanted our business as well. Notice that there's a flower in the pictures on the plate so they definitely win points for their plating.“

“Excellent gyro with lamb and beef. I had a black tea drink with it. Outdoor seating was perfect.“

“This is my favorite coffee spot in Santa Cruz county. Peoples coffee has a Friendly staff and great atmosphere. The baristas here won’t let you down.“

“The staff is amazing! The food is amazingly fresh and flavorful. Hands down this Restaurant was a huge highlight of our vacation. Thank you for an awesome dinner, and making us feel right at home!“

“My husband and I love coming in for the lunch buffet. It's so delicious!“

“This was a great experience, I'm very happy we came here. Very reasonably priced, the guy serving us had exceptional service, attitude, etc. Maybe the only downside is minimal seating, but I think it's fine. We were the first customers and he gave us free chips, salsas, and guac! Other than that we got street Tacos and crispy Tacos with birria, shredded chicken, and El pastor, all good! And the churro was a good size. Come here!“

“Best BBQ in Santa Cruz. Craft Beers and Live Music. Friendly staff.“

“I will be back! Did the $25 mixed tasting and got to try a variety of wines based on what I liked. Also got to purchase some of their Hawaiian coffee! Was a chill vibe and they had a very welcoming and friendly staff. Will be back to try more of their wines 🥂 great patio that’s dog friendly.“

“Awesome tasting here! Recommend sitting at the bar, John was really great to chat with and really passionate about his wines. Came on a Wednesday when the market was on right outside and he was cool with me bringing oysters in. Such a fun space, full of personality, so would be nice for a glass or a catch up as well. 10/10 experience :)“

“every time I visit California I ALWAYS consider Bradys my water hole , great atmosphere, welcoming people and an all around stellar bar !“

“The food was absolutely incredible! I’ll definitely be back!!!“

“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!“

“Absolutely loved my first visit here! The vibrant, colorful decor instantly transported me to the Mediterranean, and the warm, welcoming staff made the experience even better. Every dish was bursting with flavor — fresh, authentic, and made with love. This place just earned a permanent spot in my rotation. Can’t wait to come back!“

“I love Canton Restaurant. The food is delicious and the service is great!👍“