Have been here a couple of times and the food has been good and reasonably priced. It's by the beach so you can sit outside and enjoy the view while you eat. I love the Buddha bowls! They have ample selection of choices to accompany food allergies, vegan and vegetarian diets and of course regular meat dishes. It's definitely a crowd pleaser. It gets busy so plan ahead. The service has been good and the staff very nice.
Dwight Lynn, CSP, LUTCF
Finely prepared fresh food. Always a good place to go. Loved the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
tom B.
I might've given this a better review but the day I went, which was Sunday, March 24 they were closed. There was no indication of that anywhere except when we pulled up and there were no cars and no lights on. You would think that yelp and Google would know about that and figure it out, but that did not happen.
Sandy Glass
The service was excellent and attentive, but not overly so. The food was so fresh and delicious tasting. The portions were huge. I made 3 meals out of my entree because we made the mistake of ordering the delicious and filling fried artichoke hearts appetizer. Oh yes, and the fresh bread. The desserts looked delicious, but we absolutely had no room for anything else. The wine was value prices for the large pours. We received an excellent value for the price paid.Vegetarian options: So many fresh organic foods.Parking: Easy access to restaurant
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
April K.
Three of us visited yesterday for girl's night out dinner at 5:30. Two of us are on Keto so we ordered the rib steak each ($42) which comes with salad and vegetables. Our "rib eye" 14 oz steak was not a rib eye at all but rather a New York which weighed about 10 ounces max. It was unchewable, full of gristle. A rib eye is never unchewable! I sent my steak back to the chef to verify that it was a rib steak and the manager returned and flatly stated that it was a rib steak! He stated that "we cut our own meat"! I am not a butcher but I do know my cuts of beef. His response was dismissive and he made no effort to address the situation. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone! We paid for rib steaks and that's not what we received. We left VERY DISSATISFIED!
Brett S.
I'm sure everyone will mention this but WOW, we were told that the exterior is like a dentist office--it is true. Until the moment you step into the restaurant, it feels like someone might pull a molar! But then the restaurant inside is perfectly homey. The bar, spacious and clean and with nice big windows. Great service and the buffalo Chicken salad I had was delightful and spicy!
Anthony Santoya
We always have fun here and enjoy the food. The service is usually pretty great and, at the very least, always good. Probably the premier restaurant in Watsonville.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Joe Pruss
Careful they have a limited bar menu( soups and salads only) between 2:30 and 5pm!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Devorah D.
Whites Only! Yes it's currently illegal to put up this sign so the owner chooses to hang a Trump flag at the entrance. Otherwise it is a wonderful restaurant. But if you don't want to support racism-stay away!
Marsha B.
We were there for breakfast this morning and were rushed by the waitress to order immediately. We were asked 8 times within the first few minutes of being seated if we were ready to order. Good gawd lady, this is a sit down restaurant, not fast food!! All I have to say is we will NOT be back!!!
I went there with a friend my company was great the rest just fell into place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Suzi G.
So disappointed with California Grill last night went in with a party of 10 reservations booked a week in advance, waited an hour and a half for our meal to come out. Skirt steak came out like beef jerky. Chicken look like it had been boiled and barely seared, even after waiting an hour and a half my son waited an extra 15 minutes for his plate to come out, which was exactly the same dish as two other people at the table, celebrated his 29th birthday team usually comes out serves a Sunday and sings happy birthday waitress was nice enough to bring out a Sunday, but no one saying happy birthday, and he didn't even realize why he was being a Sunday... paid over $400!! do not recommend for large parties. I am a regular, but will not be attending again for a family dinner party.
Gary N.
It's been a while since I've been here. I was avoiding it due some low par service issues in the past. But I gotta tell ya the service is great now and the food was delicious. I'm glad I gave it a second chance. California Bar and Grill in Watsonville is a hidden gem tucked away in an unlikely setting--a medical building--yet it delivers a dining experience that stands out in the area. In a town where Mexican cuisine dominates, this establishment offers a refreshing change. The menu is a delightful surprise, featuring a variety of California-inspired dishes ranging from burgers, grilled meats, sandwiches to salads and seafood options. Being mostly vegan, I appreciated the vegan and vegetarian menu choices. The salads are great! A lot of the produce comes from the owner's organic farm.
Lauren A.
Have always been pleased with my order and if you left hungry, that's be your own fault.
Janella R.
One of the best spots in town. Their plant based burger is It can be a little slow sometimes but the great ambiance and delicious bread helps make the wait bearable. Great breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Have been here a couple of times and the food has been good and reasonably priced. It's by the beach so you can sit outside and enjoy the view while you eat. I love the Buddha bowls! They have ample selection of choices to accompany food allergies, vegan and vegetarian diets and of course regular meat dishes. It's definitely a crowd pleaser. It gets busy so plan ahead. The service has been good and the staff very nice.
Finely prepared fresh food. Always a good place to go. Loved the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I might've given this a better review but the day I went, which was Sunday, March 24 they were closed. There was no indication of that anywhere except when we pulled up and there were no cars and no lights on. You would think that yelp and Google would know about that and figure it out, but that did not happen.
The service was excellent and attentive, but not overly so. The food was so fresh and delicious tasting. The portions were huge. I made 3 meals out of my entree because we made the mistake of ordering the delicious and filling fried artichoke hearts appetizer. Oh yes, and the fresh bread. The desserts looked delicious, but we absolutely had no room for anything else. The wine was value prices for the large pours. We received an excellent value for the price paid.Vegetarian options: So many fresh organic foods.Parking: Easy access to restaurant
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Three of us visited yesterday for girl's night out dinner at 5:30. Two of us are on Keto so we ordered the rib steak each ($42) which comes with salad and vegetables. Our "rib eye" 14 oz steak was not a rib eye at all but rather a New York which weighed about 10 ounces max. It was unchewable, full of gristle. A rib eye is never unchewable! I sent my steak back to the chef to verify that it was a rib steak and the manager returned and flatly stated that it was a rib steak! He stated that "we cut our own meat"! I am not a butcher but I do know my cuts of beef. His response was dismissive and he made no effort to address the situation. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone! We paid for rib steaks and that's not what we received. We left VERY DISSATISFIED!
I'm sure everyone will mention this but WOW, we were told that the exterior is like a dentist office--it is true. Until the moment you step into the restaurant, it feels like someone might pull a molar! But then the restaurant inside is perfectly homey. The bar, spacious and clean and with nice big windows. Great service and the buffalo Chicken salad I had was delightful and spicy!
We always have fun here and enjoy the food. The service is usually pretty great and, at the very least, always good. Probably the premier restaurant in Watsonville.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Careful they have a limited bar menu( soups and salads only) between 2:30 and 5pm!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Whites Only! Yes it's currently illegal to put up this sign so the owner chooses to hang a Trump flag at the entrance. Otherwise it is a wonderful restaurant. But if you don't want to support racism-stay away!
We were there for breakfast this morning and were rushed by the waitress to order immediately. We were asked 8 times within the first few minutes of being seated if we were ready to order. Good gawd lady, this is a sit down restaurant, not fast food!! All I have to say is we will NOT be back!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
I went there with a friend my company was great the rest just fell into place.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
So disappointed with California Grill last night went in with a party of 10 reservations booked a week in advance, waited an hour and a half for our meal to come out. Skirt steak came out like beef jerky. Chicken look like it had been boiled and barely seared, even after waiting an hour and a half my son waited an extra 15 minutes for his plate to come out, which was exactly the same dish as two other people at the table, celebrated his 29th birthday team usually comes out serves a Sunday and sings happy birthday waitress was nice enough to bring out a Sunday, but no one saying happy birthday, and he didn't even realize why he was being a Sunday... paid over $400!! do not recommend for large parties. I am a regular, but will not be attending again for a family dinner party.
It's been a while since I've been here. I was avoiding it due some low par service issues in the past. But I gotta tell ya the service is great now and the food was delicious. I'm glad I gave it a second chance. California Bar and Grill in Watsonville is a hidden gem tucked away in an unlikely setting--a medical building--yet it delivers a dining experience that stands out in the area. In a town where Mexican cuisine dominates, this establishment offers a refreshing change. The menu is a delightful surprise, featuring a variety of California-inspired dishes ranging from burgers, grilled meats, sandwiches to salads and seafood options. Being mostly vegan, I appreciated the vegan and vegetarian menu choices. The salads are great! A lot of the produce comes from the owner's organic farm.
Have always been pleased with my order and if you left hungry, that's be your own fault.
One of the best spots in town. Their plant based burger is It can be a little slow sometimes but the great ambiance and delicious bread helps make the wait bearable. Great breakfast, lunch and dinner!