Highest-rated restaurants in Santa Cruz by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.
New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Santa Cruz, according to reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
#30. 11th Hour Coffee
- Rating: 4.4/5 (521 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1001 Center St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Coffee Roasteries, Cafes
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#29. Los Viejones
- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 236 Ocean St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
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#28. Deke's Market - In Mah' Belly Deli
- Rating: 4.5/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 334 7th Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Grocery, Delis, Sandwiches
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#27. Pretty Good Advice - Santa Cruz
- Rating: 4.5/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1319 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#26. Linda's Seabreeze Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1474 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 542 Seabright Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
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#25. Oyuki Sushi
- Rating: 4.5/5 (75 reviews)
- Address: 1010 Pacific Ave. Ste F Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Peruvian
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#24. The Real Taco
- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)
- Address: 1204 Mission St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
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#23. Special Noodle
- Rating: 4.5/5 (828 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 415 Ocean St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Noodles, Chinese
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#22. Iveta - Downtown
- Rating: 4.5/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 545 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian, Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
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#21. Garden Liquors & Deli
- Rating: 4.5/5 (337 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1815 Soquel Drive Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Delis, Turkish
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#20. Zameen At The Point
- Rating: 4.5/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 851 41st Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Mediterranean
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#19. Arslans Turkish Street Food
- Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 113 Walnut Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Turkish, Vegetarian, Wraps
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#18. Sugo Italian Pasta Bar
- Rating: 4.6/5 (283 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1116 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Italian
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#17. Namaste Grill & Bar
- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Beach St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Pizza, Indian, Diners
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#16. Raymond's Catering
- Rating: 4.6/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
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#15. Hanloh Thai Food
- Rating: 4.6/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1011 Cedar St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Thai
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#14. The Midway
- Rating: 4.6/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 1209 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Cafes, American
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#13. Achilles by the Sea
- Rating: 4.6/5 (370 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1404 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek
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#12. Mad Yolks
- Rating: 4.6/5 (718 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1411 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
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#11. Namaste India Cuisine
- Rating: 4.7/5 (193 reviews)
- Address: 1501 Mission St. A Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Indian
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#10. Mariposa Coffee Bar
- Rating: 4.7/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1010 Pacific Ave. Ste East Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cuban, Vietnamese
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#9. Seabright Deli
- Rating: 4.7/5 (542 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 415 Seabright Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis
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#8. Evarista's Comal Restaurant
- Rating: 4.7/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2-1245 East Cliff Drive Unit A Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: New American, Mexican, Breakfast & Brunch
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#7. Pana Food Truck
- Rating: 4.8/5 (263 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 118 Cooper St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Venezuelan, Gluten-Free
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#6. VIM Dining & Desserts
- Rating: 4.8/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2238 Mission St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars, Desserts
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#5. Sampa Brazilian Kitchen
- Rating: 4.8/5 (111 reviews)
- Address: 841 North Branciforte Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Latin American, Brazilian, Juice Bars & Smoothies
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#4. Good Dogs
- Rating: 4.8/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 2890 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Hot Dogs
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#3. Far West Fungi
- Rating: 4.9/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 224 Laurel St. Ste A101 Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Specialty Food, Cafes, Organic Stores
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#2. Happy Dog Hotdogs
- Rating: 4.9/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 324 River St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Street Vendors, Hot Dogs, Caterers
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#1. Paradise Dogs
- Rating: 5.0/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Food Trucks
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.
