Surfrider Café

Went here for a spontaneous dinner after driving from the Bay Area and hanging at the boardwalk. Chose this place due to good reviews. This place was ridiculous, we waited a while to get seated but no one asked if we wanted water or anything while we were sitting at the bar and waiting. We got a salad and taco thingies, nothing was good. This place would be recommended for drunk college kids who have munchies, I would never recommend for anyone else.

Came here recently for a graduation at UCSC. I heard about their loaded tater tots and was eager to try, only they were not available… So we get the mozzarella salad, bf got the spicy burger and I got the cheese burger. Food was ok, but the prices were really high. First, only 1 FREE refill on your soda and I think it was like $ 2.50? Really? Never heard of a place that serves fountain soda that charges almost 3 dollars with 1 free refill… guess they need all the money they can get. The burgers were just ok, bf said his burger was not spicy at all. Mine is barely memorable, and I really wished we just went to 5 guys. I don’t know why it was not a good experience for us since I saw people who loved their food but I just felt it could have been better. Btw, you have the choice of 2 breads for your burger… don’t get the doughy, white bread. It is so dense and some parts of mine tasted like it wasn’t fully cooked through. Get the regular hamburger bun. Might have to come here and try something different but I just have to say, it is just OK.

It was a special treat to find this café after a long day of surfing and exploring the coast along hwy 1. Being it was my birthday is definitely wanted to try out all but settled for the fried avocados fried dill pickles and deliouuusss fish tacos. Burgers are made with homemade buns and everything is so good with the sauces they use. Will definitely be back.

Was searching on Unilocal for clam chowder, this place popped up and has great ratings so just gave em a shot! Best decision ever! I had the steamer lane (i believe that’s the name) came with a fresh baked bun or choice of fresh sourdough bun. The burger was piping hot and juicy, definitely need a to go box these burgers are huge. My go to burger joint when in Santa Cruz.

SO FREAKIN’ INCREDIBLE!!! I found this place on Unilocal and decided to dine here with my parents for lunch.
The menu has great options with affordable prices, the portions are well worth it, and the service was awesome! Everyone was super friendly!
We started with sriracha brussel sprouts for an appetizer and they were AMAZING. Seriously, so good! Then, we all ordered burgers. I seriously love how you can choose any burger on the menu and make it vegetarian style! I ordered the hell burger {with the veggie patty} and it was sppppicy! It came with avacado fries on top of the burger and my taste buds were blown away. I can honestly say it was the best veggie burger I’ve ever had in my life.
The only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because it looked like no one had swept the place in a week. Other than that, very cute restaurant and I’ll definitely be back when I’m back in town.

Saw this place on Unilocal so we came here to grab lunch on our way to the boardwalk. Got seated pretty quick but when I asked our waitress if they had chicken tenders, she said no, only nuggets on the kids menu for kids 12 and under. I told her one of my teens wanted nuggets, so could we pay additional for a grown up version or a double version. She insisted this was,” against company policy”. I asked to speak with a manager and was told they were off today. She went to the kitchen and came back saying we could order what I asked for.
Aside from the service, the food was decent. Don’t think we will return though.

My family was craving burgers after a day at the beach. We’ve passed by this café a few times when we visit downtown Santa Cruz and finally dropped by. My hubby had the steamer lane burger with jack cheese, grilled mushrooms and avocado with a side of onion rings. Our daughter had the indicator burger with cheddar, bacon, bbq sauce and an onion ring with a side of wedge fries and a vanilla milkshake. I had the Jack O’neill sliders with bacon bits, cheddar, avocado and onion strings with a side salad. Our burgers hit the spot and the service was friendly and attentive.

I’ve eaten here twice now over the last few years when visiting Santa Cruz and it was good both times, but not great. I ordered the «Gouda Vibrations» burger with a coffee and spice-​rubbed patty, smoked Gouda cheese, bacon, onion strings, and chipotle mayo. It was definitely the best thing at the table. My wife ordered a Philly cheesesteak sandwich which was just ok and my daughter wouldn’t even touch the kids mac and cheese. She even ate her side salad but not the mac. I probably won’t be back a third time with so many other options to eat at in the area.

Caution: may end up with food baby.
My waiter was incredibly nice totally sold me on a bigger lunch then I intended kudos to him.
Prices are a bit high for my liking for a lunch spot.
Food was great though, mushroom burger was huge couldn’t finish it as much as my tummy wanted to. Had the Avocado fries which were actually not too bad. Overall I was satisfied with the deliciousness of surf riders.

I tend to order food that’s spicy so the Hell Burger caught my attention. Unfortunately It was not as spicy as I expected but I still enjoyed it. The fries were good and I liked how they added some cheese to the fries for flavor, over all good experience. Wasn’t a big fan of the Avocado fries.

Easy parking. Friendly service. Casual atmosphere. First time here. Brought my wife and daughter. Was given crayons and a cup of gold fish to occupy my daughter which was great.
Ordered a burger with bacon, Swiss cheese, and mushroom on it with a side of onion rings. Was flavorful and delicious!!! Onion rings were enormous too!!! Wife got the sliders with some potato wedges. She really enjoyed her food. And the kids menu course meal of chicken tender and Fries satisfied my daughters appitiete that ended with ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top for her. Was that or a brownie. She loved it and licked the bowl clean.
Definitely will come back again!!!

Very good food here. We stopped by on our way through town and enjoyed the food quite a bit.
Very laid back, low key atmosphere, which is typical of Santa Cruz of course. We had their deep fried avocado fries, which later upset our stomach (we think), but were good going down for sure :-) I think we might try making them ourselves, but with a slightly less heavy battery. Nevertheless, I would recommend trying them.
I had the burger with the coffee and spice coating. Pretty unique. Definitely a nice/​different spicy taste — almost like a Jamaican flavor mixed with BBQ or something. I wouldn’t want to eat it every day, but it was certainly a nice change and I loved the flavor. I had the onion rings, were good, but a little too giant size for my taste (still good though; and if I hadn’t filled up on the Avocado fries, I think they would have been just fine).
We also got the fish tacos. Those were great; exactly how you think a good fish taco should taste! A+ on those. We also tried the parmesan fries, and they were good too, but a touch dry I think.
But, all in all, everything was excellent I felt. Don’t let my few nitpicking comments dissuade you from trying this place. I would definitely return and would definitely recommend the place if you are looking for a good burger and/​or a place with a lot of different options to select from.
Very pleasant staff also, so that was even more of a plus.

My boyfriend come to Surfrider regularly and I have deemed it as our favorite burger joint in Santa Cruz. And BONUS: they make the best tater-​tots, hands down.
If you like tater-​tots then I highly recommend ordering them. Surfrider makes them SUPER crispy and changes up the flavors each month and they’re all really good. My particular favorite (shame I can’t remember what it was called) had sriracha, aioli, green onions, a bunch of other stuff, and was topped with a fried egg. YUM. No other place that I’ve been to does their tots like the way Surfrider does.
My favorite burger to get is the skippy burger with the sourdough bun. When I saw it on the menu for the first time, I was quite skeptical. Peanut butter on a burger??? Unheard of! The combination sounded like it wasn’t going to work… but I was optimistic. Let me tell you, this burger is soo good. Its bacony, kind of chewy from the bun, and the peanut butter helps keep the burger moist too. Highly recommend anyone without a peanut allergy to try!

It’s sometimes hard to justify my obsession with Surfrider Café’s burgers. I’m most likely addicted to their homemade, freshly baked sourdough buns! Seriously, the best sourdough in town (and quite possibly in all of California). The mild tang and softer texture is quite different from the drier sourdough breads you’re likely to get from the store and full on bakeries.
I always recommend a Basket of Thick Cut Garlic-​N-​Parmesan Fries. I regularly order a medium Hell Burger with the sourdough. On occasion, I’ll order the Mudslide Milkshake, it’s nuts! I discourage you from ordering their rendition of a Cubano, avoid it at all costs!
Unfortunately, they’ve raised their prices this year and it’s made me question my nightly outings. I believe that they’ve also removed their local specials, as well. I’d continue my patronage, but the competition offers far better options at a fraction of the new cost.
It’s a bittersweet farewell to my beloved Surfrider, but my countless memories of your sourdough burgers will never be forgotten. I hope that we’ll be able to cross paths again.

«Probably one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while» — JMW
Didn’t know what to exactly expect coming in to this burger joint, but to my surprise I enjoyed it very much! I ordered the maverick, which is basically a meatheads dream containing: double party and double bacon– oh and also some greens on the side. The burger was a really big size and I had to stretch my jaw to get that perfect bite. I kind of regret getting this burger because to me it lacked flavor, but all of the other burgers/​sliders that my friends got all looked great, some were topped with avocados and some with grilled onions. However, what I enjoyed was the option of choosing your bread, to when the waitress recommended the sourdough buns; they were thicc as hell and delicious. Hopefully in the future I’ll get to try a different order and the avocado fries they have there!

Great kids meals. Lots of choices for $ 5.95. My wife got the spicy Cubano and it was awesome. The onion rings are huge and really good. I got the gouda burger. It was pretty good but I’ll try something else next time. I got it on the sourdough bun but the bun was huge and chewy and really overpowered the burger. Great place overall. Really enjoyed it. Also, Colton, our server, was great. Super nice guy that put on a happy face even when he obviously had a long day.

Took a trip down to Santa Cruz for Spring break so we wanted to be sure that we were able to try the best foods around the area.
Looked on Unilocal,and we saw that this place had good reviews and delicious tatertots. Since both my friends and I are potato lovers, we made a trip down to Surfridders Café.
There’s parking across the street that’s free, because the parking lot that’s in front of their restaurant can only fit 6 cars.
When we entered the place, we got a surf and diner vibe. The hostess wasn’t as friendly as I expected her to be, but our waiter was nice.
Onto the food.
Confused tater tots — ($ 11.95) kinda steep for tater tots with some bacon, cheese, and egg but it was something we really wanted to try. It was good, but I’d say get the hollandaise sauce on the side, since it can be a little rich and overwhelming. I’d rate it a 4.5÷5 (minus .5 since it’s kinda pricy for what it is)
Sliders — ($ 10.95) All the sliders come with 3 mini burgers loaded with toppings. We got the one with onion strings and cheddar. I enjoyed the spicy jalapeño sauce, but my friends said it was a little off putting with the cheddar cheese. I didn’t think there was anything special, but it was decent. 3.5÷5
Deep fried artichoke hearts ($ 7.99) These were kinda different from the usual grilled artichokes, but they were pretty good! I really like how the breading is crunchy and doesn’t fall apart when you bite into it. The pesto ranch sauce that comes with it was tasty and paired well with the artichoke. ⁴⁄₅
I’d come here again, but for the appetizers since there are better places for burgers and sandwiches in the area.

Phenomenal food and excellent service. Drove up from L.A. this morning to visit the city and came here from the boardwalk. Had the Popeye Burger on the sourdough bun! Recommended by Danny, our server, who mailed it.
My wife had the Ahi salad and we shared the jalapeño poppers.
What a perfect way to to end the day. Great beer and amazing food.

Stopped here for lunch on a Saturday during a weekend trip to Santa Cruz! Got a table right away although the place filled up shortly after. Décor is a little run down but good beer selection with local brews and other assorted craft offerings. We ordered the ridiculous tots which came heaping with pork belly, melted cheese, green onions, and a runny egg on top. A meal in itself! We also split the Jack O’Neil sliders with a green side salad. Salad was full of fresh ingredients and tasty with the red wine vinagrette. Sliders were a bit hammered and dry but good with a little ketchup. Liked the crunchy onion straws on top. Overall a good choice!

If you’re planning on a visit to surfrider café, plan on adding a few more reps and at least another half hour of cardio to your workout because you’re for sure going to want to burn those calories after this meal.
We were seeing a show at the Catalyst around the corner so we decided that the Surfrider would be the perfect place to grab a pre-​show bite.
Service was friendly and of course we ordered a handful things per other Unilocalers suggestions.
+ Avocado Fries: Worth the potential heart-​attack inducing fat and fried factors. Also, whoa that’s so much avocado! If you’re a fan of the fatty fruit, definitely order this dish, it will be worth it.
+ Mac N’ Cheese: YASSSS. Get this. It was really delicious. Equal parts gluttonous and delicious. Plus, cheese, so duh.
+ Onion Ring Burger: I’m always a little skeptical when I order a burger somewhere, doesn’t matter if it’s a classy joint or a super low brow diner, you never know if it’s actually gonna be legit or not. IT WAS. Definitely get the Onion Ring Burger, esp if you love onion rings & bacon… can’t really go wrong there.
Surfrider Café offers heart attack inducing menu items, but I promise it will be worth your cheat meal.

Although the food was decent, the staff wasn’t accommodating at all. I asked if I could try one fried pickle because I didn’t want to order a full plate of it. She said that all of the orders were already portioned so she couldn’t pull one lousy pickle out to give me a taste. I did say that it seemed inflexible. This continued the whole time and I ended up with a veggie burger with mushrooms, onions, and avocado. Instead of charging me for an existing burger, they charged for each and every addition. I got the fried avocados (they were over ripe and needed a bit of salt), and the onion rings. Two beers. My bill was over $ 40. Beware.

came here on Valentine’s Day night with my boyfriend, the wait was up to 45 minutes! that’s when you know the place is good!
we were seated by our host and it there were so many interesting options on the menu. so me and my boyfriend ordered a feast for 4 people for a party of two. (go big or go home right?)
we ordered the calamari to start of with and the clam chowder bread bowl (ran out of bread bowls/​sourdough bread had to use ciabatta bread instead.) while I ordered the skin dip sandwich and my be ordered the chorizo Mac n Cheese.
not gonna lie it took us quite a while to be served but our waiter, Nick, was super cool so it was no biggie.
the calamari was AMAZING. my and mine and his entrée was pretty bomb too. But our clam chowder in the other hand… was kind of a disappointment! I don’t even think there was any clams in our chowder I just tasted the carrots/​potatoes. Not so as tasteful and left a bitter aftertaste.
overall, it was a good place to eat, good beats (they were playing The XX). I would go again… but the clam chowder I wouldn’t order!

Came here while visiting Santa Cruz.
Great place to get a burger.
Great prices and a lot of variety.
Server, Danny, was extremely nice. He ran out after us because my wife left her phone.
We definitely come back when I’m in town again.

Best place in Santa Cruz hands down. Surf Rider has been our weekly date night location for my boyfriend and I. The food is amazing and I love the options on their monthly specials. However what really puts it over the time amazing is our server Colton. COLTON ROCKS!!! whenever we go we wait just to sit in his sections. It’s definitely worth the wait if there ever is one!

This place has a great men

They do NOT SERVE fish and chips on their regular menu!!! Like GOOGLE says. So. We had the blackened chicken Caesar and the Cubano. Both were excellent, staff great too. Would recommend and I am a foody.
They do NOT SERVE fish and chips on their regular menu!!! Like GOOGLE says. So. We had the blackened chicken Caesar and the Cubano. Both were excellent, staff great too. Would recommend and I am a foody.
We ended up having mud pie and 10 – 20 shakes too. Awesome!

A fun little café that makes very tasty burgers and has bomb fries. So while coming here at least once is a MUST for every UCSC student, I just found other restaurants more appealing and only came here twice in four years. It’s one of those places that does everything well but not exceptionally well with prices that make you put a hand over your wallet pocket for a brief second.
It’s bad when everyone would rather have In-​N-​Out than any burger from the numerous cafes and diners in SC.

Took a shopping excursion into the downtown. While there, stopped in for a bite to eat with my daughter.
After some thought, we settled on the avocado fries and decided to split a chicken sandwich.
We were not disappointed. The avocado fries were sheer perfection and the chicken sandwich was robust with flavor. Also served were their sweet potato fries (to die for!).
I miss the Boulder Creek Brewery, so getting to sample the food I loved from the BCB here at Surfrider a big treat

It was my first time dining here and I’m glad both my hub and I stopped in while in town! It’s a pretty chill spot where people from around town come to enjoy and relax over some good beer, tasty burgers and good company. The atmosphere definitely has that «California Beach» laid back feel to it.
Parking may be a bit tough as their lot is small. Curb parking is your best bet or pay to park across the way. Once you make your way in to eat, you’ll feel that driving around in circles numerous times for parking was worth it. Service is quick and courteous. Their menu has a unique mix of fresh and gluten-​free delicious food which made it quite the challenge for me to pick what I wanted to eat because everything sounded so good! I ended up choosing their Shoreline Sliders with Skinny Fries and my hub chose their Chimichurri Burger with Skinny Fries also. We also added a side of their most talked about Avocado Fries and those did not disappoint! It was definitely a unique dish to say the least. Our burgers were so juicy and flavorful! I dusted through my sliders like a hungry little monster! If I wasn’t so stuffed, I would have tried one of their «Frosty Lovin’ Goodness» of shakes and floats!
Overall, we had a good experience at Surfrider. Would we come back? Yes, most definitely!

Good burger and Avocado fries a surprise!
What we ordered:
Hell burger medium rare and Avocado fries.
We went for dinner and ordered takeout. Parking was not the best but the order was ready way before they said it would be and I was impressed with that.
The fries: Before the burger, we tried the fries and it was good. We were surprised that something so creamy would stay together after frying. The dip that it can with was nothing special but went well with it.
The burger: The positive side of this item was that it was juicy. Buyers be warned, this thing was huge and that coming from a big guy like me. The jalapeño worked well to give the burger a little kick. Made a nice mess with all the juice from the patty, so ask for extra napkins. The negative aspect of this burger was the patty seasoning. This maybe a personal thing, but I felt that the patty could use a little sat and pepper.
I would definitely recommend this place and I would go here again

My sister and brother in law love this place when they visit Santa Cruz so we ate here when we were in town for a family wedding. It seems like a fun local place that’s pretty low key and casual. We got things started off with the avocado fries and I had a Steamer Lane burger, my wife had a bowl of clam chowder and some fish tacos, my parents got the special, which was a ramen burger.
The avocado fries were pretty tasty, a nice idea. Wedges of avocado, breaded and deep fried. Mmm! My burger wasn’t bad, solid but not spectacular. My wife enjoyed her tacos but we were disappointed with the clam chowder. It was really thick, the consistency almost being chunky. The ramen burger was a good idea, but not executed well. The ramen patties were not too crispy outside and really soggy inside.
Prices are decent here, my burger was under $ 6 (though add $ 2 if you want fries). Hopefully we just got a bad day, as the Unilocal reviews here are generally very good!