Mint- Fine Living & Fresh Bites

I honestly never write reviews, but with service this horrible I really had to and unfortunately will not come back and again, and working in Scotts Valley will relay this message to other employees looking to lunch here. I could get into the details of being ignored, having to walk up to the counter more than once to get their attention, it was embarrassing for them, but needless to say the service was that rude I will not support this establishment again.

Mint is literally the only place around where you can enjoy thoughtfully and freshly prepared, memorable food and an unusual bottle of wine that you can’t also find at Safeway. If that’s what you want, this is truly the only game in town.
So in fairness, I wouldn’t normally give Mint 5 stars. I have reviewed great restaurants in Chicago and only gave them 4 stars. As others have noted, the service lately has been pretty off — only 1 waitress for all tables on Sat night seems pretty out there. The owner is great, and I’m expecting that this will turn around.
Mint gets my first 5-​star restaurant review because this is truly the best restaurant in Scotts Valley, the reviews overall for restaurants around here seems weirdly unfair (Mint barely edges out Jack in the Box in the review dept.), and Mint really deserves a better average score.

Been there 3 times. Always feel ignored. Need to go to counter to order or pay bill. Waited 30 minutes for lasgne which came lukewarm. Food quality good but service so slow and unwelcoming, i would hesitate to go back.

I would not recommend this place. Horrible customer service, most food has been handled without gloves, I know alot about the kitchen at this place I used to go here all the time and it is unsanitary gets cleaned rarely. If you want to wait 40 minutes and get treated bad then go here, but everytime i have been here there’s been an issue

I loved this place! We were on our way back from zip-​lining at Mount Hermon (I highly recommend that) and we popped in for a quick, casual dinner. This cute little restaurant/​wine bar surprised me with such a unique menu, and a very good selection of wines. The staff was very friendly. I have to admit — I struggled with the menu. Too many things looked too good — and it was so hard to choose. I opted for the quesadilla with brie and leeks, which came with a salad. Heavenly! My husband got the mac and cheese with prosciutto which was out-​of-​this-​world delicious! Others at the table got the tri-​tip salad which was huge, plus a baked brie. We all devoured our meals. This is a cute and casual place, and I would definitely go back next time I am in the area. Loved it!

Mint, Scotts Valley, Scotts Valley Drive
On a venture back from the SF last week, I was on Highway 17 stuck in traffic near the Summit and very hungry. There are no restaurants up there so, knowing the back roads as I do, I coxed my car off the highway at the Summit and located the old stagecoach pathway, Mountain Charlie’s Road. This road is an E ticket of twists and turns that Silicon Techies and their new car toys must surely love; me, in my old Ford Escape could just envy the Porches screaming by. Anyway, the road led me into Scotts Valley, a town I usually skip as it has very little in the way of restaurants, a veritable backwater of suburbia without anything fun to eat. I stopped for gas at the first station at the north end of town and asked if anything food wise had changed. The attendant said I should try Mint, about a mile or so down old Highway 17 or Scotts Valley Drive.
Mint is located in a small strip plaza that once was on the freak list of roadside attractions like Holly City, the Mystery Spot and now recently, the Big Foot Museum. I was told by my well informed server that Mint’s spot celebrates an eccentric who fused growing oak trees together. There are still a couple of those fused trees on the property; odd I have to say. But Mint was not odd by any means as I discovered. The menu is basically superb home cooking, comfort food that is a delicious and interesting enough to tweak the critical foodie. For my first meal there I ordered the Southwest Black bean soup. The soup packed some spice, was full of beans and had a touch of heat that married well with the Rock Wall Zinfandel I ordered with it. The wine was a jammy black fruit stye of zin that calmed the heat. This wine was from a large list of wines by the glass; about 40 by the glass. The co-​owner of the place was once a major import suppler rep and his list of wines are not only impressive, but inexpensive as well – $ 7.00 for a glass of premium zin. He knows his stuff as well, his list is a mix of local, major Californian and imports that changes regularly. The next item I ordered off the menu was just out of the slow cooking pot, a rustic pork shoulder ragu over pasta. The pork shoulder was Devine. It was coated with toasted bread crumbs and smothered in smokey ragu doused with Reggiano. I thought I was in Pana Colle! The Rock Wall worked well here too, I ordered another glass.
I was so intrigued and satisfied by Mint I thought I would come back anew for another dip into their menu. This time, I went in for lunch. I ordered the special soup, a peanut curry mixture that again lit up my taste buds. i am a soup nut and I would be in good company with George and Jerry. I found this soup exotic but satisfying, plenty of crunchy peanuts with a savory curry base that was the goldilocks of balance, neither too thick or too thin, but just right. Being lunch, I decided to order a panini, a chicken, bacon avocado heat pressed sandwich, a take on a cob sandwich. I loved it. The rich avocado was balanced by the salty bacon which were both meshed into the chicken. I ordered an Oregon Pinot gris that had a crisp stone fruit appeal that calmed down all the exuberant flavors of the Panini.
This place is a food and wine mecca in an area lacking for good food and wine, unless you love sushi. I will spin on that topic another time. Rating: 5 stars, Great food and wine with folksy neighborly service that remembers your name.

Love the food here! So fresh and tastes amazing! Great patio for wine and summer days!

Where do I even begin, the service is horrible I walked in and was completely ignored not one person smiled or took the time to say «I’ll be right with you» when I was finally helped the women who attended me was rude and not friendly at all and seemed to be annoyed that she was having to take my order. The food is all preheated food and way over priced. The food took forever to come out. And I also noticed that the two women who were preparing the food were not wearing gloves nor did they have hair nets on.

I wish there was a 4.5 review choice, I would have given it. As, I reserve a 5.0 review for my Aunt Doris’s, now long passed on, cooking. With that said …
Have spent many afternoon lunches here, nice weather outside sitting is great, and have had the majority of their sandwiches, soups, and salads. Never a complaint. Good food !
Decided to try a dinner, birthday date with my daughter, Sat night. The wine bar seating was almost full, moved to the side bar for a couple of wine tastes and dinner decision. Good Pinot’s per Boss Ed’s recommendations !
Decided on remaining for dinner, glad we did.
Moved away from the wine bar area with 3(I think three) muted flat screen games playing, and picked a two fer table, dining area not at 50% yet, but later became ~80%. Even with the majority of dining filled, back ground noise was not at all invasive, actually quite mellow, easy to carry on a normal conversation with date. Dining area very well and artistically decorated, nice ambiance.
Waitress was very responsive, professional, and attentive, without being a lurker. Asked for water, drought you know, along with a Pinot bottle for dinner.
«small bites» Brie and Pesto for appetizer. Love it !
When we decided on the «large bites» Dijon Pork Tenderloin for entrée, Waitress informed us that only one serving remained. After short discussion, with Waitress input, we decided to split the serving between us. It was a PERFECT sized portion when split. We did the same with a side of green salad. Also a perfect portion size when split.
If you are «two», and do not want to pack out left overs, I suggest splitting your choices, the servings are very generous. But then I have not been a large meal eater for a (few — ha) years.
The pork tenderloin, with green beans, potato mash with tarragon mushroom sauce was wonderful ! Repeat — wonderful !
No dessert for for us, but a couple of generous pours of an Aussie Tawny port, hit the spot.
We always felt well attended, and not rushed! I have not had such a fine dinner date for many years. Thanks Rachel !
I will continue to visit ‘Mint’ for lunch’s and dinner’s, and oh yes for their wine selection as well.

I’ve been here a few times and every time I say to myself why do I go back. The food is pretty good. Though I’ve only ordered the Chicken, Orzo and Pesto Salad which is delicious. The reason why I gave this place a 2 star is because the service and the vibe. For some reason I never feel welcome in this restaurant. When ordering I feel rushed and when I ask questions about a particular menu item I get short answers and without a smile. Perhaps the staff I’ve encountered are the owners who again I feel are cold and not inviting. There are so many other great choices in Santa Cruz where the owners make you feel welcome. They say hello when you come in and are elated you are going to spend money at their establishment. In closing, though I love the Chicken Orzo Salad I don’t plan to spend my money where I don’t feel welcome. Words of Wisdom to the owners, be pleasant to your patrons if not your restaurant will not survive.

Would not provide me with a new glass upon ordering a new bottle of wine (even though there was an entire rack full of clean glasswear) becasue the waitress said she needed them for other customers. I told her I would wait for my glass to be cleaned and returned she said it was not possible. We were denied sitting on the couch (I had an infant with me and would have been easier for her to sit there) IN CASE a large party came even though I offered to move in that occurance. No party ever came. My dishes sat there for over an hour until I finally bussed them myself. Not coming back. The owner did seem nice though. The server was terrible.

We just tried the Mint for the first time with friends last week, we really wanted to love it but can’t say I will be back. It took us a good 10 minutes to get our menu which was strange as there was only 4 other people being served. Our waitress was not so friendly we all asked for water but did not get it till after our meals were served we had asked 3 times. The wine list was good which was the best part, very few healthy choices if you want a big salad without fish or meat you will be out of luck, if you want comfort food it might work for you, our meal was ok I really wish the service was better and more heart healthy choices, nice place if you want a nice glass of wine.

This is not your usual place, it’s got a «sports bar» area to one side, with tables and couch areas taking up the other half. So, you can have a few drinks at the bar while watching the game, have a small dinner for two, or bring in a crowd and hang out for a couple of hours.
Ed, who co-​owns with his wife Kelly, always greats us with a smile and a hearty welcome and the rest of the Mint staff are terrific too. Mint has a great beer and wine selection and they know what they are serving and what will make a great pairing.
The menu changes but always has some regular favorites like their tri-​tip which is always delicious.
My wife and I go to Mint 5 – 6 times a year on date night, and we bring the kids for lunch or dinner a few times a year. This is a great place to go to when you have the time to really enjoy your meal and be social. They are also very accomodating for picky kids, and if they have the ingredients in the kitchen they will make it, i. e, grilled cheese, pasta with butter, whatever.

I’ve driven past this place many times & finally stopped in. It was a Thursday evening & the restaurant was not that busy. I had the crab cakes which were ice cold in the center. A restaurant with the words «Fresh Bites» in their title should not be serving frozen food.
Service: horrible, waitress never smiled once and I had to walk up to the bar to get her attention numerous times

Painfully slow. 15 minutes just to get a menu. Reuben melt just ok, certainly not worth the money. One employee going from working the register to preparing food with no hand washing. Multiple times. I hate giving one star but it is deserved. I complained about this and was told she changed gloves. Two of us saw her not do so and handle food with an unwashed bare hand. Afterwards I was outside waiting to use the restroom in the back and saw a male emerge from the kitchen wearing a glove for a smoke. I looked into the kitchen and could see no place where employees could wash their hands. He was wearing a glove but marched back in to the kitchen wearing that same glove and proceeded to deal with food without changing his glove or washing hands.

This place has a lot of potential. Some of the food I have had here was exceptional, especially their soups. Had a tuna salad sandwich once that was very bland, but that was over a year ago so maybe they’ve change it. Décor is great. Good wine selection.
The biggest issue with this restaurant is the service. Keep in mind, I tip well and do not berate service workers. I used to work in the service industry and I know how hard it can be. There is a middle aged blonde woman working there who has been rude to me on multiple occasions, seen her be disrespectful to elderly people, and she frequently serves her regulars before anyone else, even if people have been waiting for 15 – 20 minutes at a table without any service. I asked her for silver wear once, after waiting almost an hour for a sandwich and salad, and her attitude was very bad. She looked at me like she couldn’t believe I would ask her to do her job.
Thinking she probably didn’t work there anymore, being slow and rude is not a popular trait in the service industry, I thought I would try it again. To my dismay, she is still there. She put in the wrong soup order after I stated I was vegetarian and could only have the tomato soup. The wrong soup came out, no apologies, just a roll of the eyes from her when I sent it back. Luckily, the owner had arrived, seen what was going on, apologized and gave me my money back. I added another star to the review because he cares about his customers.
My advice to the owner, get rid of that server. She is rude and not very good at her job. This was not a one time occurrence either.

This is my new favorite spot. Easy, clean, great simple menu. Stopped in for lunch had the egg salad on gluten free bread it was delicious!!! As a newly gluten free person the bread was moist and delicious. I was impressed.
Great service and they have dinner too can’t wait to try. Would defiantly recommend. :)
Great addition the the Scott’s valley area.

I really liked this place! First time in Scott’s Valley and first time at Mint. I got the shrimp scampi, my husband got the prosciutto mac and cheese, and they even brought out some chicken for Bagel (our dog) which was so nice of them to do unsolicited. We also had the chocolate bread pudding which was bomb. Probably my favorite part of the meal.
We didn’t have a reservation and we also had a dog with us, and they were happy to accommodate us with both. Great place!

This place is expensive, especially if you eat gluten-​free. $ 12 for a ham and cheese melt is already pricey. Add $ 2 for gluten-​free bread, and now you’ve got yourself a mad expensive sandwich.
They said they use Udi’s bread. If they buy just one loaf at a time, that’s around a 180% markup in price; 2.8 times the retail price! It’s an even higher markup if they buy in bulk.
I understand charging a little extra for gluten-​free ingredients that a business may otherwise not offer. Charging $ 2 for gluten-​free bread is a straight-​up rip off. Even $ 1 extra, which is more common around this area, is unnecessary.
Businesses that greedily capitalize on dietary needs lose my respect. Make a reasonable profit, sure — just like you would on any other menu item. Don’t take advantage of your customers.
On the plus side, it looks like a nice place. I only got takeout, so I didn’t soak in the environment much. It looked cozy/​welcoming — like the kind of place I wouldn’t mind camping out at for a bit.
Lunch: ham and cheese sandwich (came with some generic potato chips) + iced tea = $ 17 and change, pre-​tip. While the sandwich was tasty, it was not worth the price tag, in my opinion. Even without the gluten-​free bread, $ 12 is too much for a sandwich.
Service was fine; the woman I spoke with on the phone was friendly and helpful. Friendly in person, too. Just didn’t have any good reason for charging the extra $ 2; not sure whether or not she was one of the owners. She said, «It’s just what we charge.»
Stop gouging people for gluten-​free bread and I’d go 3 out of 5. Price sandwiches more reasonably and I’d go 4 out of 5.

How does this place only have 3.5 stars?!
I stopped her on a whim with my SIL on out way to a weekend retreat. We were so pleasantly surprised! We each ordered an entrée and a glass of wine and had a wonderful evening. My pasta and her meat were delicious, the wine was good, and the atmosphere was great!
Will absolutely be back next time I’m in the area!