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RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Asian, American, Diner
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
View all details
meals, features

Location and contact

1.1 miles from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Reviews (517)
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166
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102
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27
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Traveler rating
166
161
102
40
27
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Reviewed August 11, 2023 via mobile

Old School Diner in Santa Cruz. Lots of things to look at inside. Food was great and very large portions. Fairly expensive for breakfast.

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed March 13, 2023

On our way out of town and looking for a breakfast spot. The classic diner appearance caught our eye so we decided to give it a try. We were very satisfied with the typical breakfast foods. Nothing fancy, but definitely well prepared. Service was quick...and any of our requests were handled with a friendly smile.More

Date of visit: March 2023
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Reviewed August 13, 2022

Stopped here before heading back home after birthday weekend. Quick service, but simple breakfast omelets, buy by husband's pancakes were a little chewy, but he still finished them!!

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed August 12, 2022

Typical diner viber with the nostalgia pieces as décor. They have a jukebox at the end of the bar. Place is ok, clean and all. But the FOOD and the Service is not great at all. We ordered the steak, Monte Cristo sandwhich and the...corn beef hash with eggs and potatoes. The dishes tasted bland and unappetizing. We love diner food, so was a bit surprised how the food turned out. Took forever for the food to come as well. I am happy though that they allowed our dog inside. First time I am going to rate low for a diner. Should have known from the reviews I read.More

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed July 13, 2022

Had the Salisbury steak dinner patties were hard as hockey pucks, but yet my plate had water in it from not draining the vegetables so my mashed potatoes were swimming in water. My granddaughter had a burger which was also hard and burnt she ordered...it on a wheat bun but instead got wheat toast. Server took our order then disappeared until we were leaving, would not recommend going thereMore

Date of visit: July 2022
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Reviewed June 21, 2022

Food and drink was very expensive - $17 for a sandwich, no kid's drinks so had to buy adult drinks for my 3 kids at $4.31, with the menu stating only 1 refill allowed. My burger was like a hockey puck. The patty was black...on the outside. My wife's and son's Monte Cristo sandwiches were also burned. Save your money and go to Denny's or IHOP instead. The ambiance does not make up for the poor food and exorbitant prices.More

Date of visit: June 2022
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Reviewed June 2, 2022 via mobile

I got the post roast and when she put it on the table I immediately knew I ordered the wrong thing. My son from across the table had the same thought when he saw my food. My kids ordered breakfast food and enjoyed theirs. Service...was great, though.More

Date of visit: June 2022
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Reviewed November 24, 2021

Cute diner. It is a Triple D spot. Arrived at 5:30pm. We were the second table with customers. We thought uh-oh, things may have changed. However, by the time we left an hour later, there were only a few empty tables remaining and ours was...filled in the amount of time it took us to do a bathroom dash before leaving. I had the Jambalaya. Lot of seafood in it (shrimp, fish, mussels, calamari). It was good but not spicy at all like you would expect. My wife had the pork rice bowl and it was very good. We started with a spring roll. The peanut dipping sauce was quite tasty but the roll underwhelmed me.More

Date of visit: September 2021
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Reviewed July 22, 2021

Wanted a place that had an extensive breakfast menu. Wow found it plus a lunch and dinner menu. Clean, award winner, chef celebrities have been here. Clean restroom, service big time with a smile , parking on street or in rear. Look up the on...line menu.More

Date of visit: July 2021
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Reviewed July 16, 2021 via mobile

After going to the movies, we returned to Santa Cruz for dinner. Santa Cruz Diner caught our eye, so in we went. The diner looks "old school," and even had a jukebox. Great music, from the 1950s and 1960s, of my teen years. Dinner was...good, but dessert was the BEST: "Death by Brownie."More

Date of visit: July 2021
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 19, 2020 via mobile

So much food! Was very good selection. We got pot roast, steak, bake potato, calamari, and thai soup.

Date of visit: August 2020
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Reviewed June 21, 2020 via mobile

I was so happy to sit inside a restaurant for breakfast. The great thing is you can order lunch food really in the am. I had an Asian chicken salad. It was great! The breakfast items looked good too.

Date of visit: June 2020
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Reviewed February 10, 2020

The diner caught our eye on the way into Santa Cruz and we came back the next day for brunch. The diner interior is was just what I wanted from a local American diner and was very quirky and filled with local people. The lady...on the front desk told us she'd be right over but we had to wait about 15 minutes before getting asked for a coffee, when it arrived it was a very good cup of hot coffee. This was our first diner experience so we wanted to try more traditional food so ordered a bit of everything. The links were very tasty and quite similar to an English sausage. The potato hash was very good! The bagel with cream cheese was delicious. However we were not fans of the biscuits and gravy and even now i still feel sick when i think of this meal. Sorry if this offends anyone but this combo does not work. We then had to wait another 15 minutes for the bill so was in there nearly 2 hours which we didnt mind too much, but on another day this would have been a problem. Worth a try for a unique experience.More

Date of visit: November 2019
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Reviewed February 4, 2020

Had the New York steak. It was good. This was a good dinner steak. It was not fancy. It was what I expected. Good place to eat. I felt relaxed and not rushed. The locals eat here. So you know it is a good place...

Date of visit: February 2020
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 3, 2020 via mobile

Nothing special. Stopped because we saw the guy ate here sign.. disappointed .. could have been a denny's. Wasn't bad... but on vacation and excited about the visit from guy..... we were let down.

Date of visit: February 2019
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steve1292
December 23, 2018|
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Response from Twinoakmom | Reviewed this property |
I would call.
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SANTA CRUZ DINER - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Order Online Food Delivery - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz Diner

Yes, Santa Cruz Diner offers takeout services.

Santa Cruz Diner is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 3.5
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 3.5