Ideal Bar & Grill
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Best Nights: Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
100 reviews
Santa Cruz, CA
"You can almost always find a table or a booth to pop a squat at, and still talk AND get drunk with your friends. Five stars for awesome…" read more »
21 Reviews for Ideal Bar & Grill
This place isn't as bad as some would have you believe. It has a real nice patio area. The food is okay. They have decent cocktails. It is extremely casual and relaxed atmosphere, and hey that's what I like about Santa Cruz. We come here for pre dinner cocktails before wandering onto the wharf. I would say that the breakfast here is slightly above average.
OMG! OMG! this place gets an extra star because of the very hot servers they hire here!! and the skimpy outfits the ladies wear. the drinks are expensive, the food is not bad, surprisingly their dinner menu is actually pretty good.
it's right on the board walk so on weekends, it's pretty lively there, they have bands, karoke, and they have lots of outside/patio seating.
a cool place if you're visiting, and want to hang for a bit on the patio, take in some sun, and it's right thereon the beach-- a great view of the Pacific Ocean.
oh and you can walk off ur lunch by taking a walk on Westcliff Drive...what and amazing view, you have to check it out.
A :-0
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Listen, the only reason you should go to this place is because you want to eat on the beach. there are still better and more appropriately priced places. I went with a group of 5 well dressed people and we were seated at a table for four and rushed out the door. the food was mediocre and when you factor in the price is kinda sucked.
beer:
there is no beer on tap and their bottle beer selection sucked. i had water for dinner.
the only plus was the bar tenders with big tits. i assume they are the only reason besides the location why the place is still open. even they weren't big enough to warrent a second star.
We usually just come here to have drinks, sit outside and people watch and enjoy the view. Not sure about the food. Service is good.
i've been here on numerous occasions and have always left satisfied. it is a total tourist restaurant, but it does offer pretty good eats.
the one thing i've always noticed about this place is how aesthetically pleasing the entire staff is; with mostly good looking females. the atmosphere is very chill and has a nice view; as it is located right on the beach.
the truth in me going there is that it is convenient. plus i've never had a bad experience, so i'll keep going.
This place is ocean-front and a great locale for kids and adults alike, yet the food isn't worth the high prices they charge. I was there yesterday with my family and for almost 200.00 we were rushed out the door after half-way finishing our plates. My sister, mom and dad all ordered $15 -18.00 salads (caesar and crab louis) and I had a plate of pasta (advertised as shrimp, crab and scallops) that came with mini shrimps, canned crab and NO scallops. Yes, it is on the beach - but there are so many better places to go if you are looking to spend 200.00 on a meal for around 4-5 people - go directly on the warf. The bartenders were all attractive, large-breasted ladies, so I am sure some people gave additional stars for that feature. Overall - I would pass.
The Ideal Bar & Grill has multiple personalities. It is the best bang for you buck breakfast place near the Boardwalk. My kids and I have enjoyed it after Hubby takes off with the starting gun in the annual Sentinel triathlon. By afternoon, the Ideal is more of a cool beach cafe, later it offers a tasty dinner. I recommend the Horseradish Marinated Salmon! By nightfall, the Ideal's swinging bar scene starts humming. We visit the place several times a year. In fact, we often skip the food offerings during visits to the Boardwalk in favor of this place. It's located a short hop away from the amusement park at the edge of the pier.
See why we like the Ideal at:
http://www.idealbarand...
I f-ing love this place!!! I have an annual girls weekend in Santa Cruz and we always hit this place. I used to actually live in Santa Cruz as well, and even as a local we would go and grab drinks here.
It is a TOTAL tourist trap, and the bathrooms are gross and smelly. But the people watching is the BEST in SC. One time I went with a gf and there was this guy who looked EXACTLY like Beavis singing Jimmy Buffet songs. I laughed so hard my face hurt. There is also this old man who sings Bust a Move and is a total rock star......
I wouldn't ever say go here and get a great meal, but its a hell of a place to tie one on..
I'll never forget this bar. Their Mango Margarita is the BOMB and whenever I have it elsewhere, I'll always ALWAYS remember Ideal Bar in Santa Cruz.
I like seating by the window where the warmth of the sunlight showers you and somehow makes you feel happier. Good times. Wait, maybe one of the best times.
Tourist trap!
1) Menu looks better than what you'll actually get
2) Prices are too high for the quality of the drinks/food
The location / outside deck make up for #1 & #2 as well as the view of the women walking along the boardwalk.
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absolutely effing HORRID establishment. my boyfriend and I made the mistake of going in there at around 330pm, which must be when these assholes are switching over to the dinner menu. The hostess sat us and we were 100% ignored for about 15 minutes. we saw 2 other groups seated and they were greeted by a server and had drinks and water on the table. At this point, I am miffed and ready to get up and leave. just as I am grabbing my purse, this little hippi looking chick with black nailpolish walks by and says " have you been helped?" i wanted to say, "what do you think moonbeam? do you see any drinks or delicious meals near us? because all i see are a couple of menus and two pissed off patrons..." when I respond, "no, we haven't and we have been waiting for awhile." and she goes "*siiiiigh* ok then, i guess i can take care of you. are you ready to order?" so sorry to inconvenience you, precious!!! so we order a couple of beers, some chips and salsa, a tuna melt for the boyfriend and a seafood melt for me. OK, so first of all for 5 bucks you get the cheapest grade chips and an obvious store bought salsa. oh and it took like 10 minutes for Moonbeam to go get it. The only reason we ordered chips and salsa was because we were STARVING and just wanted something to nibble on while we waited for the sandwiches. they tasted like the chips that come in that HUGE plastic bag from costco...only somewhat cheaper. like little circles of fried cardboard maybe. ok so enough about the chips... lets get to our sandwiches. the food runner drops them off....which is funny to me considering there are like 4 tables sat in the whole place.... so yeah, the sandwiches. mine had no less than THREE HAIRS i pulled from the bread. awesome. both sandwiches, hair aside, were edible, but nothing special AT ALL. I could have easily made these at home and probably would have made it better. so we pay our $50(outrageous for this meal) check and get up to leave. On my way to the bathroom before leaving, one of the servers who had ignored us was posted up on her fat ass at the hostes stand and gave me the dirtiest look for god knows what reason.
i can only hope that this place goes under and a deserving restaurant can take ovewr that prime location. i wouldn't go back to this place if i was dying and this place held the cure.
Continuing my ridiculous pursuit of Sunday Brunch on the water, sans reservations, I cruised by the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay thinking "maybe...but then what?" so I kept heading South to Santa Cruz so there would be some entertainment after eating.
Santa Cruz is farther than I remember.
Did I mention that I am hungry and ready for a drink? If all else fails, I figure there will be a Fosters Oil Can and food on a stick in my future.
Get to this place that has always intrigued me with their special deals splashed all over the building. Tourist trap...probably, but who cares?
I chose to eat inside and was seated at a window table, facing the beach by an incredibly hot hostess. "Your server will be right with you."
I look at the Brunch menu in front of me and I like what I see. Except for the part about Brunch ending at 3:00. I check my watch...3:05. Five minutes late should still get me Brunch I figure, so I eagerly anticipate my server "being right with me".
20!!!! minutes later, another Santa Cruz-hot girl sneaks up on my nap at the table and asks if I am ready to order. No chance for Brunch now. I turn the menu over to see the most ridiculous selection of random food staring back at me with Donald Trump-like prices, so I panic and order a burger (WTF!?). She takes it down on her little note pad and goes away.
Did she really not ask if I wanted something to drink?!?!? I figured the way I was staring at all the bottles and taps behind the bar making my leg shake, like a puppy with a boner, would have been her first clue that "this guy's a drinker". Maybe she was confused because I wasn't staring at her jugs and cans like that.
Halfway through the world's most mediocre burger, I couldn't take it anymore. "Bring me beer!" I yelled to the nearest Santa Cruz-hot chick I saw. "I don't work here" she replied. My server heard me though, so after finishing her manicure and the story of all the surfer boys she blew last night, I received a nearly room temperature bottle of my life blood, alcohol.
Here's the breakdown:
1 star for the hostess...I'm sure she's many a Craigslist Missed Connection.
1 star for the view...writhing, oily bikini bodies flipping and adjusting to the sun like pages out of the Kama-Sutra.
1 star for the Brunch menu that I was unable to try.
Maybe I should have gotten the Oil Can and stick food.
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This place was soo terrible, the only thing we could do was laugh about it.
We sat outside on a Sunday afternoon and sat in cheap plastic patio furniture and were served water in paper 7UP cups.
Our waiter (and the entire wait staff) seemed high then rolled his eyes when we asked what was on the mushroom burger.
The food was terrible, cold, and way over priced.
We were never actually give utensils to use and the only time someone "checked" on us was when our waiter ran by well asking "you, cool?" without sticking around for the answer.
Worst dining experience EVER.
I've been coming here since I was little and my view on it has totally changed since now I actually live in Santa Cruz. When my family would come on vacation here this was our go to place for fish n chips and that sort of food. It was always good food and you felt like you were somewhere cool since its right by the Boardwalk and Wharf.
Now having lived here for a few years I realize its a total tourist trap and there are much better and CHEAPER places to get things like mahi mahi and coconut shrimp.
BUT, there are a few good things about this place. The bar is fabulous. It's four sided and the bar tenders are really great and beautiful too! Its open early so if you feel like having bloodies or a gin fizz with breakfast, no problem! It's a great local place during the off season and there are often bands and karaoke. Try the black bottom cake, its delicious! They also have a pretty good deal for breakfasts. $3.95 for eggs, toast, bacon, and hash browns every weekday morning. The potatoes are pretty good and everything else is just pretty standard. But the deal can't be beat!
This place is overall good, albeit a little pricey. If you want to take a step back and feel like a tourist come here and enjoy the food. Or if you want to feel like a local come here on weeknights and take a seat at the bar.
This place totally sucks, really.
Pros: It is a larger, clean place that has a nice view of the boardwalk area. It has a rather large patio section to enjoy the hot weather. It's a convienant location if you are in the boardwalk area.
Cons: Everything is was over priced, seriously. Like 10 bucks for a salad and when you get, completely not worth it. Even if you go for 10 dollar lobster night, they are tiny, not that fresh and go so so. The food is just not flavorful, sometimes I don't feel like it's been cooked really way, no presentation, no spices and for their prices you would expect so. The service is always ladden with attitude, the girls they hire make you feel that by ordering or asking for water is such a burden. The bar drinks are rather weak mostly and again, extremely expensive.
Don't fall into the tourist trap.
I'm always impressed when I can get free rum & cokes along with a view of the ocean. The serving of Tortellini was such a big portion that I couldn't finish it all off--unusual for me. The blond female bartender was a definate "8" maybe a "9."
So- This cafe sucked. Now- don't get me wrong. It was brunch, it was Sunday 'round 11, and perhaps they were training an entirely new staff- but it was, by far (and the whole table concluded) one of the w-o-r-s-t dining experiences we've ever had. Where do I start?
Service?- I can't justify using the term here. Tho we witnessed at any given time 2-3 waitstaff personnel hanging out and talking to ea. other, it was 15 mins b-4 anyone came for our drink order...then she had to come back twice (there were 8 of us). We had to flag down a busser to get water. The bloody mary I ordered was good, but the 15-20 min. wait time took some of the shimmer off. Finally we got to order and when it arrived, ahem- there were a few issues. My omelette ?- not done. The eggs were running all over the plate. For 2 of our party, the middle of their hashbrowns were actually frozen- icicle bits and everything...I sh*t you not!!! Only 1 order (of the 8) was messed up, but since we waited so long, it was eaten anyhow. It was generally agreed upon that the feeling we got from our waitress was that we were encroaching on her time...In any case- if/when you go to S.C., which is a really fun place to hang for the weekend, avoid this restaurant at any cost.
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Ideal is not the place you want to go for an amazing meal. It is, however, the kind of place to go for one of the following:
Stiff drinks
A beautiful view
A beautiful server
A drink between a game of volleyball or one of the salsa lessons offered at that end of the wharf on the weekends
Lobster for $10.99 on Wednesday
Prime Rib for $9.99 on Friday
If you're going to eat there any night aside from Wednesday or Friday, I highly suggest the lobster tacos, and ask them for the California Pepper plant sauce to accompany it. Also, make sure to get a Mai-Tai, and accept the offer to "double your drink" for $2.
This gets 3 stars-- not for the food or coffee. At night they serve strong enough drinks to enable CRAZY karaoke moments! I saw a 50 year old man absolutely nail a 50 cent song here. Props.
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The foods kind of expensive, but pretty good. You can make your Margarita a double for a dollar. The view is great, beautiful half naked young people playing volleyball, mmmmm. The Ocean looks nice too. There are lot's of pretty girls waiting on the tables and I appreciate them aestheticly. You can listen to Karaoke as you dine, which isnt as bad as it sounds. Lot's of outside seating, this place feels like summer. Don't bring your dog though.
high-priced food that's worth taco bell price. there were 7 of us and all ordered different meals; all except the salad sucked. we dined outside on cheap plastic patio furniture. they served complimentary bread in the beginning with no plate or butter. wait was too long. service is slow and very poor. worst dining experience thus far!
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