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I am very sad to say that I never had the opportunity to dine at Theo's. However, my parents, family and friends all had incredible experiences here. I knew Theo's as I grew up in Soquel and rode by on my bikeon my way to school everyday. Unfortunately, I was too young to partake in the experience there.
I don't know what happened to the place in the last couple of years but there seemed to be some bad reviews.
I'll make you all a promise. When I hit the lottery I will move back to Soquel and re-open Theo's and the Capitola Theater. It will be just like old times.
Cheers!
CLOSED ;-( But I have to give my opinion anyway! Theo's is Wonderful: Theo's is the place I would always choose for my birthday and for Thanksgiving, that sort of thing, when I lived closeby, and it never disappointed. The food is impeccable, the menu changes to accommodate local items, and the wine list is spectacular. Theo's is hidden away on Main Street in Soquel. Their website presents their menu, and it is the sort of menu that accomodates only a few items, i.e. 10-16, all precisely executed. Inside, it is similar to sitting in someone's house.
The restaurant is cozy, and the food and wine are great. It is well worth the drive. 4.2.
Awful! (Yelp will not allow 0 stars)
Ok so My husband and I came here because we heard it was the best restaurant in Santa Cruz and after being happy with Shadowbrook, Michael's on Main, Sanderlings and a host of other great restaurants in Santa Cruz, we really were looking forward to what was considered "the Best" . I called on a tuesday for 6:30 reservations but got a call back saying they could do 6:45. Wow I thought they must be packed.
We arrived to find only two tables of two were taken in the whole restaurant. We waited for ten minutes for anyone to even notice we were there. Then there was the things floating in the water and even though we asked for tap water they still brought us the bottle you have to pay for.
Then we got the menu and I thought it was one of those "Quick fire" challenges on a cooking show where you only have 5 ingrediace . There was literally 5 appetizer and four dinner choices. That was it.
Then the food came. My duck was good but the wild rice was more bland then I make at home and my husbands steak was almost un edible!!! Mind you both were 30 bucks. When my husband went back to the kitchen ( cause no one came to check on us) to ask for a knife he saw that there was A TEENAGE BOY cooking all the meals!!!!!! What!!!
We graciously let them no that not one of our expectations were met while dining at thew restaurant. The girl looked at us with a blank look and then avoided us for the rest of the night. It was near impossible to even get the bill.
Needless to say we did not even leave a tip.
One of the worst dining experiences we had in a long time and like another reviewer , we did not stay for dessert and instead whent to diary queen.
If people think this is the best restaurant in town the please email me and I will give you a list of great places to try and save your money on this place
2.75 stars on a good day.
Went here with a friend for dinner (post Nicci) and the restaurant was completely empty except one boisterous table on a Friday night. I see a future Gordan Ramsey visit!
We arrived at 8PM and planned to order the chef's tasting menu. But the waiter said that they cannot accommodate the tasting menu during that time. You got to be kidding, right? 8PM? So I was not pleased.
I ordered the lobster mac cheese and the rosemary crusted skirt steak. I mean, they do sound appealing and gourmet, so what happened?
The pasta did not taste like it was made from scratch. Maybe Barilla and over cooked? I like it al dente. But I did taste the lobster and it tasted fresh. The steak did not taste fresh. A little bit too cooked (ordered it medium-rate) and what happened to my rosemary crust? Bah!
They did make good truffles. Ooey gooey delicious.
The service was attentive. The ambiance was nice. But too bad the food did not match.
We decided not to order dessert and went to Dairy Queen instead. Now that Oreos sundae is worth 5 stars!
Will not return.
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This restaurant is exquisite!
I came here with my family to celebrate my birthday. They have two menu options - tasting menu and a regular menu. We all opted to choose our own meals. Everyone had an appetizer or salad, which were all extremely delectable and our entree choices varied from gnocchi to pheasant. I had a bite of everyone's meals and it was all exceptional!
The restaurant does not have a full bar but an extensive wine menu (although we brought our own).
This may be one of the nicest restaurants in an otherwise chill and relaxed (which I love) town of Santa Cruz.
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Since it's addressed so often I'll comment on the price first. Is it expensive? That depends. My partner and I are non drinkers and vegetarian. We order a couple of salads, a couple of appetizers, and split an entree and desert. We generally come in under $75 total before tip. Not so bad when you can easily spend $12.00 on a mediocre plate of spaghetti at any family style Italian restaurant. So depending on your income level, your alcohol consumption, your dietary preferences and how you prefer to spend your entertainment dollar it may or may not be that expensive.
As for having to need big bucks to eat here regularly it's simple not true. I'm not a trust fund kid or a dot-com millionaire. I'm self employed and most of my income goes to keeping the family afloat. We just really like great food and budget accordingly. Some people spend thousands a year on tech gadgets, drinking in bars, tricking out their car or on their favorite sport. Some spend it on food. If fine dining is one of your "hobbies" then Theo's will be in the range to what you'd expect to spend.
As for the big city snobs. I've eaten at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles and Theo's is on par with all of them. This idea that's it's "good by Santa Cruz standards" is just nonsense. The truth is, for a town this small, we have a variety and quality of restaurants that you'd generally need a metropolitan area to have access to.
All the praise about Theo's is well deserved. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious.
My partner and I often refer to Theo's a s being "special". Once you eat there you'll know what I mean. The meal starts of with a nice amuse bouche. Usually a poached quail egg in a nice lemony sauce with chopped chives or shaved black truffle on top. It's served on a spoon. Another standard amuse bouche is the half strawberry with blue cheese on top with a drizzle of well aged balsamic vinegar. So if you don't like poached eggs ask for the strawberry instead.
The courses are paced nicely. Before the main course they serve the house intermezzo, which is truly excellent. It's a scoop of pink grapefruit sorbet with a touch of champagne I believe, served in a little champagne glass.
After you're all done with your meal they bring out some petite desserts. Usually some fudge but sometimes some shortbread cookies.
The amuse bouche, the intermezzo and the petite desserts come standard with all meals. No extra charge.
I rate their desserts as consistently excellent and their white tablecloth service and attention to detail makes every meal special.
We recently called ahead and had Chef Nikki prepare a vegetarian tasting menu for my birthday. It was amazing. We maxed out our stomachs before the main course and there was no way we could even consider the dessert. The presentation was so beautiful that they just decided to wrap up the plates, as is, to take home. They also put two vanilla souffles with some marinated cherries in a bag and told us to bring the dishes back when we came next time.
The next day for lunch we heated up our entrees and baked the souffles in the toaster oven. They rose up perfectly and tasted absolutely delicious with the marinated cherries.
Seriously, I challenge your to find an experience like this anywhere. There is really nothing like it in the area. This is my number one place to eat in Santa Cruz, followed extremely close by Oswald's (hope it reopens soon).
Update 9-14-08
Chef Nikki has moved on and is now executive chef at Vida Lounge and Grill. The new executive chef at Theo's is the former sous chef. Had a great meal with the new chef. All indications is that it will be a smooth transition and the signature Theo's dishes will remain plus we'll see some new twists to the menu. For all the fans of the Everett Farm Strawberry Salad, it was just as good as it's always been.
As for Vida, go check out my review with Nikki running the show.
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This is quite possibly the 2nd most amazing restaurant on planet Earth. I can not give enough compliments to do this place justice. All I can say is, for my last meal I would definitely choose lobster mac & cheese. Although I of course can only afford to eat there with my parents, I spend weeks thinking about ordering it. The wine menu is monstrous. The amouse-bouche are also usually really tasty and original. I could go on and on but essentially this is an amazing spot for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. A bus boy once walked across the street to the local convenience store in order to buy me Fiji water, I mean, how ridiculous and awesome is that!
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This place definitely gets a 5! It's a hidden gem (not so hidden now since there are already 19 reviews). It's the French Laundry in Santa Cruz mountains as my friend described.
The ingredients were incredibly fresh and in fact, some of them were hand picked from the tiny farm in the back of the restaurant. The place is very cozy and extremely romantic atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and casual, yet very professional. They did a great job making me feel like a VIP and they explain everything very clearly.
The menu is simple and refreshing - lots of spring/summer dishes. I had the avocado crab salad, which is beautifully arranged and came with a very fresh avocado aroma. I was speechless when I had the steak - which was organic and top quality. (Look for the photos I've uploaded to yelp)
I felt so relaxed and satisfied after the dinner and I was already missing this place the moment I got back into my car. I would definitely go back again and again. (too bad it's quite far from where I live)
Definitely make reservations - the restaurant has very limited tables. Good for small groups and couples. (not really suitable for large groups) Parking is on the street, but I had not problem finding a space right outside of the restaurant, no stress at all.
Well one of my friend's works here so we all came here to get desert after a birthday get together in SC and because my friend was our waiter I can't really comment on his service seeing as we didn't really matter.
Anyway the chef is really cool and really inventive and gives the staff free food all the time so if you have a friend who works at this place you should make it a point to stop by whenever they get off work with a pack of beer or something and snag a great meal.... so I have had the food without paying for it basically! w00t...
On to the restaurant. It is small.....really small....looks like a house. I hear people do wedding lunch things here often....oooookay....
you should look at the website and see what their monthly brown bag special is....on the first thursday of every month you can bring in a bottle of your own wine (the type is specified online) and have a dinner at about half the cost of normal...
the food is amazing but the price is sky high....just saying it's not going to be a college kids lunch stop anytime soon....
the desert menu always changes but it is all gooooood...even the churros,I swear they are the best I have ever had!!! I never knew churros could taste so freaking good!!!!
and that is about it....if you have a couple hundred bucks laying around then come out here for dinner but if you only have 10-20 bucks you should come for desert....either way it is worth it and if I have money someday I will become a paying customer and stop mooching off my waiter friend's take home leftovers.
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The best restaurant in Santa Cruz - and I've only been there once. I plan on going back, in fact, I think about it quite often... it is more of a special occasion place, but I'll be hitting it up again soon.
Word is they have their own garden in the back that they get most of their produce from.
Memorable Dish: Multi-colored watermelon salad stack with basil oil and feta.
I took my wife here for her birthday a few years ago and we were amazed that a place like this existed in Santa Cruz County. We both ordered the tasting menu and were blown away. The server was knowledgable about the food and the wine. We could not wait to go back!
We then went back two other times and discovered that they no longer had the tasting menu, but a pri-fixe menu and the service was terrible. And, they close too early...9pm??!! But everything pretty much closes at 9pm in Capitola/Soquel.
It's a good place to go and check out if you've never been. It is the nicest restaurant in Santa Cruz County, but that's not saying much.
This place is a treasure. Located in the hamlet of Soquel, in a little house with a kitchen garden out back, Theo's is charming, comfortable, and an incredible bargain for world-class fine dining. The chef, Nicci Tripp, creates beautiful dishes with the absolute freshest local organic produce (most of it comes from Everett Family Farm, just a couple of miles away), and even makes his own cheeses. The wine list goes on for days, and prices are not the usual gouge, but are reasonable.
The first Thursday of every month is "Brown Bag Night": you bring an assigned varietal, e.g., Pinot Noir, and the chef will create a three-course meal designed to complement that wine---for only $45, all-inclusive. Try the multi-course chef's tasting: put yourself in his hands.
I cannot praise Theo's enough. I love the chef, and every meal we've ever had there has been extraordinary. I would recommend Theo's to visiting royalty, given the chance. It is very very special indeed.
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A must if your a true foodie.
The tasting menu is awesome, some of my highlights were the Lobster Mac and Cheese and Avo stuffed with Crab. Decent wine selection and impeccable service. Our waitress, Carol was fantastic!
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I love Theo's. This isn't your everyday stop unless you've got money to burn. In other words, it's pricey. But, that said, it's overall worth it. The ambiance is intimate and the service is good.
My boyfriend and I just splurged for our anniversary and loved (almost) every bite. We started with an array of appetizers (citrus & greens, roasted quail and a cheese plate). He had an excellent fish dish and I chose an unfortunate pork loin, which was very tough.
Between courses we were given little additions to try, including an amazing homemade grapefruit sorbet to "cleanse the pallet".
Despite the pork mishap, we had a wonderful time and ate like the royalty we are.
People thought this was:
we came in on a Thursday evening and it wasn't busy. Waitor is really well trained and he is knowledgable on wines. The waitor helped us find a good red wine. Today's chef is Nicci. My Belgium salad was great and I like the simple decoration of the dish. Yi's Foie Gras starter was fantastic! For entree, we had the Lamb and Buffalo rib steak. excellent quality - and surprisingly quanty as well. make sure you had the middium-rare for both. as for desert, Yi ordered Berry Crisp. She really likes it. I didn't share the desert but I did have a shoot of expresso.
Overall, I love the food and the service. The service is better than Cetrella Bistro in Half Moon Bay. We definitely go back again.
This place is a little hidden gem, tucked away in the corner of Soquel. It is easily as good as many of it's bigger cousins in SanFran with all the quiet class and about 2/3's the price!! Not a lot of hoopla, just quality and a staff from chef to busboy that knows what a good restaurant is and does. They have a solid wine cellar and a first Thursday of the month event where everyone brings a bottle of a designated wine. About 20 couples have a great evening with a prix fixe dinner and the chance to compare some fine vineyards and vintages!! Wonderful!! What a treat!
You're right, Mike B., this isn't an 'everyday' kind of place but there are plenty of those out there already. This one's special!!
Overpriced for what you get. Good menu, nice ambiance but the wine list and the service is average at best.
I think the people who give it 5 stars simply do not know better. I'm not being elitist but it just isn't that great when compared to other Bay area restaurants in this price range. When you charge $25+ for entrees you are held to a much higher standard and this place fails in virtually all cetegories.
Sure it is above average for Santa Cruz (does not take much to be above average in Santa Cruz) but you'd expect much better at these prices (especially service - which is nice but they don't know that much when it comes to qeustions about the food and wine.).
I did love the artwork on the walls :-)
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I've been dying to come here ever since my girlfriend spotted it a few weeks back when we did our little driving tour of Soquel village. Everyone we've spoken to about it says that it's foodie paradise, especially on the Central Coast.
Only it's expensive as hell. I have to wait until the next special occasion.
In the meantime I'm giving it 5 stars solely based on the amount of excitement it generated from my girlfriend. It takes a really special place to get her that revved up about a new restaurant.
"is this a restaurant? it looks like a house ..." and once you enter, you realize it is a house -- with lots of tables. the inside gives such a warm and cutesy feeling. the place is very romantic and intimate even if the tables are slightly close to each other ...
the food is very fresh, they use organic ingredients are since they are near the beach, the seafood is the best. menu changes often, especially to accommodate the availability of ingredients. there are "palate cleansers" between each course
its been 5 years, and i still remember the restaurant! best to make reservations, because it seems like space is very limited
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Theo's is the best fine dining you can get in Santa Cruz. The food is so good! Although I do have to say the service is a little lacking. Our waitress kept forgetting things. But, hey, what can you expect in Santa Cruz??
Not hands down the best, but pretty good for a special occasion in SC.
Read in today's paper that the chef, Nicci Tripp, has left to cook at Vida in SC. Maybe that explains changes. We used to go to Theo's for special occasions because it was wonderful (and pricey) but were disappointed the last time we were there. We will try again.
It was 'okay'
Went on a date there last night - I was really pumped up because of the reviews on here....and slightly let down....
First of all if you do go - go after it is dark - much more romantic - we got there at 8pm and they turned the lights down at 830pm - much better.
I really wanted this place to be the 5 stars I read about - so I kept thinking about the positive - but I still left with some disappointment.
The first thing was the menu was different than they had online, with the correct date. We had pretty much decided what we wanted - we were a little bummed when it was different. There was no music - which could have added nicely to the atmosphere - there were speakers too...
As soon as the wait staff got the idea that we were not going to be spending $200 - ie, no sparkling water, wine or desert. I felt we were treated differently - which I did not like - and the staff seemed a little stiff and not very personable.
We did LOVE the strawberry salad!!!! I would go there just for that, but would fear the feeling of being looked down upon for not spending the big bucks, but the almonds were perfectly toasted, the strawberries as sweet as could be and not mushy at all, it was perfect.
Our meals were very small, yet filling for me, not for my date as much. I did like the food but then again it was 'okay' - for my date too, he said he had better before.
I liked that they serve little cookies as the end and a sorbet to cleanse your palate between courses. I also saw a waiter fold a napkin for a guest that had gone to the bathroom and left it on the chair - I liked that, I think.
So over all I really don't think I would come here again, not even because it is expensive but I have had better experiences else where.
I suggest to go try it yourself, you may love it.
Went there last night for our anniversary dinner (Wednesday night on a non holiday week). First thing we noticed was how empty it was. We got there around 6:30pm and only 1 other table was occupied. We left a couple hours later and total had gone to 5 tables. Ended up talking to the wait staff about that and they mentioned that it was a combination of summer and economy.
My impressions - food was good. Interesting. Inventive. Tasty. Not the greatest, but good. Pricey, IMHO. $20+ entrees, both of ours were $29 ea. With appetizers, wine and dessert, our bill was close to $200. Worth the cost for a special dinner but not some place I would go on a regular basis. Which kinda explains why they are feeling the pinch from the economy - special things like this are some of the first things people cut down on when times are tight.
Wait staff was outstanding. Decor/ambiance was great. Overall experience was nice. If its a special occasion, without kids, go there. Enjoy.
Unless you are a trust-fund kid or a dot-commer who has sold their biz, know way to afford this place on a regular basis.
Theo's is where you go for a special occasion (anniversary, 1st date you really want to impress, birthday, etc).
Its a single story house converted into a restaurant. Slightly strange location in that it is on a residential street and you are parking in front of people's houses.
Not a whole lot of tables. Focus here is on the quality of plate preparation, rather than the quanity. Extensive wine list and a "wine cellar" room for large groups. If you're not dining as a group, you'll be in one of the two dining rooms, seating 1-4. Pretty much an older couple scene or biz folk with large expense account, due to the affordability factor.
As to the menu, this is modern American. Meat, fish, poultry, game--great cuts, with simple but flavorful sauces.
Not sure if Theo's qualifies as true "gourmet" but for SC, it is one of a handful that are as close as it gets.
Nice place to try once on a special occasion, and if you like it to keep going back.
People thought this was:
Theo's was the perfect venue for the intimate and elegant "back-yard" wedding I planned in October 2007. My entire experience with Theo's was flawless, starting with co-owner Roger's genuine enthusiasm for hosting special events at reasonable prices, to the amazingly delectable food by chef Nicci and the highly professional event management by manager, Joaquin.
The charming, beautiful back-yard setting provided just the right ambiance for our late afternoon ceremony and evening reception. Roger was on top of helping me plan ahead for all the details of the day, and Chef Nicci worked with me to create new appetizers based on some of my favorite flavors.
The day of the wedding, manager Joaquin was on top of EVERYTHING, ensuring the set-up was ready on time, executing the food and beverage service flawlessly. At the end of the evening, the staff made cute little to-go containers for the guests to take home the leftover cake (which we had lots of). I was touched at this unexpected service and my guests loved it of course!
While panning my wedding, I'd imagined the "perfect" day (who doesn't), but Theo's made it a reality. If you are planning a small, outdoor wedding (under 100 guests) you won't be disappointed with Theo's.
And... if you are just looking for a neat place for dinner, Theo's is quiet and has delicious food and a great wine selection. Prior to our wedding we've dined at Theo's occasionally over the last 7 years and have never had anything but a delicious meal. It is hard to find a restaurant that consistently delivers exceptional service and food, and since Theo's does, I feel compelled to rave about it and spread the word!
Had the special multi-course New Year's eve dinner at Theo's. Had not eaten there in years. This was one of the finest dining experiences I have had in Santa Cruz County. The quality and presentation of the dinner courses exceeded a recent meal at Boulevard in SF. The service was outstanding, attentive without hovering. The meal was of a quality I did not know existed in the County. The kitchen obviously spent many hours prepping and creating each dish. We will be back. Congrats to the new chef and staff on creating a fine dining experience!
Theo's is hands-down the best restaraunt in Santa Cruz County. The atmosphere, service and food quality all combine to make every visit a special dining experience.
Considering the high quality of food, it is quite resonable, particularly when compared to some of its local competitors.
My wife and I really love this place, and We both reccomend it for a special night out.
My only complaint is that they are NOT open on Sundays.
This place deserves at least 5 stars. The food is exquisite, beautifully presented, and full of luscious flavor. Although it's pricey, it's worth every cent. Every...single...cent. The meal started out with a poached quail egg sprinkled with thick cut bacon bits. What an amazing taste explosion in my mouth. The lobster gnocchi was juicy and tender, although the gnocchi was a bit large. The cheese plate was a mix of complex flavors and I discovered a fabulous new cheese (L'Explorateur). The pheasant was so tender and juicy and the rhubarb-ginger sauce was sweet, tart, and everything you'd expect a fabulous dish to be. The molten chocolate cake was a perfect way to end the meal- rich, creamy, and so satisfying. This ranks as one of the top 5 meals I've ever had, and I can't wait to go back. I will squirrel away every extra cent and dollar I have just be be able to experience Theo's food on a more regular basis.
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This is hands down the best restaurant in Santa Cruz. The chef, Nicci Tripp is an amazing chef. I have never left there without being so impressed with his talent and feeling completely satisfied. Try the lobster mac-n-cheese, it's fabulous!
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Capitola, CA
Category: Italian
Soquel, CA
Category: American (New)
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Soquel, CA
Category: Seafood
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Restaurants
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