"You have to write a review of this place," my wife suggested after our very satisfying lunch yesterday at Costa Azul. I readily agreed.

Costa Azul is in Davenport, not far north from Santa Cruz. We've eaten here before when it was another Mexican restaurant that served pretty good food. This is so much better. I hope that it doesn't suffer the similar fate of its predecessor.

We called ahead after seeing the pair of reviews on Yelp. I wanted to make sure they would be open. The twin five-star reviewed appeared promising. But there were only two. And Davenport's other restaurants aren't anything special, only serviceable.

The crispy tortilla chips came with a pleasantly spicy salsa that the kids didn't touch, so my wife and I indulged. Refills came quickly as did our food.

Our kids both ordered the kids' cheese quesadilla. The plates were filled with generous portions of a flour quesadilla, flavorful Mexican rice, refried beans, and a little salad.

I was surprised our nine year-old son didn't order his standard burrito. I asked why. He responded with wisdom beyond his years, "When I go to a new Mexican place, I order a quesadilla because if they can't make it good, nothing else will be." I understood. He followed up, "Next time, I'm getting a burrito."

I didn't get a chance to take a photo of my wife's tacos piled high with meat and toppings. She really liked the asada and liked the chicken. They looked generous and tasty.

I had intended to just a couple of tacos myself, but I noticed a handwritten sign taped to the counter: "We have pozole Sat & Sun".

The sun is often hiding on this coastal stretch of Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. Such is the case it was yesterday: cool and cloudy. We had come here and escaped the mid-October heat of our hometown an hour and half inland. This was soup weather. Memories of past pozole spilled into my brain from the mediocre to the spectacular. I expected something in between. I was so wrong.

I asked the friendly guy who was taking our order at the counter what he thought of the pozole. Without making eye contact, he stated simply, "it's good." He didn't say it with any kind of salesmanship, it was more as if he were remembering tasting it and was reporting back from a hazy dream.

Shortly after everyone's food arrived, mine came with the help of three people. First came the steaming red bowl filled with pork chunks visible along with the hominy above the broth-line. Then came the plate of add-ins: cilantro, diced white onion, radishes, shredded cabbage, a small bowl of a spicy sauce, and a few lemon wedges to add citrus notes. Last was a stack of four crispy tostadas.

I left my bowl unadorned as I scooped up my first taste of the corn and broth. It delivered warmth and spice. I eagerly added my toppings. I couldn't fit them all because the bowl was filled to the brim. I slowly added more as I went, making room with each spoonful of goodness. The pork was tender, tasty and plentiful.

As I left, I thanked the guy at the counter. I asked him to pass on my appreciation to the chef. We'd be back. Congratulated them on opening... I was a little sad that they'd been open a few months already without us discovering it.

With a full belly and a satisfying grin, we continued our drive north to go tide pooling at the beach at Pescadero.

We'll be back. We definitely will be. I'm sure it's going to be more crowded.

Highly recommend!!

Needed to get front bulb replaced so I googled. I was surprised to learn that AutoZone could possibly help. I called a store near where I happened to be, but they weren't enthusiastic or confident they could do it. I called this store which is closer to home. The gentleman who answered was positive that they could take care of it.

When I arrived mid-morning, it wasn't busy but there was an employee helping a woman at the counter. I didn't know what I needed. I only knew I needed help. An employee who had been stocking shelves came over and offered his assistance. I explained to him I had called and what my make & model were. He directed me to to the aisle and the type of bulb I needed. He suggested that I talk to the manager who had gone outside with the other customer.

The manager finished up with his customer and approached me. I told him that I had called about installing the bulb. "The RSX?"

Impressive, sincere, and extremely helpful!

It's not an easy bulb to replace because of where it sits. You need tools to remove things and patience to get to sit right. I had none of these.

Done with a smile.

Justin & his crew at AutoZone went above and beyond today. So glad there are honest and approachable people in this business that has always been intimidating.

Thank you!

What a fantastic find! I swear we went to this same place a couple of years ago, but maybe it was under different ownership?

Anyway, what great food & service. During these Covid times it's important for us to find a place that either has outdoor sitting sufficiently distanced or great to-go options. This has both.

We ordered and sat on the patio, enjoying our tacos, quesadillas and chips. Wish they had a selection aguas frescas to wash it all done.

We'll definitely be back. There's always room for great food!

Never been here before today, but received tremendous service. A screw fell out of my go to pair of glasses last night. I couldn't find it anywhere and knew Christmas Eve would be a hard day to get it replaced between work, grocery shopping, pandemic closures, etc.

For Your Eyes Only is the only shop nearby that I could even think of. Worked out perfectly and took less than a minute. Fast & friendly.