Crow's Nest, home to bargain dinner from September-May
If you live in Santa Cruz or anywhere nearby, for a fabulous dinner deal this week get yourself to Crow’s Nest by Thursday, May 26 and pay only $6.95. Otherwise, wait until September when summer season is over and the deal returns.
The restaurant’s tasty, affordable “Deal with a View” (the venue has a great oceanside view) is valid with selected entrees on the second floor, in the upstairs bar/lounge area called Breakwater Bar & Grill.
Here’s the deal: Every Monday through Friday from September through May, you can choose from three entrees AND receive salad bar, fries or soup – all for $6.95. Entrée selections are Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, Fish Tacos, or Aloha Burger. Usually the salad bar is $8.50 in the Breakwater or $10.50 downstairs in the main dining room ($5.95 with entrée downstairs). During Deal with a View, I am usually full after eating just the salad bar, but because it’s so tasty I often eat the salad bar plus half of my fish tacos or chicken sandwich. Then I save the other half for leftovers — all for $6.95! The burger is ok – I’m sure it’s some people’s cup of tea – but I prefer the other two selections). The tacos are made with herbed tilapia, and they come with scrumptious sauce plus salsa on the side. The chicken sandwich contains moist, char-grilled meat, and the accompanying pesto aioli and provolone provide perfect balance. The salad bar has gourmet toppings like gorgonzola, hearts of palm, and blue cheese dressing with chunks of real cheese. Deal with a View is available from 6pm until the kitchen closes (the lounge itself is open until 9pm).
What’s in a name? Plenty in this case-located far above the Santa Cruz Harbor is a Coast Guard lookout, called a “Crow’s Nest,” which is a weather station, observation tower and rescue operations base. Beneath this Crow’s Nest is the restaurant Crow’s Nest. It first started as a coffee shop in 1964, and became a full restaurant in 1969. Current owners Ted Burke and Bob Munsey – who also operate popular Shadowbrook Restaurant – took over in 1978. They added the second floor, home of the Breakwater Bar & Grill, in 1983.
The Details:
Deal with a View, $6.95 dinner Monday through Friday
Upstairs at Crow’s Nest through May 26, then again in September
Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor, 2218 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz 95062
(831) 476-4560
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.