Jack O'Neill Lounge

If you’re in the area, this is a must go to dinner spot. Amazing views of the pier and beach, wonderful food with generous portions and friendly staff. Special shout to the 2 bartenders who were very kind and welcoming. Scallops main and tuna starter were incredible! Steak was cooked to perfection.

Wow, what a great restaurant. Lots of cool history and neat art. The food was incredible, the service amazing. Was not aware of this place, it came up and the other reviews were spot on. Highly recommend this place, go a little early to get a good seat, for awesome views of the beach and ocean and wharf.

Perfection! Food, service, atmosphere were all easily 5 stars. Amazing coffee (roast of the year winner). We savored every bite of our food and talked about it afterward. There was even something special about the pancakes and I'm a breakfast connoisseur. Price was very fair, too, especially considering the quality. Will be back!

We had an excellent family dinner and experience. Katy was our server and she was really wonderful. Josh took good care of us as well. The cheese and fruit queso appetizer had a couple of pieces of burnt toast visible. Katy quickly corrected that and also apologized for some technical difficulties in fulfilling our cocktail order. Our entrées were magnificent and portion sizes were generous. Overall, it was a very good experience.

Ashia Bibi

It was a beautiful experience. We decided to break down our meal into two parts, we went for fresh oysters from Tampa bay and as usual they were served with finesse and the taste was smooth and buttery. Absolutely satisfying appetizer. Then we head over to our well within spa booking and came back for our dinner reservation. Omg the meal was beyond bliss. We ordered fresh catch of the day/week from southern California served with seasonal squash soup, which to my surprise had a quite paprika kick and the taste was marvelous. The second dish was miso cod which was mouth watering and super soft, with every bite we savored the blissful taste and ambiance of this all time favorite dining spot of our family during every trip to Santa Cruz. We wil absolutely come back and dine here again. The servers were great and friendly, our first session was hosted by Tyler who was great and informative. And our meal session host was Summer who was an absolutely charming gal with awesome taste in earnings and made our experience quite memorable. I appreciated the meal and ambiance!

Natalie Gamboa

10000/10 Compliments to Chef Adam and the entire team. From the moment the fresh, warm bread hit the table, we knew we were in for something special. The charcuterie board was beautifully curated, the crab cakes were perfect (crispy, flavorful, and packed with fresh crab), and the Caesar salad was hands-down the best I’ve ever had. The entrées were outstanding. The steak was cooked flawlessly and bursting with flavor, while the miso black cod was pure perfection delicate yet rich paired with an exceptional black rice and the abalone cassoulet was impressive with a balance of flavor and comfort. Every dish felt intentional and elevated without being overdone. Knowing that everything on our table is locally sourced made our experience even better. To finish, the dessert course was creative and fun in the best way possible: unique, house-made ice cream flavors like Fruity Pebbles. Followed with a delicious banana cheesecake and chocolate cake. This restaurant is a true gem exceptional food, thoughtful sourcing, and a chef who clearly knows how to create something memorable. We can’t wait to come back. 👏🏽✨✨

Bobbie Herteman

We come here frequently and the food never disappoints. Their fresh made sourdough toast is always fluffy and amazing! They added fresh figs to their fruit which elevated it to the next level! You can’t ask for a better view, anytime of the day (or night)!

Katrina Jenkins

As a local, I am very disappointed in myself at the fact that this was my first time visiting since the restaurant changed names. We went for my step mother’s birthday and I forgot how great the ambiance was here. We ordered for three and I only ordered a clam chowder and the bill was over $300. I was blown away by the view, but would never go here on my own if I was paying for sure. Their service was top-notch since my one year-old daughter spilled a soda and they quickly cleaned it up and didn’t make me feel bad. I hope I get to visit this restaurant again but not on my dime. There’s plenty of expensive restaurants that I would frequent and wouldn’t mind paying for, but unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. Nothing horrible just not worth what we paid for. Decor was on point and love the Jack O’Neill name and face associated with here.

Cat Bone

Chef Adam David prepared a delicious dinner that included clam chowder with bacon, a small charcuterie appetizer, focaccia bread, seasoned with rosemary and herbs, served with a truffle butter, and for dinner, stuffed ravioli with local garden vegetables, including porcini, zucchini, in a fresh cream thyme sauce and topped with grilled tender scallops and the other dinner was a short rib perfectly juicy and tender that easily fell apart with your fork. The cheesecake was also delicious and a special shout out to those yummy candied pecans. Service was wonderful and the views were amazing.

Gabrielle Bates

There's something amazing about their dinner service. Lunch is good every time I visit but dinner has an extra layer of magic. The cavier with onion dip is one of the best appetizers. I had the striploin and prawns. The meat was tender and juicy. The romesco sauce was incredible. I could not stop eating it. I wanted a bowl of it. The portion could have been shared. It was my birthday. They brought me a cupcake. I appreciate gestures like this. I also ordered the ice cream trio to share. It had buttermilk, root beer float and an anise with black raspberries. Wow, that anise ice cream was a surprise. I need to learn how to make my own. I can't wait to return for dinner.

pratheek muriki

Bear restaurant in this area with an amazing sea view seating. Food was authentic, delicious and really worth the price. Ordered desserts at the end, cookies with caramel ice cream was amazing and must have.

John Hopkins

Perfection! Food, service, atmosphere were all easily 5 stars. Amazing coffee (roast of the year winner). We savored every bite of our food and talked about it afterward. There was even something special about the pancakes and I'm a breakfast connoisseur. Price was very fair, too, especially considering the quality. Will be back!

Jennifer Fabian

Went here on 8/31/2025 as a late birthday celebration and could not be more satisfied with the service. Not only was the view and food delicious but our server Cristhian was phenomenal. I am pleased to say this has been one of the best customer experiences I have ever received, he was attentive/respectful and catered to our needs perfectly. With staff like this, it is no wonder the atmosphere of the overall restaurant was great. I will definitely be coming again and hope to get Cristhian as my server !! Cristhian thank you for making this a 10/10 experience.

Conley Gentry

Wow, what a great restaurant. Lots of cool history and neat art. The food was incredible, the service amazing. Was not aware of this place, it came up and the other reviews were spot on. Highly recommend this place, go a little early to get a good seat, for awesome views of the beach and ocean and wharf.

Matt Woods

Coming from Australia i wasnt familiar with the Local caught Grassy fish but that meal was incredible 👌 and the dessert was the ice cream trio which was very nice also. The service was first class and the location had great views of Santa Cruz.

Tessa Craver

If you’re in the area, this is a must go to dinner spot. Amazing views of the pier and beach, wonderful food with generous portions and friendly staff. Special shout to the 2 bartenders who were very kind and welcoming. Scallops main and tuna starter were incredible! Steak was cooked to perfection.

Ben M

We had an excellent family dinner and experience. Katy was our server and she was really wonderful. Josh took good care of us as well. The cheese and fruit queso appetizer had a couple of pieces of burnt toast visible. Katy quickly corrected that and also apologized for some technical difficulties in fulfilling our cocktail order. Our entrées were magnificent and portion sizes were generous. Overall, it was a very good experience.

bartellj

Fantastic food and service! We were lucky enough to get a table by the window and watching the sun go down was pretty amazing! I had the steak and it was cooked perfectly! They also make pretty stiff drinks! It’s expensive but this is a great place for a special occasion

Our time there was amazing! We started off with Josh as our waiter and he was superb. Then we ended the night with Tracy, she was amazing! Very friendly and engaging, she was on top of everything. And the food it was heavenly! Their chef definitely knows what they are doing it was fantastic!!!!

Jack O’Neill restaurant and lounge is THE best brunch spots in Santa Cruz! We planned a birthday brunch for my grandmother, and it could not have been more special. The hostess was incredibly gracious and kind considering how busy the restaurant was. While we waited for our table (which was only a few minutes) the bartender made me a delicious Bloody Mary. Once seated, we were greeted by the sweetest waitress and felt right at home. I ordered the crab Benedict, which was unreal. Everyone at our table, finished their meals and were delighted at the service and the freshness of the food. I highly recommend this restaurant for anybody traveling to Santa Cruz or passing through for the day. And would love to give more than five stars if I could! Thank you, Jack O’Neill restaurant for making my grandmother’s birthday so wonderful 🫶🏼

andrea luem

Jack O’Neill restaurant and lounge is THE best brunch spots in Santa Cruz! We planned a birthday brunch for my grandmother, and it could not have been more special. The hostess was incredibly gracious and kind considering how busy the restaurant was. While we waited for our table (which was only a few minutes) the bartender made me a delicious Bloody Mary. Once seated, we were greeted by the sweetest waitress and felt right at home. I ordered the crab Benedict, which was unreal. Everyone at our table, finished their meals and were delighted at the service and the freshness of the food. I highly recommend this restaurant for anybody traveling to Santa Cruz or passing through for the day. And would love to give more than five stars if I could! Thank you, Jack O’Neill restaurant for making my grandmother’s birthday so wonderful 🫶🏼

Rosanna Finnigan

Visiting from England, we booked a table here last night for Christmas Eve and it was absolutely fantastic. Dinner with the best view of the ocean and Santa Cruz Boardwalk and pier. The staff were very friendly, and the food was superb. Fantastic atmosphere and cocktails!! We had a really really super time, so thank you very much!!

Definitely a great dinner spot with a beautiful view! Perfect for a date or family dinner. Apps were great! Oysters and octopus was def a favorite!Amazing ribeye and half chicken! They have a wide selection of drinks, the mocktails were my favorite!

Ngoc Anh Nguyen

Definitely a great dinner spot with a beautiful view! Perfect for a date or family dinner. Apps were great! Oysters and octopus was def a favorite!Amazing ribeye and half chicken! They have a wide selection of drinks, the mocktails were my favorite!

This place incorporates some of the history of Jack O’Neill the surf pioneer and creator of the O’Neill surf brand; it serves various fish based dishes in a family friendly restaurant. The staff is super nice, polite and helpful. The fish dishes share an interesting trait: fish is very fresh and cooked to perfection, however little attention seems to be paid to the rest, leaving you with a great piece of fish floating in an insipid bouillon and undercooked beans. The place itself is an older vibe hotel. The restaurant has put effort in decoration but it still feels a bit old, they could make good progress by changing to couches. At the end of the day, you get a decent but overpriced meal in an OK location.

Florian Boymond

This place incorporates some of the history of Jack O’Neill the surf pioneer and creator of the O’Neill surf brand; it serves various fish based dishes in a family friendly restaurant. The staff is super nice, polite and helpful. The fish dishes share an interesting trait: fish is very fresh and cooked to perfection, however little attention seems to be paid to the rest, leaving you with a great piece of fish floating in an insipid bouillon and undercooked beans. The place itself is an older vibe hotel. The restaurant has put effort in decoration but it still feels a bit old, they could make good progress by changing to couches. At the end of the day, you get a decent but overpriced meal in an OK location.

I think you need to come here during the day when you can see the water and the beach and boardwalk. When it's dark.. it's all about the restaurant and frankly it feels like a cafeteria.. or maybe lobby of a Hyatt place - very character less. 2 stars for nighttime atmosphere. We had the crab cakes, fish and scallops. Crab cakes were not flavorful. The fish and scallops were made well but the sides were just the wrong match and didn't work. The risotto was just mush.. the squash puree tasted like baby food. Overall, very underwhelming for the price. The desserts tasted like they were premade/boxed dessert from frozen section of local Safeway. Not $12+ worth. If you come when you're distracted by the views, the whole thing may feel different.

Hedieh YS

I think you need to come here during the day when you can see the water and the beach and boardwalk. When it's dark.. it's all about the restaurant and frankly it feels like a cafeteria.. or maybe lobby of a Hyatt place - very character less. 2 stars for nighttime atmosphere. We had the crab cakes, fish and scallops. Crab cakes were not flavorful. The fish and scallops were made well but the sides were just the wrong match and didn't work. The risotto was just mush.. the squash puree tasted like baby food. Overall, very underwhelming for the price. The desserts tasted like they were premade/boxed dessert from frozen section of local Safeway. Not $12+ worth. If you come when you're distracted by the views, the whole thing may feel different.

My wife made brunch reservations a month ago for my birthday, with a note on the reservation that it was my birthday and a specific request for a table with an ocean view. We got to the restaurant 20 minutes early today, and the hostess told us to wait until closer to our reservation time, and when we reminded her that we wanted a window table, she said she could totally accommodate that. Great. So we sit at the bar, where the bartender was absent for a few minutes, and we eventually order a couple of drinks from a bartender who seemed more interested in getting rid of us than getting to know us. Finally, about 15 minutes after our reservation time, the hostess calls our name and puts the two of us at a 4-top in the middle of the restaurant, without even so much as an acknowledgment of the fact that we weren’t given a window seat, despite the previous requests and confirmation. Fine. We asked our server if we could change to a 4-top at the window (at least two tables were free), but the answer was a resounding “sorry but no”. So we entered brunch quite upset, but whatever, the food was supposed to be really good. However, they were out of the one dish that sounded good to me out of the five available on the brunch menu. At 12pm on a Sunday? On the brunch menu? You’re out of biscuits and gravy? Not a good look. Fine. So I ordered the crabcake eggs Benedict as a second choice, despite the fact that all I want to do was leave. When the dish finally arrived, the hollandaise sauce was coagulated from sitting under a heat lamp, but the flavor was good, and To be fair, I ate every bite. But also to be fair, despite my wife telling them TWICE that is was my birthday, there wasn’t even so much as a “have a good day.” During the meal, one of the staff took a chair from our table to move to another table, without so much as acknowledging that we were even eating there at the restaurant, and it made us feel as if we mattered even less than the furniture, despite being mid-bite of our second-choice food. There are a lot of options around this area, but I’d honestly have a better time taking a breakfast burrito from a taco truck down to the beach with a bottle of cheap champagne than trying to pretend I’m at a high end, disappointing restaurant like O’Niels. We will absolutely not return.

Joe Grassick

My wife made brunch reservations a month ago for my birthday, with a note on the reservation that it was my birthday and a specific request for a table with an ocean view. We got to the restaurant 20 minutes early today, and the hostess told us to wait until closer to our reservation time, and when we reminded her that we wanted a window table, she said she could totally accommodate that. Great. So we sit at the bar, where the bartender was absent for a few minutes, and we eventually order a couple of drinks from a bartender who seemed more interested in getting rid of us than getting to know us. Finally, about 15 minutes after our reservation time, the hostess calls our name and puts the two of us at a 4-top in the middle of the restaurant, without even so much as an acknowledgment of the fact that we weren’t given a window seat, despite the previous requests and confirmation. Fine. We asked our server if we could change to a 4-top at the window (at least two tables were free), but the answer was a resounding “sorry but no”. So we entered brunch quite upset, but whatever, the food was supposed to be really good. However, they were out of the one dish that sounded good to me out of the five available on the brunch menu. At 12pm on a Sunday? On the brunch menu? You’re out of biscuits and gravy? Not a good look. Fine. So I ordered the crabcake eggs Benedict as a second choice, despite the fact that all I want to do was leave. When the dish finally arrived, the hollandaise sauce was coagulated from sitting under a heat lamp, but the flavor was good, and To be fair, I ate every bite. But also to be fair, despite my wife telling them TWICE that is was my birthday, there wasn’t even so much as a “have a good day.” During the meal, one of the staff took a chair from our table to move to another table, without so much as acknowledging that we were even eating there at the restaurant, and it made us feel as if we mattered even less than the furniture, despite being mid-bite of our second-choice food. There are a lot of options around this area, but I’d honestly have a better time taking a breakfast burrito from a taco truck down to the beach with a bottle of cheap champagne than trying to pretend I’m at a high end, disappointing restaurant like O’Niels. We will absolutely not return.