Woodie's Café

Woodies Cafe on the Wharf was at its absolute best yesterday. Their Half Bake Crab Sandwich with Clam Chowder was “Out of this World!” My husband had the Cesar Salad which was superb. The presentation was …….well you can see for yourself. If you are looking for a family favorite, Woodies Cafe has the ‘best tasting,’ affordable menu, on the wharf, not to forget the gorgeous scenery of the ocean, while you dine! On top of everything, we were fortunate to meet the manager Lance, who gave our group a warm welcome, making our day completely perfect. Thank You Lance! I’m bringing the whole family back for my Birthday on August 3.

Burgers were delicious!! Fries were great! The view.. amazing!!! Requested they clean a table for us and they were right on it so we had an amazing view of the ocean! Thanks so much for the experience!

This is the best restaurant on the wharf! I'm shocked that this amazing establishment doesn't have closer to a five-star rating. The food is tremendously delicious, the setting is beautiful, and the employees are very friendly, kind, and competent. You can't go wrong at Woody's on the wharf.

Fish sandwich and calamari are very well priced. Tasty and probably the cheapest indoor sit down meal on the wharf. You do need to get your order from the counter. Shared bathroom with other restraunt, just ask them for directions.

The employees are so very sweet and dedicated to their customers. It was a busy Friday night before the movie on the beach and these employees were working so hard but still keeping a smile on their faces and being so pleasant and kind. The food was excellent and decently priced for the great quality, taste and quantity. Big heartfelt A plus to the amazing employees here, You all did an amazing job, Thank you all for your service giving the wonderful night I had a cherry on top!

Woodies Café – 6 out of 5 stars 🌊🍔 If there were ever such a thing as a $20 burger masterpiece, this is it. The burger at Woodies Café isn’t just food—it’s a whole coastal experience. Perfectly cooked, topped with unbelievably good bacon (the best I’ve had anywhere, hands down), and loaded with creamy guacamole that tastes like it was made fresh for royalty. The view? Unreal. You’re sitting right on the wharf, watching surfers carve waves below the cliffs while that salty breeze dances through your fries. And speaking of fries—massive portion, golden perfection, and somehow so good you don’t even need ketchup (which, let’s be honest, makes it healthier and simpler). The bun was definitely not fresh tasted stale. Strangely, it came with those because the menu says otherwise and I’m a very picky eater so I asked the cashier to confirm all the toppings that come on the hamburger and he said exactly what the menu said which did not include onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. I took the onions and tomatoes off before snapping my photo,

Gorgeous ocean views located conveniently on the wharf. Delicious fish n chips and clam chowder served in a bread bowl 😋 fast service! A little pricey but the views make it worth it!

Woodies classic burger with cheese is DELICIOUS. A juicy burger and fries sure did hit the spot after walking on the wharf. Don’t forget to try their classic clam chowder bread bowl; the bread is fresh and the soup is hot! 🤤

Garlic fries were perfect. The burger was just ok nothing special

Excellent excellent baked crab and the clam chowder tasted normal. Fair price and excellent customer service. The guy came over double wiped the table for us. Huge portions, one plate was enough for me and my hubby share unless you are looking for a huge meal. Great view for the window sitting area. Highly recommended this location and will definitely be back here again!

The garlic fries were good but you get a good portion of fries with the burgers and sandwiches so can avoid getting it separately. Lovedd the california beef burger. It was juicy and just perfect. The chicken sandwich we tried was pretty dry and not great in comparison to all the other tasty things. Fish and chips were great. Also the cocktail was perfect. This place has a great view and the food made the experience even better. Would definitely recommend!

Somehow this place has a lower score than neighbors restaurants. Not true, reviews look pretty unfair to me. Riva Fish gave us 1 hour wait even if there were empty spaces. Gilda, despite better reviews than this place, it was more expensive and old fast food fashioned interiors and not even mention the bad smell inside. Woodies café instead had a nice design, lot of sits close to the window and good food and service. Recommended!

Our experience at Woodies Cafe on the Santa Cruz wharf was excellent from start to finish. Beginning with the best clam chowder in the area, followed by an exceptional crab melt special, and concluded with attentive and efficient service. Highly recommend dining here during your next visit. Restaurant is always clean and inviting and we never have an issue getting seated even on the busiest of day.

Went here on Memorial Day weekend looking for a place to have early dinner and a view of the ocean. Every other restaurant on the pier had a 1 hour wait so I walked into Woodies and saw many empty tables overlooking the ocean. Great food and cafe like atmosphere. Probably the best kept secret in Santa Cruz. Amazing margaritas, bread bowl with clam chowder, fish and chips, great for kids and adults.

Sathiyan Kutty

Went here on Memorial Day weekend looking for a place to have early dinner and a view of the ocean. Every other restaurant on the pier had a 1 hour wait so I walked into Woodies and saw many empty tables overlooking the ocean. Great food and cafe like atmosphere. Probably the best kept secret in Santa Cruz. Amazing margaritas, bread bowl with clam chowder, fish and chips, great for kids and adults.

Michael Hansen

Woodies Café – 6 out of 5 stars 🌊🍔 If there were ever such a thing as a $20 burger masterpiece, this is it. The burger at Woodies Café isn’t just food—it’s a whole coastal experience. Perfectly cooked, topped with unbelievably good bacon (the best I’ve had anywhere, hands down), and loaded with creamy guacamole that tastes like it was made fresh for royalty. The view? Unreal. You’re sitting right on the wharf, watching surfers carve waves below the cliffs while that salty breeze dances through your fries. And speaking of fries—massive portion, golden perfection, and somehow so good you don’t even need ketchup (which, let’s be honest, makes it healthier and simpler). The bun was definitely not fresh tasted stale. Strangely, it came with those because the menu says otherwise and I’m a very picky eater so I asked the cashier to confirm all the toppings that come on the hamburger and he said exactly what the menu said which did not include onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. I took the onions and tomatoes off before snapping my photo,

Cortney Nickel

Woodies classic burger with cheese is DELICIOUS. A juicy burger and fries sure did hit the spot after walking on the wharf. Don’t forget to try their classic clam chowder bread bowl; the bread is fresh and the soup is hot! 🤤

Jillian Elizabeth Carroll Hogue

Gorgeous ocean views located conveniently on the wharf. Delicious fish n chips and clam chowder served in a bread bowl 😋 fast service! A little pricey but the views make it worth it!

LLL

Excellent excellent baked crab and the clam chowder tasted normal. Fair price and excellent customer service. The guy came over double wiped the table for us. Huge portions, one plate was enough for me and my hubby share unless you are looking for a huge meal. Great view for the window sitting area. Highly recommended this location and will definitely be back here again!

Nikki Judge

Our experience at Woodies Cafe on the Santa Cruz wharf was excellent from start to finish. Beginning with the best clam chowder in the area, followed by an exceptional crab melt special, and concluded with attentive and efficient service. Highly recommend dining here during your next visit. Restaurant is always clean and inviting and we never have an issue getting seated even on the busiest of day.

Mrudula Deore

The garlic fries were good but you get a good portion of fries with the burgers and sandwiches so can avoid getting it separately. Lovedd the california beef burger. It was juicy and just perfect. The chicken sandwich we tried was pretty dry and not great in comparison to all the other tasty things. Fish and chips were great. Also the cocktail was perfect. This place has a great view and the food made the experience even better. Would definitely recommend!

Julian Mele

Somehow this place has a lower score than neighbors restaurants. Not true, reviews look pretty unfair to me. Riva Fish gave us 1 hour wait even if there were empty spaces. Gilda, despite better reviews than this place, it was more expensive and old fast food fashioned interiors and not even mention the bad smell inside. Woodies café instead had a nice design, lot of sits close to the window and good food and service. Recommended!

Food was great , for an amazing price ! clam chowder was really good ! we came from Washington and watched the Superbowl here. the atmosphere was great and clean service was really good! PORTIONS ARE HUGE! really worth the price ! garlic fries were fireee

We loved Woodies. They nailed it on everything. Their homemade clam chowder is the best I've ever had. The fish was fresh, crispy and tasty. Loved the coleslaw and homemade tarter sauce too. The service was perfect too. Wish we lived here to come often. Thanks Woodies crew!

No1 Fanilow

We loved Woodies. They nailed it on everything. Their homemade clam chowder is the best I've ever had. The fish was fresh, crispy and tasty. Loved the coleslaw and homemade tarter sauce too. The service was perfect too. Wish we lived here to come often. Thanks Woodies crew!

Not a bad spot for lunch, the view out the windows is beautiful. Service wasn't great, the woman backing up the cashier looked irritated to be working; any time a customer or the cashier asked her something she acted very inconvenienced.

I really liked this little Cafe. The views are amazing and our food was great. The clam chowder bread bowl was soooo tasty. My pics are not the best quality. Was in a rush to eat lol. The kids working the Cafe are really sweet. You can tell they are really young, but doing a great job in my opinion. Get the bread bowl, you won't be disappointed!

Decent choice for an informal meal on the pier. Not usually too busy so you can get a window table with a view ...

Food was decent, not great. Prices were a little on the high end but not horrible. Service was okay. View was great and the place was clean.

+1

Woodies is the perfect venue for those who are looking for a easy-going lunch/dinner spot with some beautiful sea view. Disclaimer: They don't cater food on the table as this is a place with casual boardwalk food, friendly staff, and a beautiful view. Worth giving them a try!

+1

The food was excellent. However, there was a long wait time because they were sharing one kitchen with another restaurant instead of having opened both kitchens. This miscalculation caused lots of customers to ask when their food will be ready. This is was the only downside of my experience in here. At least the employees were kind and you can tell they were trying to do their best. Hopefully this was just my experience and won’t happen again to others. Other than that, the food in here is very good! Not only that, but you get a very beautiful view if you sit by the windows. You can see the ocean, sea birds, maybe some sea lions, and the sunset! The only downfall was the wait time, but the food and view was excellent.

Fun restaurant serving standard seafood and other diner staples. The view is amazing, and they offer take out if you want to find a different place on the wharf to eat. The food is good, but not excellent, but is fairly priced and gets the job done! Parking is tricky as spaces are limited, and you have to pay for parking.

It was quiet when we arrived in a Friday afternoon around 5. We ordered popcorn shrimp and fries, and a cup of clam chowder. The staff were friendly and helpful. food was up quickly. The shrimp were hot and crispy and came with tartar and cocktail sauces and a side of cole slaw. The chowder and shrimp were good. The slaw was just okay and the fries were nothing special. Overall, not bad for a fast casual. Cute surf theme. Restrooms are located in the neighboring restaurant.

The view of the sea is awesome to make me want to stop by. The service was good, the person taking my order was very patient while I made my choice. I had the Blue Cheese Burger, it was pretty good, I just wish it had more blue cheese inside to be able to taste it, but the size of the burger was amazing, the fires were nice and crispy.

Overall, Woodies Café was pretty good. They were busy and we waited a long time to get our food and I thought it was strange to pay over $20 for a plate and eat with plastic forks. The view was gorgeous.

Woodies is the perfect venue for those who are looking for a relaxed, casual, and easy-going lunch spot. Simply walk up to the counter and order, take your buzzer to your table, and grab your food once that buzzer sings. I took note of Woodies before my trip, because they had decent prices and the views of the bay looked fantastic! I was so happy to see that the view was better than I had imagined. The entire wall is basically a big window, so even if you aren't sitting RIGHT by the window, you'll definitely be able to see the water. My boyfriend even saw an adorable little sea lion pop out of the water, look at him, and dive back down. On the table for us: Chicken sandwich - Parmesan cheese and panko breading on a grilled French roll with lettuce, tomato, and onion Seafood combo - prawns (2), fresh fish, and calamari all fried and served with tartar and cocktail sauce The seafood combo was exactly what I was looking for in such a maritime environment. I would've loved one more prawn and a bigger piece of fish, but at least the calamari was plentiful, and honestly that was my favorite part. I had a bite of the chicken sandwich, and it was far too dry for my taste, but my boyfriend didn't seem to mind it. Don't come here if you want to be catered to. Like I mentioned, this is a place with casual boardwalk food, friendly staff, and a beautiful view of the water. Give them a try!

Rachael Stopera

Woodies is the perfect venue for those who are looking for a relaxed, casual, and easy-going lunch spot. Simply walk up to the counter and order, take your buzzer to your table, and grab your food once that buzzer sings. I took note of Woodies before my trip, because they had decent prices and the views of the bay looked fantastic! I was so happy to see that the view was better than I had imagined. The entire wall is basically a big window, so even if you aren't sitting RIGHT by the window, you'll definitely be able to see the water. My boyfriend even saw an adorable little sea lion pop out of the water, look at him, and dive back down. On the table for us: Chicken sandwich - Parmesan cheese and panko breading on a grilled French roll with lettuce, tomato, and onion Seafood combo - prawns (2), fresh fish, and calamari all fried and served with tartar and cocktail sauce The seafood combo was exactly what I was looking for in such a maritime environment. I would've loved one more prawn and a bigger piece of fish, but at least the calamari was plentiful, and honestly that was my favorite part. I had a bite of the chicken sandwich, and it was far too dry for my taste, but my boyfriend didn't seem to mind it. Don't come here if you want to be catered to. Like I mentioned, this is a place with casual boardwalk food, friendly staff, and a beautiful view of the water. Give them a try!

Melody Bold

It was quiet when we arrived in a Friday afternoon around 5. We ordered popcorn shrimp and fries, and a cup of clam chowder. The staff were friendly and helpful. food was up quickly. The shrimp were hot and crispy and came with tartar and cocktail sauces and a side of cole slaw. The chowder and shrimp were good. The slaw was just okay and the fries were nothing special. Overall, not bad for a fast casual. Cute surf theme. Restrooms are located in the neighboring restaurant.

Jorge Gonzalez

The view of the sea is awesome to make me want to stop by. The service was good, the person taking my order was very patient while I made my choice. I had the Blue Cheese Burger, it was pretty good, I just wish it had more blue cheese inside to be able to taste it, but the size of the burger was amazing, the fires were nice and crispy.

Sandra Partrea

Overall, Woodies Café was pretty good. They were busy and we waited a long time to get our food and I thought it was strange to pay over $20 for a plate and eat with plastic forks. The view was gorgeous.

Robert Wilson

Fun restaurant serving standard seafood and other diner staples. The view is amazing, and they offer take out if you want to find a different place on the wharf to eat. The food is good, but not excellent, but is fairly priced and gets the job done! Parking is tricky as spaces are limited, and you have to pay for parking.

I wanted to like this place. Reviews were great and I was hoping it would be. However, the service was very rigid. I forgot my mask in the car and didn't realize it was mandatory at this establishment. I kindly asked the clerk if he had one I could have. He said no. He was going to refuse me service but I told him I would eat outside of course. He let me order and I ate outside. Grateful for that but when another gentleman came in with the same scenario, he kindly gave him a mask. He had masks all along to hand out if need be. I don't know why I didn't fit the criteria. So I ate outside. Yes I forgot my mask, no I wasn't refusing to wear one. The boardwalk was far from my vehicle and a disposable mask would have helped. Anyway. I felt discriminated. So with that said, the food was good. The clam chowder was very good, however I found peices of paper in it. Yes paper. I took it out and decided not to complain. Thats on me. It had already been an odd experience. So off I went

+1

Food is quick and basic. Burgers sandwiches etc. Ocean view dining makes it nice. Super casual otherwise

The views are great right off the pier. We’ve eaten here a couple times and honestly it’s not great but it’s okay. At this cafe there’s no wait staff taking your order. You order from the menu on the wall and then grab it yourself when it’s ready and have a seat. It’s expensive for what they give you but if you’re hungry and you want a relaxed atmosphere with no wait staff then this is the place to go. They do have a traditional restaurant next door if you want the full dining experience. Their fish is pretty good tho. Like I said, not WOW but decent.

Clam Chowder in Bread Bowl and Buffalo Wings. Awesome. 👌 2nd visit: We got a table with a view this time. Was pleasant and just the time of sunset. Ordered clam chowder for each of them, Calamari & Fries and Prawns & Fries. Clam Chowder bowls were as good as usual. Calamari and Prawns were good but oily. Portions of calamari, prawns and fries were huge after the chowder bowl. Keep that in mind while ordering. Recent visit: Ordered chowder bread bowl and fries on a Saturday night. They were out of garlic. Took forever for preparing the order. Most of the tables were not cleaned after people left. New customers are cleaning up themselves. Masks weren’t worn by the people taking your order or serving. Hope owner takes a note of it.

Anthony Young

The views are great right off the pier. We’ve eaten here a couple times and honestly it’s not great but it’s okay. At this cafe there’s no wait staff taking your order. You order from the menu on the wall and then grab it yourself when it’s ready and have a seat. It’s expensive for what they give you but if you’re hungry and you want a relaxed atmosphere with no wait staff then this is the place to go. They do have a traditional restaurant next door if you want the full dining experience. Their fish is pretty good tho. Like I said, not WOW but decent.

Nikhil

Clam Chowder in Bread Bowl and Buffalo Wings. Awesome. 👌 2nd visit: We got a table with a view this time. Was pleasant and just the time of sunset. Ordered clam chowder for each of them, Calamari & Fries and Prawns & Fries. Clam Chowder bowls were as good as usual. Calamari and Prawns were good but oily. Portions of calamari, prawns and fries were huge after the chowder bowl. Keep that in mind while ordering. Recent visit: Ordered chowder bread bowl and fries on a Saturday night. They were out of garlic. Took forever for preparing the order. Most of the tables were not cleaned after people left. New customers are cleaning up themselves. Masks weren’t worn by the people taking your order or serving. Hope owner takes a note of it.

We ordered fish&chips and clam strips, and got these plates. I could not immediately tell which one was fish. To this date, I still don't know what was inside those tiny pieces. At least the ocean view was nice.

Had the Fried Clam Strips and Fries there today 9/13/22. As you can see, it was more like clam pieces than actual strips. French fries were unremarkable and hardly any dressing on the coleslaw. Clam Chowder was VERY good and the place has a beautiful view.

There is a really important health code violation. The person at the front desk said that he is not sure if there is cross-contamination in the making of the food. I had to get a caesar salad becouse I was nervous to get anything else and I have a poultry allergy so if you can next time please have the information.

Not the best customer service and the clam chowder took way too long to receive. The prices are very high for just 2 clam chowders. The chowder itself was good just not impressed with the service at all.

This is my 2nd time coming over here in the last 2 months. Today I'm very disappointed. I ordered some really good food. 2 Half baked crab and clam chowders and halibut and Fry's. I ask for a cup to share some of my calm chowder and they gave me a plastic spoon stated that they ran out of the real spoons, yet there's a ton right in front of me. After that the waitress came and ask if she can take our plates in which we was still eating some fries. I think it's because we're under dressed. They probably though that were unhoused because of our sweaters, or maybe cause my tip wasn't to there linking. I would never come back over here. But the half bake crabs will be missed. The scenery is great here also. Especially when the sun is about to set. Besides the services, this place is great. Just don't wear any sweatpants, sweat pants, slippers and hide them dreads 😁

Volark Keo

This is my 2nd time coming over here in the last 2 months. Today I'm very disappointed. I ordered some really good food. 2 Half baked crab and clam chowders and halibut and Fry's. I ask for a cup to share some of my calm chowder and they gave me a plastic spoon stated that they ran out of the real spoons, yet there's a ton right in front of me. After that the waitress came and ask if she can take our plates in which we was still eating some fries. I think it's because we're under dressed. They probably though that were unhoused because of our sweaters, or maybe cause my tip wasn't to there linking. I would never come back over here. But the half bake crabs will be missed. The scenery is great here also. Especially when the sun is about to set. Besides the services, this place is great. Just don't wear any sweatpants, sweat pants, slippers and hide them dreads 😁

Davisu Echo

Not the best customer service and the clam chowder took way too long to receive. The prices are very high for just 2 clam chowders. The chowder itself was good just not impressed with the service at all.

Alexander Lindsey

There is a really important health code violation. The person at the front desk said that he is not sure if there is cross-contamination in the making of the food. I had to get a caesar salad becouse I was nervous to get anything else and I have a poultry allergy so if you can next time please have the information.

Really???? Ordered a Bloody Mary and it should have come with a prawn. It came out without one so we asked about it. Server asked if we wanted it, of course we said yes, so they brought it out in his hand. Seriously. Just holding it in his hand. The food was not that great. Hamburger was not flavorful at all. My wife found two hairs in her salad. Glad I'm from out of town would recommend or come back here.

+1

Tastes like sadness. $30 for a veggie burger cooked in fish oil. I would genuinely opt to not eat

The food was a huge disappointment for us. We had chicken sandwiches and they were deep fried and way too overdone. The chicken was incredibly thin and we expected to get a good size chicken breast for a $20.00 chicken sandwich. The service was good and the staff was friendly and the atmosphere was great but never again. We waisted $88.00 on three meals which were barely edible. Huge disappointment. Update. That evening we had bad stomach aches.

We got the halibut fish and chips. The fish had a weird consistency like mushy fish sticks. Definitely not halibut. Fries were not salted and were bland. Views were nice.

James Barton

The food was a huge disappointment for us. We had chicken sandwiches and they were deep fried and way too overdone. The chicken was incredibly thin and we expected to get a good size chicken breast for a $20.00 chicken sandwich. The service was good and the staff was friendly and the atmosphere was great but never again. We waisted $88.00 on three meals which were barely edible. Huge disappointment. Update. That evening we had bad stomach aches.