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The Water Street Grill, Santa Cruz, CA

The Water Street Grill

4.2
4.2
301 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Dog-friendly
Our local restaurant in Santa Cruz Ca is Family owned, The Water Street Grill is a neighborhood Grill, steak,seafood,burger and wine-Beer Bar offering farm-to-table food, handcrafted drink and a selection of intriguing, affordable Firestone Drafted beers & great selection of wines. We have been more the 20 years in the Restaurant business, we are very committed our restaurant to treat customers with the most respect and let us also handle any event you having, will make it unforgettable moment.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (831) 332-6122
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Daniel
  • Catering
    Yes we do Catering, please call for more information
  • Private party facilities
    We can host your event we few weeks notice, just call for more information
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Cruz
  • Cross Street
    May
  • Parking details
    Rear Parking and Street parking( with no parking meter)
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Non-Smoking, Wine

What 301 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Water Street Grill offers an "amazing relaxing dinner" experience, with "excellent service" and "delicious food" that many guests rave about. The restaurant boasts a friendly and accommodating staff, making it a "hidden gem" in Santa Cruz. While some find it a bit pricey and crowded, the overall experience leaves many diners eager to return.

301 Reviews
  1. Lisa

    Los Angeles

    49 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    49 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Where to start!? We were in town for Family Weekend at UCSC and had the small family dog with us. The staff was absolutely wonderful in accommodating us, making us comfortable. They were fun, funny, warm, and attentive. The food was fantastic (or college student was craving home cooked) and every app, meal and dessert was delicious. And large wine pours! We almost returned the next night it was so good and we enjoyed ourselves so much. 10 stars!

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  2. Alayne

    Yosemite

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 5, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was friendly and not intrusive. It has a diner look from the outside but it’s more upscale inside with nice photos of Santa Cruz on the walls. They’ve been there 25 years but it was our first visit. The salad was great, portion sizes good, and everything was obviously prepared with care. Lots of offerings in varying price ranges also makes this place appealing but my French fries could have been crispier and my lemonade a little more generous in size but overall this is a nice place for dinner

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  3. Bonnie

    Hawaii

    26 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service is always the best, 3 out of 4 of us had absolutely delicious dinners, the 4th wasn’t a hit. Ordered a New York steak and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a NY, lots of fat and gristle, might have been a sirloin. We do love WSG and will definitely return.

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  4. Richard

    San Diego

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The filet mignon was cooked properly, the broccolini and mashed potatoes were also good although I think a higher quality potato dish is needed to match the level of a filet. The lobster tail was seasoned with white pepper which I think is a mistake. The salad was huge but mostly just a lettuce mix, so really uninspired, and the balsamic dressing was awful. They offered a free appetizer of a potato fritter which, although properly prepared, is pretty low on the ladder of fine dining considering they are trying to sell filets and lobster. I took a bite but left the rest and my companion didn’t even try it. The prices are very reasonable and the service was adequate, fairly prompt. Overall I think this small independent needs to do some homework on how to take their offerings up a level.

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  5. Bryant

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A hidden gem in Santa Cruz. The staff was super friendly and very helpful. We will be back!

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  6. Suzanne

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very small and quaint restaurant the staff was wonderful.

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  7. Bonniemurf

    Hawaii

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on July 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent service, delicious food, generous portions! Will definitely return.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on July 29, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Zero out of 4 of us liked our dinner. Pork chop was so overcooked it could barely be cut into, and even the Mac & Cheese was so covered with white pepper that it didn’t get eaten. We will never go back.

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  9. Motoman

    Sacramento

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on July 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a very enjoyable dinner at the Water St Grill. Our server was so friendly and attentive. My ribeye was perfect and my wife's pasta was delicious. The Caesar salad and sides were just OK. Overall a great experience.

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  10. KenK

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great overall experience with our party of 10. Food was very tasty.

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FAQs

The Water Street Grill is rated 4.2 stars by 301 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 p.m.
Booked 2 times today
Google Map for The Water Street Grill

503 Water Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    May
  • Neighbourhood
    Santa Cruz
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Rear Parking and Street parking( with no parking meter)
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Daniel
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Non-Smoking, Wine
  • Phone number
    (831) 332-6122
  • Catering
    Yes we do Catering, please call for more information
  • Private party facilities
    We can host your event we few weeks notice, just call for more information
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