Achilles by the Sea — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

Some warnings for when ordering takeout!

Firstly, the sauces do not come on the side, like it shows in the online picture and like other restaurants do it. I ordered all 4 sauces (extra charge) because I wanted to try each of them individually, but they came as a mixed drizzle over my falafel plate. From my perspective that seemed very silly and I don't see the chef's reasoning for doing that (they could have at least drizzled each sauce separately over a different falafel ball). But I can't bring myself to dock a star, because the food still tasted so excellent in spite of the silly sauce mess on top.

Secondly, the "Spicy Party" garnish is a mixed pepper thing that includes pickled jalepenos, and it's moderately spicy. For me the heat was very welcome, but if you are looking for a mild dish, be sure to specify your garnishes individually and do NOT to get "the works"!

Thirdly, don't skip out on the turkish delight! When I walked in to pick up my order, I noticed a beautiful display with nearly twenty flavors of it, so I had to make a second transaction. I'm so glad I did! I got the rose one and the saffron one, and both were incredible (they do go light on the saffron flavor, probably due to its price, but the overall flavor was really remarkable!) I might return at some point just to snack on the turkish delight.

Fourthly, the "achilles spread" is very tasty but it's also very heavy! It's kind of like eating half a cup of (deliciously seasoned) heavy sour cream. If you've got a big appetite or are prepared to have leftovers, I would recommend getting the pita bread with it - in my opinion it needs some kind of carb texture-wise. Personally I ate mine on top of the included turmeric rice, which went great with it.

Finally, the baba ganoush here is fresh - you can taste that they roast the eggplant properly - but I would prefer if there were a bit more acidity (tanginess) like Falafel of Santa Cruz's baba ganoush. There's a certain "something something" that it could benefit from, and I wonder if it could be achieved with a bit more garlic or lemon juice in the recipe.

As others have noted, the portion size is generous for the price. At least, it was for my falafel plate with the works.

The second time I eat here, I'll definitely change a few small things about my order. If I'm craving plain baba ganoush with pita I might still go to Falafel of Santa Cruz, but if I want any other greek food, Achilles is the clear winner.

Pictured in photo: The impressive display of turkish delight,...

Heart Nouveau

By now, every South Bay foodie worth their salt has heard of Achilles and their insta-worthy heart-shaped falafel.

If not, then here's the Cliff Notes® version: Starting in 2019, Achilles took the foodie world by storm by opening up a new Chipotle-style ordering Mediterranean restaurant in a nondescript strip mall in Santa Clara that features plates, wraps and pita pocket sammiches.

While the freshly made secret recipe heat-shaped falafel were the real super stars of their outfit, their halal meats, incredible sauces and delicious sides skyrocketed them to the No. 9 spot in the 2019 Yelp Top 100 restaurants--one of only two in the entire Bay Area to earn that distinction.

This new venture, Achilles by the Sea, is the same as the OG Santa Clara location--why mess with a winning formula?--but in a more prominent location along the main drag here in Santa Cruz and with a few extra special features.

The Good:

*The food is 99.999% the same flavors as the Santa Clara location. If you love the OG, then prepare to love this place.

*Falafel are where it's at here; they're always freshly made-to-order, crispy and bursting with flavor.

*Their sauces are really fantastic, especially their garlicky Achilles spread. You could put this stuff on a leather belt, and it would be friggin' delicious.

*New item available only here is their housemade Labneh. For the uninitiated, Labneh is a tangy Middle Eastern yogurt dip that's meant to be dipped and eaten with bread, veggies or whatever you like. Their warm pita bread is a fantastic vessel.

*Sides are always a winner here, but I can't pick a favorite between the smoky Baba Ganoush or their creamy Hummus. Their veggie Dolmas are nothing to sneeze at either.

*Meat heads will be more than satisfied with any of their Halal offerings of Achilles Chicken, Chicken Shawarma, or Gyro Beef. I like to get a combo of the beef and shawarma chicken myself, but you do you.

*They also now have more than just Baklava for desserts, as they now get logs of Turkish Delights straight from Turkey! If you've never tried them before, you'll soon see why Edmund turned snitch on his siblings. They're addictingly good.

*Same great owners as before! Diaa and Elias are two of the nicest guys in the restaurant biz. Make sure you say Hi, and they'll probably remember you forever.

The Meh:

*No soda machine at this location.

*Currently no outdoor seating.

TLDR: Same Achilles but in a better location. Def found our go-to spot whenever we're...

I am so glad this place opened up—everything I’ve eaten here has been delicious, and considering the average price of groceries and eating out around town, I find it very affordable. I’ve eaten different things from there several times via coworkers or my husband, but today I finally came in with my daughter to get lunch for her, my son, and myself, and paid only $25 and change for falafel, a generous container of hummus, pita, fries, and baklava. We were all stuffed and I still have some hummus to snack on with cucumbers at home! That alone keeps me coming back bc the hummus is so yummy. The man who helped us with our order was so kind and welcoming to my little girl and to me. I greatly appreciated this above and beyond customer service, which actually made me want to write a nice review. The food was fresh, hot, and delicious. It’s basically my family’s new favorite spot in town—their wraps are filled with fresh produce and absolutely delicious and flavorful. I’ll be back to try some of the Turkish delight and everything else...