Woodies Café — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

I haven't been here in years, but let me tell you, they have THE best Clam Chowder on the wharf. What stuck out to me though was the staff and I'm going to assume, the owner/chef. My now husband and I moved up there with our then 6 month old baby for me to attend school at UCSC. We would frequent Woody's because the burgers were amazing but the clam chowder had me hooked. I ordered it every time we went, even just a cup if I was going to eat a burger. Our daughter was just trying solids so we gave her some chowder and she fell in love. This takes me back to the chef. I guess he started noting that this young couple, we were just 19yrs old at the time, would come in with their daughter and give her clam chowder. Thing is the chowder is HOT. So we sat there blowing on it half the time because our baby loved it so much she wanted a lot if bites. The chef noted that one day. So we return and are looking at the menu to decide what we want, the chef looked up at us and smiles big, tells us, "I'll pour out a cup of clam chowder for the baby so it cools down for her to eat while we make your guys' food." On the house. I wanted to cry because, given how young we were and looked, we as young parents always got the side eye looks from grown adults. That judgement of not being old enough to raise a child. This filled me up with hope and faith that we can do this, because it felt like the first time someone respected the fact that, although we were young, we're doing it, we're being good parents. Always with our baby girl, always smiling and on adventures with her and someone took note of the smallest thing, but something that is now special to my little family. My husband and I talk about that moment a lot, because hospitality goes further than anything. To dine at a place that made you feel worthy was something special to us. Woody's will always be a special place, and I thank that man from so long ago (Oct. 2012)...

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....

The dining experience at the restaurant was disappointing. The quality of the food was subpar, as it was evident that most of it was prepackaged and simply reheated by the youthful staff. In addition, the staff's behavior towards each other and towards customers was discourteous. My family and I did not feel welcomed, as we noticed some negative glances from the kitchen staff towards my daughter and wife when I briefly left the table to use the restroom.

Paying $130 for three burgers that were far from satisfying, served with underripe cantaloupe and an orange slice as garnish, was truly disheartening. Even the lettuce, tomato, and onions lacked freshness and attention to detail considering the price. The fried panko fish dish was quite disappointing, resembling a store-bought variety found at Costco. The coleslaw that accompanied it did not belong on the plate.

Prior to visiting the restaurant, the hotel had warned us about the high prices and lackluster quality of the pier's dining establishments. They accurately pinpointed the issues we experienced firsthand.

What made matters worse was that we had to prepay for our order and were asked for a tip in advance. However, upon receiving our food, we realized we were left to serve ourselves when the beeper rang. This left us questioning the purpose of leaving a tip in the...