Johnny's HarborsideGreat Seafood, Marvelous ViewsJohnnys never disappoints. They are consistent in service and food quality. Seafood is delightfully fresh. Tonight we shared the oysters on the half shell to start. Love them! They have a wonderful, original cocktail sauce with a nice crunch, fresh grated horseradish, and a nice unique vinegarette to boot. Definitely recommend. Had a a chopped vegetable salad to start. Nice honey Dijon dressing and a great selection of a lot of wonderfully fresh veg. I went with the blackened Sea Bass and my wife chose the Mahi Mahi (also blackened). Was perfectly cooked on both counts. Had a mini dessert trio. Tasty. Was told by the waiter that the owner prepares them herself daily.
Don't waste your $ at Crows Nest.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMJune 6, 2013 at Johnny's HarborsideThe food was outstanding. They had just got local salmon. They were cutting it when we came in. We all had it in several different preparations and all were excellent! It is a loud restaurant but we still were able to talk during dinner. Wonderful view of the harbor and boats going by BUT go for the food!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat time and great viewI was in the Santa Cruz area for a meeting and saw the opentable reviews of Johnny's and made a reservation. It was very good. The food was good and the service also. Had a mahi mahi with a cup of chowder. Both were very good. The views are nice and it seems to be a locals hangout. Highly recommended.
Get there early if you want the specials. Wednesday is kabab night and they go fast.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful!This was the second time we have eaten at Johnny's and were not disappointed. We went for brunch/lunch. The mimosa
was the biggest I have ever had for the price and my husband's bloody mary was also very good!
They have the freshest seafood and the you will not believe the presentation!6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!This was my first visit to Johnny's and I will go back. The food was fresh and perfectly prepared. I can't wait to have the Sand Dabs again!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!Johnny's Harborside staff is very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable about the menu. Even our waiter, who was in training, couldn't have given us better service. We can all highly recommend the crab and shrimp stuffed avocado as an appetizer! The fish for dinner is so fresh that the fisherman who caught that day's salmon was sitting at the bar. I had the ahi--one of my favorites--and it was seared just perfectly. My husband had the salmon and that, too, was amazing. Our son had the shrimp club sandwich which he devoured and our daughter just ate french fries which she said were the best fries she had ever tasted! And best of all, there is no problem parking--even on a Saturday night!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMA not talked about much but shouldJohnny's was great...We had a party of 10 and all were more than satisfied with their menu picks. My only complaint was that they did not set-up our table of 10 until they saw the whites of our eyes,(so we waited while they prepared the table) even though I called 3 times confirming the reservation. Didn't like the way the round table butted up to the square table. Uncomfortable sitting at both of those spots. Other than that it was great but probably not for large parties. We have graduation party next in a few weeks and will probably choose somewhere else because of the table situation. Also it was hot in the restaurant and no relief given.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dinner!We ate at Johnnys this past Saturday night for our anniversary. We really enjoyed the calamari appetizer and Tuscan prepared prawns! We also liked that the wine list suggested pairings with the menu choices. We were seated by a window for a nice view of the harbor. Staff were all friendly, upbeat and helpful. The ambience was lively but we could still carry on a conversation with no trouble. Thanks for a great dinner experience!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGood SeafoodWant good seafood cooked and presented well? Go to Johnny's. It is not pretentious but the food is great. Good wine, beer and liquor selection. Attentive but laid back and certainly not pushy servers. It is upscale Santa Cruz style.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMFish Tacos -- the BestDepending on who's in the kitchen and the selection of fresh fish, the fish tacos can be the best (and most cost effective) choice on the menu. They are usually good, but can be superb on occasion. At $10 for three fish tacos, the choice just can't be beat.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSanta Cruz GemThe stirred martini, the best in the West. The Napoleon Beet Salad, whipped goat cheese, tangy mustard dressing and crunchy walnuts, layered with beets, and spinach salad between proved to be the best beet salad and the star of the menu. The fish choices were vast with salmon and crab, the local stars . Three very different fish preparations, we liked the plain old school treatment best, sauteed in olive oil and served with vegetables and polenta. San Dabs and salmon number one.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodRecommended by a local, the oysters were the best we've ever had, the fish'n'chips were delicious. Server was so so. We would go back for the food.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMBig Mystery....Why I Never Went B4Took a new galpal to lunch w/4 others ...& we all had wonderful, deeelish lunches! Mark was a super duper great waitperson. Being a Tues. afternoon, it was not busy and we had a great time! No take-home boxes!! Yummmm! Of course, the view was magnificent ....I'd love to go back soon. and probably will!! Can't believe have never been in all these years!! Well, better late than never! If you've never been, go by all means. They're have Mom's day special -- Salmon for only $15.!! I hope my kids take me!! hint, hint!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome SeafoodBest. Fish. Anywhere.
There are always many freshly caught fish to choose from and the ambiance is fantastic, with windows overlooking Santa Cruz harbor.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMJohnny's HarborsideI love the variety of fresh fish & the different options of preparing it. Always have a great lunch or dinner there. Even the bar is fun for the happy hour & fish taco's5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFriday night at Johnny'sIt isn't a very large place. The bar and the restaurant are the same room. When full of people is was not possible to carry on a conversation with my date it was so loud.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat menu with non-glutenGreat menu with non-gluten choices and lots of fresh fish. You pick the fish, how you want it cooked and what "accompaniments" you want with it. Great views overlooking the Santa Cruz yacht harbor -- finally a great fish restaurant in Santa Cruz!4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMJohnny's Passion !We love the food things they are doing at Johnny's ~ great menu, great service !
We also love that the owners are personally involved, making desserts, and quietly walking the floor... Great place to eat, a little on the loud side at times, and we suggest reservations, but best prepared ovcean-view food in town !4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMHad dinner with friends; weHad dinner with friends; we order cocktails which were fantastic, the food was good (fish was fresh and cooked just right), service very good, wait staff very attentive. Although the dining room is not very large we were surprised that the noise level was moderate. No problem having table conversation. We made reservations though open table and were running a bit late; called the restaurant and they said not a problem. When we arrived there were quite a bit of people waiting however our table was ready (we were only 10 minutes late). Will definately return...4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful restaurant! WillWonderful restaurant! Will definitely be going again!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had the most spectacularWe had the most spectacular meal. It was totally unexpected. We expected a good meal, but got a four star white tablecloth tuxedo serving meal. Johnny's Harborside's ambiance was great, but the exquisite meal we had was totally unexpected from the wonderful family atmosphere that is Johnny's. Bravo and Yummy!!4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAn overall great dining experienceJohnny's consistently has a creative menu. The fish is always fresh and delicious. Happy hour has a great selection of appetizers at great price points. Servers are always attentive while giving you space to enjoy the meal. I'm always surprised at how many people crowd themselves into The Crow's Nest for an overpriced and decent (but not stellar) meal. Johnny's isn't crowded and the view is great, The sound does goes up as more people come to the restaurant. The downfall is the paid parking. The meter was malfunctioning the night I went which resulted in a long wait to pay for parking. Then, it only gave me the all day option. $10! That's ridiculous. Johnny's should validate.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWe'll Definitely Be Back!We Loved this restaurant! The servers were friendly and helpful. The menu had lots of delicious choices so we opted for the Chefs dinner for two, 3 seafood entrees and two dinner salad. The meal starts with deliciously warm sour dough bread. Steamy soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Salads were fresh local baby lettuce mix. The 3 seafood entrees were Amazing! Absolutely fresh prawns and fish dishes cooked to perfection! Each dish innovative and different from each other. The wine list was easy to read and informative. I easily found an Italian Pino Grigo that went well with everything. The best part was the mini desserts - just the right delicious portion for the end of a satisfying meal and soooo gooood!4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMOverlooking the harbor, Johnny'sOverlooking the harbor, Johnny's is a great spot for the view and the food. The surrounding area is also good for taking a walk. Very pleasant.3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful experienceWe had a wonderful experience at Johnny's Harborside! We were in Santa Cruz for just one night and had reserved at Johnny's for 7:00. We had requested a window-side seat, and when we arrived our table was ready and the view was fantastic. My husband and I were there with our 6-year-old son, and we all had a great time. They have a good kids menu, and our son loved the fish and chips he got. We LOVED our food as well, especially the oysters. Service was fantastic too. Great spot!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst RateFirst time and the experience all the way around was first rate!1/27/2013 12:00:00 AMJanuary 1A very enjoyable experience on New Years Day 2013. I didn't get around to writing this till May 5 so have forgot some of the details but food was very good. Seafood and salads were very fresh. I think they had run out of an item but hey it was New Year's Day... thanks for being open!1/1/2013 12:00:00 AMJohnnys, was for a long timeJohnnys, was for a long time regarded as the "other" restaurant as persons travelled to the Crows Nest at the end of the harbor. Sherry and Jeff transformed this restaurant into a very "happening" locale. Great fresh food, locally caught fish, a great bar, and a very well thought out menu with daily specials that are unique and intriguing. The atmosphere on any night is filled with the sounds of locals recounting their daily endeavours, it fascinating to sit and listen to the stories enjoying fresh Sea Bass, and a well mixed drink.12/9/2012 12:00:00 AM