Michael's on Main

Great setting; good food.

The food was outstanding and the heaters were behind which made it so nice outside!

Fun lively atmosphere with live music, which is such a rarity during COVID. The outdoor deck was great for outside dining and watching the band play (outdoors and socially distanced). Very pretty to look out at the trees, and lots of space in between tables. The appetizers were all big--one app could have easily made for a light meal. We over-ordered because of this, but we didn't mind since we just took it home. This is a great spot if you want to get out, see other people, and enjoy some food and drinks in a fun atmosphere.

Our waitress was AMAZING

Kelly provides terrific service each Sunday we dine at Michaels on Main!

Great place with great food and service. Beautiful deck overlooking creek.

We were utterly delighted with our decision to have our family Thanksgiving dinner at Michaels-on-Main. They greeted us at the door to confirm our reservation, seated us where we had requested, took our orders promptly with some flexibility on the actual contents of the holiday plates. The food was absolutely delightful and came quite quickly. The deck ambiance is cozy and not cold even in late November due to the outdoor heaters. The waiters/waitresses are knowledgeable about their wine pairings, and we were all very satisfied with their suggestions. Dessert was scrumptious! We'll be back in a few days, it was that good!

Only the second time I've gone to a restaurant since March but being on the deck felt safe. The food and service were great.

It seems that portion sizes have been reduced due to COVID-19. One can only hope they return when business picks up
Very quiet due to spaced dining.

Sitting outside, sharing the deck with several well behaved dogs was lovely way to spend afternoon. Food was good, service not so much. There was only one server and one busser, seemed they couldn't keep up...or server thought two older women could "wait". Not used to having margarita served in tall water glass ~ no salt at all. Generous serving but missed the salty rim, was like the frozen drink machine at casino in Reno. Also would have been nice to have been offered sugar with tea, rather than fuss I drank it black.
Will I return? Most likely, everyone has an "off" day now & then. Also loved Grateful Sunday before Covid. Still happening but haven't been to dance, can't imagine doing that in socially distant manner.

Michael's on Main continues to offer a varied menu, prepared with care. The pistachio crusted salmon with citrus buerre blanc is a personal favorite! They will make subsitutions as needed for special dietary needs. The bar has a good selection of cocktails/liquor/liqueurs, the wine list is good (my favorite: the Opera Prima Brut champagne), and the taproom of course has a terrific selection of beers. The service is good, especially considering that sometimes there's a lot of action when a live band is playing! I'm sure the noise level would be quiet at a time when a band is not playing, but as we always go for music, I'd have to characterize the noise level as moderate :-) Between the large entry patio which has a big covered section, and the riverside deck, there is a LOT of safe-feeling outside seating. Patio heaters keep it cozy. Michael's is one of our favorite places in the entire county, even more so now that the pandemic has made dining out safely such a challenge.

Our waitress was stellar, the hostess too, the drinks were generous & tasty, the appetizers and main course were yummy. However, we will never be back when there is a band, the amount of unmasked, drunk people was concerning during the time of Covid. We felt safe outside, thankfully. We’ll be back at lunch or a late dinner after the band has left.

If you think you're booking outdoor seating - you're not!
I made reservations 3 days in advance. Showed up 15 mins early and were told there is no outdoor seating. Even though I had outdoor seating reservations. They do not prioritize Open Table reservations is what we were told by the host.
We were seated in a back room instead. Every other table that came in and were seated in this room had the same issue with outdoor reservations.
The service was poor and inattentive. The menu is ridiculously laid out and hard to understand. There's no distinction between appetizer and entrees, I had to ask the waitress to point them out because they're all listed under "favorites".
My husband tried to order 2 different cocktails and ended up with wine because they didn't have the vodka in stock for the MOMs specialty cocktails requested and no substitutes or suggestions were offered.
We ordered the shrimp & pork wontons and they are extremely over cooked.
My chicken wrap contained black beans, avocado, and chicken. That's it. For $14. With over cooked tortilla chips.
The shrimp with polenta was surprisingly good. But that's the only thing I can recommend.
We will not be going back.

I enjoy Michaels on Main for Sunday breakfast. Kelly’s service is fantastic.
I wish they would let us order a hamburger for breakfast.

Love Michael’s on Main. Tucked away next to creek with great outdoor space and ambiance. Food was very good, service was friendly, music was rockin’

The hostess was distracted when we walked up, the band was so loud , that we couldn’t even say anything she could hear! We were finally served after quite a wait to order... drinks were marginal at best, the food was terrible. The chicken piccata was so over breaded and tasteless No one came to ask how our meal was... no refill. No return to this place

Our server was warm and generous but shared with us that she was poorly trained. She had no idea how the beer flights work. The atmosphere really made up for the ok service.

The sourdough pancakes were phenomenal, everything else was just ok.

The music is the draw to going to this restaurant.

We ordered the same items the last time we dined there. Tonight, the salad had too much dressing.
The seafood pasta dish was totally different than last time in terms of the sauce. Also there was not an abundance of seafood in the dish. It was so disappointing.
We told the manager after, when we were leaving.
The service was good.

Great food. Great service.

Setting is beautiful, especially on the back patio. Large tables and they were very helpful with providing heaters. Food was good - short rib special was fantastic, pistachio crusted salmon had a yummy burre blanc but was slightly undercooked in the center and pistachios over cooked on the bottom.

Service started really good and waitress was attentive. After entrees arrived, she passed our table several times but never returned to check on us or our drinks. We waited so long for her to return that we declined another round of drinks or to have dessert because the service had been so slow. Especially frustrating that wait staff kept stopping to check on other tables around us who appeared to be regulars.

Overall, had potential but our experience was disappointing

We enjoyed a very relaxing lunch from our table overlooking Soquel Creek. Good service, good food and great ambiance. What more can you ask for?

Unfortunately the ambience was not as expected, as there was a private party booked for the entire outside table area, and we were able to eat in only because Santa Cruz County just this week opened up to allow 25% inside dining capacity. That put a damper as the inside is nowhere as nice as the outside, under the trees. The food was fine, I recommend the Salmon, and the sirloin was not bad. The burger was good too.

Food looked better than it tasted.

I just moved to Capitola and Michael’s on Main was my first dining experience in the area. My father and I had just arrived after a 5-hour flight from Oklahoma, and the waitstaff made us feel comfortable and at home. Everyone was friendly and the food was delicious. I am vegetarian, so I ordered the quinoa cakes. The whole dish was to die for! I can’t wait to go back.

great place to meet with friends and family. Food is excellent and service is outstanding.

They may need more heaters outside. Our server was excellent and the food was good but not excellent.

They have a nice range of menu items & good bar selection. The Tuna Poké rules!
The back deck is the nicest outdoor area of any eatery in the area. We’ve become regular Sunday visitors!

Dena is all star here , great service food and drinks

Second time to dine on the deck. It was a little chilly, but the surroundings (trees, creek, bird song), the yummy food, the good service, and the fair price make it entirely worth the slight chill. I will definitely return.

Very pleasant and great ambiance. There were some challenges with the service, but we were not in a hurry, so it was fine. I highly recommend.

We sat on the back deck u see the redwoods.
It was peaceful and quiet.

The Seafood pasta and the large salad were both delicious and plentiful for the two of us to split.

Using our Groupon, it was really a great value although their prices were very reasonable on the menu.

Always great and relaxing🖤🖤🖤

Very lovely outdoor venue with lush trees and creek. Menu offers a variety of choices to make everyone happy.

I've been here four times recently only because it's one of two restaurants on the area that takes reservations through OP with outdoor dining.

Each time, I keep hoping for more, hoping this place will have a dish that'll want me to keep coming back and each time, I'm disappointed. The food isn't great. Chips and salsa is basically chips and a small dish of pico where you can't even dip the chip to scoop anything up. How hard can chips and salsa be? I could go on and on but really, the food isn't very special.

The service is great, servers are awesome, but I think this last time was enough for me to know this place isn't for me.

I think what makes this place special is the live music but even then between songs the band mentions their hungry tip jar which I find a little tacky.

Great food and service and the entertainment was great!

Great service, good food and wonderful atmosphere

Very disappointed in the food and thought it was way too expensive for what we were served. But it was open during these Covid times so that's a positive. Perhaps that was the issue. I'll probably wait and try it again when it fully opens again.

A beautiful deck for eating outside with plenty of space to “socially distance”.

We had a blast. Good food and not overpriced. Nice atmosphere and socially distanced.