Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)

Yesterday, two friends and I drove along the California coast down to Half Moon Bay, Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach. Pictures and a more thorough explanation of the sights are forthcoming, once I have time to upload. 

On the drive back home, we stopped in Santa Cruz (for the second time that day) to grab dinner at Harbor Cafe. 

Now, on the whole, I think Santa Cruz is a little too hippie-ish for me, and while I don't think this restaurant is an exception, I love it nevertheless. It'd make for an excellent location to host an informal summer event. The restaurant possesses a relaxing vibe, the wait staff is friendly, and the food is delicious and reasonably priced. The place also appears to attract a high number of locals and regular visitors, since the waiters appeared to know nearly all the patrons except for us. 
We sat outdoors, where the bulk of the seating is located, and listened to the live band housed in the establishment's small interior. 

We were lucky; the restaurant is only open for dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, though it is open daily for breakfast and lunch.
Despite the dinner menu being relatively small, I still managed to spend about 10 minutes vacillating between meal options. Harbor Cafe's breakfast menu is extensive though, and looks fantastic, so I'd love to come back here for that particular meal. 

After my long contemplation, I finally ordered the garden burger with a side of french fries, while my friends ordered the turkey burger (substituting the fries for chips and guacamole) and the lime avo salad. 
As I mentioned, the food is fantastic. I'm normally a ketchup fiend, particularly in instances where sandwiches are too dry, but my burger was tender and moist, and had a flavorful seasoning. My friends, too, adored their meals. The guacamole (and avocado from the salad) was a bit hit, and I appreciate that the restaurant serves pita chips instead of the standard tortilla. Creativity, even on a minor level, is often a good thing.

Since I am usually a human vacuum, I also like that there are sizable portions. My meal kept me full for a long time (not always an easy feat), and from what I saw of neighboring patrons' plates, most of the dishes are equally substantial. 

The restaurant also offers some cost-effective drink deals; on the nights that it's open for dinner, from 6-6:30, one can purchase one dollar margaritas. Also, the dinner menu includes a five dollar taco and beer combo. Pretty nice.

It's a shame that Santa Cruz is such a hike, or I could see myself coming back here frequently. This place is definitely worth the visit if you're in the area; I'm already excited to return someday.