Best Contemporary American Restaurants in Capitola

It’s been years since I’ve been back to Oneal’s because the last time we went we were so unimpressed we forgot about it…that changed last nite! Boy are we glad we rolled the dice! For starters we had the Dungeness crab cakes. Mind you we are east coast crab cake snobs (nothing beats a Maryland Blue crab jumbo lump crab cake with no filler!)…but last night their is now an official 2nd best crab cake and it can be had at O’Neal’s!!! No filler and a wonderful panko crust with a perfect sauce and watercress greens accompaniment. We will be back just for that alone! But wait there is more!!! My wife had the short rib and loved it and I had the best scallops!!! 3 huge jumbo scallops cooked perfectly over a bed of black rice! The Rombauer Chard is a perfect pairing by the way…Most importantly….we’ll be going back~Great job Chef!!! Thank you

There’s a bar on your left as you walk in, the space is laid of beautifully. The open kitchen anchors the room and there’s fresh persimmons hanging to dry. Despite the kitchen being open, the noise level was minimal. Looking up the ceiling, I saw that the noise is managed by acoustic paneling that absorbs the sound. The staff is welcoming, friendly and attentive. We started with the Santa Cruz greens which is a bowl of salad greens and dressed simply in a delicate vinaigrette. It’s light, citrusy and the leaves were fresh. Delicious. We had the hamachi lettuce cups next. The crispy rice was a nice counterbalance to the delicate fish. We shared the ribeye katsu Sando with caramelized onions. What a great bite! Milk toast toasted perfectly and the rib eye cooked medium. The Brussels sprouts with pickled garlic and balsamic/maple glazed and pork belly was the surprise hit of the evening. We couldn’t stop eating it! We also had their version of margarita which was light, citrusy and not overly sweet. We really enjoyed dining here. It’s perfect for a date night!

We enjoyed dinner on the outside patio. They had heaters set up to keep it warm. We enjoyed the seafood pasta and red snapper special. The key lime pie for dessert was excellent! Our server was very friendly and gave good recommendations.

The buffet experience was great! Each station offered something unique, with everything from sizzling hot entrees, a pasta and omelet station, to beautifully presented seafood appetizers, salads and desserts that were appealing and delicious. The ham, prime rib, turkey and salmon in particular were tasty, moist and tender. The quality and taste of the food exceeded expectations. Staff was attentive and friendly, though it took a little while to be greeted by our server. I left feeling satisfied and look forward to future buffets!

Never disappointed when dining at Cafe Cruz…we were celebrating our anniversary and were offered a complimentary glass of bubbly…the mahi mahi was cooked to perfection and I think they have the best salad menu in Santa Cruz.