Red Restaurant and Bar

came here after visiting the sister business downstairs. we had a burger and a whiskey. Gotta look pretty close at the whiskey list, most are overpriced but there are some deals if you look closely. Service was professional, music selection was awesome!

We went to Red for the last day of Restaurant Week. We did not have a reservation and they were very friendly and accommodating about not having a table but offered to serve us in the bar. We really wanted a dining experience so asked to wait for an available table. They made us feel welcome while we waited and the wait was pretty short, and we were seated at a very comfortable table. The chairs are padded and as comfortable as the expensive ones I bought for my own dining room table. This was a nice surprise as it seems many restaurants have such uncomfortable chairs.
The food was awesome from start to finish for our meal. We started with some excellent Onion rings for an appetizer. For our first course I started off with the Laap Salad and my wife had the Caesar salad. We shared plates and both agreed that each salad was exceptional. We have had Caesar salads everywhere for years, but this one stood out as one of the best we have had anywhere. The Laap salad was unique with Thai type flavors and steak. A surprising and different salad but a great treat as well.
The service to this point had been slow, but tolerable because the food was so good and the staff was friendly and happy. Then our waitress confessed there had been a technical problem with our order, so it would be another 20 minutes. This would not have been a big deal except the pace of dinner had been so slow to this point. I give the waitress loads of credit because for one she was honest and didn’t avoid us at all even knowing we would not be happy. She also brought us an order of fantastic french fries to snack while we waited and comped us a round of drinks to boot. I give her and her manager top marks for caring about their customers and making it right. I would return here based on this good service and the fantastic food assures I will come back.
For our main course we both had the filet mignon, and again we agreed it was one of the absolute best steaks I have had in some time. Wrapped in bacon, cooked to perfection and super tender. It had a light port wine reduction and was served with the most awesome creamy mashed potatoes. My only complaint would be I wished there was more of those yummy potatoes… and that is hardly a complaint…
Our meal was topped off with some great desserts but we had to take them to go, because of the other couple we were with had kids to attend to at home, and the meal had taken so long.
Overall I give this place top marks. I hope they can make the adjustments to have a little better pace of service because to us the food was special and by far the best of four restaurants we tried for Restaurant Week.

Good service, very well prepared food. But they substituted a different fish for the one I ordered without mentioning it. I was surprised to receive salmon instead, but it was perfectly prepared so I did not object in that we were going to a concert.

My favorite bar/​lounge in town. This review is for the bar not so much for the restaurant aspect.
This bar caters to two crowds, the casual lounge goers and the energetic music bumping party hard crowd.
If you looking for a Loungey chill place to have a drink go before 10pm any day. They have pretty good prices and they don’t skimp on size. The beers rotate frequently and they don’t have a lot of your typical domestic beers so go in expecting something different.
If your into the bumping night crowd this place starts getting packed after 10pm. On the weekend the convert the dining area into a «dance floor» with a DJ. The music is usually pretty good but it’s not a night club and its small.
If you do get the late night munchies try any of their fries they are all amazing. The bar menu is pretty great and again they don’t skimp on size.
Overall great bar, couches are awesome. Last call is 1:30am
Would recommend to a friend
Will go back many times.

Sadly didn’t get to try this place, was suggested that we try it by a neighboring Restaurant that was closing. Had a little bit of trouble finding the place. Once we finally found it was promptly & rudely told by the door grunt that there was a no hat policy. My response… No prob bro, we’ll go someplace that allows hats. I’m sure this place won’t miss my business and that’s fine but don’t waste your time if your wearing a hat. Seems they don’t like em…

The manager, Taylor, is awesome. He works hard, expects class outta the staff and patrons, and is someone you wanna get to know. Dress up or dress down here. But look good. No trashy looks, no hats, no attitude. Red is a place to dance, socialize, eat, and definitely drink. Of course you’re going to spend money here, but it’s worth it. Bartenders are always making and trying new drinks to keep up to date and on the map. Couches, DJs, bar, place to dance… Red has it all. Come on down! Themed nights are always a blast!

Pretty good service, nice, comfy old school venue.

I’ve come late at night after work and one of those nights the chef kindly made us some food as we came close to closing time. Only a few people there and we had a great time. Chatted with the bartenders which almost never happens since they’re usually running around all the time. Food hit the spot.

US passport cards and out-​of-​state driver licenses are NOT accepted. It does not matter if you have bank cards with a matching name and photo. This happened to me despite the fact that I went there regularly when I lived in SC and still recognize most of the bouncers.

What a great find! Came here for drinks with my ladies after dinner on a Saturday night. What a cute little spot to chill and have some yummy cocktails! I had the «Nobody’s mistress» and it was super delish. My date had a Mule and it was really good too. We also ordered some of the house chips to munch on. Oh M Gee people. I have died and gone to drunk food heaven with these babies. I know that the scene can range from chill to douchey here so I am thinking that coming earlier is better for us 30 somethings. But over all I will 100% be back!

This use to be a 5 star kinda joint, but I don’t know if they changed hands in management or what. Drinks are fairly well made and the menu is all right. It use to be better.
Great if you want to get together with your friends and hang out in a unique and well established bar.

Bouncers have consistently been awful each time I’ve gone and I’m going to use this review for both parts of the establishment because people tend to jump back and forth between the two anyway.
After the first time I went, I never willingly suggested the place but seeing as how Santa Cruz is a bit limited in options, I would still find myself trying to enter the establishment with friends who wanted to check it out from time to time and was met with hostile security without fail. They’ve been aggressive, lewd and truly seem to get off on the little amount of power that they have.
Half the time they found a bogus reason not to let us in anyway, like the time one of the guys called us names and asked us if we thought he was stupid, boasting that he could spot a fake from miles away, but the ID in question belonged to the oldest of us and they were all legitimate… I can even understand being cautious because it’s a college town but treating people like dirt is not a good business model. Anyway, after a certain number of times it was almost a relief to be turned away because it meant I didn’t have to support an establishment that employes huge egos with superiority complexes.
It didn’t matter if I went with one other person or a big group, or how polite we were, it was always an unpleasant experience before I even walked in the door. Everything else is null at that point, can’t get stoked on a place I don’t feel safe.

Upstairs:
I’ve been here on and off for over 5 years, great food and drinks. The lounge area is superb, the waiters and bartenders are all so kind, not to mention the fireplace is a nice touch.
Though there is one aspect of my experience here that has failed me every time, that’s the bouncers.
This bunch is consistently vulgar, megalomaniac, and just plain aggressive. I’ll pass a couple words with them when I’m getting checked in and hear them cracking jokes about me while I walk up the stairs.
They’ve worked there for years I’m pretty sure.
It’s a shame.

I came back here last night (Friday night) after visiting this location on my birthday and can honestly say this is going to be my favorite bar here in Santa Cruz. Their location is so much bigger than Motiv and therefore has more sitting space – they also had a live band the night I went, plenty of security walking around + 2 in the front, and an army of bartenders – Motiv had 2 security guards, at the front, and only 3 bartenders on a Friday night.
The bartender who helped me complimented me at the end for being so polite – wasn’t expecting a drink AND a compliment. He was very patient with me and their staff in general was really kind to me – from security, to the bartender, to the musicians, everyone was just so nice and gave the place a great vibe.
Because I was way more sober this time, I was able to notice more details. The location reminds me a bit like the inside of a nice ship – think Titanic but red & black, gentleman’s club theme. Plenty of large staircases – like you’re walking to a grand room – with big comfy sofas, dark wood, and little boat steering wheels to lock the bathroom stalls. I wish I bumped into the manager so I could compliment their business in person, but hey, take my 5 star review instead?
See you next weekend Red Room!

Solid 4 stars. This is usually the first place to go when people celebrate their birthdays in the Cruz. There’s two entrances to go upstairs and downstairs. Usually the upstairs is pretty poppin’ and has more room to move around.
I’ve discovered two awesome drinks here: Orange tic tac (red bull (optional with: OJ) with vodka/​rum dropped in) and Stoplight (3 shooters; sometimes they make it differently, depending on the bartender but you can Google the recipe for your preference). The drinks here are fairly priced and the bartenders are so nice like I would definitely party with them if I got the chance to!
–1 star because sometimes the bouncers are really rude… My friend has a MILITARY ID and she denied admission because they thought the ID was fake, LOL. Like really… My friend goes there pretty often too. AND when my friend turned 21 (02÷23÷15), the bouncer held on to her ID and checked in other people into the bar before inspecting her ID because they thought it was a fake or something. Sooo DUMB.

Wonderful ‘gentlemans club” ambiance (very dark, red, and heavy oak with stained glass windows which open up to the street below and a wonderful fireplace separating the lounge area from the tables).very cool.
Tasty cocktails, the Bloody Mary packs a punch!
I’ve been three times in the past year and twice I ordered the same meal, fried chicken and waffles (it’s a rarity to find on any menu, so when I see it I order it.) and was not disappointed! Very good, but the weird thing is that this time, my other family member ordered it and it seemed different… like the portion varied. Still really tasty, though. I opted for the fried chicken sandwich and substituted the fries for the fresh made chips… DEVINE!
Side note: we had to send back a child’s plate with an underdone burger and it took a ½ hour to return. Inexcusable delay. Luckily we all had enough food to share.

My BFF and I stopped in for a late dinner since most of Santa Cruz goes to bed at 9 pm it seems. This red lit bar is unique, fun and cozy and definitely worth a visit whether for a drink, hanging out or for a meal.
Everything is coated in red lights with a dim interior. There’s a roaring fireplace that adds a great atmosphere. There are a lot of couches and comfortable chairs near the bar and fireplace to have a drink. On the other side of the fireplace are tables for dining, along with some cozy booths in dark wood with red, black and silver paintings hanging nearby. Even the elevator has the red light going on along with the front entrance.
A host gestured us in and said we could seat ourselves anywhere we liked. We chose a table near a corner where we could people watch and not get too hot from the fireplace.
We ordered burgers which came with house made potato chips, but we asked to substitute them for fries and the waitress said no problem. She appeared to be the only one taking drink orders and food orders, so big props to her as she checked in on us and kept our drinks refilled while staying friendly.
My burger was great, made on a house made bun, and was very thick and juicy. I had to slice it in half and go through a few napkins. Same for my friend. The shoestring fries were a bit over salted but they were in good shape, nice and hot with a good crisp outside and soft inside.
The ladies room needs some repairs. The floor was missing some tiles and the stall door had been pounded a time or two.
We saw signs posted that live bands come in and play. Too bad we missed that.
There’s paid street parking which seemed pretty available the time of night we showed up.
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ambiance: 5
Parking: 4

Very much the WORSE experience I’ve had in California!!! Plus~ I actually dealt with the ‘bar manager’. One of the employees made a horrible mistake and made my friend and I pay for it. Whatever, but the wrong thing is that the bar ‘friend’ came up to us making everyone feel uncomfortable and then leaving the bar, the crowd made it worse, unacceptable exit known to man.
Point being: a guy buys you a drink, it should be paid for twice!

This bar is a delight!
Red lights | Fireplace | Comfy Couches
A mix between hipster hippie and hip hop hip! I like that, coming from Southern California :)
The bartenders are genuine and generous!
I personally fancy their bartender, Sebastian!
There is a lot of character in this bar! You can’t go wrong with the good vibes here!!!
The vegetarian burger could use an aioli? It’s a bit dry but order the Poutine!
This is a place I like dress up to enjoy a few drinks with my girl friends or just enjoy a night off work over a glass of Pinot Noir in a casual/​semi formal bar ;)
If you have a celebration to celebrate, I’d highly recommend The Red!
The drinks are good!

came here for happy hour around 5ish, and there were NO CUSTOMERS in sight. We were only allowed couch area in front of the bar. granted, we went on a Sunday, but i mean, its still the weekend!
i liked the set up though, very classy, vintage looking. The couches were soft and nicely worn in. i bet on a nice night, it would be really good for a drink after a date, to catch up and get to know each other (;
My group got a few beers, a calamari, marilyn monroe, amaretto sours, and… an AMF LOL. The drinks were pretty cheap, the armaretto and the AMF were not on the happy hour list though. The calamari and the sauce that came with it were okay. Our waitress was really nice though, liked her.
and everything is red, hahaha. oh and be careful — dont get too intoxicated. there are stairs leading up to the bar, dont wanna fall down these steps!