When driving through Santa Cruz County, there aren’t many visitors who make a stop in Scotts Valley with the intention to try its assortment of dining options, but this town has a lot of hidden gems when it comes to delicious food. Many of the establishments are local to the area, and can only be found in Scotts Valley or the greater Santa Cruz County.
After getting the opinion of around 90 locals, there were three locations that had the most recommendations by far, and I decided to pay them a visit. Each of these places has made a name for themselves in the community due to their comfortable atmosphere and mouthwatering eats.
The Point – 245 Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, CA, 95066
The Point just opened its third Santa Cruz county location here off of Mount Hermon road. For being so new, they were recommended by over 35 locals. The menu is stacked with items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of which are delicious, but on my visit I tried one of the most popular items: the breakfast burrito. They claim to have the best breakfast burritos around and I, and most locals I surveyed, agree. I am a repeat customer at both their East Cliff and Pacific Avenue locations, usually enjoying a hearty breakfast after a morning at the beach. This particular location does not serve pork products of any kind, so the typical bacon you would find in these burritos is replaced with turkey bacon or turkey ham, but the final product still tastes just as good. I decided to try the Denver which comes with eggs, bacon, peppers, cheese, and potatoes, and I added sour cream as well. For $12, I definitely felt the serving size was enough, and I even had some leftovers for the next morning. It was exceptional! Warm and freshly made, packed with flavor, and the ratio of ingredients inside is perfectly balanced. I have also tried the Barrel burrito in the past (eggs, bacon, avocado, cheese, and potatoes) and it is just as great. The consistency and excellent service are what stick out most to me and to the community. Patty C. on Yelp says that the owner, Hassan, takes everyone’s orders with a smile on his face, and that she will definitely be a loyal customer in the future due to her great service and delicious meal. And a bonus! This location is not cash only like their other spots.
JT’S Two Doors – 18 Victor Sq, Ste D, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
For lunch, I drove over to JT’s Two Doors, which was recommended by 40 different residents. This restaurant is connected to its sister locations Jia Tella’s and Next Door Bar, which, as a trio, appeal to a variety of tastes. The unique combination of American eats at Two Doors and Cambodian cuisine at Jia Tella’s leaves customers with a large menu to choose from, just one reason it is the most recommended spot on this list! Bethany Coffer, a Scotts Valley resident, says she loves Jia Tella’s “because it’s tasty food that [she] can’t cook at home.” The lively atmosphere of the restaurants are also a big hit. They broadcast NFL games every Sunday during Football season and run a happy hour from 2-5pm Monday through Friday. Next Door Bar also has dartboards, a beer pong table, a jukebox, and pool tables to keep everyone entertained. I have tried several dishes at Jia Tella’s before, including the Flat Noodles and Appetizer Trio, which are great, so I wanted to hop over to the other side, Two Doors, to try something new. I ordered the Nomad Pizza which consists of Canadian bacon, pineapple, and green onions on top of mozzarella and a tomato sauce with mango. Made fresh, the wood fired pizza packs a great flavor. Hawaiian pizza is my favorite variation and the addition of the mango sauce and green onion made it even more likeable. There is a steeper price tag of $25 for this dish, but I would definitely return for a nice dinner out. Other locals also highly recommend one of their many burgers or the chili.
Soul Sweets – 222 Mt Hermon Rd K, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Now to finish it all off I had to try some dessert. While Scotts Valley does not have a lot of dessert only locations, they do have Soul Sweets. Only 20 people I surveyed mentioned this location, but I wanted to recommend it, as I feel they have many unique desserts you rarely find in this area. They serve various boba tea options, taiyaki, and soft serve ice cream. Wes L. on Yelp says it is his go-to spot for anything boba since it is the best in Santa Cruz. I decided to order the cookies and cream soft serve. Very simple, just vanilla soft serve with an oreo cookie and oreo cookie crumbles, but delicious! They have many unique toppings as well including tiger boba and honeycomb, which I am excited to try in the future. Their extensive menu and excellent customer service are just some of the reasons customers continue to keep coming back. Esther, the owner, was mentioned in several reviews for her kindness and great service.
Scotts Valley’s sense of community is reflected in the love towards our local, small businesses. These locations perfectly demonstrate what it means to curate and build strong customer relationships and memorable experiences. There were so many kind words from the community about each and every dining location in town, so do not discount what our other restaurants have to offer! Next time you are in Scotts Valley make sure you give some of our local spots a try.
