Surf City Grill

The donuts are bigger then your head. So Yummy! The corn dogs are just as big. If you have time stop by

Hooray, a place one can eat reasonably cheaply and healthily on the boardwalk. Five star rating entirely based on location. Maybe a 3 star place in a normal downtown.
The sandwiches ($ 7) are good size, tasty enough, and healthy enough. Good bread. In fact one sandwich would be enough for two (assuming they were not really hungry). if you wanted you could get also a large fries ($ 6) which is enough for 2 – 3 people.
Get water (self-​serve on the side) rather than the ridiculously overpriced sugary beverages, and skip the deep fried side of the menu, and you are doing decent.
Far better than the usual artery clogging overpriced junk at the boardwalk. But if that is what you wanted, the surf city grill does offer 6 corndogs for $ 21.

Had a coupon for a free drink with $ 8 purchase.
My husband and I each got a corn dog. He had a regular, I got the cajun. It was very hot and freshly made. The batter was yum. My cajun dog was a bit too much though. It was overly spicy/​oily without the flavor you would expect. No complaints with the regular dog. But wasn’t near «the best» my husband has ever had.

Corn dog and a beer before the Friday Night show — my fav!
Cajun corn dogs good too.
Don’t go to the Pirate Cove Grill inside the BW Casino. This place is way better.
Sometimes the corn dogs have been sitting around under a heat lamp. If you can get them fresh from the fryer that is the best — but watch out they are then very hot.
For desert, try the Hot Fudge Sundae next to the carousel.

Manager was extremely rude and unprofessional when we informed him that the corn dog that was served was basically disgusting. His passive aggressive response and sarcasm shows why he makes minimum wage. If you are looking for a good corn dog and good customer service do not eat here.

Pretty great double cheeseburger (extra pickles) for being in the theme park zone. Cheese fries were gross, not a huge fan of the think cut soggy style. Uncomfortable stool/​chairs but the burger took e cake.

Whoa, I wish I passed by Surf City Grill first before eating my 1^st corn dog. (from Barbary Coast) Nevertheless, this didn’t disdain me from trying their Cajun Corndog, their Giant Corndog (for my daughter with a lot of my help, lol), and their Deep Fried Artichoke.
Just like what other Unilocaler’s comment, a corn dog’s batter really does make a difference. Surf City Grill’s corn dog batter is just wonderful, fresh, crunchy and with a hint of sweetness. Contrast that with the Cajun Dog inside and you have a nice concoction in your mouth. And yes their Giant Corn Dog is truly huge! I believe the dog as a foot long. Abigail nibbled on the dog while I was there to finish it off. Their Deep Fried Artichoke was just average though; a little bit bland and dry.
Now I know where to stop first for food when visiting the Boardwalk. And there were also other interesting offerings we have yet to try: their Clam Chowder, Texas Doughnut, and lots more. Surf City Grill is an awesome food spot at the Boardwalk in my book.

We had the special sirloin steak burgers and it was ok… wasn’t bad… but wasn’t awesome… just average… my husband had the special sirloin steak with Chimichurri sauce and sour dough. the bread is too dense and dry. I had the special with a smoke dry rub i believe… and it was a ok… nothing I would rave about… on and their shoe string fries are just regular sized fries… they are not shoe string thin… their normal french fries how ever are wedge fries… but these fries were the same size as say mac donalds… sorry to say… We would’t go here again… We’ve had better… I guess we are still on a search for burger joint out here… Why can’t umami burger open up out here… side note… the avocado fries were very very tasty and worth ordering…

When I’m in an amusement park, I expect to get ripped off. So I was surprised that prices at Surf City Grill at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk were actually reasonable.
You can get a normal burger and fries here, but some menu items are a cut above standard fast food. The wife and doubled down and each got our own New England clam chowder bowls ($ 7.59). It could’ve used more seasoning, but it was pretty enjoyable.
The ambiance here is bright red and yellow colors everywhere, reminding me of an old McDonalds from twenty years ago. The workers are friendly and keep the place pretty clean.
So if you’re at the Beach Boardwalk and can’t make your way over to the Santa Cruz Wharf, this is a decent place to get your fast food grubbin’ on.

I have been a regular here for many, many years. This place is one of my family’s favorite places for burgers and fries. However, our last three visits have resulted in utter disappointment. The fries are consistently gross and mushy. Yesterday, not only were the fries nasty and inedible, but the hamburgers we ordered all came out as cheeseburgers. This repeated disappointment has made me realize that we need to stop coming here because it is too disappointing and now a complete waste of money and gas. Yesterday’s food was so gross that it got tossed out and we had to get food elsewhere, which is pretty sad given that we were there an hour before closing and they were not busy in the least. Normally if I have a single bad experience with food I won’t write a bad review, but since this is getting consistent and they know us as regulars and our food still comes out this bad, that makes me realize that it is not a place we should frequent anymore.

I am very disappointed with the service this Wednesday night when I went! We stopped to get a bite to eat here and to start off the cashier had no personality whatsoever and when I asked what was in one of the sandwiches. She did not even know. It’s almost the end of summer, how are employees not trained properly yet?! I can answer my own question. It’s the management/​manager that CLEARLY has no regard for guest service. Having experience in multiple restaurants in our family my whole life the way he handled my complaint was very unprofessional! Greg (the manager on duty) told me that since the BBQ sandwich we ordered was not to our liking (the meat tasted tough and more rubbery than the bottoms of my shoe) I WAS LUCKY to have even received a replacement of chicken nuggets because I OWED MONEY for the nuggets (which ACTUALLY were less than HALF the price of the sandwich WITH tax) because their «policy» states that basically if you don’t like their nasty food they’re going to scam you an only give you half your money back REGARDLESS I asked if he could possibly replace the cost for some extra nuggets and he said NO in a extremely sassy way. He wanted to bing up food cost and blah blah blah nuggets cost less than 10 cents a nugget sir!!! the most he’d lose was a dollar! But in conclusion don’t expect good service from a place that clearly has shitty management and DO NOT ORDER THE BBQ SANDWICH! Stick to the corn dogs and fries

They double billed me, gee THANKS. I guess that is one way to get a tip. The hostess was rude, the waitress was ok. The food was actually not bad. But slim shady must work there. Whatever, try the place on the pier Woodys. Way better.

I have this place a chance, hearing that it’s the best place for corn dogs.
Our food took awhile to get out to us, I didn’t mind because I thought hey, they must be frying it fresh. Anyways. The corn dogs were cold ;(and when I bit in I thought. Nothing big, I’ve had the same elsewhere. A lot of batter got a small dog. We also got the combo veggie plate. Deep fried Artichoke hearts, mushroom and zucchini. Those were just incredibly deep fried. I could taste the oils.
Over all, I probably feel super gross. I love deep fries foods but this was just way overloaded.
Not expensive, not bad, not the best.

On a budget camping vacation we went to the Boardwalk one night. Looking for cheap eats and outside dinning (since we had a dog with us) went here for dinner. It was an excellent «Boardwalk» experience. Nice cool breeze from the ocean, sun setting and screams from the Boardwalk rides. I ordered the corndog, hot chicken sandwich and garlic fries all were VERY tasty. The highlight was the corndog, it had a light, airy and crispy batter unlike the dense batter you get elsewhere. I vowed to come back later and get another one, but was having too much fun and forgot.

I try not to give 5 stars to dives but I CAN’T HELP IT!!!
THIS is where you need to go to get a corndog at the boardwalk. I’m going to let you in on a little secret– not all Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk corn dogs are equal. The Surf City Grill (also known as Hodgie’s) has the best corn dogs around. They use a special batter and hand-​dip all of their dogs. They’re not outrageous at $ 3.45 either. They also do 6 corn dogs for $ 20. They’re also famous for their garlic bread (worth the calories, in case you were wondering), and the deep-​fried– artichoke hearts. DO IT!

Awesome wicked chowdah! In a bowl or in a cup fried stuff including artichoke hearts as well. Plenty of seating room inside good thing because there’s also plenty of drunk people who need to sit down and sober up.

I’ve always been partial to the corndogs at the Trolley Car at the end of Main Street in Disneyland. But maybe that’s because I feel obligated to love it because I’ve spent over $ 100 to enter the park!
However, I’m fortunate to live in Santa Cruz, where the Beach Boardwalk doesn’t charge admission. Enter the Surf City Grill, a great little eatery by the bumper cars. This place is family owned (NOT a franchise) and the corndogs are a secret hand-​dipped recipe. And it shows! These are big and tasty and under $ 5! There are other great food and drink items on the menu, too. Enjoy a Sierra Nevada brew with your corndog and you are set to go! This author, however, is not responsible for what happens after your meal when you board a quick-​spinning Boardwalk ride.

Not heavily overpriced like I originally thought. Long lines — beware because people seem to go wherever they please. I was cut twice but figured it is best not to make enemies since I have my kids on what is supposed to be our leisure day.
What stood out to me:
— garlic fries
— Cajun corn dog
— corn dog
— turkey leg
— deep fried cheesecake
— chili cheese fries
— clam chowder
The menu is quite extensive so ordering might not be a simple task to do. I knew I wanted to try the Cajun corn dog so I ordered it along w/​a regular corn dog for my daughter. I ordered an order of fries (large, I think) and it came up to $ 12 something.
The corn dogs are huge; very crispy and fried perfectly. The batter is very thick so if you have trouble w/​carbs then it’s best to go elsewhere for your beach grub. The fries were a little too salty but it was also fried perfectly.
There is a small station by the window towards your left for your ketchup, mustard, and napkin needs. I am one of the ones that will never and I mean NEVER put ketchup on my corn dog. Mustard for the win! But yes, eat the corn dog right then and there because a few hours old corn dog wasn’t exactly awesome tasting like the day old pizza from underneath the couch cusion.

Four stars were awarded to Surf City Grill in the original review for what I like to blithely describe as «healthy deep-​fried vegetables” – you know, zucchini, artichokes, and a most fabulous fungus for frying, the mushroom.
How could the grill’s take on garlic fries be anything less than sublime? Ohhh, but it is… less, that is. Garlic fries are $ 6.29 anywhere you choose to buy them on the boardwalk. Several places sell them. If you don’t mind crossing the street, Boardwalk Bowl has them on the menu for $ 4 and change.
The night before, at the Barbary Coast snack bar in Neptune’s Kingdom, I saw especially appetizing garlic fries served that almost convinced me to revise my next day’s itinerary away from Surf City. Would that I had, because Surf City’s sucked.
After asking for the fries well-​done, the counter lady relayed the request to the cook, who displayed to me some precooked fries he picked up with kitchen tongs, and shrugged as if to say, «Aren’t these OK?» I asked him to fry them for an extra minute, but when they were served I could tell they hadn’t been further fried; limp and medium of temperature. At least the garlic spread was plentiful and pungent.
I learned something that day: When ordering garlic fries, I need to insist that they be freshly fried well-​done (as I have routinely with Mickey D’s’ fries when business is slow), and if that’s a problem for the establishment, well, they’ll have saved me from myself. «Healthy,» garlic fries are not.

Fantastic place for classic beach faire! The corn dogs are legendary, with the batter making all the difference. One magazine proclaimed these corn dogs as the best of the west — bold claim, but I can’t say I disagree. For those who don’t like the mystery meat in corn dogs, vegetarian corn dog option is available (and is very tasty).
The deep-​fried artichoke deserves a separate five star rating for its unique deliciousness.
Interestingly, the corn dogs at the other stands don’t taste nearly as good, and yet are just as expensive, if not more expensive. Out of courtesy I will not leave a negative review for the other stands, and just say that this is the place to eat!