Vegans Beware! This review is only for the vegan situation, Drinks, service and food otherwise are phenomenal. They do not have a separate fryer for their animal products. Menu items listed as vegan that are fried are not vegan. For example, the oyster mushroom sandwich, Brussels sprouts are listed as vegan. The fries, listed as vegetarian technically aren't even vegetarian if fried with animal products. Not sure how a head chef and general manager don't know this, (now they do.)Would love to return but until my husband has other options to eat other than a Caesar salad, my reasons to return are limited. Thank you for your response Sean, please inform your wait staff of this because I was told by my server this was not the case. The server spoke with the chef and general manager and still came back to tell me that they were not separate. So I am not sure what to believe or where the confusion amongst your staff is coming from. I never claimed you were a vegan restaurant but if you are listing items as vegan, they need to actually vegan.
Jason B.
Staff not very friendly food was over cooked smash burger miller highlife was tasty though. The fried chicken might have been fried but where is the batter.... The ambiance is cold but savvy. The creme brûlée said it was vanilla and jasmine tasted like lemon custard. All I'm saying is my fried chicken was fried chicken no batter . My smash burgers were smashed to smithereens. Just be careful if you want a good time here it not that good and I e given them four try's .... I'm done after this one and there bourbon is 14 buck it ain't no Blantons. Good day and Venus please try again. I'll be back in 6 weeks.
Sarah _.
BYOW: Bring your own water. If you don't plan to drink water that's fine. I would recommend stopping at Safeway on the way there to pick up some San Pelligrino or sparkling beverage of your choice. Better yet, bring your own water carbonator and cartridge and make sparkling water at the table offering some to your neighbors. Why? Because after you spend $100-200 on dinner, you might find that $16-20 of your bill was water. They charge more for a shot of sparkling water than they do for their bottled Gin! Let's do some math. A bottle of #01 Venus Gin costs $30-40. I paid about $36. At 750 mL, there are about 16 shots, meaning that each shot is about $2.25. Now calculate the carbonated water they serve in the restaurant...it is served in a thin glass full of ice. I doubt there is much more there than one shot. It costs $4, plus the %4 service fee, plus tax, plus tip. That's right, water is taxable because it has bubbles. So, we add $0.16 for the service fee, $0.37 for the tax, and $0.80 if you tip 20% because you're not an animal. That brings our grand total to $5.33 for a shot of carbonated water. That is more than DOUBLE the price of their Gin. That also exceeds the price of a shot at many bars. The owner claims that this is some very special water that they have somehow purified. To that I say this...you did not go to some glacier in Greenland to melt this water for us, you took this from the San Lorenzo River which I peed in several times as a kid. Maybe you filtered out all the fecal coliform, but doesn't the City of Santa Cruz already do that? Maybe your purification process includes removing a bit more of the heart medication and anti-depressants that the people in Boulder Creek and Felton pissed out, but I wouldn't use that in your marketing. The spirits are good, the tasting room is lovely, the food is good, and the service is friendly, but all of that gets overshadowed by this ridiculousness. I have been a consumer of your Gin since 2014, and you recently sent me an email for a free cocktail on my birthday. I would much rather have a complimentary sparkling water when I am at your place buying a cocktail. Some of us have to drive home, and those that aren't drinking so they can drive others should get a free water too...or even a free mocktail! If you agree to make your water cheaper than your Gin, then I will write a review of your food and spirits which I did enjoy.
E B.
New sneaky 4% surcharge is simply wrong. We've been enthusiastic patrons at Venus Westside since back when it was a tasting room, loving both their food and their creative cocktails. But we stopped by last week after not visiting in a while and, following a nice dinner, were shocked to discover a 4% surcharge added to our bill. "What could this be?" we wondered. We asked to look at the menu again and there it was, in very small print, way at the bottom: "4% surcharge will be added to guest checks. This charge helps to cover increased costs. This is not a gratuity." Call me crazy, but my understanding is that when a restaurant's costs go up, they raise their prices. You know - on the menu, item by item? When did restaurants start unilaterally adding a surcharge to every single item on their menu and only acknowledging it in tiny print at the bottom of the page where you would never think to look? I understand prices have gone up, and I want to continue to support local businesses in my home town. But this super-secret extra fee business is simply wrong. Venus had to reprint their menus in order to add this new upcharge - why didn't they just do the honest thing and raise their prices?
Damon F.
Stopped in on a Thursday evening after my friend, who was born and raised in Santa Cruz, recommended this place to me for the umpteenth time. I had to apologize an equal amount of times because I have been missing out. I visited just the tasting room because I had my two dogs with me. First impressions are important and the bartender was so friendly and knowledgeable. I had the Grapefruit and Grace first and it was a mild but still tasty drink. It was well balanced and refreshing. It really hit the spot for the 70 degree day it was. I finished it pretty fast because it was an easy drink, so be careful. I also had a mocktail (A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME), and it was just as refreshing without the kick, obviously. I would order it again if I wasn't in the mood to drink because I am a sucker for elderflower. I also got the popcorn which I really liked. It was very well seasoned (I must know the seasoning lol) and each piece had a crunch to it. I wasn't hungry so it was a nice snack that won't fill anyone up too much, yet it was satisfying. I honestly eat popcorn five times a week so I feel like I am an expert on the subject lmao I will definitely have to go back and have some more of the food and their seasonal drinks. It was a great first impression for a quick stop in!
L Chang
Get the brunch chicken & waffles. You’re welcome.drinks are well made and creative, too.
SaraB
If you like Gin then Venus is the place for you! Food is healthy and delicious too. Limited menu but everything is tasty. Not inexpensive but worth the price. Waitstaff are attentive but not intrusive. Simple ambience.
Cannabelle
It's always fun to try a new place. Servers were friendly and knowledgeable. My husbands Shrimp and grits were delicious. My fried chicken plate under seasoned and unevenly battered. The food is there mainly to accompany the drinks!
This is a nice, fun place to eat with good food. Since they are attached to a distillery, their drinks are fabulous. The appetizers were great; mole ribs, grilled carrots, and glazed Brussel sprouts. The entrees were also done very well; burger, fried chicken and short ribs. It's a bit noisy and the bench seating detracts a little bit, but still so worth it!! Highly recommended!
Steve S.
Gin cocktails made me like gin for first time! Food is very creative and delicious. The crispy brussel sprouts are awesome. Fries are top quality. Their sausage plate is fantastic! High quality and unique sausage.
The food was pretty good. I had the creamy white bean soup and the Mrs Babe had the Brussel sprouts and a pile of French fries with herbs. She also had one of the fancy gin drinks which she said was delicious. The waitress mentioned that they were opening for brunch on the weekend and they were going to feature the Gin Fizz. The place has a cool buzzy vibe with all the cool people in town attending.
Debbie Pieracci
Staff was very nice food was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bill Kingsland
I highly recommend that you try this place out. We really enjoyed it.
Vegans Beware! This review is only for the vegan situation, Drinks, service and food otherwise are phenomenal. They do not have a separate fryer for their animal products. Menu items listed as vegan that are fried are not vegan. For example, the oyster mushroom sandwich, Brussels sprouts are listed as vegan. The fries, listed as vegetarian technically aren't even vegetarian if fried with animal products. Not sure how a head chef and general manager don't know this, (now they do.)Would love to return but until my husband has other options to eat other than a Caesar salad, my reasons to return are limited. Thank you for your response Sean, please inform your wait staff of this because I was told by my server this was not the case. The server spoke with the chef and general manager and still came back to tell me that they were not separate. So I am not sure what to believe or where the confusion amongst your staff is coming from. I never claimed you were a vegan restaurant but if you are listing items as vegan, they need to actually vegan.
Staff not very friendly food was over cooked smash burger miller highlife was tasty though. The fried chicken might have been fried but where is the batter.... The ambiance is cold but savvy. The creme brûlée said it was vanilla and jasmine tasted like lemon custard. All I'm saying is my fried chicken was fried chicken no batter . My smash burgers were smashed to smithereens. Just be careful if you want a good time here it not that good and I e given them four try's .... I'm done after this one and there bourbon is 14 buck it ain't no Blantons. Good day and Venus please try again. I'll be back in 6 weeks.
BYOW: Bring your own water. If you don't plan to drink water that's fine. I would recommend stopping at Safeway on the way there to pick up some San Pelligrino or sparkling beverage of your choice. Better yet, bring your own water carbonator and cartridge and make sparkling water at the table offering some to your neighbors. Why? Because after you spend $100-200 on dinner, you might find that $16-20 of your bill was water. They charge more for a shot of sparkling water than they do for their bottled Gin! Let's do some math. A bottle of #01 Venus Gin costs $30-40. I paid about $36. At 750 mL, there are about 16 shots, meaning that each shot is about $2.25. Now calculate the carbonated water they serve in the restaurant...it is served in a thin glass full of ice. I doubt there is much more there than one shot. It costs $4, plus the %4 service fee, plus tax, plus tip. That's right, water is taxable because it has bubbles. So, we add $0.16 for the service fee, $0.37 for the tax, and $0.80 if you tip 20% because you're not an animal. That brings our grand total to $5.33 for a shot of carbonated water. That is more than DOUBLE the price of their Gin. That also exceeds the price of a shot at many bars. The owner claims that this is some very special water that they have somehow purified. To that I say this...you did not go to some glacier in Greenland to melt this water for us, you took this from the San Lorenzo River which I peed in several times as a kid. Maybe you filtered out all the fecal coliform, but doesn't the City of Santa Cruz already do that? Maybe your purification process includes removing a bit more of the heart medication and anti-depressants that the people in Boulder Creek and Felton pissed out, but I wouldn't use that in your marketing. The spirits are good, the tasting room is lovely, the food is good, and the service is friendly, but all of that gets overshadowed by this ridiculousness. I have been a consumer of your Gin since 2014, and you recently sent me an email for a free cocktail on my birthday. I would much rather have a complimentary sparkling water when I am at your place buying a cocktail. Some of us have to drive home, and those that aren't drinking so they can drive others should get a free water too...or even a free mocktail! If you agree to make your water cheaper than your Gin, then I will write a review of your food and spirits which I did enjoy.
New sneaky 4% surcharge is simply wrong. We've been enthusiastic patrons at Venus Westside since back when it was a tasting room, loving both their food and their creative cocktails. But we stopped by last week after not visiting in a while and, following a nice dinner, were shocked to discover a 4% surcharge added to our bill. "What could this be?" we wondered. We asked to look at the menu again and there it was, in very small print, way at the bottom: "4% surcharge will be added to guest checks. This charge helps to cover increased costs. This is not a gratuity." Call me crazy, but my understanding is that when a restaurant's costs go up, they raise their prices. You know - on the menu, item by item? When did restaurants start unilaterally adding a surcharge to every single item on their menu and only acknowledging it in tiny print at the bottom of the page where you would never think to look? I understand prices have gone up, and I want to continue to support local businesses in my home town. But this super-secret extra fee business is simply wrong. Venus had to reprint their menus in order to add this new upcharge - why didn't they just do the honest thing and raise their prices?
Stopped in on a Thursday evening after my friend, who was born and raised in Santa Cruz, recommended this place to me for the umpteenth time. I had to apologize an equal amount of times because I have been missing out. I visited just the tasting room because I had my two dogs with me. First impressions are important and the bartender was so friendly and knowledgeable. I had the Grapefruit and Grace first and it was a mild but still tasty drink. It was well balanced and refreshing. It really hit the spot for the 70 degree day it was. I finished it pretty fast because it was an easy drink, so be careful. I also had a mocktail (A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME), and it was just as refreshing without the kick, obviously. I would order it again if I wasn't in the mood to drink because I am a sucker for elderflower. I also got the popcorn which I really liked. It was very well seasoned (I must know the seasoning lol) and each piece had a crunch to it. I wasn't hungry so it was a nice snack that won't fill anyone up too much, yet it was satisfying. I honestly eat popcorn five times a week so I feel like I am an expert on the subject lmao I will definitely have to go back and have some more of the food and their seasonal drinks. It was a great first impression for a quick stop in!
Get the brunch chicken & waffles. You’re welcome.drinks are well made and creative, too.
If you like Gin then Venus is the place for you! Food is healthy and delicious too. Limited menu but everything is tasty. Not inexpensive but worth the price. Waitstaff are attentive but not intrusive. Simple ambience.
It's always fun to try a new place. Servers were friendly and knowledgeable. My husbands Shrimp and grits were delicious. My fried chicken plate under seasoned and unevenly battered. The food is there mainly to accompany the drinks!
This is a nice, fun place to eat with good food. Since they are attached to a distillery, their drinks are fabulous. The appetizers were great; mole ribs, grilled carrots, and glazed Brussel sprouts. The entrees were also done very well; burger, fried chicken and short ribs. It's a bit noisy and the bench seating detracts a little bit, but still so worth it!! Highly recommended!
Gin cocktails made me like gin for first time! Food is very creative and delicious. The crispy brussel sprouts are awesome. Fries are top quality. Their sausage plate is fantastic! High quality and unique sausage.
Restaurantji Recommends
Best whiskey in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was pretty good. I had the creamy white bean soup and the Mrs Babe had the Brussel sprouts and a pile of French fries with herbs. She also had one of the fancy gin drinks which she said was delicious. The waitress mentioned that they were opening for brunch on the weekend and they were going to feature the Gin Fizz. The place has a cool buzzy vibe with all the cool people in town attending.
Staff was very nice food was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I highly recommend that you try this place out. We really enjoyed it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wayward Burger
Favorite place in town!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Grilled Chicken Sando