Bantam

I've driven by and seen the crowds at the Bantan restaurant for years and considering that I live practically around the corner from it, I can't believe that I haven't tried it yet, until tonight! (09/21/2024! What have I been waiting for?!?! This place is Great! With some further research, I'm discovering that Bantam is a specialty pizza kitchen.And people that know me, know one thing...I'm a nut for pizza & consider myself a "pizza snob". I call the center of the pizza "the heart" and live by the belief that I say, "if a place can't make a decent cheese pie, forget it! Because if you can't make a good cheese pizza, I don't care how much other things you put on it, it's not going to be good!"Let's face it people, the foundation to any good pizza is the cheese pie! Everything else on the pizza is just a topping but you need a great cheese pizza to start with! What makes a good cheese pizza? A good cheese pie is a great crust! Crunchy, chewy and delicious, topped with an exceptionally flavorful sauce and enough of the sauce that blends nicely with the cheese that tops your pizza, (unfortunately too many pizzas I've had, skimped on the sauce...).At Bantam, you'll find the perfect blend of cheese and sauce on top of a delicious crust! If you dine at Bantam you'll soon discover why it's always busy there...It's So Good! Go and try it, you won't be disappointed!

Hostess is on a quite a power trip for working in a glorified pizzeria We showed up at 5:30pm and with just two groups ahead of us were told it was a 30 min wait, after she took our name down it was 45 minute wait ("no, I told you I was giving you a minimum estimate but now I've written your name down, it's 45min") No pager, no cell phone call back.We decided to try to make the most of it and sit at one of 10 open outdoor tables while we waited, only to be scolded ("don't disturb the people at the bar while they eat, go to the end to order and if I need that table, you'll have to leave, but I probably won't need it")... since when does giving a restaurant money for a 40 dollars of drinks not entitle someone to an open table when they're clearly not packed? We ended up leaving and not getting a drink after feeling entirely unwelcome. Not getting my money. Add a few dollops of snottiness and that would describe the atmosphere.

Had such a stellar experience at Bantam this evening! From the warm service to DELICIOUS food and wine, I highly recommend if you're in Santa Cruz!We're visiting from LA for a few days and this place is definitely on par with LA standards for GOOD food. We ordered the caesar salad, pickled cauliflower, fried chicken & soppressata pizza, as well as a bottle of Chianti.Highly recommend all of the above and wish we could stomach dessert! The staff were all extremely sweet and personable and we can't wait to come back next time we're in town!

Absolutely delicious! Loved all four items we ordered. Crab dish, margarita pizza, squash dish, and the GF fried chicken which we were not going to get but our wonderful waiter suggested it saying many people come in to order this. So we thought "what the heck" And it was delish! Huge fans! Our son ate more pizza then he normally does, he usually asks to take everything off it but he ate the sauce and the cheese! HUGE WIN!

Funky cool place for good food and drinks. I found this place through recommendation and really glad I came. Industrial space vibe with open windows and side lot parking. Pizza was crisp and meaty. Spicy suppressata with honey had a bit of a kick with sweetness. The herby cucumbers were refreshing with a huge crunch. Service was pleasant and friendly at the bar. I'd definitely come back here again. Enjoy!

This is an update from my last review, and this time I went here for my anniversary dinner. The food remains incredible!

Summary: Best restaurant on the West Side, gets crowded and loud, no reservations, fresh rotating menuDetails: There aren't many high-quality restaurants in Santa Cruz, especially on the West Side. It's Bantam and... not sure.They don't take reservations and there isn't a lot of parking. On Fri and Sat, come right at 5pm or wait until 8pm. If it's a nice night, buy a drink from the to-go register at the bar and sit on the benches by Verve. The menu changes frequently but some items are almost always on it. Yes, it's a pizza restaurant but it's also American/Italian. Don't worry - I've never had a bad dish. Some highlights...House-made bread: Dense and crusty, as it should be. Served with salted butter. Get it even if you're getting pizza.Carrot soup: Labeled spicy but only a little kick. The yogurt added a good balance, and the crispy rice gave it a nice crunch. Didn't look like much but it was excellent.Avocado and beets salad: Another surprise. Chunks of beets and beet puree. Olives and almonds. Yum. Can I have another?Prosciutto pie: pizza as it is supposed to be. Thin crust, wood fired, and slightly charred. No tomato sauce. Mozzarella and Reggiano. I'm still dreaming about this. ... If you don't finish it, add an egg and eat it for breakfast. Bacon pizza: not for the faint of heart or the regular pepperoni chain lovers. The flavors of bacon and nectarine and jalapenos. Didn't think I could eat it all. Didn't have any left.Almond cake: holy third surprise! Paired with house made ice cream (small complaint, we wanted a second scoop). Not too sweet and a perfect way to end our meal.The bartender made us a killer marg and an ever-popular old fashion. The wine list is small but good choices at reasonable prices. There's japanese whiskey, if that's your thing.On our most recent visit, our server Spencer was friendly and knowledgeable. Bantam is top notch. No reason to travel to SF; it's right here on the West Side.

Great pizza joint, with a fun airy vibe. The gem salad Caesar was fantastic with a garlicky and cheesy dressing that had a bit of a kick. Fried chicken with kale salad with stone fruit was also a hit and paired well with a couple pizzas we were all sharing. Pizzas were well made, good dough. The requisite prosciutto with rocket and parm had a good amount of salad and prosciutto which was nice. The bacon and fig had nice thick chunks of bacon studding the pizza with some nice torn figs.Great happy place, good service and a nice outdoor eating area too. No reservations.

My husband, son and his girlfriend and I had the most AMAZING food and experience at Bantam-Wood Fire Pizza Restaurant in Santa Cruz last night (2/28/25). For starters, the well seasoned Warm Green Olives, Avocado & Grapefruit salad and the Chanterelles on a bed of Polenta were OVER-THE-TOP delicious! The two Pizzas we had were equally great;, one with crispy Soppressata and Hot Honey and the other was Margarita. We ended this already fabulous meal with a Fire-Roasted Almond Cake! Our server made it all come together by completely taking good care of us, thus giving us the BEST service. The atmosphere at Bantam is hip, lively and fun! As most locals and visitors already know, Santa Cruz, is loaded with Pizza Places. Moving forward, this is the ONLY one I will be going to when I visit Santa Cruz from now on!

Fried chicken, the best. Great pizza and salads too. Yummy cocktails and desserts. Noisy inside. If it's warm enough, sit outside.