Riva Fish House

As a Santa Cruz local I grab a to go soup all the time but really never sit in. My Aunt and Uncle came to visit us from Idaho. My Aunts last request was to have dinner on the water. I looked up the top three on the wharf and Rivas was one of them. The wait was around 30 minutes in a tight space so I suggest the vibrating numbers like some restaurants have to eliminate congestion. Every single person was very happy with their meal and I was even more pleased that I got away with $100 bill for 5 people amazing. Made me look good to my auntie and filled all her needs and dreams for their last dinner.

Riva Fish House was a great place to eat. The food was excellent and the service was just as good. I really enjoyed the fish and calamari. To top it off the views were wonderful with all the various birds flying aroundthe windows. I will be back.

We gave it a try, and it was awesome!!! Great good, excellent service, and incredible views. I had the fried fish sandwich, with a cup of clam chowder, and she had the Cod&Prawn Florentine,.she also had a Pineapple Coconut Margarita. Our Server was Dustin F. , he could do no better, we highly recommend this restaurant. We also liked the art for sale on the walls, good to see artist promotion and a small business helping out in every way

Stopped in Riva Fish House for some clam chowder bread bowls! We were seated immediately and our waitress was very friendly and attentive. We ordered some gin and tonics with the meal, which were very refreshing. The clam chowder was good but not great. Would have loved more clam and less potato in it. All in all though, I think the overall experience of dining here was very pleasant.

You WILL make seagull friends through the glass! They have great cocktails here, and excellent service. I came in shortly before the dinner rush and good the spicy steak tacos 🌮 I didn't stay too late, but I imagine the sunset views from this side of the wharf are divine.

First time in Santa Cruz on business and this is where I ate last night. Freaking great!!! I wanted everything I saw everyone else getting. I got the Calamari with the shrimp/ scallops house special and it did not disappoint. Can’t wait to go back next time. I sat at the bar and my servers were phenomenal as well as the atmosphere.

Had lunch on a Monday. Food was really good. Honestly, the clam chowder was some of the best I've had. I would have given the food 5 stars, but for breaking the cardinal rule of shrimp! If it's a shrimp dish meant to be eaten with a fork, NO TAILS! Now my hands are all saucy because I'm digging around in my dish with my fingers trying to remove shrimp tails. Ugh. In any case, great location, and very attentive staff. Was empty when we went in at 11:30, but had filled up by the time we left around 12:30. Definitely recommend of you are headed to the Santa Cruz Wharf for the day.

We were in the area and I wanted to kill two birds with one stone for my in-laws. My mother-in-law wanted to see the water and eat some seafood. (They're from the Midwest so I wanted to make sure they got good seafood) They have a sangria that both my in-laws recommend. Our food came out quickly but not too quickly so we didn't have a chance to eat our starters. I can't recommend the Clam Chowder enough! If I didn't want to order the Mahi Mahi Tacos I would have just ordered chowder in a bread bowl. My mother-in-law had the calamari and fish. She said it's some of the best calamari she's ever had. This coming from a woman who lived in Spain for a few years too. The staff was so friendly! Our server was great, and very attentive to my father-in-law and his requests. You also can't beat the view. I don't think there's a bad seat in the place. I would more than recommend stopping here if you're down near the boardwalk.

Located on the wharf, it has limited seating. We went for an earlier and dinner and didn't have a problem. If you get a table by the windows you'll see a very nice ocean view. We had the fish sandwich and fried prawns. The fish sandwich was basically a fish and chips sandwich with coleslaw. The fish was good, Alaskan cod. The fried prawns were perfectly tender and good sized. The breading was light and didn't overwhelm the seafood. Food and drinks were promptly served after ordering, not a long wait. And later on in the evening we came back for gelato. Their gelato was sourced from The Latest Scoop, a gelato store in Berkeley. Raspberry sorbet and coffee almond, both were a nice touch to the end of the evening.

Food was really good. Great quality at a fair price. My dish was amazing, next time I will tell the chef to turn down the heat a bit. Strongly recommended

We came here for around 12 for lunch on a Wednesday in the summer. The restaurant was mostly full but we got seated right away. Nice views from most of the tables. We ordered the clam chowder, Louie salad with bay shrimp, and fish tacos plate with Mahi mahi. Good portion sizes. The salad was a good basic Louie salad. The fish tacos were tasty, especially with sauce it came with. Now the clam chowder was like a scavenger hunt. My husband and I shared a cup and would jokingly ask if either of us got any clams. The few pieces we found were very chewy. Plus it was too peppery. So the chowder was a disappointment. Overall, besides the chowder, everything else was good.

Just got into town and had to have lunch at one of our faves. We started with the Calamari for an appetizer along with a couple of cups of clam chowder. For lunch we had the fish tacos, cheeseburger and crab melt. Also had a watermelon margarita. As usual, everything tasted great and definitely recommend as it is the perfect spot with the best view. The service was also great, friendly and attentive. You won't be disappointed!

We went here on a Monday when the restaurant we were initially going to was closed. We got a table with an incredible view. The staff were very kind and attentive. The food was terrific, and I will absolutely go here again. The seasonal Artichoke and Crab dip was fantastic and piping hot. My crab melt was filled with crab, and the sourdough bread was great. Loved everything about this restaurant.

Food was good but not anything special. Pricing was decent. Fries were the best thing.

Stopped in Riva Fish House for some clam chowder bread bowls! We were seated immediately and our waitress was very friendly and attentive. We ordered some gin and tonics with the meal, which were very refreshing. The clam chowder was good but not great. Would have loved more clam and less potato in it. All in all though, I think the overall experience of dining here was very pleasant.

Walked in right before the crowd. You can park on the wharf for this one. Cost a $1 per 20 min. Got seated right on the ocean. We watched pelicans and wild life. I ordered the cioppino and she had the shrimp Alfredo pasta with shrimp. The cioppino was delicious!!!! It included scallops, Dungeness crab legs, shrimp, clams, mussel, fish and the tomato sauce was amazing. I also asked for it to have extra spice. Now the Alfredo was delicious. I was surprised a place like this could make it so creamy and it was steaming hot when it came out. Perfecto! The service was great and the place was clean! Cleanliness is so important to me.

The ambiance is stunning and simply amazing with the view of the ocean. Our sever Carla was so delightful and attentive to our needs. There were a few hiccups but our server corrected with no questions asked. We ordered appetizers Shrimp Spring roll and 1/2 dozen Raw Oysters, Crab Cakes and Cheesy Garlic Bread. For our entree we ordered the Pasta Primavera, New England Clam Chowder Bread Bowl, Steak Fajitas & Cioppino. The food was exceptional We will return when we're in the area.

We had to wait about 30min to get seated but we just walked down the wharf and got a beer at the Humble Sea Beer Garden while we waited. The service was kind and we really enjoyed the broiled oysters. My boyfriend loved his tacos and my linguini with clams tasted good but I unfortunately felt sick later that night.

Good food with ocean view, prices reasonable. Clam chowder good, cioppino broth was tasty & the seafood not fishy at all, philly cheesesteak descent though i not a sourdough bread fan. Crab melt was my fav: loaded with succulent crab meat & smothered with cheese, melts in the mouth & i loved the toasted bread; linguini & prawn was yummy, pasta was el dente & we chose the basil tomato sauce which was delish. There are about 6-7 tables next to the window with ocean view. Service was fast & friendly

Review #869 Posted on 3.13.25 We stopped in for lunch here on Thursday the 13th afternoon. Nathan was our server and took excellent care of us for our lunch here. The views from the window side tables here are incredible. We started with calamari as an appetizer. Then we got a few things. My wife & I split the crab melt with cheddar cheese, and the mahi mahi tacos, my daughter got the salmon. The mahi mahi tacos were excellent, such good flavor. The crab melt I enjoyed the style that it was open faced, not two pieces of bread. We also both split 2 cups & a bowl of clam chowders. The chowder had such good flavor, and fresh tasting clams, & other ingredients. I would dine here again for sure, good food and excellent service. I wanted to be sure to recognize Nathan for his service as he was an awesome server to us.

The food was great. The servers are fast and attentive. Seating with a great view of the pier. Must try their calamari, oysters, frozen pineapple dole comes with rum or without. Dealers choice. If you looking for a whole hearted meal try the halibut with veggies and brown rice. It was delicious but not heavy. Still left room for dessert.

We stopped by because one of our friends like this place. Firstly love our table next to the beautiful ocean view. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer and it looks like it was house made as opposed to most restaurants that are bought from the same supplier. Calamari was tender and the crust was nice and crunchy . My boyfriend ordered the poached pear with grilled chicken . The chicken breast was freshly grilled and pear was tender. I got the Louie salad with shrimp and crab. I appreciate the generous amount of real crab and bay shrimp. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food. Usually when the restaurant has great views, it has mediocre food. This place has both great views and great food! Would definitely come back and try other items.

Had not been to Santa Cruz in years and loved being back to some of my favorite places. Had read some decent reviews of Riva so decided to have lunch there. All was good except for the food. I had the fish and chips and my wife had the fish sandwich (the same fish that I got only in a roll.) The fish had no taste and over-fried to the point that it was hard to bite into. Tried more starter sauce but it had little taste, also. Disappointed but we had the view. We can get the same view elsewhere next time.

Great food, good service, nice ocean view seating area, cali crab sandwich was great, fish and chips were good and crunchy clam chowder was above average the coconut curry with cod over rice was delicious

After years and years, Rivas still has the absolute best fried calamari on the planet. It's perfectly seasoned, crispy, and always a large portion. Adding crab cakes to the menu was an epic idea. One suggestion: I do wish the restaurant would bring back their spinach salad, offered a few years ago. The current spinach salad needs some walnuts and more Gorgonzola cheese. The arugula in the salad adds nothing. Please go back to your classic spinach salad!

This restaurant is right on the pier, meaning we had an excellent view. We were seated promptly and someone brought out waters. Our server came over shortly after and took our drink order. Food came out pretty quickly. The garlic cheese bread was incredible. The clam chowder was a a cross between a hearty potato and clam chowder, which made it much better than alot of competitors. The fried food had a hint of something sweet which threw me off a little. Overall the food was good and the service was great.

During this SF trip I am on a mission to find the best clam chowder. Riva Fish House on the Santa Cruz wharf is not it, even though its version has many good qualities and the staff were very chill. My two gripes = chopped onion should not be in a chowder; potato chunks could be smaller and softer. Old Fisherman's Grotto in Monterey so far has my vote for the #1 clam chowder.

First off we can here on a random Tuesday while walking around the wharf. We ordered a good variety of dishes. For appetizers were got the oysters and calamari which were both really good, no complaints. We got some of the more popular dishes and to be honest it was okay, I would say it was good or bad just okay. I feel like the cheese on the crab on top of a single bread doesn't work out well. The pasta was pretty bland, we just ate the shrimp really. And the california cold crab sandwich was pretty good but I feel the ratio was off, too much bread to little crab ratio. Overall ambiance is great. If you want window seat you need to come in a bigger group as we were told. Food is fairly priced for being on the wharf. Service could've been better, we had our empty appetizer dishes on the table even after finishing our main dish.

We went on Memorial Day weekend for lunch in Sunday. Had a 15 minute wait where they took our number and we were able to walk around the pier while we waited and then conveniently went back once they texted us our table was ready. We were seated opposite the tables next to the windows with views which still afforded us great views. We overheard someone else asking to move to a table next to the window and they were told there would be a much longer wait. We ordered a crab melt, fish tacos and a kids meal corn dog for our little guy. Food was solid. Husband really liked his fish tacos, little guy actually ate most of the corn dog and crab melt was good too. Just wished that the crab melt came with some veggies in the sandwich or on the side. Overall a great experience tho.

Great service and very good food. Clean restaurant with a nice view of the ocean and cliffs. Clam chowder was nice and creamy with big chunks of clams and bite sizes of potatoes. The mussels were made just right . The he light batter and thick calamari was nice. Fish and chips were made with juicy cod on the inside and panko type batter on the outside. Overall a nice dining experience here.

This place was amazing! The views are phenomenal at this restaurant and the food was made fresh to order. Service was excellent & attentive. I got the Salmon Bowl which left me extremely satisfied as well as the creamy clam chowder. Boyfriend got the Linguini & Prawns & enjoyed it for someone who doesn't like seafood lol! Definitely a great pick if you're on the Santa Cruz Wharf!

Nice food Super fast service last time we were there Beautiful view and nice vibe Defo one of the best spots in SC pier

Food was great. Service awesome. Big portions on kids meals. I enjoyed the fish sandwich. Cod was fresh and crispy. Husband had grilled halibut and was delicious. This place is right on the water with great views and deserves a higher rating than they have

We were looking for a lunch spot on the pier and this place looked promising so we stopped in. It was just before lunchtime on a Saturday so we were able to be seated very quickly. It has a casual vibe with nice views of the water and a pretty good selection. The kiddo got fish and chips, my wife got a 3 taco plate, and I got one of the specials, the salmon patty sandwich (breaded salmon chunks, kind of like a crab cake texture). All the food was solid. Definitely a decent option if you're looking for something to eat on the pier!

Awesome menu! It was hard to choose between all the options. The staff was very attentive and kind. We sat by the window which was a gorgeous view. We got the garlic bread per recommendation of Yelp reviews. It was delicious! But a lot of food for 2 people. We also got the clam chowder bread bowl, which was very creamy. The mahi mahi fish tacos were our favorite. My boyfriend got the brown ale beer which he thought was delicious. Will be back!

Went here on a weekday lunch- best time to visit in my opinion. Everything was freshly made, attentive service. Do try the garlic bread. We had bowl of chowder and warm crab melt. Chowder was delicious. The crab melt has little bit of fish mixed it but thats okay. Crab cleaning is time consuming process. Drinks were brought out quickly.

Location was great, right next to the water on the wharf. We got a table next to the window on a beautiful day. Services was great, staff was friendly and very attentive. As for food, ordered fish and calamari and partner got the fisherman's plate was just tasty, lightly batter and not dry with the fish, calamari, shrimps and scallops. I loved the fries! Definitely would return when we visit Santa Cruz.

My bf and I went to Santa Cruz for a couple hours and were recommended to come here. My salmon bowl was so delicious. The rice was perfect, salmon not dry, so many veggies, and the sauce was flavorful and light at the same time. My bf got a Philly cheesesteak and he also enjoyed his meal. The fries were perfectly crispy. Before our entrees, we got the garlic bread and you can see we devoured it. It's tough to not "complain" but the restaurant is very small and on a hot day, it gets very stuffy. I noticed there was not much air ventilation until we were about to leave, they opened a window right next to the water and it felt so refreshing. But overall, food was great, our waiter was attentive, the price was reasonable for what we got, and you can get a very nice view of the water. Also, be mindful of parking if you don't like to walk a lot!

Such a bummer! My friend and I were really looking forward to eating dinner here, and we actually had to get up and leave. Reason, we sat at table for over 30 minutes without even a drink. The hostess was very kind, but after we were sat it was dust and tumbleweeds. Not. One. Single. Person. stopped at our table. Not one. We were watching others be sat, drink order taken, drinks delivered, food order taken, food order delivered, and even a check back. Us, nothing, not so much as a glance. We were center stage as well. Everyone (servers, bussers, manager), had to walk past us to get back and forth to kitchen. Menus sat at the edge with hopeful faces, but smiles fell upon those whom ignore. Not busy by any means. Unfortunate. Wanted to like this place or perhaps love, but they didn't give us the chance to.

寡淡无味还特贵... 很喜欢Santa Barbara的Shellfish，虽然其卫生状况极差，海胆从出壳到进嘴之间都在黑抹布里待着，但无论从食材的新鲜程度，还是对于菜品味道的把控，确实花了心思，服务态度也很热情，能让人留有念想，并且不断回访的，就是好餐厅！ 本以为沿海的美式海鲜餐厅可以保持同样的出品水准，但吃完Riva后直接刷新认知，真切地感受到什么叫作毫无鲜味的海产品，眼睛看到的和嘴里嚼的完全没有任何关联，厨师也不讲究火候，所以口感方面更难评 ALVARADO STREET BREWERY MONTEREY BEER American Lager - 4.5% 【当地酿造拉格啤酒】 在低温环境下发酵的拉格啤酒，麦芽和啤酒花的比例均衡，度数低，酒体轻盈，味道不甜也不苦，极好入口，属于干净、利落、又凉爽的风格，搭配炸物简直是一绝 RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL 【半打生蚝】 不鲜、不咸、不嫩滑、不紧实，当然也不可能肥美... 但Riva的蘸酱很有魅力，把鸡尾酒酱和红酒醋木犀草酱混合，酸甜口的调味，叠加生姜泥和生洋葱泥所带来的辛辣，再塑料的生蚝都能一口气干光 STEAMED CLAMS 【蒸白文蛤】 蛤蜊肉好老好柴，质地已经快要接近海鲜干了，而且还带沙... PRAWNS & SCALLOPS 【油炸明虾｜扇贝｜薯条】 油炸明虾有着脱颖而出般的美味，使用明虾制作炸物，就是比海虾来得好吃，明虾的肉质更细腻紧实，油炸过后，依旧能保持嫩滑且弹牙的口感，相较之下，扇贝就拉胯得不值一提 炸衣是店里调配的泡打粉啤酒糊，软软蓬蓬，裹虾肉正合适，但裹在扇贝外层的面糊全散架了，而且还硬到扎嘴，每份炸物都会搭配薯条，形状偏粗，内部像土豆泥的质地，火候还可以，成品焦香酥脆 番茄酱和塔塔酱真是天造地设的一对，刚开始觉得番茄酱太清淡，配不上油炸食物的美好，在被厚重的塔塔酱腻到之后，又不得不回到最初的酸甜

It's a convenient restaurant to dine at when you're at the Santa Cruz Pier, but otherwise there's nothing memorable about the entrees. The fish tacos were watery and fell apart when I ate it, also lacking in seasoning. We also ordered grilled mahi mahi with fries, veggies, and chimichurri sauce in the side. The only memorable thing about the fish entree was the sauce, but the mahi mahi was a bit dry. The views were nice but food could use improvement.

Riva Fish House! Honestly, I thought I wrote a review for Riva's already. What can I say that the pictures don't say for themselves? This is one of the best spots to eat at on the wharf. Food is on point as well as the drinks and the awesome ocean views. Clam chowder is a must, oyster shooters for me, the salmon bowl, fish & chips, as well as the pasta & prawns. All bueno. Of course this spot is touristy and on the expensive side but what do you expect? Service is always super friendly and quick. Make it a point to check out Riva's if you're on the wharf feeling hooooongry!

Went to Riva's on the wharf tonight. Wanted to go to the Wednesday wharf celebration, but it was canceled because of rain. So at Rivas, we had four cups of clam chowder, which was excellent. The combined crab shrimp Louis was huge and very tasty. Fish tacos with tilapia are very good. The crab melt was a little dry but using some of the fish taco dressing on it made it OK. Service was great. Also had the Santa Cruz Mountain brown ale (heavy but tasty) and the Orange Hefeweizen-nice! Don't know what the fuss is about with people posting bad experiences at Riva's, but ours was great. Free parking and not crowded!! Win-Win

We had a good table next to the windows with a great view of the surf, sail boats, and houses along the cliffs. We had an excellent server. Other than that, it was a bad experience. The food ranged from mediocre to awful. Wife had a house specialty - Prawns & Scallops Monterey. It was too spicy for her to eat, and her husband disliked its flavor so much he wouldn't change with her. Husband had fried calamari with French fries - He called it "meh". Very boring. A "C" grade at best. (The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc was good.) We're locals - we'll avoid tourist spots like this in the future. Riva's apparently doesn't have enough repeat customers to up its game!

I went there Yesterday 8/14/25 and The Food was Great and the service was great (Molly) was our Server She is Great. The Manager was also very nice. The rest of the team was great as well. I recommend this Place. Food is really Good. I'll be going back there.

So many options on the Santa Cruz pier, so we picked this one. Didn't disappoint. Ordered the fisherman's plate, and everything was fresh, cooked perfect, not too oily, great fries. And surprisingly affordable. Must go back.

It's a solid seafood eatery in Santa Cruz. It's definitely much more casual inside than I anticipated. The oysters were very fresh. Service was okay. The parking situation was a bit confusing, since it's located in the pier. Turns out you can drive on the pier straight up to the restaurant. We parked before entering the pier and walked ten min to Riva. Although we went for dinner, I imagine the ocean view is very scenic during the day.

In a sea of mediocre food on the wharf, Riva stands out by being... bland. 2.5 stars. It's a boring dated room with only few decorations and a decent water view. No outside seating. On to the food... Crab cakes: two small cakes with obvious filler in them. Best thing we had ... which isn't saying much. Fish taco mahi mahi: good sized piece of fish but without flavoring. Tacos were dry unless you added the thousand island dressing. Authentic, right? Clam chowder: glad we got the cup and not the bowl. Not many clams and not much taste. I added some hot sauce to make it interesting. The waitstaff are fine, although seemed a bit overwhelmed and perhaps weary of their jobs. Bathrooms remind me of a cruise liner. And don't look in the kitchen.

Sat at the bar. Had the cute Casey(KC) as our server. The Margaritas were quite good and offered at $7 for Happy Hour! The calamari was so tender and delicious. The oysters Rockefeller were surprisingly good...warm and comfort food like. Fried zucchini was hot and crispy and probably the best we've had! Loved it all!

The blandest food I've ever eaten. Don't come here if you want to taste something. It was also uncomfortably stuffy and not a pleasant environment.

The staff was gave me dirty looks and made me feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome. Ambiance was very plain I felt like I was in a library.

Tasty food, nice atmosphere, good beer. Wharf life at its best. Really enjoyed lunch here.

This is the second time I've been here and it continues to have great food and good service. Beautiful views of bay too. This time I had the Oysters on the half shell. Very fresh and the mignonette sauce was tasty. We also shared an open face Crab sandwich, packed with fresh crab and melted cheese. Served with crispy fries. Delicious!

2025 Riva Fish House didn't disappoint; delicious clam chowder & seafood platter; large fresh portions, and great happy hour ! We went twice while enjoying a staycation in SANTA CRUZ, CA

I was craving clams today since I was in Santa Cruz. My friend and I found this place on yelp that serves seafood including the steamed clams I was craving for. We came when it's still early for dinner and so we got seated right away. Our table was by the window and the view was amazing. We ordered steamed clams, cioppino and linguini with clams in Alfredo sauce. We were very happy with all the food. The steamed clams were good and the portion is generous. My linguini with clams is perfect and it also have a lot of clams in it. Cioppino is amazing. I did also order virgin mojito. The servers are really nice and attentive. I recommend this place if you're craving for steamed clams, pasta and Cioppino. I'm sure the other dishes are also good, will try next visit!

The view from the window is AMAZING!! The french fries are delicious and the waitresses were so nice and patient with my grandparents. Ten out of ten!

These guys know what they are doing. You get your money's worth here. Started with the garlic bread with cheese and crab. There was at least a pound of crab on that bad boy. Then I had the fisherman's plate hella food and perfectly cooked. Then my son had a California crab sandwich another pound and a half from what it looked on that bad boy.