Just south of Santa Cruz and north of Monterey you’ll find Watsonville smack dab in the middle of lush California farmland. Here, you can reconnect your family with where your food is grown and to those who grow it. Visit Watsonville as a day trip from the East Bay Area or while you’re staying in Santa Cruz, Pajaro Dunes, Moss Landing, or Monterey.
Since Watsonville is only about a 1.5-hour drive from the East Bay Area, we’ve explored the city quite a few times over the past year. While there are a ton of things to do in Watsonville with kids (see this blog post for our top activities), there are also a ton of delicious places to eat:
We respectfully acknowledge that Watsonville is located on the lands of the Amah Mutsun tribe.
Check out their ready-made food bar or order a sandwich at the counter. We picked up snacks for a picnic on our way to the beach.
I had no idea what to expect when my coworker recommended picking up lunch at Freedom Meat Locker. First, you drive into what feels like a street in a suburb where anything meat-related should not be located. At the end of the cul-de-sac, you find yourself directed to park in a driveway lined with houses. One building bears the “Freedom Meat Locker” sign with a row of cars parked in front of it.
Was I at a butcher shop or in a neighborhood? Both, apparently!
Inside Freedom Meat Locker you’ll find a butcher shop with meat hanging above you, in freezers behind you, and on display in the counter in front of you. Except for the beer cooler and one area with some grab-and-go potato salad and pies, you are literally surrounded by meat.
We opted for the brisket sandwich, pulled pork, potato salad, and two beers for the hubs and me. Seating is outside in the parking lot with a few covered tables. The lot was busy, and my wandering toddler made sitting to eat a little bit of a nightmare because I was constantly trying to keep her away from the cars in the lot.
If you can, order your food ahead of time, grab it to go, and eat at the Sierra Azul Nursery & Garden (one of our favorite activities in Watsonville). If you have older kids, though, sit and enjoy a beer at this family-owned (since 1970) suburban butcher shop that employs mostly BIPOC staff, but is owned by a white family.
My partner loves breweries, mostly because he loves beer. We also love kid-friendly places to drink, and breweries usually offer both of those things! This brewery was no exception. The place was full of young and hip BIPOC adults and families who were very accepting of our kiddos dancing in the middle of the patio to the tunes of the DJ.
We ordered the killer grilled cheese and tomato soup, the delicious hummus plate, some mussels, oysters, and the not-lobsta roll which was the only thing on the menu we probably could have skipped. Fruition is co-owned by a woman and focuses on sustainable and organic ingredients. I was happy and surprised to find that they also source from Alameda’s own Admiral Maltings!
With more than 30 different types of sausages made in-house, the Corralitos Market & Sausage Company should be renamed “Sausage Heaven.”
Located in Corralitos, just up the road from Watsonville, you’ll find this unassuming market packed full of freshly made sausages.
We were recommended to order the cheesy Bavarian sausage, referred to as a “cheesy” by the locals.
You can order them sliced, warmed, in a bun, or cold to take home. We opted to eat ours at the little picnic tables across the street with some chips and drinks from the market.
The Beer Mule is a fun pub located across the street from the Watsonville Airport.
The patio is lined with shaded picnic tables with plenty of space for kids to roam and play.
Watch the airport in-action from some of the seats while you drink your beer. Our kids loved shouting to announce every time they saw a helicopter take flight.
Order one of their 40 beers on-tap while munching on food from their restaurant or the restaurants next door. We loved their fries ($7) and burger ($12). Check out the menu here.
Zameen at the Hangar offers delicious Mediterranean food and a kid-friendly atmosphere. The staff was super friendly and kind to us, even though my toddler decided to pour water all over the floor…
We ordered the calamari ($12) fried and battered to perfection, sweet potato fries ($7), and the Morrocan Madness lentil soup ($8). All dishes were delicious and kid-approved.
Beer Mule is located directly next door and allowed us to bring our food from Zameen over to their patio to enjoy with our beers.
Check out the menu here.
Looking for something sweet?
My sweet tooth has passed down to my daughters. We can't travel without a stop for a sweet treat.
La Michoacana Paleteria y Nivera has a never-ending list of paleta flavors for any picking child (or adult). Paletas (popsicles) are a favorite of ours, especially the Mexican chocolate, fresa (strawberry), sandia (watermelon), and lime for my 4-year-old.
The popsicles are huge but not too huge for a toddler. Try one, three, or more!
Gizdich Ranch
The pie slices are huge, so make sure you share with your little ones (or not). Enjoy the sweet treats on a picnic bench under an umbrella in their large eating area and let the kids play in the sandpit.
We had a blast exploring all of the food options this lush landscape of fruit trees and strawberry farms could offer. Who knew you’d find so many kid-friendly options in a city with so many kid-friendly things to do!
Each restaurant we feature above had a mixture of guests: some locals, some visitors, some families, and some adults. With the exception of Fruition Brewing, I was surprised to see so few BIPOC families enjoying the restaurants we visited, even though Watsonville has a population that is more than 80% Latinx.
Where was everyone? Why were there not more Latinx families hanging out at the hangar with us? Maybe we can chalk it up to personal preference among Watsonville’s residents. But I can’t help but think that there are more sinister factors at play. It’s a sad irony and injustice that the people who grow and care for our produce might barely scrape by to feed their own families, let alone enjoy a meal out for an average of $15-$20/plate. With the rising cost of goods and foods in the U.S., going out to eat is EXPENSIVE and cost-prohibitive, especially for Black and Latinx families who on average make less money and have less wealth than white families. It is a privilege to eat out and travel, and yet it shouldn’t be.
Although we saw mostly white folks enjoying the restaurants we visited, all of the places we’ve listed were kind and friendly towards my mixed-race family and our two often-rambunctious kiddos. I am ever grateful for my job, my family, my health, and our availability and flexibility to travel and eat at new restaurants.
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Watsonville with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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