SwingTimeCatering

Antoinette and Derek delivered the catering to my wedding in Pajaro Dunes and made a Paella for us on the deck. It was great! People loved the food and it was a great service as we didn’t want formal catering. There was loads of food an we had a huge mother’s day brunch the day after with the left overs. Thanks for everything!

Hello Anonette and the SwingTime Catering Crew,
I want to thank you and your crew for providing us with a really superb wedding dinner on Monday evening, March 25. Everyone was delighted and several guests commented that it was the best dinner they’d had for a long time. Besides the abundance (really, I couldn’t believe the generous portions) – the food was comprised of excellent quality ingredients, cooked and seasoned well-​and also held at the correct temperature so that everything was juicy and succulent: everything that should be hot was hot, and the items that should be cold were cold. Delicate items like shrimp skewers were delivered cold-​but could be warmed on site, if desired, so that they would not dry out. Because our dinner was delayed by the unanticipated quirks of wedding day events, Antonette left the hot box with us (instead of unloading the food and departing with her equipment) so that everything would be at the proper temperature when we were ready to eat-​she then came by the following morning at 5:00 AM to pick up the hot box and hotel trays before her work day began. Our guests feasted on succulent, slow-​roasted lamb shanks, garlic mashed potatoes, cous cous, crab cakes (that exceeded those served in most Monterey restaurants), shrimp satay, and rosemary lemon chicken. Because of the generous portions, we were able to enjoy another delicious – though casual-​meal the following day as we recounted the previous wedding day events.
Thank you all so much for your talent, professionalism, and great service!
Marie P-​R

Had lunch here today (Grilled chicken salad and water). This was my first time here and I very much enjoyed it! Reasonable prices, large portions, good service and quiet atmosphere.

The pork adobo sandwich here is amazing, and the people are very nice and welcoming. It’s a great place to stop for lunch in Watsonville.

Great sandwiches and the best scones.

Antonette led the SwingTimeCafe team in delivering a delicious meal and superb service at out wedding, which I regret to say may be there last. Thank you, Antonette!

Whoa, PORK ADOBO SANDWICH! I just sat in my car, turned the radio off and was reminded of everything that’s right in this world. Fresh slow cooked pork shoulder, subtle spices and the pop of a few peppercorns. Inspired me to write my first Unilocal review. Thank-​you Swing Time Café, you may not be a lot to look at but who cares when you do what you do and the authenticity shines through. Inspiring.

Just finished the mushroom/​chicken strudel.MMMMMMMMMMMM.Who would have thought that kind of lunchtime food to go would be available in Watsonville? They have the reward card thing going on too. Noticed someone ordering the pork adobo sandwich and then read the previous reviews. That’s what I’m having tomorrow.

I love Swing Time Café, but the hours are really hard to make. They are lunch time only, and they used to be open only Tuesday through Thursday. Now they are also open on Mondays, too. I usually order the Bob with salad, soup, bread, and a Gertie bar, but I do want to try the rest of their menu. Unfortunately, since their hours are so limited, I forget to swing by. However, when I do, I am very happy. The food is fantastic. Too bad they can’t extend their hours past 2pm. They are primarily caterers, so unless you come by for lunch or use their catering services, you won’t be able to experience how tasty their food is.

Love this place! I am a sandwich addict. Sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat especially for lunch. They use all fresh and local ingredients and try to remain organic as well. Food always taste 100 times better when fresh ingredients are used and SwingTimeCafe is no exception to this rule. Their sandwiches are amazing. I’ve had three of them so far: ham (their own) and provolone, grilled chicken, and turkey and cranberry chutney. All have been perfect. The don’t use deli meat so the turkey is nice and thick. The cream cheese, cranberry chutney with the turkey is delightful and perfect around this time of year. I’m glad this place is a five minute walk away because it’s nice to have some quality food near by but I don’t think my wallet will be too happy as long as we’re living here. At least, my stomach will be satisfied.

Sorry… have to do this again… but great!
This is a great little gem that needs to be supported! Their food is really out of the Watsonville-​league of culinary interests… so I greatly appreciate it, and more people need to find this place!
The new location is much smaller. Probably easier for people to find, but you can’t see the kitchen! That was one of the things I liked about the old space.
But still great food. Pork Adobo Sandwich… mmmmmmmm

Their new location at 19 West Beach Street is a bit smaller than the old one — but OH still yummy. We had turkey noodle soup — lots of delicious local veggies, noodles, tasty homemade broth, a bacon sandwich with thick honest bacon and fresh local vine ripe tomatoes and lettuce on toasted local sourdough bread.. .and I had a pork adobo sandwich that had me licking the paper it was wrapped in. OH my lord. tender richly flavored pork with just enough grease to seep through the fresh roll and make it succulent.…yes please.
They have 7up. And Hansen’s strawberry soda. And chips. And the kids figured out pretty quickly that one of the tables has rolly chairs.
Chips and rolly chairs? YEAH.. I guess we’ll keep coming here.

Yum, Yum. Food is great! And owners are very nice & love to talk to you about food. Just wish they were open on weekends!

The perfect Watsonville lunch spot and delicious to boot.
This building was formerly the netcafe that I used to frequent in high school. I’m happy to say I prefer Swingtime a million times better. The ingredients going into their food are fresh and local, and the menu varies constantly. All the choices here are amazing.
My two particular favorites are the chicken sandwich and the pork adobo sandwich. I used to get the chicken all the time for the delicious brie and basil mayo, but now I’m addicted to the pork adobo. It’s simply tender pork adobo on a roll, but the flavor in the meat is some of the best I’ve ever had.
This place is perfect for getting a meal under $ 10 that doesn’t come from a burger joint. The inside is small so I suggest trying to avoid peak lunch hours and maybe going at 1.

Wanted to help out the downtown eateries now that the City has all but closed down until after the new year. Hidden but well worth searching for.
Fantastic sandwiches and daily specials. The pork adobo and scones are «to die for.» The iced tea is wonderful: pick your tea bag (I had Earl Grey) at the cash register and it magically becomes the best iced tea you’ve ever had. The owners came around to our table to chat and I felt like I was in my best friend’s kitchen. They also have a FREE Thanksgiving luncheon for anyone in need that is very well attended.
I hope downtown cultivates more businesses like the Swingtime.

The best sandwich shop in Santa Cruz county! Great quality on their ingredients, and the nicest staff I’ve ever met. At one point one of the women working there went around passing out oranges to the patrons, and when she got to me she even remembered my name from my sandwich order. And again when she said goodbye to me when I left! I’m not one to enjoy the false intimacy of name dropping by wait staff in restaurants, but here it seemed totally legitimate.
Also, this place is within easy walking distance of the Watsonville court house, so all you potential jurors or defendants should stop on by! I look forward to my inevitable return.

My husband and I are absolute foodies, and we wanted a phenomenal meal to be a big part of our wedding celebration, so we were anxious about picking a caterer. With the help of the B&B where we held the wedding (Sand Rock Farm — can’t say enough good things about it, either), we found Swingtime. The meal they put together FAR surpassed our expectations (which were quite high to begin with). They ended up serving a lavender-​rosemary lamb that was succulent and a mushroom strudel (vegan) that was rich and earthy and had crispy phyllo dough. The portions were very generous, and the roasted vegetable sides were crisp and flavorful. Pricing was reasonable (especially given that they focus on local, fresh, and organic), and plating was impeccable. They also catered our brunch the following morning, with a vegetable frittata and scones that were like dessert. I HIGHLY recommend working with Swingtime!

A great place for lunch.
Sandwiches, salads, wraps. Freezies. And scones. Oh the scones…
My favorite thing about swingtime café has got to be the scones. They vary daily, and frequently sell out by lunchtime, so if you plan on trying one, it’s best to get there early. My favorite scones are: strawberry, meyer lemon and poppyseed, and raspberry.
Swingtime uses mainly fresh locally grown ingredients, and their menu changes on a monthly basis. Their grilled cheese is out of this world. You can usually get out without blowing more than $ 10 on lunch.
They’re not open for dinner, so make sure you don’t plan to drop by after about 2:30. Aple dining areas include patio seating, a few tables and chairs inside, or you can order it to go. If you get caught in the lunch rush it can sometimes take a while, so plan ahead. They also cater. Not a bad gig.