Dinner in Boulder Creek: Every Sit-Down Option in Town

Once the light goes off the redwoods, four open kitchens serve dinner in Boulder Creek: Red Pearl Chinese Cuisine, Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge, Tae's Edo Sushi Bar, and Taqueria Los Gallos. El Rey Leon's Mexican food truck is downtown for takeout rather than a table. The former Sawmill operation is not counted as open. Most kitchens close early, and several take Monday and Tuesday off.

Our own rotation, for calibration: Los Gallos is the weeknight default, the Red Pearl is non-negotiable when anyone is sick, Tae's Edo is the birthday table, and Scopazzi's is for the occasions. The former Sawmill operation closed after service on August 14, 2026. No successor has been confirmed.

The short version

• Four open kitchens serve dinner at a table, from Scopazzi's special-occasion dining room to an unfussy taqueria, plus a food truck for takeout. The former Sawmill operation is listed separately below.
• Nobody runs late. The kitchens that post hours close by 8 or 9 p.m., and El Rey Leon wraps up at 7.
• Monday is the quietest night: Red Pearl, Scopazzi's, and Tae's Edo are all closed.
• Taqueria Los Gallos posts service to 8:45 p.m. on weekdays, including Monday when the other downtown dinner rooms are closed. The former Sawmill operation is closed and no successor has been confirmed.

Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge

Address: 13300 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. Phone: (831) 338-4444. Dinner hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 p.m. to closing. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Scopazzi's Restaurant & Lounge is the historic Italian restaurant and lounge in town, the special-occasion room that's fed Boulder Creek for generations. Dinner runs Wednesday through Sunday starting at 4 p.m. There's a lounge on site, plus private-event rooms if you're planning something bigger than a table for two. It's closed Monday and Tuesday, so a weekend reservation is the safe bet.

Red Pearl Chinese Cuisine

Address: 13151 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. Phone: (831) 338-9800. Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Red Pearl Chinese Cuisine handles Chinese food for the valley, dine-in or takeout, from downtown Boulder Creek. The kitchen runs to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, which makes it one of the latest dinners in town on the nights it's open. Like several places here, it takes Monday and Tuesday off.

Tae's Edo Sushi Bar

Address: 13271 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. Phone: (831) 338-2099. Hours: Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Closed Monday.

Tae's Edo Sushi Bar is the Japanese and sushi spot in town, serving sushi and other Japanese dishes for dinner, with an added lunch window on Friday and Saturday. Dinner service ends at 8 p.m., earlier than the pub and the Chinese kitchen, so think of it as an earlier-evening plan rather than a late one. It's closed Monday.

El Rey Leon

Address: 12890 Central Avenue, Boulder Creek. Phone: (831) 282-7792. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

El Rey Leon is a Mexican food truck at its downtown spot on set days each week, with outdoor seating and counter service. Its posted evening window runs to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, which makes it more of an early-dinner or takeout-home option than a linger-late one. It's also one of the few kitchens in town posting Monday hours, so keep it in mind at the start of the week.

Taqueria Los Gallos

Address: 13070 Central Ave, Boulder Creek, CA 95006. Phone: (831) 217-5000. Hours: open daily at 8:30 a.m., serving until 8:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Taqueria Los Gallos is the downtown sit-down taqueria, serving tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes. It's an unfussy dining room, and a solid pick when you want dinner without any ceremony. Its 8:45 p.m. weekday close makes it the latest confirmed Monday kitchen in town, and it is one of the few places serving before 9 a.m. as well. Hours shift, so call (831) 217-5000 before a special trip.

The former Sawmill operation

15520 Highway 9, north of downtown. Under the former operation, the restaurant generally served until 8 p.m.; those hours are historical, not current visitor information.

The former Sawmill Restaurant & Alehouse closed after service on August 14, 2026. No successor operation or reopening has been confirmed, so this guide does not count it as a current dinner option. The Sawmill article preserves the former operation's history.

What dinner in Boulder Creek doesn't include

A few things to expect before you head out:

• No late-night dining. The kitchens that post hours close by 8 or 9 p.m., and El Rey Leon wraps up at 7.
• Monday is the quietest night. Red Pearl, Scopazzi's and Tae's are all closed. The taqueria posts hours until 8:45, and El Rey Leon's truck until 7.

For grab-and-go, deli counters, markets, and the rest of the food picture, our full where to eat in Boulder Creek guide has it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's open for dinner on Monday in Boulder Creek?

Monday is the slow night. Red Pearl, Scopazzi's and Tae's Edo are all closed. Taqueria Los Gallos posts service until 8:45 p.m., and El Rey Leon's truck posts Monday hours until 7 p.m.

Which Boulder Creek restaurants are open latest?

Red Pearl runs to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, the latest dinner service in town, with Taqueria Los Gallos close behind at 8:45 p.m. on weeknights. Tae's Edo closes at 8:00 p.m. and El Rey Leon at 7:00 p.m. There's no late-night dining in Boulder Creek, so plan on an earlier evening.

Is there a sit-down restaurant open every night?

Yes. Taqueria Los Gallos posts service seven days a week, though mountain-town hours can change, so call ahead if the trip depends on it. Several other kitchens close Monday and Tuesday.

Why aren't hours listed for every restaurant?

Hours come from each kitchen's own posting or from the restaurant directly. They shift with the season and the staffing, so the phone numbers are here too.

A restaurant I know is missing. Why?

We list sit-down places we can point to through their own page or a current official listing. Grab-and-go spots, markets, and food stands are covered in our main eating guide. If a dinner spot is missing or a detail has changed, let us know at bouldercreeklocal.com/contact.

Planning what to do after dinner? Our Boulder Creek night out guide covers what happens after dinner, and the local business directory lists hours and contacts for everything else open in town.