QuickTake:
Pleasure Point favorite The Point Market has opened a new Scotts Valley location, bringing its popular lineup of breakfast burritos, tacos, sandwiches, and smoothies to the Santa Cruz Mountains. The third Point Market doesn’t have a market, but does accept credit cards, and is already drawing crowds for exclusive menu items like a smash burger and asada fries.
This week, Pleasure Point café The Point Market opened a new outpost in Scotts Valley, bringing its extensive menu of burritos popular at the East Cliff location to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The newest Point opened its doors on Tuesday in a shopping center on Mount Hermon Road, in the former Flashbird spot next to Safeway. Although this location lacks the ocean views at the original, it offers a nearly identical menu to the one in Santa Cruz, with more than 15 burritos — particularly, breakfast burritos — at the forefront, alongside Mexican classics like quesadillas and tacos, sandwiches, as well as smoothies, acai bowls, and coffee.
The Point is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. All of the food is packaged to go, but there are two small tables inside and four larger tables outside for seating.
This is the third Point Market, and owner Hassan Ayyad’s fifth business in Santa Cruz County. In addition to the Pleasure Point and Scotts Valley locations, Ayyad opened Pacific Point Market & Café at the end of Pacific Avenue near Depot Park in 2021. He also took over operations of Pacific Coffee Company in Aptos in January, and The Palm Deli on Valencia Avenue in Aptos in 2022. Ayyad couldn’t be reached for comment.
The Pleasure Point and Scotts Valley Points differ in two important ways. Unlike the original, which is cash only, the Scotts Valley location takes credit cards. And it doesn’t have a market. Ordering from the counter without the temptation of thousands of convenience store items ranging from sunscreen to hot sauce to ice cream sandwiches gives this new spot a less chaotic vibe than its sister on the coast.
All of the locations are known for their burritos, which come in regular and large sizes and range in price from $8.50 to $15.99, depending on the size and types of filling. The most popular is the Barrel ($11.50 for regular, $12.50 for large), a classic California-style wrap with eggs, potatoes, turkey bacon, avocado and cheese.
There are a few menu items exclusive to this location, including a breaded chicken sandwich ($15.99), asada fries ($14.99), and a smash burger ($13.99 for a single patty; $15.99 for two).
The smash burger’s thin, caramelized yet juicy patty has popularized the burger style throughout the county over the past few years, but getting that balance without ending up with a dry hockey puck takes skill. The Point does a fair job, and stacks their version on a fluffy griddled bun with crunchy lettuce, tomato and sweet caramelized onions. It’s finished with a healthy swipe of special sauce with a noticeable kick of cayenne. And yes, it comes with fries: thick, squat, well-seasoned potato wedges.
Early and unofficial polling indicates that the smash burger may steal the crown from the breakfast burrito, at least in Scotts Valley. Adnan Ayadd, the owner’s son, was working the counter and said they sold more than 200 on the first day. “The response has been incredible,” he said.
245-Z Mt. Hermon Rd, Scotts Valley.