San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay

[Captain Hongo]

I'm going to be up there in a few days. Does anyone want to suggest any place good to eat?

Thanks,

Da Captain

[rjwong]

Hiya, Captain!

In San Luis Obispo (SLO), you can try an Italian place called Cafe Roma. It's been a while since I've eaten there. Near Railroad Ave.

On Higuera, there's Mo's for ribs and a steakplace named McClintock's (there's one in Shell Beach along the 101). Down the street is a coffee & tea place called Rudolph's.

If you need a tourist attraction, there's always the Madonna Inn.

As for Morro Bay, there's a restaurant on Market, around the 400-500 block. From the restaurant, you can take the stairs down to the main tourist area. I don't remember the name right now.

On the northern side of Morro Bay on Main St., parallel to Highway 1, a local restaurant name Taco Temple. Mind you, they serve more than just tacos. They serve fish there and it's pretty good.

Of course, if you're down in SLO on a Thurs. night, Higuera St. shuts down for the weekly farmers' market with several BBQ stands, serving ribs, Santa Maria-style tri-tip, among other things.

In Port San Luis, the Olde Port Inn is located at the end of the pier. You can also see what's fresh.

Enjoy your time along the Central Coast, Captain!

Edited June 15, 2005 by rjwong (log)

[Rebel Rose]

Taco Temple in Cayucos is a big time local favorite!

Article on Cayucos:

Try Taco Temple (101 D St.) for fantastic fish tacos served with a mango salsa that's to-die-for . . .

I would also recommend Windows on the Water in Morro Bay.

[russ parsons]

good suggestions all. in general, slo is not a center of fine dining, despite the great local products. on the other hand, if there is any way you can arrange to be in slo on a thursday night, by all means do it. the farmers market is a real treasure. old port inn is good, and has a history of supporting local wineries. i ate at windows and a couple of other spots when i was up there last year and they were pretty good. windows in particular has a great view. i always make a point of stopping at big sky cafe when i'm in slo, but it's probably more of a breakfast/lunch place.

[syrah girl]

We really enjoy the restaurant at the Inn at Morro Bay. Great seafood and service with excellent views of Morro Rock. Cheers! :)

[carp]

Hoppe's Garden Bistro in Cayucos.

[Rebel Rose]

Hoppe's Garden Bistro in Cayucos.

Absolutely. The Hoppe's menu.

Seared Foie Gras with Figs and 10yr BalsamicVinaigrette $12.00

Smoked Pheasant Ravioli with Wild Mushroom $8.00

Smoked Salmon Pierogi with Brown Butter and Crème Fraiche $8.00

Ocean Harvest Plate, Ginger-Black Pepper Cured Salmon,

Lemon Cured Halibut and Mussel Ceviche $10.00

And that's just part of the appetizer list. I never get past the appetizers.

We can never decide what to try, so of course we have to order at least half a dozen selections, and two bottles of wine.

[crosparantoux]

Tavola in SLO is really delicious--better than Cafe Roma, which is more mass market (though Roma's setting in the train station can't be beat). And down the block from Tavola, on the parking lot, is a very nice Thai place.

Also, Windows on the Water is really good. Dinner at sunset, with that wierd volcanic hump in the water is surreal. The service tries to be fancy but the cooks really do put out good food if you ignore the pretentions. They know how to treat vegetables. A delicate touch with local seafood and modern sauces, too. The wine list should not be overlooked--it could be your only chance to try rare Central Coast wines. Surprisingly, they even delivered a flight of high end rums at the end of one dinner (a few of which ADNY serves for the baba-Monte Carlo, thousands of miles to the east--Windows' food is not at that level, of course). Glad to hear Rebel R's recommendation for Windows. When I had two meals there a year or two ago, I was convinced that a place so fine would quickly go broke out in Morro Bay.

Edited June 15, 2005 by crosparantoux (log)

[FoodZealot]

I'd second Taco Temple, Big Sky and the Market Night on Thursdays.

Muzio's (sp?) near the mission in SLO is a gourmet shop with sandwiches for lunch.

Mo's is decent for bbq, but their sauces are not to my liking. JD Boone's on Foothill does a pretty good job as well. Probably my favorite for bbq is Old Country Deli.

The Barn near Avila Beach has some great fresh berry cobblers and such.

If you feel like cooking, they have great fish at the pier in Avila Beach.

~Tad

edit: to add OCD

Edited June 18, 2005 by FoodZealot (log)

[fiftydollars]

Tavola in SLO is really delicious--better than Cafe Roma, which is more mass market (though Roma's setting in the train station can't be beat).  And down the block from Tavola, on the parking lot, is a very nice Thai place.

Also, Windows on the Water is really good. Dinner at sunset, with that wierd volcanic hump in the water is surreal. The service tries to be fancy but the cooks really do put out good food if you ignore the pretentions. They know how to treat vegetables. A delicate touch with local seafood and modern sauces, too. The wine list should not be overlooked--it could be your only chance to try rare Central Coast wines. Surprisingly, they even delivered a flight of high end rums at the end of one dinner (a few of which ADNY serves for the baba-Monte Carlo, thousands of miles to the east--Windows' food is not at that level, of course). Glad to hear Rebel R's recommendation for Windows. When I had two meals there a year or two ago, I was convinced that a place so fine would quickly go broke out in Morro Bay.

←

I agree about Buena Tavola. It is one of the better restaurants in town.

I have also had some good meals at Benvenuti.

[Jean Blanchard]

I will be visiting this area for 3 days in September. Any recommendations for dinner/lunch? We're willing to travel a half hour or so out of the area.

Thanks from Naperville, Illinois.

jb

[fiftydollars]

For lunchtime I like Firestone Grill. They have good burgers, tri-tip sandwiches, a great cobb salad, and whatnot.

San Luis Obispo does not have a lot of choices on the higher end of things. Italian food is your best bet in this department. Buena Tavola and Benvenuti are usually pretty good. Café Roma, is not bad, but they have some bad nights.

I like to go to Blue Sky once in a while. They serve interesting food, usually with local provisions.

I am a big fan of Hoppe’s Garden Bistro in Cayucos, a small town about 30 minutes north of San Luis Obispo along Highway 1.

Just 30 minutes south of San Luis Obispo, in Nipomo, is Jocko’s, the place that gets my vote for best steak house in California. But do not stop for lunch or any other time but dinner, when they fire up the oak pit and crank out the best steak you’ll find anywhere in the area.

There are other steak houses in and around San Luis Obispo. Stay away from all of them. AJ Spurs in Templeton is ok, but I wouldn’t waste my time. McClintock’s is to be avoided at all costs. Never, ever go there. It is a hideous excuse for a steak house. The flagship of this local chain in Shell Beach pulls more money than probably all the other steak houses in the county combined, although the food is horrible… just horrible, but the tourists love the place and will happily wait 45 minutes (no reservations) for a bad steak and some fried turkey testicles (the house specialty).

If you go to Pismo Beach, you’ll no doubt want some clam chowder, fish and chips, etc… Pretty much any place in Pismo Beach will have it for you. I can’t recommend any.

Thursday night, if you happen to be in town, there is a farmer’s market on Higuera. I recommend going. You can see the local folk, talk to some farmers about their produce, eat some of the local specialties (tri-tip sandwiches), and just enjoy the fall evening in the happy little downtown.

[Raoul Duke]

SLO (as in slow) town has some good spots mentioned but certainly look to the out of town spots as well. Heading north McPhee's Grill in Templeton offers up a nice menu with the house wine being produced by Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, good for lunch and dinner. You might see some of the "Famous Winemakers" of the Central Coast there like Rebel Rose. El Paso de Robles really has em' all beat, but since I live there, take this with a grain of salt; Bistro Laurent serves up country french cuisine with a large selection of french and central coast wines. Paris is a new spot but brings the french bistro experience close to being in Paris. Newly relocated french owners doing a splendid job. Villa Creek for California/Mexico dishes, Basil for outstanding Thai food right on the town square. The list could continue but that should be some help to you. And don't forget the wineries, Dover Canyon to meet an egulleteer and taste some good wine. Buon vacanze!

Raoul

[rjwong]

Jean,

Check out this SLO thread, if you haven't already: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69177

Just 30 minutes south of San Luis Obispo, in Nipomo, is Jocko’s, the place that gets my vote for best steak house in California. But do not stop for lunch or any other time but dinner, when they fire up the oak pit and crank out the best steak you’ll find anywhere in the area.

There are other steak houses in and around San Luis Obispo. Stay away from all of them. AJ Spurs in Templeton is ok, but I wouldn’t waste my time. McClintock’s is to be avoided at all costs. Never, ever go there. It is a hideous excuse for a steak house. The flagship of this local chain in Shell Beach pulls more money than probably all the other steak houses in the county combined, although the food is horrible… just horrible, but the tourists love the place and will happily wait 45 minutes (no reservations) for a bad steak and some fried turkey testicles (the house specialty).

fiftyD's, I'll have to try Jocko's again. It's been a while. I've been doing some "research" on steakhouses in Southern California. Which cut would you recommend? New York? Rib eye? I want the pure flavor of the meat, no sauces ....

As for McClintock's, Jean should at least go inside to check out the ... uhh ... atmosphere. Heck, she can get that at AJ Spur's as well.

And for something completely different, isn't there a restaurant called the Gardens of Avila, right by Sycamore Hot Springs??

Last, but definitely not least, Jean, visit a winery over in Paso Robles (... hint, hint, Rebel Rose ... )

[dockhl]

I like to go to Blue Sky once in a while. They serve interesting food, usually with local provisions.

←

You mean Big Sky Cafe, right?

Nice but I always think their stuff needs more salt ! (easy enuf)

Kinda depends on what you are looking for.........

I agree.......Paso is the best bet for GOOD restaurants !

Edited to make a Paso comment......

Edited August 10, 2005 by dockhl (log)

[Jean Blanchard]

Thanks so much for all of the great recommendations. I'm going on line to check some of the menus. So far, Hoppes looks good. I'll be in the Napa/Sonoma Valley prior to visiting your area and I'm looking forward to your small boutique wineries. Thanks, again.

jb

[fiftydollars]

Jean,

Check out this SLO thread, if you haven't  already: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69177

Just 30 minutes south of San Luis Obispo, in Nipomo, is Jocko’s, the place that gets my vote for best steak house in California. But do not stop for lunch or any other time but dinner, when they fire up the oak pit and crank out the best steak you’ll find anywhere in the area.

There are other steak houses in and around San Luis Obispo. Stay away from all of them. AJ Spurs in Templeton is ok, but I wouldn’t waste my time. McClintock’s is to be avoided at all costs. Never, ever go there. It is a hideous excuse for a steak house. The flagship of this local chain in Shell Beach pulls more money than probably all the other steak houses in the county combined, although the food is horrible… just horrible, but the tourists love the place and will happily wait 45 minutes (no reservations) for a bad steak and some fried turkey testicles (the house specialty).

fiftyD's, I'll have to try Jocko's again. It's been a while. I've been doing some "research" on steakhouses in Southern California. Which cut would you recommend? New York? Rib eye? I want the pure flavor of the meat, no sauces ....

As for McClintock's, Jean should at least go inside to check out the ... uhh ... atmosphere. Heck, she can get that at AJ Spur's as well.

And for something completely different, isn't there a restaurant called the Gardens of Avila, right by Sycamore Hot Springs??

Last, but definitely not least, Jean, visit a winery over in Paso Robles (... hint, hint, Rebel Rose ... )

←

I don't think you'll find fancy sauces at Jocko's.

It's a simple place. The salads and sides are fresh but simple and definitely not the reason to go there. We're talking iceberg lettuce (not saying there is anything wrong with ice berg lettuce salad, but these days I think it says something), solid potato preparations of all sort, salsa, vegetables... none of which I remember very well. It's all quite good and whatnot, but it is all several orders below their steak. I am definitely not saying they don’t have tasty sides to go along with their steaks, but on my steak house scorecard the steak counts for a lot and this is the only reason I regard this place so highly.

Their steaks are just awesome. I don’t know what kind of satanic deal might be involved. There is no logical reason that this place should serve such a fine steak. It just doesn’t add up. Nothing but the long line of customers ahead of you no matter when you might decide to drop in for dinner would clue you into the caliber of steak they serve. These boys could give Peter Luger a run (minus the pre-cutting, slathering in butter, and the beef juice… oohh the beef juice). But it’s decidedly not fancy, even by steakhouse standards. The two big dining rooms are just large rectangular rooms arranged to pack in as many diners as possible. The bar between these two dining rooms is more likely than, say, other places to feature the occasional disgruntled imbiber from the local populace who might want to pick a fight if you encounter him (her, too… I suppose) on your way to the restroom. The wine list can generously be described as, uh, featuring an unusual assortment of modestly priced varietals. But despite anything else you could say about the place, the steaks are just really incredible.

Hell, I still don’t believe the steaks I’ve had there. I usually stay away just long enough to talk myself out of the idea that they serve the world’s best steak (it’s been about that long). Then I go and I am once again left dazzled and befuddled by that steak. It just doesn’t make sense that they would have such a fine steak. No sense at all.

Remember to only go for dinner. They don’t fire up the oak pit for lunch and the difference is staggering. Get whatever cut you love. I generally love rib eyes, but at Jocko’s, with the inordinate tenderness of their meat and all, I tend to go for the New York or the spencer. They also do a solid filet, if that is your idea of a good time.

[fiftydollars]

I like to go to Blue Sky once in a while. They serve interesting food, usually with local provisions.

←

You mean Big Sky Cafe, right?

Nice but I always think their stuff needs more salt ! (easy enuf)

Kinda depends on what you are looking for.........

I agree.......Paso is the best bet for GOOD restaurants !

Edited to make a Paso comment......

←

Yes! I was wrong.

Big Sky... As I said... once in a while. I've had some very good meals there, but for the most part these have featured a great ingredient of some sort.

[ludja]

I'll add a second mention of support for Firestone in downtown SLO--very nice tri tip sandwiches and fries. I would avoid the pulled pork sandwich there though. The pork was drenched in an extremely sweet honey-based tomato bbq sauce. The sweetness level was on par with the sweet orange chicken found at suburban chinese restaurants in non-Chinese neighborhoods!

It is a little outside of downtown, but we really enjoyed the pastries and cookies from the Utopia European Style Bakery. Here is their website. Wonderful homemade, *with butter*, breakfast pastries such as danishes. In addition, they have a great selection of unique Dutch cookies and pastries including a great pastry filled with almond paste. In addition to finding breakfast items you can pick up wonderful sweet treats to add to a picnic basket to bring along to a day of wine tasting.

We did not choose to eat there but found top notch classically-made cocktails at the comfortable and funky bar at the Madonna Inn. The decor needs to be seen and can not reallly be adequately described with mere words... A great place to relax and talk over drinks. (We were there during the week, not sure if it is substantially more crowded on the weekends).

Edited August 23, 2005 by ludja (log)

[fiftydollars]

I'll add a second mention of support for Firestone in downtown SLO--very nice tri tip sandwiches and fries.  I would avoid the pulled pork sandwich there though.  The pork was drenched in an extremely sweet honey-based tomato bbq sauce.  The sweetness level was on par with the sweet orange chicken found at suburban chinese restaurants in non-Chinese neighborhoods!

It is a little outside of downtown, but we really enjoyed the pastries and cookies from the Utopia European Style Bakery.  Here is their website. Wonderful homemade, *with butter*, breakfast pastries such as danishes.  In addition, they have a great selection of unique Dutch cookies and pastries including a great pastry filled with almond paste.  In addition to finding breakfast items you can pick up wonderful sweet treats to add to a picnic basket to bring along to a day of wine tasting.

We did not choose to eat there but found top notch classically-made cocktails at the comfortable and funky bar at the Madonna Inn.  The decor needs to be seen and can not reallly be adequately described with mere words...  A great place to relax and talk over drinks.  (We were there during the week, not sure if it is substantially more crowded on the weekends).

←

The pulled pork is a definite miss. It really sucks. I once heard someone say how they supposedly made it when they worked there... and it ain't pretty. Allegedly they toss the pork in a large pot to cook with little or no seasoning overnight. Then the barbecue sauce is poured in as the pork is shredded the following morning. I'm told the pork has a quite hideous smell before the sauce is poured on. The smell was described as absolutely horrible and a very good reason never to order The Pig. Now this actually doesn't seem to have anything wrong with it in and of itself as a cooking method, but it does seem to guarantee a mediocre barbecue sandwich.

The ribs are also dubious in their barbecue heritage. I don’t know the particulars, but I’m kind of sure they are not smoked. They do feature a tasty seasoning that is used throughout the restaurant by Firestone and which is very similar to a rib seasoning (rib roundup) made famous by a local deli. The seasoning, which is on the fries and just about everything else, is quite tasty and makes just about anything, including the ribs, delicious.

With the exception of the pulled pork almost everything at Firestone is good and if you like it, then you should also like the Mainstreet Grill in Cambria. Cambria is a town about 40 minutes or so North of San Luis Obispo along Highway 1. The Mainstreet Grill is a restaurant owned by the same folks as Firestone. The food is also great and, from what I recall, just a tad bit cheaper.

Cambria is a great place to visit and if you happen to want to see Hearst castle or whatnot, it's only a few miles from San Simeon, which also features a mission that may or may not be open to the public these days. This mission has what I believe is the best view of all the CA missions. It’s worth pulling over and taking a look.

The Madonna Inn is definitely worth visiting, but you might not want to eat the food. The food is quite disappointing and rather expensive, much like the rest of the Inn.

From the controversial use of neon colors on the hotel’s sign to the compulsive overuse of a particularly offensive shade of pink, the Madonna Inn’s fatuous design is legendary. Guided by a uniquely gaudy aesthetic, the Madonna Inn boasts design elements reminiscent of a Graceland had Elvis not been quite so restrained.

[Jean Blanchard]

We're back from our trip to Napa/Sonoma followed by SLO, Paso Robles area. We ate at Hoppe's the first night. It was a wonderful experience. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. Thanks to everyone for their recommendation! On Thursday night, we went to the downtown market and sampled a little of this and that. Lots of fun and very different from the midwest markets!

While in SLO, we stayed at Petit Soleil. It's a really lovely B & B close to downtown. They served us a great breakfast and wine and appetizers every evening. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Feels like you're in Provence - next trip.

Also stopped in at Dover Winery and visited with Mary (Rebel Rose). Very nice winery with some equally nice wines. It was fun visiting with a fellow egulleter.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

jb

[sheetz]

Any recs for specific food stands at the Thursday night farmers market? We'll visiting SLO later this month.

[hzrt8w]

Sheetz: I have not been to the SLO Thu night farmer's market stands (but have heard of it)...

Out of rjwong's list from 2005: I like:

RE: On Higuera, there's Mo's for ribs and a steakplace named McClintock's (there's one in Shell Beach along the 101).

Mo's ribs are good. (There is one at Pismo Beach near the pier). The "original" flavor the best I think.

McClintock's steak is good too. Huge portion. With their onion rings, salad, chili and bread... one order is good for two adults.

And we like "Rosa's Restaurant". Italian food. Family style. We eat there every time we are in Pismo Beach.

The restaurant inside "Spy Glass Inn" has a very good view of the coastline, Shell Beach. Patio seating available - maybe a bit chilly in winter. If you want to dine and have a sunset view...