Best North County Bar
Whiskey & June
5950 El Camino Real, Atascadero
(805) 466-9974
facebook.com/p/Whiskey-June-100063663957196
Best North Coast Bar
The Siren
900 Main St., Morro Bay
(805) 225-1312
Best San Luis Obispo Bar
Sidecar Cocktail Co.
1040 Broad St., SLO
(805) 439-3563
Best South County Bar
Mason Bar & Kitchen
307 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande
(805) 202-8918
Best South Coast Bar
Harry’s Night Club & Beach Bar
690 Cypress St., Pismo Beach
(805) 773-1010
Best Wine Bar
Saints Barrel
1021 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 439-1929
Best Winery for Red
Eberle Winery
3810 E. Highway 46, Paso Robles
(805) 238-9607
Best Winery for White
Claiborne & Churchill Winery
2649 Carpenter Canyon Road, SLO
(805) 544-4066
facebook.com/ClaiborneandChurchillWinery
Best Winery for Sparkling
Laetitia Vineyard & Winery
453 Laetitia Vineyard Drive, Arroyo Grande
(805) 481-1772
Best Tasting Room
Biddle Ranch Vineyard
2050 Biddle Ranch Road, SLO
(805) 543-2399
facebook.com/BiddleRanchVineyard
Best Tasting Transportation
SLO Safe Ride
241B Prado Road, SLO
(805) 620-7233
Best Brewery
Central Coast Brewing
6 Higuera St., SLO
1701 Monterey St., SLO
(805) 783-2739
facebook.com/CentralCoastBrewing
Best Distillery
Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills
855 Aerovista Place, SLO
(844) 756-7845
Best Cidery
SLO Cider Co.
3419 Roberto Court, suite C, SLO
(805) 439-0865
Best Happy Hour
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Drink with a View
High Bar – Hotel SLO
877 Palm St., SLO
(805) 235-0700
Best Bartender
Branson Chubbuck (KROBAR)
1701 Monterey St., SLO
(833) 576-2271
info@krobarcraftdistillery.com
@sapere_mixology, @krobarcraftdistillery
facebook.com/krobarcraftdistillery
Best Dive Bar
McCarthy’s Irish Pub
600 Marsh St., SLO
(805) 544-0286
facebook.com/McCarthysIrishPubSLO
Best Sports Bar
Firestone Grill
1001 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 783-1001
New Times‘ proximity to Firestone Grill is dangerously close; close enough to keep my “days without French fries” scoreboard at a near constant zero. Luckily for me, fries and onion rings aren’t the only things at the downtown SLO staple that pair well with ranch dressing. Firestone Grill has a phenomenal salad selection, which you can order as you belly up to the bar to watch any of the sports on the many televisions surrounding it. I can’t recall ordering a Cobb or Caesar anywhere else with tri-tip as a protein option. I’m a chicken lover so Firestone’s Southwestern and Asian chicken salads are more my speed, but the Firebird (the restaurant’s popular chicken strip sandwich) is my favorite non-salad thing to snack on with a beer at the bar while I watch basketball on one TV, and maybe baseball or golf on another.
—Caleb Wiseblood
Best Bloody Mary
McCarthy’s Irish Pub
600 Marsh St., SLO
(805) 544-0286
facebook.com/McCarthysIrishPubSLO
Best Margarita
La Esquina Taqueria
1051 Nipomo St., SLO
(805) 439-4289
Best Craft Cocktail
Sidecar Cocktail Co.
1040 Broad St., SLO
(805) 439-3563
Best Coffee Shop
Scout Coffee
SLO (2 locations), Cal Poly, Morro bay
(805) 439-2175
Best Coffee Roaster
Scout Coffee/HoneyCo Coffee Roasters
3468 Sacramento Drive, unit C, SLO
(805) 439-2253
Best Tea Shop
The Secret Garden Organic Herb Shop
740 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 544-4372
secretgarden@organicherbshop.com
Best Juice Place
The Neighborhood
SLO (2 locations), Paso Robles
(805) 439-4033
contactus@neighborhoodacai.com
Best Smoothie
Jamba
SLO (2 Locations), Cal Poly, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles, Atascadero
(805) 549-0733
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2024.