Best North County Restaurant
The Range
22317 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita
(805) 438-4500
facebook.com/TheRangeRestaurantSM
My ultimate night at The Range: Go when there’s music on the covered patio. Share a bottle of wine with the table. Share some apps, baby! A stinking rose pizzette or the pickled beets. Order the French onion soup, always. Torture myself over my main: Should I get the 14-hour oak smoked brisket? The pan seared elk medallions? The roasted lamp chops? What about the 14 oz. black angus coffee crusted ribeye? Oh, who am I kidding? I want the rare 8 oz. angus filet of beef. To finish? The crème brûlée. You only live once. Do it right!
—Glen Starkey
Best North Coast Restaurant
Robin’s Restaurant
4095 Burton Drive, Cambria
(805) 927-5007
Best San Luis Obispo Restaurant
Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica
891 Price St., Pismo Beach
849 Monterey St., SLO
(805) 773-2870
Best South County Restaurant
Ember
1200 E. Grand Ave., suite 101, Arroyo Grande
(805) 474-7700
Best South Coast Restaurant
Oyster Loft
101 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
(805) 295-5104
Best Breakfast
Louisa’s Place Restaurant
964 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 541-0227
Best Weekend Brunch
Lido Restaurant & Lounge
2727 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
(805) 773-8900
Best Family-Friendly Restaurant
Cool Cat Café
3164 Broad St., suite 102, SLO
198 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
(805) 544-8235
facebook.com/coolcatcafecalifornia
Best Place to go on a First Date
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
726 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 543-3986
Best Outdoor Dining
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
726 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 543-3986
Best Chinese Food
Mei’s Chinese Restaurant
1759 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach
(805) 773-2908
facebook.com/pages/Meis-Chinese-Restaurant/121668924510235
Best Indian Food
Shalimar
3820 Broad St., SLO
(805) 781-0766
Best Italian Food
Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica
891 Price St., Pismo Beach
849 Monterey St., SLO
(805) 773-2870
Best Japanese Food
Goshi
570 Higuera St., suite 155, SLO
772 Pine St., Paso Robles
(805) 543-8942
Best Mediterranean Food
Petra Mediterranean Pizza & Grill
1210 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 439-1999
It’s nourishing, saucy, meaty, herby, filling, and delectable. That pretty much describes almost every dish at Petra Mediterranean Pizza & Grill. A stone’s throw away from San Luis Obispo’s downtown core, the Higuera Street restaurant is hard to beat when it comes to shawarma, gyro, and falafel bowls. My personal favorite is the plate of two chicken kabob skewers that arrives on a bed of fluffy turmeric rice and lightly dressed tomatoes and lettuce. They come with sides of a garlicky dip, cucumber-flecked tzatziki, and paprika-dusted hummus, which create a hearty meal. But there’s more! Petra adds warm pita to its bowls too, and I happily end up with lunch and dinner through a single order. Don’t want to dig through a bowl? Get a Petra sandwich that stuffs all the elements into a pita pocket. Worried about making a mess with the pita sandwich? Get one of the Mediterranean-style pizzas, like the gyro or the Greek feta. Just don’t forget to hit the extensive sauce bar on your way out.
—Bulbul Rajagopal
Best Mexican Food
Efren’s Mexican Restaurant
1720 Beach St., Oceano
1285 Laurel Lane, SLO
(805) 489-2385
efrensrestaurantoceano@gmail.com
facebook.com/efrenssanluisobispo
Best Thai Food
Thai Boat
3212 Broad St., No. 140, SLO
(805) 594-1638
Best Seafood
Oyster Loft
101 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
(805) 295-5104
Best Sushi
Goshi
570 Higuera St., suite 155, SLO
772 Pine St., Paso Robles
(805) 543-8942
Best Poke
Pokirito
848 Foothill Blvd., SLO
(805) 439-2541
Best Barbecue
Old SLO BBQ Co.
670 Higuera St., SLO
3870-3 Broad St., SLO
(805) 285-2473
Best Vegan Food
Ziggy’s
594 California Blvd., SLO
1227 Pine St., Paso Robles
(805) 439-4399
Best Vegetarian Food
Ziggy’s
594 California Blvd., SLO
1227 Pine St., Paso Robles
(805) 439-4399
Best Food Truck
Taqueria El Guero
SLO, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach
(805) 904-0104
Best Chef
Garrett Morris (Sichuan Kitchen SLO)
977 Foothill Boulevard, SLO
(805) 888-7752
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076593596132
Best Caterer
Taste!
2900 Broad St., SLO
(805) 200-2978
Best Butcher
Arroyo Grande Meat Company
120 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande
(805) 489-2693
Best Fish Market
Pier 46 Seafood Company
1131 Rossi Road, Templeton
(805) 434-1950
Best Burrito
Tacos de Acapulco
596 California Blvd., SLO
(805) 543-9100
Living down the street from Tacos de Acapulco and their savory burritos for two years was a dangerous game to play. Whether it’s a pit stop before going to the beach, recovery fuel after a night out, or something quick and filling, Tacos de Acapulco has you covered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bite into a homemade chorizo and egg burrito to start your day or savor a carne asada burrito in the afternoon, packed with rice, beans, cheese, onion, and cilantro. There are vegetarian options for our herbivore friends where they can munch on a burrito filled with bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and tomatoes. With reasonable prices and speedy preparation, it’s hard not to stop by!
—Taylor O’Connor
Best Breakfast Burrito
Lincoln Market & Deli
496 Broad St., SLO
(805) 543-3443
lincolnmarketanddeli@gmail.com
facebook.com/LincolnMarketandDeli
Best Taco
Taqueria El Guero
SLO, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach
(805) 904-0104
Best Burger
Sylvester’s Burgers
Los Osos, Atascadero, Oceano
facebook.com/sylvesters.burger
Best Sandwich
High Street Deli
350 High St., SLO
1326 Second St., Los Osos
(805) 541-4738
Best Steak
Jocko’s Steakhouse
125 N. Thompson Ave., Nipomo
(805) 929-3686
Best Hot Chicken
Dave’s Hot Chicken
299 Madonna Road, SLO
(805) 706-0600
Best Pizza
Woodstock’s Pizza
1000 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 541-4420
Best Wood-Fired Pizza
Flour House
690 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 544-5282
facebook.com/Flour-House-SLO-1103189849695534
Best Salad
Firestone Grill
1001 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 783-1001
Best Chowder
Splash Café
197 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
(805) 773-4653
facebook.com/SplashCafeChowder
Best Ramen
Raku Ramen
799 E. Foothill Blvd., suite A, SLO
(805) 439-3088
Best Fish & Chips
Pier 46 Seafood Company
1131 Rossi Road, Templeton
(805) 434-1950
Best Mac & Cheese
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Ice Cream
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
868 Monterey St., SLO
(805) 439-5055
facebook.com/mcconnells.icecream
Best Froyo
SLO Froyo n’ Italian Ice
956 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 787-0190
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073203202519
Best Doughnut
SloDoCo
Atascadero, SLO (two locations)
(805) 782-9766
Best Dessert
Madonna Inn
100 Madonna Road, SLO
(805) 784-2433
Best Pie
Linn’s Easy As Pie Cafe
4251 Bridge St., Cambria
(805) 924-3050
Best Bread
Bread Bike
2060 Parker St., SLO
(805) 242-1588
Best Bakery
Bread Bike
2060 Parker St., SLO
(805) 242-1588
Best Olive Oil
Pasolivo Olive Oil
8530 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
(805) 227-0186
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2024.