Best North County Bar
Club Car Bar
508 S. Main St., Templeton
(805) 400-4542
office@templetonmercantile.com
templetonmercantile.com/clubcarbar
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094210434111
Best North Coast Bar
The Siren
900 Main St., Morro Bay
(805) 225-1312
facebook.com/thesirenmorrobay
Best San Luis Obispo Bar
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best South County Bar
Mason Bar & Kitchen
307 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande
(805) 202-8918
Best South Coast Bar
Marisol at The Cliffs
2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
(805) 773-5000
facebook.com/thecliffshotelandspa
Best Bar for Boomers
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Bar for Gen X
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Bar for Millennials
Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Bar for Gen Z
The Mark Bar & Grill
673 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 439-4400
facebook.com/TheMarkBarSLO
Best Wine Bar
Farmhouse Corner Market
1025 Farmhouse Lane, No. 1G, SLO
(805) 234-9010
Best Winery for Red
Friendly Wager Wines
1025 Farmhouse Lane, No. 1G, SLO
(805) 234-9010
Best Winery for White
Friendly Wager Wines
1025 Farmhouse Lane, No. 1G, SLO
(805) 234-9010
Best Winery for Sparkling
Laetitia Vineyard & Winery
453 Laetitia Vineyard Drive, Arroyo Grande
(805) 481-1772
Best Tasting Room
J Dusi Wines
1401 Highway 46 W., Paso Robles
(805) 226-2034
Best Tasting Transportation
SLO Safe Ride
241B Prado Road, SLO
(805) 620-7233
Best Brewery
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
1400 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles
(805) 225-5913
customerservice@firestonewalker.com
Best Distillery
Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills
855 Aerovista Place, SLO
(844) 756-7845
Best Happy Hour
Lure Fish House
1101 Monterey St., suite 100, SLO
(805) 586-1356
Best Drink with a View
Ventana Grill
2575 Price St., Pismo Beach
(805) 773-0000
facebook.com/VentanaGrillPismoBeach
Best Bartender (name & location)
Jon Garcia, Black Sheep Bar & Grill
1117 Chorro St., SLO
(805) 544-7433
Best Dive Bar
Pine Street Saloon
1234 Pine St., Paso Robles
(805) 238-1114
Best Sports Bar
Firestone Grill
1001 Higuera St., SLO
(805) 783-1001
Best Bloody Mary
Marisol at The Cliffs
2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
(805) 773-5000
facebook.com/thecliffshotelandspa
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
Sip on craft cocktails and take in sights and sounds of the bubbling San Luis Creek at Sidecar Cocktail Co. The intimate yet lively downtown SLO cocktail bar is the sophisticated spot to catch up with friends or savor a drink before the clock strikes for dinner reservations. Sidecar currently offers $17 cocktails like the white rum, chocolate bitters, coconut, and St. George spiced pear Ignorance is Bliss; a toasted sesame oil, rye, Aperol, and passionfruit concoction called Bikini Girls with Machine Guns; and low alcohol-by-volume drinks like the lemongrass syrup and Prosecco-filled Decentralized Unicorn. Make use of happy hours until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Saunter downstairs for the occasional dance party.
—Bulbul Rajagopal
Best Mocktail
Marisol at The Cliffs
2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
(805) 773-5000
facebook.com/thecliffshotelandspa
Best Coffee Shop
Scout Coffee
SLO (2 locations), Cal Poly, Morro Bay
(805) 439-2175
Best Coffee Roaster
Deltina Coffee Roasters
1945 Front St., Oceano
1340 taft st., slo
(805) 270-4744
info@deltinacoffeeroasters.com
Best Tea Shop
Secrets of the Garden
2050 parker St., SLO
(805) 544-4372
secretgarden@organicherbshop.com
facebook.com/secretgardenslo
Best Boba
Sequel Cold Brew Tea
3845 S. Higuera St., suite 100, SLO
Best Juice Place
Seeds
1040 Court St., SLO
(805) 592-2929
Best Smoothie
Jamba
SLO, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Arroyo Grande
Dragon Daze. Peach Perfection. Mango-A-Go-Go. Blending fruit with “better-for-you” ingredients, protein boosts, and witty monikers is the name of the game at Jamba Juice, founded in San Luis Obispo as the Juice Club in 1990. The smoothie chain has more than 700 locations across the United States, including a handful of Central Coast shops that jointly earned the company this year’s Best Smoothie award. The store’s promise “to blend sunshine into every cup” transcends beyond its smoothie selection and into the realm of acai bowls, beverages over ice, and blended coffees. No matter how cuckoo for caffeine I go when it comes to creamy coffee concoctions, I’m partial to Jamba’s Strawberry Surf Rider smoothie, especially on a warm afternoon. Bottoms up! ∆
—Caleb
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2026.