The only thing better than macking on inexpensive comfort food is showing off your insider knowledge about hole-in-the-wall eateries to impress your friends. It always feels good to share a meal, especially one that doesn’t break the bank and comes from an unusual location, so if you like sandos and burgers; burritos, tacos, and tortas; or all kinds of breakfast delights coming from a liquor store, bodega, or gas station, read on.
Fat Jay’s Kitchen inside Cork ’n’ Bottle Liquor Store, 774 Foothill Blvd., SLO (805) 631-8222. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and 10 p.m. on Friday through Sunday.
Two words: smash burger. Fat Jay’s, which features some indoor seating and is probably closest to your school or residence, has all kinds of tasty choices from street tacos ($3.50), quesadillas ($11 and up), tortas (the $16 Cubana is to die for), and great burritos ($13 and up), but the smash burgers are off the charts. The West Coast Cali ($13) is two smashed patties under melted seasoned cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, caramelized onions, bacon, and smashed avocado, with Fat Jay’s special sauce. The Wild West substitutes pepper jack and adds onion rings. Eat up and calm down about your cholesterol and hardened arteries. You’re 20!
Fat Jay’s is also a great grab-and-go for breakfast, with burritos and sandwiches, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, avocado toast, a Denver omelet, tres leches French toast, and pancakes. The most expensive thing on the menu is $16. The restaurant is co-owned by Jessie “Fat Jay” Orellana and Miguel Fuentes, who both have years of cooking experience.
Los Mexas inside Sidewalk Market, 1401 Osos St., SLO (805) 752-1005. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There’re a handful of tables outside Sidewalk Market, a neighborhood convenience store, but the pro tip is to get your food and walk across the street to Mitchell Park and chow down on this homemade, authentic Mexican street food. All their meats—carne aside, al pastor, birria, carnitas, pollo asada, alambre, lengua, and tripa—are seasoned to perfection and deftly cooked. Pick your protein for a torta ($12.99 to $15), burrito ($12.99 to $15), taco ($5 to $6.50), or street taco ($3.50 to $4.75) with fresh handmade soft corn tortillas or hard shells. They also have quesadillas, nachos, flautas, enchiladas, and gorditas. If you prefer American fare, they also have solid smash burgers ($12.99 to $15.99) served in a variety of ways with fries.
The three owners—Paulina Salcedo, Miguel Fuentes (yes, he also co-owns Fat Jay’s), and Sara Zuniga—were all raised in Mexico. Even though Salcedo was born in SLO, she spent her childhood in Zacatecas. Expect a mix of homestyle Mexican cooking and street food.
Cayucos Deli at the Cayucos Gas Mini Mart, 198 N. Ocean Ave., Cayucos (805) 995-2600. It’s closed Wednesdays but otherwise open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cayucos Deli might be a bit out of the way for SLO-based college students, but it’s worth the drive. The takeout deli is connected to a gas station, but it’s one of the best places to eat in Cayucos. If you see a handmade sign reading “Mexican Food, Hamburger & Bakery,” you’re in the right place. There’s no website, but you can find photos of their handwritten menus on Yelp, where it’s got 4.5 of 5 stars on average. Their burritos are the size of newborn babies.
Breakfast burritos ($12.99 to $13.99) are filled with potatoes, eggs, cheese, and a choice of bacon, ham, sausage, or chorizo. They also have a carne asada, chili verde (my personal fav), and veggie breakfast burrito. For lunch or dinner, Mexican-style burritos come with your choice of carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, spicy chicken, chili verde, and more. There’re also burgers and patty melts and a BLT, as well as tacos, quesadillas, and loaded fries.
Manager Jossi Bustos and her sibling run the restaurant, with their mother, Matilde, acting as head chef.
There’s not much seating save two picnic benches overlooking the parking lot, so grab your food and walk a block to the beach or over to a bench on the Cayucos pier and eat with a view of the Pacific Ocean.
You can thank me later. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Student Guide 2026.
