Anything new on the Central Coast for breakfast and lunch?

Question

I am talking about Cambria down to around Santa Maria and inland to SLO, Atascadero, Temlpeton and Paso. We will be staying in Cayucos and have not been down in about 4 years. 

Is McPhee's still around and good in Templeton? Any place for coffee? We once had a great breakfast at a NOLA type Cajun place in SLO. We generally go for breakfast and lunch and have dinner and local wine at our house. Thanks.

Answer

Madonna Inn Copper Cafe and Bakery, south of SLO - getting a bit of new attention for its old fashion, funky charms.

-----
Madonna Inn
100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Answer

Will you be here on the weekend?

Though SLO's Neon Carrot is now only open for Fri night 'happy hour' meals, their small plates are pretty inventive and well executed. It's a noisy place when full, but lots going on if you like that vibe. Fri from 4:30 to 8:30. They aslo have a table with breakfast treats at SLO Sat am Farmer's Market. Last week was heavenly beignets and panna cotta.

Mon-Fri, Fiero Cafe (behind FEDEX, on Fiero Lane out by the SLO airport) serves wonderful house baked sweets and savories from 7- 4 . Serving Star coffee from Santa Barbara; a quiet little spot where you get a vista of the east hills and an occasional takeoff from the airport. http://stewartandclark.tv/cafe/

Kreuzberg CA --coffee house, book lounge, has moved to a larger location with more exposure downtown SLO on Higuera St near Broad, around the corner from Big Sky (another breakfast lunch favorite). Daily specials look enticing as well. http://kreuzbergcalifornia.com/menu/

Up by the train depot, Sally Loo's is a nice calm place for morning coffee and light breakfast. http://www.sallyloos.com/ Across the street are two relatively new asian/fusian places--OK but not outstanding.

Cafe Roma on the depot circle is a longtime local's favorite for tradtional Italian, as is Buono Tavola, downtown next to the Fremont Theater. BT also has a restaurant in Paso. And the owner has just launched a line of cured salamis which are very good. He usually has a sales/samples table at the Saturday morning 8-11 Farmer's Mkt near Embassy Suites off Madonna Rd (this is the FM for serious local food fans, not the downtown Thurs nite "street fair" which is as much about entertainment as it is food). Cambria has a wonderful Fri afternoon Farmer's Market as well.

In Cambria, an East Village favorite of mine is French Corner Bakery, with well-executed pastries and decent coffee. Their lunchtime torta sandwiches are wonderfully flavorful, made on house baked bolillos. Robin's restaurant on Burton also has a take-out salad and dessert selection for picnicing. And Fermentaions wine bar has a good selection of local wines, also on Burton. On weekends, Boni's Tacos from the tin village sets up a taco trailer at the corner of Main and Burton. Good snacks!

For an old-fashioned cookie fix, follow the signs to Red Moose Cookie Co. in the tin village across the creek from downtown East Village. 5" cookies in packs of 6 in many inventive and assertively flavored combinations. 

Cayucos has the Brown Butter Cookie Company at the north end of Ocean Ave; they have recently gotten national press. For my taste, they are underwhelming and overpriced.

If you are investigating the back-Morro Bay area and Montana de Oro State Park, Lotus Thai serves up delicious fresh meals in a tiny (mostly takeout ) spot on 9th street near Los Osos Valley Rd. Mike and Nu are great hosts and will get your food out quickly. http://lotusthailososos.com/var/cf/115327/1173410-Menu%20Lotus%20Thai%20Cuisine.pdf

Have a good visit, the seasons are changing and fall is in the air. Much to be discovered.

-----
Big Sky Cafe
1121 Broad St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Cafe Roma
1020 Railroad Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Neon Carrot
3536 S Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Answer

Anyone tried a place in Santa Maria called Skip Gibson's barbecue? We were underwhelmed by both Mo's in Pismo and the Arroyo Grande meat Company and are looking for something else for a pit stop on our way up the coast. Considering Skips or Oak Pit near Oceano.

-----
Oak Pit
820 Ventura Ave, Oak View, CA 93022

Answer

We visit Cambria a lot, have never gone to Linn's, just assuming it was a Marie Callendar-type coffee shop. Last visit we walked 2 miles into the village, and Linn's was the only place open for the big breakfast we were craving, and to our surprise it was delicious! Corned beef has is made in-house and was superb. We'll go back.

Answer

I would wholeheartedly recommend Giuseppe's for a full service Italian resto and Giuseppe's Express for the best pizza between LA and SF and great Italian sandwiches, meats cheeses and desserts,too..Both on Price St in Pismo Beach.

Answer

It's not new - in fact they have been there for year, but have you been to Klondike Pizza in Arroyo Grande Village? Really fun and awesome pizza. Been going for years - when I was a kid and now I have kids. They like the free peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor.

Answer

Sebastian's Store at San Simeon State Park (very alliterative, no?) for the best, biggest sandwiches ever. There's a nice patio if you want to enjoy a beer or wine with your lunch, or take the sandwiches to go and eat down at the beach. Lovely setting, great and inexpensive food.

Answer

Not new but often overlooked and always good: Madonna Inn south of SLO for both breakfast and lunch. Just had their half BLT with hearty side salad and house made chunky blue cheese dressing. Remains worth a drive.

Answer

It's a little further south, but Orcutt isn't that much further than Santa Maria. Kay's Country Kitchen in Orcutt has been good the couple of times we've been there. The hash browns are crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside, just the way I like 'em. The biscuits tend to be kind of doughy and underdone, though, so if you're picky about your biscuits, forewarned is forearmed. When our son was at Vandenberk AFB, he regularly went to Kay's on Sundays for breakfast.

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

Anything new on the Central Coast for breakfast and lunch?

Chowhound Recommends

Explore

15 Destinations to Get Your Wine Fix on the Central Coast of California

Explainers

Oil, Butter, or Bacon Fat: What's the Best Way to Fry Eggs?

Recipe Round-Ups

9 Healthy Lunch Recipes That Will Help You Skip the Drive-Thru

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Favorite Chowhound Memories

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

January–April 2022 Baking COTM: DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content