The new custom house was a great place to stop at for a quick snack and some delicious drinks. We…read moreordered a side of fries to share... they were fresh, hot ,and delicious . We ordered a couple of drinks - a local beer and a tropical drink. The beachfront cocktail was perfect, sweet, just the right amount of alcohol and a good beach drink. Definitely brought on the ocean vibes. Staff was friendly and helpful picking out drinks Had TV's for sports games,which made it even better, so we didn't miss our teams playing!

This is so disappointing. The Custom House we loved is dead and gone, and in its place is the "New"…read moreCustom House. A loud, cheap cafeteria serving mediocre. overpriced food. We should have walked out, but decided to give it a try. We should have kept walking. Do yourself a favor and keep walking. There are much better options in Avila Beach. New Custom House.... Do better!

There is a specific, salt-sprayed magic to Avila Beach, and Blue Moon Over Avila occupies its most…read morecoveted front-row seat. To sit here is to be seduced by the Pacific's rhythmic pulse, a panoramic distraction that almost--almost--masks the architectural and emotional exhaustion of the room. The décor suggests a space in transition, or perhaps an identity crisis. It bears the unmistakable look of a "palimpsest"--a new design hastily layered over the ghost of a previous one, creating an aesthetic friction that feels more like a temporary stage set than a permanent sanctuary. This weariness extends to the staff, who navigate the floor with a palpable, heavy-lidded misery, as if the sheer beauty of the coastline has become a burden they are no longer interested in carrying. The kitchen, however, still possesses moments of genuine, startling clarity. I opted for the "Trio," a format that usually promises variety but often delivers compromise. Not so here. The sandwich was a minor triumph of construction and flavor, a high-water mark for a casual lunch. It was flanked by a clam chowder of remarkable depth--creamy without being cloying, and singing with the brine of the sea. Yet, the meal is not without its turbulence. The accompanying salad arrived drowning, a casualty of an over-zealous hand with the dressing that rendered the greens more of a soup than a side. And then there is the matter of the French Onion soup. To encounter a $9 upcharge for a bowl of onions and melted Gruyère is to experience a moment of pure, capitalistic vertigo. It is a price point that suggests a level of luxury the service and the "layered" décor simply haven't earned. As for the amenities, the state of the restrooms remains a mystery--a rare blind spot in an otherwise exhaustive afternoon. Blue Moon Over Avila remains a destination for the eyes, and intermittently, for the palate. If you can ignore the visible gloom of the service and the audacity of the surcharges, the view alone is worth the price of admission. Just perhaps stick to the chowder and leave the French Onion to the high rollers.

I have eaten here three times in 10 days. It has been hit or…read moremiss with the food. I ordered the Salmon which arrived overcooked and dry. Then I tried the duck which was excellent. Next was Beef Bourguignon which was very good. The waiters and hostess are overwhelmed. They use to have a sommelier, I don't know what happened to him. The service is slow because not enough help. When it is a beautiful night everyone wants to eat there and look at the view.

Lido is a fantastic place to go for a special occasion. The views are amazing, the waitstaff is…read moreprofessional and friendly, and the kitchen produces some standout dishes. They are a pet enthusiasts that always spoil our dogs and they have a selection of 4 different dog dishes to pick from. Our two 15 pound dogs split a single salmon dish and there was enough food for both of them. We found the sea bass and the clam chowder to be two of our favorite dishes. The sea bass comes with a mix of mushrooms and white beans along with a red wine sauce. The combination of textures between the flaky fish, soft beans, and chewy mushrooms makes for a great mouthful and the acidic and flavorful sauce brings all the ingredients together. The clam chowder was an interesting twist on the classic with the dill adding a nice extra flavor to the chowder and the herb oil applied to the top added a nice light note to The brunch special with champagne seems like a great way to spend a morning. Most of the tables around us got the set meal and we saw a constant supply of new bottles of champagne and assorted fruit juices going to the other tables. If you are staying at the dolphin bay, the room service is top notch getting the same dishes and presentation that you would get in the restaurant. It was an easy call down to Lido and the food arrived nice and hot to our room.

Disappointing experience on Monday April 27, 2025. We were in town visiting and met with local…read morefriends for an early dinner. They suggested Lido, so we decided to arrive early and have a cocktail and appetizer during their happy hour before settling in for dinner. The visit started off strong with the lobby staff engaging in a little fun banter as well as the hostess who seated us was engaging and friendly. Unfortunately anything positive stopped there because our server was anything but pleasant and welcoming. We opted to sit outside on the patio as the weather was mild and the view stunning. We did request an umbrella as the sun was strong and another employee brought one over. The server seemed to lack any personality, no smile, no response to playful joking or interactions. I asked a question about the menu because the happy hour menu I had and had selected a drink off, differed from the other three that my husband and our friends had. The waiter flatly stated that my menu was wrong and the drink I wanted to order was not available and suggested a different drink that was nothing like the one I wanted to order. There was no apology and he didn't even take the incorrect menu, it was as if he didn't care. We placed an order for two appetizers and four drinks, three of which were the same cocktail off the happy hour menu. At the same time, we inquired about a more extensive dinner menu and the waiter stated they didn't serv dinner until 5pm but it was already 4:45pm and so we requested dinner menus. The waiter asked us how many menus we wanted, which seemed strange as none of us have ever eaten at a restaurant where each individual person wasn't provided their own menu and so we had to state we wanted four menus. When the four menus arrived, one for each person, one of the three was incorrect just like the happy hour one, showing cocktails that were no longer available. The drinks and appetizers eventually came, they took at least 15 minutes with the food arriving before any of the drinks. While the food was okay, the three cocktails were pretty awful, mine being the worst of the three. They were all the same drink made with grapefruit but my personal drink was far more bitter than the other two, it wasn't palatable at all. The other two who ordered the same drink, my husband and friend drank the drinks since we were paying for them. At this point, the experience was so bad between the waiter who seemed to have no desire to serve people and the terrible cocktails that we decided we should cut our loses and leave to eat dinner elsewhere. We left one full cocktail, and two partial cocktails on the table. The bill was paid and as my husband and I brought up the rear of our group. As we were leaving the waiter remarked that he, "hoped we have a better day." This was rude, unprofessional and confirmed leaving Lido was the right choice. This was a terrible experience both with the waiter and cocktails. A place could have the most amazing food but if the customer service is lacking, the quality of food is irrelevant. I would rather have mediocre food and friendly, welcoming and engaging customer service.

Why has tinned fish been hidden from me and The Wife, when everyone, who is anyone, has known about…read moreit forever? Back to Shuck Shack. We were visiting Avila Beach for my birthday week and decided to try out Sinor-Lavalle's wine tasting room a block back from Front Street and just down the way from our AirBnB. We met the owner and he suggested to mosey on over to Shuck Shack. We walked there, on Front Street, and met Evan, the GM. Evan took great care of us with some nice wines and then told us all about the tinned fish they had. Tinned Fish Sidenote: Two weeks before this trip if I heard the phrase tinned fish (TF) I would have thought oily mackerel or sardines smelling nasty. While I like anchovies, I was not prepared for TF. We were just in SanFran and The Kid's roomates were eating TF. Really? Yuck! Then we went to the Vintage Press in Visalia, CA, and 1/2 page of the large menu was 20 or 30 versions of TF. WTF? And now we were in Avila being told about the options and how delicious they were. Back to Shuck Shack. With Evan's guidance, we ordered a number of items off their menu including oysters (hauled in that morning), smoked trout TF, local salami, LandChos and Gildas. Check out the menu pics for descriptions. Paired with some great wines it was a fantastic culinary experience. Adding on to that the great service and setting of Avila Beach makes this an easy 5 star experience. GO! EAT VERY WELL!! HAVE FUN, Damnit!!!

Shuck Shack new location review. The views and the location…read moreare amazing! You can't get any better!! The oysters- a lot smaller and they didn't have any of the fixings (Horseradish, cocktail sauce). They just gave us hot sauce and a homemade special sauce that was like a vinegar something. We requested some cocktail sauce and literally got less than a tablespoon for a dozen oysters. The wine - tried two different kinds. Both thumbs down. Had a sandwich that was really good. It was the Nduja melt - highly recommend this. This is an amazing location and a great spot to sit and have a drink and food. Been doing it for years with the prior establishment. But sadly, if the wine and food doesn't get better, we'll not come back.

My wife wanted to visit a nice restaurant with a view for our anniversary. I opened Apple Maps and…read morechecked the pismo beach area and Ventana Grill was the first restaurant that stood out to me based on location, therefore, I made a reservation. Note that the parking lot, depending on which day you go, can fill up very quickly. The location is right off of the 101 and easy to find. We checked in and was seated within 10 minutes at a booth that overlooked the beautiful views of the Pismo Beach coast line. Our server, a younger black woman, who told us her nickname was 'TiTi', if I'm not mistaken, was wonderful. Her personality and hospitality was infectious and exceeded 5 stars. She brought us fresh hot corn and flour tortillas with a small cup of brown sugar butter and three different salsas to try. Everything was delicious. We ordered the surf and turf special which was a jumbo shrimp on top of a filet mignon that rested on mash potatoes and a creamy/savory white sauce. We also ordered the lobster Mac and cheese. Everything was exceptionally good. My only takeaway would be that I found the food, especially the lobster Mac and cheese to be pretty salty. Definitely excited for my next visit.

Great place, great food, great prices. The photos do not do…read morethis place justice, much better in person and the views are amazing! Staff are attentive and friendly, place is clean and well kept. The reviews make this place seem boring, but it's wonderful and one of our new favorite spots.

Say yes to the menu!!! That's the first thing that came to my mind when I visited Novo in SLO. Once…read moreupon a time, I saw this restaurant be featured on the iconic Check Please, so needless to say the award winning food speaks for itself and I was ready for this experience. I came into Novo with high expectations and my expectations were exceeded. Calamari: Who doesn't want Calamari on the Central Coast, for me it's a must. But can we take a moment to complement the sauces they pair with the calamari. Novo's calamari is paired with a tartar sauce and a sweet chili sauce. Definitely a first experience for me and I was beyond impressed. My taste buds danced because,whoever, is out here making many and flavor pairings for Novo has unlocked a new game mode for me. If you ever are wondering what appetizer to try, this right here is my first recommendation. Blackberry Ginger Cooler: The mocktail was beautiful and also a great pairing. I would love to try their other drinks soon. Matcha Strawberry Trifle: My mom, sisters, and I agreed on this dessert and let me tell you, I'm so glad we did. The matcha trifle had so much goodness to it we spent time trying to guess what flavors were in its profile. Think a berry chantilly from Whole Foods, but with matcha flavor and so fresh! Immediately after finishing my little sister said I had to learn to make this specific dessert and needless to say I don't disagree. It was balanced in sweetness, very light, and a great summer dessert. King Salmon: 2 please! The king salmon comes with Tabbouleh and green beans. This dish was my mom's and she was very pleased. One part of food I enjoy is not just the eating and experience, it's the aspect of reminisce in the flavors, analysis of the cooking, and trying to gauge cooking technique. For this dish, the salmon was perfectly cooked and it is not what we expected in the best way possible. This dish had so many different flavor profiles and wait until you taste the added kick of wasabi. Can I get another round? Korean Short Ribs: When I first saw this on the menu I was struck with asking myself how this dish might taste. It was one of those dishes where I thought, I have had plenty of short rib, I have had kimchi, but I have never seen them on one plate. More than that, I was hesitant as I like kimchi but not my to go to choice, nonetheless, I was drawn to this dish so of course I ordered it. Wow! Was I glad I did. My sister had the same order and we agreed the kimchi had such a nice kick to it. The spare rib was also thinly sliced making this dish easy and yummy. Now don't let that kick of heat scare you, I encourage everyone to try this dish. The rice sort of acts as a contrasting agent to help tone down the flavor and you just have to try it all together. All that said, I think service was awesome, then again SLO is a beautiful heart in California. But seriously we had an awesome waiter who shared with me the history of the restaurant. The story is also on their menu, but Nova's little sister restaurant is Red Luna and the big sister restaurant is Robin's Restaurant in Cambria. So good to know because I can now see how all this deliciousness connects! Big fan of these places and it's great to know they are one family. I don't think I have a favorite sibling of the three, but here's to another 5 stars for the middle child.

This restaurant offers uniquely flavored dishes that are hard to find at this price point. We had…read morethe salmon salad, salmon bisque soup, meze, and beets and burrata. Everything was excellent. The service was quick and attentive, and the seating area felt like a garden, creating an excellent ambiance. We paid less than $30 per person, including the tip. Highly recommended.

Wow!! Was I surprised at the fabulous Chili Verdi!!! I had the taco salad w/Chili Verdi and it was…read moreserved in a large tortilla bowl filled yummy!!! The service was impeccable my iced tea was filled regularly which is always a plus in my book!! The cafe itself was amazing how clean and roomy it is with staff that is there to make your experience GREAT!!! This is my new go to Mexican Restaurant!!! You must try Zorro's you won't regret it!!!!

I've been to Zorro's Cafe and Cantina probably seven or eight times now, and every single visit has…read morebeen consistently solid. The thing that originally got me hooked on this place was their clam chowder. An ex-girlfriend brought some back for me to try, and it ended up being one of the best clam chowders I've ever had. That alone made me want to come try the restaurant in person. Now, every time I visit, it's a must-order. Honestly, it's better than any other place in Pismo Beach that claims to have the best. Zorro's is the one that actually delivers. Beyond the chowder, it's a full Mexican restaurant with a wide menu. They bring out chips and salsa to start, and they also have their own house-made hot sauce on every table, which is a nice touch. The food across the board has been consistently good. This last visit, my girlfriend had the carnitas tacos, and I ordered the shrimp diablo plate. I've also had their fish and chips, enchiladas, tacos, and burritos on previous visits, and I haven't had a bad meal yet. They also have a solid drink selection, including Mexican beers, good cocktails, and especially strong Bloody Marys and micheladas. The service has always been reliable. Even when it's busy, the staff checks in often enough to keep drinks filled and make sure you have what you need, including more chips and salsa. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and parking is pretty easy since it's all street parking nearby. You're usually only a short walk away. If you're in Pismo Beach and like Mexican food, this place is definitely worth a stop. And seriously, don't skip the clam chowder. It's the standout.

Came here for our last meal of a bachelorette weekend along the Central Coast, and it ended just as…read morestrong as it started. A couple of the drinks didn't quite hit, but the "Sunset and Chill" was a group favorite. The wedge salad isn't traditional, but it's delicious and a nice twist on the classic. The lasagna was a standout -- rich, decadent, and really satisfying. The portion looks small, but don't be fooled. Service was great throughout. They gave us semi-private seating, which we really appreciated, and the outdoor setup added a fresh, airy feel while still keeping things cozy for our group. For dessert, the toasted marshmallow torte was the clear table favorite -- definitely the one to try. The lemon tart was good too, but if you're choosing one, go marshmallow. A great way to wrap up the weekend.

This was a memorable discovery for me on a recent return visit to the Central Coast while dining…read morewith local friends. All dishes were given with care but not necessarily to overly impress, meaning that the portion size was generous rather than dainty. The experience of the place was considerably more sophisticated than I recall from the Central Coast of almost 20 years ago when I lived in the area. (Granted, time has passed, but still refreshing to see.) Staff also seemed happy to be there and engaging with diners, more than merely doing their jobs. Thank you Ember for raising the bar and impressing this out of town guest!

I loved this place! You can mix and match to create your own meal, which I think is awesome. Can't…read moredecide? Not to worry, get the Trio and pick 3 things. 3 different sliders, sure! A slider, a salad, and a brussels sprouts side, no problem! As a person who likes variety, I thought it was a great menu. Of course, the menu is not the only part of the restaurant. Service was great, parking was easy (once we found the place - our GPS had us go to a different parking lot first), and the food tasted good. Would love to go again, would seek it out if I'm in town again.

Tried going to Taste yesterday but couldn't find a parking spot anywhere around the restaurant…read more Parking lot and street parking was completely full at Noon. Had to go elsewhere. Maybe next time?

Was in Pismo Beach for a medical appointment and was a bit early so I drove around the office and…read morediscovered this yummy restaurant. They had JUST opened for the day but were very happy to seat me. I ordered the Chicken Kabob and it was fantastic!! I will definitely return here the next time I am in the area!!

Even though my fiancé and I showed up about an hour before closing, we were met with a welcoming…read morestaff at Hapy Bistro. The staff even gave us preference on which kind of table to sit at. The low table area was already pretty full so we opted for high bar table. The servers were super nice and friendly. One of our servers even felt bad to tell us that they were out of the fish for fish n chips. This is a wine bar so they didn't have too many NA drinks on the menu. The quality of the food was really good and we even had a bunch left over that was boxed up. We throughly enjoyed our visit and will recommend to friends and family.