We had the MOST delightful brunch here today. We got mimosas and Moscow mules to start and then we ordered the fried chicken and waffles Benedict, and the all American breakfast. And OMG, it all tasted outstanding. The miso butter was out of this world. Love love loved. read more

Sidecar - The All American breakfast and the chicken and waffles Benedict. - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

So nice, we came here twice! We got to partake in Margarita Monday & Tiki Tuesday. Service was great. None of that pretentious scowling going on here! The brussels sprouts & cinnamon roll bread pudding were SO GOOD. Like can't stop thinking about them, good. I guess it's just personal preference, but there was only one cocktail -of the six we tried- that we really adored. Would still come back & recommend as there is so much more to try! read more

Fantastic service. Beautiful cocktails. Fun atmosphere! Visited from out of town and wanted to find fun cocktails. We got there around 8:30p on a weeknight and was informed by the host that the kitchen was already closed and we would not be able to order food. But when our server got to our table, he asked if we wanted to start with anything to eat. We told him what we were told and he said, "I'll make it happen!" It really made our experience top notch. We had the brussel sprouts and wowza! Yummo!! read more

This place was pretty good, however the Brussel Sprouts are WAY over rated. The sauce was good but there is NO way to cover up the taste of those things! Disgusting! Everything else was great. The service was decent, and the food was tasty! With the stop in! Check it out if your around Broad St. in SLO read more

See all

I write this with heavy heart. We have loved Sidecar ever since our son went on his 21st birthday and fell in love with the quirky, strangely named, and imaginative cocktails. The menu was perfect (steak and potatoes were the best!), and there were so many different cocktails to try we were always good for at least three rounds with everyone getting something different each round and passing around before deciding who "won" the round. The menu was broken up by primary spirit, which was helpful lots of fun. We live in San Diego, but Sidecar has always been a "must" stop whenever we are in town. Later, the drink menu was revised to be categorized by emotion which was odd but still offered a lot of good choices. And the menu was still outstanding. Fast forward to this weekend, when we eagerly stopped in, only to find a severely depleted cocktail menu (maybe 12 choices??), with no real personality left. We struggled to find three we liked, and they were bland and lacked the complex flavors we'd grown to love. And the menu was completely changed over. Yes, the beloved Brussels sprouts are still there, but all of our other favorites are gone. Sidecar used to be our favorite craft cocktail destination, and we have searched in vain for its equal in our home town. It saddens me Sidecar seems to have abandoned the quirkiness that made it unique and special and is settling to be just another overpriced San Luis Obispo bar. read more

French toast with Bacon and Eggs - mediocre in taste but big portion = 3 stars Eggs Benedicts Crab Cake - above average in taste, used real crab meat not imitation crab and average portion = 5 stars. Friend chicken and waffle - mediocre in taste, juicy fried chicken and average portion = 3 stars. Service was very slow and nonchalant. Granted, it was a busy Labor Day weekend. Actually, Sidecar have a nice lively set up. The live band was not bad. But my biggest gripe was the fact that it was hot in there! No a/c! It became so uncomfortable that I was rushing through my brunch so we can get some cool air outside. No regrets but a onetime deal for me. read more

See all

Sidecar has my favorite brunch in SLO. it's new age, perfectly proportioned, and so unique and tasty. However, today my boyfriend and I went and i had an actually really terrible dining experience. I ordered the breakfast tacos and found TWO hairs in my first taco. Once I found the second I decided to speak up to one of the waiters. He was apologetic and offered me a new taco. But, the hairs were not even what made me leave with a sour taste in my mouth! When our waiter brought our tag he didn't "comp" a single thing. If they found human hairs in their food, I think it's only polite to offer a person their coffee for free. Just a little lesson in business because even though I'm a frequent customer this experience made me not so eager to return :( Also, the music is cool but pretty freaking loud for all the hungover people coming in for brunch read more

This is my favorite bar in downtown SLO. I come here quite often. Sometimes by myself and sometimes with my friends and am always greeted with such warm welcomes. I'm always treated so very kindly. They definitely make the best cocktails in town. Anything you want, they can make. Their food is also very fantastic. They have such vast varieties. I always have such a great time here. read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

1000/10 best drinks in CA. Because of the rotating menu, I don't always find my favorite drinks available BUT the bartenders will try their best to recreate if you ask!! And sure are those drinks still delicious :) read more

This is a chill setting in downtown SLO. It reminded me of a bar you would see in San Francisco since it was hip and pricey. I paid $14 for a cocktail that is crazy to me and I won't be doing that again. Also if you are there past 7:30pm or so the music gets turned up really loud so it is hard to hear conversations from across a small table. However the servers were friendly and engaging and the design of the bar is really cool. read more

See all

Came this evening. Really friendly service. Our waitress was totally on point and had a lot of information regarding the dishes. The food was a touch above average. My wife would recommend the steak. I had the raw vegan lasagne and would eat It again. Not enough to earn a 5 star rating, but someplace we would check put again as their menu appears to change regularly. read more

Very interesting Cleanse cocktail which had kale, celery, and other vegetables. I ordered their chicken & waffles, which tasted delicious when mixed with their gravy, butter, whipped cream, and maple syrup. read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

Great drinks and ambience. Really like the new location but sadly deterred to go back :( I've visited sidecar many times and if you haven't been you really should check it out. I don't want my review to deter anyone from checking it out. I do want to warn others about what almost happened to me and maybe grab the owners attention unless this is the new way sidecar operates. My GF and I like to try the many different drinks they offer and if you haven't watched them prepare the drinks before it's pretty neat. Sometimes I get drinks I don't like but that is our fault and not the bar. I'm just not much of a bitters fan and should ask them before ordering. The new location is also a big improvement with the lovely outdoor seating! Ive eaten there once and our group was pleased. Again if you have never been check it out. Okay onto the bad and what will deter me from going back to get our casual cocktails. Friday night after a dinner for a friends birthday I offered to get us a round so he could experience sidecar for the first time. Inside was busy and outside was mostly empty so I asked the hostess if we could get 2 drinks for outside or not. She said sure and I emphasized we just wanted two drinks. I'm sensitive to taking a server area for a small order but outside was empty and preferable to us. Server came, helped confirm drinks for us and we were enjoying ourselves. When she brought the drinks I asked her for the check, this way once we finished we could leave quickly. My friend didn't have a lot of time. It was obvious this request irked our server. When she came back she very quickly said something about 2 drinks handed us the bill and walked away. Fortunately my friend caught what she said. She ordered us two more drinks. Now I had to drive and really didn't appreciate being sold a drink I wasn't going to drink and my friend didn't have time for another round. I ran inside to let her know the mistake and she was clearly upset, asking if she should cancel our drink order. It definitely seemed to make me feel bad but I'm 36, this isn't my first time ordering drinks and it was clear what she was trying to do. At this point she was rude to us up until coming to collect payment. I was very inclined to tip her poorly but I didn't. From the start I wanted to tip our server well because we were taking a table for two drinks but I did want to warn others. I doubt that was her first time attempting to pad her order. In a different situation we might have just paid it and dealt with it. I've gone to sidecar many times to get two drinks before or after a meal and have always tried to tip well. I don't feel like we are welcome anymore. I'm not sure if sidecar is as much about the food as it is the drinks but I'll have to check out of the many other places downtown that have unique and tasty drinks. Shame on that server though. If the tables aren't open to buying two drinks that's fine but don't try to add unordered drinks to pad a bill and become rude when we call you out. Enjoy the tip cause next time I'll be getting our pre or post drinks elsewhere. read more

Liked my experience at SideCar! Was going to opt for a different restaurant but decided to try something new with the girlfriends. Seated right away which was nice! The atmosphere of the place is very much like their counterpart Kreuzberg down the street. All the chairs for the tables are unique which I thought was a cute touch! The popcorn at the table is to die for. I could probably eat the whole cauldron myself if I didn't want to spoil dinner. Ordered the risotto and it was delightful! The poached egg on top and the pancetta made my stomach very happy. Definitely worth a try! read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

I really enjoy coming to this restaurant when I'm in town and don't feel like going to a quick cash-register type of place. My main issue with this place is that everything is about 2$ more expensive than it needs to be or should be. The food is good and is honestly the perfect pick-me-up after a night of drinking or even for a cute lunch/dinner, but the price frequently gives me pause. With other options like Novo and Eureka, Sidecar is a competitor but there is something lacking that makes it not worth the price versus the other restaurants. I think that missing something is the ambiance and enjoyable environment. However if you take the food to go then it's even better. Try it out, know you'll enjoy whatever you get but be a bit sad at the price, then next time order to-go so you can have good food in a better environment. read more

The staff were very friendly the food was great and the waiter surprised my daughter with a birthday dessert. Would highly recommend. If I'm back in the area I will be going back. read more

See all

Really disappointed. I have been hearing how great this place is and my spouse finally went with some friends today. They supposedly have these "fantastic" artisan cocktails, but the two I tried were "meh". Also, I looked at the menus on the website before going today and when we got there, everything had changed. They didn't even bother to update their website. The shishito peppers and potatoes were pretty good, as was their avocado toast, which was on squaw bread with a fried egg on top, miso butter, and sautéed arugula. read more

HANDS DOWN best cocktails I have ever had in California. They are masters at their cocktails. Food was ok, we miss their old menu. The new menu is just small bites for the most part, but we liked how their old menu had more entree options. However, they definitely get 5 stars for their cocktails. read more

Sorry Sidecar, this isn't going to be pretty. This would be the very first high rated Yelp restaurant I have come across that was really quite bad. First of all, we searched for the "Best tator tots in SLO". This one popped up on everyone's website. Raves left and right on the tots! Guess what?... they don't serve tots anymore. "Menu was changed a couple weeks ago." Okay, no prob, we'll try some other stuff. Got their ham and egg croissant sandwich, and a potato pancake which the waitress bragged on. Let's start with the sandwich. The sandwich was lunch meat ham that looked like it had been warmed by a heat lamp for far too long. The croissant was no better. Tough and cooked too long. The potato pancake was nothing more than dough drizzled fried in oil with bits of apple that had been soaked in something way too sweet and bacon that was thickly coated in brown sugar that was still crystalline!!! At least Caramelize the sugar. The bacon, which by the way I absolutely love bacon, was so sweet and sugar coated I didn't finish it. A first for me when it comes to bacon. Yelp has never let me down before and I'm going to blame this one on new management/ownership. A place that is rated for the best tots in town should have a menu worthy of good quality hangover food. I would expect to see bacon and some type of fried potato for choices. There were none. Not even as a side. The only bacon I saw was like eating a swizzle straw with bacon bits. Seriously, I think new management has changed the menu to more suit politically correct younger students who don't appreciate a true hangover meal. If you want REAL breakfast food, don't go here!!! read more

Great food, GREAT drinks, really good atmosphere (the heaters actually made it comfortable outside at night). Our waiter Sean was very knowledgeable and had great suggestions based on our preferences. I will come back next time we are in town. read more

I used to be really on the fence about this place. I didn't really enjoy the vibe and I had given lots of chances. Brunch changed everything for me. Every item was delicious and I found my new favorite salad in the Burrata salad. read more

See all

Always 5 stars! Cullen, Kat, Paul and Sean are all so great. Their personalities coupled with crazy good drinks and eats makes Sidecar my favorite spot in SLO - hands down! read more

Holy moly!!! Breakfast was amazing!! I ordered the avocado toast and my wife ordered the chicken and waffles. DELICIOUS! Amazing food and the service was incredible! Thank you Carolyn for your fantastic service!! The only downside (and I mean only one) is the coffee wasn't tasty, not good at all. Overall, the experience was incredible!!! read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

This place is amazing I don't know what else to say. Cocktails & food alike are mouth watering. 100% recommend read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I have nothing but the best of things to say about this place! I was visiting my sister in SLO for the weekend and this is the first place we stopped by for food. It was amazing. The ambiance was perfect and the staff was extremely friendly! I got the avocado toast and my sister got the chicken and waffles. The avocado toast was amazing I left feeling extremely healthy and refreshed. I tried a bit of my sister's chicken and waffles it was also fantastic. I wish I got to eat more of it (maybe I'll order that next time I'm back in SLO!) I definitely will be back and Im excited to check out what else is on their menu! read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

Best drinks ever! If looking for crafts cocktails this is your place. Happy hour is amazing and the atmosphere is a chill almost speakeasy vibe. Very small patio but we lucked out being here during the week. Not too busy at all. read more

Sidecar - Blitz 75 - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I have to say, with all the great reviews for this place, I was pretty disappointed. The cocktails were OK - very ecclectic and not your standard choices, so that is good if you like to try new things. Me and my date both weren't particularly taken with our drinks, but the fact that they were unique was something in and of itself. For food, we were just there for a light bite so we got the tomato and burrata salad. There was hardly any burrata, but the tomatoes were fresh and delicious. But.....if I wanted a salad of tomatoes, I don't need to pay $13 for it (or whatever it cost, I can't remember). The service was good, and the atmosphere was busy and "happening" but not too loud. Those two aspects bump this up to a 3-star, otherwise I probaly would have given it 2. My suggestion: go to Novo down the street. Delicious food, great atmosphere, and good drinks. Service is awesome, too. read more

Had a great patio dinner. Excellent ambiance, great cocktails, yummy menu, and wonderful service. Would definitely go back next time I'm in SLO! The menu was pretty small, but assuming that's just because of Covid. Loved it all around! read more

Really great brunch place with unique cocktails. We had the waffle sandwich, guava mimosa, avocado toast and chilequiles. All were delicious and the modern bar made us want to go back to try more! Their homemade hot sauce was also flavorful ask for it! read more

Sidecar - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

See all

We stopped in here for some drinks before dinner on a recent visit to SLO, and it was terrific. We had two of their original house drinks, and two of the classics, and they were all delicious. We had other plans for dinner so didn't try the food, but it looked very good. Danielle was our bartender, and she was wonderful -- very friendly and informative and we had a nice chat, all while she kept producing a steady stream of cocktails for us and others. If we lived in SLO, this would be a regular haunt for us; and we'll certainly return on our next trip. read more

Bring back the old, thick book that featured an extensive variety of cocktails and spirits and also bring back tiki Tuesday. This place use to be a great place to get a quality cocktail, but it has seemed to simplify their menu to appease a younger college crowd. It use to remind me of the Imperial Lounge in Goleta, but now has a vibe similar to Finneys read more

Say yes to Sidecar. And if the cocktail menu extraordinare intimidates-- ask one of the oh so helpful staff to recommend. The mushroom toast is a must-- and if you want Barbacoa heaven - do the tacos ! Advise you make happy hour when the signature cocktails are cheaper.. but don't miss this place! My favorite drink was the dream Corp (on advice) and was extraordinary! read more

This review is specifically about the server Rachelle. Slow as can be even though there was only one other table and she had such an attitude. I ordered a drink from their menu that sounded good. When I got it, it was absolutely disgusting and undrinkable. I had only taken one sip and I kindly asked the waitress if I could get something different. That's when things started to go downhill. She made a face and then brought me a different drink that was delicious. When the bill came I noticed the 1st drink I sent back was still on there. When we asked her why it was still on the bill given I didn't like it and had sent it back, she said because they "use very expensive liquors and we don't typically take them off the bill". Why not mention this as soon as I told her I didn't like the drink and wanted a different one? Finally she said she'd go and ask her manager. When she came back with the new bill, she says "next time be careful what you order". The nerve! Spend your money elsewhere and avoid Rachelle!!!!! read more

1/28/22 Friday night walked in at 930pm was told couldn't be seated upstairs at an open table, only downstairs. Went down stairs to order some drinks & when we were done at 1030 the table we wanted to sit at upstairs had 5 people seated and being served. Just to clarify the table we wanted had a group that just left. No one else was waiting to come in at the door. A little perplexed.... staff shouldn't talk badly about customers "don't let the door hit you on the way out" within ear shot of customers bc we did try to ask about the table. One more thing the tone of the waitress when asking for water was rude. Getting only drinks and then asking for water makes sense?? But I guess inconvenient. Idk the old side car used to be my "spot". The culture has changed. read more

I came here with friends a couple of days ago and was delightfully impressed by how laid back and cool the atmosphere was. It's a bit of a Tardis moment as it looks much smaller on the outside than it actually is. I ordered a chicken slider and one of their daiquiri's, Drink This. The chicken slider was petite and quite delicious, but I found it to be lacking much flavor. Onions can only do so much. Drink This had way too much alcohol in it and it completely overpowered the drink. I would definitely come back with friends as it does seem like a very relaxed place to kick it for an hour or two with good company. I will note that our server, whose name has completely gone over my head made the outing quite personal and funny. He very mindful of our group's needs and his friendliness left quite a positive mark on the night for everyone. I would definitely come back because I'd like to experiment with more of the drink options available, but I'm going to sit out on the food options for now. read more

Went on a Friday night and had a ball! Had stopped by before for just drinks and they are just so fun! The names of the cocktails are creative, each have their own quote to describe the drink, and they're so fun! Both of our entrees were delicious. If you get one thing, you must get the Brussels. Pretty big portion (we split for 2 people) and just delicious. I got the Barbacoa tacos under the apps section (can make up to 4 small tacos) and my boyfriend got the Mongolian stir fry add chicken. Both had a little kick to them but tasted great. Love the urban farmhouse vibes! Will come back read more

This place was fun! I and not a big hard liquor drinker but the bartender was so confident he could duplicate a drink I had in Portugal that I gave him a shot. I read the ingredients to him from the drink I had in Portugal. Although he did not have some of the exact ingredients used in the original, he was able to improvise and get pretty darn close to cloning that bad boy. This was a super fun, hip and cool spot to visit. read more

Just in from the bay area. Couldn't have gotten luckier picking a first SLO restaurant. We ordered pork chile verde tacos which were a perfect blend of savory pork and tangy cabbage and peppers. The chile pepper cornbread is much more moist and tasty than your usual cornbread, and is served on a bed of buttery cut corn. And the mussels with fries include chorizo. I need not say more except I must try one of the many original bar concoctions next time. And there will be a next time, I'll find a way. read more

Sidecar - Chile pepper cornbread - New American Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I went to sidecar this weekend for brunch. The hostess was super friendly! She smiled at everyone and made everyone feel welcome. I got the classic mary to start which was delicious. There was a lot of hype over the bloody mary so I think I was expecting something spectacular. It was pretty plain but definitely delicious. I could've gone for some more pickled veggies. I only got one olive. A piece of bacon would have been nice perhaps... For my main course I got the breakfast burger. It was DELICIOUS. the maple butter with the garlic aioli is an unlikely pro combo. add the tater tots and its perfect. The thing was a monstrosity but I killed the whole thing because it was that delicious. read more

Friendly service. Very loud music. great looking lousy food. Smelly water glasses. The chicken and waffles was not the greatest. Chicken was greasy and it seemed like it could have used more time Cooking. The burgers where nothing to rage about but the fries were tasty. The tater tots look amazing but aren't that great. read more