Came in with my college kids on "college night." Owners, staff and patrons were all so fun! They had a great dj, great drinks and great vibes! read more

Came to this bar to have a good time, but unless you want the security asking you to slap your a** on a live stream maybe this bar isn't ideal. We were out having a good time and i went to the back with my friends. I was approached by a "securi-daddy" (as stated on the shirt) and though silly, he asked if he could smack my a** and when i said no to his 10 watchers on his live stream or whatever he proceeded to say "she's not worth it". Security should make you feel safe not disrespected... anyway... admittedly i did call him out in my way out and he made an unprofessional comment to his audience and this other security guard tried telling us to leave... We were on our way out already... anyways don't come here unless you want the security to think they can touch you inappropriately on their live stream for some attention. by the way management if you're reading this it was the guy working the 4th of july evening shift and he had a cowboy hat on and some glasses :-) read more

I recently visited this establishment for a few drinks to end the evening, and unfortunately, my experience with the service was disappointing. During my visit, the bartender asked if I wanted a complimentary drink. I politely declined, but he continued insisting and offered me a free shot if I left him a tip. After I tipped him, he brought over the shot, fist-bumped me, and then proceeded to take the shot himself in front of me. He kept the tip and laughed about the situation. As a paying customer, I did not find this behavior appropriate or humorous. It felt unprofessional and left a negative impression of the overall experience. I hope management addresses this matter with their staff and reinforces the importance of professionalism, respectful customer service, and proper etiquette when interacting with guests. read more

The Carrisa - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Went to this place with my boyfriend, on June 20th, bartender offered my boyfriend a free shot if he would give him a good tip, at first he declined but bartender kept insisting so my boyfriend finally gave in, as he came back he rid him here is your shot and gave him a fist pump and drank it himself, and laughed about it. We proceeded to talk to manger and he showed us a clear video which we have and he also laughed about the situation, it's not about th money it's about respect!!!!! read more

Had a great time here! Kent, the manager, was awesome. He showed us around the whole space including the very cool hotel. The food looks great,, and it sounds like they have some really cool events coming up. Overall just a really good vibe. Definitely recommend and will be back! read more

The Carrisa is a fun spot, especially if you're into whiskey, pretty much every drink here is whiskey‑based. I'm not a huge whiskey person myself, but I really liked the spiked lavender lemonade that was vodka based. It was light, refreshing, and a nice twist that worked for me. If you're a whiskey fan, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

The Carrisa - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

This was recommended as a "must do" for Christmas in SLO. While the decor was gorgeous and service was great, the food was a disappointment I ordered the hot chocolate with bourbon, which was good, but definitely overpriced. I was mainly paying for the cute cup for my Instagram story For food, we got the French toast, fingerling potatoes and challah holes. The French toast came with 2 thick slices and were filling but were nothing special flavor wise. The potatoes were probably the best of the three dishes. They were seasoned well. The challah holes were decent, but not worth ordering again This is definitely a place to go for your Instagram but not for the food. Perhaps the dinner menu is better than the brunch read more

The Carrisa - Bar - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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Do not come here if you're not from California because the bouncer took my REAL ID thinking it was fake and refused to return it. 0/10 horrible experiences read more

The Service was great the whiskey was even better. Great place to hang out relax and have some drinks on a Thursday night. They even have 25% off on bottles of bourbon and whiskey doing the farmers market on Thursday night. read more

The Carrisa - Old fashioned - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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I attended The Carrisa for their Christmas decoration experience. I will say that they did an amazing job putting together a winter wonderland! The decorations were extravagant and provided some excellent photo opportunities. The staff were very joyous and regularly checked in at every table with a smile on their face! They truly provided a remarkable experience! The food on the other hand was a bit lackluster. The challah French Toast lacked flavor and could've used the quince on top of the toast, rather than hiding below. It was the quince that was the best part of the plate. The challah holes also lacked in flavor. The creme that came along with them was ok, but they would've benefited from some type of dipping sauce. The best part of our order was the fingerling potatoes, but I would've preferred if they came with some type of sauce as well. I did try some excellent hot chocolate though! The Santa cup was a nice touch Overall it was an excellent photo opportunity with great service, but I would tread carefully when perusing the menu. read more

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The Carissa is just what I needed to visit this December! It was well decorated with big ornaments on the ceiling, live band playing Christmas songs, cute photo ops, and Christmas drinks and bites. I love Christmas. And so seeing a place that feels like it came out of a Christmas movie was the cherry on top this holiday! It does get full of reservations inside but you are always welcome to go outside and enjoy your drinks and food. I was on a bit of a time crunch and so I only got 1 holiday drink which was the Reindeer's fuel. It was strong but still really good! I HIGHLY recommend going. They are decorated until January 7th! read more

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The place is really nice and has great ambience. However, drinks are ridiculously expensive, and they were terrible. I spent 55$ not including tip for a whiskey sour and a tequila sunrise. Not sure if it was just my bartender, but they did not make it correct at all. The drinks were horrible and overpriced for what they were. Didn't even get a real glass or any garnish for 27.50$ a drink. read more

If you come here dont get a drink the bartenders are incompetent. Whiskey sour was not a whiskey sour, long island was just sweet n sour

Went here for appetizers and drinks with 3 other friends. The atmosphere is really nice and we were greeted immediately by management. Menu selection is limited, but the food was tasty and the drinks were good and strong! Would definitely return. Nice patio too. read more

Good cocktails. Great service! Ashley is especially awesome! Cupid's Cocoa (hot chocolate with strawberry moonshine) is worth a try!

Come if you're absolutely dying to play pool but for the love of god do not buy any drinks. Pick any Cal Poly student at random and they will be able to make you a better drink than the bartenders here and it will be 20x cheaper. Genuinely the worst drinks I've had in my life I had to put it down after two sips. Everyone in my group said the same about their drinks. read more

BEWARE!! Complete rip off. $5 cover charge. For what? Live music? NO Outstanding service ? NO. We waited 40 min for our drink order and we got there at 4:30 PM. Fancy drinks? See pic of hibiscus margarita. No disclosure on the cover charge by anyone until you got the bill. The rooms were marginally decorated but most were small and reserved anyways. The drinks were ok. Very overpriced and way overhyped. Save your $$$ read more

The Carrisa - Hibiscus Margarita - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Delicious cocktails, wonderful ambience, delightful staff!! music was spot on. would recommend for anyone looking for a classy place to spend the evening with good prices! read more

We were so looking forward to finally checking out The Carrisa, but then were so disappointed. Granted, we may have gone at a less than ideal (for us) time - one of their holiday-themed evenings, with a large and merry crowd - so it really didn't lend itself to a romantic night out. However, it was the food offerings that were the biggest letdown. Surprisingly limited and then, once received, having an almost prepackaged, tv dinner-like appearance and taste. Even the cocktails were lackluster. Oh, well. The highlight of the evening was the guest talent playing that night, Greywolf, who put on a very nice, chill show. read more

We went here for brunch the other day with family and friends. I was a lovely day and we sat by the creek. The heater was not functioning, but as soon as the sunshine struck our table, it was warm enough. We had great service from Natalie F. All the other staff was also very friendly and helpful. The menu was small but offered a variety of choices. The oysters were delicious although the mustard seeds detracted from product. The brisket Benedict was enjoyed as was the smash burger. My kimchi fried rice was a miss. The rice was too hard, and the kimchi lacked the typical Korean flavor. The inside venue is very festive and magical. Definitely something to see. read more

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First off, there's a $10 cover charge per person, which they don't tell you about before being seated and is written in small print on the menu. Feels shady being charged to sit in a bar you are paying for near $20 drinks. The service was fine, very slow and our waitress didn't seem enthused to see us. We were not given water and drinks took 25 minutes to come out. The drinks were pretty tasty and strong, and we finished them. When we sat down a couple walked out before no one had helped them, we should have taken it as a sign. We were sitting in a little corner near the front, so didn't get the full ambiance of the restaurant we paid for. Overall the decorations are super cute and are super festive. If you're wanting to splurge on cocktails, I recommend going to night cap down the street. read more

The Carrisa - Kevin McAllister mule and pumpkin spice martini - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

We came during the holidays because they decorate SO well here. Luckily we were able to walk in but I heard it's recommended to make a reservation. The drinks are STRONG, and therefore don't taste very good. Each drink was almost $20. Not worth it but still a nice experience to see their decor read more

The Carrisa - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Me and my friends stopped here after dinner for a drink and were immediately greeted by Mike, the super nice bartender. He came up and gave us water and drink menus that were just wine and whiskey but let us knew they had a full service bar. I'm not a huge whiskey person so I asked if they had any specialty cocktail he recommended? He says I know the exact drink. He brings out a gorgeous drink that is the BEST COCKTAIL I've ever had. Light and refreshing with cucumber vodka. You have to get it and try this place. It was un named when it was served to me but I believe they are calling it "slo golden". My friends and me ordered 13 of them that night. Must try in slo. 10/10 read more

The Carrisa - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Not impressed. Ordered a salad-small iceberg salad (mostly white lettuce) with dreary apples and oranges arrived. Nice bar tender. Food was not up to par. Holiday drink was average. The martini glass smelled like the dishwasher. read more

Loved all the decor, but they were out of almost every drink. Even beer! Super disappointed with the drinks.

I haven't reviewed a restaurant or bar in several years, but the truly confounding experience of the Carrisa inspired me to change that. I want to lead with one thing so that you don't miss it: the drinks are absolutely horrible. Now on to a more thorough review: -The atmosphere: The Carrisa is quite nice aesthetically, but also very confusing. I was invited in by their bouncer (who's genuinely very nice and welcoming) telling me they had pool tables inside (I like pool, so that worked). When I walked in, I saw a thrown-together foyer with Christmas decor that seemed to give the impression that they were trying to create an elevated experience, but couldn't fully commit. It felt a bit like that nightmare Willy Wonka thing from a year or two ago. Inside, it was sort of the same: warm lighting, very clean, a beautiful bar, even multiple spots designed for photo ops, but... also, pool tables? The first one being on the first floor right in front of one of the photo spots, so that someone is being interrupted by design, and the second one being upstairs, away from the bar, in an area which would actually be excellent for pool if the lighting wasn't so dim that you have to strain to see your ball. I should mention, too, that the tables, balls and cue sticks were all exquisite--the best condition I've ever seen at a bar, in fact. I have to assume this is due to two factors: they're new, and/or; they don't get much use because absolutely nothing about this bar says it's a place to play pool (except for that kind bouncer). -The service: Honestly, I just feel bad for their bartenders. They all seem quite new--to the bar, to bartending in general, I don't know, but they seem confused with everything I ask. And the drinks they serve are unfortunately abysmal. My girlfriend asked for an espresso martini. I ordered one of their advertised seasonal cocktails. Both were completely wrong and tasted like they came from a can. I drank mine because I'm not the type to complain about something so subjective, but my girlfriend asked for hers to be remade; it was, and it was only marginally better. Still disastrously sweet, so that it was unpalatable, almost cloying. I decided for my second drink I'd order something safe: a gin and tonic. How naive I was! It came room-temperature with a few pieces of chipped ice swirling about, and wearing a strange teal hue. Whatever gin they're using is so floral it's overpowering and the drink tasted like potpourri. I would recommend sticking to beer or wine. Overall: I appreciate what they're trying to do. The staff is very nice, if a bit hapless. I like playing pool, I like elevated cocktails, and I like a nice atmosphere. But they're missing the mark on all of these and it ends up being a cacophonous mess. Please, whoever is managing this place, ask literally anyone with experience for some pointers. And for the love of god just get regular bottles for the bar read more

My husband and I visited The Carissa, and the ambiance is beautiful! Jake, the Facilities Director, has turned this place around. The service is incredible, and all guests are welcomed right away. Not to mention the whiskey is so good. I will recommend this place to all of my friends! read more

These reviews seem spot on from word on street and personal experience. It's declined significantly. Last year Christmas was a bust, terrible drinks and this year even worse cocktails, subpar food menu and they scam you for extra money when trying to make a reservation! $84 for under 6 table and $168 for over 6 table "state tax and designated server" they encourage to make a reservation, to benefit from this extra money. It seemed very shady when trying to make a reservation, there was a lot on contradictions. Verbally told $500 to reserve the table that goes towards check. The link was $668, after confronting the amount, there were several conflicting explanations. We were told no capacity for us unless we had a reservation, this was false. Overall, very underwhelming experience and terrible cocktails, super unfortunate since they have potential with the mid decorations but menu and drinks are a bust read more

Atrocious management. Great owners. Walked up to an "open" night at the Carisa to experience some Christmas spirit. Management ignored me when I tried to open the locked door. When people exited I held it to see what was going on. Was rudely turned away by horrible management. Apparently she was angry that they were "at capacity." Instead of taking my name or offering a solution she forcefully told me that they were at capacity and reached to pull the door shut out of my actual hands... interesting that she wouldn't want to accommodate customers. Why was she so rude? Management 101 says she needs a 360 review after a private conversation. read more

You know I was really excited to bring my family to this place but it was really upsetting that we waited 45 minutes for drinks when they weren't even busy! I mean trust me I'm a server so I understand if a place is busy it would make sense but it really sucked that was the experience we were given, I did love the decorations and the set up but definitely wouldn't recommend sadly :( read more

I'm so disappointed in this place. They are cute. I know they're trying to cater, but they've shifted to being too elite and are now just rude snobs. Went with intent to hang out in mid December for Christmas festivities. Yes, I knew they were going to be in high demand. But the greeters were extremely rude, took our number, said the wait was an hour, and we were willing to wait our turn. We totally hung out around the corner, but they never even called. We will never go here again. read more

Stopped in to have a Sunday bday brunch. We arrived at 11:30 and there was no wait! The food was incredibly delicious. read more

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The French toast was outstanding. I highly recommend sharing it because it is two huge pieces. My margarita was really strong so I asked for a little bit of extra cranberry juice and they brought me a whole cup. Our waitress was really nice and she did come and check on us a few times. The ambiance here is great. Very well decorated for Xmas and still clean and open at the same time. read more

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Another year of amazing drinks and atmosphere! Alexis our host was so friendly and welcoming, she sat us at our table and gave us great recommendations on food and drinks! Our server was Mertixell, she was also very friendly and attentive! Amazing staff! They do not have a wide variety of foods, they're more about their drinks and finger foods. All of the food is shareable The Winter Flat Bread was SO good! You definitely have to try!! We also got the hand pie, it was a little odd that it comes in a brown paper bag and not on a plate but it was really good as well! We started with the Gingerbread Martini! Very strong!! But tasty! we also tasted the Avalanche Sprtiz which was so good! this is a wine based drink! you kind of have to drink it fast because the ice waters it down, but overall was so tasty! The Boozy hot chocolate was SO good probably the best drink we had! We got it with bourbon! This place is decorated in the cutest christmas decor and has the best vibe! check it out!! read more

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Bartender was extremely judge mental . Assumed immediately I was slurring my words but in fact I have a speech impediment. Refused to serve my group of friends and passive aggressively gave us waters and walked away. Did not revoke his comments when confronted and laughed at us for bringing up the issue. read more

Food is overpriced, and charging a cover charge to eat is ridiculous. If you are going to do that, I would expect Five Star service. Let's just say, you see my review stars. read more

We visited from out of town had brunch here on a Sunday. We loved the ambiance, food, drinks, and the deck outside. The only thing we couldn't figure out was if there is a difference website for the restaurant since the the only website that comes up just advertises the place as a party wedding venue with no information on the restaurant such as their menu, type of food they serve restaurant hours etc. Overall super cute place. read more

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Absolutely love the Carrisa as an event space. I've gone to four events this year. Mother's Day brunch, Halloween event, a wedding, and Christmas at the Carrisa for my work's holiday party. I have also gone on a weeknight for bites and a drink. Each time I look forward to it more and more. The food is always great at events, every time I went, something different was served and I was happy with all the options. Favorites I remember were the oysters, the chicken parm (I think?), the salads, pork, the chicken thighs. Their specialty is whiskey as they make it! And of course the beer too. They make a great old fashioned but my fav drink there is the whiskey sour. I noticed one of the female bartenders makes it so pretty with the hearts, they are dangerously good!! Only slight complaint is that I when I walked in on a non-event night, I wished that the bar bites had more on the menu so I could spend more time there. read more

The Carrisa - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Pretty decor but non-existent service. We were told a server would be right with us but no one ever came by the table...

Wow. Absolutely baffled. Sunday night Dec 3: It's 9:05pm and they close at 10:00. We were trying to meet our friends that had been inside since 8ish and the door is locked. This dude with dark hair and facial hair and a goofy christmas uniform opens the door to tell us it's closed. I mention my friends are inside which he responds "oh really, your friends are inside. Can you see them from here?" (Mind you he was blocking my entire view of the inside between the crack of the door open) My friend tries to come grab me 5 minutes later, in which the worker dude immediately waves to us no and tells us it's closed. I asked "but doesn't this establishment close at 10?" he responds "my boss says it's closed now." I asked "who's your boss? May i speak to them?" He responds "my boss is MY BOSS." Frustrated, i leave and my friend is dumbfounded but goes back inside. I'm met with another group right outside that also had the same experience. They also seemed extremely frustrated with this goofy dark haired dude that was having a bad day. Quite traumatized and that's definitely a first for me in SLO. Will never come back and I'll be sure to tell my friends about my experiences bcos why would anyone come here to have their day ruined? read more