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    The Sow's Ear

    4.0 (839 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    The Sow's Ear Photos

    THE SOW'S EAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Heather W.

    On my yearly trip to Cambria, the Sow's ear is always a must. The food is always consistent and good. And the flower pot bread is one of my favorite things. They are known for their fresh out of the oven flower pot bread. It's a little crispy on top and as you work your way to the bottom, it gooey, and almost slightly undercooked deliciousness. I love getting to the bottom of the pot and adding some butter. It's so good! I usually always get the same thing. I love the steak and mashed potatoes. It's so tasty that's it's had for me to try something else. This restaurant is very small and cozy. It's like an old school family restaurant with a cute fire place. I always try to arrive right when they open so I can get a table right in front of the fireplace. It's so cozy! And then I have to get my glasses of wine. The ambience is just very quaint and cozy. I always recommend this restaurant to my friends when they are going to Cambria. Everyone that I have recommended it to has gone always had good things to say about it.

    Chicken pot pie
    The Critic 1.

    I gave this place 5 stars because al the staff here were great and most the food here were amazing. Their Olallieberry Granita mimosa was so good I can have a pitcher of it. Their bread was baked in a flowerpot of mixed bread. They have pig decor everywhere and it was an intimate, cozy setting. Their seafood chowder was delicious. We ordered clams either Wii e sieve and it was full of garlic and we even drank the broth. I was a bit full and need help eating my ribeye which was coked to my liking. Their pot pie could be a little more thicker but it tasted good. The chicken fried steak and short rib with buttermilk potatoes were so good as well. If you want comfort food, they have it here. Last but not least, the mud pie was decent. I will be back someday.

    Catfish main entree with perfectly cooked veggies and wild rice
    Tara H.

    We have wanted to come here for years and finally made it! We made dinner reservations for 6:30 and were thrilled to get the window table in the corner. The sun was in my eyes, so just be aware of that. One complaint? It was INSANELY hot inside. Like, gross hot. We saw people at other tables using the menu's to fan themselves just as we did! The Hearst rose was lovely, and hubby got a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and then the Lagunitas. Be aware, we don't think they have beers on draft. Hubby ordered the catfish main and absolutely loved it. Loads of perfectly cooked veggies and he said the marinade on the catfish was excellent. I was still feeling full from our lunch earlier that day so got the spinach salad with grilled chicken. WOW!!! It was huge! And, it was absolutely delicious! We were too full for dessert but would absolutely come back. They just really need A/C!

    Rack of lamb
    Jan C.

    We had a awesome anniversary dinner. The food was very good and the service was excellent. I love the dim lighting. It's a cozy restaurant. I had the rack of lamb. It was delicious. Probably the best I've had. Came with veggies and a red potato. I had all veggies. The bread in the pot was delicious! My husband had the early bird steak. It was very good. Both meals included a dinner salad. They gave us a complimentary dessert for our anniversary.

    Menu
    Karl M.

    Wonderful restaurant. Perfect location. Cambria is lovely, Gorgeous setting. I love the ambiance. Lovely music playing while we eat. Good service. The food was delicious. Loved the cream of broccoli soup. So good. I had the special of the day which was blackened salmon with rice and vegetables. Fabulous. I will say that although it is a nice restaurant and the food was good, it seemed a bit overpriced. But...what isn't over priced anymore? Over $150 for three of us - no alcohol purchases. Still, I'm happy to have visited and truly enjoyed it and the food.

    Steak and crab meat with mashed potatoes
    Naomi A.

    The sows ear is like a home away from home. It was nice and warm inside and we enjoyed our meal. I will say they do need more servers. We had to flag down a server a few times. The food however is delicious. My wife had short rib and I had steak topped with crab meat. We each had a bowl of clam Chowder that was tasty!

    Seafood stew

    The food was great and everything was wonderful on that end. Service was a little slow but it seemed to be typical in the nearby restaurants as well, maybe the small town syndrome where they know your just passing through but they'd make a better tip if they come over to the table a little more so we could order another round or two. We came in a little late (7:15pm) in the evening and I wasn't sure exactly when they closed but Yelp said 8pm but they seated another couple at 7:30...so I don't think we were an issue considering service, most likely an off night for the server as we have all been there. The windows and decorations with all the pigs were very cute and my wife liked the ambiance. The food came out very fast and was delicious. I was on vacation, loved the restaurant and food....definitely would come back and highly suggest you visit the Sows ear as well.

    Lemon Tart, not on the menu.
    James S.

    Charming and quaint, yet homey and welcoming, The Sow's Ear has a lovely reputation for being a solid dining choice in Cambria. This is well-earned. Having considered it a few times over the years -- it's always so dark when you look in there windows -- the time had come to at least give this place a try. The delicious and fun bread bowl in a planter arrives warm and ready for you to get in the mood to eat. If you're the least bit hangry, the bread may go quickly, so pace yourself (though they will likely offer you more if they see what damage you've done). The brown was a sort of pumpernickel, but with the seasoning toned down. As all entrees come with choice of soup or salad, we felt getting an appetizer might be overkill. So we enjoyed our salads (a special-- beets with arugula and goat cheese (I think!). Not gonna lie: some of the apps were super tempting. Perhaps on the next visit -- and maybe if it's a larger party. I tried the Chicken Fried Steak. Not sure if I've ever HAD chicken fried steak before. Hearty, tasty and savory. 'Angus beef breaded and pan sautéed with our homemade country sausage gravy, served with buttermilk mashed potatoes with fresh chive'. Very much satisfied. Our other entree was the Braised Short Rib 'Slow braised tender short rib on the bone topped with a red wine and port reduction sauce, served with buttermilk mashed potatoes with fresh chive'. We liked this too, though to be brutally honest, it was a bit dry. A bit more of the port reduction sauce perhaps -- or maybe it was simply a tad overcooked. Of course, the buttermilk mashed potatoes wash away lots of sins. Dessert was delicious. Though it's not listed on the menu, the Lemon Tart (with strawberries and whipped cream) was fantastic. Perfect ratio of sweet to puckery, with a just-right crunch in the crust. A nice finish to a relaxed and hearty meal.

    Bread
    Matt W.

    Had an amazing meal with friends in a fancy yet casual restaurant and the service and food was all good. Prices are typical for the area as well as the items available. All the food we ordered was prepared very well with delicious flavors. First time here and we will be back.

    Bread in a pot. Doughy and delicious.
    Ariel M.

    The restaurant was a lot cuter inside in person than what you see of the place online. Service was great and so was the food. We got the beef stroganoff and the chicken and dumplings for our entrees, and the fried brie to start. It wasn't clear what the chicken and dumplings was but it ended up being a soupy biscuits and gravy, with the dumplings being somewhere between a gnocchi and breakfast biscuit in taste and texture. The "soup" was the "gravy". Everything was delicious.

    Flour pot
    Florence K.

    Fantastic dinner place in Cambria! We were just looking at the menu when a passerby recommended this place and we decided to try it out. They're known for their flour pot, which is their house bread in a flower pot. A very cute idea! We got the stuffed mushrooms, which was alright but the entrees were fantastic. We got the steak and shrimp pasta. Both to die for especially the shrimp pasta. The decorations were also filled with little pig figurines, which fits the name of the restaurant!

    Flower Pot with bread inside (we ate it before I took the pic)
    Samantha H.

    We visited The Sow's Ear for the first time for their New Year's Eve dinner. It was the most delicious food and best experience by far. The hostess was so kind and it was essential to come in by reservation because they seated us almost immediately. The place inside was a dark ambiance, but it was lovely. My grandmother that joined does have bad eyesight so she struggled a bit to see her food on the plate, but we put the lit candle by her plate so that helped. The food itself was EXCELLENT. A little background: I have a nostalgic memory of a family vacation when I was little and I had tried a lobster bisque soup at this random restaurant, and since that time, I have never again been able to find a lobster bisque soup that tasted anywhere near as good as that one time so many years ago. When I tried the lobster bisque soup last night, it was such a slam to my face with nostalgia because it brought me back to that one memory ingrained in my brain. It was beyond my expectations and memory of the lobster bisque. They excelled in this soup, it was so so so delicious. I was sad to find out that they only brought it out for the New Year's Eve menu & that it's not a common dish on their usual menu. All this to sum up that this place is a 1000/10 and I will most definitely be coming back with my family.

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    12 days ago

    All was excellent. Food portions and flavor. Nice ambiance. Our server was very attentive. Hope to visit again soon.

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    9 months ago

    The ambiance and good feelings of this fabulous little restaurant in Cambria can't be beat. Service was great. Food is always first class.

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    The Sow's Ear Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Sow's Ear

    Do they take reservations?

    Yes reservations are strongly suggested, but understand it is a "recommendation" of when you'd like to be seated, not a reservation. Know ahead of time that your reservation seating time is based on when table availability occurs, not when you will… 

    Is this business dog friendly?

    Currently they have a few outside tables which a dog could be at. Before covid dining was only indoors and we never saw a dog in there.

    Do they have a kids menu?

    Not that I know of

    Anyone having trouble getting through on the phone? I can't reach them and need to confirm my…

    I just called and they answered??? 805-927-4865 They are open tomorrow Jeff so if you have a reservation I would make sure you make it. You will not be disappointed!

    Is there a corkage fee? If so...how much?

    $15!

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    Lily's Coffee House

    Lily's Coffee House

    4.2
    (463 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Five stars for the food and for the owner. Best burritos on the coast, and everything else on the…read moremenu is good too. When the owner is there, the service matches the food. When she is not here, it is a different place. On slow weekdays the staff range from unfriendly to flat out rude, and they close early. Posted closing is 1 pm, but I have watched the closed sign go up at 12:30 and been turned away. The last excuse was a power outage. I live here. That outage lasted about ten minutes and had ended more than three hours earlier. And it is not just me. Last week I was in a coffee shop nearby, standing behind a woman who had come back to visit after moving away years ago. She had just walked out of Lily's five minutes earlier. She was telling her friend that it had always been her favorite place and that the owner was wonderful, but was shocked that the staff were nasty. She did not know I was listening and had no reason to say it except that it had just happened and she was upset about it because she was nostalgic and had been looking forward to going to her favorite place. If you show up in that last thirty minutes on a day that is not busy, you may find the door shut on you regardless of what the sign says. So go there when the owner is there or go more than thirty minutes before closing on days unlikely to be busy. Of course not all the staff are that unfriendly - The long term staff are friendly But too many aren't . They get laid off or quit them you get a new one with attitude . It's just I have bad luck showing up at wrong time.

    Cute coffee shop in town with coffee, some pastries and other breakfast options (egg bowl,…read morebreakfast burrito). 4 small tables inside and a bunch of seating outside, but it was cold and wet in the morning. Ordered the everything bagel with lox, comes with cucumber, tomato and red onion - tasted pretty fresh ingredients, except for the tomato which was soft. Also ordered the salted Nutella latte (iced), 1/4th sweet and it was perfect - good flavor, not too sweet. Place was busy at around 8am on a Tuesday; coffee came out fast and waited about 10 minutes for the bagel.

    Photos
    Cup size options
    Cup size options
    Berry scone and Mexican Mocha.
    Berry scone and Mexican Mocha.
    This sauce is a must on any eggs!

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    This sauce is a must on any eggs!
    Cambria Coffee

    Cambria Coffee

    4.3
    (523 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $

    I've been coming to Cambria Coffee for years, and somehow they've managed to pull off the…read moreimpossible--they've never let me down. In a world where restaurants and coffee shops can be wildly inconsistent, this place just keeps showing up and doing what it does best. My go-to is always the Baja Mocha. At this point, it's less of a coffee order and more of a long-term relationship. It's rich, smooth, perfectly balanced, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting. Every time I tell myself I should try something different, the Baja Mocha gives me that "Don't be ridiculous" look, and I happily order it again. A visit also isn't complete without grabbing a pound of whole beans to take home. That way, I can continue pretending my kitchen is a quaint little coffee shop instead of just... my kitchen. The café itself has a ton of character. It's on the cozy side, which means it can fill up quickly, especially during busy times. If you're looking for acres of seating and total silence, this probably isn't your spot. But if you're looking for exceptional coffee, a welcoming atmosphere, and a place that feels like a true local favorite, you'll understand why people keep coming back. The staff is always entertaining in the best possible way. They're friendly, have personality, and somehow manage to keep things moving even when the place is buzzing. It's the kind of coffee shop where the people behind the counter seem like they're genuinely enjoying themselves, and that energy rubs off on everyone else. If you're passing through Cambria or lucky enough to live nearby, do yourself a favor and stop in. Just don't blame me when the Baja Mocha becomes your default order too. I tried branching out once... the Baja Mocha and I worked through it.

    Small cafe gets very overwhelming on weekends. We stopped here on the way to Hearst Castle, wanted…read moreto grab a quick coffee and pastry, but the experience was disappointing. The service was not very efficient with the crowd. The barista asked many questions (decaf or regular, oat milk, whole milk, 2%, almond milk, which coffee bean, etc.), which made the line move very slowly. She also had to stop taking orders halfway to make drinks, making the long line to get even longer. There wasn't enough seating, so we decided to take our food to go. They can't help warm up our pastries and directed us to use the microwave and toaster oven ourselves. For the price of the pastries I paid, I expected better service rather than DIY. When the coffee was ready, they did call names but the place was so crowded, we all had to wait outside of the cafe. So many of customers had to come in and out several times to check on their orders. The coffee was also extremely hot and not drinkable right away. Overall slow service, crowded environment, messy flow. I wouldn't come back.

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    Interior seating
    Interior seating
    My handcrafted baja latte by Josh and Jessica.
    My handcrafted baja latte by Josh and Jessica.
    Blended Dominican mocha

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    Blended Dominican mocha
    Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough

    Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough

    3.8
    (240 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    When everything on the menu sounds delicious and your order is perfect. When you aren't done with…read moreyour meal and you already want to come back. When this happens, I know I found a great restaurant. We had a delightful lunch and desserts. The patio was just right for a sunny day in January. Our server was very friendly and the chef/owner Giovanni even came out to greet us. We found out about his homemade limoncello which was the perfect ingredient for one of the desserts. I seriously love this place!!

    I have done take out and dined in at the Harmony Cafe in the past. The take out wasn't memorable…read morebut what was memorable was ordering Prosecco to enjoy while we waited for our food. The owner said he had a special Prosecco and that he had "a guy" who gets it for him special. He let us keep the bottle since it was our anniversary weekend. When we got back home, I googled the label on the bottle and to my surprise, it turned out his "guy" was Trader Joe. That was good for a few laughs. The dining in meals were at the restaurant's special events with a fixed menu and price. We met friends there for those meals. Both meals were nothing to write home or a review about. Our friends felt the same way. I thought eventually, we would dine there when we are in town enjoying our second home. After today, I will reconsider. My wife and I were near the cafe and she wanted to go into a particular shop. There was no parking spot available so I dropped her off and parked next to the cafe. I stayed in the car to wait for her. I noticed a crude handmade sign on an orange cone that read "parking for Harmony Cafe". There was one car ahead of me but I waited with the engine running. After about 5 minutes, a door opens from the side of the restaurant and a woman comes out. I didn't think anything of it. A few seconds later she comes out again and goes behind my car and takes a photo of my license plate. I thought that was hilarious. First of all, it's a public parking space that apparently the Harmony Cafe has commandeered with a makeshift sign. I have never seen another business in town do such a thing. Cambria is such a peaceful and relaxed place, very laid back but just don't park in the Harmony parking spots if you aren't a diner. I wonder what she does with the photos of those license plates.

    Photos
    Espresso Bar
    Espresso Bar
    Prosciutto Cotta Croissant
    Prosciutto Cotta Croissant
    Open today from 8 am to 3 pm. Come in and enjoy the most incredible food in Cambria!

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    Open today from 8 am to 3 pm. Come in and enjoy the most incredible food in Cambria!
    West End Bar & Grill

    West End Bar & Grill

    3.9
    (603 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Service and food are great! The shrimp tacos are a must! Cute little pub with nice bar selection.read more

    Just stopped in on a Friday night and sat at the bar - at first glance it looks like a cluster so…read moreI'll will write the review as things progress. - cute and very busy pub / restaurant - there are only 2 servers and so far they are as attentive as possible for sure, both ladies are hustling with a smile. - We have watched 2 parties of 4 walk out. - We got our drinks right away and only waited a few minutes to get our order in. - While we waited I saw. (2 ) available 4- top tables open, but a party of 6 was told 30 minute wait. They declined and left. - A person came in asking for take out only to be told they were "inundated and not taking take out orders at this time." So far this is a management issue - these ladies were giving and needed 1 more server to keep them caught up- lots of business waking out the door due to poor scheduling- what a shame. One person behind the bar and 2 dining room servers would make this successful. It's too easy. - Food came out in a timely manner. Gary's pasta - 10/10 Clam chowder - 10/10 definitely homemade. My wedge- a little pricey but 8/10 only because the dressing came out clearly of a jar and no blue cheese crumbles. (Little things make a huge difference) - Moscow Marlin drink 10/10 - Another walk out. Lots of empty glasses at the bar. Would we come back? Only with these 2 servers. ( I think we got lucky) Definitely not on a Friday and If it's this much of a mess on a Friday, I can only imagine what a Saturday would look like. Cute place with amazing clam chowder and pasta.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    West End Bar & Grill
    Margarita

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    Margarita

    The Sow's Ear - cafes - Updated August 2026

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