69 Best Restaurants in The Central Coast, California

Folks stand in line down the block for clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl at this wildly popular seafood stand. You can also order beach food such as fresh steamed clams, burgers, and fried calamari at the counter (no table service) here and at Splash's second location in San Luis Obispo, which has an on-site bakery and additional menu items.

This family-run diner serves some of the freshest food around. The seafood-heavy menu includes salmon burritos, Alaskan cod tostadas, superb fish tacos with mango salsa, and other dishes hailing from somewhere between California and Mexico.

A bakery, shop, and café by day, this lively locals hub, run by longtime friends, morphs into a Burmese-Californian restaurant and bar by night. Menu items range from croissants, flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads to tandoori chicken or seafood dishes, and most ingredients used to make them come from eco-minded purveyors within 50 miles (some from a co-owner’s family farm).

A wood-fire rotisserie in an open kitchen, simple but tasty comfort foods, and a lively bar scene attract locals and visitors alike to this cozy, casual space in an historic brick building a block north of the main square. Although reservations are recommended, bar seating with access to full dinner menu is available for walk-ins.

You'll find everything from grilled artichokes to quail at this casual eatery, but most people come for the smoky Santa Maria–style barbecue. Be sure to try a glass of owner-chef-winemaker Frank Ostini's signature Highliner Pinot Noir, a star in the film Sideways. Lunch and snacks are available earlier in the day at the Hitching Post Wines tasting room next door.

A silver spoon display at the entrance reflects this casual eatery's mission to "spoon food and trade stories" with diners who indulge in traditional American comfort food that's given a modern twist. Perennial menu faves include tri-tip tartare, grilled artichoke, duck ramen, and fried chicken with sourdough waffles; save room for a root beer float or brown sugar pot de crème for dessert. During the day, pick up fresh goodies at Grover Beach Sourdough, the restaurant's bakery across the street.

Authentic Italian fare, an open kitchen, and festive, family-style seating make this trattoria equally popular with celebrities from Hollywood and ranchers from the Santa Ynez Valley. The noise level tends to rise in the evening, so this isn't the best spot for a romantic getaway.

Diners at this second-floor restaurant view the sunset through giant picture windows. Meanwhile, fresh fish and other dishes incorporating local ingredients emerge from the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen, and oysters on the half shell beckon from the raw bar.