Everyone talks about the North and South of California but did you know there are some amazing places to see and places to eat in Central California? Here are some places we tried when we visited
Solvang
Paula's Pancake House - Paula’s is a staple in Solvang, you won’t miss this place, there is always a big crowd waiting for breakfast any time of the week. Their menu is filled with pancakes of course but also other breakfast favorites like corn beef hash, omelets, and bacon and sausage. Their lunch menu has burgers, sandwiches, and salads. What to get? Definitely, the Buttermilk Pancakes with your favorite fruit toppings, we loved the blueberry, strawberry, and apple cinnamon ones. Or try out the Danish Pancakes which are very thin pancakes topped with fruit and whipped cream. A kids' menu is also available with pancakes, waffles, and eggs. Breakfast is served all day. The lunch menu begins at 11 am Monday to Saturday and 12 noon on Sundays. Reservations aren’t taken at this spot, you’ll have to walk in and wait and wait times can range from 30 minutes to 1 hour. They don’t take phone numbers down, you have to have one person in your party wait for your table to be called. Parking is free on the street or in public parking lots.
Buellton
HITCHING POST 2 - The one reason we had to visit this place is because of their “Santa Maria Style BBQ”. All their steaks and meats are grilled over an open fire of red oak. Hitching Post also has a winery attached to it but if you can’t make it out to the winery, all their wines are served at their restaurants. Their menu includes steaks, seafood, fowl, pork, and lamb. All entrees include garlic bread, vegetable tray, soup or salad, and your choice of rice pilaf, baked potato, or French fries. They do have a children’s menu, steak or chicken, and it includes your choice of French fries, baked potato, rice, a drink (milk, soda, apple juice), and ice cream for dessert. What to get? I tried out the New York Steak and it was perfectly cooked! Reservations are highly recommended for this spot, but you might get lucky with a table for a walk-in. There is a private lot in the back for parking.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co- We were excited to try the original location of Figueroa Mountain. Located in the industrial area of Buellton is this indoor and outdoor brewery. Figueroa Mountain is an award-winning brewery that has won 8 World Beer Cup awards and over 20 Great American Beer Festival medals. Their taproom has a food menu with sharables, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and a kids' menu. What to get? I didn’t get to try the beer here but I did get to try the food the tri-tip nachos were delicious and enough to feed 2-3 people. Reservations aren’t taken in this spot, it's first come first serve. Order your food and beer and then find a table, you’ll be called to the front when your food is ready. There is limited parking at the brewery but there is parking on the main street.
San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Petra Mediterranean Pizza & Grill - A Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant with an awesome beer selection. Petra won the best pizza from US Today, they have some of the most unique pizza flavors. Bread is baked daily and all the ingredients are fresh. Their menu has grilled meat that can come on a plate, or pita sandwiches like kabobs, shawarma, gyros, and falafels. Their unique pizza flavors are a favorite of SLO like gyro and tri-tip. What to get? Get the Gyro pizza with garlic sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, chopped garlic, and gyro, or the tri-tip shawarma pita with garlic sauce, romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, tahini sauce and a side of tzatziki sauce. There is not really a kids' menu, but they do offer cheese pizza if you have a picky eater. This fast-casual spot can be busy during peak hours but we were able to find a table easily. Order at the counter first, then find your seat, food will be delivered to you when it's ready. Street parking is available. FYI Happy Hour is 3-6 Daily and all day Sunday!
Firestone Grill- You definitely know that you are at firestone grill, you just have to search for the giant line of people in front! It's located in downtown San Luis Obispo and has been grilling up food since 1995. Their menu is filled with BBQ, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. What everyone gets here though is their Santa Maria trip tip sandwich! There is a kids' meal available either grilled cheese or a hot dog. Firestone is self-seating, first, you order your meal at the counter, and they will give you a number, find your seat, and your number will be called when your food is ready. During peak times, seating can be a bit difficult to find but everything moves pretty fast, there is always someone leaving. Street parking is available.
Mama's Meatball - located in Creamery Marketplace is a cute neighborhood Italian restaurant. This local spot gets busy during dinnertime! Their menu offers authentic, homemade Italian salads, pizza, pasta, and desserts. What to get? The Monte Bianco - Pizza topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, arugula, mascarpone cheese. What is cool about this place is their garlic knots, they just keep coming to the table, so garlicky and cheesy. There isn’t really a kids' menu but we got my daughter pasta with butter. Parking is available on the street.
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