i'm shocked that this place has only 3.5 stars, are you kidding me?? not only the best bar in SLO…read morebut maybe my favorite bar ever. staff is great, drinks are affordable, the people are amazing, and the live house band (who play every thursday i believe?) are incredible. it's always a hoot here and whether socializing or sitting back and listening the tunes, you can't beat it. also shoutout to noelle the photographer, she was amazing and takes some dang good pictures for their socials. thank you!

Stopped in for a beer on Market Night in SLO. Great beer selection, many local brands. Love the old…read morewooden bar, wood tables and booths, and wood floor, very cool vibe. Great bartender, great service.

Haven't been here in about 7 years. There's definitely more booths, and some upgrades to the…read moresurrounding businesses. Glad to see some of the older businesses still there. Felt very safe to walk. Nice, clean, safe. And I would try Vix creek saloon BBQ best tri-tip and ribs I've tried in a very long time.

One of the best farmers markets in California. Great food, produce, music, prepared food, specialty…read moreitems and more. Parking is available nearby and a must experience weekly event.

BA Start is easily one of my favorite places in SLO! Such a fun bar experience with great vibes and…read moreso much to do. Between the pool tables, basketball machines, games, and drinks, there's always something going on and it's such a fun spot to hang out with friends. We had an amazing time and loved the atmosphere! This is always the place I want to go to whenever I visit SLO. If you're looking for a lively bar with games, good energy, and an overall great time, BA Start is the spot!

Visiting the area for a friend's birthday with a large party of 20 plus people. We decided to visit…read morethis bar as there was no wait and we could enter right away. There were so many of us, but the bartenders patiently got all of our orders and even had a tab open for us. We ordered 20 green tea shots plus cocktails which was definitely a large order. The bartenders got them ready quickly without delay. They also have some specialty game related cocktails which I appreciated. I tried the Ditto Daiquiri, which has the most adorable name, that was really refreshing with the blackberry inside. I enjoyed drinking and playing the arcade games. Nothing like beating someone in Tekken with a drink in hand! Was so much fun and would definitely come back if I was in the area!

Yummy food, yummy drinks, nice setting, and amazing staff. I recommend the drink Bikini Girls With…read moreMachine Guns

Jazz night on Wednesday nights!…read more Grabbed a couple drinks upstairs before heading down for the music around 8:30. Bartenders upstairs were great and made great drinks. Sitting at the bar is a great choice for prompt service. Also a great bartenders roulette creation! Jazz night fills up QUICKLY. Music starts at 8:30 and almost every seat was taken already. Mostly a young crowd but all ages showed up and showed out.

Novo has always been a great experience and the dishes are always delicious. We've been coming to…read moreNovo for years and it has been our traditional dinner spot. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We have always been seated outside and love it when we are lucky enough to have a table along the creek side. The curry dishes, brussel sprouts, and ahi nachos are great to share. The outdoor seating is relaxing under the oak trees. Appears to host families with parents visiting their kids attending Cal Poly. Always a great evening.

While this seems to be a local favorite, we were underwhelmed. Service was friendly but slow. Food…read morecame out fast, but potatoes were cold and oily, and the sausage sandwichbpresented a lot more like a (sausage) burger with an egg. Lettuce and tomato seemed out of place for breakfast sandwich, and the overall effect was more "soup sandwich" than something focused. I really feel like they are trying too hard - at least with this dish. Tone it back and get the basics right - then add a few little things for flair. 10 ingredient sandwich just seems way overworked... Stars seemed a little overworked as well, service was on the slow side- though they didn't seem particularly busy. Nice patio setting by the creek.

My boyfriend and I were passing through on our way to San Francisco. We got a late start, so we…read moreplanned on stopping in SLO for some food while we booked a room for the night. The place we initially wanted to eat at was extremely loud and there was a line outside. The energy was way too high for us for a Thursday night, so we decided to keep walking down the street. Eventually we saw the sign on one of the side streets and decided to check it out. The bar was SO cute! Loved all the wood and light fixtures. The bartenders, Josh and Justin were very sweet and welcoming. The music was fun, but still chill. We had such a great time, it was exactly what we wanted. If we are ever in the area, we will be going back! Thank you!

Came here during a busy Friday night around 9pm. Wasn't too sure if it was first come, first-served…read moreseating since it was hectic inside and no one was at the front. We went all the way to the back to check it out. We eventually found very tight seating outside against a wall corner. A waiter came by to take our order but told us they don't serve food outside on the patio, only drinks. We were a little bummed by that since we were hungry. We debated staying and my husband went to the bar to grab drinks for us. Not sure what his conversation was with the bar staff but he flagged me to come sit inside and they'd be able to serve us there. The waitress was kind and apologized for the miscommunication. To be honest, I still wasn't sure what the miscommunication was but she took care of us and was super helpful so I was appreciative of the service! The burger was just okay but their Mac and cheese was good. I'm a huge Mac and cheese person and their Mac and cheese was pretty darn up there on my ranking list.

Great show! I was staying at the Madonna Inn and heard about the circus. Got tickets at the last…read moreminute and the show was AMAZING! Great balance of light hearted comedy, death defying acrobats and feats of pure strength & balance from the performers. Loved the entire show.

We got lucky - without any advertisement, driving in 101 pass Madonna inn, we noticed circus. With…read morethe help of chatgpt, identified it as circus Vargas. We came for the second day of their San Luis Obispo engagement, it was their new show masquerade, and it was amazing. All in all 2+ hours, and it flew by like a moment. The price is fraction of the other cirque show, and so much pure fun. Clown act was a common thread, and it was creative and thoughtful fun. Other elements are as impressive, with highlight a bunch of motorcycles riding in a dome. Highly highly recommend. Tip/ try to sit in the center, facing the center stage; rows 5-8.

I am beyond happy to have crossed paths with Region Event Center. At the beginning of my journey in…read morelooking for an event space I was faced with so many options. However, most of them were catered towards wedding venues which were out of my budget for a graduation event. Region Event Center is not only a beautiful setting for a wedding reception, but was the perfect option for my graduation. I had a little less than 100 people in attendance. Region provides more than enough space with its relaxing patio and indoor seating arrangement. I had the best experience working with Paige, the Event Coordinator for Region. From start to finish she was such a wonderful person to work with on my event. We were able to do a tasting and select local wines, as well choose the types of beer from a local brewery, prior to the event. Upon request she also provided us with a list of suggested caterers and external decor companies. She was very knowledgable of the area. The step by step process was so helpful. The day of the event went so well. I received so many compliments from guests on the event space, the drinks, the food, and the friendly staff. If you're looking for a clean and beautiful setting in downtown SLO with friendly staff for any event, Region is the place. Thank you so much, Region Event Center!

The Region was a great place to host our daughters wedding rehearsal dinner and welcome party for…read morethose guests from out of town. The food and wine was amazing and the staff was incredibly easy to work with and flexible. Everyone had a memorable evening. Thanks Region!

What a great place. Bartenders were friendly and fast. All of them were working in high speed…read more A locals place. Everyone seemed to know everyone.

McCarthy's is our local dive bar! I say dive bar with everything that comes with it, which you can…read moreread about the other reviews. They're kind enough to allow a local Autism benefit to take place on their outdoor patio. Crawtism benefits kids with autism. Our local founder Michael McGee has been hosting it for 19 years Many of the people that attend were participants in the late great San Luis Obispo Mardi Gras festival, so there's a lot of camaraderie. There were also a lot of new faces students and locals who have taken up frequenting McCarthy's. The food was hot and earthy, a great Jambalaya served in bowls. The crawfish was the star of the show, with the rosy red beasties arriving hot from the pot, steamed and juicy. Corn, potatoes, and bread came with the crawfish. It was fun to watch the attendees learn to eat the little crustaceans, everyone expressing their delight in the seafood. This was truly a wonderful celebration with a great heart and soul. We're looking forward to celebrating many more years in the future!