There is a specific, salt-sprayed magic to Avila Beach, and Blue Moon Over Avila occupies its most…read morecoveted front-row seat. To sit here is to be seduced by the Pacific's rhythmic pulse, a panoramic distraction that almost--almost--masks the architectural and emotional exhaustion of the room. The décor suggests a space in transition, or perhaps an identity crisis. It bears the unmistakable look of a "palimpsest"--a new design hastily layered over the ghost of a previous one, creating an aesthetic friction that feels more like a temporary stage set than a permanent sanctuary. This weariness extends to the staff, who navigate the floor with a palpable, heavy-lidded misery, as if the sheer beauty of the coastline has become a burden they are no longer interested in carrying. The kitchen, however, still possesses moments of genuine, startling clarity. I opted for the "Trio," a format that usually promises variety but often delivers compromise. Not so here. The sandwich was a minor triumph of construction and flavor, a high-water mark for a casual lunch. It was flanked by a clam chowder of remarkable depth--creamy without being cloying, and singing with the brine of the sea. Yet, the meal is not without its turbulence. The accompanying salad arrived drowning, a casualty of an over-zealous hand with the dressing that rendered the greens more of a soup than a side. And then there is the matter of the French Onion soup. To encounter a $9 upcharge for a bowl of onions and melted Gruyère is to experience a moment of pure, capitalistic vertigo. It is a price point that suggests a level of luxury the service and the "layered" décor simply haven't earned. As for the amenities, the state of the restrooms remains a mystery--a rare blind spot in an otherwise exhaustive afternoon. Blue Moon Over Avila remains a destination for the eyes, and intermittently, for the palate. If you can ignore the visible gloom of the service and the audacity of the surcharges, the view alone is worth the price of admission. Just perhaps stick to the chowder and leave the French Onion to the high rollers.

This was our second time here. We haven't been in several years but remembered the food to be quite…read moregood and of course it was beautifully located. We were excited to revisit this year. They felt severely understaffed probably because of the holidays. Took a while before someone was able to seat us. They can really use a dedicated hostess. Maybe they had time off? However, once we sat down everything was perfect. The food was delicious but honestly it was our amazing waiter who made the evening (and meal taste) even better. He was super attentive and his kindness felt sincere. You know when someone is putting on an act vs someone who is genuinely lovely. He even comped our dessert. The duck à l'orange was perfectly cooked. The boeuf bourguignon was hearty and paired well with a side of veggies. The escargot was so delicious even the kids enjoyed eating "snails" Would definitely come back!

I arrived around 6:30pm on a Friday night. I ordered the tri tip tacos, as well as a coke (which…read moreare refillable). My total came out to $20.16. The way it works is you order at the bar, and then they will take down your phone number to text when your order is ready. However, it seemed like they were more using the loud speaker because I didn't receive the text until 9:57pm that night. My order was ready at 6:53, so we were looking at about a 23 minute wait - which I think is fair given how busy it was. The food itself was just okay to me. I didn't think it was anything to write home about, but that could be because I had some really great tri tip at the SLO Farmer's Market the day before. However, I will say, I really liked this place for the environment. There was live music, and a lot of table and chairs to just look out at the water and just enjoy the views. It was super family friendly, and I found it to be really enjoyable to just sit and hang out. I did find it odd that they close early (8pm) on a Friday night. At 7:59pm, the employees will come up to you to let you know that they close at 8pm, so it seems like they are strict about that.

The Wife and I were in Avila for my b-day week. We had rented bikes and on the way back to our…read moreAirBnB, we stopped for a bloody mary. One of the best Bloody Mary's I have ever had. I wish we had more time to toss a couple more back! Go, Drink Well, HAVE FUN!

Wonderful staff and amazing food! It is casual, yet personal and cozy. We love the beach vibes and…read moresmiling faces. It's also great seeing people of all ages enjoying the ambiance. This will definitely be a place we visit again.

The new custom house was a great place to stop at for a quick snack and some delicious drinks. We…read moreordered a side of fries to share... they were fresh, hot ,and delicious . We ordered a couple of drinks - a local beer and a tropical drink. The beachfront cocktail was perfect, sweet, just the right amount of alcohol and a good beach drink. Definitely brought on the ocean vibes. Staff was friendly and helpful picking out drinks Had TV's for sports games,which made it even better, so we didn't miss our teams playing!

The place is idyllic, it's worth stopping just for the views. Service is friendly and fast…read more We had fish tacos and it was extra fresh and tasty. Good portion and affordable. I would just suggest swapping the soft tortillas for regular as they break with the juice.

Came here while camping near by for a quick dinner after spending all day at the beach. We came 30…read moremins before closing and were worried they might not take us, but they gladly took our order and pointed us towards the outdoor seating on the pier. Great views of the bay, sounds of sea lions barking, and the ocean. The patio had plenty of seats but you can tell it gets packed. We got fish and chips, shrimp and chimps, calamari and chips, and a bread bowl. All great & we'll definitely be back. Minus 1 star for the seats in the back, where we were sat, being next to the fish gutting station for the pier... brutal smell but what can you do. Worth it regardless

Amazing food and amazing ambiance. Loved their Bloody Mary's and watching the boats. Every food…read moredish we got was delish. Went back 4 days during a 7 day trip due to how great they were. Will be back next year!

I love the location! Next to the parking lot near the base of the pier. We were lucky to find a…read morefree parking spot. It was crowded on the weekend but only had a short wait. We sat outside and the views are good. Much better views if you sit inside but the weather was gorgeous. They had pork tamales for a special and I'm so glad I tried it. I was so torn about getting that or seafood. The tamales were flavorful. The masa stuck to the corn husks which was disappointing. It came with 2 eggs and I chose hash browns as the side. If you can handle spice, you would love the sauce that was served with the tamales. I dipped my fork in and couldn't do it. The eggs were cooked perfectly. The potatoes didn't have any seasoning but were very crispy. It was a lot of food for the price. I did try some of the fisherman's platter. That was a decent sized portion. The shrimp and calamari steak were delicious. The fried oyster was huge. The clam strips were small with a lot of breading and not enough clam. Bathroom was very clean. Service excellent.

We were looking for a place to have dinner to celebrate our anniversary…read more We looked around yelp the night before and found this gem. We made a reservation for the next day. We originally made our reservation for 7:30 p.m.... we then decided we wanted to perhaps change it to 6:30. We called ahead and hopes that they could accommodate us. They said they couldn't promise anything but they would try. We showed up around 6:15. And they sat us down around 6:35. We had a beautiful window seat overlooking the ocean and had a perfect view of the sunset. I forgot our server's name but he was amazing. This place sounds fancy and bougie but it's really not. The food might be, but the vibe is not. There's no dress code. Everything we ordered was soooo tasty and delicious! We ordered fish and chips, baked clams, a wedge salad, and seafood pasta. For drinks we had two mocktails that were just okay. We also got a couple of flour tortillas with some cinnamon butter and a salsa trio. Our server suggested we spread butter inside the tortilla and drizzle our favorite salsa inside. So good. After dinner we decided to walk around the restaurant and appreciate the views. I'm so glad we came here. We will definitely come back next time we come to Pismo Beach

I ordered the almejas al vapor (steamed clams), and they were honestly the best I've ever had. We…read morealso got the quesabirria, which my son gave a 10/10. The Coconut Breeze mocktail is incredibly refreshing. My husband ordered the campechana, it was loaded and super satisfying; they definitely don't skimp on portions here. We can't wait to come back! Our waitress, Sakheela, was incredibly kind, gave great recommendations, and was just an all-around wonderful person. We can't wait to come back!

Okay, we're back two nights in a row but heck we are on vacation. Tonight, we had fish & chips and…read morea club sandwich with fries and onion rings. Although this is a Mexican Restaurant, everything they make is fantastic and often beats any diner. Also, ask for Carissa. She is a great server. So go and enjoy!

Wow!! Was I surprised at the fabulous Chili Verdi!!! I had the taco salad w/Chili Verdi and it was…read moreserved in a large tortilla bowl filled yummy!!! The service was impeccable my iced tea was filled regularly which is always a plus in my book!! The cafe itself was amazing how clean and roomy it is with staff that is there to make your experience GREAT!!! This is my new go to Mexican Restaurant!!! You must try Zorro's you won't regret it!!!!

Lido is a fantastic place to go for a special occasion. The views are amazing, the waitstaff is…read moreprofessional and friendly, and the kitchen produces some standout dishes. They are a pet enthusiasts that always spoil our dogs and they have a selection of 4 different dog dishes to pick from. Our two 15 pound dogs split a single salmon dish and there was enough food for both of them. We found the sea bass and the clam chowder to be two of our favorite dishes. The sea bass comes with a mix of mushrooms and white beans along with a red wine sauce. The combination of textures between the flaky fish, soft beans, and chewy mushrooms makes for a great mouthful and the acidic and flavorful sauce brings all the ingredients together. The clam chowder was an interesting twist on the classic with the dill adding a nice extra flavor to the chowder and the herb oil applied to the top added a nice light note to The brunch special with champagne seems like a great way to spend a morning. Most of the tables around us got the set meal and we saw a constant supply of new bottles of champagne and assorted fruit juices going to the other tables. If you are staying at the dolphin bay, the room service is top notch getting the same dishes and presentation that you would get in the restaurant. It was an easy call down to Lido and the food arrived nice and hot to our room.

Disappointing experience on Monday April 27, 2025. We were in town visiting and met with local…read morefriends for an early dinner. They suggested Lido, so we decided to arrive early and have a cocktail and appetizer during their happy hour before settling in for dinner. The visit started off strong with the lobby staff engaging in a little fun banter as well as the hostess who seated us was engaging and friendly. Unfortunately anything positive stopped there because our server was anything but pleasant and welcoming. We opted to sit outside on the patio as the weather was mild and the view stunning. We did request an umbrella as the sun was strong and another employee brought one over. The server seemed to lack any personality, no smile, no response to playful joking or interactions. I asked a question about the menu because the happy hour menu I had and had selected a drink off, differed from the other three that my husband and our friends had. The waiter flatly stated that my menu was wrong and the drink I wanted to order was not available and suggested a different drink that was nothing like the one I wanted to order. There was no apology and he didn't even take the incorrect menu, it was as if he didn't care. We placed an order for two appetizers and four drinks, three of which were the same cocktail off the happy hour menu. At the same time, we inquired about a more extensive dinner menu and the waiter stated they didn't serv dinner until 5pm but it was already 4:45pm and so we requested dinner menus. The waiter asked us how many menus we wanted, which seemed strange as none of us have ever eaten at a restaurant where each individual person wasn't provided their own menu and so we had to state we wanted four menus. When the four menus arrived, one for each person, one of the three was incorrect just like the happy hour one, showing cocktails that were no longer available. The drinks and appetizers eventually came, they took at least 15 minutes with the food arriving before any of the drinks. While the food was okay, the three cocktails were pretty awful, mine being the worst of the three. They were all the same drink made with grapefruit but my personal drink was far more bitter than the other two, it wasn't palatable at all. The other two who ordered the same drink, my husband and friend drank the drinks since we were paying for them. At this point, the experience was so bad between the waiter who seemed to have no desire to serve people and the terrible cocktails that we decided we should cut our loses and leave to eat dinner elsewhere. We left one full cocktail, and two partial cocktails on the table. The bill was paid and as my husband and I brought up the rear of our group. As we were leaving the waiter remarked that he, "hoped we have a better day." This was rude, unprofessional and confirmed leaving Lido was the right choice. This was a terrible experience both with the waiter and cocktails. A place could have the most amazing food but if the customer service is lacking, the quality of food is irrelevant. I would rather have mediocre food and friendly, welcoming and engaging customer service.

Tarra and Dane were great! They handled a huge crowd very…read morewell without missing a beat! The Fight was on and my husband and I had a great time! The salad with blu cheese was good. And the cheese zip was yummy!

Quite possibly the surprise hit of the trip. I was looking for decent price and great taste. I was…read morealso looking for variety since there are 11 of us and I know the young ones are picky. I was a bit dismayed to find, upon arrival, that the options were kind of limited. I was still torn between the tacos, the birria fries and the spicy chicken sandwich. I took a chance and went with the chicken sandwich, hoping that it wouldn't be too spicy. I also ordered a side of fries, not knowing that the sandwich came with fries already. I don't know why I thought the sandwich same by itself. My mistake. The chicken sandwich was very good. A bit spicy but not to the point I couldn't finish it. It also had this nice sweet taste that contrasted well with the spice. I knew my wife would like it so I let her have a bite. I was also curious about my sons birria fries so I stole a bite of those. I recommend if you come in a group, be sure to share some. It would also be nice if you could upgrade the fries that come with your meal to birria fries, you know for an extra $2 or something. From what I can tell, everything is good here. If I could, next time I'm getting birria tacos with a side of birria fries! Probably the only gripe I could find was that service was on the slow side. 2 people were responsible for the whole restaurant, besides the cooking in the back. One mostly manned the bar and the other roamed the tables while helping behind the bar too. It wasn't that busy and the place isn't that big. My man wasn't lazy and was always doing something. It's just that paying the bill was a process. Eventually I got up to go pay rather than wait for the bill to come to us. I'm happy to have found The Break and hope to come back

If you're looking for great seafood in the Pismo area, Ada's does a great job with a variety of…read morepreparations. Even during the off-season, they can get busy for dinners so make a reservation, especially if you have a larger group. The patio is dog friendly and they have a private parking lot. We started the meal with a half dozen fresh oysters which were cleaned well and served with some Tabasco, an herby vinegar, and lemons. Fresh warm bread and butter were also provided to start the meal. We got the steamed clams which were absolutely delicious. Done with a classic garlicky white sauce, the clams were fresh with no unpleasant fishy smells or tastes. The seafood pasta is the reason we return to Ada's year after year. There's a huge assortment of seafood included and all of the individual ingredients are well cooked unlike most seafood pastas. The mussels were small and very mild in flavor, almost tasting like clams. A flaky white fish as well as a more meaty fish were also included and weren't overcooked. The creamy rose sauce is flavorful and rich without overwhelming the various ingredients Service is friendly and they have a wide selection of drinks available.

It was pretty busy on a Friday night but we were able to grab seats at the bar without waiting. But…read moreI would suggest making a reservation or giving yourself extra time. I got the lobster roll which had large chunks of meat but I would have like some old bay seasoning or something on it We got the artichoke appetizer which was huge and delicious