The Central Grill

Delicious food as usual Whether you dine in or take home!…read more Always authentic and tasty

Excellent Mexican Food! Customer Service was good too…read more The place was packed with people.

Dining area

Quesabirria tacos

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The albondigas soup is AMAZING!!!

Las Cazuelas Restaurant

4.0(294 reviews)

1.5 mi

Es un lugar bien chula con asientos afuera también. Uno de los mejores restaurantes mejicanos en…read morelas tri-ciudades. La comida es bien auténtica y deliciosa. Comí las sopes de carnitas y estaban llenas de carnitas, cocidas perfecta. Mi esposo tenía la combi de taco de asada y una enchilada de pollo. El se lo comió todo. El servicio estaba bien y rápido llegó la comida. No tuvimos espacio para el postre. ¡A la próxima ! It's a cute little place with outside seating. This is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the tri-city area. The food is authentic and delicious. I had the doors with carnitas that were cooked perfectly. My husband had the combo of beef taco and chicken enchilada. He loved it and finished it all. The service was great and the food came within minutes. We didn't have room for any dessert. Next time.

What happened here? Haven't been back for some time but the last 2 times and again today, the…read moreservice has really gone downhill. Servers walk past you as you wait to be seated...don't greet you and eventually we seated ourselves. Servers talking to others and literally ignoring you. No thanks nor recognition, no interaction and then I waited and waited to pay the bill while 3 men walked right past the register several times and never acknowledged I was there. First time in my life I did not leave a tip. Too bad, we will not be back.

Patio

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Current menu

Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ

4.3(971 reviews)

3.4 mi

If you're driving near Nipomo, you have to stop at this place. They offer a large menu of BBQ…read moreoptions, including the area‑famous tri‑tip sandwich. There's also a full bar where you can order local brews, plus a self‑serve condiment bar to customize your meal. The staff was friendly and quick to bring out our food. Seating is plentiful both indoors and outside, with umbrellas for shade. Parking is easy, with spots on the street and in the lot next door. The architecture and décor give the whole place a charming old‑Spanish feel. The food was incredible and will definitely bring us back. The Emmit BBQ Bacon Burger was our favorite. The thick bacon was cooked perfectly, and the onion ring added a great crunch. The patty was cooked medium‑well and packed with flavor. This is one of the best burgers we've ever had. The tri‑tip sandwich was also great. We loved its simplicity and the moist, tender meat with very little fat. The locally made bun really elevated it. They serve BBQ sauce on the side, which paired nicely with the tri‑tip. The 50/50 basket is huge--we didn't expect so much food, but we weren't complaining. The onion rings were excellent. This will be a must‑stop on every trip down to SoCal from now on.

For our leisurely drive from San Diego to San Francisco, my wife had plotted several stops of…read morecities she thought would be fun places to stop to break up our almost 8 hour drive. My wife is an amazing trip planner and she chose stops in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Maria, Carmel, and Monterey. I'm a foodie and once my life pahtner told me about Santa Maria being known for their style of BBQ, I was looking forward to our stop in Santa Maria and grubbing on Santa Maria style BBQ. After checking the different BBQ restaurants on Yelp and factoring in our timeline, I selected Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ as the joint that we would experience Santa Maria BBQ. Tri-tip BBQ is the preferred meat choice, but Rancho Nipomo's version was okay and tasty. I enjoyed their chicken BBQ chicken and their chili beans were extremely memorable. Eating inside the restaurant was a little frustrating, but the customer service from their staff was much appreciated. Rancho Nipomo is located on the 101 freeway specifically off of Exit 175 and on Cuyama Lane. It's a short distance from the exit off of the 101, so this restaurant is a convenient stop if you're pressed for time. There were other BBQ restaurants in Santa Maria, but the other restaurants didn't open until 4pm and we didn't have the luxury of waiting around. Rancho Nipomo is located across from 805 Barbecue Brand restaurant and it's diagonal from Taqueria Los Quates. There is some parking in front of the restaurant, but it's mainly street parking. Rancho Nipomo is a spacious restaurant with plenty of indoor seating and there's plenty of covered umbrella outdoor seating. We ate inside and had to battle disruptive flies, so I recommend you eat outside. I recommend that management keep their doors closed to keep these pests out. There are large screen televisions to watch sports and there was a stage where bands play music on certain days. I liked the decor inside with a mural of Mexican cowboys, the California Republic homage above the tvs, the faux Gold Rush saloon as the backdrop of the stage, the Indian statues, and the decorative old school chandelier. The young lady behind the register provided exemplary customer service, other staff I interacted with were friendly, and I love that they honor Veterans like me with a free fountain drink. Besides Santa Maria-style BBQ, Rancho Nipomo serves Mexican food that incorporates BBQ; it serves burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs; it serves munchies; it serves salads, and you can satisfy your sweet tooth with their desserts. I honestly did not know the city of Santa Maria had their own style of BBQ, so I was really looking forward to tasting what that style of BBQ tastes like. After perusing their menu, I decided to order their Central Coast Smokin' Combo because it had two different types of meats. This combo comes with a 1/4 BBQ Chicken, 1/2 lb Smoked Tri-Tip, Spanish Rice, West Coast Chili Beans, and two flour tortillas. It was a good amount of food because I had part of my chicken and tri-tip as leftovers, which was a yummy late night snack on our trip. I was looking forward to eating the tri-tip, but even though it ate well with the tortillas, I thought it was dry and underwhelming. The highlights for me were the chicken, the chili beans, and the rice. The chicken was cooked perfectly, it was tender, seasoned really well, and it tasted great by itself or in a tortilla. The chili beans were mind blowing, savory, addicting, and I wished there was more. Combining either BBQ meat with the chili beans and rice inside a tortilla made for a delectable bite. Make sure to grab all of their complimentary salsas to add some spice to your BBQ. My wife ordered The Cali Cheese Steak Sandwich, which comes with smoked tri-tip ends, Monterey Jack cheese, bell peppers, and grilled onion all encompassed in a fresh toasted Telera bun. Sincerely, one of the best cheese steak sandwiches I've ever eaten and I didn't eat it until I had it as a late night snack. We also ordered their fries, which were seasoned and delicious. Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ is a must visit if you want to indulge in Santa Maria-style BBQ. Their tri-tip was okay, but I highly recommend their BBQ chicken and their West Coast chili beans. If you're planning to order a sandwich, a Must Order is their Cali Cheese Steak sandwich.

Brisket sandwich

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Catering Set Up

La Placita Market

4.7(10 reviews)

0.1 mi

Best tacos in Nipomo! $3.00 each isn't the least expensive taco around but they sure are worth it!…read moreMy favorite is the carnitas with the salsa verde. Great prices for their sides of rice and beans when you do taco night at home and don't have the time to make all the sides!

I have learned that some of the best burritos come from a carnicería. If you want a good burrito go…read morehere! They also have other good food options so try em out

Happy folks!!

Bean cheese and rice burrito

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This is our stop while washing our blankets at the laundry mat.

Taqueria Silva

4.6(27 reviews)

3.4 mi

Best tacos in town the meat is always fresh the green salsa is spicy with so much flavor…read more The pastor and cabeza tacos are always my go to I've tried the shrimp tacos too they are really good rice and beans are always freshly made very authentic their aguas frescas are ok id rather go with a fountain drink. The tacos are amazing definitely recommend.

First time having Taqueria Silva and we will definitely be coming back :) The food was so good and…read moreAUTHENTIC! The service was fast and friendly. We are happy to finally have found a Mexican food truck that is close to us. They have a table outside in case you wanted to eat there. I would definitely recommend to give them a try :)

Cali asada burrito and asada fríes

Cali Burrito, Carne Asada

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Carnita sopes

Agave Grill

3.8(106 reviews)

0.9 mi

Agave Grill is one of our regular go-to places for tasty, reasonably priced burritos. The staff is…read morefriendly and service is fast. We always get our burritos to go, but there is a small dining area that usually has some customers in it enjoying their food. If you haven't tried Agave Grill, I recommend you do!

Horrible customer service! I ordered a burrito with no rice…read more When I got home there was rice in the burrito. I called to explain, and they said they would give me credit. Moments later they called back requesting that I bring the burrito back to the store to prove there was actually rice in it. I did. I was insulted when I asked why they asked me to waste my time and gas to drive back the burrito and I was told that a lot of people lie about an incorrect order. That sucks and so do they! I told them that my family and friends will NEVER eat there again! BOOOOO!

California Burrito Supreme

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Cafe DeVille

4.8(109 reviews)

1.6 mi

The food was fantastic the favor was on point. I thought my mama was in there cooking that food…read more The owner was very professional came out and spoke to his customers

Wow! I'd heard great things about Cafe DeVille. After running errands in Santa Maria we stopped…read moreoff here for a late lunch befure heading back to Shell. After sitting down the entire atmosphere felt like you were embraced in a warm hug. The staff were happy and the customers were too. It was infectious. My boyfriend loved the oatmeal stout. Food was great but I didn't take photos. If you don't like positive vibes, don't go. Just kidding! Run, don't walk!

Interior dining room and bar

St Paddy's Special Breakfast Burger

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Wine on tap, nonalcoholic options, and three hugs tvs.

La Pasadita Oaxaqueña

4.6(80 reviews)

6.1 mi

We saw a yummy post about this place on Instagram and thought we'd check it out when passing…read morethrough Guadalupe. So glad we did! Sparkling clean and full of light, we were greeted by a friendly smile and digital menu boards with photos of the food. Order at the counter with plenty of indoor seating (low tops and high tops). We had the #7 Mole plate (a large chicken leg and a thigh), $18.99, served with creamy refried beans, fluffy rice, and beautiful fresh corn tortillas. The mole sauce was earthy and very dark, not sweet at all -- which was a new version for me. This looks to be proper for the Oaxaca region, where chocolate and raisin are used sparingly for bitterness and savory depth, so I was glad to try a new region's mole. Tortillas were perfect, fresh and light. Beans and rice were excellent. We also ordered the #6 Quesabirria tacos plate ($14.59), with a bowl of dipping consomé big enough to have some left to eat with your spoon. Heaven. Crispy, cheese between the consume-soaked and grilled soft corn tortillas, and fall-off-tender beef with a sprinkling of onion and chopped cilantro. No notes! Dreamy. A half-liter bottle of Mexican (real cane sugar) Coke was a worthwhile splurge at $4.50. Fresh chilled salsas at the counter, you also got a basket of perfectly crisp miga chips (more dense and substantial than average tortilla chips - I usually see them with Chilaquiles) and house salsa roja free at the table. Several flavors of Aqua Fresca were on display as well as a dessert case (empty on the Monday afternoon we visited except for the "Chocoflan" in the refrigerator case), plus a counterside fridge with a big assortment of Mexican soft drinks. We bought a couple of chocoflans ($5 each) to go; they were more like cake than custardy flan but also excellent. Cannot wait to return!

Loved the salsa and carne asada taco. My husband had the carne asada tostada and enjoyed it with…read morethe spicy red sauce. Taco Tuesday special $8.99 for four small tacos.

Pollo mole plate

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La Picosita

3.9(450 reviews)

5.0 mi

I queried Yelp "Best Burrito in Santa Maria" and this place came up on the list. It is a small…read moreplace but appears to be very clean and the staff really knows what they are doing. Their menu is diverse and includes a lot of traditional Mexican dishes. We want to go back and try more! For good, fast and authentic Mexican food, this place is a "must visit."

Great food Great service great ambiance. And they have a…read moregood tortilleria in house..

Free sauce instead of the 2 green I paid for

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Current Menu as of May 2025

Jocko's Steak House

3.8(2.9k reviews)

1.6 mi

•$$$

Oh yes. Stumbled upon this iconic restaurant 3years ago. Looks like a biker bar / restaurant. I was…read morewrong.. sorta' Everyone is there for the steaks! Absolutely fantastic. Service is great and such a great atmosphere. Enjoyed their food 3 times now. Never been disappointed. Check them out when in SLO

I read about Jocko's in an Eater article as one of the places you must try on a road trip along…read moreCalifornia. I'm always a bit of a skeptical but an optimistic one so okay, why not give this spot a try. We came here for a super early dinner, basically right after the restaurant opened at 4 pm. We wanted to avoid the dinner rush and having to wait forever without a reservation. So we got seated very quickly. Now, the ambiance and decor is very bare bones and honestly, no frills. Nothing fancy and not a fancy, romantic date night spot but a great pragmatic date night spot or solo date spot. Our server Christian was wonderful and very prompt and attentive. We ordered the 20 oz Ribeye and shared it among a heavy eater and a light eater. The meal comes with crunchy chilled pickles, a side and a salad and also, a basket of crackers (Ritz, saltines and breadsticks), a cup of salsa that's meant to be eaten with the steak but we started eating it as a dip with the crackers. Also came with their signature beans and also garlic bread. And also ice cream at the end. When the steak came...it has that perfect crust and sear from the Santa Maria style, where the steak is cooked over an open flame. There's just nothing like a flame grilled steak. We ordered it medium rare and upon the first bite, WOW!!! Super tender and juicy and tasted so fresh, also lightly seasoned already. Nipomo is kind of in the middle of nowhere but if you find yourself driving along the 1 Highway and going either south or north, plan and make a stop here. You won't be disappointed. And overall, great value for the money considering the price you pay for the steak comes with everything.