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    The Central Grill

    3.7 (60 reviews)
    InexpensiveSalad, American, Tacos
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Also ordered a double cheeseburger

    So I work in nipomo and always looking for something good to eat when I forget my lunch. So today at my morning job I meet someone who works at this spot The Central Grill and told her I'll have to try it someday. So today I called in my ordered and went on my lunch to pick it up and it's very delicious, I'll have to try it again I seen other items I want to try. Thank you for letting me know about this place.

    So good... I almost forgot to get a picture

    Delicious burgers! One of the best I have to say! Ordered the regular cheeseburger with curly fries. Friendly staff and clean restaurant. Highly recommended!

    805 Tri-Tip Burrito - delicious!
    Neville S.

    This is a great local business which I wish more folks would support. They serve excellent food. Their tri-tip is always so tender. Their Central Cheeseburger is a triple-patty burger, and takes a knife and fork to eat because it is so big. This time around I ordered the 805 Tri-Tip Burrito and I have to say it is one of the best burritos I've had anywhere. It is huge, and just SO tasty! Can definitely be shared by two people (I had other half for breakfast next day). Oh, and I love their too!

    Jalapeno coins. Spicy! But tasty. $2.50 for this whole portion with ranch.
    Ashley M.

    I was thoroughly impressed. Everything has been really tasty so far and the staff are really kind. -Beer battered fish and chips were so good but fries were mediocre. I'd probably get curly fries with it instead next time. Tartar was tasty. -Burger was great and HUGE. If you don't like well done burgers, I'd ask for a little less cook though. -BBQ tri-tip was delicious, as well as all of the sides...especially the potato salad (that was probably my favorite part!). Beans were full of ground beef and super flavorful. Tons of beers in bottles and on tap, quite a few tv's, games for kids & great space for parties. I've been waiting for a spot like this in Nipomo that can accomodate large groups because Me & Ed's is typically always a big let down. I'll be going back again and again! :)

    Tri tip and.chicken tacos
    Jennifer D.

    We saw a commercial for The Central Cafe that they had oak pit tri tip so we just had to try it! I honestly didn't have high expectations and I was blown away. I got the 805 burrito with tri tip and it was delicious. My only complaint is that menu stated it came with sour cream and the was very little to be found. My husband got chicken and tri tip tacos and he loved them. My daughter got the kids cheeseburger and the size was just perfect. We will definitely be back!

    They didn't put salsa or sour cream on my nachos. Not good at all.
    Simone F.

    Almost an hour wait for food to go. Burger was mediocre. They left the salsa and sour cream off my nachos. Don't bother wasting your time. Go to Little Jocko's or California Nipomo Grill. Definitely won't be going back.

    Tri-tip tacos add avo
    Lisa M.

    The tacos are good and only $1 on Tuesdays! My bf liked the 805 burrito. Zucchini fries were yummy! Plenty of beer to chose from including 5 on tap. I have yet to try other things on the menu and looking forward to it. Nipomo does not have enough restaurants! Only thing I was not happy with so far was the Nachos. I don't think lettuce goes on nachos and you don't need chili because there is tri-tip. I would also like to see the salsa and maybe tomato on it. Last time they forgot the jalapeño/sour cream too.

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    One of my favorite places to eat! I love their onion rings and burgers! The staff is always super nice to me.

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    Overpriced, undercooked food, and numerous health violations.

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    8 years ago

    Ordered the tri-tip sandwich with chili cheese fries. Generous portions. Absolutely delicious! Would highly recommend eating there.

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    8 years ago

    Just found this place. Taco Tuesday started us but we've branched out to other menu items. So far everything has been good. Casual dining

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    10 years ago

    Amazing food! Wonderful front staff crew. Great job new restaurant! !!! Thanks for opening

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    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Watered down nacho cheese sauce with hard straps of over cooked tri tip

    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.

    Photos
    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ
    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Brisket sandwich

    Brisket sandwich

    Rancho Nipomo Deli & BBQ - Catering Set Up

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    Catering Set Up

    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña - Celebrate Tuesday with tacos.  Asada street tacos.

    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.

    Photos
    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña
    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña - Pollo mole plate

    Pollo mole plate

    La Pasadita Oaxaqueña

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    Jocko's Steak House - spencer

    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.

    Photos
    Jocko's Steak House - Interior (Dining Area)

    Interior (Dining Area)

    Jocko's Steak House - Spencer (20oz Ribeye - $61.95) - "Tasty!"

    Spencer (20oz Ribeye - $61.95) - "Tasty!"

    Jocko's Steak House - Spencer Steak

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    Spencer Steak

    The Central Grill - salad - Updated May 2026

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