Location: Avila Beach
Top Restaurants in Avila Beach
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Best American food near Avila Beach, California, United States
Reviews on American food in Avila Beach, California, United States. Avila Beach /ˈævɪlə/ is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, located on San Luis Obispo Bay about 160 miles (257 km) northwest of Los Angeles, and about 200 miles (320 km) south of San Francisco. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Avila Beach as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population was 1,627 at the 2010 census.
Things to do in Avila Beach
10. Port Harford Chandlery & Pub
Overall Ratings
4 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By sowsmith
I come to Portside coffee & Harford Pub every time I come to Port San Luis. Portside sells Illy Coffee & tasty am treats, while the Pub serves various local craft beers(Fig Mtn.,Barrelhouse,Cider,etc) on tap in ice cold mason jars. They also serve wine(glass & bottle),mimosas,&bloody marys. The same food served at Portside(same owners), is served in the Pub. Burgers,pulled pork nachos & thick sandwiches are always great.The view of the bay & harbor complete the experience. Boats are pulled from the water right behind, so of you want to know what they are catching...stand out there and drink your outstanding craft beer. Owners are always around to make sure you are happy....can't beat this hidden gem.
9. Gardens of Avila
Overall Ratings
4 based on 122 reviews
Reviewed By dziran
Always our stop passing thru the mid California coast. Have been here many times and have not been disappointed. The food is very fresh and delicious. The green salads sing. I especially like the fall when the garden on site is the source of the fresh greens. Our waitress Brooke introduced us to a new menu option, simply grilled. This was wonderful. We chose a grilled Salmon and added our own side choices of carrots and black rice. Also highly recommend the local bread. The staff is friendly and able to adapt to dietary restrictions. Also stayed the night and enjoyed breakfast. The only thing I would add to breakfast is a simple muffin choice. The juice bar is very good.
8. Mr Ricks
Overall Ratings
4 based on 99 reviews
Great Happy Hour Mon-thurs 5:30 7 Pm Great Specialty Drinks!! Live Music/dj Too
Reviewed By harveymushman99
When it's busy it's fun inside or outside in the sun people watching and working on your tan as the beach crowds walk past. Some times they have live music and on Fridays after 4 pm or so there is a Farmers Market going on outside....
7. Woodstone Marketplace
Overall Ratings
4 based on 123 reviews
Avila Beach is a small beach community just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo California. The Woodstone Marketplace is an interesting blend of delicatessen, espresso bar, winde shop, gift shop, and restaurant.
Reviewed By travelingCAgal
While visiting family in Indian Hill we ordered several take out pizzas for our large group. The pizza was delicious! We ordered three varieties â pepperoni, vegetarian and gluten-free. My favorite was the vegetarian. We are long time customers of a well known pizza chain but this gives our pizza place a run for its money!
6. Avila Grocery and Deli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 151 reviews
Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mostly a grocery store, but much better food than at actual restaurants in the area.
Reviewed By Key B
We forgot a couple of items when we packed and picked them up in the market. Selection was actually pretty good.
5. Olde Port Inn
Overall Ratings
4 based on 392 reviews
Reviewed By dswenk
Weâve gone to Olde Port Inn for a few years now and is still the best seafood place we have found on the Central Coast. Its at the end of the pier in Port San Luis so is a little aways from the hustle and bustle of Availa Beach which we love. Well worth the extra ½ mile drive to the pier. There is limited parking next to the restaurant so I recommend parking at the parking lot next to the pier and walk the short distance out. Fishermen, seals, sea lions etc welcome you to while walking the wood pier. Next to the restaurant is a fresh seafood market. Excellent ambiance in the restaurant, beautiful views of the bay and under some of the tables is a glass floor you can see down to the water, common to see marine life under you. One big benefit of going to Old Porte Inn is their generous no corkage fee for up to 4 bottles. Dave, the owner who you will see working as the head chef, says he wants people to come back again and again for his food and itâs a little way to show appreciation. The food is simply fantastic. This is a fine dining experience, the seafood is fresh and wonderfully prepared. Menu is a wide array of seafood, steaks, and other entrees. If you crave fresh seafood, however, I recommend going for that Dave is a master chef at preparing his meals. Most recommended is the seafood platter which is a huge assortment of different items. My wife loves the cioppino, she says it is hands down the best in the area. I always go wanting to try other dishes but it seems the seafood platter always draws me back in. Whatever is your desire there will be something on the menu that will spark your interest. My take is I can go to a steakhouse anywhere, thereâs a million of them but it is a challenge to find a place that specializes in fine seafood. You will also be pleasantly surprised when you see the cost. Weâve been at seafood places all along the coast, Pismo to Avila and no restaurant beats their process from what I have seen. That, combined with no corkage fee, makes this a must stop for anyone on a budget. They can also hold meetings and banquets as they have a separate room upstairs that can do that. Last week we made the decision to have my sonâs rehearsal dinner there the night before the wedding. That can custom make any menu you need. After looking at many places I was shocked to see wat they can offer and at a fraction of the price the other venues wanted. The last thing I would like to go over is to us the most important and thatâs the service. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, most of all Roxandra. She is more than the head server but is also an owner. She makes your visit a personal one. One time we offered her a glass of wine, she sat down and enjoyed it with us, it was after the dinner rush so she had the time, LOL. We always ask for her when we go there and you are always made felt welcome and invited. Three things are vital for anyone to become a repeat customer; Quality of food, quality of service, and price, Olde Port Inn has all of those and more. Whether youâre a local or a tourist/visitor, I highly recommend you make this one of your stops.
4. Mersea's
Overall Ratings
4 based on 152 reviews
Dine on fresh, delicious seafood, grab a drink at the bar and enjoy the awesome views from the Harford Pier in Avila Beach.
Reviewed By Eric W
Food was good, service was average, view was extremely unique. Right on the pier, boats coming and going, seals barking and playing, waves crashing on the shore. Mostly outside dining, but there are overhead heaters in case it gets chilly, so we had a great dinner.
3. Fat Cats
Overall Ratings
4 based on 396 reviews
Reviewed By joangosewisch
We came for a late breakfast and because the patio seemed to be a haven for wasps this time of year, we sat at the inside counter. The food (my huevos rancheros and spouse's sausage and eggs) was perfectly prepared and delicious. Watching the staff from the counter was a show in itself. As they work most efficiently, they seem to care about each other and work in harmony. Our server, Zach, was so delightful and engaging. It doesn't hurt that he looks like Brad Pitt. A real charmer.
2. Custom House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1056 reviews
Just steps away from the beautiful Avila Beach, Custom House offers a casual dining experience with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Come and have a drink at our cocktail bar, or dine on our patio while gazing out across the beautiful San Luis Bay. Wi
Reviewed By Michael M
This is a nice lunch spot. It's patio looks out on the walkway and ocean.The food is okay and the Staff is great. The Drinks were also very nice. Nice place to have lunch and people watch. Dog friendly also.
1. Ocean Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 390 reviews
Ocean Grill is ocean front dining just steps away from the sand in beautiful Avila Beach! Stop in today and try some of the most delicious and creatively prepared cuisine in San Luis Obispo county!
Reviewed By wisemoney
Pros: Convenient location. Better than a typical tourist stop.Cons: Parking can be tight. Owner/manager did not provide a good feeling.Star Ratings:- Overall: 4- Food Quality: 4- Food Quantity: 4- Dining Room Attractiveness: 4- Menu: 4- Service: 4- Noise: 5- Price: 3- Value: 4- Parking: 3- Ambiance: 4- Owner/Manager: 3Our granddaughter was staying with us for a week in early August 2019 so we decided to drive to Avila Beach and walk around the shops. There were several choices for lunch, but the Ocean Grill seemed to be nicest from the outside.- Location: Convenient. The restaurant is located on Front Street which, as the name implies, is the last street before the beach. Ocean Grill is toward the east end of the 2 or 3 block strip of stores.- Exterior: Nothing special, but it was pleasant enough to draw us in.- Interior: Fine. For a tourist type area, the Ocean Grill was nicely furnished. Tables were spaced apart so conversation was easy. Ambiance was nautical, but low key. A wood burning oven for pizza and flatbread in the back is a welcome touch.- Menu: Fairly small, but with several good choices for each of us. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees were all represented. You can almost have any size meal. NOTE: The menu I got included a salmon sandwich. However, when I ordered it, the server said âoh, you must have an old menu. We havenât had that for quite some timeâ. How did something like that happen? Donât they check the menus on a regular basis?- Food: Good. My wife and I both had a crab cake sandwich which was fine. Herâs came with salad and mine with french fries. We couldnât detect signs the fish was frozen mentioned in other reviews. Our granddaughter had a small margherita flatbread (like a pizza) for which she gave a thumbs up.- Liquor: We didnât have any, but it seemed as if Ocean Grill has a full bar.- Service: Very good. Although we had a hard time actually looking at the heavily tattooed waiter, he did provide friendly and efficient service. I guess thatâs all you can really ask for in a restaurant.NOTE: On my way to the bathroom, I wasnât sure were it was so I briefly asked a gentleman who might have been the manager or owner for directions. Maybe it was because he was in conversation with a server, but he appeared slightly annoyed.- Price and Value: Reasonable. Our sandwiches were $18 apiece while the pizza was $16. Ocean Grill is not cheap, but we seemed to get what we paid for.- Bathroom: Okay. We finished lunch fairly early in the day (around 1230 PM) so I didnât really put the bathroom to much of a test, but it seemed clean.- Parking: Can be tight. Whatever you can find on Front Street and along the side streets. Thereâs a fairly large public lot 2 or 3 blocks away.Ocean Grill is a good choice for lunch, but since there were never more than 2 other tables taken during our meal (perhaps 5-10% occupancy), it gave us cause to wonder if we had missed something.
