Dining Out: It's a whole new animal

Buffalo Pub&Grill owners take up where their Le Fandango Bistro left off, offering American-style dining in a comfortable downtown SLO setting with prices as savory as the food

Dawn White

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I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment when Le Fandango Bistro closed its doors a few months ago.

The French Basque restaurant and bar had been a downtown gem of tasteful cuisine in a low-key atmosphere amid San Luis Obispo’s overrun of college student-oriented eateries.

But when owners Myriam and Michel Olaizola closed Le Fandango, the couple had no intention of leaving downtown San Luis Obispo.

Instead, they’ve decided to work with the regular crowds the town attracts. The couple has now debuted an American-inspired restaurant, the Buffalo Pub & Grill.

The restaurant leaves few traces of its former self, with the interior mostly gutted during recent seismic retrofits. The bar has doubled in size and the linen-clad bistro tables have been replaced by comfy booths suited for families and groups. Subtle European décor has been replaced with Western paraphernalia. Overseeing it all is a stuffed buffalo head.

The one item remaining from Le Fandango’s menu is the signature French onion soup, a flavorful brothy soup of sweet onions covered in melted Swiss cheese.

Getting things started

To sample the new cuisine, I started with—what else! — buffalo wings ($8.50). Served sizzling on a cast-iron skillet, the spicy wings came with jalapeño chili sauce and a cool side of chunky bleu cheese dip. The skillet kept the wings smoldering and added a nice crisp texture to the chicken skin, which came drenched in a vinegary red hot sauce.

The tasty wings pair perfectly with one of the tasty eclectic beers available on tap.

The fondue sandwich ($11.50) was not what I expected, but then again, what does one expect a fondue sandwich to look like? Sliced meats including ham, turkey and salami were draped over thick and crisp rustic bread dunked in melted cheese. The sandwich required a fork and knife to eat and was delicious, albeit a bit rich.

Steak salad

The grilled black pepper sirloin steak salad ($12.50) was a colorful mix of vegetables and grilled steak. Mixed leafy greens tangled between juicy pieces of steak, red bell pepper strips, carrots, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Shaved Manchego cheese, a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk, added a pungent finish to the crisp greens. The dish was light and satisfying, although I would have preferred to have the meat served medium-rare rather than medium.

The turkey burger ($8.50) is a thick juicy patty on a ciabatta roll with sliced tomato and green leaf lettuce. Flavorful and filling, the turkey burger was seasoned just enough to bring out the meat’s natural flavors.

Friendly ambience

Buffalo Pub & Grill has little in common with Le Fandango except that it’s still an inviting place for friends to gather, enjoy tasteful cuisine and have a drink.

As for available beers, the variety is a welcome change from the usual Firestone and Budweiser lineup. There’s Bass, Guinness and a couple of microbrews including Anchor Steam and Shock Top, a Belgian-style white ale.