Hungry? These SLO County restaurants, coffeehouses and sweet shops opened in 2022
From Nashville-style fried chicken, burgers and burritos to ramen, rice bowls and Polynesian pupu plates, San Luis Obispo County residents found plenty of new things to nosh in 2022.
The latest arrivals on the food-and-drink scene were a mixture of local startups, Central Coast franchises and massive chains.
They included fast-food restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores.
The year also brought big changes to a number of developments in SLO County, including La Plaza in Atascadero, Paso Market Walk in Paso Robles, The Creamery Marketplace in San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo Public Market at Bonetti Ranch.
Here are some of the restaurants, coffee shops, wine bars, breweries and other establishments that opened in SLO County in 2022.
Restaurants, coffeehouses and sweet shops
A Morro Bay business that has been serving up cinnamon rolls, cookies and candies for decades got a new name and new owners. Blue Shell’s Sweets & Treats, as Crills II is now known, opened at 903 Embarcadero just in time for the new year.
Chowa Bowl, a new Morro Bay takeout restaurant serving up ramen, poke, bulgogi and more, opened in January at 898 Main St., Suite D, in the former location of Hot Dogs on Harbor.
San Luis Obispo County’s only Ethiopian restaurant, Ebony, opened in January. It offers organic, gluten-free and vegan foods at its location at 4750 Allene Way across from the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, in a shared commercial cooking space called The Kitchen Terminal.
Breakfast burritos, biscuits and bottomless mimosas are on the menu at the Morning After Cafe, a fast-casual restaurant opened in February at the former location of Naked Fish, 807 13th St. in downtown Paso Robles. The MAC is run by the same team that owned the Naked Fish restaurants in there and in downtown San Luis Obispo — Daniel Cardinale and Karen Kynett.
Music is at the forefront of Highwater, a bar and restaurant that opened in February in the former home of Sidecar at 1127 Broad St., Suite B, in San Luis Obispo. The drink menu and the decor both pay homage to co-owners Robin Wolf and Matthew Hanson’s favorite artists.
Two new restaurants opened in March at SLO Public Market, 3897 S Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo.
Kitchen & Vine serves up classic American-style food such as burgers, salads and sandwiches in a renovated home once occupied by the Bonetti family of ranchers, while chain restaurant Jay Bird’s Nashville Hot Chicken specializes in spicy, Nashville-style fried chicken.
Another fried chicken restaurant, Nate’s Nashville Hot Chicken, opened in April at 1145 24th St., Suite A, in Paso Robles, previously home to Good Ol’ Burgers and Crazy Asian Express. It’s the brainchild of Roger Sharp, who also owns Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ and Tortilla Town in Paso Robles.
Popular Bay Area chain Mountain Mike’s Pizza opened its first SLO County location at 9006 West Front Road in Atascadero in April. Tiger Foods & Hospitality plans to open at least three more local Mountain Mike’s pizzerias — in Arroyo Grande, Lompoc and Santa Ynez.
Bamboo Bamboo Chinese Restaurant opened at 810 Morro Bay Blvd. in Morro Bay in April. The eatery’s owners were forced to change its name after receiving a letter from the parent company of fast-food giant Panda Express accusing them of trademark infringement.
Also in April, Mellow Banana started offering smoothies, acai bowls, waffles and other healthy treats at 1474 E Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande.
Gilligan’s Sandwich Shop opened at 480 Morro Bay Blvd. in Morro Bay in May. Appropriately given its nautical theme, the restaurant specializes in subs.
June saw the arrival of yet another Nashville-style fried chicken joint, this one in the former Panera location at 299 Madonna Road in San Luis Obispo. Dave’s Hot Chicken specializes in spicy chicken tenders and sliders, earning the chain a sizable following on Instagram.
Arroyo Grande welcomed Nova Coffee Co. in June. The drivethru coffee shop at 1156 E Grand Ave. features a large back patio and a menu of made-to-order coffee drinks, teas, pastries and burritos.
Brooks Burgers opened its third location in July, at SLO Public Market. The popular local restaurant chain also has burger joints in Pismo Beach and Fresno.
July saw the arrival of Greenhouse Coffee Co., 1064 E Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande. In addition to coffee and tea drinks, the coffeehouse serves up toasties, salads and puddings.
Customers can find authentic Hawaiian-style shave ice and boba tea at PCH Shave Ice & Boba, which opened at 893 N. Oak Park Blvd. in Pismo Beach in July.
The Pacific Rim is the inspiration behind Pono Pacific Kitchen, which opened in July at 228 West Grand Ave. in Grover Beach. The seafood-centric menu ranges from duck confit spring rolls to macademia nut mahi mahi and miso mushroom risotto.
Atascadero’s La Plaza development welcomed Cielo Ristorante and Rooftop Bar in August. Located at 6400 El Camino Real, the Italian eatery is split into two experiences for guests: a full-service restaurant with a bar, and a rooftop terrace with views of the Sunken Gardens and City Hall.
Cielo is owner Eric Peterson’s seventh venture under the North County Restaurant Group, which includes Streetside Ale House and Eatery in Atascadero and Paso Robles.
In August, popular bakery Red Moose Cookie Company expanded to a new retail location at 784 Main St., Suite A, in Cambria’s West Village. The bakery’s original location at 25311 Village Lane will remain open as a production site.
Mall favorite Wetzel’s Pretzels opened its first SLO County spot in August at 852 Higuera St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. The site previously housed The Sock Drawer, which became online retailer Goodly in March.
Dutch Bros Coffee opened its second SLO County location — a drive-through coffee shop at 149 S. Frontage Road in Nipomo, previously home to Little Jockos — in September. The popular chain also has locations in Arroyo Grande and Santa Maria.
Babydudes relocated from New York City to the Central Coast, opening its doors at 307 Main St. in Morro Bay in September. The eatery, located in the former spot of Grandma’s Frozen Yogurt & Waffles, serves up sandwiches and sweets.
In September, local doughnut chain SLODoCo added a third location — this one at 195 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo, formerly home to Sunshine Donuts. The cult favorite company has another location in San Luis Obispo as well as an Atascadero spot.
Ice cream isn’t the only sweet treat at Ice Cream Shop La Michoacana, which opened at 4220 El Camino Real in Atascadero in October. The eatery also sells made-to-order juices, ice pops, shaved ice and fruit salad.
October also saw the opening of Luna Llena Deli at 859 Main St. in Morro Bay, formerly the home of Bumble B Soda Company. The deli’s menu features Mexican-style torta sandwiches and tacos, as well as tres leches cake, ice cream and other desserts.
Mexican restaurant La Katrina Authentic Mexican Cocina, which opened at 500 Embarcadero in Morro Bay in November, specializes in massive burritos as well as soft tacos, fajitas and other favorites. The spot previously housed China Dragon restaurant.
Other new restaurants and eateries include:
Angela’s Pastries, 1401 Park St., Suite 104, Paso Robles
Dubs Paso Soul Food Grill, 1401 Park St., Paso Robles
Greenhouse Coffee Co., 1064 E Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
Fried & Loaded, 13 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo
Hemingway’s Steakhouse, 1234 Park St., Paso Robles
in bloom , Paso Market Walk, 1845 Spring St., Paso Robles
Malu’s Kitchen, 7905 Morro Road, Atascadero
Munchiez 805, 2796 S Halcyon Road, Arroyo Grande
Pequin Coastal Cocina, Vespera Resort, 147 Stimson Ave., Pismo Beach
Proof & Gather Baking Company, 778 Higuera St., Unit A, San Luis Obispo
Taqueria El Guero, 1122 Chorro St., San Luis Obispo
Via Caravaggio 147, Paso Market Walk, 1803 Spring St., Paso Robles
Bars, breweries, cannabis and wineries
Cane Tiki Room brought a taste of the tropics to Paso Robles when it celebrated its soft opening in February.
The bar and restaurant at 1240 Park St. pairs rum-based cocktails and punch bowls with traditional Polynesian cuisine. It’s the fourth eatery by Troy Larkin and Donovan Schmit, who own restaurants Fish Gaucho and Pappy McGregor’s and speakeasy Eleven Twenty Two in Paso Robles.
Nestled under Hotel San Luis Obispo at 979 Morro St. in downtown San Luis Obispo, Region operates as a third-party wine tasting room — showcasing wineries from across San Luis Obispo County. The wine bar, which opened in April, has a sister location in Sebastopol.
San Luis Obispo wine bar Saints Barrel, which celebrated its grand opening in February, offers wines, sake, cider, beer and hard kombucha as well as light bites. The business is located at the former Luis Bar location at 1021 Higuera St.,
Cannabis shop SLOCal Roots officially opened at 3535 South Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo in March. But the dispensary chose April 20 — known among marijuana aficionados as 4/20 Day — for its grand opening.
The business was the second permitted cannabis retail shop to open in the city, following Megan’s Organic Market.
Paso Robles Brewing Company opened its doors at 201 Spring St. in Paso Robles in July. The brewery also functions as a full-service restaurant serving burgers, sandwiches and salads.
SLO Public Market got a new distillery, bar and restaurant when Rambling Spirits opened in October. The business at 3845 S Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo offers cocktails and small bites.
San Luis Obispo got its first barcade when BA Start Arcade Bar opened in the former Aaron Brothers space at 647 Higuera St.
The amusement center, which offers competitive arcade games, food and drinks, allow minors by day before pivoting to entertainment options for patrons 21 and over at night.
Other bars, breweries and wineries that opened in 2022 include:
Dunites Wine Co., 1133 Garden St., San Luis Obispo
Food stores and markets
Grocery Outlet Bargain Market opened its newest San Luis Obispo County location at 181 S. Frontage Road in Nipomo in September.
The self-described “extreme-value grocery retailer” also has supermarkets in Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Los Osos and San Luis Obispo. Each is locally owned and operated.
Fresh fish is the focus at Harford Seafood Company, which opened its doors at 3989 Avila Beach Drive in May. The seafood market, which sits on the end of Harford Pier at Port San Luis in Avila Beach, also has a deli where customers can enjoy shrimp cocktails, ceviche and sashimi.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
