New sports grill with ocean views opens in SLO County. ‘A home away from home’
A new sports grill in Morro Bay boasts an upbeat vibe and lots of new twists on menu classics on the Embarcadero.
Nevertheless, the first thing most customers notice from inside the second-story Morro Grill or the adjacent outdoor deck is the jaw-dropping, overlook view of Morro Rock and the bay.
For sports lovers, there are five televisions inside the grill, and managing partners Sharruss “Shay” Humlicek and dedicated sportswoman Kristien Ryder say they hope to install at least one more soon on the deck.
The partners in the grill have known and worked together for long time, and it’s been operated by two of them since it opened right before New Year’s.
The grill at 1215 Embarcadero took over the location where a short-lived taco restaurant was in early 2022.
The Morro Grill partners signed their lease with building owner Bob Fowler at the end of November, made some modifications and have been refining their menu and operating processes for the past eight weeks or so.
Since they opened the eatery, an expanding legion of loyal local customers have been coming in regularly, the women said, which is exactly what they’d hoped would happen.
“We wanted to create a space where locals feel comfortable hanging out on a daily basis — a home away from home,” Humlicek said. “We enjoy creating warm relationships with our customers.”
“The energy at Morro Grill is amazing, lots of good vibes. We make what we make and do what we do with a lot of love,” Ryder said, attitudes which she said come directly from Humlicek. “She’s amazing, with such energy and great people skills.”
“We’re focusing on the locals,” Ryder added. “Tourists are more than welcome, but our locals who love the restaurant are the ones that will keep it going.”
Junior partner Humlicek is Morro Grill’s “boots on the ground” manager, almost always there for the open hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and beyond.
Ryder is there whenever she can be, balancing her work schedule between Morro Grill and the two other restaurants she co-owns with the third partner, Fernando Anguiano.
Ryder and Anguiano brought to Morro Grill some of the recipes they developed first at their Laguna Grill in San Luis Obispo, a restaurant she also manages. Others came from Beach Burgers in Morro Bay.
More options are constantly being developed in Morro Grill’s snug kitchen, with everything prepared and served by the managing partners and their 10 employees.
Who are owners of new Morro Bay restaurant?
Humlicek was born in Stockton but came to Morro Bay in 1995 with her mom, Karen Humlicek, a psych tech at Atascadero State Hospital.
Humlicek graduated from Morro Bay High School in 2000. She earned her broadcast communication degree from Cuesta College in 2009, while working at Carla’s Country Kitchen and caring for her ill mother, who died in 2012.
“I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 15, and worked all over the Embarcadero” and beyond, the 41-year-old Humlicek said.
She met Anguiano when he opened Laguna Grill 18 years ago — and worked there for four years, forming a close friendship with him. That resulted in his bringing her into the Morro Grill partnership team.
A Georgia native, Ryder moved around a lot with her Army family, coming to the Central Coast with them in 2010 and graduating from Morro Bay High in 2011. The avid athlete does Crossfit and participates in Spartan races regularly.
The 30-year-old started in the restaurant biz as a busser at Laguna Grill about nine years ago, rose through the ranks and now is a half owner with Anguiano.
The same is true at Beach Burgers in Morro Bay.
What’s on the menu at Morro Grill?
Some Morro Grill items are totally different, while others have unusual additions, such as cream cheese spread on a grilled jalapeño burger.
The Outlaw burger also is in the latter category, with fried egg, crispy onion strings, beer-battered jalapeños, bacon, house-made barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese.
Four power bowl options are among the grill’s most popular innovative items, with choice of seven proteins from tri-tip and pulled pork to smoked salmon or turkey, plus quinoa, white rice, kale, garlic, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and other additions, topped with any of eight house-made dressings.
Among the other wide-ranging offerings are the top-selling Baja tacos with mahi mahi or shrimp, half racks of baby back ribs cooked low and slow and Morro Grill’s seafood chowder with clams, topped with grilled shrimp and chives.
Five kinds of fries include one that’s batter-dipped, and there’s a loaded garlic fries option as well. There also are starter apps, five salads that can be wraps, seven sandwiches and six burgers.
Want more? Burger eaters can add options such as an extra patty, bacon, avocado, jalapeños or a fried egg.
Dessert anyone? Ryder’s classic New York style cheesecake can be embellished with raspberry coulis and crunchy raised-doughnut crumbles. Her carrot cake also is a big hit, Humlicek said.
They’re also eagerly awaiting the state’s approval of the eatery’s beer and wine license, which they anticipate could arrive any day.
In the meantime, they’ll soon be offering new mocktails with Humlicek’s house-made syrups, such as honey hibiscus, blueberry lavender lemon and blackberry lime.
For more information on Morro Grill
Food orders can be placed online at order.toasttab.com.
For details about Morro Grill, call 805-225-1305 or go to their page on Nextdoor. They’re also developing their other social media sites.
This story was originally published February 13, 2024 at 12:06 PM.
