3 SLO County restaurants are among best in California, LA Times says. Which ones?
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- Three SLO County restaurants made the LA Times 2025 best-in-California list.
- Jocko’s Steakhouse honored for preserving Santa Maria-style barbecue traditions.
- Hidden Kitchen and Les Petites Canailles recognized for bold, diverse menus.
San Luis Obispo County is home to three of the most innovative, delicious eateries in all of California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The publication recently released its 2025 list of the 101 best restaurants in California, highlighting the top spots to dine at in the Golden State.
The guide showcases eateries from around the state that “tell the richest, broadest story of dining in California right now,” Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison wrote in a June 12 article.
The list of 101 restaurants isn’t ranked, and is organized by region.
From taquerias and rustic diners to glamorous fine dining establishments, the Los Angeles Times sought out places with incredible food that are also representative of the state’s diversity.
“It’s one glimpse into our cultures and diversities — into cuisines that uphold traditions, or disrupt with originality, or inhabit some fruitful middle ground,” Addison said.
Here’s which SLO County restaurants made the coveted list:
What makes Jocko’s Steakhouse one of California’s best restaurants?
The Los Angeles Times named Jocko’s Streakhouse one of California’s best restaurants due to its pitch-perfect rendition of Santa Maria-style barbecue.
The century-old eatery “immortalizes the regional traditions of Santa Maria-style barbecuing, a practice of cooking meat over smoldering local red oak that traces back through centuries of Mexican, Portuguese, Spanish and indigenous vaquero culture,” Addison wrote.
Several generations of Knotts family members have been searing steaks over flames at the family-run restaurant at 125 North Thompson Ave. in Nipomo since it transitioned from a saloon to a steakhouse nearly 70 years ago.
The Times recommended that first-time diners try the Spencer steak, lauding the menu item as a tender boneless cut of rib-eye that “absorbs sweet smokiness.”
The meal comes with pinquito beans, salsa, crackers, pats of butter and a shredded-lettuce salad, Addison said.
Why is Cambria’s The Hidden Kitchen a top breakfast spot?
The Los Angeles Times praised The Hidden Kitchen for its tasty takes on sweet and savory breakfast fare that “lean maximalist.”
With locations in Cayucos and Cambria, the popular brunch chain dazzles diners with gluten-free blue corn waffles, breakfast tacos and massive smoothies.
The Los Angeles Times raved about The Hidden Kitchen’s range of waffles, decribing them as “tall, crisp-cakey” with a “pleasant grit.”
“There’s an elotes-inspired number with melted Havarti, avocado, cotija, layers of corn and chiles and a sprinkling of Tajín seasoning, and a sweet-savory mashup involving fried banana, frizzled bacon ends, maple syrup and squiggles of peanut butter,” Addison wrote in the publication.
Despite the long lines that pop up on weekend mornings at The Hidden Kitchen, the publication said the eatery was easily worth the wait for fluffy bites of blue corn waffles.
“It all adds up to superlative road-trip food,” Addison said.
Paso Robles French restaurant lands on LA Times list
Les Petite Canailles, 1215 Spring St. in Paso Robles, nabbed a spot on the Los Angeles Times’ list for its Central Coast spin on Parisian casual fine dining.
Owned by Courtney and Julien Asseo, the restaurant — whose name translates to “the little rascals” in French — combines California wine country with rich French cooking studded with local, in season produce, the newspaper said.
“One dish etched in my vision: leeks cut into uniform cylinders, grilled on a plancha, set upright in a circle, covered in dense herb vinaigrette and dotted with pine nuts,” Addison wrote.
The bistro has a wide collection of red and white wines that pair perfectly with French-inspired menu options, Addison said.
