Big Sky Cafe

An icon restaurant in SLO with a fabulous menu but some things are VERY expensive

Big Sky Cafe is well, awesome. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner is sure to find you trying to decide on which “Fresh Market Cuisine” you want to dive into. It’s a healthy/savory menu with something that should please just about anyone, but I think some of its success has gone to its head with some of the prices of the menu items.

The Digs:
Big Sky Cafe
1121Broad Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

The Scoop:
Big Sky is located on Broad Street in downtown SLO. It’s neighbors have all changed out in the past years and there are three new establishments coming in around them but Big Sky has been serving it up well for since the mid 1990s.  It has been reviewed by some famous food lovers from Rachel Ray to Sunset Magazine and even The Wall Street Journal. It really is a “must eat” stop for folks who are new to San Luis Obispo.

What Rocks:
So much. The outdoor patio, the open feeling of the interior, the dishware (I know, it sounds strange), and let’s not forget the food! Their daily specials will not disappoint and if you get there for breakfast, try the Roasted Mushroom Benedict. I was there this time for lunch. My friend got their daily special which was a pasta dish with some spicy sausage and I had the grilled soft tacos with sirloin. His dish was better than mine as the spicy sausage made the meal. It was fantastic.

What Sucks:

Would you pay $13 for this?

The food is amazing, hands down, but some of the items are just too expensive. My soft tacos were $12.95 for two corn tortillas stuffed with meat and lettuce. Really? $13 for that? In my mind that was overpriced even for Big Sky by about $4.  In a time where people are being more cautious with money I would say several items need their prices reduced by about 20-30%.  Even my friend’s dish, that was 3 times as much food, was under $10.  Also, both of us noticed that bottoms of our plates had huge chips in them. Sorta tacky for such upscale pricing.

The Moolah:
For breakfast, most of the mainstream entrées  are around $9-11. Lunch is around $9-$17.

Pizza Fusion

Amazingly good pizza with a healthy flare.

If you have yet to try Pizza Fusion, located in the Trader Joe shopping center in San Luis Obispo, you are about to add a new favorite pizza place to your list. Everything from the lights in the building to the way the pizza is cooked and delivered to you has Mother Earth in mind. Too touchy-feely for you? Well the pizza rocks!

The Digs:
Pizza Fusion
3971 S Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

The Scoop:
Fantastic gourmet pizzas from the Trader Joes/Food 4 Less shopping center on South Higuera in San Luis Obispo.  All ingredients are fresh, organic, and earth friendly.

What Rocks:
So much rocks. The pizza is fantastic. The staff is ultra friendly and have a great attitude. Even the delivery boxes are cool.  From the Bruschetta pizza to the Founder’s Pie, I have tried a half dozen different pizzas from their gourmet selection and they have all been fantastic.

What Sucks:
It’s hard to complain about anything here. It ‘s all so good. If anything the pizza could be called slightly expensive but keep in mind its all fresh and organic and like no other pizza in town. Like every other SLO restaurant they run coupons so keep an eye out for the discounts and go enjoy.

The Moolah:
Most pizzas are about $18-20 for the large. Salads range $9-12.

Vallarta’s Restaurant

Decent family style Mexican food but not worth the price

Vallarta’s Restaurant is located at the top end of San Luis Obispo just before heading up the 101 to the North County. It’s a bit odd looking where it is in relation to other businesses but it had been years and years since I had been there so I thought we would give it a try.

The Digs:
Vallarta’s Restaurant
1761 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo CA, 93401

The Scoop:
Family Mexican food with a bit of a rundown atmosphere but  food was good.  Its across from the abandoned car dealership on the North side of Monterey so it’s a bit awkward there all by itself but nevertheless has been serving up fare for as long as I can remember.

What Rocks:
Good food and great margaritas. Nothing fancy but good.

What Sucks:
For what it is and what you get its incredibly overpriced. Service is mediocre at best and they weren’t busy.  The place is run down, which could have a cool factor if everything else was good but why pay that much for Mexican food when you can get as good or better in a dozen other places in SLO?

The Moolah:
Typical dinner meal is under $11-14.  Modest dinner for 3 with just one cocktail ordered was $55 with tip. (Really??? For average Mexican food????)