Enjoy the Slow Life in San Luis Obispo

Everybody I met in San Luis Obispo called it SLO. Sticking to a town’s three initials is a pretty obvious nickname, and made even easier when those initials happen to spell out a word, but it’s also a perfect one for this charming little city near the central California coast. Small and easygoing, with a highly walkable downtown where basically every necessity is easily reachable, San Luis Obispo is all about the slow life. It’s basically a college town, a Californian take on Athens or Gainesville or State College, which means it’s a more laid-back version of a type of community notorious for being laid-back. And when you go in August, before school is back in session, as I recently did, it’s even sleepier than usual, with most of the students still out of town. I’m talking, like, “most bars are closed by 10 p.m.” kind of slow, here. If you’re looking for a relaxing trip to a small town full of good restaurants, cool stores, distinct vibes, not one but two good record stores, and all within a short drive to the Pacific Ocean and all that entails (sea lions and otters at Morro Bay, for instance), San Luis Obispo is an ideal choice. 

What to Do

San Luis Obispo is smack dab on El Camino Real, almost halfway through the 600 miles that connect California’s 21 Spanish missions. Mission San Luis Obispo del Tolosa has sat at the heart of the town since 1772, and should be a part of any trip to SLO. With its unique L-shape it’s unlike any other mission on the trail, and today it serves as both an active church, with a small but gorgeous chapel, and a museum about its history and connection to the town. Whether or not you’re Catholic or even religious at all, the Mission’s combination of history and spirituality is educational and enlightening; maybe reflect in the chapel or light a prayer candle for a loved one (recommended donation: $5), or commune with nature in its well-maintained garden. And definitely check out the gift shop if you want a SLO souvenir that isn’t just a tacky t-shirt.

If you prefer your culture a little less godly, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art sits in the shadow of the Mission, and will pull you right back into the California of today. This small but smartly curated museum features two galleries. Current exhibitions include Whose Waters?, a group show with nine artists (some from California, including SLO) looking at the most Californian of sports—surfing—from a variety of cultural and personal perspectives. That runs until Oct. 20, 2024. Nashville-born, Boston-based artist Maria Molteni has a solo show called Beautiful Seven that closes on Nov. 6; its an immersive collection of large objects that unite Catholic imagery, astronomy, the Italian card game scopa, and Italy’s Seven Sisters, whose name reflects San Luis Obispo’s own Seven Sisters, a chain of large rocks that dot the landscape and were formed millennia ago by volcanic activity. You can’t miss the museum—its exterior is painted with a large mural that is replaced by a new work every year. 

Downtown has its fair share of chain stores, but it’s also full of cool local shops that might have something you can’t find at home. HumanKind Fair Trade is a great place to find unique gifts, clothes, home goods, toys, arts, and other artsy knick-knacks and doodads. You can buy cool stuff and feel good about it, not just because it’s ethically made but also because HumanKind annually donates to various nonprofits in and around San Luis Obispo. If, like me, you tend to spend as much as possible on music, downtown SLO has two top notch record stores to dig through. Boo Boo Records is the more welcoming of the two, with large collections of used and new vinyl and CDs for sale, from the most popular artists of today to cult classics and obscure independent experiments. With multiple floors of records, comics, games, and movies, Cheap Thrills is a media labyrinth that would take days to go search through in its entirety. I would’ve spent way too much money at both stores if getting records home to Georgia hadn’t been an issue.

SLO is also a Godsend for nature-lovers and active travelers, with multiple gorgeous hiking trails and cycling paths. Check out the Cerro San Luis trail, especially its Lemon Grove Loop, or walk or cycle up to the Terrace Hill Open Space for a great view of the city.

Where to Eat

I’ve been everywhere, man, and everywhere I’ve been has barbecue. I’m from the South, though, and went to pig pickin’s in North Carolina every year as a kid, so my BBQ standards are high. I’m tough to impress. (Sorry, Texas: your BBQ ain’t it.) So when I was told I absolutely needed to eat at Old SLO BBQ Co., I was beyond skeptical. I shouldn’t have been: this walk-up counter (it does have a dining room, and a newly opened taproom full of local craft beers, too) specializes in a tri-tip sandwich that’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Dry rubbed, smoked, and served either on its own or in a French or sourdough roll, Old Slo’s tri-tip is immaculate, and so different from the BBQ we make down south that it’s not even in competition with it. It is its own delicious thing, one that must be eaten by any meat-lovers stopping over in San Luis Obispo. (My tri-tip tip: get it with the sourdough, but eat the bread and meat separately, and don’t put any sauce on the meat.) 

Right next to the Mission, the popular restaurant Luna Red celebrates SLO’s Spanish and Mexican heritage with its acclaimed paellas and tacos. I was alone my first night in town, so I didn’t get to try a paella, which serves two to four diners, but its selection of tacos, from street favorites to Luna Red specialties, is no joke. As a card-carrying member of Bread Club I can recommend the back porch bakery bread appetizer without reservation; its rich, warm wedges of sourdough made a deliciously perfect base for not just the mai tais I drank (it was tiki Tuesday) but also the filet medallions and glazed shrimp in the bourbon street surf ‘n’ turf entree. Luna Red also has ample outdoor seating, which, considering San Luis Obispo has perfect weather about 360 days of the year, is greatly welcome.

If you’re looking for an experience at a higher end of the culinary spectrum, Ox + Anchor is one of the classiest restaurants in SLO. It’s one of two Michelin-listed spots in town (more on the second in, oh, a paragraph), and executive chef Ryan Fancher has tenures at Auberge de Soleil, The French Laundry, and Per Se under his belt. Our feast featured the restaurant’s acclaimed Yukon gold puree, roasted brussels sprouts, filet mignon cooked medium rare (and with the restaurant’s selection of steak sauces on the side, as our waiter recommended), American wagyu flat iron steak (also medium rare), goat cheese croquettes, and a wedge salad; the steak was great, the potatoes soft and fluffy, and the croquettes gooey and crunchy in equal measure.

Nate’s on Marsh is another Michelin-mentioned restaurant in San Luis Obispo, and I’m pretty sure we enjoyed it even more than the fine Ox + Anchor. Famous for its giant meatball made of pork, beef and veal, its appetizers also include an excellent burrata that was one of the week’s highlights for us. We split the cacio pepe, a simple but delicious pasta with cheese, and the pork chop, which came on a bed of polenta with bacon braised mustard greens and a smoked tomato jam. Everything was delicious and unpretentious, continuing a laidback vibe established by the former house in which it’s located. Top marks, Nate.

Where to Drink

Before I got to SLO I was told there were two bars I absolutely had to hit up. One was Nightcap, the cocktail lounge in the Granada Hotel & Bistro. Don’t expect a typical hotel bar; it’s an exceedingly elegant watering hole with a deep list of inspired mixed drinks and a robust selection of wine.

Sidecar is the other top bar in town, and I honestly rank it exactly equal to Nightcap. Its upstairs is a good bit larger than Nightcap, but just as immaculate, and with an equally excellent selection of cocktails. It also has a separate downstairs bar that’s open later and might put the whole place just a half-tick above Nightcap; the lower bar was more relaxed and free-wheeling, and as I went on a Thursday, it happened to be tiki night—which is always a danger for me. Several mai tais, zombies, and Navy grogs later I stumbled back to my hotel, and although things might’ve gotten a little foggy by the end of the night, I’m pretty sure I’ll remember my brief time at the Sidecar for a while to come.

If you’re looking for good drinks with a fantastic view (and maybe a little bit of bocce), check out the High Bar on the roof of Hotel SLO. You’re higher than most of downtown, and can get clear, uncluttered views of the hills that surround the city. Meanwhile Nate’s on Marsh has a bar program every bit as wonderful as its food, and if you’ve never had a drink at the Madonna Inn (the only place in this entire piece that isn’t downtown), you need to go enjoy something stiff and classic in its pink explosion of mid century kitsch.

Where to Stay

There are a few good options for staying downtown, but the best is Hotel San Luis Obispo, or, as everybody calls, Hotel SLO. Located right next to a cool movie theater and the Mee Heng Low noodle house (the last vestige of SLO’s traditional Chinatown), Hotel SLO presents modern California chic with warmth and taste. It’s home to both the High Bar and Ox + Anchor, as well as the farm-fresh restaurant Piadina, and also has a secluded pool shielded from neighboring buildings by a wall of trees. Our suite featured a large walk-in shower, a decadent tub, and a separate living room with a balcony overlooking Palm Street. Located around a corner from the Mission and Luna Red, Hotel SLO is in the heart of downtown, just a short walk from everything the city has to offer, and a short drive away from the Madonna Inn, Morro Bay, and other must-see sights in the area. I don’t know if our trip to SLO would have been as easy and stress-free if we weren’t staying at Hotel SLO.

Finally, if you don’t mind staying on the other side of the highway, a few miles outside of town, the Madonna Inn is a place you have to visit at least once in your life. With one-of-a-kind themed rooms, a shockingly pink steakhouse, and an overall aesthetic right out of 1961, the Madonna is brilliantly overwhelming in the best way. Read more about it here.

Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and more. He’s also on Twitter @grmartin.