Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in San Luis Obispo for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in San Luis Obispo for grown-ups.
Sidecar Cocktail Co. shakes San Luis Obispo's most serious cocktails on Broad Street, backing the list with a comfort-food kitchen four nights a week.
DrinkSeasonal craft cocktails
FoodComfort-food kitchen
TipThe comfort-food kitchen runs Wednesday to Saturday; ask the bartenders what is in barrel this month.
McCarthy's Irish Pub has poured in San Luis Obispo since 1952, opening at 10:00 daily with Guinness, whiskey and zero pretension on Marsh Street.
DrinkGuinness and a whiskey back
FoodNone; bring your own snacks
TipHappy hour takes a dollar off drinks 17:00-19:00 daily; the room packs shoulder to shoulder on weekend nights.
Frog & Peach Pub has run live music seven nights a week since 1994 on Higuera Street, the reliable free stage of San Luis Obispo's bar crawl.
DrinkRotating craft taps
FoodNone; live music nightly
TipMost nights there is no cover; the craft tap list outclasses the divey room around it.
Bull's Tavern is San Luis Obispo's historic dive, a long wooden bar on Chorro Street that has outlasted every polished cocktail newcomer around it.
DrinkWell drinks and draught beer
FoodNone
TipCash keeps the line moving on weekend nights; the jukebox is half the point.
The Library packs the Cal Poly weekend crowd into a two-level room on Higuera Street, the loudest three nights of the week in San Luis Obispo.
DrinkCheap doubles
FoodNone
TipIt only opens Thursday to Saturday; arrive before 22:00 to skip the queue.
Nightcap hides behind the Granada Hotel on Morro Street, a dim speakeasy-styled lounge stirring the most precise late drinks in San Luis Obispo.
DrinkSpirit-forward classics
FoodBites from the Granada Bistro kitchen
TipBistro bites carry over from the hotel kitchen; it seats few, so go early or very late.
Guided tour · 3h 30m
Discover downtown San Luis Obispo on a brunch food tour. Enjoy 5 unique stops with delicious bites and drinks, including Santa Maria BBQ, California brunch, and Peruvi...
Private tour · 2h 30m
Embark on a private wine tasting tour in San Luis Obispo with a twist in a tandem sidecar motorcycle. Visit 3 wineries, admire the rolling hills and enjoy tasting 3 wi...
Guided tour · 5h 30m
Hop aboard our vintage trolley for a 5.5-hour Paso Robles winery tour! • Visit 3 handpicked scenic wineries • Onboard snacks, water & fun music • Stress-free ride with...