American$$Upper MontereyMon-Wed 15:00-21:00; Thu 11:30-21:00; Fri 11:30-21:30; Sat 10:30-21:30; Sun 10:30-21:00
1865 Craft House & Kitchen pairs modern American plates with a deep Central Coast tap list on Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo's motel-row gastropub.
Signature: Smash burgers, Craft beer flights
Order: A smash burger with a flight of Central Coast taps.
Tip: Weekend brunch starts at 10:30; book ahead if you are bringing a group.
Mexican$$DowntownMon-Wed 09:00-15:00; Thu-Sun 07:00-17:00
Corazon Cafe is a family-run counter on Higuera Street pouring Southern Mexican coffee drinks with a rotating Latin brunch menu in San Luis Obispo.
Signature: Cafe de olla, Chilaquiles
Order: Cafe de olla with the rotating Latin breakfast plate.
Tip: The cafe de olla, spiced with cinnamon and piloncillo, is the order that sets it apart downtown.
American$$Madonna RoadDaily 07:00-22:00
Madonna Inn Copper Cafe serves all-day diner classics under hammered copper and pink leather, with the famous cake case by the door in San Luis Obispo.
Signature: Pink champagne cake, Diner classics
Order: Any diner classic followed by pink champagne cake from the bakery case.
Tip: The bakery counter sells whole pink champagne cakes to travel; slices go fastest on weekend evenings.
Chinese$$DowntownMon-Wed 11:00-20:00; Thu-Fri 11:00-21:00; Sat 11:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00; Sun closed
Mee Heng Low Noodle House has cooked chop suey on Palm Street since 1927, the last kitchen of San Luis Obispo's once-thriving Chinatown block.
Signature: Chop suey, Chow mein, Bao
Order: Chop suey from the wok, the dish this room has cooked since 1927.
Tip: The Kwong family took over in 2009, the third to run the house since 1927; the Ah Louis Store faces it across Palm Street.
Pizzeria$$DowntownSun-Thu 11:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-01:00
Woodstock's Pizza has fed Cal Poly students at Higuera and Osos for over three decades, the default late slice and pitcher stop in San Luis Obispo.
Signature: Pizza with cornmeal-dusted crust
Order: A large pie on the cornmeal-dusted crust, split over pitchers.
Tip: It serves until midnight most nights and 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, one of the last kitchens open downtown.
Barbecue$$DowntownSun-Wed 11:00-21:00; Thu-Sat 11:00-02:00
Old SLO BBQ Co. smokes Santa Maria-style tri-tip over red oak on Higuera Street, and keeps carving until 02:00 on San Luis Obispo's weekend bar nights.
Signature: Santa Maria-style tri-tip, Ribs
Order: Oak-smoked tri-tip by the plate, with pinquito beans and salsa.
Tip: There is a second counter at 3870 Broad Street; downtown is the late one, open to 02:00 Thursday to Saturday.