Cambria ★ 4.1
Cambria made the olallieberry its calling card, baking the tart berry into pies in a pine-shaded seaside village up Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo.
Tip: Pair a pie stop with Hearst Castle, fifteen minutes further north at San Simeon.
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Tip: The Brown Butter Cookie Company bakes on Ocean Avenue; buy a second bag for the drive home.
More food day trips in San Luis Obispo
Santa Maria Valley ★ 4.3
Santa Maria Valley is the home fire of Santa Maria-style barbecue, red oak pits and no sauce, a 35-minute pilgrimage south of San Luis Obispo.
Tip: The style's rules are strict: red oak, open pit, simple dry rub, pinquito beans and salsa on the side.
Edna Valley ★ 4.7
Edna Valley starts where San Luis Obispo's Broad Street ends, a cool-climate wine valley of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sun-dappled tasting patios.
Tip: Tolosa, Chamisal, Wolff and Claiborne & Churchill all pour within fifteen minutes of downtown.
Paso Robles ★ 4.6
Paso Robles stacks more than 200 tasting rooms, distilleries and Michelin-level kitchens barely half an hour north of San Luis Obispo on US-101.
Tip: Hot days and cool nights build the famous reds; book the starred rooms weeks ahead in harvest season.
Pismo Beach ★ 4.3
Pismo Beach means chowder in a bread bowl by the pier, fifteen minutes from San Luis Obispo, in the town that still calls itself the Clam Capital.
Tip: Splash Cafe's original counter at 197 Pomeroy Avenue is the chowder benchmark; queues move fast.
Avila Beach ★ 4.2
Avila Beach pairs a warm cove with harbour seafood shacks and local wine, and the See Canyon apple stands line the drive from San Luis Obispo.
Tip: Come in autumn: See Canyon cider apples peak while the beachfront stays warmer than any coast nearby.