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SteakhouseDowntown
Ox + Anchor is the modern steakhouse inside Hotel San Luis Obispo, plating dry-aged beef and coastal seafood five nights a week beside the Palm Theatre.
OrderA dry-aged cut with a bottle of Edna Valley Pinot Noir.
Book1-2 weeks for weekend tables ahead
TipReservations run through Resy; Wednesday is the easiest night for a bar seat.
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SteakhouseMadonna Road
Alex Madonna's Gold Rush Steak House barbecues steaks over an oak pit inside the pink-on-pink Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo's 1958 roadside fantasia.
OrderAn oak-pit steak, then a slice of pink champagne cake from the bakery case.
BookBook ahead for weekend pink-booth tables ahead
TipThe filet mignon is the house's most popular steak; stay for cake from the on-site bakery.
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MediterraneanDowntown
Granada Bistro serves French and Mediterranean farm cooking off the 1922 Granada Hotel lobby, the most handsome dining room in downtown San Luis Obispo.
OrderSeasonal farm plates with a glass from the short, sharp wine list.
BookA few days for weekend dinner ahead
TipThe Nightcap cocktail lounge hides behind the hotel; move there after dessert.
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ItalianDowntown
Buona Tavola has plated Northern Italian dinners beside the Fremont Theater since 1992, a white-tablecloth stalwart of Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo.
OrderFresh pasta with a Northern Italian white; the lunch prix-fixe is the value play.
BookSame week is usually fine ahead
TipWeekday lunch runs 11:30-14:00 and is far easier to book than dinner.