Mama's Meatball is an italian restaurant in Downtown, San Luis Obispo.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, Fettuccine Alfredo
Must order: Fettuccine Alfredo finished tableside, then the tiramisu.
Tip: A separate gluten-free menu covers most of the pasta list; reservations run through OpenTable.
Address: 570 Higuera Street #130, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
La Locanda keeps an open kitchen on Garden Street in San Luis Obispo, rolling Northern Italian pasta by hand and shopping the farmers' market every week.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Lasagna
Order: Whichever handmade pasta special came off the market run that week.
Tip: Corkage is $22, so bring an Edna Valley bottle from an afternoon of tasting.
Shake Shake Fresh Noodle pulls its noodles by hand to order on Nipomo Street, the closest San Luis Obispo gets to a northern Chinese noodle bar.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Dumplings
Order: Hand-pulled noodles, pulled to order, with the house chilli oil.
Tip: The dining room is small; off-peak lunch just after 11:30 is the easiest seat.
Piadina cooks Italian-leaning Californian food inside Hotel San Luis Obispo, folding its namesake Romagna flatbreads around Central Coast produce.
Signature: Piadina flatbread, Seasonal pastas
Order: The namesake piadina flatbread with whatever the kitchen is stuffing it with that season.
Tip: Sunday breakfast runs 11:00-14:00 and is the sleeper booking; the courtyard tables are the quietest seats on Palm Street.
Black Sheep Bar & Grill keeps its kitchen open past midnight on Chorro Street, feeding San Luis Obispo burgers and garlic fries long after most rooms close.
Signature: Burgers, Garlic fries
Order: A burger and garlic fries, ideally during a televised Cal Poly game.
Tip: Kitchen hours run later than almost anywhere downtown; Thursday to Saturday it serves until 01:00.
La Locanda keeps an open kitchen on Garden Street in San Luis Obispo, rolling Northern Italian pasta by hand and shopping the farmers' market every week.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Lasagna
Order: Whichever handmade pasta special came off the market run that week.
Tip: Corkage is $22, so bring an Edna Valley bottle from an afternoon of tasting.
Shake Shake Fresh Noodle pulls its noodles by hand to order on Nipomo Street, the closest San Luis Obispo gets to a northern Chinese noodle bar.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Dumplings
Order: Hand-pulled noodles, pulled to order, with the house chilli oil.
Tip: The dining room is small; off-peak lunch just after 11:30 is the easiest seat.
Shalimar Indian Restaurant runs a traditional clay tandoor on Broad Street, the long-standing Indian and Pakistani kitchen of San Luis Obispo since 2008.
Signature: Tandoori chicken, Curries
Order: Anything from the tandoor; the clay oven is the kitchen's anchor.
Tip: The lunch window ends at 14:30 sharp; the halal kitchen is listed on Zabihah.
Piadina cooks Italian-leaning Californian food inside Hotel San Luis Obispo, folding its namesake Romagna flatbreads around Central Coast produce.
Signature: Piadina flatbread, Seasonal pastas
Order: The namesake piadina flatbread with whatever the kitchen is stuffing it with that season.
Tip: Sunday breakfast runs 11:00-14:00 and is the sleeper booking; the courtyard tables are the quietest seats on Palm Street.
Black Sheep Bar & Grill keeps its kitchen open past midnight on Chorro Street, feeding San Luis Obispo burgers and garlic fries long after most rooms close.
Signature: Burgers, Garlic fries
Order: A burger and garlic fries, ideally during a televised Cal Poly game.
Tip: Kitchen hours run later than almost anywhere downtown; Thursday to Saturday it serves until 01:00.
Hungry Mother folds Southeast Asian and Southern flavours into banh mi, po'boys and rice bowls on Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo's weekday lunch secret.
Signature: Banh mi, Rice bowls
Order: A banh mi, or the weekly special, which is usually a curry.
Tip: It closes at 15:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays and does not open weekends; plan a weekday visit.
