Shake Shake Fresh Noodle is a chinese restaurant in Downtown, San Luis Obispo.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Hand-pulled noodles, Dumplings
Must 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.
Address: 1049 Nipomo Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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.
Novo runs a creekside deck over San Luis Obispo Creek, pouring local wine against a menu that hops from samosas to Tikka Masala Chicken and King Salmon.
Signature: Tikka Masala Chicken, King Salmon
Order: King salmon on the creekside deck, or the Tikka Masala Chicken.
Tip: Ask for the lower creekside terrace; it was voted Best Outdoor Dining in the 2026 New Times poll.
Luna Red sets seafood paella, lamb lollipops and shared plates beside Mission San Luis Obispo, with a plaza patio that fills fast on Thursday market nights.
Signature: Seafood paella, Fish tacos
Order: The seafood paella, built for the table and priced accordingly.
Tip: Book the patio for Thursday evenings; the farmers' market runs one block away on Higuera Street.
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.
Novo runs a creekside deck over San Luis Obispo Creek, pouring local wine against a menu that hops from samosas to Tikka Masala Chicken and King Salmon.
Signature: Tikka Masala Chicken, King Salmon
Order: King salmon on the creekside deck, or the Tikka Masala Chicken.
Tip: Ask for the lower creekside terrace; it was voted Best Outdoor Dining in the 2026 New Times poll.
Luna Red sets seafood paella, lamb lollipops and shared plates beside Mission San Luis Obispo, with a plaza patio that fills fast on Thursday market nights.
Signature: Seafood paella, Fish tacos
Order: The seafood paella, built for the table and priced accordingly.
Tip: Book the patio for Thursday evenings; the farmers' market runs one block away on Higuera Street.
