Eating Elsewhere: Pismo Beach

Prior to receiving an invitation to a wedding in Pismo Beach, I didn't really know where the place was. And for those of you who also need a little geography lesson here, it's basically halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along the coast. We stayed at a hotel overlooking the ocean (pretty! and not ridiculously hot!), but Jon and I still managed to venture into town a couple of times during our short stay in Pismo.

"Town" is filled with plenty of shops and restaurants. Nearly every place had a long line on Saturday night, so we opted for the one that seemed to have the shortest wait of them all: Mo's. Now, usually, if a restaurant is the only one that isn't packed, you have to wonder about the quality, right? But in this case, because I think most people come to Pismo for the excellent seafood and Mo's is a barbecue joint, I figured that was the reason it wasn't backed up around the corner. The food itself was quite good. Jon had the Shredded Chicken Sandwich, while I opted for the Rib Combo (1/2 slab of Philthy Phil's Pork Ribs and Sweet Carolina's Pork Ribs). Of the two sauces, I preferred the Phil's -- which was spicier and less sweet than the Carolina's. The meat itself was tender and just fell off of the bone. Jon liked the potato salad more than I did, but we both agreed that the corn muffins served with honey butter were delish.

On Sunday, we went back into town for lunch with six others. We decided on Splash Cafe, which we had read good things about... But apparently, everyone else had also read about the place, because by 11:30am the line already stretched around the corner. (It wasn't nearly as bad as what we witnessed the previous night though.) It took us about half an hour to get to the register to place our order. Then you get to the hard part: Finding a table. It was obvious that we weren't going to nab a table for eight, so we had to split up into three groups to enjoy our meal. But that was the only downside of the place. The food was awesome. Splash Cafe claims to have the best clam chowder and Jon's dad seemed ready to accept that after he took one bite of the creamy concoction. I went with the oysters and chips. The fried oysters were plump and juicy, while the fries were served crispy and hot. No complaints here. Jon and his mom both ordered the ahi tacos, which were piled high with fish. At $4.50 for a pair, they were a great deal.

So there you have it. If you ever find yourself in Pismo Beach, you've got at least two good dining options. Oh, and don't miss the place on the corner of Pomeroy and Dolliver that has all sorts of yummy fudge, and you can watch saltwater taffy being made!

Mo's SmokeHouse BBQ
221 Pomeroy Street
Pismo Beach, CA
(805) 773-6193

Splash Cafe
197 Pomeroy Street
Pismo Beach, CA
(805) 773-4653