21 Best American Restaurants near San Simeon

“Its a little old vegas fashioned in style but looks like it does it all. Dancing, live music, diner by day. I had the most delicious pasta ive never had served this way.The waiter was very kind, good, and Johnny on the spot.I look forward to coming here again on my next visit.“

“My wife and I met our good friends from Cambria at Manta Rey for dinner. The restaurant is quaint and cozy. We arrived after sunset so our window table didn't have a view. It was a quiet Saturday evening and so we were able to converse before ordering dinner. My wife and the wife of our friend ordered the same item, shrimp scampi; he ordered the filet mignon and I chose the cioppino. The scampi dinners looked good and they were satisfied with their choices. My friend enjoyed his filet dinner. My cioppino was very tasty, the broth light yet flavorful with a good amount of clams, mussels, shrimp and fish. I would order that again when go back......and we will go back!!!“

“Spent the night in San Simeon and arrived to check in for our hotel at 8:45 pm. Apparently, most places here closes at 9 pm. And sure enough everyone has a closed sign on their window. Saw this place with a few people still inside and decided to pop my head at their door and said "will you please serve us some food". Ha ha ha. I practically begged them and the guy running the place said "I'll take care of you. Come on in". At this point we didn't care what kind of food was left we just wanted to eat. What a great treat that we had some fantastic food. The chicken pesto pasta was nice and creamy. The seafood Cajun pasta had just enough bite in it. Food came out nice and hot and didn't feel or taste like it was rushed. The host and the staff was very accommodating. I truly appreciate the hospitality and thank you so much for feeding a couple of starving travelers.“

“Excellent view and wonderful service. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and it was very good! My son had the cheese pizza and potstickers both of which he really enjoyed. For dessert we had the carrot cake with vanilla ice cream which was divine!“

“I'm surprised by the low reviews of this restaurant .... this place is fantastic! We came here for dinner after an 8 mile long hike in the Big Sur wilderness and were blessed with a fresh, hearty meal. Let's start with the atmosphere! The entire restaurant is covered in glass, so the breathtaking views of ragged point - the foamy ocean waves, the precipitous sea cliffs, the golden bluffs of the Silver Peak Wilderness - hit you from all directions. The service was very good. Our waiter took our order right away and our food was brought out soon after. Saving the best for last ... the food was FIRE! I got the chicken achiote. The chicken was perfectly tender and the risotto was delightfully creamy. My mom got the fish & chips and thought they were delectable. The halibut was extremely juicy and the fries were warm, crispy and not at all greasy! What really impressed us was how fresh our food was. After a long, exhausting hike, our meal at Ragged Point Restaurant was a welcoming and nourishing end to our day. We 100% recommend this restaurant for any occasion!“

“My husband and I stopped in for breakfast on Sunday morning. They have a cute gift shop area to check out during the wait, which was quick. Breakfast was delicious, the servers were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. We loved it so much we went back the next morning! Don't hesitate, this place is great!“

“We had a fantastic anniversary dinner here Saturday night. Such a pretty setting and our server was lovely and attentive. The salmon bisque was out of this world. We also shared the spring rolls and chow chow which were delicious. Would love to visit again next time we are in Cambria. Thanks for a special dinner!“

“One of the best restaurants in Cambria. Amazing food, friendly and good service and a good value as well. We eat here every time we come to Cambria. Tonight I had the calamari steak and it was almost a pound of fish and very tasty! Others had the salmon, fish and chips and sweet potato fries: all were excellent. Their burger is also excellent and we like the chimichuri steak. Dakota is our favorite waitress. We will be back!“

“Absolutely delicious! Cozy and romantic ambiance. Delightful and efficient wait staff. It's hard to say which was better, the presentation of the food or the food itself. This restaurant really stands out in a town with many wonderful restaurants. I will definitely come back anytime I am in the area.“

“Came in here to pick up some Ollalieberry preserves and a pie to go and had a great experience. The woman at the counter was so sweet, she even brought out a cookie for my little cousin who was patiently waiting outside. What an amazing gesture! We will be back every time we're in Cambria!“

“Great spot off the Pacific Coast Hwy near Big Sur. Beautiful views of the ocean paired with good food and cocktails. Our waitress was lovely and the service was excellent. If you're driving up or down that incredible road, do yourself a favor and stop here for a drink a nosh or a meal.“

“Fast and friendly service at this little breakfast nook in Cambria. The food wasn't too shabby. I normally hate pancakes (unless I make em ) but theirs are really good. I ate my whole thing which again, isn't my norm. The sausage was tasty and so were the mimosas despite what seems to be an entire orange for the garnish Now, those grits could use a little work. In fact they could use a lot of work. You can't serve a Georgia girl bland undercooked grits! Ya just can't! I had to return them to be cooked completely and asked for salt to be used with some cheese added. They did cook them more but added a grain of salt and a few shreds of cheese. Lordt! I created good ol' southern grits out of them by adding scrambled eggs and pieces of sausage and bam--all better! This is, however, a place I'd come back to when in Cambria. You're welcome“

“First time in since becoming The Coastal Taproom and what a pleasant surprise! Beer selection was diverse and quality. Ambience is comfortable and fun with a sunny welcoming patio filled with many choices of outdoor as well as indoor games…. The bartender was helpful and friendly! So happy to see this upgraded taproom in Cambria!“

“My wife and I had dined here in the past before Yelp. Today while I was in Cambria solo for the week, I decided to have breakfast here. Having tried other places in town over the past few years, I think this restaurant surpasses the rest. It's a quaint local favorite with a warm and inviting dining room with windows that look out to the spacious dog friendly patio with umbrellas and canopies. My Cambrian breakfast was very good. Eggs, potatoes, sausage and biscuits with gravy. This is a true Cambria dining spot, perfect for breakfast and is obviously a favorite for many returning customers who are warmly greeted by the friendly staff. We will be back for sure.“

“We stayed overnight at the Lodge to see the holiday lights and decided to try their restaurant. So glad we did! We were sat promptly in a lovely back room near a warm fireplace and water & bread was brought immediately. Our waiter Clinton was exceptional and clearly a seasoned wait staffer. I had the pan seared scallops on wilted greens with a creamy mushroom sauce...it was delectable and the scallops perfectly cooked to remain tender. Best I've ever had. Hubby had the ravioli and it was good but not all that memorable. When the table next to us got delivered a special complementary birthday dessert , I asked Clinton if my birthday last month could count for this dessert. He laughed but didn't really answer me. We decided we were too full for dessert anyways and I ordered decaf coffee. Out came the coffee with the special complementary dessert! It was a small Bundt cake like loaf of chocolate goodness with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Very yummy!“

“My Wife and I had a Wonderful Experience here last week, we have been to Firestone Grill is SLO several times but this was our first time to Main Street Grill, the Tri-Tip Sandwiches are incredible, amazing portions of tri-tip on a great bun, the french fries are also excellent, friendly, fast service in a great location, stop in next time you're on the Central Coast, you'll love it!!!“

“This is a great place in Cambria if you just want to walk in and sit at a bar, order drinks and some Appetizers. They also have a full menu to sit at a table and dine. But we did find that this was one of the only places to sit at a bar and to order alcohol and food in downtown Cambria. We enjoyed our quick stop in for a couple of beers and some Appetizers!“

“Be prepared to wait a while for your food, more than twenty minutes.The waitress that "helped" us was a young brunnette. Very pleasant and bubbly. However, she never came back to check on us once we were served and we were ready for the check. It was the other young girl that came and offered refills and more napkins. The older gentleman was very pleasant too.We ordered different items: The Mexican taco plate was blahh. The beans and the rice tasted like reheated food and the meat had to flavor. No lime or lemon for the tacos either. The salsa was good.My daugher ordered the personal pepperoni pizza. It was on the very salty side. My son ordered the cheeseburger combo. He really liked it. My husband ordered the meatball sandwich. It was good.“

“We had a 7:30pm reservation. There were only a few other tables. The server was not attentive to us or the other diners. Maybe they were short staffed in the kitchen because we didn't see him out front. When all of the other diners were gone, we sat and waited for our check for about 10 minutes. I finally went to look for someone. The host was at the other end of the bar on his phone. The food was very good but not memorable.“

“Happy to cater to vegan diet. I ordered all the veggies with home fries and avacado.Very accommodating.Be aware hash browns have butter.Vegetarian hubby enjoyed the breakfast burrito with variations. All very good .Vegetarian options: Willing to meet needs. Accommodating.“

“Driving along Moonstone Beach area, we found the Cow Tipper and decided to stop for a quick coffee and breakfast. Looked like kind of a fast-food place inside, and we weren’t expecting much. However, the food was great! Three large, fluffy pancakes with added crisp bacon were delicious! Eggs over easy, with chicken-apple sausage and tasty, well-seasoned home style potatoes were excellent! Starbucks coffee topped off the meal. The chef knows what he’s doing!! Also, have to say that the man taking our order was friendly, helpful, and changed the feel of the place from fast food to a welcoming restaurant! He really was charming and we asked his name so we could give a shout out to him. So thank you, Blake, for making our first visit so pleasant! Hope your boss reads this review!!“