Richard N.
Yelp
Excellent Food in a Casual Setting.....
Pros: Convenient. Excellent menu. Great food. Friendly service.
Cons: Back room is lonely. Minimal restroom. Parking can be tight.
Star Ratings:
- Overall: 4 1/2
- Location: 5
- Ambiance: 4
- Restroom: 3
- Menu: 5
- Food Quality: 5
- Food Portions: 5
- Service: 5
- Price: 4
- Value: 5
- Parking: 3
My wife and I and her brother visited Los Olivos for a few hours on a Friday in March and needed a place for lunch. We walked around and checked the menus of other restaurants, but they seemed to offer dinner prices at lunch so we headed for the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe.
Pros:
- The restaurant and wine bar is in a convenient location near the heart of the small downtown area and within walking distance of Highway 154.
- When we ate here in the past, the weather was warmer and we sat out front on the patio. This day was cloudy and cool with a stiff breeze so we went inside. The interior is large with an expansive horseshoe shaped bar and lots of tables in a cozy section. The hostess said all tables were reserved so we sat in a small room in the back (see cons)
- Menu had lots of good choices for both meat eaters and vegetarians, including appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches and larger entrees.
- Food was great. I started with an 8 ounce bowl of Soup of the Day (Vegetable, $11) and followed that with the Asian Chicken Salad ($21). I "eat well", but that salad was big enough to take half of it home.
My wife had the Nicosia Salad ($21) and raved about it while her brother chomped down on the Hot Pastrami Sandwich ($19) with house made fries. It was a dinner sized portion, but he's a "hungry man" and finished it at lunch.
- Service from Stacey B was friendly and helpful. Although she mainly covered tables out front and we were in the back, she always had a smile and couldn't do enough.
- Parking in Los Olivos is "get it where you can...usually on a side street", but on a cold blustery day, we had no trouble finding a spot on the main street.
Cons:
- The back room where we sat is meant for the overflow when things get busy. However, it's bare and kind of cold (literally and figuratively) and feels like it belongs in the Elks Lodge (nothing against Elks). The only advantage? It's close to the restroom.
- The restroom was just that.....one room with space for one person. Maybe I didn't see another, but a large restaurant should be able to do better.
Everything considered - food quality, quantity, value, service and even the back room - the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe is a great choice for a meal.