Sidecar

We hired Sidecar bartending services for our recent wedding in San Luis Obispo. Their professionalism and attentiveness throughout the event was amazing, and they made the planning process very easy for us. The custom cocktails they designed for us were incredibly creative – they added such a unique and memorable touch that our guests are still talking about a month later! We're really happy with our decision on hiring them for our wedding and would definitely recommend to others!

Such a great ambiance. We got a few drinks, the old fashion is perfectly balanced, borderline too many bitters, but simple and just what we needed.

My friends and I were visiting SLO for the weekend and were looking for a fun evening haunt to grab drinks. Sometimes it can be hard in a small town to find a queer-friendly bar where you feel safe and welcomed. But Sidecar did not disappoint. Sidecar has two parts to it. The upstairs is more of a classy, elegant restaurant vibe, while the downstairs has more of a live music and late night vibe. Both have amazing craft cocktails. We went to the downstairs bar, listened to some local music, and enjoyed some amazing cocktails. The vibes were great. While not a gay bar, it felt like a very welcoming and safe environment for all to enjoy! Would definitely recommend.

Sidecar was an awesome experience. We were back in town for a wedding and it was our first time at the new location. We sat on the patio overlooking the stream and it was great! The drinks were excellent (as expected) and the food was awesome as well! Highly recommend the Chicago dog and the brussel sprouts.

Excellent cocktails. Cannot emphasize enough how well-balanced these drinks are. The one percenter was the smoothest spirit-forward bourbon drink I’ve had. Crushing turts was gorgeously presented an delicious with a distinctive funkiness. Bartenders were friendly, answered questions willingly, service was quick. The wasabi fries were delicious and creative, General Tso’s chicken was tasty. The outlier was the lo mein noodles, which were a bit bland. Would definitely return.

🌟 My Experience What an unforgettable night at Sidecar celebrating a special Cal Poly graduation! 🎓🎉 Our party of seven was welcomed with open arms and treated to a fantastic mix of drinks, bites, and joyful vibes. It was the perfect place to toast to new beginnings with friends and family! 🥂✨ 🍽️ Delicious Food We loved every bite of the tasty snacks—especially the crispy, flavorful brussel sprouts 🥦🔥 and the indulgent animal fries loaded with goodness 🍟🧀. The snacks perfectly balanced out the delicious array of drinks and made the celebration extra satisfying! 🙌 Outstanding Service Nicole was absolutely amazing—friendly, attentive, and full of good energy! 🙌💖 She made sure our glasses were never empty and our table always had what we needed. Her cheerful attitude added so much warmth to our celebration. 🍹 Cheers-Worthy Drinks From the zesty Moscow Mules 🐴🍋 to the cleverly named Horse and Donkey cocktail 🐎🫏, plus a great variety of beer 🍺, wine 🍷, crisp kolsch, and refreshing hoppy water 💧—there was something for every taste. Sidecar knows how to pour with style! 💬 Final Thoughts & Recommendation Sidecar made our graduation night sparkle with flavor, fun, and fantastic service. Big thanks to Nicole and the whole team for helping us celebrate in style. Highly recommend this spot for any special occasion—or just because! 🌟🎊

Hands down the BEST mixologist team in California! As a wedding and event producer, we work with a lot of great bar teams. The Sidecar Bar team sets the bar high with always coming up with creative new drinks, the freshest ingredients and we just love their drink presentations! Danielle Primmer and her staff couldn't be nicer to work with. Our guests always LOVE their cocktails & the sidecar bar is always a favorite stop when in SLO! if you're having an event and need a stellar bar team, look no further, this is it!

For a cocktail bar with a small food menu, the dishes are surprisingly well executed. They're well thought out and meticulously crafted, just like their cocktails. There were a couple minor service hiccups, but the food and drink, as well as the proactive attitude of the staff, means this place still deserves 5 stars at least for the day I was there. Update: I've learned that some staff have a brazenly indifferent attitude.

A Gorgeous Cocktail Bar with a Great Atmosphere and Unique Menu! While visiting from out of town, I stumbled upon this beautiful bar and was pleasantly surprised! They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, though outdoor spots can be hard to come by due to the small space and stunning views. The indoor area has a cozy, dimly lit ambiance that sets the perfect mood for a night out. Their cocktail menu is creative and truly one-of-a-kind. I'd highly recommend this bar to anyone looking for a memorable experience with great drinks!

Fantastic drinks, good bar seating and very friendly staff. A good cocktail menu with drinks named after famous movie lines-- I went with "chlorophyll, more like boro-phyll." Also had some bites, including the super simple veggie dumplings. Solid spot

Great spot to grab drinks, really GOOD drinks and enjoy friend/family time. Audrey took care of us and was wonderful.

This review is for their tiki bar downstairs. The tiki bar was...not at all what I expected it to be. I've been to many tiki bars and they were fantastic - very well decorated, fit the vibe, and had really cool variety of cocktails. This one was very little and one could say, effortlessly decorated. They had some colorful lights on top of the bar and a straw shirt laid out on one wall and then a second room across that looks like a storage room turned into another space for people to socialize in. The drinks were also very pricey for the amount that you get. I honestly wouldn't recommend it but glad I was able to feed my curiosity.

I've been here before and absolutely loved it, but I have to recommend it again. I knew Sidecar had a rotating menu but I had no idea to what extent. On this visit their cocktail menu was inspired by an old "Mario the idea vs Mario the man" meme. It was hilarious, and on this occasion we tried the "why are we saying this?" And it was super good. I didn't try any of their rotating beers on this occasion as I am not a huge IPA drinker, but the Chinese takeout menu was killer, and the walnut shrimp was some of the best I've had. We also had the fried rice which was solid. Sidecar is always super chill as a bar, never quite reaching the same raucous volume of many other bars, which is one of my favorite things about it. Their staff always makes great recommendations. Sitting outside overlooking the river and having a few drinks is something I always have to do in SLO and I recommend you try the same!

Awesome vibe. The seasonal cocktails are inspired by movies- Point Break merited two drinks, and arguably deserves a third as well, but I'll settle for two. They are terribly expensive, so be prepared to drop $17 if you want a specialty cocktail. Happy hour drinks are $12 and limited to a list of five slightly obscure classic cocktails. Note- happy hour applies only in the upstairs bar. Live music was extremely fun and the bottom floor has some great seating for a cozy chat.

This place knows how to keep things interesting! We sat outside and enjoyed a lovely view of the creek that runs through the downtown SLO area. Reading the drink menu made us giggle with all of the movie references, and they have whiskey and tequila flights! Something my husband and I had never seen before. My husband happily ordered the whiskey flight and enjoyed it. We would definitely go back!

Cool basement vibe. DJ spun sick tunes, nothing commercial, very indie sound. Cozy seating, nice lights. Met interesting folks! Exactly what the doctor ordered. Worth a try, I was happy, gf was happy

I've been here a few times on different occasions and both the cocktails and the service never disappoint. They changed their menu from the last time I came and it was an interesting yet funny menu. The philosophy essay that inspired this cocktail menu was hilarious and fun to read. I got the midterm 101. It was very flavorful and had an intriguing mix of flavors- guava and curry syrup. I'd recommend trying it if you're adventurous with your cocktails. Great cocktail bar with quick service!

What a cool joint! The speakeasy downstairs has great ambience and the bartenders were super friendly with a fun attitude. Love the seating areas and the great music! Will be back.

I've been here several times for drinks and have always thought the little speakeasy type vibe they have downstairs vs the more restaurant /bar upstairs is awesome. They recently switched their food menu to primarily Asian food which is my favorite and I'd already tried their fries with the wasabi and furikake, this was their plate of the day and it was phenomenal!! The pork dumplings were also really tasty and I'm just really impressed overall with the food and service here each time I've gone.

Got lucky because we got seated on the back patio with the view of the creek! But don't be too daring and put your phone out too far to take a picture, as it would be sad to see the phone accidentally tumble down! The drink I got was called "It's a Fire" and it was nice and refreshing. We also ordered escargot. It is nice that they served that over 3 slices of a baguette, which saves us less work on dipping.

Loved this spot! We were passing by and heard the music from the street so decided to stop by and check it out. Had a few drinks and had a blast. The staff was really nice and welcoming. The ambience and decor set a great tone and the vibe was awesome. Had a lot of fun and love love loved dancing at this spot.

Not much options here, they didn't even have cab. Nice atmosphere but Waitress was a bit snobby then they close at 9pm on Saturday and Yelp says 11;30.

Not sure why this place isn't rated more highly. Very strong cocktails! The crew knows their stuff too! I threw a couple curveballs and got some great cocktails! Will always be a go to when I'm rolling through town.

Great atmosphere and some of the best cocktails in SLO. Must see and taste before dinner on the Central Coast.

Second visit here, first was before the remodel so my expectations we're different. For me if the place changed to keep with the times I feel left behind. It used to be a classier location which has good food and cocktails. Now it has a dive bar atmosphere maximizing the amount of people they can fit. Service was good, the staff friendly and the tables were mostly clean. The cocktails weren't balanced well and tended to trend towards acidic. The glassware style missed the mark on showcasing the cocktails as well, I know it's a nit but presentation is a part of the drink. The menus are a complete other story, they seem to moonlight as cocktail napkins and were filthy. These should have either been fully replaced or given a thorough wipe down. If the goal was to be more of a cocktail lounge that was missed. The goal of making the place feel like a great dive bar was exceeded, which isn't a bad thing.

Great garlic broccoli! And great bartenders! Good spot for a low key cocktail and apps.

Food and drinks amazing in a small but fun atmosphere!! Don't skip on the Chinese food menu they are serving currently! The wasabi fries are a must!!

Holy Toledo. EVERYTHING was delicious. 10/10 and thats a rating I very rarely ever give! These are the best tostadas I've ever had. Perfect flavors, total umami, reached every part of my palate! Drinks were on point perfected blended with exceptional choice liquors. Fries were even delicious. I am impressed and that is a hard feat to do. I definitely will be back. My compliments to the chef. And the downstairs speakeasy was lit too. And Bobbie was great :). Thank you for a wonderful Friday night.

Great ambience and service. Innovative cocktails. A great way to cap off a beautiful slo co day

I have been eyeing this place for awhile and finally decided to go on a Friday night. I got there around 7 and parked a block away -- free parking downtown after 6PM, the meters are closed. My party of 3 was able to get seated within 10 minutes and they have a convenient text message system to inform you when your table is ready. We got a table outside facing the creek. It was honestly more like a counter. It was weird because we weren't able to really look at each other since we were sitting in a row, but it was fine I guess. I came here with the knowledge that it is more of a cocktail lounge compared to a restaurant. I ordered the Triple Big Timer which included notes of lime, passionfruit syrup, and was based off light rum. It was enjoyable and not strong at all (I felt nothing). The drink was nice, but $15 for a cocktail is definitely on the pricey side. I couldn't see myself ordering more than one drink when there are plenty of other options downtown. We ordered the brussel sprouts and the fiesta fries as our server recommended these two apps. We ordered the brussel sprouts ($14) with parmesan instead of blue cheese because not the biggest fan. I'm not the biggest fan of brussel sprouts either (LOL) but it was really good and they give you a good amount. The fiesta fries ($14)....OMG...I'm in love! This dish has to be a winner. All the ingredients blend so well with the fries. The fries itself are nothing special but the cotija cheese, hint of lime seriously hit the spot. The best part was the pico de gallo and the pickled onion that somehow went SO good with the fries. At the bottom, they have a chipotle crema that is DELISH. If you come to sidecar, you have to try these fries! It's more about the whole dish than the fry itself. My boyfriend and I also shared a burger ($19) and it was extremely mid. It was a classic American cheeseburger and it was lacking a lot of flavor. I would rather get In-n-Out for like 1/5 of the price and for better taste. Our food came out extremely quickly, but the service was super slow at the end to the point where my boyfriend got up to find our server and hand him the check. Service was friendly overall. Our total bill ended up to be ~$115 for the three of us. I would definitely come back to try another drink and get the fiesta fries as a snack or after dinner. But not come here for dinner.

Went here on a Friday night, it was pretty busy but my party of 3 got seated within 10 minutes. We got seated outside facing a small stream that runs along side downtown SLO. The view was very peaceful and made for a great lookout point. The appetizers were both phenomenal we ordered the brussel sprouts which came out fresh out of the oven and was delicious. Normally the order comes with blue cheese but my table opted for parmesan instead. Super cripsy and well seasoned would recommend. We also ordered the Fiesta fries which was surprising really good. I did not expect the fries to have so much flavor but they delivered. Especially loved the pickled onions on top of the fries was a nice relief.The fish tacos were nothing special. The two drinks we got were pretty tasty. Shes already decided came in a wine glass and was a pretty big portion at $15. Whereas the Triple-Big-Timer was relatively smaller but sweeter. Also coming in at $15. I would come here again for drinks and some tapas but would skip on the entrees. Beautifully decorated interior and nice place to get a drink with some friends.

Tried to get a drink with a couple people and the host turned us away saying they were closing but then while we were waiting outside (deciding where to go next) allowed 3 young women in with no issues. That sends a clear a message and I'll be sure to avoid this place. Normally it's great but after that terrible experience we'll pass every time. Super lame and disappointed.

This place ROCKS! I went to their late night last Thursday and it honestly was the most fun I have had in so long! I love that they had a disco theme going on! The staff and drinks were amazing! The people this place brings in just proved what an awesome spot it is! I highly recommend their late night downstairs. Especially when they have fun themed events going on!

I expected more. Unfortunately, we went here being extremely hungry and the current take out menu just didn't have anything filling. We ordered 3 items and were still hungry. Went to order the dumplings and they were sold out. The food was good and the drinks were good, service was great. I'll definitely come back to give it another try as there was nothing technically wrong with the place other than my out of control hunger. Ambiance is nice, we sat outside by the creek which was nice.

Came for their Wednesday happy hour and it did not disappoint! We got their fiesta fries and soft pretzels as well as a daiquiri. At first I was a bit shocked by the price of the apps but that plate of fries was STACKED and the toppings were A+. I'm usually not one for cheese on my pretzels but this cheese dip was delicious! The daiquiri was also really good, it was strong but not too strong! The ambiance and vibes were super cute as well. I'm definitely going to have to come back!

Cullen gave the best service. His spirit of service was so authentic he even offered to spoon feed us broccoli. his chemistry with the bartender Sean was something i've never seen before. it was euphoric. enchanting. transformative. a transformer, much like optimus prime, sidecar is definitely on another level! (jk: he went the extra mile to get us broccoli!)

There was never an intention to return to this place but after the owner responded with aggressive messages instead of acknowledging that his staff messed up, it should send the signal to others reading these reviews to actively avoid this place as well. The arrogant owner of Sidecar would rather fight back against negative reviews and play victim under the COVID excuse, as if we all haven't suffered through the same pandemic. Go ahead and blame others for your incompetence rather than face the fact the service was unapologetically abysmal. Sounds like a recipe for success and great reviews to me! It's no wonder the hostess was as useless as she was given the antics of the owner. Service can suck--it happens. It can be appreciated and completely excused when there's genuine concern and someone pretends to at least remotely care and acknowledge it. When service sucks and you blame the patrons and use COVID as an excuse, well that's just pathetic. Avoid this place! Check out Novo, the rooftop of the SLO hotel or any one of the other places around that have a clue how to manage a business. If you do decide to support this place and its poor, victimized owner, be careful not to leave a negative review. You might hurt his feelings. Not all clowns work in the circus, apparently.

MOBILE COCKTAIL AND BARTENDING SERVICES (not restaurant) - My wife and I recently hired Sidecar to provide bartending services for our small wedding in Templeton, CA. We spoke with Danielle about our signature cocktails, wine table service and paid for her recommended luxe package and two staff to service our event. We kept our wine and champagne chilled and the rest of our alcohol cool for days prior to the wedding reception. We followed Sidecar's recommended shopping list and ultimately purchased nearly 120 bottles of alcohol. The 32 adults present generally drink and like wine so it would be rather uncommon that at the end of an evening such as this, less than twenty bottles of alcohol had even been opened. Here are some highlights of our evening with Sidecar: We spent $3500 on almost 120 bottles of alcohol that their bartenders actively chose not to provide to our guests. They refused to make the signature old fashioned recipe that we agreed upon and provided all the components for. My new father-in-law even called them out on it. Given that this was his recipe, he knew that this was not our requested drink. He asked the bartenders to use the maple syrup (per the recipe) that we had provided and their response? "No sir, our simple syrup is fine." Their bartenders decided they were on break during dinner service, so people were not getting table service until we went up to the "CLOSED" bar (by the way, no one bothered explaining to us that our bar would be closed during dinner) and explained that people should be getting wine served to them. When they did finally start table service, they went around asking red or white. This would have been fine if we hadn't provided a Sav Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cab Sav, and Champagne. Therefore, almost 40 bottles of wine we purchased went untouched because our guests simply didn't know they were an option. To top it all off the Cab Sav was served HOT. We chilled that wine for TWO DAYS prior! In simple terms, while our guests had dinner, one of your bartenders stood behind the bar with a closed sign and we found the other one socializing in the kitchen. How is it possible we had to explain to TWO bartenders that it was their job to serve the alcohol. They put out a tip jar without our permission and given that we were advised to tip them 20% already, it certainly looked tacky given what we know we had already paid for their services. We feel as though we had enough discussion with Danielle to understand our expectations and we were under the impression we were going to have the best bartending service in SLO. Their bartenders ability to serve our guests wine, make cocktails, and even have good attitudes was a complete embarrassment. They were by far the sore thumb of our entire event and multiple guests complained to us about their service and attitudes.

STEPH JUDGMENT: Sophisticated cocktails and ambience with a lovely creekside view. We were in downtown San Luis Obispo looking for a place to wet our whistle when we spotted this place. I'd been to this location years (decades?) ago when it was another restaurant and I remembered their patio had that cool view of the creek. It was very busy, so we left our number with the hostess and went for a walk on the creekside path, which was a great way to pass the time. When we were called for our table, we were glad to see we'd sitting at the counter on the patio overlooking the creek. It was a cool night but ceiling heaters kept us nice and toasty. I started out with their Walk On Home Boy (bourbon, mezcal, lemon, pineapple gomme, vanilla, Lefty Bitters backwoods bitters) and the hubby had the I Don't Read Scrip, Scrip Reads Me! (dry rum, blanco tequila, crème de banane, clement coco mahina coconut liqueur, lime, coconut cream, orange blossom water)--both excellent. We weren't particularly hungry but thought we should have something, so we just shared a Waldorf Salad (little gem lettuces, pecans, honey crisp apples, aged white cheddar, herb-yogurt dressing), which was also great. We ordered one more cocktail each: I got The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire (sidecar pimms - ford's gin infused with fruit & botanicals, benchmark bourbon, grapefruit, cinnamon syrup, lime, soda), which was light and refreshing, and came with a lit cinnamon stick that looked like a cigar (or something). The hubby got Vibes (blanco tequila, pineapple-fresno chile liquer, lime, velvet falernum, tajin rim), another lighter cocktail. Overall, we preferred our first round, but it was good to be able to sample more of their menu. Our server was a friendly, energetic young man who seemed a bit overwhelmed at times, but did all right. We had a great time and wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

Cool spot for craft cocktails. Cullen is the awesome staff who brought us our drinks and snacks. A must visit in SLO. Nice outside seating.

Great atmosphere and some of the best cocktails in SLO. Small place, but great location, good to try before dinner.

Great cocktails. Excellent food. Fun patio over the creek. Probably the best cocktails in SLO. Can't wait to come back.

Sidecar is such a cute and late Ernst I've speakeasy restaurant. We stopped in for brunch on Sunday and the restaurant is so calm and the ambiance is great! Breakfast was good overall, no brunch cocktails were ordered unfortunately :( We got the chicken and waffle Benedict and Hawaiian breakfast bowl! (Sorry about the picture, boyfriend couldn't wait to dig into the bowl.) the Hawaiian sweet pork was DELICIOUS. Everything about the bowl was perfect: size, taste, presentation, flavor. The Benedict waffles could have been better. The waffle was severely over cooked and cracked when I cut into it, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was on off chance thing for the chef. Flavor was there, just beeded some more salt. Chicken was soooo tender. Hollandaise sauce on point as well. Coffee was great too! No flavored creamer or syrups though. We will be back to try their endless menu of cocktails. Heard their happy hour is 8.50 cocktails and you can just go straight to the bar and don't have to wait to be seated! Summary: ORDER THE BREAKFAST BOWLS!!!

thank you to Lauren who was quick to provide a clear brochure of all the different event space prices and options . I was looking for a rehearsal dinner option and there were many venues that did not get back in a timely manner and Lauren quickly did, and gave all the information a couple would need to start planning! Of their two spaces at this site, on certain days there is a venue site fee add on (peak days Friday/Saturday) but most days of the week just require a food and beverage minimum which I think is very fair especially if you are going to take up their floor for your group event. Again, thank you Lauren for being responsive. We can't wait to visit when we're back in SLO.

Lived here for a year and a half, never been here and then on a Sunday Funday whim came in for happy hour and sat right at the bar where the magic happens. Let me preface this by saying I rarely drink cocktails. Almost 100% a wine guy...until Jose and Scott teased my palette with their beakers of magic. I'm a devoted fan and love how they can play to your tastes and surprise you. Don't pass this place by. Go and go now!

If I could leave less than a one star review I would. My family and I visited this establishment on 1/29/22 for an early dinner. We all ordered, except my 3YO son, because there was no children's menu available. We ordered our meals and my dad walked two blocks to get my son something to eat, because he had just woken from a nap. If you've ever met a toddler that needs to eat, you'll understand... they get hangry fast. Mind you we were sitting at the tables in the street. My dad arrived shortly after we were finished with our meals and my son began eating his food. The owner came to our table and told us that we were violating the health and safety code by bringing another restaurants food to his table in the public street - these tables are positioned in the street where people spit, there are transients that leave urine on the sidewalk, gum, trash etc. which have no problem with... the problem arises when you as a manager address a 3YO. and say, "I will let it slide this time because you're a kid." Learn some people skills and how to properly address an issue. Will not be returning to this less than mediocre business of SLO. This city sure has changed. & if you're the owner reading this, don't even bother commenting. Just be grateful we have a little bit more respect than you.

Came here for date night on a Tuesday after having dinner in town. We were looking for cocktails and dessert, and since we like the craft cocktails at Sidecar, and they're open to 11pm, we went for it. We were seated promptly at a table, and got the menu for drinks, food, and Tiki Tuesday cocktails. Apparently, you can buy a Tiki glass for $20, then bring it in every Tuesday to get your cocktail for a reduced price. Pretty clever! However, the cocktails on the regular menu sounded more appealing to us, so we went with a Strangelove and a coconut cream/rum cocktail I unfortunately don't remember the name of. Both were brought over just a few minutes later, looking absolutely delicious. They tasted ah-maaaazing! The coconut one was tropical, sweet, and had hints of lime, while the Strangelove was more tart, and reminded of a classic cocktail with a modern twist. We absolutely enjoyed our cocktails, the atmosphere and the very attentive, friendly server. We decided against a dessert, simply because we weren't thrilled with the offerings (nothing sounded special), but decided to come back soon and try our way through the food menu, and have more of the delicious cocktails.

We asked a local where the cocktail spot is and Sidecar was the first immediate answer. They do have quite the cocktail selection, from fruity drinks to a mean, strong old fashioned. The value is pretty good as well; the cocktails are cheap compared to SF/LA. The venue is also somewhat unique as they got a patio and some speakeasy/antique library vibes downstairs. Service was mixed. Our bartender seemed friendly but our waitress had her RBF on high. Really a four star place but none of the staff wore masks. Not a COVID-friendly place.

Wanted to venture out around San Luis Obispo and what better place then the heart of downtown. We were seated at a table unusually close to a bar table outside. It was awkwardly placed and there was not much room to move , so we did a few adjustments and moved the table a bit so the people behind us had some space. Weird. What really irked me was how rude the waiter was when I was asking questions about the drink. There was 3 of us that wanted to get the guava mimosa and He said the pitcher was a better deal. I then asked him if the presentation was going to be nice for the drinks and he said with an attitude "Why wouldn't they be "!? Well excuse me , Mr. Attitude... I don't know what his deal was but seemed like someone was on their period. -___- Customer service 1 Star * Now for the drinks Horchata iced coffee: Was not good at all . Too much vodka and couldn't really taste the horchata. It was nothing like I had anticipated it to be . Also the presentation could've been better . ( They really need to work on their presentation) Pitcher of guava mimosa: Just exactly what I was talking about . You serve yourself and presentation is thrown out the door. They could've at least added some fresh berries or something. Also, I couldn't taste the guava. I was expecting this drink to be refreshing but boy was I wrong . Shouldn't have ordered this at all . Was not something that was tasty. 1/5 Now for the food ... Cesar Salad with anchovies $15: Every time I see anything with anchovies I know I have to order it. I have this weird salty craving that I need to satisfy from time to time and Cesar salad is the best - especially with anchovies. This salad did not disappoint . I actually hate eating salads but this one was amazing . Had a perfect blend of salty and creamy but not overpowering taste . I really liked the bell pepper that gave it a nice fresh taste. The bacon bits were also amazing .Little did I know that this was the highlight of the whole meal 5/5 All American breakfast w/ hangar steak $22 : 2 over easy eggs , bacon and potatoes. This was pretty basic. I was truly disappointed in the hangar steak . It was over cooked and super chewy and had a weird sweet flavor. ( Did not Look anything like the yelp pic which said Hangar steak) 1/5 Pork belly tacos $12: Usually anything with pork belly is a plus for me . But nope , not this. I literally took a bite and spit it out . The flavors didn't mesh well and the pork belly didn't really taste like pork belly . It was drenched in a sweet sauce and the pickled carrots and cucumber were way too overpowering. Do not order . For 2 tacos this was basura (garbage ) I would've been happier going to a Mexican place for real tacos 1/5 Overall I would skip this place . Was not worth the money especially with the rude waiter we got . The only reason I'd ever come back is if I'm really craving an anchovy Cesar salad.

Finally, some inventive/creative craft cocktails! We were nuts for the Papa's Gun and I Don't Read Scrip rum cocktails. The setting is gorgeous along the creek, they've put such attention into their branding. Everything is so beautiful! Our waitress, while I forget her name, was such a gem!

I went in to Sidecar on 11/11 and sat on the patio area with some friends in town from San Diego. I had been to this cocktail bar before and had a great experience. This night we unfortunately got a server who was extremely intoxicated. He smelled strongly of alcohol and vomit and looked and sounded very drunk. Our cocktails were pretty good however as walking up to our table with them he had almost dropped his tray and all the cocktails spilled a little. He seemed very unstable and out of it during our entire visit and did not offer to remedy the situation after spilling. At least a couple inches from each cocktail was now missing. We decided to not have another round due to the horrendous and embarrassing service we received. We could have complained but it seems pretty outrageous to have to say something to a manager about a staff member being extremely intoxicated at a place like sidecar. Writing this review because I would hope this serious issue gets resolved. I would love to return and have a much better experience.

Sidecar is still doing it! Making the most delicious cocktails and serving them with a smile (well, you can see smiles in people's eyes!) Sidecars staff is amazing and friendly and their cocktails are always consistent. Only trouble was the texting system to notify us our table was ready. Thanks Sidecar for being so awesome

I was looking forward to trying Sidecar for a long time and finally made the trip. Unfortunately, what a huge disappointment based on the service we received. The waitress saw my service dog and immediately wanted to give us an outdoor table- discriminatory to not ask if we wanted to be seated indoor or outdoor. But that's fine, the over hanging patio is so pretty and I was so excited to try the place I was fine to go outside into the cold to enjoy the view over the river with my friends. We are seated and brought water, and then 30 minutes goes by. My friends and I realized that everyone around us is some yuppie hipster millennials and they literally all looked the same- even the few older people there. We also notice that the staff are all dressed like that as well, giving off a pretentious vibe, and our waitress was laughing and talking with a hipster couple a few seats down from us and refused to come to our table. She finally came over and we ordered, and the drinks were nice and the fries we got were good as well as we waited another 30 minutes for those. We were sitting there enjoying our drinks, the patio at the end is a bit cold because the heaters are so far away, and realized she hadn't come back to ask us if we wanted another drink for an HOUR. We had to be at a dinner and it was already so late we had to leave and not get a second drink. Our interactions were positive towards her but she was rude to us; acting pretentious and like she didn't care about us being there on top of not doing her job well. Another staff, a man, ended up getting our check and she came to get it and we told her a different staff (busboy for sure) OFFERED to get the check and clear our table (s/o to that one staff member he was chill). If the main waitresses were on top of things and kind to everyone who walked in, this would be a different review. Very unfortunate and probably will be my first and last visit to this establishment unless they change their staff because only being able to have only one good drink misses the whole point of being there. Stop the discrimination, respect everyone just as well as they respect you and everyone else.

After a long day of wine tasting, almost anything tastes good. But I can say with brutal honesty (even after eating my leftovers a day later) that Sidecar made one heck of a good burger. My friend and I made a side trip to Fromagerie Sophie, a place I long have been wanting to stop and strongly encourage everyone who fancies cheese to stop as well. We were famished from our afternoon wine tasting and found Sidecar with a quick flip through of our handy dandy Yelp app. Sidecar is narrow and mostly bar ambiance. The wait time this Black Friday was about 20 minutes or immediate seating at the bar in the patio (sold!). We had a not-so-fabulous view of the construction across the street but we didn't mind. The cocktail list was a little overwhelming and I found myself ordering the first vodka-based drink on the page. It was a basil something or other and honestly if it's not something I recall fondly I suppose it wasn't very memorable. I would have preferred a straw (which was requested twice but never brought) as the sugar-coated basil kept getting in the way. For dinner, I ordered the burger. Red meat is something I rarely order, but for some reason craved. So glad I did because I would have missed out on one of my top 5 best burgers I've ever had. Yes. You read that right. One of the best burgers. The waiter did make a big burger blunder by not asking how I wanted my meat cooked, but I'll chalk it up to the fact that he was a mind reader because it ended up exactly how I like it - medium with just a hint of rare in the center. Perfect! The patty was a blend of beef and lamb - a combination of heavenly creation. Succulent, tender, juicy, and flavorful -- I'd eat it alone if I didn't like bread (and everything else) so much. And as if two types of meat weren't enough, several slices of thick cut bacon lay across the top intermingled with perfectly caramelized onions that were sweeter than most desserts. Goat cheese balanced out the flavor with its tart creamy texture and a beautiful thick-cut heirloom tomato (which I was surprised to find still in season) graced the top of a bed of frisee and pickled fresno chili. What made the burger truly exceptional was the bread - a beautiful brioche bun which was lightly grilled. Why does this matter? Ever had a soggy mess of a burger end up at your table? It could be many reasons, but I imagine the choice of bread and not toasting it is one. The burger came with a half plate full of matchstick fries which were quite good, but frustratingly so. I'm impatient, and I do love my fries, so eating these tiny things can be rather difficult without looking like an absolute monster. Besides never receiving my straw, service was pleasant and spot on. Being out in no-man's land has its drawbacks but maybe in the future, we'll be able to score a real table. Then again, maybe I should stay in the corner so I can safely devour my matchstick fries without judgment!

Thee lounge that opened my eyes to the world of cocktails. One near and dear to my heart throughout the years. As the years have gone by, the menu has changed in offerings but never in quality. I have literally never ordered anything from here that I did not love. Usually a busy haunt and no reservations are taken but very much worth the wait nevertheless. What better to accompany you throughout the wait than a craft cocktail. With menu varieties and custom cocktails upon request, this full stocked bar has everything and more that you would love in a cocktail. With an outside area perfect for weekend brunch and a cozy inside area for the nights, Sidecar is a staple must-try to downtown San Luis Obispo.

Was in SLO for me and my Girlfriends anniversary and Finally was able to try this place out. All I can say is that it didn't disappoint, the Bartenders were very friendly and attentive to our group. Drinks were awesome and the bartenders knew what they were doing. Vibe was great and prices weren't bad. I'll definitely go back when I'm in SLO.

I have to admit, I'm more of a wine drinker than a cocktail drinker. However, the craft cocktails at Sidecar could change that. Have been in a few times for happy hour and besides the cocktails, I enjoy watching Sidecars mixologists create their custom cocktails. It's a true art form. This is more than just a bar. Finally ordered food during a recent brunch visit and of course paired it with a classic Bloody Mary. You can't go wrong with any of the dishes. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing. Now that I have discovered Sidecar, I love taking out of town guests there for a fun dining or drinking experience.