Ben's - San Luis Obispo

As we looked over the menu, which was a bit on the pricier side, we were served some incredible complimentary bread that was so good my family couldn’t get enough of it and even asked for more! We ordered a variety of dishes, with two standout items being the meatball sandwich and the penne rustica. The meatball sandwich, which my sister said was the highlight of her day after our hike, is typically only available at lunch, but the chef generously made an exception for her. The bread was perfectly toasted, and the filling was warm and flavorful, truly satisfying. The penne rustica was also excellent, packed with at least six shrimp and plenty of chicken, far more substantial than I anticipated. I really appreciated the generous portion sizes! Our server, Cameron, was delightful and cheerful throughout our meal, making sure our water glasses were always full and even packing our leftovers for us to take home. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience!

I took a colleague with me, and while we had some business to discuss, we completely forgot that January is Restaurant Month in SLO County. We ordered a bottle of wine, two salads, and an entrée to share. Once the salads and wine arrived, I suddenly remembered, "Oh right, it's Restaurant Month!" Yes, they are participating again this year with a fantastic deal. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late for us to take advantage of it. I really wish we had been informed about the Restaurant Month menu when we were seated or at least asked if we wanted it. The wine would have been 25% off, and for just $30, we could have enjoyed an appetizer, an entrée, and dessert. We had a lovely bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Presquille, and then the salads arrived. I opted for the kale cranberry salad, which I've had before. The kale was a bit tough and could have used a little more care, but overall it was quite good. We then shared the scampi Florentine, which could have had a bit more shrimp for my taste; however, as I'm not a huge fan of shrimp, I was fine with that and enjoyed the artichokes instead. As another friend joined us, we ordered another bottle of wine, and the staff graciously brought more bread, allowing us to linger for a long while. The service was excellent and incredibly friendly. They offer a wide selection of wine by the glass, including some local favorites, all at reasonable prices. I've had the eggplant Parmesan before and loved it, so if you're vegetarian, there's a delicious option for you too! Just make sure to ask for the special menu in January!

Far too often in restaurants, servers don’t understand that customers want to enjoy their drinks and take their time with the menu, rather than feeling rushed to place their orders. Thankfully, that’s never an issue at Upper Crust. We had a lovely lunch, took our time chatting, and then placed our order. They even treated us to some complimentary dough knots, which I think were brushed with garlic butter. We shared a delicious kale salad along with two pizzas. Yum! It was truly a wonderful lunch, and we will definitely return. The restaurant features cozy fireplaces, making it a perfect spot for a quiet sit-down meal.

Love this place. The food is great and the service is fantastic! I didn 't get our servers name but she really made the experience memorable. She was attentive, friendly, fast and went the extra mile. She even left the date on my to go leftovers! So sweet!

Though not always on the menu, there's a pizza you can order here (and you must order it! the Fig and prosciutto. Yikes! And Yes!! Truly stone fired thin bubbly crust with prosciutto, fig slices, gorgonzola, balsamic glaze and piled high with fresh arrivals on top. Best of the best! Work of culinary art! Must taste! They also do a nice Bruccetta classico with excellent ripe heirloom tomatoes, Burrata, garlic, fresh basil, balsamic, olive oil and there own freshly baked Italian bread. The atmosphere is warm. Beautiful central coast paintings by one of the owners on the wall, sweet little bar area, that always seems friendly. No television thank the Gods, and not a chain-yay! Sooo hungry right now!