Eye on I — Restaurant in Lompoc

Eating here reminds me of that scene in the Matrix where the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar is talking about the flavor of Tasty Wheat, when they realize, that having lived in a simulation before, they had never actually eaten real Tasty Wheat. All their lives, the machines had only fed them an approximation of what Tasty Wheat might have been like—an algorithm representing the machines’ best guess of Tasty Wheat’s flavor and texture. Eating at Eye on I, taking a bite of their hamburger, for instance, you realize, you’ve never had an actual hamburger before—only some processed beef-wheat parody of a hamburger. But while biting into the Eye on I burger, your senses awaken, your brain lights up—THIS is a burger. A REAL burger. Juicy, flavorful, cheesy, salty, utterly delicious. The Caesar salad—so pedestrian you’d justifiably overlook it, an unremarkable thing, done, poorly, a million times before—except this one, this Eye on I Caesar, explodes with flavor and the texture, the CRUNCH of the handmade croutons, reminds you that the machines never had a clue what a Caesar was supposed to taste like. But you don’t need any more convincing, do you Neo? You wouldn’t be reading this if you did. Take the red pill; go to Eye on I, and...

This place has a great atmosphere when there's live bands playing but the food is very overpriced and quite mediocre. Please do not order the Margherita pizza. It is a disgrace to Italians. It is such a simple dish that should be easy and tasty but they really managed to screw it up... Instead of tomato sauce, it's basically just crushed up whole tomatoes that are cooked, the basil (typically cooked with the pizza) was set up fresh on top after the pizza was cooked, and they added the most absurd amount of garlic possible. It usually doesn't even need garlic but at least make it super fine if you put it in. They SLICED the garlic cloves and put at least 5 slices of garlic on each slice of the pizza... I had to pick them off just to even eat it and I still couldn't get the taste of garlic out of my mouth...

If you get a pizza, get the Supreme Meat Lovers pizza, it is much better. The pulled pork sandwich is also good, but stay away from the Corn Dog as the sausage inside is not a good mix with the batter and is quite overpriced for what you get.

Also stay away from the Caesar salad as it lacks any flavor.

In conclusion, good atmosphere, but their recipes, while appetizing in theory, need a lot of work in...

This was a fabulous find based on recommendation. When I asked the server at Zotovich Cellars where I should eat lunch while in Lompoc, she didn't even ask me what kind of food I liked. Her immediate response, complete with driving directions: The Eye on I. She was SPOT ON! Rolled in while the specials menu included what turned out to be a smashing good, house-made, pork-and-chantarelle sausage served on a bed of black beans from heaven. I also picked up the cauliflour au gratin for the vegetarian at home, and talked to local customers on the patio who said they eat here 2-3 meals per week. The outdoor patio features barrel-top tables, a long table for larger groups, some square, four-top tables and a central gas-fired barbecue table surrounded by funky, and surprisingly comfortable, surfboard bench seats. While no five-star, white-glove experience, The Eye on I is a worthy stop for locals and visitors, carnivores and vegetarians, folks who want to veer from (albeit tasty) Mexican options that abound in this city (and the lesser-scrumptious, but equally abundant fast-food options). I already look forward to my next visit to Lompoc - first stop:...