Fish Gaucho — Restaurant in Paso Robles

The food is amazing ! If you don’t like seafood or you have kids- the street tacos are the way to go. The margaritas are the best I have tried. One of our first few times eating at FG when it opened, the head chef came out to our table to make sure everything was perfect. It was a large table for my friends birthday. It was perfect timing and made us feel special. Two weeks ago we went back again for another friends birthday. The dads were home babysitting so we went early for reservations at 4:30 on Saturday. I didn’t want to “fight” with my friends on who would pay , I handed our waitress my card during a drink refill to hold until we wrapped up. During our last round of drinks while two of us still had food on our plates I asked quietly for the check & signed with a great tip . That is when the host decided we were not special and we over stayed our welcome. He volunteered to find 4 seats at the bar so we could finish up our conversation someplace besides our small table. We left with our mouths wide open as he explained that they had a lot of reservations (just like I had made earlier) for 6:00. I counted 7 empty tables around us. We just walked out embarrassed and deflated. Happy birthday Tina. I hope one day this restaurant with great food will find themselves some great hosts. Most people doing this review with this experience would take more stars away but I hope they (the chefs) Could train their staff on customer service. My fingers...

Visited 25 July 2022

Whew!

The food and drinks were great but when it came time to pay, our waitress had thee hardest time splitting the bill indivdually for 7 people. I think she was new and in training so we were patient and allowed her to make the necessary adjustments, albeit multiple times.

We had reservations for 5pm which was enough time to take advantage of happy hour prices. Once we were seated, instead of waiting and risk not getting served in time, majority of us ordered 2 drinks each (lushes!!). I had the strawberry basil - $12 and the Jalapine - $12 (both originally $15 during regular hours). They were equally refreshing and the jalapine had a spicy kick that I loved.

From the food menu, we also ordered some appetizers. I ordered the short ribs taco - $6, which was juicy and tender and full of meat. For my entrée, I had the carnival taquitos - 2 for $12.5.

I was already stuffed by the time I received my entrée from sampling food everyone else got. Everything was delicious.

The atmospher was good but our waitress seemed a bit timid. Initially, when she came to the table to introduce herself, nobody heard what she was saying or that she was even addressing the table. She had another waitstaff with her so we assume she was still training.

Service could have been a bit better but overall it was a good experience and the food and drinks were good, with prices comparable to the other eateries...

Unfortunately, our experience at Fish Gaucho was a letdown—especially disappointing since it was meant to be a birthday dinner.

We had an 8:15 PM reservation, arrived on time, and were seated promptly. But it took over 10 minutes for our server to come by, and strangely, our food arrived before any of our drinks—including water. The restaurant wasn’t busy, so it really left us wondering what caused the delay.

The service was what really soured the night. Our server had a condescending, street-smart tone that made us uncomfortable. She came by to ask how everything was before we had even tried anything, and when I mentioned that, she replied, “Not even the drinks?”—not exactly the kind of comment that makes guests feel welcomed or cared for. It felt rushed and indifferent. She didn’t even bring the check herself and had the busser drop it off while she moved on to a different table.

I had noted in the reservation that it was for a birthday, but there was no acknowledgment—not a big deal on its own, but combined with the lackluster food and poor service, it made the whole night feel like an afterthought.

The food itself? Average at best. Nothing that would make up for the uncomfortable experience.

Bottom line: we won’t be going back. There are too many great places in Paso Robles to waste time and money on one that clearly doesn’t prioritize customer experience—especially when it...