TASTE! craft eatery — Restaurant in Paso Robles

TASTE is a brilliant addition to Paso Robles, right at the heart of the central park. TASTE nails the balance of great food, appropriate portions (I'll explain in a bit), friendly service and chic & progressive atmosphere.

One of the issues with comfort food is that portions are big and typically you cannot enjoy a variety. TASTE resolves this dilemma by having a vast selection of "slider" sizes where you can put together a Duet, Triplet or Quartet of your choices. The selections span from classic sliders to salads to gourmet burgers to mac n cheese. A true variety. Thus you can patch together a dish you want with appropriate portions really easily at a reasonable price.

Now typically, when you do these types of collage or build-your-own-plate, the individual consitutents of the dish suffers. Not at TASTE. Each and every one of the components you choose is done to their unique perfection, whether it is a gouda-dunked cheese burger or a cobb salad rich with crumbled cheese or a brilliant salmon slider. Again, none of these individual dishes are skimped upon and could be presented individually and still hold its ground. Of course, when they are put together, it comes together in a beautiful presentation. Again, the food is awesome.

Now speaking about presentation, the joint has a progressive and modern feel, but definitely hinted with classical suede and decor. It's a bit of a mix-n-match but it somehow works. And the plates are presented beautifully. The baked brie was just out of this world. And then cheesecake with lavender cream was perhaps one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had.

And you marry this altogether with a great selection of brews and wines and you have a 5-star restaurant. Simply great value. My family had a fabulous time.

If you are in Paso Robles, this is the place to be. Be prepared to stand in line if you haven't reserved ahead. So happy I found this place and we'll absolutely return whenever...

This was a phenomenally pleasant surprise! We went here expecting a good lunch and had a truly fantastic one. This casual lunch quickly catapulted up to one of the top 20 or even the top ten meals I have ever had. The shoestring fries were hands down the best fries I have ever eaten, and the sliders I had were on par with or surpassing any burger I have previously put into my mouth. The menu is expansive, and the ordering method is creative: having you choose two, three, or four of the items. I ordered a Quartet, and still struggled to choose only 4 of the extensive options. The four items I ordered were:

1. The Madras lamb slider, which was perfectly spiced, flawlessly cooked, and slathered in a curry that could put a few Indian restaurants out of business.
2. The jammy BLT, which blended sweet fig jam and chevre with traditional BLT flavors in such an iconic way, that I will never approach making one the same way again.
3. The Tip O' Argentina which was a symphony of steak and chimichurri so delectable that it sent shivers down my spine.
4. The Spin Master salad, which would have been a standout option at any other place, but paled in comparison to their sliders.

My wife got Mac and cheese, shoestring fries, the Fancy Pants slider, and the Lamburger. Both of her sliders were equally notable, and the aforementioned shoestring fries were a revelation of impeccably seasoned crispy perfection.

Our toddler shared with us and loved the fries, Mac and cheese, and steak!

We ended the meal with an apple cobbler that I will be having dreams about.

Not only will I be giving this place my heartiest recommendation to friends and family, but I will make stopping here a priority any time we come within 50 miles of...

When I go to a new restaurant, my one regret is that I have neither the budget nor the stomach real estate to order multiple menu items to get a true flavor for the establishment.

That said, why can't every restaurant be like TASTE! ?? This is my perfect restaurant. Plenty of tasty bites with a "build your own plate" concept. My foodie heart was able to sample four different items at once with a wonderful cocktail to wash it down all for a reasonable cost. Win!

I chose the following items: Trick or Treat slider (vegetarian), Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Fall Brussels Sprouts, and a build-your-own Mac and Cheese. And because I couldn't help myself, a side of truffle fries.

Out of these five items, four truly hit the mark and only one was underwhelming. The tuna was fresh and the bit of spice was a good compliment, the vegetarian slider was perfectly hearty and even meat eaters would not miss the meat, and the brussels sprouts were a warm and comforting little bowl of autumnal delight. Oh and you just cannot go wrong with truffle fries! Even the side was far too much to make a dent in, though I did try.

The one miss was the mac and cheese. The concept is cool--you can choose the cheese and mix ins, but the execution was a bit unfortunate. The mac was simply topped with these things, and was pretty dry and unflavorful. It wasn't horrible, it just paled in comparison to the other items.

My Aperol Spritz was wonderful, a good balance of flavor and booze, and the service was wonderful. I was seated immediately, food came out quickly, and the waitress even brought a side of bacon on the house for my pooch.

If I find myself in Paso Robles again, I will...