Hapy Bistro — Restaurant in Pismo Beach

Short staffed and forgetful. We reserved a spot here for two birthdays and regretted it. It took almost 40min for appetizers to arrive, waiter did not check in.

Normally if a long wait is happening an experienced server will come by with a comp'd appetizer (chips or something cheap generally) and see if anyone needs another drink... But not here. We were one of only three tables but it was clear the kitchen was prioritizing the takeout orders and basically ignored ours. How tough is it to prepare a hummus plate? I think maybe our waiter forgot our order? Or maybe both: forgot order, and takeout-first?!

Throughout the meal the waiters were nowhere to be found, perhaps they are scared of the patrons. A good waiter will show up occasionally just to check in, and even if things aren't going well in the kitchen, will at least provide a status update and ask if you want a fresh drink or offer something they can prep. Not here. At the end of the meal they did provide a free slice of carrot cake, which was a nice gesture but VERY late. Food was OK but pitas were cold from a package, falafel was fresh but made from a mix, from other reviews I was sad not to see anything fresh. The mushrooms in the mushroom hummus were good. Brussels sprouts undercooked but had a good charred flavor. Hummus very salty, baba ganoush "OK."

We had showed up expecting to order appetizers and then a full dinner and to celebrate a birthday. We were very happy just to get out of there after appetizers. A visit to the CVS next door for batteries was more satisfying (they didn't even have the ones we needed in stock and I was still happier with the service).

I would compare the ambience to the feeling you have waiting for coworkers in a hotel lobby while on a work trip, in that situation where you showed up on time at the lobby bar and they did not; you've ordered one drink, and they're taking too long just to appear. You debate internally: should I grab another white wine (or not) and go sit in my hotel room for a few hours doing work before I sleep in canned air? Or should I sit here interminably with my sad half-order hoping these delayed yahoos will show up and something we can call a dinner will, however reluctantly, materialize? A very "lobby" feeling -- very much in-between to someplace else -- and no, dinner definitely will not...

Stopped by here while traveling and first experience was awesome! I appreciate the fact that there’s both indoor and outdoor dining. The indoor dining is dimly lit with a refrigerated wall full of wine and more wine all around the restaurant, definitely an adult atmosphere. The outdoor seating is definitely more family friendly. My husband and I decided to sit outside since we have 2 toddlers and they are full of energy. They were able to run around and look at part of the freeway and cars passing by from a safe distance. The server was awesome, he was very knowledgeable and attentive and also family to the owner! The wine he recommended was delicious and paired perfectly with our meal so we bought a bottle to take home. For dessert I chose the chocolate cake that’s made in house and if you like chocolate or dark chocolate I highly recommend. It’s the best food that I’ve had at Pismo honestly. There’s so many American breakfast and lunch spots it’s hard to find something good so this place is a gem. My only gripe is that we were seated outside in a cold dark corner. The entire outdoor seating was available so it would’ve been great to be asked if we had a preference on our seating cause I wish I would’ve been able to sit in the sun and enjoy my food, family and wine with a view of the sky and not a dark corner. Next time I’ll definitely ask for it though. Aside from that, everything was awesome. I highly recommend this place. I’ll have to look for the photos and update it...

Great service. Tasty food. Went in for dinner on Friday evening. After a long, hot day we opted to sit on the patio (which I didn't even know they had!). It started cooling down quick, but the staff had no problem lighting up a patio heater just for us. The warmth, the string lights, and the fabulous people added to the great vibe.

Our awesome server, Jackie, was bubbly and knowledgeable. She was so pleasant, had it not been date night, we would've wanted her to join us for dinner.

They have a GREAT wine selection: "By the Glass" is ok, but "By the Bottle" is where it's at. I like that they have some of the harder to find local wines (ie: not just Opolo's Mountain Zin that every restaurant has, but Opolo's Rhapsody). The owner stopped by our table and delivered our second glasses of wine. It's great to see the pride in ownership. The staff seems to enjoy working there and it exudes in all their attitudes.

I enjoyed the kefta kabob and my boyfriend got the ribeye. The steak wasn't the best, but he admitted it was a bit silly to order a steak while at a Mediterranean restaurant. We'll definitely be back; he wants to order something more authentic the next time. I look forward to trying the...