TASTE! craft eatery — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

We've been going back to Taste for a few years now. Started supporting them when it was at a smaller location down the street and just a little wine bar. Love the mix and match concept to try multiple different flavors with their duo/trio options. Last night was one of our most disappointing experiences, and will probably be hesitant at returning anytime soon.

Two reasons: service and food.

Starting with service: By the time our waitress made it to our table, we were ready to order. Asked her for waters with no ice and a high chair. She promptly brought out waters with ice. No big deal, we didn't feel the need to complain. Food came fairly quick, but we were still wrestling our toddler in our arms and not high chair. We kindly asked the server who brought out the food for a high chair. She was great and set it right up for us. Moving on to the food: We had ordered two trios and a starter. 5 of the 7 items were either burnt or too dry. I had high expectations for the 'tip o argentina,' but the entire edge was burnt. I attempted to see it I can "shave" off the edge, but ultimately decided to return to the kitchen. When we flagged it to our waitress, Tracy, she claimed that tri tip was just cooked through. We had to point out the burnt charr that flaked off. That no longer resembled meat at that point to be called "cooked through." She finally helped us trade it in for a different slider. Which was actually the only good tasting part of our entire meal. The other super disappointing dish of the night was the lamb kofta. Also overcooked with much charr and burnt bits. I ultimately shaved off the burnt pieces (picture attached) and to finish our meal without flagging further since our waitress didn't seem to care about the quality of what is being served.

Overall, sad that we can no longer count on this place as one of our go to spots. Would feel utterly embarrassed if any of our out of town friends or family had the same experience per our...

I think this restaurant was a bit pricey for just some slider sandwiches. I can't see when I would want to go out of my way to pay $25 for a few small sandwiches again. The quality was good, and the menu selection was generous, but I'd prefer single priced sliders. Even then, im not sure I'd spend the $6-$8 per slider order again. If all of my sliders were good, I may have rated better. I was very unimpressed and even disappointed by the bon mi sandwich. I was most excited to try that one, and then it was just pulled pork meat with pickles, and I dont know what else. It was not even near a bon mi sandwich at all. That felt wrong because we dont really have bon mi sandwiches around here, so I jumped to try this, but no. My aunt later told me she tried it too but didn't like it either. I liked the popper one a lot but wasn't impressed by the vacation one. I did think they had a good amount of protein. Truffle fries were unimpressive for me as well. They were oily and thin. All together, I think this could be a good date spot, but I also think $30 a person for sandwiches and a drink is a bit much. There are other options on the menu. I saw someone order a fish plate, and that looked good. Unfortunately, everyone that's eaten here has told me they got sandwiches, and I personally don't know if I will pay that much for those again. The hostess or casher was slightly dismissive since she prioritized taking phone orders over the guests in front of her while being the only one able to help at the front booth. It was irritating to pay so much for an order and see it getting cold on the shelf and not be able to get it since she was on the phone. 🫠...

A-mazing food with different eclectic ingredients. Wonderful service as well. Really nice guy was our server and was super-accommodating. We sat in the patio which was plenty warm despite a brisk evening. The close proximity of the parking lot is a bit off-putting but we did get to see some terrible parking jobs, including the world's first 14-point turn. The wait was less than we were originally told and they texted us when the table was ready so we sat I the car and listened to weird indie music on Spotify. But these were just small observations compared to the menu and food! We got 3 "sliders" that were almost as large as many restaurant burgers. The lamb one was off the charts good as were the other two. Very fresh ingredients and perfectly-cooked meat. The sides we chose were customized Mac n cheese with gouda and bacon and the sweet potato fries. Both were spot on but the Mac n cheese is small so get one per person because I had to steal my wife's portion when she was in the restroom.(Speaking of, the restroom is in the front door, down the main dining area then down the hall then out the door then down the walkway then into the restroom, giving it a distinct gas-station/rapey kind of feel, but it was clean...) Anyway, the fries were delish and the aioli sauce that comes with was perfect. After all this, the best part was out bill was, wait for it, LESS THAN $30! What? Had to be a mistake! But no, server assured us it was right so we tipped well and scooted before they doubled it. And it would have been worth it. Check this place out, will...