Little did we know when we checked into Hotel San Luis Obispo, that a steakhouse was one of its restaurant offerings: the Ox & Anchor on Palm Street in downtown SLO. Like the hotel, its theme and ambiance are modern with clean lines. The restaurant also draws inspiration from the hills and the ocean as well. Speaking of local inspiration, their wines are mostly from the Central Coast to keep their offerings in the local “terroir from plate to glass.”
The Ox & Anchor Restaurant
As you enter the Ox & Anchor restaurant from the main drag, you are immediately greeted with a festive and chic full-service bar on the left. To the right, you enter the dining room which offers both booth style seating as well as tables. Tres modern in all ways, the ceiling and walls are adorned with abstract creations.
The bar at the Ox & Anchor
The menu at the Ox & Anchor is all ala carte, so you can pick and choose what you want for sides for all their meal offerings. While it is naturally known for their steak, you can also find Yellowfin Ahi Tuna Tartare, Crab Cakes, Pork Dumplings (apparently a local favorite), Grilled Swordfish and Roasted Chicken on the menu. We nearly went for the Duck Leg Confit because it sounded so exquisite.
We kept things light to start with two salads: their healthy Ox Caesar with crostini, shaved pecorino and boquerones and an Apple and Endive salad with Fuji apples, herbed goat cheese, and candied walnuts. I asked for a side of avocado which was a perfect match.
Ox & Anchor Salads
Below, the classic caesar at the Ox & Anchor.
Caesar Salad at the Ox & Anchor
After seeing the incredible wine menu by the glass and the bottle, we had to go with steak. After all, when you have a Petit Syrah from the Central Valley and a few big, bold, smooth and velvety Cabs and Zins to choose from, how can you not? We went with a vanilla butterscotch Cabernet Sauvignon for the entire evening to pair with my American Waygu Flat Iron Steak and Anthony’s Filet Mignon.
Waygu Flat Iron Steak at the Ox & Anchor
Above and below, Filet Mignon
Filet Mignon at the Ox & Anchor
The sides are meant to be shared with two or four people depending on the order. For example, the Autumn Ricotta Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Sage is much more filling than Asparagus or Creamed Spinach. When Brussels Sprouts are on a menu, Anthony always orders them. I feel as if we could do a write-up on the best brussels sprouts from coast-to-coast at this point. Ox & Anchor’s version did not disappoint. Here, they serve it with bacon, pickled red onions and herbs.
Brussel sprouts at the Ox & Anchor
The other nice thing about the steak offerings is that they offer you four different sauces to try: Classic Bearnaise, Red Wine Bordelaise (my personal favorite), Chimichurri and their classic Ox & Anchor steak sauce. Needless to say, we tried them all.
For those of you who are traditional meat and potato fans, they also offered Truffle Fries with rosemary and pecorino, Crispy Polenta with garlic, rosemary and parmesan, Loaded Baked Potatoes with caramelized onions, bacon and sour cream and lastly, Yukon Gold Puree Potatoes, served with crème fraiche and chive.
Our server was top notch. As someone who used was a waitress in several states and countries and later managed restaurants, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to service and she was amazing. We’d recommend it to others passing through SLO and we will definitely return on our next visit south. Be sure to read our write-up on Hotel San Luis Obispo where we stayed during this trip.
DETAILS:
Ox & Anchor
877 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA
805.234.9968
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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