First, don't confuse this place for Morton's, Ruth Cris, Â Flemmings or The Hitching Post.. However, for the price and the ambiance it exceeds those places. Come as you are, in jeans or whatever. Order the small stewart (rib eye) Â steak for around $22 as unless you play in the NFL you will be taking home a doggie back if you order the large one. No extra charge for a potato, salad or limited dessert menu. Most of the time the steak is to your order and tender but we have on rare occasion cought a tough piece.
Review Source:I love steak. I 've been to all the steak houses around here and Jocko's takes the cake. Huge portions, great food, decent prices and an all around good time. I grew up here in the central coast and this is by far the best. Give it a shot! But, MAKE SURE TO GET RESERVATIONS! I've eaten here a few times without it, and the place get's packed reallllly quick!
Review Source:We had reservations at 945, arrived at 935 and got seated at 955.
Right when we walked in I noticed the please wait to be seated sign but no one was there. Â Instead we got about 20 stares from the bar since we just stood there. A girl runs over from the bar and asks what she can do for us and I told her we had reservations. Â
When we noticed it was after 950 we asked if we can order ahead of time because we were starving but she said no. Â The table was ready but the server wasn't. Â When we were finally led to our table there was so many empty tables it was ridiculous.
We ordered and waited maybe another 40 minutes before we actually got our food. I got the Spencer and he got the steak sandwich. Honestly the steak was not as great as it was hyped up to be. It was definitely a good deal thought.
By the way, this place is so creepy. We drove over from Seacrest and the 80% of the time the roads were dark, it looked like a scene from a scary movie. We were joking saying that we traveled through a wormhole and went back in time. Jocko looks like how I imagine someone's grandma's house to look like. Also, the bathroom only had 2 stalls. I am not too tall but when I went in the stall my legs were touching the door already. You must be a ninja to move around the bathroom freely.
I should begin by saying I have been eating here for 30+ years. Â I have seen the white chapel go from a church, to an antique store, back to a church in that time.
FOOD 2/2
Pork ribs
Quality pork, oak smoke, salt, pepper. Â Wonderful. Â If you are after saucy BBQ this is not the place for you. Â They rely on their cooking method to add the flavor and it works well. Â I do not see how a meat eater could not love this.
Filet
Again no sauce or jus or reductions. Â Meat + salt + pepper + smoke = win. Â The filet is probably my least favorite cut of meat on their menu but that is more due to the nature of the cut than to the restaurant. Â Also, the filet is huge.
Rib eye (Spencer)
Fantastic. Â By far my favorite steak on their menu.
Beef ribs
See above
Steak sandwich
I was somewhat surprised to read someone complain about what this is, literally a steak on two pieces of bread. Â This is not chopped up bits of leftover meat or meat that has been pressed into a uniform geometric shape. Â It literally is a whole steak on bread. Â When I ordered this I got it to go and ate it in the hotel room for breakfast. Â It was not the best sandwich in the world but it was good and for the price reasonable.
Beans
I love the Central Coast ranch style beans whether they be from Jocks, McLintocks, or any other restaurant that serves that style. Â No sweet to be found here.
Strawberry Daiquiri
Probably the worst daiquiri I have ever had. Â Syrupy and artificial tasting.
Wine
Their wine list has improved over the years. Â When I first started coming here it was two, relatively banal house wines. Â This was always gob smacking considering their proximity to quality wineries. Â The last time I was there the wine list had been expanded considerably with several good choices. Â I believe they also have a reasonable corking fee, but do not quote me on that. Â
CONSISTENCY 1/1
The place is always crowded (unless you come for a very early dinner), the waitress is always quasi friendly, the salad is always over dressed, and the meat is always wonderful. Â In 30 years only once can I remember having a meal I was not happy with and that was due to the ribs being slightly under cooked. Â
VALUE 1/1
Can $30 be a bargain? Â When they taste this good I would say yes. Â Meals are inclusive down to the tiny scoop of ice cream. Â You are not charged for each individual side.
IN A NUT SHELL
If you need your steakhouses to feel like a premium dining experience with white table clothes and wait staff in vests and ties this is not the place for you. Â If you do not mind rubbing elbows with farmers from the central valley, sharing a family style table, and eating simple well cooked oak smoked meats then go by and monkey around.
TIME WILLING TO DRIVE TO EAT THERE
I've driven up from Los Angeles to eat here and drove back in the same day so 3 hours, 6 round trip.
McClintocks had been our go-to place FOREVER. But the last time was a total disappointment: Crappy service, miscooked steaks, sloppy drunk patrons. A friend recommended Jacko's in .. Nipomo. Seriously?
To set the stage this is a cowboy bar and a cowboy grill. No more dorks pouring water over your head and morons taking steak orders. This is Jack Daniels and soda and ribs eyes medium rare. My ONLY complaint was that the steaks are OVER salted . I would ask for them plain.
We ate there last Saturday night. Â We were a party of four with 7:30PM reservations. While there were tons of people waiting, we heard the hostess tell one party that the wait was 2-1/2 hours???
Anyway, we were seated within 10 minutes. Not much atmosphere in this joint... But the food was pretty awesome. Two of our party ordered huge spencers, one ordered the ground steak, and I ordered the trout. No point ongoing into how good the steaks were as everyone has already covered that here. I want to mention the fish... obviously not the place to go to for fish, but, the trout was absolutely incredible. The serving was HUGE with the normal serving being two full trout.... and they actually offer three on the menu. Moist and super tasty served with lemon wedges and tartar sauce on the side.
All of us could not get over the low prices.... not sure why because they could certainly charge 50% more.... but most appreciative that they don't.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended.
Big and tasty steaks BBQ'd over red oak wood. Â This is real BBQ! Â The way it was done in the cowboy days of California. Â Jocko's still does it this way. Â This was my favorite place to go for my birthday when I was a youngster. Â Hell, it still would be one of my choice places to go if I lived closer. Â I haven't found anything like this place in San Diego. Â Hunter's Steakhouse tries to do it this way but it's not the same. Â You need the atmosphere of the Central Coast hills and cows pasturing nearby to get close to what it's like dining at Jocko's. This isn't a fancy LA-style joint and some that rated Jocko's low just don't get it. Â They want a fancy place. Â They forget it's all about the food. Â Hilarious! Â Take your suit and get on outta here city boy! Â Jocko's is for people that can handle a little dirt and hay on the floor. Â Hahhaaa!
Please note the BBQ is only in use for dinner.
steak: 5 stars,
value: 5 stars,
waiters: 3 stars,
side dishes: 3 stars
atmosphere: 3 star
service: 2 stars
I think Jockos is one of the best steak houses in California and probably the west in terms of flavor, tenderness and presentation of their steaks not to mention their reasonable prices. I live in AZ and went to Jockos in December, so I only get out there every few years. But if the owner - a sweet older lady - reads these reviews - things have changed. the services no longer have smiles on their faces. The employees are no longer laughing and joking around. Â The spirit is gone! Â Food was still great. Â Someone better pay attention to this. A little secret...if you're in a rush, go to the back room and order your meal.
Review Source:This place "is as described" by most Yelper's, great food at a great price. Â It is a no frills place. Â Ryan, our server, was friendly and helpful. Â My wife and I shared a Large Spencer Rib Eye Steak, which was enough for two adults. Â We ordered our meat medium rare, and it was. Â Can't ask for a better tasting steak, no matter how much you pay. Â We lucked out and got the best seat in the house, a table by the window where the cook was grilling the meat. Â What a master chef. Â This is a perfect place to go for a meal whenever you are driving from the Bay Area to So. CA and vice versa. Â Important thing to remember is that they start grilling on M-Th at 4:30 PM, Saturday at 4 PM and Sunday's at 1 PM. Â Great place, can't wait to go again.
Review Source:This place is such a great value! I highly recommend you make reservations, because the wait, even with reservations, is probably going to be 20-30 minutes.
So first off, drinks at the bar were very affordable. I ended up having 5-6 drinks over the course of the night because it wasn't too expensive and they pour pretty heavy.
The seating area is very "hole-in-the-wall" which is funny because you don't get that impression when you walk in or when you're at the bar. Not really a big deal but just something to know.
When you order your food, it comes with so much stuff! It's a very eclectic mix of items: salad, crackers, salsa, chilled veggies, pickles. You have lots of options.
We ordered lamb chops and the large spencer. Both were fricken' delicious. The char on the steak is perfect and they season it so well, you're not going to want to add any flavor. The sides are solid and the garlic bread was really tasty. We ended up eating too much of it. And then they top it off with ice cream for dessert.
All the food I was talking about, comes with the meal. When you add a really well-cooked cut of meat to the aforementioned great value, you get a place that I would make a road trip for just to dine at.
Cheers!
holy meat moly. The quality and portion of the steaks are phenomenal. If you did not roll out of there and without a takeout box, you really didn't experience Jocko's in its entirety.
No portion is less than 15 oz. In fact, most portions come only in one or two sizes - 15 or 18 ounces. The Spencer steaks, as many have foretold comes in the L or XL. The NY steak came only in XL. The filet mignon, which I ordered, came only XL.
Not to mention, every steak comes with a 1) salad, 2) a choice of baked potato or rice or fries, 3) beans 4) garlic bread 5) dessert and 6) coffee. Plus 7) salsa and 8) relish for the table.
My 18 oz. filet mignon was love at first bite. Absolutely heavenly! I could not have asked for a better medium rare steak. I had a bite of the NY steak - it was so tender, so savory. I think most diners agree the quality of the meat is arguably some of the best ever, but that Santa Maria style BBQ distinguished it even more. The char! The thick cuts! And in the most non-pretentious and inexpensive steakhouse ever.
The salad was nothing to speak about, just torn iceberg and a few slices of canned beet. I barely touched it. The rice and potatoes were hearty; the beans were sweet with a porky dash. Garlic bread was one of the best ever - thick, but garlicky and cheesy all around. Who knew it went so well with spicy, chunky  housemade salsa?
Dessert was plain, one of three ice creams (choc, vanilla, spumoni). Coffee was just black with sugar or cream. Don't expect any molten cake a la mode, espresso or biscotti!
Which speaks to the Jocko's character. It's a steakhouse in an agrarian community. There's not going to be metropolitan lighting or cloth napkins, least of all any music or fancy art. You will find a long bar emblazoned with ranch brands on the walls, old photos of the ranch culture, and very stiff drinks. Simple decor to go with low costs, quantity reverent of the quality of the meats they prepare over the pit.
p.s. They have pork, lamb and sweetbreads, too!
p.p.s. Get there a little early and grab a drink at the bar. Like I said, drinks are stiff and hefty pours. It's quite dark in the front bar section. Lots of locals, including the friendly bartenders who can tell a story or two!
I wish Nipomo wasn't so far away.
Jockos is a mixed bag.
steak: 5 stars,
value: 5 stars,
waiters: 4 stars,
side dishes: 3 stars
atmosphere: 1 star
management: 0 stars
Like many people have already said, your reservation means nothing. We had a reservation for 2 people, a Wednesday night, at 7pm. We arrived early (that was worthless) and were seated at 8:15 after pestering them by hovering over the reservation list for 10 minutes.
While the steak is excellent, I don't think we'll ever return. The only reason to stack up more reservations than you can possibly serve is to keep the service going until much later than the average restaurant. They manage to cram in an hour or more of additional service each night.
In the meantime, by the time people sit down to eat, they are drunk. We had an incredibly loud drunken group next to us that made it difficult to enjoy our dinners.
I recommend you make your reservation for an hour earlier than you want to eat. Maybe once in a blue moon they'll seat you near that time. But most times you'll end up just about right.
Lunch is not worth the money and not very tasty. I had the Jocko's Dip. It normally comes with a dish of unappetizing beans. Since I didn't want these my sandwich came thrown on a plate by itself; not even a pickle or a piece of lettuce for color. The meat was ok, but parts of it were too tough to chew. The bun was small and soggy. At least toast the bun on the grill chef! Service was prompt, but the waiter never came back to refill water and the tables near us were never cleaned. It is not appetizing to look at dirty tables. Â I know this is a beloved old fashioned diner and I expected much better.
Review Source:Went there last night for the first time in 4 years.  Quality still excellent, but they've jacked up the prices.  One whole dollar across the board  The five Fred Flintstone ribs with salad, relish tray, crackers, salsa, garlic bread, potatoes or rice, coffee and dessert are now $16, not $15, the three-meal Spencer steak is up to $26, the fill-et mig-nog up to $32 from $31, chicken and seafood somewhere between $15 and $20.  6:30 reservations, seated at 7:45, bar too full to get into to wait.  No problem, happily chatted outside.  By all accounts an unexpectedly busy Tuesday.  When finally seated was given the best table and the best service.  Total bill for three with one beer and one glass of wine $66.
Review Source:. The place looks like an outdated diner, but the food is great. I got the small Spencer. Everything was delicious from the starter tray of carrots and pickles, great salad- the dressing is really good. The steak was very good. , I think the best steaks in the central coast are Jockos and the Hitching post. If you want an upscale atmosphere, then this is not your place.
Review Source:Man is their steak good.. If you don't call in the wait will be forever but if you reserve it should be few 10 min. I wish their Baked potato was bigger but at the end you are satisfied not to mention they give you ice cream at the end. One of my fams favorite steak house.. They should really clean their bathrooms more often or do a makeover
Review Source:Neighborhood spot for great, cheap steaks. This is not your Ruth Chris' steakhouse where everything is pristine with a pricetag. This place is a little dirty, with poor lighting and not the cleanest facilities, but with good quality food.
We got there 15 mins before our 9pm reservation, but even though the restaurant was not completely full, they still did not serve us until 9pm, which we found irritating. However, they seated us in the best seat in the house - window view of their beautiful smoke house! Â It's outdoors, with a huge grill over a huge fire, and has adjustable rack for when they add more charcoal. It was quite a show to watch!
I got the small spencer, and my bf got the large spencer. We both got medium rare, but mine seemed more rare than his :- / kind of annoying. However, the meat tasted great though - ribeye at one of its finest. Best part, it was only $21 for Small Spencer and $27 for Large Spencer. I got fries with mine, they were great - the soft kinds that were very brown. My bf's baked potato was also simply amazing.
Service is a bunch of young guys who seem like college students. I found the service to be kind of slow, and not that attentive. For instance, not really removing dishes until the end of the meal, but this is a neighborhood restaurant too. The area where they dump garbage and dirty dishes was quite dirty, I know since I was sitting right next to it - napkins on the floor, etc. which I found quite gross.
Food is great, but you really aren't there for the ambiance at all, nor the service.
I've been going to Jocko's ever since I was little having been born and raised in Santa Maria. Â So, I always try to come in when I'm in town. Â
Jocko's is worth the trip up. Â It's not a fancy place, just great steak and ALL the fixings. Â When my boyfriend and I stopped in a couple weeks ago during our wine tasting/beach trip to the Central Coast, we came in for dinner. Â We both got the SMALL spencer steak. At $22 you get MORE than your money's worth including: a full relish tray, basket of garlic bread, salad, pinquito beans (the pinquito is indigenous to the area), fries or baked potato, your steak, beverage and ice cream. YIpers! If you were to get this at a chain steak house it would cost you at least $100 for 2 people. When in Santa Maria, do as the Santa Marians do and try ladling that flavorful homemade salsa ALL OVER your food including your baked potato and crackers. They do that around there...
The decor is rustic, the crowd, ranchers and locals, that's when you know it's good, right! Make a trip of it by doing some sightseeing like the central coast beaches, SLO's thursday night Farmer's Market or winetasting at local vineyards, but make sure Jocko's is on your hit list. Â Best to make a rez esp if you're comin in for dinner or expect to wait a while during the rush hour. Don't worry it'll all be worth it. I don't know if I'm biased but this Central Coast girl has never had a better steak than Jocko's, sigh. Â Wish I lived closer; now I'm homesick.
Love this place. Â I don't like the line and the ambiance of the place but the food speaks for itself. Â The steak is chock-full of flavor and is juicy and perfectly seasoned. Â I highly recommend the Spencer Steak for its soft and well-marbled texture. Â The garlic bread is really good too but whenever I go, I attack the steak first and box up all the non-essentials i.e. fries.
I actually live in LA but anytime I head up north, I make sure to pass by this place. Â Best time to go is lunch for the steak dinner, which is essentially a spencer steak with fries at $18. Â Great deal
First of all, I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about regarding wait times. Maybe wait times are bad if you like to eat really early. I made reservations for 2 people, Friday night at 8pm...got there at 7:30 and the host said our table would likely be ready on time. We went into the bar, which was not crowded by LA standards, and had a stiff drink. And to our surprise, we were seated several minutes before 8pm. The waitress was friendly, the host was friendly...we just did not have the sort of tortuous experience described here by others. By 9pm there were several empty tables and it seemed to me you could just walk in and get a seat without a wait at all.
The food: this is a real old-school, ranch-style steakhouse. Salsa and crackers? Don't knock it til you've tried it. It's not all that different than salsa and chips. The salad was what I expected: old-fashioned iceberg lettuce drenched in dressing. The only kind of salad I knew growing up until I was introduced to fancy salads with kale and spinach and quinoa after college. Somehow this old-fashioned type of salad really hit the spot. But really, it's all about the steaks. I got the large Spencer, medium rare. It was cooked to perfection. Great seasoning, great char, great steak for the price. My wife got the New York strip, also medium rare. It was cooked correctly, but I think that cut of steak is best served rare. The texture of a NY strip at medium rare is a bit too dry. Still, we were happy and satisfied. Jocko's seems like one of those classic California eateries that everyone should visit at least once, like Noriega's or Wool Growers in Bakersfield. I can't wait to go back next time I'm in the area.
The best steak ever! Â The fillet you can cut with a butter knife and the flavor is to die for! Â It's not fancy, but the food is what counts!
Let me put it this way: Â I travel to Fresno and L.A. for doctor's appointments. Â At both Dr's offices I went to (which I had never been to before) they saw what city I lived in and at both places, the receptionists, nurses and doctor's all said" Oh, Nipomo, that is where Jocko's is" - I mean no one has ever heard of Nipomo, except for they have heard of Jocko's as having the best steak ever - and they do!
So, if you are traveling to our coast, I would take the extra minute to drive to Jocko's and the extra time to wait in line, because it is worth it!
Portion size is out of control! The aroma is magnificent and the food lives up to the smell! The wait staff was friendly and the atmosphere very old timey. My husband ordered the top sirloin and it was huge! Not only that it was delicious. Its a really generous place that isn't too expensive. My husband's meal was $26 to include salad, bread, beans, drink, coffee, icecream and his steak! Which they cooked perfectly at medium rare. I ordered the pasta and ravioli dinner. Huge portions and very good. Loved the tomatoes based sauce! Very impressed by this place. But make sure you make a reservation. We showed up at 4pm on a Saturday and had an hour and a half wait. At least they have a bar with decent appetizers. The bar staff wasn't nearly as friendly as the wait staff.
Review Source:Ditto what others have said.  Just DO NOT get the attraction to this place.  We made 6:30 reservations and waited until 7:30 to be seated.  They serve what they call relish, but it's just a weird mash up of veggies.  The steaks are tasty and crazy huge.  I ordered a "steak sandwich" which came as a gigundo slab o beef on a roll. No condiments at all, not much of a sandwich.  It was FREEZING where we sat and we and  another table asked them to turn down the air multiple times. Very uncomfortable the entire time.
I guess they make people wait because they can, but not me. Â Won't be back.
Short version, the BEST steak in the country and one of the best bargains anywhere for a great steak dinner. Â We are full time RVers and in the last eight years have eaten at a number of steakhouses around the country. Â We have had some good meals, but none match the standards set by Jocko's. Â My wife has family in the area and we usually come through the Central Coast area at least once a year. Â A visit to Jocko's is ALWAYS on the "to do" list. Â All of the meats are cooked over an open oak wood fire and everything we have ever had, in five visits now, has been cooked to perfection. Â I get steak, most recently the large Spencer, which is a 20 ounce boneless rib eye cut, and order it blue, which is blood rare. Â The meat is so tender you can nearly cut it with your fork, and it is two inches thick. Â My wife is a big lamb fan and gets the lamb shanks, which are also cooked perfectly. Â Every dinner includes everything, garlic bread, a large salad, beans, desert, and coffee, Â Before dinner you get a plate of pickles, peppers and veggies to nibble on. Â No one can ever leave Jocko's hungry, and usually not without a take out box.
Now, this is NOT Ruth's Chris, Morton's or Spencer's. Â It is rustic, crowded and noisy. Â You wont' do business here, you will be lucky to be able to talk to your dinner companion, but you will get the best steak, lamb or pork you will ever have. Â Given what you get, it is reasonably priced too. Â The large Spencer, is 20 ounces and only $28. Â For another five bucks you can get an "extra cut" and I cant' even imagine how big that would be. Â The lamb is $21 and has three large shanks, way more than what a normal person can eat in one sitting. Â Make reservations, avoid the weekends, but go if you can, you will not regret it and will be a fan forever like me.
Jocko's is a must on a SLO holiday, especially if you are entertaining a couple of starving Cal Poly students. Â Don't even think of getting seated without a reservation, and even with a reservation you will most likely have to wait- but it is worth the wait. Â
The meat, primarily beef, but lamb and chicken offerings too, are grilled to perfection. Â Very large portions- enough to share or bring home for the next days meal. Â Not one complaint from our party of five- a good time was had by one and all.
I've been there about a dozen times, but not for several years. Â Still the best steak I've had at any restaurant coast-to-coast, the best pork chop, and probably the best lamb chops too.
What others said about the service and wait is right--prepare for at least an hour if you're not there right when they open. Â Reservations are necessary, but don't really help. Â I don't understand why they seemingly refuse to fix this part of the experience, but...they're always packed wall to wall to I guess it doesn't hurt them any. Â
I'd probably give a 4-star review for the dingy decor and terrible wait, but the steak is just THAT good that I have to give it 5 stars. Â I wish Yelp would have separate rankings for food & service for restaurants such as this.
This place is definitely the place to go for steaks around SLO area.
1. huge portions
2. decent prices
The first time I came here I got the small spencer and it was delicious! I got the steak medium rare and it came more on the medium side which is fine. It tasted pretty good, it had a decent amount of flavor that I ate it perfectly without steak sauce! But OMG THE PORTIONS are gigantic. Unless you're one hell of an eater, stick to the small spencer. First the steak comes with a salad which a choice dressing and then you also get beans and garlic bread with it. Your steak also comes with the side and I chose fries over the baked potatoes and rice. And after all of that, you get a scoop of ice cream! I would go with the spumoni :) How often do you get pistachio, cherry, and chocolate all at once?
I also tried their pork chops and that was alright. A little to dry but the apple sauce helped!
WARNING: WAIT TIME IS RIDICULOUS. call ahead for reservations. not that it really helps because you still have to wait like an hour before being seated.
CONS:
On another visit recently, I came here with a bunch of friends. and as usual the wait time was long. I ordered the large spencer with an extra cut to share with one of my friends and we ordered the steak medium rare. It came almost too rare! The outside of the steak was perfectly seared but the steak itself was pretty raw, i think the cut was too big -_- This time we also went the side of rice and DONT EVER GET THAT. it was really shitty rice, it's not worth getting. ALSO NEVER GET AN EXTRA PLATE, apparently getting an extra empty plate is around 4 dollars, seriously? The waitress offered me a plate since i was sharing but she didn't tell me it was going to cost me that much, granted it was in tiny writing on the menu but who catches that? well that just sort of brought the rating of this place down but overall it was okay.
I have not been here for a bunch of years but it has not changed a bit. Their hours are crazy for this small town steak house. 8 An to 10 PM! We got there at 10 Am on a Sunday morning and the place was packed with a small waiting line.
We were on a different mission. Bring home some meat! We were camping in Buellton and expecting dinner guests. I knew you could stop at Jocko's and pick up beef to go.
We did not know the program so a friendly waitress showed us to the kitchen entrance behind the bar. There, another gal took our order for fillet mignon, New Yorks and Spencer steaks. Better get some bean while we are here. And grab some of their seasoning.
Wow, we were loaded with prime looking beef to enjoy on our campsite BBQ. I did not realize how big things were until it was time to grill. The Fillet Mignon was big enough for 3 meals!
The best money can by for sure. We have enough in our freezer for a few more BBQ dinners. And, oh yes, the beans are incredible. So while all the reviews are for a dining experience, don't forget to check out Jocko'c when you want to impress your guests with your own BBQ. It is jus wonderful!
Okay, campers, listen up: I've eaten at Maestro's. I've eaten at Cut. I've eaten at Arnie Mortons. I've had some high-end steaks, alright? Jocko's is, without a doubt, my favorite steakhouse on planet earth. Period, full stop. I mean, I had my GD bachelor party here, okay?
No, it's not elegant -- it's full of cattlemen and oil field roughnecks. No, they don't have small-batch micro-brews. But they do have Coors in bottles. And yeah, their idea of decor in the barroom is branding the roof rafters with local branding irons.
But their filet mignon will rock your tiny little world. Perfect beef, garlic, salt, and open-pit charcoal grilled. It's so good you'll start to cuss like a cowboy. They've got beef ribs, too, and though I never stray far from the filet, when I do, it's ribs.
The only problem with Jocko's is that it's out in the middle of flippin' nowhere. But it's close to the 101, so if you're driving from LA to SF, you've got a shot. You just have to time it right. And make reservations.
So, if you're a raving carnivore, just trust me and go, okay?
Awesome hole in the wall type spot that was packed with locals when I came in on Saturday night last year. There was almost an hour wait at 6:30pm, so make sure you come EARLY to beat the rush. You can also order off the menu in the bar area provided you can get a seat and want to eat in there. Although the bar area is pretty big, it was super packed. By the time we were able to snag a stool to sit on, our table was almost ready. They also have chairs in the hallway and benches outside, so there is plenty of room to stand while you wait. I did notice that they didn't seat people right away, and kept some tables empty, probably so that their kitchen didn't get slammed. When we finally got our table, we ordered:
-Small Spencer (Served w/Salsa, Salad, Relish, Potatoes, Beans, Garlic Bread, Dessert, Coffee, $21): For a "small", this piece of filet mignon was still HUGE!! I'm glad I convinced the bf to get this instead of the "large", since he still had to help me with my steak sandwich. They cooked it a perfect medium rare, and the filet was tender. I didn't get why salsa was served with everything, but oh well. The sides were all just ok, nothing special.
-Steak Sandwich: I can't remember what this came with, but it was definitely a good amount of what came with the Small Spencer. The steak sandwich itself was HUGE, and delicious! I believe the steak was actually rib-eye, and it was the perfect about of fatty to lean ratio. I could only eat a little more than half of this. Highly recommended!
The service here is ok, and pretty efficient for the number of items they have to give you. From what I remember, you get the bread first, and then all the sides at the same time as your entree. There is a private parking lot with a good number of spots, and there is also free street parking available as well. Don't come here for the ambiance, but do come if you like steak done simply, but very well, and for an excellent value!
If you're concerned about keeping up appearances or feeling especially pampered, skip Jocko's. If you want a great steak, stop on by! Â This place is all about the food. Our waitress was friendly, the busboy was a little bit DRY (1st exchange: "Can I have an Arnold Palmer?" "We don't have lemonade, you can have Iced Tea." 2nd exchange: "What beers do you have on tap?" "None." Hahaha.)
We went for lunch and had the Steak Sandwich...and it did not disappoint. Seasoned perfectly, cooked exactly how I wanted and delicious!
I can't wait to go back for dinner so I can try to Spencer!
If you are a big steak lover like me, look no further because this place IS IT!
As soon as you come within a quarter mile of this place on a busy evening, you will notice large groups of people standing around outside the entrance because it's completely packed inside - literally, and that goes for the bar as well.
I have been here several times and have never been disappointed with quality of the food and the service. These people move very quickly because they have to but you are never pressured to leave. The atmosphere is casual, lively and pleasant.
I usually order the Spencer steak, which is essentially the same as the rib eye. They grill the steaks and meats on red oak fire pit to bring out that great aroma and the steaks always turn out exactly as I tell them. And let's not forget about the side dishes that come with the steak because are all soooo amazingly good. The Santa Maria chili made with Pinquito beans which inspired my family to start cooking our homemade chili with pinquito beans, the awesome garlic bread that I can't stop eating. Oh and that metal dish of delightful pickled cornucopia they give you as a starter is simply delightful!
Order the large Spencer if you are really hungry or if you want to share with someone because it's a big steak that weighs more than 1lb. - I believe it's either 18 or 20 ounces. The small Spencer is equally satisfying so if you don't want the large steak and don't care to share with others, go with the small Spencer.
Making a dinner reservation in advance is a must, especially on Fridays and the weekend. Otherwise expect to wait at least 1 to 2 hours before being seated. Even if you do make a reservation, make sure your whole party arrives on time and expect to wait for at least another 15 min to half an hour before they have the table ready for you.
Nipomo is a quaint small farming town and I am almost willing to bet that one of this place's main attractions is this restaurant. So happy to have eaten at Jocko's and will return for more whenever I am in the San Luis area.
My boyfriend and I were in the Pismo Beach area for a business trip and we were recommended to go to Jacko's for dinner by 3 different people in the area. So, we had to go!
It was easy to find, however, does not have great curb appeal. My opinion changed right when we walked in the door! We were greeted by a very nice host who took our name and recommended that we wait in the bar for a table. The drinks were a great deal and we were quickly seated. The food did take a while to come out, but it was worth the wait! Jackos truly gives you the biggest bang for your buck and the food was amazing. I am still full!
I ordered the ribs, and they were great! They had a dry rub instead of sauce, and it was a nice change from what I am used to with ribs. My man ordered the Spencer (rib-eye) steak and it tasted like it had been cooked in bacon. It was so good! The sides, bread, beans, baked potato were all a great addition to the meal. I hope to come back to Jackos in the future!
Jockos.... You guys really need to get some customer service skills. Â Your steaks are awesome but the past three trips I've made there in the past year have me wondering if your steaks are good enough to deal with all the other bs...
So, lets list it out...
1. Â Reservations are never met. Â Ever. Why set them if you're going to make us wait 30-45 minutes to be seated anyways? Â Honor your reservations.
2. Â Your employees are almost always rude. Â It makes me sick dealing with them which completely diminishes my ability to enjoy the steak.
3. Â Your sides are stupid. Lose them. Â Tradition or not, they are stupid. Â Last trip in the waitress brought a bowl of butter and set it at our table. Â Then she brought the mixed veggie plate. Â Then salsa... Then finally after I asked, crackers because you don't have bread. Â What was the butter for? Â How does salsa contribute to my enjoyment of your steak? Â The mixed veggies are tolerable but the butter completely lost me...
4. Â What is up the decor??? Really? Â The 70s called, they want their furniture back...
I honestly could go on but it's really not worth it. Your steaks are awesome but AJ Spurs steaks are pretty good too and they are happy when I walk through the door.
I went with a rather large group of friends to eat here on a Saturday night. We had made a reservation the day before but even after showing up, they did not have a table ready for us and we had to wait an hour. We thought we had it bad but there was a group of about 20 people who had been waiting longer and they were asked to split up to be seated even though they had made reservations as well.
After we were finally seated (we had to squeeze into a table that fit 4 when we had 5 people), we were starved and ordered two steaks, chicken, ribs and a bunch of unmemorable sides. Food came out so slowly! The steak was really inedible, you couldn't cut through it, chew through it, it couldn't be eaten. We ended up only eating about half of one of the steaks and took the other 1.5 home to.. do something with. Chicken and ribs were not memorable either. By the time we were done eating, we were pretty much the only ones left there.
Overall, after having to wait an hour for a table, waiting super long for the food, we ended up taking a lot of untasty food home and left hungry and unhappy. Don't think I'll be heading back there again.
If the steaks weren't so freaking good, I think I would have bumped this place down a star honestly.
When people tell you it's a casual atmosphere, they are lying. This place looks like a large bingo hall with folding chairs and tables. Sorry, but I know how packed this place is every night and they can't invest in some nice furniture? And I know this is home-cooked "right off the grill" steaks, but the sides are so unimpressive that I was almost angry we had to shell out $30 to let the five or so sides go to waste. We were there for three hours, and we had to skip dessert because we were already late for our holiday party.
Yes, people, the steak was phenomenal. I had the small sirloin. It was the size of my head, it melted in my mouth, and it was all kinds of juicy and delicious. But if you are going to charge these crazy prices, then maybe please have some corresponding sides and decor?
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