Been coming here for years and was slightly disappointed. Â The house salad was warm and wilted. Â But I had the filet which was very amazing. Â SM style BBQ is the best. Â Love the beans and salsa there. Â Ordered the strawberry shortcake which was yummy. Our servers was not friendly or attentive at all otherwise we had a nice dinner. Â Maybe I'll try the Far Western next time.
Review Source:At the bar : A haven for racists!!  Bigotry, homophobia. and discrimination are openly expressed by clients, and tolerated by the staff. Every time I've gone there, some kind of bigotry takes place. I thought I'd give it one more chance, so  I'll give an example of last night. Apparently, the low life's at the end of the bar get upset when the jukebox plays something other than country. They wouldn't stop yelling out slurs of every kind , whenever anything other than that was played.  Allow me to quote one local  in particular, who yelled out, " Portigeeeez  gotta be hung frum treees. " Then when an eighties song played, he yelled " Wut duh heyll is dis Fag**t  sh*t ! " After a blues song he remarked this loudly --" Hoooz playin the Nigg*r music !!! " and he kept yelling  " Ahh wanna see five Nigg*rs swingin frum a tree brainch !!! "  He actually kept loudly repeating that last one, until I got fed up of hearing that word, over and over. I asked the bartender, Lyle, if he thought that was ok, and he said no. I told Lyle that since he's the bartender/ bar  manager, that he should say something to the  man, as this is disrespectful to the bar . He said " I'm not getting involved in politics"  I asked him " So you aren't going to do anything?"  He said "No! "  As if I was out of line. I thought he would at least quit serving the loud, obnoxious, bigot. But apparently that's the kind of clientele this place welcomes, over and over again. It's a good thing I'm civil , because this was enough to upset me deeply, and I still walked out without making a scene.
Review Source:Every time I am in the area I visit the Swiss. Not only is the food and service 5+ stars, the bar has the best bartenders that help make a welcoming atmosphere for this out of towner.
The breakfasts, lunches, dinners or appetizers and a cocktail at the bar always exceed my expectations. Â What a great value!
The bacon wrapped jalapeños are a must!  The grilled artichoke cannot be beat!  The homemade soups and tri-tip wrap never disappoint.  The steaks are always cooked to perfection.
Checked out the re-opened Swiss. It had been a few years since I was there but it looked very familiar. They have updated a few things, but overall it looked very much the same.
The menu seemed a bit more extensive than I recall, but as I said it has been a bit since I have been to the Swiss.
We were greeted promptly by our server and seated. The server got  water and drinks to our table and returned for our order. Our server was very friendly and upbeat.
Met for a business meeting so there was no opportunity to taste from other plates at the table but my dinner was excellent. I generally stay away from red meat and so chose the grilled broccoli, asparagus and artichoke. Well done, with a delicious, smokey flavor. served along with a side of Spicy Aioli sauce. (the sauce was not too spicy, I could have used a bit more)
My guest had a rib-eye steak and said it was perfect.
Our orders were taken promptly and served in a timely fashion.
During our meal we were checked upon, by both our server and assistant, to make certain our needs were being met.
Pros:
Portions are large
Service is good.
Prices are fair
Good bread.
Cons:
Seedy entrance.
The salsa is very canned tasting. Canned tomatoes, canned green chilies, lots of pepper. For Santa Maria, the salsa is a real yawn.
Rediscovered the Swiss because my former favorite steakhouse relocated, significantly increased prices and reduced quality in my opinion. Prices, service and
food were on point at the Swiss and I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience without giving my first born in exchange. Customers will continue to frequent an establishment without all the frills for great food and prices. Once you change that, it doesnt really matter how swanky you make the place.
I'm surprised that I haven't reviewed this place yet!
My family and I were frequent customers with the previous owners. Â We were sad to see the Ferraris hang it up after years of great food and great memories. Â However, we were ecstatic when we learned that the Swiss was re-opening with some familiar faces.
It was a little rough at first, but the staff found their groove and now it's one of our favorite places to go for a night out. Â The bar is well-stocked. Â The steaks are generously cut and perfectly seasoned. Â I love getting my salad on a chilled plate with a chilled fork. Â The steak bites are our go-to appetizer, but the sweetbreads are awesome, too!
If I could have one thing back from the old menu, it would be the beef and barley soup. Â After the Swiss re-opened, there was only one restaurant in the area that served it: The Red Barn in Santa Ynez. Â Now that the Red Barn is closed, I miss getting this tasty little starter. Â I suppose I could search high and low for the recipe, but I don't know that it would ever be as good.
Got Snakeface for a waitress who was either super racist or super constipated. We ordered maple salmon with veggies, New York steak, Mac n cheese, chicken and shrimp with mashed potatoes. Price was very reasonable for the big portion.
Good food but not spectacular enough to withstand Snakeface. She took our orders with an attitude, then dropped off our food without asking if we needed anything more or checking back to see if we were okay. It was a very slow night, there were hardly any patrons around.
Sad that I heard so much about this place to drag our tired working butts there for a nice holiday dinner only to get bad service by someone who very probably only saw the yellow of our skin. I hate to use the term racism but it was exactly what that was from the moment we set foot in. Totally unwelcoming.
Not going back. Service sucks balls and Snakeface lives. Racist. Racist. Wait, what am I forgetting? Oh yah. RACIST.
P.S. They reserved our table under Coleman. Dammit.
I always feel so bad when I come to a steakhouse as a vegetarian and don't like it. I added a star to make up for the fact that I didn't eat anything they are really known for.
I ordered the jalapeno mac and cheese, potato skins, and a garden salad. The mac and cheese was not edible. It had the consistency of soup. I think there should have been more pasta or something. The salad was drenched in watered down ranch dressing. If I ever have to come back here, I'd definitely ask for the dressing on the side. The potato skins were tasty!
My brother got the bacon cheeseburger and he said it was salty but good. My mom ordered the salmon and she loved it.
The service was a little awkward, but whatever.
Neat atmosphere, love the smell of oak wood burning in the grill. Had the grilled artichoke for a appetizer which was quite good. A true California dish. Came in looking for Santa Maria BBQ and found it. Had the Tri-Tip sandwich which was huge and more then enough for me. Also came with salsa and pinquito beans. Both beans and salsa were seasoned well. Service was a little slow. It appeared that may they were lacking a server, but still I would return most certainly if ever in Santa Maria again. Gotta love that Santa Maria BBQ. Only cons would be the Tri-Tip should be more of a center piece then just a sandwich in the corner of the menu. Nice if it was served more like a steak.
Review Source:I get the feeling it depends on the day and/or time, because when my family and I go to the Swiss, it is late Sunday morning/early afternoon - just in time for the Lunch menu to kick in.
The food has always been good to very good, and the service is hit-or-miss. Â Sometimes it is crowded (but we can still get good service); other times, it's pretty empty and the service sucks, so I am not sure what's going on (maybe the owner is IN or OUT?)
Anyway, the Jalapeño Mac and Cheese side is AMAZING - but hope you get it day old or so, as I got it "fresh made" once, and it wasn't as good.  Some foods are just better re-heated the next day or after a few hours in the fridge (I know this, I cook a lot).
I used to order the fish and chips (HALIBUT!) for $12 or so, but the last two times, it was bottom-box frozen stuff (disintegrated too easily in the mouth). Â Used to be the best thing on the menu, I haven't tried it since - but I did give them two more chances to make it better.
The burgers are really good, and my youngest son loves the Patty Melt with a side of home-made thousand island (yum!). Â The steaks and tritip have always been really good, and the grilled artichoke (when they have it) is remarkable.
I have heard (and read here on Yelp) the wide range of reviews, and have to conclude, it's hit-or-miss overall. Â That is a training/management issue, and hopefully it can be addressed. Â I do understand it is really hard to find good help on the Central Coast sometimes, I've heard many restaurateurs complain about this (behinds the scenes). Â I hope they can figure out the teamwork and employee investment into the place, as Santa Maria doesn't have too many good non-mexican food places to eat.
Eight months pregnant and I got a craving for some beef. My husband suggested The Swiss, as he had a gift card he got from work. Free meat? Hell yes!
When we pulled up, I looked around to check the street signs. Were we at the corner of Sketchy Avenue and Homicide Lane? The parking lot looked like a reunion for every scary stereotype. This place made me yearn for a concealed carry permit.
We got into the restaurant unscathed, hoping we'd come out and our truck would still be there. Alas, when I got in there, I honestly didn't care. The restaurant was clean, the service was fantastic, and the food was DELICIOUS! We didn't realize until after we paid that they didn't charge us for our drinks and dessert, so we asked for a corrected bill to pay for the difference. They apologized for the error and told us not to worry about it. Sweet!
I will absolutely be coming back here ... except next time I'll wear my Kevlar. :)
Outstanding 14 oz Ribeye. Cooked to perfection, and one of the most flavorful steaks I have had in years. The salad with bleu cheese was excellent as well. Crisp and fresh, and the dressing was tangy and tasty.
My girlfriend had the BBQ Bleu, which is chicken breast wrapped in ham, with pepper jack cheese and bacon. She loved it.
Ashli was our server.
Service was just what you wanted. There when you needed them, but not annoying.
Prices were also very reasonable. The best dinner house I have found in Santa Maria.
I moved to the central coast  almost 3 yrs ago -and have driven past this place at least 2 dozen times and never noticed it! -found it reading other reviews right here on good old Yelp!, I eventually would have found out about it a short time late after reading the awards they won in this yrs best Of northern S.B. Counties.
When i try a new place, and like it -i try to go back a few more times a try other things place and also rate the consistency of the service before before writing my review. I have thus far been to The Swiss 3 times and had a very pleasurable experiences each time -so those that complained about slow or non cordial service on their visit, the establishment has since cracked down on their servers, or have weeded out  some that were not doing their jobs well. on my visits had 3 different servers and they were all very friendly and attentive.
one of my favorite things about The Swiss, is they use their oak Pit Grill all-day -not just for dinner like at Shaws, Jockos, and a number of other well-know BBQ pit places. my ONLY complaint is i think they wither run their fire too hot or they need to raise the  cooking Grate up further away from the flames. I have had their Burgers Twice and both times even ordering it medium rare -they had a lot more or a Burn charcoal taste on the outside then I like, but other than that their pit renders the best Oak flavor in to their steaks and beef that ive been to yet. Their Steaks for my appetite are the perfect size -they not over huge like Jokos -where a high% of people are taking home leftovers, and they dont leave you wishing it was a little bigger. Thier steaks are also very reasonably priced. I had a 14oz Filet for 29 dollars, and i have been to a handful of places that charge more for a small 10-12oz, and most of the time its the ordinary center cut bacon-wrapped variety  Here you get a sold thick 14oz cut. I will be trying my other fav cut a Rib Eye next time. others at my table had: Prime Rib, and their wood grilled Halibut, and they're dinner with both perfectly cooked, and  very nice sized portions, so they were also very happy with their meals
Another definite stand out is their extensive selection of quality sides. have had the cheese scallops, Baked potato, and the Steak fries and they all were excellent. The Garlic Bread is also very  good and fresh too -they dont appear to make it ahead of time like most places -they grill it op to order because mine has been hot and soft each time. The Daily Soups Ive had thus far we're also very tasty.
Lastly mI want to touch on the "noise factor" from the bar as many other have had negative comments about. The first time i visited it was on a Friday night and the bar was a little loud thankfully the Juke Box was not on loudly. The main reason for the noise level seems to be they tend to leave the door the exits to the dining area and where the restrooms are propped-open. II will have to inquire a the front if when it gets excessively loud during peak dining hours if they will close the door upon request? My solution to the noise -i was to make my visits since the 1st one -during the mid week nights (tues thu thurs), and each time the bar was quiet and empty so not a factor in our dining experience at all.
The Swiss will definitely be getting my Vote from now on for best Santa Maria Steakhouse.
Came to Santa Maria for wine tasting for a birthday and has to try Santa Maria BBQ. Â The Swiss was recommended to us by someone at one of the wineries we went to.
The Service ---
The service was fine. Â It wasn't bad but it want stupendous. Â
The Food ---
I shared the ribeye and pork ribs and got sides of garlic mashed potatoes and scalloped potatoes - each came with one side. Â Honestly, the sides were the stars. Â The garlic mashed potatoes were delicious and the scalloped potatoes were cheesy and amazing. Â The ribs weren't that great, not really tender and the BBQ sauce was just okay. Â The ribeye was just okay but maybe I've been a little spoiled with my steaks. Â It came with a caesar salad which was good. Â
The Prices ---
I can't remember how much everything cost but 5 people got 2 ribeyes, a half rack of ribs, pasta and prime rib for a total of about $140 or $150 or so.
I wouldn't come back. Â The food was just okay and the place seemed kind of dirty. Â Minus one star for the bug on the water glass and a piece of paper in one of our salads.
Best steak in Santa Maria? EASILY! For the price, the flavor, the portions, and everything you get... The Swiss can't be beat. The price range is lower than the tourist trap called the Hitching Post, and the taste is so much better. Let me rephrase... You're paying LESS for BETTER food. The woman and I come here often for our steak fix when we forget to make reservations at Jockos and dont want to wait 3hrs (a regular waiting time for Jockos). Also, the steaks are right in line with Jockos. (The only difference is, Jockos has MONSTER steaks, and awesome soggy fries, and ice cream included) Don't get me wrong, the steaks here are huge too... just not enormous like Jockos seem to be.
The ribeye is my favorite cut on the menu, followed by the New York. You can't go wrong with a medium rare, juicy cut of one of these steaks. They're accompanied by buttery goodness (bread), pinquito beans (native to the Santa Maria Valley.... yes I Googled it), salsa, and salad/soup. The seafood is awesome too (I've had the salmon) and they do a good job not drowning out the salmon flavor with sauces and such.
If you want the best steak in Santa Maria, go here. It's surprising we don't have more places with good BBQ, especially since this area was featured by Bobby Flay on the Food Network for our very own Santa Maria Style BBQ. Must try!
Best steak in Santa Maria, hands down. Â While Jocko's, the Hitching Post and Shaws all make a mean steak, Â it's nice to find a comfortable place that is affordable and nearby.
The menu is pretty representative of what a Central Coast steakhouse should be like, and as mentioned appetizers like the Artichoke and the Stuffed bacon wrapped jalapenos seriously kick ass. Â The kitchen has never sent me out a steak yet that was cooked to any done-ness other than what I ordered...that's refreshing. The pork chop dinner is big enough for 2! Â The quality of the food coming from the kitchen is top notch, and they really "put their money on the plate"
the only downside to this place is the seemingly disjointed relationship between the bar and the dining room. The bar area is lively and maybe even rowdy, and it is frequently too loud during dinner service ( Jukebox  blasting hip hop, DJ's sometimes, etc.)
I'm sure if the bar would hold off on entertainment and keep a reasonable volume on the Jukebox during dining hours this place would be just right...but it's disconcerting to sit down for a nice meal and have to listen to Tupac followed by Kid Rock while the house soundsystem is playing background music.
Had Dinner there last Weds and it was great. Â True BBQ. Â Scalloped Potatos - awesome! Â Had lunch there yesterday in the bar. Â Prime Rib Sandwich TRUELY awesome. Â Try it with Mozzarella chesse. Â And the bartender has the most bueatiful smile and personality. Â Not to mention, a great "RacK". Â This place deserves a line out the door.....try it.
Review Source:On 6/30/12 George Manos hosted a fund raiser at The Swiss where he raised over $2,000.00 for the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County. The patrons of the bar were so generous and fun, I can't express how great everyone was. This money will go to helping people and their families affected by epilepsy. Thank you George, his staff and the great customers at The Swiss!!!!!!!!
Review Source:I went here for the first time last night. It smelled really good inside an outside and I've heard good things about it. I was looking at the menu for awhile very unsure of what I wanted.
The Tri tip sandwich looked promising but I decided to go with the halibut dinner. I ordered garlic mashers as my side, and a salad with ranch on the side.
The salad came out first, it wasn't bad but then it's hard to mess up a salad.
When my meal came out I could tell by looking at the fish that would be dry. Indeed it was. Very. Even three lemon wedges didn't help much. The mashers had good flavor but however lacked something. Maybe butter? Not quite sure.
The garlic bread was probably my favorite part of the meal. It was delicious.
Overall experience was ok. We were with a very large group and service was still pretty prompt. The waitress was a bit rude but she may have just been overwhelmed.
I think my main issue is that I am used to the delicious quality halibut from the Hitching Post and this no where near measured up. $26 for a dry piece of fish and a side was also quite pricy.
The beans smelled good but I didn't try them.
I will probably give them another try but maybe I'll just try a burger and fries next time.
I don't know why I haven't eaten here sooner. Â
Great steaks at reasonable prices. i started out with a grilled artichoke, very comparable to the hitching posts'. Then came my filet mignon, perfectly medium rare w/ a side of cheesy scalloped potatoes. Washed it all down w/ a generous glass of  pinot noir. my wife got the rib-eye sandwich w/ fries and a coke. al under $70. will definitely be back as soon as the steak calls my name. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
We went on a Friday night at 5pm and had no wait. Â We had BBQ chicken, prime rib sandwich, and BBQ burger. Â All three were top-notch. Â Salad and sides were very worthy, and garlic bread was great. Â Food quality was better than Jockos and on par with Hitching Post. Â Price was between the two. Â The bar looked kind of fun, too. Â We WILL be back!
Review Source:Tried this place based on the reviews. Sad to say, i did not have the same experience. It took 20 mins to get seated, 10 mins to get a drink, 15 more to get our artichoke and then our actual meal came out about 10 mins after that. Then, after we were done eating we waiting another 15 for the check. Between drinks and the salad, we never saw our waitress. When our salads came out we were not offered freshly ground pepper like the other guests. The food was decent, but the artichokes at The Hitching Post are better, the ones here were VERY salty. The steaks were huge, but would  have been better if cooked correctly. However, the most interesting thing is the organization of the guests. the "tables of two" were in one half of the building, while larger parties were in the other. this may not be that bad except the waitresses spent most of their time in the other room.
Overall, good food, but the terrible service ruins it.
We made reservations for Saturday at 7pm and requested a booth based on other reviews. Very glad we did as it was a full house and the tables are oddly placed in the middle of the restaurant that kind of make you feel like you are in a fish bowl.
We started with the artichokes - by far the BEST we have ever had!!!!
I ordered the Alaskan Halibut and my husband ordered the 10oz NY which looked more like an 18oz - it was huge!! The seasonings are definitely yummy with true SM style BBQ taste.
The dining area is updated with tall booths, white square plates, linens and beautifully wine glasses.
The only thing missing is some great music playing in the background. All we heard were the other loud large parties dining. Another drawback was the parking lot since the restaurant is located in a shady part of town next to a liquor store. I highly recommend they increase their parking lot lighting to keep patrons coming back or stopping in the first place.
Great job on the artichokes - We are still raving about them!!
The Artichokes are to die for! Best we've eating so far!
Decided to stop going to places we've been to when we visit the central coast and strolled into the Swiss for Dinner on a Friday Night.
Came into the restaurant and noticed a table clothed section in one area and a non-table clothed area in the other.. (OK Weird). Â So we sat in the non-table clothed area with it being just the husband and myself.
The service is outstanding! Great Service! The food was excellent, but a downside... Don't order the extra blue cheese on top as it was way too soupy side for my husband. Â
The reason I put that the service was outstanding is they were constantly refilling my water and my husband's Ice Tea any moment they could. Always asking if we needed more items and making sure our food was good.
So if you want a good steak at a good price and a great artichoke appetizer this is the place to get it at! I'm pretty much a fan!
Chose this place to fuel the ravenous beast my husband turned into during the AIDS LifeCycle ride from SF to LA and MAN was it good.
We shared the jalapeno macaroni and cheese (obscenely good in a WT way) and he had a great filet - cooked just right without too many seasonings, just a good piece of beef - and I had the Swiss steakburger with mushrooms which was super tasty and not overdone.
Portions were more than generous and the wait staff was plenty nice. It was pretty busy on a Wednesday night, full of locals having drinks and inner, but they seated us quickly and were plenty attentive.
This place seems like an absolute find in the area, though we don't have much with which to compare it. If we're ever back in Santa Maria, we'll definitely go to The Swiss.
Thanks to all the Yelpers that put this one on our map.
I have been to this establishment 3 times. Â The first time was pretty good. Â The last 2 times I ordered steak sandwiches. Â The meat was overcooked once and undercooked the second time.The bread was burnt black and turned over so you couldn't tell. Â The cooks could be less cheap and just replace the couple slices of garlic bread. Â I would go back some day but not without complaining about previous visits.
Review Source:The Swiss is a welcome addition to the Santa Maria restaurant scene - which lacks even an excellent Mexican restaurant, if you can believe it. Â This is a re-opening of an old landmark by a former BBQ chef from the famed Jocko's in Nipomo, so this guy knows how to do a true SM-style BBQ. Â Since my family has always been a Jocko's family, and we have seen the highs and lows of food and service quality there, in my mind I compared The Swiss to Jocko's and another local fave, McClintock's. Â
We had dinner Friday evening in a comfortable and quiet dining room only briefly disturbed from a loud jukebox in the bar (a play-off game had started and the bar crowd was growing). Â The service was polite and efficient and the menu was varied for a steakhouse. Â I ordered the oak-pit grilled Alaskan Halibut and found the flavors and tenderness amazing. Â The wine list favored the many fine wines of the local area, but beer always compliments BBQ.
The traditional SM-style set up comes with garlic French bread (very good), pinquito beans (rich with smokey ham flavors), home-made salsa (think thick and sweet) and choice of a side (I had a perfectly prepared baked potato, with all toppings offered on the side).  Note that SM-style BBQ is noted for the seasoning and open-pit grilling over oak wood, rather than slathering the meat in sweet, gooey sauces.  No Southern-style BBQ to be found here.  [<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSanta_Maria_Style_BBQ%255D&s=25dc6123587ed8fa9a86481d5c15ebf419970958ef733a20219e30bf4e75e006" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a> Â
I'll definitely return, and I don't say that about any other restaurants in SM and nearby except for Lo Mejor De Jalisco (great mariscos), brunch at the SM Inn or Jocko's (tri-tip sandwiches). Â Give the new Swiss a try!
Music was way too loud for conversation without yelling. Barteders too busy catching up to serve us. Beer was good on tap. I don't know about the restaurant. Not impressed thus far. I'd rather go to applebees. Oh and it smells faintly of cigarette smoke, prob from back in the day before he glorious no smoking inside law.
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