Let's Eat: A Review of Touch of Paso Restaurant In Paso Robles

We Love to Eat

We enjoy eating out, but our budget doesn't allow it very often. When we do eat out, we are most likely to choose Touch of Paso Restaurant in our hometown of Paso Robles. We enjoy the food, we can afford to eat there, and it's where the locals hang out. I chose this photo for this month's City Daily Photo Bloggers theme: Let's Eat. 

Hubby Enjoying His Dinner at Touch of Paso Restaurant in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

The Food at Touch of Paso

My husband, pictured above, loves Touch of Paso because he can eat the liver I won't cook. He likes the way they cook it. He also is glad he can still get sweet potato fries there, since so many other restaurants no longer have them. 

My Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich at Touch of Paso, © B. Radisavljevic

I normally order the Philly Cheese Steak on a French Roll. I get to choose two of these three options to go with it: soup, salad, or fries. See the complete lunch menu here.  We normally go for lunch, but we have to get in before the restaurant closes at 2 PM. Those who want breakfast can get in as early as 6 AM. 

Hubby's Salad with Italian Dressing, © B. Radisavljevic

Touch of Paso also makes great cinnamon rolls and pies. Unfortunately our diet no longer permits us to eat them, but after a hearty lunch we really don't have room for anything sweet anyway. I usually take half my sandwich home for lunch the next day. 

Why Do We Choose Touch of Paso?

Touch of Paso offers a variety of choices for breakfast and lunch.  Lunch options include early dinners for those who like to have their main meal at midday, as we do. Those main meal selections include "down-home"  beef, steaks, chicken, and fish choices. For a lighter meal one can order soup, one of the delicious main dish salads, chili, or one of several choices on the hot and cold sandwich menu. For lighter appetites, one can order a half sandwich with a cup of soup. Many people order this so that they have room left over for a delicious slice of pie. 

Boards Announcing Daily Specials and Pie Offerings, © B. Radisavljevic

While you wait to be seated, you can browse the daily specials and the current pie selection from the boards near the entrance. Local artist works decorate the walls both in the waiting area and in the dining rooms. This is a popular restaurant in Paso Robles and you might have to wait for a seat -- especially on Sunday afternoons. 

Seating Options

Outdoor Seating and Exit from Sun Room Dining Area, © B. Radisavljevic

At Touch of Paso you have three choices. You can eat outside if there's room. You can eat in the sun room that looks out on the parking lot and the surrounding oaks. You can see its door above the steps that lead to the outdoor area pictured above. Outdoor eating space is very limited. The sun room is the next best thing. 

Of course, you can also choose to eat indoors, as we normally do. Indoors you can sit at a booth or a table -- whichever suits you or is available when you come. 

Wherever you choose to enjoy your meal, it will be a great value for what you pay for it. It's easy to take home anything you can't eat in one sitting, and we usually do that. Touch of Paso used to be a home, and the friendly staff will make you feel at home while you are there. There's a reason the locals keep coming back. 

To see how bloggers around the world have treated this theme, see the theme gallery. 

All text and photos are © B. Radisavljevic, all rights reserved. Please do not use without written permission. 

Eating Barbecue at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ: A Review

Meeting Friends for Dinner at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ

Entrance of Big Bubba's Bad BBQ, © B. Radisavljevic

Monday Night at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ (try saying that fast a few times) was a filling experience. I'd never been there before, since we usually go to Touch of Paso to eat when we venture out. We were meeting a friend from another state who used to be one of our neighbors in Southern California. We have not met him in person for years, and communication has been by photo and Facebook. He married in January and we'd never met his wife.

Since he was visiting this area on vacation to see family and show his wife lovely spots like Moonstone Beach, we arranged to have dinner together at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ because it was already after two and because they loved barbecue. We were anxious to meet his bride and we were all hungry. I'd love to show you what we ate, but because of the lively conversation and the joy of actually eating the food, I forgot to photograph it. After taking the photo above, I didn't think again about my camera until we were home. I didn't include people in the photo for privacy reasons.

I went back today to get more photos. This one shows the exterior. It demonstrates the Western theme. There are stairs that lead to walkways to the lookout towers and the roof. I can imagine one could walk off dinner on those stairs. At the back of the photo you can see the automobile entrance from 24th Street to the Parking area.

Exterior of Big Bubba's Bad BBQ, © B. Radisavljevic

The Food at Big Bubba's

My readers would probably rather read about the food than our conversation, so I'll discuss that. My husband ordered a half Bubba's Caesar Salad with chicken because he doesn't like to eat a lot in the evening. Portions are large, so half a salad was sufficient. It looked tasty. It came with a delicious looking slice of Texas Toast, which Hubby gave to our friends because he's trying to be gluten-free. They said it was very good. It disappeared fast.

Our friends split an order of Beef Ribs that looked like more than four, but that was probably because they were huge. They seemed to enjoy them, along with their sides of corn on the cob and veggies. We actually didn't talk about the food much except to say it was good. Our actions in gobbling it down spoke louder than words, and no one voiced any complaints.

 I had the Tri Tip Sandwich and told them to hold the mayo and substitute regular jack cheese for the pepper jack cheese. They had no problem with doing that. I only had a taste of the BBQ Sauce that came on the side, but it was a bit strong for my taste. I don't normally eat sauces. They cover up the taste of the meat itself.  The sandwich was delicious without sauce. Lettuce and tomato were enough to enhance it. The meat was cooked to perfection. I had been planning to take half home, but somehow I ate the whole thing there.

You Can Eat Inside or Outside

Outdoor Patio Tables at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ, © B. Radisavljevic

We could have chosen to eat on the patio (above) facing 24th Street, or at any of the tables along the walkway of the building. They are more private and, except for street noise, quieter than the tables inside. I still usually prefer to eat inside because I'm sun sensitive. 

Private Party Tables at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ, © B. Radisavljevic

The music inside is not exactly background, but it won't completely drown out conversation, either. I didn't want to make diners inside feel their privacy was being violated, so I took this picture of what I assume is a room for private parties. That was empty today. The chairs and table style are the same in the main dining room, but the main restaurant is darker. 

 Recommendation 

If you eat here, you won't leave hungry. I thought my tri tip sandwich was reasonably priced for what I got, and, as I said above, it was delicious.  Hubby rated his salad a four on a scale of ten. He said the lettuce was fresh, but the salad's overall taste was just passable. Perhaps he's not used to Caesar dressing, since he usually orders Italian. He said he likes the salad at Touch of Paso (Yelp Reviews), where he always has Italian dressing, better.  To see what others thought, as well as photos of the food and interior, check out Yelp.

Over all, I enjoyed the experience, but seeing our friends was the best part of it. I would not hesitate to eat there again, but I still think Touch of Paso (my review) is a better value if you enjoy American food, don't care if it's barbecued, and can get there before it closes at two. 

Have you eaten at Big Bubba's Bad BBQ in Paso Robles? If so, what did you think of your experience there? You can comment below. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box if you'd like to share this review. The image below is just the right size to pin. 

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A Peaceful Easter Sunday

It seems to be strange not to be with family in someone's home on Easter Sunday, but our extended family extends between Riverside, Fresno, and Tustin, all of which are a long drive from the Central Coast. Still, it just didn't feel right to just go home after church. That would be kind of a letdown. So we drove by Touch of Paso to see how busy the parking lot was and we were lucky. It appears an earlier after church crowd had left and we got in before the second wave got there. The food was tasty and the restaurant was decorated for Easter. I always enjoy it more quiet than crowded. 

 Touch of Paso Restaurant on Easter Sunday, © B. Radisavljevic

In spite of staying near home, it was still a day of communicating with family. My husband and I talked for a couple of hours, and my brother called and we must have talked to each other for close to an hour. This has been the first conversation we've had in a long time where we didn't talk politics, but about family. It is a refreshing change. There will always be some sort of politics, but one never knows how long one's family members will still be around. 

How did you spend Easter Sunday?

Getting Out of the House and to the Coast on Valentine's Day

After Lunch at Touch of Paso Restaurant, © B. Radisavljevic

I think I've had cabin fever. Yesterday was the first time in over a year that I did not write any blog posts or spend time online. It was almost as though my brain just wanted to rest. So I let it. I read three books on my Kindle which weren't worth my time, watched a bit of TV, and stayed in bed a lot. I think I may have been half sick. For sure I was depressed.

Today we decided to get away for a few hours and break the routines I felt trapped in. First we went for lunch at Touch of Paso. We were the last to leave, so I  took this picture just before we paid our bill. Hubby is still double-checking it.

After we had eaten, we headed down Highway 46 West to Highway 1 to Leffingwell Landing. I wish I could have stopped along the way to take photos of the cattle on the green hills which stretched all the way to the sea. It was clear enough today to actually get a glimpse of the ocean from the highway, but all the viewpoints were on the other side of the road. I was hoping to catch some of those views on the way home, but it didn't happen.

It was a beautiful day to be on the coast. It was warm enough to enjoy without sweater. The sky was very blue and clear. The waves were large enough to make some high sprays as they splashed on the rocks. I made a video I may share later in the week. I didn't see the way to the boardwalk so I mainly took my photos from the parking lot and the stairway to the beach. Since it ended on a huge rock, I didn't  think it wise for me to go down to the beach via the rock. My knees weren't up to the rough surface. I did, however, get this photo from the parking lot.

A View of Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, © B. Radisavljevic

People were friendly today and open to conversations with strangers. We met some people who lived in Fresno and they offered to take our picture together. We talked for a bit afterwards.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, another man pointed out some otters swimming some distance away. I would have missed them -- especially since my camera battery had just died and ended my being able to see through my zoom lens. I seem to have misplaced my spare camera and I couldn't find it before we left home, so I didn't get all the photos I'd hoped to get, including those I wanted to take of the hills on the way home.

It's amazing what a large dose of nature can do to combat depression. It sure beats talking to a therapist, is more fun, and a lot cheaper. I highly recommend it.

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