Shawns on Main

Sadly, Shawn’s on Main has closed.

We booked a reservation for dinner at Shawns on the friday night of CalPoly graduation weekend.
This was such a sweet restaurant with an ambitious menu that was executed wonderfully and greatly enjoyed by our party of 10.
I am not sure why it is given $$$ — I would have thought it was more like $$.
Highly recommended!

Amazing Amazing Amazing! Shawn and his wife are fantastic, as is their food! Our hotel recommended this restaurant back in February and we couldn’t have been happier (we live in Orange County). We are coming back up to San Luis Obispo for Roll out the Barrels and we specifically decided to stay in Morro Bay again so we can go to Shawn’s! :-) I got the gnocchi (to DIE FOR) and my fiancé got the pork chops (also amazing!!). Seriously, we can not wait to come back!

I end up in Moro Bay for a night or two once a year. I’ve walked by Shawn’s and never noticed it, which, as it turns out, was my loss. If this place was in LA, they could charge triple what they do. I had the grilled artichoke, which was amazing. I’m upset with myself for forgetting the other half that I saved so I could eat my dinner. The entire menu fits on a single page, but you’ll find something, I had the pork, which, even with just half of the artichoke, I couldn’t finish. I ordered a cup of coffee while I let my dinner settle and OMG, it came in a French Press. Although I was sure I couldn’t eat another bite, the table next to me was raving about the dessert, so, in for a penny in for a pond, I ordered the chocolate caramel thing to go with my coffee. Yum. All this, including a glass of a good Cab for less than $ 45.

After reading several reviews, my wife and I were eager to see what all the buzz was about. We were nit disappointed. The wait staff was very friendly and kind. The décor was ok, but we weren’t looking for décor, we just wanted a good meal.. and we got one. Appitizers were good, the wine was great… but the entries were amazing. I highly recommend the chicken and sweet potato biscuits. A great place all around. Great for adults that want to be treated to fine cuisine.

4+ stars. Thank you for accommodating us last night for your fantastic dessert and great coffee. Shawn’s on Main has always been Morro Bays’ stand out restaurant. Creative, and well executed dishes. Quality dining Central Coast style… and no fish n’ chips!

I just ate there for the second time, loved everything that came to my table. I’m a flexible vegetarian and admit I ate the sweetbreads. Delicious! I was very hungry from cleaning house all day. The salads were savory and the entrees were delicious. The chocolate, Victorian toffee desert was to die for. It will be somewhat expensive but well worth the investment.

Shawns is THE SH! T for Coq au vin!
& Beats the Pants off, of all Over-​priced Snotty SF places!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHEN IN MORRO BAY,
DO NOT BOTHER READING THIS,
JUST GO HERE & EAT CHICKEN/​Coq au vin!
A simply AMAZING SLO/​Morro Bay hidden treasure/​semi-​secret
run by an amazing (Chef) man, his charming wife (Waitress), & a baby!
You cannot get more
MOM & POP
& Baby… than this.
It is a true hidden gem & Shawn somehow
elevates Chicken to
A MAGIC LEVEL!
With slow stew-​like roasting in a thick pot
(Coq vin & see pic & Wiki ref below).
I forget how he prepared it, but it was one of the most amazing chicken dishes that I have ever had in my life (there seemed to be a Sous Vide element about it).
(It reminds me of LIdo’s, in Shell Beach, amazing slow roasted Duck Confit).
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Irrelevant stuff, but FYI:
1-​It is somehow hard to find, it is hidden in plain sight, with very humble storefront, so use your GPS… yes, real «men» can use a GPS, or… gasp…ask for directions :)
2-​It is quiet, dark, & romantic, so make sure to bring a loved one. Get a babysitter for the kids.
3-​Since it is a Mom, Pop, & Baby place… baby can only do so much, so be nice.
4-​All their food is good, but some is amazing. While not cheap, you are basically paying for a «personal» chef at bargain prices.
5– Wine selection is limited, but good. Go for the half-​bottle of Tolosa PInot Noir.
Other– This is one of the few times where the 5 star Unilocal reviews were spot on. Since it is such a small place, I would go right when they open, like we did, to get «personalized» service on a off weekday (e.g. Monday at 4:59 PM :)
…
Whatever you do… forget all else…
GET THE AMAZING CHICKEN POT!
with the AMAZO-​CHICKEN…
I still dream about that Chicken…
I think my vege wife ate & liked her Vege selection, but I was so blown away by the Chicken, I do not remember much else… sorry…
Anyway, just go here, remember just to exclaim,
«OMG, I WANT COQ AU VIN !!!»
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wikipedia –Ref.: «
Coq au vin (/​kok o væn/​; French pronunciation:​[kk o v],
„rooster/​cock with wine“) is a French dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic. While the wine used is typically Burgundy,[1] many regions of France have variants of coq au vin using the local wine, such as coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace), coq au pourpre or coq au violet (Beaujolais nouveau), coq au Champagne, etc.
Various legends trace coq au vin to ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar, but the recipe was not documented until the early 20^th century;[2] it is generally accepted that it existed as a rustic dish long before that.[1] A somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, appeared in an 1864 cookbook.[3]
Julia Child featured coq au vin in her breakthrough 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she frequently prepared it on the PBS cooking show The French Chef. This exposure helped to increase the visibility and popularity of the dish in the United States, and coq au vin was seen as one of Child’s signature dishes.[4]
Preparation
Although the word „coq“ in French means „rooster“ or „cock“, and tough birds with lots of connective tissue benefit from braising, most coq au vin recipes call for capon or chicken.
Standard recipes call for a chicken, red wine (often Burgundy), lardons (salt pork or bacon), button mushrooms, onions, often garlic, and sometimes brandy. Recipes with vin jaune may specify morels instead of white mushrooms. The preparation is similar in many respects to beef bourguignon. The chicken is first marinated in wine, then seared in fat and slowly simmered until tender. The usual seasonings are salt, pepper, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, usually in the form of a bouquet garni. The juices are thickened either by making a small roux at the beginning of cooking, or by adding blood at the end. »

My wife and I tried this place after my parents always rave about it. My wife doesn’t care for artichokes but the way they grill them are great and she loved it. There were out of steak but I’m glad and tried their pork chops in green tomato gravy. WOW delicious. My wife had chicken pilliard with BBQ and coleslaw. We followed up dinner with ginger pear bread pudding. Wow again! All this and beers for $ 54. Great service and great dinner. ⁵⁄₅ stars. 6 if I could. New Morro Bay favorite.

We tried Shawn’s 4 years ago and the service experience was so poor we never even sat down. Still, we continued to hear good things so eventually wanted to give it a try.
The artichoke appi was very good. The double cheeseburger just competent — must say I was doubly disappointed it only had sliced American cheese on it! Good, not great wine list.
Ambiance nice, but since we went early, there were still not many diners by the time we left at 8ish. Not sure what that means.
We’ll go back if someone takes us, but likely not by choice any time soon. Too many other good spots in the Central Coast.

This place has awesome food. Great service. I highly recommend the grilled artichoke appetizer. Be cautious the menu changes based on the season so what you see on Unilocal might not be what you get. The prices are reasonable for the quality of food. We are not wine people but Shawn’s does provide an extensive wine list. I would say the portions could be slightly larger but we left satisfied. Each plate was around $ 15 and the appetizer was $ 10. All in all left spending just over $ 50… Not bad for the quality of food. I world recommend this place to eat for sure!

Outstanding food and service. Stop reading now and go.
We had the artichoke appetizer, which was the best one we ever had. They told us it is boiled, oiled, and broiled on a flame, so it has a rich tapestry of texture and taste. We also got the abalone appetizer, which was fried and over cabbage in a sesame dressing. It was good, but I would have preferred it not fried to preserve the taste of the meat.
They served us a complimentary amuse bouche of pork and vegetables in tiny cubes, and they kindly brought me a complimentary champagne for my birthday.
For our mains, we got the pork chops and the braised beef over sourdough and polenta. Pork chops can be difficult to keep tender, but they nailed it. Both were tender and well seasoned with luscious sauces.
Since I had been wine tasting all day, we did not have room for the sticky pudding, but we’ll give that a try next time.
I don’t imagine there is a better restaurant in the area than Shawns on Main.

Thank you fellow Unilocalers!!!
We are in love with this place! We decided to come here for dessert for our anniversary after reading reviews and ended up having food AND dessert. We started with the asparagus, beet, and almond starter, which was so amazing. The asparagus was perfect and the beets just melted in our mouth. From there we had the mouthwatering Mac and Cheese, which left us speechless. So much cheese and bacon, how can you go wrong?
We ended up having both desserts– the chocolate toffee pudding cake and the pumpkin bread pudding. Both are amazing, but the pumpkin definitely wins!
The atmosphere was wonderful, the staff so friendly, and we ended up meeting a great couple also traveling and who had found this gem through Unilocal.
We will be back– no doubt about that!

One of the few restaurants in Morro Bay that serves real gourmet food.
We got a lamb and mint dish that was absolutely to die for. We also had a great beet and goat cheese appetizer with a citrus sauce that was so good. Green beans with proscuitto was also a great pairing.
My only complaint is that service is on the slow side and the dishes are very small for how high the prices are.

With an inexpensive wine list and great food this place is not to be missed. The grilled artichoke was fantastic and they have abalone on the menu! For mains, I had the coq au vin chicken… Amazing! The green beans with prosciutto was also a recommended side and not to be missed.

In the constant search for that truly special restaurant, it is so exciting to find one tucked away in Morro Bay.
From the menu, you can tell that there’s a chef with a brain back there. First of all, it is a short menu and that’s a good thing! We also overheard some locals telling the travelers at the table next to us that Shawn changes the menu quarterly.
Classic pairs like lamb and mint were presented as the most delicious little meatball and sauce. When this is the amuse bouche, you know you’re in for a treat.
Another perfectly executed classic was the bruschetta, a combo of tomato, cheese and bread. It was all in the details: the just-​right sun-​dried tomato, the appropriately sized dollop of goat cheese, drizzled with balsamic on a slice of bread that was probably made in paradise.
And I can’t fail to mention the chocolate toffee pudding cake (not sure what the name of it is since she said «chocolate» and then «toffee» and I was like, YES, sold! That one!) It was served warm so all the wonderful flavors melded together in balance.
For the quality of cuisine and warm friendly service, the value here is amazing. A true gem of an establishment.

Excellent place to eat some real food !
On my way from LA to SF, I stopped at Morro Bay and this restaurant is really worth the stop. Forget the burgers & fries and eat some goat cheese and real vegetables ! I recommend this place to anyone who just wants to remember what real food tastes like

I’ve learned from plenty of experiences that almost any restaurant with view is going to charge you for the view and costumer service and food are going to suck.
Morro Bay has plenty of restaurants with view and all the whistles, Shawns on Main is simple and quiet, great service and delicious food. The restaurant was full and only one waiter to help everyone out but she never skiped a beat, she was on top of everything. I was very impressed not only because she was great but she was very very pregnant. The food was very good, we started with grilled artichokes and dear baby Jesus, that was extremely good! We had a very salad with lots of flavors that combined very well. I believe I ordered the chicken dumpling stews and it was perfect since the weather was a bit on the chilly side. Le boyfriend ordered a steak that was perfectly cooked medium rare and nicely seasoned. The bill was very considerate, specially after drinking a couple of brews and glasses of wine. If you’re in town visiting, I know you’ll be tempted to dine at one of the many restaurants with a view, but honestly you can see the rock for free and at a better angle by kayaking.
After a great meal and a bit drunk, we took about 100 steps to our hotel. very convenient location.

We went in, way before closing. The chef and the waitstaff said, Sorry, we cleaned up for the night.
It was 45 minutes before the posted closing time.
They must have been in a rush to get home.

My husband and I ate here recently and loved it. Shawn’s is now our favorite Morro Bay date night location – sadly, most of the waterfront properties rely on the view and the food doesn’t quite hold up. I love fish and chips as much as the next guy, but it’s refreshing to see something else on the menu.
We started with the roasted tomato soup (him) and the grilled corn and black bean salad (me). Both were delicious, although the cilantro-​lime salad dressing was a little lacking in flavor.
Next we had the cheesy pub bread and the grilled artichoke. I realize that it’s hard to mess up toasted bread with melted cheese, but the pub bread was SO GOOD. It was herby and garlicky and delicious. The grilled artichoke was the best artichoke we’ve ever had. The chipotle aioli was incredible.
For our entrée we both got the gnocchi with mushrooms and roasted tomatoes in bleu cheese cream sauce. HOLY CRAP. Best thing I’ve eaten at a restaurant since I moved to Morro Bay. I woke up thinking about it the next morning.
For dessert we got strawberry bread pudding (him) and sticky toffee pudding (me). Now, let me first say that sticky toffee pudding is my favorite dessert EVER. Shawn’s variation has chocolate and almonds, which was a nice touch. Although it wasn’t 100% traditional, it was still delicious.
Thanks for the amazing dinner! We’ll be back!