Black Stallion

We really enjoyed our meal at the Black Stallion Restaurant last night. Chef Mark is a great addition to the culinary scene in Paso Robles. I was impressed with all of the food that came out of the kitchen and especially loved the Scallops and Caesar Salad. He is going to be a chef to watch as I am guessing the word will get out quickly!

We had great food here. The brussel sprout appetizer was excellent as well as the ribs and gourmet burger –you will not be disappointed if you give this place a try — it’s worth the extra three minute drive to find a place where people are friendly, the service is excellent and the prices will amaze you for the quality of the food.
We will go back soon to the try the chicken entrée and bruschetta appetizer and some of the made from scratch desserts!
Definitely a hidden gem in Paso Robles.

Pros: amazing truffle fries, TVs for everyone to see sports, great view of the kitchen, great food portions (they give you plenty), reasonably priced lunch menu.
Cons: lack of waiter attention (was ignored quite a bit), kinda pricey, not a lot of options for dinner menu, sodas are too fancy (they’re in glass bottles for about $ 3/​soda and they’re flavored like kiwi, apple, etc…)

What a great first time at the restaurant! Chef Mark had just rolled out the new menu for winter and I was blown away by his creativity.
I wasn’t sure what to expect on the menu before I dined, but I was impressed by the eclectic menu choices. We LOVED the housemade chips with sumac yogurt dipping sauce, the lentil soup, warm kale salad, and were OBSESSED with the butternut squash panini.
Next time I’m in Paso Robles– I will definitely be back at Black Stallion!

Great 1^st impression. The décor is a bit miss mashy, and the wait for our food was a longer than average wait. There were 3 cooks in the kitchen and the dinning room wasn’t that full at all. Only about 6 tables. I ordered the «Steak» dinner for $ 17. The menu did not specify what kind of steak and the waitress didn’t offer any info on it either. It came with mashed fingerling potatoes, grilled asparagus and chimichuri. Whatever that is. Anyway, the food was all amazing and delicious. The hubbs got the burger. It too was delicious. However it was very messy. I dont suggest you order it you are here on a 1^st date. We will definitely be back!

Stellar food and great service! Been here a few times now and each time has been a unique experience, whether in the bar or dining area.
Tonight was the first time trying their new menu and admittedly, I REEAAALLY miss they’re «Fire-​Starter» burger (super spicy and super delicious) and the goat cheese burger (mmm mmm mmmm). However, their creative twist on the brussel sprout fad is spectacular: mild bleu cheese, marcona almonds, and balsamic drizzle = AMAZING! And not too overpowering like most balsamic and bleu cheese brussels.
On an end note, seeing the entire staff work as a team to clean/​close the place down tonight was inspiring. It’s rare to see pride of ownership and pride of employment in the industry these days. Thank you Black Stallion for never ceasing to impress. Keep up the hard work; it’s definitely noticeable.

I had a rather pleasant experience at Black Stallion over the holidays, and as a modern-​American cuisine restaurant, I think they execute the menu and service well.
The menu is a lot of «bar food» style burgers and apps, there’s a pretty sizeable beer selection, and the ambience is of an open-​kitchen sports bar.
Service was very good. My burger was quite tasty, and although the entire groups order was not completely correct, the staff responded quickly.
The appetizer Brussels sprouts were pretty good, and even though most tables were full the noise level was tolerable.
One of the servers even dumped an entire tray of drinks and a bottle of wine, and she was well-​mannered about it and everyone handled it with laughter.
I enjoyed the dinner here with family and would go back on another trip to Paso.
ENJOY!

Ripped-​off.
I was sold the Special of Market Fish platter, $ 21. It was like 3 bites of raw fish.
If I wanted sashimi I would have gone to a sushi place and gotten better fish and larger portions for it.
Everyone else got burgers but they were greasy soggy.
The buns just melted off soaked with grease.
Truffle-​fries were regular fires with just a few bits of garlic, and some flavor-​less powdered cheese.
This place blows, and costs way too much.
Wait staff seemed unprofessional and rambled.
They sold me on a fish dinner and served a tiny snack. $ 21 Seriously.

Burgers? pretty darn good.
Service? can use a fair amount of work in-​that the first impression is not good maintaining a sign that encourages customers to go to Jack in the Box if ya don’t like the lack of greeting when ya walk in and waiting to be seated when several tables are seating ready; tends to leave a bad taste in one’s mouth (pardon the expression) before the fun (?) begins.
Frequency of checking satisfaction (drink refills and such) is less than desired.
Service improvement would make this place GOOD (4star).

We needed place to stop after driving Big Sur all day and before heading back to Sacramento. We were not disappointed at all. This place was great. The burgers are made with high quality grass fed beef from a local farmer. The Brussels app was very good but very rich. Prices were 10−15…pretty good for the quality and quantity you get. We will be back if we are ever in the area.

Truffle fries– AMAZING, I will go back for more.
Shawarma Entrée– Did not expect this to be served as individual parts (i.e. the bread came sliced with steak, humus and tabouli) Great combination overall but not as spectacular as the truffle fries. The guy who served us was perfect– warm, friendly and not obtrusive. Oh and did I mention the truffle fries?

I was raised in Paso, but have lived my adult life in Los Angeles. Coming back into town my friend couldn’t stop talking about the burger. So naturally I had to go try it out. First time I went right as I’m sitting down I was asked by the guy that was hosting what I would like to drink. I named off three beers and they didn’t have one of them, witch struck me interesting when they had 805 posted everywhere. But what bar in paso robles doesn’t carry the towns new traidmark beer? So as u can guess I asked the host politely «since you don’t have those beers, what would you recommend?» Then he asked me and my friend «well what do you like.» As you can guess I got up and said thank you and left. How can someone not know what beer someone likes after them mentioned three types of beers they would have enjoyed to drink. They guy struck me as someone that enjoyed a good beer so kind of threw me off.
So then today I decided to give it another shot, since some company came over from out of town and we we’re feeling a burger and like I said i’v heard they are good there. Walked in and the host is wearing house shoes. (what class, I thought) again Firestone 805 beer posted everywhere. And no I didn’t ask for it, but my friends did and yup they don’t have it. We ordered 2 stallion burgers a grill chees for my son and some wings. As excited as we were, the burger was like they have told me pretty good, give the burger a 6 out of 10. The wings were spicy and I like spicy but they were raw! Yes out of the six I bit into two and my buddy into one and all three were raw! I mean they all had read to the bone and he meat was still uncooked! So of course I let our server know and didn’t get an apology or even get asked if I would like something els. The ranch they serve is watery and the blue chees dressing has zero blue chees. To drink I ordered water at first then after my raw chicken in counter I asked for a sprite, and guess what! They don’t have sprit or Sierra mist. But have jarritos Mexican soda. I’m Hispanic so it was very funny that a meditrainin, American resturant didn’t have soda except from in a bottle. So I got a Mexican bottled coka cola, they carry that because it has cane sugar. (I dnt know but that’s what they said). The Decore of the place seamed very confused. Not sure if they were going for sports bar or Mediterranean, but it’s a bit dark due to the dark paint. But then we spotted a budda in the small waterfall at the front door. So a bit unbalanced. Also the professionalism from how the crew is dressed to how guest are taken care of is at a very low standard even for a small town. For a resturant in paso I guess I expected more, as this area is showing great cuisin and good new locations. So if this place is going to remain standing they should really look at the Managment as every today is based on zero leadership in the business.
I wouldn’t bring clients or out of town guests here.

Hi Unilocalers
You know me as one who gives proper and true reviews. Went there for lunch and had the sausage «sandwich». Ha! It was nothing but a big tasteless lump of sausage on a piece of bread. Sandwiches are normally eaten with hands but this one required knife and fork. Was a bit on the greasy side as was my friends sandwich (forgot it’s name). The fries were good however. was not too impressed but I did want to go back and see what their dinners were like. See below.
BLECH! Wife and I had their lamb something or other. Lamb was dry but the fries were good. Wife did not eat hers and took remainder home and fed to the dog. Does that give you an idea as to the quality of the dinner? Nothin else on the menu appealed to us btw. they have big bar but when we ordered Sav Blanca we were told they were out of it. Give me a break?! Ordered instead a glass of Chardonney– has to send it back for a beer ’cause it tasted like poop.
Bottom line? Probably the hamburgers ok but that’s about it. We nor our neighbors will not return. The manager/​owner must not give a hoot cause even a glance at the food hat comes out of that kitchen would tell you there is a problem
Oh yea, forgot to mention that the dog did indeed eat the lamb:)
Love
The big bopper

Tl;dr
Manager mistreats employees, but the food is pretty good. I won’t go back, because I don’t believe in supporting that, but if you don’t care, check it out.
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Got a black stallion burger, and it was pretty good. It had a taste of onion in it that I didn’t want, not sure if it was the aioli or what, but other than that, all good. French fries were great.
If this was just a burger joint, I’d probably drop a 4 on it, but the atmosphere was weird, and I have to rate it on the whole experience. Looking in, it looked super classy. Walked in to see a sign saying something to the tune of «if you can’t wait to be seated, Jack in the box is across the parking lot». What? Lol. A classy looking joint with this paper taped up, looked pretty corny.
Sat at the bar, ordered my burger. The bar again, looked super classy. All kinds of wine and stuff, a few beers on tap. Randomly, a chargers balloon was just floating around. The guy who took my order, wearing a chargers jersey. Not exactly what you expect in a place that’s trying to look super classy, but I’m not one to judge on that. just odd.
The bartender was super chill, dressed nice, made small talk. In fact, he was the only one who looked like he belonged there. Another odd part about this place, was they had a huge 805 light exhibit, but didn’t have 805 on hand, lol. Another lit sign for Newcastle, but didn’t see that on tap either. Bartender offered me a water, with a straw. If you’ve ever grown a mustache, you can respect this gesture. Also kinda weird, was board games in the bar, just hanging out. Didn’t exactly fit the theme this place looked like it was going for, might want to store those out of sight.
The worst part, though, and the real reason this place gets a 3 of 5, is the manager, I’m guessing he was. This dude kept coming up to the young, first day bartender, and cutting him down in front of the whole bar. Talking to him like he was a retard, in a condescending manner, about polishing wine glasses, and not walking with wine glasses while holding it by the stem, but in such a dick way, it was super off putting. Right in front of everyone, even another couple was talking about it.
If someone isn’t doing a job up to your standards, you don’t cut him down. You ESPECIALLY don’t do it in front of customers, you walk him to the back and try to explain what he’s doing wrong and resolve the issue like an adult. If he wanted to get nit picky about glasses, but dress bummy and allow other workers to dress in jerseys in a restaurant, you’re focusing on the wrong details. What do you think ppl will notice more, a dude in a classy looking joint dressed bummy, or a finger print on a glass? Lol. Or a dude cutting down his workers in front of everyone. Well, now you know.
Judging by everything, it looks like a group of early 20’s dudes took over their parents restaurant, without any managerial or people skills.
Ps– dude in the jersey was chill, just didn’t fit in, and with the other dude being such a dick about nothing, it seemed fitting to mention.

Every time I’ve been to the Black Stallion, I’ve been extremely pleased. I’ve had everything on the menu, even the hot wings that were too hot for me. Everything is always perfectly cooked. The chicken breast dinner is my very favorite. It comes with some brussels and bacon and a vegetable mash which is like mashed potatoes but a bit sweet and made with veggies instead. The falafel is authentically amazing with hummus, tabuleh, tsaziki (spelling) and grilled flatbread. They have a great selection of beers on tap, Wolf Among Weeds being my personal favorite. The wait staff are very friendly and do their very best to accommodate any reasonable request. The food ingredients are high quality and the chefs are very well trained.
After showing up one day and finding that they were closed on a day they were normally open, we were concerned and found out that the head chef’s (also owners) little girl had been diagnosed with an advanced stage of a rare form of kidney cancer. We continue to show our support for the restaurant employees and their families. They are doing everything right. Locally sustained ingredients and quality preparation in a clean and friendly environment. It’s a shame that I can rate them only five stars. I support local small businesses, do you?

5 stars for parking
5 stars for speed of service
5 stars for quality of the food
We ate:
Fireburger
Black Stallion burger $ 11
Cheese steak/​cheese stick appetizer $ 7
Soda $ 3
Very hot sauce was great! We loved it!
It’s amazing here.
We will be back

We went to Paso Robles on another wine adventure. Every time a trip pops up there are always new restaurants to explore. This time we were intrigued by the Unilocal reviews of this establishment. We were excited and hungry… ready to do damage.
As previously stated by others, the locale is within a strip center. As we approached the deafening sound of music was BLARING out into the parking lot as we sauntered in. Frankly, our first impression was apprehension.
As we entered, the bar was empty and the tables were situated and adorned in a diner-​esque fashion. The band was playing MAX VOLUME in a boxy venue with no interior walls. It came off as a little over the top.
The menus were scanned and our orders were placed. This is where our opinions did an immediate about face. We thoroughly enjoyed the everything that was arranged on our table.
First we started with the Brussel Sprouts, Based on those around the table that were aficionados, the way these sprouts were prepared had no prior competition. The had crisp and flavor. Bacon and other veggies were mixed in creating a mind blowing appetizer.
The main dishes consisted of my Guacamole Bacon Burger, two Falafel Plates, Ribs, Shawarma and Salads. All remnants of food particles disappeared quickly and magically. For sides we nibbled on regular fries and their Truffle Fries. These were INSANELY good.
Now add in some excellent Paso Robles red wine and the meal was a homerun. This place could use a slight upgrade in the fluff department but the chow is heavenly. The service was also very welcoming and impeccable at the same time.
The vibe is casual and EXTREMELY relaxed. All of us would definitely return.

Thank you Unilocal.Without you we wouldn’t have found this great spot.
Simply put, delicious food and great service.
My husband had the bacon burger and believe me he is a burger guy. This one tops his list of all time greats.
I had the Philly steak sandwich. The meat wasn’t your typical thick, tough, hard to chew meat. It was thin and fell apart like shredded beef. The gruyère cheese was amazing.
This place is in a strip mall, next to a Food For Less. So if your looking for a pretty place to eat this may not be your place. The interior is very nice and it’s very clean. But this place is for a real foodie, not a tourist.
Yum!

Don’t be fooled by its mini mall setting — what is happening here is SERIOUS FOOD — in fact, hands down the best burger I have eaten this year or in recent memory — including every gourmet $ 25 burger joint in Los Angeles (where I live — and I’ve been to all of them).
On a recent trip up the coast, the BF and I set aside a day for wine tasting in Paso Robles and started here for lunch — this meal became a highlight of our entire trip.
We had the Firestarter and The Goat — both done to absolute perfection — delicious — served with a crisp beer battered french fry — fantastic!
Please, raise your prices — flourish and open a Black Stallion in LA! Until then, we will dream of our next trip up North and the best burger in California.

Stopped by today for lunch while visiting Paso, what a surprise! Ordered the Black Stallion burger and salad with a side of skins. The service was outstanding and the food was gourmet. Obviously made with quality ingredients by someone with a masterful palette.
As the server retrieved our settings we couldn’t stop talking about how great the food was, there wasn’t an ounce of food left on the plates. We told him we drove two hours to have lunch here and would do it again.
He asked where we were heading and we explained the Savor the Central Coast, he said he has been there many times before and went on to tell us he was an exec chief. My first thought was that someone who made this menu had some experience with food, this is not your normal bar menu.
I asked what he was doing now, while he was clearing the table, and he paused and said, very unassumingly, this is my place.
It made sense after that, he had created these great flavors with his culinary experience.
Then we noticed his shirt, MY DAUGHTER IS MY HERO! We recognized the meaning and became even bigger fans.
Go support this amazing restaurant and his HERO!
What a great place, 5 stars!