California Road Trip: Recommendations, including where to eat!

If you're into the driving but aren't staying on the PCH then take the road in Woodside that goes by Alice's Restaurant, on your way down.

It's a quintessential norcal experience, not just for motorcyclists, but note that the food is not really so great by SF standards. It's the vibe.

https://alicesrestaurant.com

Stop in Big Sur and eat at Nepenthe. The best view!

Jeannine's in Montecito or Santa Barbara for breakfast.

For San Francisco, I recommend Scoma’s. It’s at Fisherman’s wharf. Before or after dinner you can visit the nearby Buena Vista bar for famous Irish Coffee.

If you want dim sum, Great Eastern Restaurant on Jackson street. It’s excellent and authentic.

I second Napenthe.

In the Carmel Pebble beach area: A fun place to watch the sunset and catch the bag pipe player is Spanish Bay golf course in the bar restaurant area. We also enjoy the food there, but we are golfers and like golf course hangouts. The Tap Room at Pebble is another place.

Are you traveling on the 101? Suspect yes.

A fun retro stop is at the venerable Madonna Inn in San Louis Obispo.

Definitely stop and visit Hearst Castle.

Must check out Sensorio in Paso Robles.

https://sensoriopaso.com/

In Morro Bay try the Bayside Cafe for breakfast. Also visit the Elfin Forest. In Los Osos try Cecilia’s cafe.

I like the Comfort Inn in Morro Bay but think they’ve changed the name under new ownership. Yup, now called Hotel Avisa.

Hi Paisha,
We spent February in Santa Barbara. One unmissable eating spot there would be the excellent Boathouse cafe at Hendrys beach (aka Arroyo Burro Park). The adjoined beach there offers unbeatable added-value and we went more than once. The beach is known for both great sunsets plus beachcombing. Dog walkers absolutely love it. It is a mere 10 minute drive from Santa Barbara.

In the actual city, we recco:

-D'Angelos bakery, a superb place for breakfast with compelling views from its few outdoor tables of the distinctive adobe, inc. Jeff Shelton's nearby famed unique houses.
-Anderson's Bakery on the main drag State Street. Outdoor seating, people-watching, good Danish salads and much more.
-Brophy brothers seafood on the marina (not the touristy wharf--ugh); fantastic chowder.
-on the same marina, there is the permanent Santa Barbara Fish market shop, with some of the freshest seafood possible. As self-caterers we loved their just-caught halibut. A Saturday morn weekly market with the exact same name is held a few meters away.
-the award-winning Hispanic supermarket Sta Cruz offers a wide variety of good stuff including their own home-made tamales (try the corn ones) and burritos. There exists a competitor kitty-corner to them, with similar offerings.
-Gelsons is part of the large, upscale Cali chain with dedicated bakery sections and much more. Good croissants at their Renauds. Just around the corner at that same Loretto Plaza location, Via Maestra Italian restaurant is a winner, unpretentious and realistically-priced. They also have their own deli nearby, further down the same street.
-Joe's cafe is a venerable old diner where the testosterone and sound levels are both extreme. Good food but watch out for maga hats.
-*a splurge with unbeatable views could be San Ysidro ranch. Any special birthdays coming up?
-Summerland Beach Cafe gives a less-harried experience and one could also walk the beach there at sunrise.
-Chad's (the original Sambo restaurant flagship) is beside the aforementioned Jeanine's; both are extreeeeeemely popular and the lineups turn off some.

Good Luck!

I am done. the end

You need to know you can't get to Morro Bay from Carmel down Hwy 1. It's closed. And it will be for months. All of the Big Sur is basically residents only. Forget any of the places mentioned between there unless you want either figure out how to drive the Coast Ridge Route (which bypasses everything on the coast) or you plan to backtrack several hours. A lot of the local businesses are closed in that sector.

You do have a detour, but you can't do it if you're in anything bus sized or towing a trailer, and that is to turn off 101 to Jolon, then cut through Ft Hunter Leggett to the coast. You'll come out below the slide and can continue down Hwy 1. But you need to check and see if they are allowing through traffic at Ft Hunter Leggett (which sometimes is closed). If you can't do that, you'll have to take 101 to Paso Robles and then 46 over to the coast.

Codmother food truck in Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. Tommaso's in North Beach is good old school Italian.

If by chance you are cutting inland (just a bit) on Hwy 101, and are going through San Luis Obispo, every Thursday night the main drag is open for a street market/fair/restaurants cooking on the street. Great to wander and pick up dinner (Santa Maria BBQ for instance, fresh fruits and veggies and desserts), enjoy street musicians and entertainers. We always try to plan on a Thursday night stop on our frequent road trips upon and down California. SLO is close to lots of wineries, olive oil producers, and farms for tasting opportunities. Not far from Morro Bay. Check your route map to see how close.
Also, you will go by several missions on your trip. I would visit Dolores (San Francisco), Carmel and Santa Barbara. Each one is worth an hour or so. Carmel is where Fr. Juniper Serra is interred. Plus, the town is lovely....very upscale, but with a gorgeous view of the Pacific.
Have fun!

I second Brophy Bros. seafood on the marina in Santa Barbara, great Cioppino!

You have already received a lot of really good recommendations. Here are some of my favorites.

San Francisco

There are so many options, I am sharing a few, but if you have a favorite type of food and price point, I can make some more recommendations.

• If you love to hike and enjoy the outdoors in San Francisco, then the Presido and specifically the Tunnel Tops is a great place to explore. It has one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to an outstanding Italian Cafe and Pizzeria, Il Parco. You can either eat at the restaurant or pick up some sandwiches and head to the Adirondack chairs and have a picnic while gazing at the Golden Gate.
• Scoma (which Mo R also recommended is has the quintessential SF Cioppino and fresh seafood by the Bay. Since you are so close, Mo R has an excellent suggestion of Irish Coffee at Buena Vista.
• If Mexican food is what you want, then head down to the Mission there are so many options, my favorite is Taqueria El Farolito (24th and Mission). The crispy al pastor in a Super Burrito is my favorite. This is a cash only place, limited seating and usually a long line, but it is worth it.
• Unique experience is Foreign Cinema in the Mission. It is housed in an old movie theatre and if the weather is nice, book on the patio. There you will enjoy inventive California cuisine, excellent cocktails, and friendly service under the stars. The bonus is that you also can watch a movie as they project it against a wall on the patio. This is my favorite place to meet with friends.

Carmel

I usually visit Carmel with my husband and dog, so I typically go to places that are dog friendly. If you are driving down from San Francisco and want some good bites along the way, I would recommend:

• Taco Bell in Pacifica. It is the most beautiful Taco Bell in the world. It is a great Instagram photo op.
• Barbara’s Fish Trap in Half Moon Bay (Harbor). It is very rustic with fresh fish that you can eat at the restaurant or order to eat at the picnic tables just outside the restaurant. I love to come here for Ceviche for a quick bite for lunch.
• Harley Farms. Not really a restaurant, but a working goat farm where you can sample and pick up goat cheese for a picnic. It is in Pescadero which is just South of Half Moon Bay.
• Duarte’s Tavern has been in business since the late 1800s and offers American country cooking with Portuguese influence. They are known for their artichoke soup and any of the fresh fruit pies. They also have wonderful fresh seafood.
  
• Cultura in Carmel is a dinner only Oaxacan restaurant. They have the largest collection of Mezcal in California. The queso fundito, and any of their moles is a treat. Reservations are a must.

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I believe we are all set. Happy travels.