We have eaten here many, many times over the years. We would always bring our guests visiting from out of town because this was our favorite restaurant. While the prices have gone up, the food and service has gone down hill in the last few months. I hope you can turn things around, Giancarlo.
Va B.
Place rating: 4 Morro Bay, CA
Had the grilled pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon with gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce. Pork portion was a bit mall for the price considering pork is inexpensive meat. Very good though, liked the fresh warm break they gave upon arriving with olive oil and balsamic! Nice dining room too!
William A.
Place rating: 2 Arroyo Grande, CA
We showed up about 20 minutes after they opened for lunch and 1 hour and 15 minutes later we finally got our bread and salads. There was one waitress on staff who tried like heck but she was very much over taxed. We had a DealSaver Coupon which claimed a value of $ 52 however the most expensive entrée’s you could order along with beveriges only brought the total to about $ 37 or $ 38. Then they charge you the sales tax. The ambiance is great, the salads were excellent, the entrée’s were ok but nothing special. I did ask the waitress to show us how they arrived at a $ 52 value and she said the owner wouldn’t even explain it to her. This is clearly false advertising and we wont be back.
Jeff B.
Place rating: 5 San Luis Obispo, CA
We’ve been coMing here for years and the food just keeps getting better. Try their specials which change often. The grilled Caesar is a must. So are the eggplant appetizers. The owner takes pride in his work and posts yummy pics on Facebook. The only thing lacking is some of their desserts and the staff can be a bit confused. Overall great place.
Mark L.
Place rating: 1 Bakersfield, CA
We had extremely bad customer service from GC’s. They advertised an early dinner special on Dealsaver that we purchased. We called their phone number to make reservations at 10:30 on Saturday for a 4:15 dinner. Their answering machine said they would call back. We also called at 1:00 to confirm the reservation, no answer. We showed up at 4:00 and found the restaurant was not open for the early dinners and that they would open at 5:00. We asked if they would honor the Dealsaver at 5:00. They said no. We found out that the restaurant did not order enough food or wine for the Valentine’s day weekend and decided not to open for the early dinner. There were 6 other reservations that were cancelled. We attempted to speak to the owners and was told they were not available. We were able to look through the window and observed the owner. There was no indication on their answering machine that they decided not to open for their early dinner. Extremely bad service by this restaurant.
Bill S.
Place rating: 4 La Mirada, CA
The one thing that I realized about Morro Bay is that your dining options can be very limited. On this particular night, we were thinking Italian. Naturally, while resting at the Sundown Inn, we Unilocaled and found GC’s Bistro. The great part was that it was well within walking distance of the Sundown Inn. When we arrived, there were only a few people in the restaurant. I noticed there was only the chef, one waiter, and the hostess which made me a little nervous. We waited a little bit, which wasn’t a big deal. Then Steve showed up. I almost felt like he was called in early, well before his shift was supposed to start. By that, I mean he just seemed a little flustered. Meanwhile, the girl that was the hostess was busting her rear helping run food, etc. Steve took our order and mentioned that they had a pork belly appetizer so naturally, we jumped on it. I ordered the wild mushroom ravioli. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what my wife had. The mushroom ravioli was perfect. Nice and herbish. I recently looked at the website since we got back and it looks like there might be a new owner. I didn’t recognize anything on the menu.
Chancie C.
Place rating: 4 Atascadero, CA
One of our favorite places to eat. The food is so good here! We enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the chefs work their magic. The staff is always friendly. Only reason it’s not getting 5 stars is because last time we went one of the chefs was drinking multiple red bulls and leaving them setting out right near the food. I feel like he should keep those in the back. It came across a little unprofessional.
Max A.
Place rating: 1 San Diego, CA
Made a reservation for 9pm on a Friday night, when I arrived on time they said they were closed. Why take a 9pm reservation if you can’t fulfill it? They should change their hours of operation. I would have gotten 2 $ 40 entrees and a $ 60 bottle of wine, if they don’t want my business I’ll take it elsewhere while they sit at their bar turning away business. We found house of juju, at least they’re open as advertised.
Lisa M.
Place rating: 5 Fresno, CA
Best food. Best service. If you’re in the area, you must go here. Sinfully delicious! Stan(waiter) is a joy to talk to and the rest of the staff is friendly and down to earth. Had the pork belly appetizer, Tutto mare entrée with red wine, and tiramisu for dessert– to die for!!!
David W.
Place rating: 5 Bakersfield, CA
We recently found this gem! We are regular visitors to Morro bay and we’re stuck in a rut going to the same places, and decided to give this place a try! GC’s has a very nice atmosphere, helpful and attentive servers, menu is great, and there is always lots of great specials!
Piero B.
Place rating: 5 Cayucos, CA
Giancarlo creates dishes that are always made to order. Obviously, he specializes in Italian cuisine but he turns out to be one of the better chefs around when it comes to seafood dishes! Second to none! It turns out he is also very interested in creating requests! I asked him about Braggioli and a few days later he made it! It felt like he did this for me. In terms of the ambience I prefer eating at the bar where a patron can watch Giancarlo and his excellent kitchen staff as they create each dish to order. This is where we found out about his amazing Caesar’s salad where he grills large lettuce leaves in his pizza oven. His wonderful wife was our server one evening and she definitely made our date into a wonderful experience. We also went for his Mother’s Day fixed menu offering, and it was truly a feast, culinary magic! The wine and baked Alaskan dessert inclusive! And as always the presentation? Giancarlo’s amazing artistry on display! Giancarlo’s restaurant is also a great hang out just for drinks! Certainly a must see destination on the central coast!
Cameron H.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
Love this spot! Took my girlfriend here for her first time to Morro Bay and their pizza hit the spot. Also, the staff was pretty friendly and told us about a bunch local spots to check out. If you have the chance, try their Seared Ahi Tataki — it’s the bomb!
Sherry C.
Place rating: 3 San Jose, CA
I was really looking forward to dining here after seeing so many 5-star reviews. After dining here, I don’t know whether we ordered the wrong dishes or it was an off night for the restaurant but I really can’t share the same enthusiasm as the other reviewers. The ahi tataki appetizer for $ 12 was really disappointing. It came in an white serving dish with about 4 thinly sliced tuna in the middle. The texture of the fish was quite stringy and the entire presentation was rather messy. The calamari $ 12 was lukewarm and a bit soggy. The rack of lamb $ 29, asked for medium rare, was overcooked and the texture of the meat became tough. It definitely was not prepared as originally requested. It seems to be a big misstep for a restaurant to not pay attention to this. The two pasta dishes — linguini tutto mare $ 24 and pappardelle Bouillabaisse $ 24 were both good. The pappardelle came with several large chunks of salmon which was surprising. The one dish that was commendable was the whole sole special $ 29. It was very flavorful and the portion was also quite substantial. Overall I think the price paid was very reasonable other than the ahi tataki appetizer. Would I go back? maybe but definitely will be leery.
Natalie B.
Place rating: 5 Paso Robles, CA
The best example of teamwork on the Central Coast. It is so much fun to sit at the bar and watch the interactions with the staff. The regulars get treated like family. Great food, great value and excellent fine dining experience.
Chantal R.
Place rating: 1 Morro Bay, CA
Regretfully I was asked by the owner to write a wonderful review to up his ratings… HE fired me for untrue reasons and never gave me my final paycheck– nice guy huh?
Laurie C.
Place rating: 5 Morro Bay, CA
Great Place to enjoy and experience a culinary arts of chef GC from the appetizers to salad, pizza, pasta entrée; dessert and with an extensive wine list GC’S Bistro brings a class to Morro Bay! try the seafood specials and wood fire pizza! you will go back every time you in Morro Bay
Leslie D.
Place rating: 5 Walnut Creek, CA
Delicious dinner. Great fish and wine selection. Staff are friendly and well informed about food and wine. Setting is like a small European bistro. Perfect and necessary edition to Morro Bay.
Rifi S.
Place rating: 5 Los Angeles, CA
was up near Morro Bay for work and my company had a team event at GC’s. The hospitality was great and loved the food. Will be back
Hallie P.
Place rating: 5 Santa Monica, CA
Love this restaurant! My boyfriend and I went here on our trip up the coast and loved it. Would definitely recommend!
Sara D.
Place rating: 5 Sacramento, CA
WONDERFUL!!! For starters we had the beet salad and warm Caesar salad which was out of this world. For our entrees we had the Lobster ravioli’s with scampi and the braised short rib with mushroom raviolis in a light meat sauce. Unbelievably out of this world. The texture and taste were great!