Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo: Jalapeño Burger and Fries

Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo, California

Stopping by Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo for a meal has become a tradition whenever I drive along Highway 101. This past week was no different.

After a long day driving down the beautiful California coast through Big Sur from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I had one thing in mind: stopping at Firestone Grill for a burger and a beer.

Since 1995, Firestone Grill has been a staple of downtown San Luis Obispo. Over the years, the restaurant has gained a following for its world-famous tri-tip sandwich, Bar-B-Que, and burgers, all served at affordable prices.

Interior of Firestone Grill

Even on a late Monday night, Firestone Grill was packed with everyone from couples to families to those having a drink at the bar.

The square footage was massive, not including the large outdoor patio. The interior consisted of a large open dining room, a rectangular bar, and a smaller open dining room to the left of the entrance. Thanks to the tall ceilings, the place felt even larger.

Though it was nighttime, it felt dark inside. During the day, I would expect little natural lighting. Once past the entrance, the place felt like a big barn with no windows.

Flat-screen televisions, jerseys, sports photos, and other random items, including surfboards, guitars, and even a basketball hoop with a golf bag in it, adorned the walls.

At its core, Firestone Grill is a big sports bar that caters to everyone. It was casual, loud, and energetic, the perfect place to watch the game while enjoying cheap yet delicious food and a cold beer. And this is the main reason why I keep returning.

Expansive outdoor patio, Firestone Grill, San Luis Obispo, California — Expansive outdoor patio

While I did not sit on the large outdoor patio on my visit, it was expansive and looked like a great place to sit and enjoy a beer on a nice day.

Firestone Grill Menu

The menu at Firestone Grill was simple: sandwiches, bar-b-que, burgers, salads, and sides. And all at affordable prices.

Firestone Grill is best known for its Tri-Tip Steak Sandwich served on a French roll. According to their website, they have served over 10 million of these sandwiches. If it’s your first visit, I recommend trying that.

While their bar-b-que selection was small, they had a rack of pork ribs. For burgers, you had a small but good selection of classic burgers along with the unique Hal-a-Peño Burger.

Those looking to eat healthier will find salads including Cobb, Caesar, Southwestern, and Asian Chicken.

Finally, you had classic bar foods for sides, such as fries, onion rings, chicken strips, and garlic bread.

For drinks, there was a good selection of craft beer, including Firestone Walker draft beer, red wine, white wine, and cocktails.

Firestone Grill also offers a happy hour from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with specials on draft beers, well-drinks, wines, and cocktails.

When ready to order, you can place your order with the cashier. After paying, wait for your number to be called over the loudspeakers and pick up your food at the counter opposite the cashier.

While the menu above needs to be updated, you can view the current Firestone Grill menu at https://www.firestonegrill.com/menu/.

Hal-a-Peño Burger

Halopeño Burger, named after the General Manager of Firestone Grill, San Luis Obispo, California — Halopeño Burger, named after the General Manager of Firestone Grill

You are reading the name of this burger correctly. It’s the Hal-a-Peño Burger ($9.49), named after the General Manager of Firestone Grill. This burger came with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, Sriracha ranch, jack cheese, bacon, and jalapeños.

The patty was thin and cooked through with a crispy crust and charbroiled, smoky flavor. Perfectly melted across the patty was a thick layer of gooey jack cheese.

I enjoyed the salty, spicy, and crunchy pickled jalapeños, which added just the right amount of heat. Mixed in with the jalapeños was a bright orange Sriracha ranch sauce, which was rich, spicy, and creamy. Make sure to have a few napkins, as the sauce can make the burger messy.

I ordered the burger because of the jalapeños, so the bacon was a plus. The thin, salty, and crunchy bacon perfectly complemented the richness of the Sriracha ranch and spicy pickled jalapeños.

Finishing off the burger was a thick piece of crunchy iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, thinly sliced onions, and mayonnaise.

Fries

I couldn’t order a burger without ordering fries ($3.69). The fries were thin, crispy, and seasoned well with what I believe was Lawry’s seasoned salt.

They tasted previously frozen, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop eating them as I was hungry, and they hit the spot after a long day of driving.

The basket of fries was large enough to share between two people or one hungry person. Just note that you will be disappointed if you are expecting something gourmet or fancy.

I had no complaints, as I was happy to have a beer, burger, and fries in front of me.

Service

All the workers at Firehouse Grill seemed friendly, but my interaction with them was limited.

As mentioned, I ordered with the cashier near the front of the restaurant, waited for my number, and picked up my food from the counter across from the cashier.

Other than that, I had no issues with the staff or service. Quick, easy, and best of all, the prices were reasonable.

Conclusion

Firestone Grill will always be my go-to spot when traveling through San Luis Obispo on Highway 101 in California.

Every ingredient of the Hal-a-Peño Burger was delicious and complemented each other. It was all there: salty, smoky, spicy, and rich flavors. The burger felt thoughtfully designed while simple.

It was not fancy and by far not the best burger I have ever had, but when I’m in the mood for a burger and a beer, this is the burger I want.

With great food, reasonable prices, cold beer, plenty of televisions, and an outdoor patio, you have no reason not to check out Firestone Grill next time in San Luis Obispo.