Cambria Pub and Steak House
You probably don’t need to have a good reason to visit the coastal town of Cambria since its many shops, restaurants, and scenery should be draw enough, but if that isn’t enough, you might consider a visit just to savor the fare offered at the Cambria Pub and Steak House.
Located at 4090 Burton Drive on the corner of Center Street in Cambria’s historic East Village, this eatery offers a venue for every taste. “We have fine dining upstairs,” commented Darlene DeBacker, General Manager, “in a formal, quiet setting decorated with art produced by Central Coast artists. Then there is the Pub downstairs with dining around the bar and our outside pet-friendly patio.”
The menu in all settings features Harris Ranch Black Angus beef. “We’ve found their beef has fine-textured marbling and that means exceptional tenderness, juiciness and flavor,” DeBacker said. There are also fish, poultry and vegetarian dishes available.
“Basically we are the only true steakhouse in town,” DeBacker said, “and we use only locally grown foods. Our chefs even go to the various Farmers’ Markets to shop for the restaurant.” They also make their own sauces and dressings. Nothing comes from out of a bottle, except of course, beer, wine and liquor for cocktails.
DeBacker once was the chef here but was elevated to General Manager overseeing the entire business. She had worked previously as chef at Villa Toscana, and Hunter Ranch and Chalk Mountain golf courses. “I still pitch in here when things get busy,” she said with a smile.
While upstairs has its elegant ambiance and is the soul of the restaurant, the heart of it lies downstairs in the Pub, where there is a large screen, high definition TV mounted above on every wall. You can catch whatever sport you might be interested in depending on the season. Baseball, football, soccer, tennis, horse and road racing are viewable since each TV is tuned to a different sport. Sound is muted and closed captions keep patrons abreast of the commentary.
Locals and visitors stop in for a brew and a choice from the Pub Menu that has a variety of delectable foods. This writer started off with Panko Breaded Artichoke Hearts as an appetizer. The dish included six artichoke hearts that had been hand breaded with Panko breadcrumbs and then deep fried. They were served with a cup of lemon pepper aioli for a dip and they melted in my mouth. A salty glass Margarita was a companion to the entrée called The Cambrian Burger with a half pound of Angus beef burger topped with lettuce, tomato, dill pickle, red onion melted cheese and a special sauce all encased in a soft brioche bun. My server wisely supplied a steak knife to cut the large portion in half. With choices of a dinner salad, French fries or sweet potato fries, I chose the latter that were delicately fried and softly salted. The mixture of the sweet and salt tastes really makes sweet potato fries special.
There are numerous choices on the menu at Cambria Pub and Steak House.
Soups and salads appetizers, Portabello mushrooms, fish of the day, chicken, tri-tip, pork chops, and naturally, steaks that include ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon, petite filet, and top sirloin all cooked to perfection. If you can manage it there are tasty sweet desserts too such as Crème Brulee, Ice Cream Sundae, Seasonal Crisp that is fruit with a crispy topping, and vanilla bean ice cream, and Nitt Witt Ridge, a layered Rocky Road and graham cracker mud pie with chopped nuts and fresh whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Oh my!
“We feel we will fill a niche being open for people who are touring in the area and perhaps have been to Hearst Castle for the evening tour and would like a bite to eat afterwards,” DeBacker said.
Cambria Pub and Steakhouse hours are 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. every day except Wednesday. I’m sure you will find that they are a really good reason for nice visit to Cambria.
–Ruth Ann Angus
