The Art Cafe

Under new ownership the sandwiches are still delicious and filling. The bread is still homemade and the best in town. If you try it out, venture beyond the famous Curry sandwich and try the many other amazing sandwiches. The turkey sandwich is great. They use a unique apricot sauce in that sandwich that I love. Their breakfast is also well done.

Food is a little overrated thanks to the endorsement of Oprah Winfrey. The famous sandwich profiled on her show tastes ok. And this was when the original owner was still in business and the place was featured on Oprah’s show in 2004. I haven’t been back since it came under new ownership, so I might give it a second try… but not anytime soon.

This was my third annual visit and it was really a disapointment. The café got it’s «fame» when Oprah raved about the Curry Chicken Sandwich… it was so good that she actually purchased the restaurant when she heard the owner was going to sell because she was running it by herself. On my previous visits I always ordered «the» sandwich and always enjoyed it. This time, I saw on line that it was under new ownership but using the same recipes. Well, «the» sandwich was awful… filling way too dry and very little curry flavor plus the toasted bread was soggy! Go figure! The only plus was the coffee was OUTSTANDING and the service was good. But now that I think about it… I went there about 1:15 PM and they were only two ladies having lunch! That should have been my clue! I’ll pass on the place on my next trip!

First off, Arissa C., you aren’t the first person to write a review on this place, Xiu L. was.
My sisters are HUGE Oprah fans, so when they come up to visit me for a dance show, we made reservations here.
First off, their hours were like from 11am until 2pm. Every time they air that darn Oprah episode with her talking about it being the best sandwiches ever, the place is PACKED.
Other than that, what I’ve heard is that the owner that was on Oprah, sold it. I’m not sure if the quality of the food went down but what it was before was really really good sandwiches.
Great cheese, AMAZING fresh baked breads and a darling location in the outskirt of downtown SLO.
I used to think it was pricey… LOL then I moved back to LA.

Supposedly Oprah dubbed this place as making the best sandwiches in all the land. That kind of endorsement tends to raise expectations pretty high.
There is a great scene in the movie «Five Easy Pieces» where Bobby (played by Jack Nicholson) and friends are in a coffee shop. He wants plain toast, but it isn’t on the menu. The waitress doesn’t want to break any rules so she won’t let him order plain toast. The conversation goes something like this,
BOBBY: I’d like a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.
WAITRESS: A #2, chicken salad sand. Hold the butter, the lettuce, the mayonnaise, and a cup of coffee. Anything else?
BOBBY: Yeah, now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven’t broken any rules.
WAITRESS: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?
BOBBY: I want you to hold it between your knees.
This is a long and colorful way of saying that the next time I visit the Art Café, all I am going to order is the bread. It truly is great and if you like hot and spicy, you’ve got to try the pepper jack. As for everything that goes between their wonderful bread, «ho hum».
Oh yeah, if you have to use the restroom don’t look for it in the restaurant. You have to literally go half way qround the block to find it. What gives with that? Maybe Oprah just gets her sandwiches to go.

OMG– I cant believe Im the first to write a review on this place– The WHOLE 5 stars go to their famous O-​Sandwich — I think that O was meant for Oprah who saved the café from oblivion– but more correctly– ORGASMIC… its heaven in a sandwich– YES its that good!!! I would drive for it — but not today… :-(

it’s a little place with great sandwich. They make thier own bread. Must try.