Cass House Inn & Restaurant

I did go back– i think it was twelve course meal or something like that. Very Interesting food (No options though – one twelve course menu choice– you get what they give you. But for me it was all good). However, somewhat of an ordeal– we were there for two hours and hadn’t made it to the end. We just asked the waiter to skip item ten and 11 and bring dessert. Pretty pricey as well.

There are very few instances when I feel that a 5 star rating isn’t sufficient enough to praise a restaurant — Cass House Inn & Restaurant is one of those very few. Unless you happen to really be in the know or are a local, Cass House is the best restaurant in Central Coast that you’ve never heard of.
The entire staff at Cass House deserves some much deserved recognition for creating a dining experience that exceeds expectations. Ok, to be fair, I had higher than average expectations going in, but my experience blew away any high expectations I might have had as well. Cass House is located in one of the most unlikely of places — Cayucos — a sleepy, but immensely charming beach town that hugs the California coast like a baby koala to its mother. It’s a 5 – 7 minute drive north of Morro Bay and about a 30 – 35 minute drive from Pismo and Avila. Driving into Cayucos, you’d sooner expect a saloon or a fish and chips shop than a 5 star worthy restaurant, but in some ways, the humble surroundings enhances the experience.
The restaurant itself is located inside a restored Victorian Mansion and named after its original owner, Captain James Cass. An English style garden adorns the front lawn and the restaurant is accessed just off the main door. There are two dining rooms with about 10 tables max and the interior is simple, yet classically elegant in design. As the evening progresses, the late afternoon sun gives way to the soft, dim lighting from the candles and lights. While some people dress up, you can come in a jeans, button down shirt, and sneakers and still be warmly welcomed. Speaking of warm welcomes, the front house worked with me to secure a somewhat last minute reservation (3 days prior to my dining date) and were equally friendly when we walked through the doors. The waitstaff — all of them — are incredibly professional and equally as critical as the cuisine in making our overall experience incredible. This is not some 1 or 2 hour dinner. Expect a 3+ hour journey and rest easy being guided by the knowledgeable FOH/​BOH staff.
There are just two seatings (5:30-ish and 7:30-ish) and the menu is prix-​fixe. When we dined there were 14 courses for $ 85 and an optional $ 40 wine pairing. There are too many courses to describe so I’ve made note of just a few favorites, but overall, we were blown away by the thoughtfulness, creativity, and artistry of these dishes. One of our favorites is the Cayucos abalone fritters. The fritters have ink squid mixed into the batter, which lend them the black color. The plating is served over rocks in an abalone shell. The charred corn broth served over ponzu gelee is incredibly flavorful and wonderfully paired with house made bread for dipping. The crudite of house vegetables, crisp peas, and house made ricotta is so delightful. The prime aged beef is not like any other — it’s incredibly well prepared, soft, flavorful. The only dish that we felt was «average» was one of the white cake desserts. Their commitment to locally sourced ingredients, going so far as to make their own Cayucos sea salt is commendable and deeply incorporated into every dish. There is definitely some genius happening in the kitchen here and a side of me does not want to share too much about it, but it’s too good to keep to myself.
Cass House is one of the few restaurants I can think of that I would drive out of my way from LA for a dining experience. Bite for bite, Cass House provides incredible quality and value for the time you will spend there for $ 85. Whether it’s for a special occasion or just a good dining experience, you must visit Cass House. IMHO it’s the finest Central Coast restaurant and perhaps on par with some of the best fine dining meals I’ve had in larger cities — NYC, Chicago, SF, LA. Seldom have I enjoyed a dining experience so much as I have at Cass House and I hope you do as well.

UPDATE: (⁸⁄₂₆)
received a rude and emotionally charged reply from the owner about my honest experience at this establishment. just when i thought my experience at the Cass House could not have been more of a disappointment… she found a way to lower the bar with her non-​existent professionalism. Here is some advice, next time Grace, don’t reply late at night after a few drinks. Take the time to take in the honesty of what took place and don’t take it out on the paying customer.
A THREE STAR EXPERIENCE (⁸⁄₂₄)
from the moment our party stepped in a little bit late, we were made to feel bad and asked to take a slot 1.5 hours later… i couldn’t help but feel how rude that was considering we were not that late… the nerve of us… that we would inconvenience a place that serves food to fire up dishes not at the same time as other tables… i know we are blasphemous… how dare we pay top dollar and inconvenience the chef/​staff?
puhleez. i have been late to per se a couple of times and have never been asked to wait later or made to feel bad for it. accommodating customers is part of service.
what was most aggravating was that there was just maybe 3 – 4 other tables with 2 people at each and 1 with maybe 4 people… we really were not screwing anyone over.
the chef came out to tell us they could make it happen for us but the progression would be fast to catch us up… we didn’t mind that and were happy they «allowed» us in.
we started the night with a slight bad taste in our mouths.
oh no. this place and french of per se should never be uttered under the same breath.
they have a long ways to go to reach that kind of praise. when 5 dished are semi-​memorable out of a 12 dishes… you have a problem. i also experienced some dishes that were under salted and some over salted.
my boyfriend’s abalone fritters were too salty. mine were fine.
dashi came out with no salt… and barely any flavor… which is unacceptable.
atelier crenn has a similar dashi dish that is exceptional… literally crushes what we had here.
atmosphere was pretty and service was nice. the people there are kind. favorite dishes were the abalone fritters over rocks, finger lime gelee, saffron chantrelle mushrooms, crudite, and the corncake berry dessert. the rib eye caps were also good but not mind blowing.
i am unimpressed by my 1^st impression and the food and that is just the truth. although i did not regret the experience, nothing made me feel the need to come back.

It’s a unique experience on par with The French Laundry.
Housed in a converted Victorian Mansion, the dining room is separated into two small rooms with dinner seatings at 5:30 and 7:30 only. Tones and lighting are hushed and you should be prepared for a dinner lasting about three hours. It’s a 14 course prix fixe menu that does not offer any choices or options. Some are barely a bite and others reach the proportion of a small plate. They do call in advance to confirm and determine if you have any food allergies.
It was a slow, quiet and lovely experience where one can really take time to savor the amazing flavors. Some were amazing, some peculiar but all were really good.
The abalone fritters wrapped in seaweed were terrifying and by far, my favorite course! Consisting of three small black balls served in an abalone shell on a bed of pebbles, it looked awful. In the dim light it took me a moment to figure out what I was looking at and then to determine what was a pebble and what was a fritter. As one might guess, I figured it out pretty quickly.
The relaxed environment and studied service makes perfect sense. The pace between the often diminutive courses was perhaps, a bit to slow for me.
Did I mention that at $ 85 per person, the prix fixe menu is remarkably well priced?
Thanks to everyone at Cass House for a great evening!

It has been a while since I visited about 4 months but I had to write this review because it is still the best dining and culinary experience I have had. My favorite restaurant hands down. The courses were exquisite. Each course was so beautiful and yummy I died and went to foodie heaven. Lots of love, passion and culinary skill here.

Wonderful place to stay, eat, and play about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in the relaxing beach town of Cayucos.
We stayed in the Ocean Peak room. The tasting menu and service in the restaurant were exceptional.

I’ve heard only great things about this place and so I decided this would be THE restaurant we went to celebrate me and my gf’s engagement. 5 stars for service (6 if I could) and 5 for food. (6 if I could)
I emailed them 2 weeks before to see if they were able to print our names and the date on the menu for us and to my surprise, when we showed up, they did it! What a great surprise!
We were given a nice quiet table in the back and then the 14 course meal started. The 1^st course made me a little worried as it was «pressed carrot juice with ginger and date». Best carrot juice ever! I was shocked. Don’t know what they did. Add crack? Whatever it was, simply amazing.
And it only got better from there. Probably my favorite was these fritters made from abalone. And a 1A would be the lamb that was the main course. Never have I had lamb prepared like that before.
You just gotta come here yourself to know the amazingness of the meal. If this was done in a big city like SF or NY, it’d easily be a $ 200+/person meal. But for $ 85/​person, it was a deal!
I was 2 bottles of champagne and 1 bottle of wine deep when the check came so first, I apologize for not remembering our servers name, but he was amazing as well. (side note: there was a ridiculously rude family next to us who was flipping out on him, and he handled it with much more grace and calmness than I ever could’ve). And second, my math was terrible and I wanted to leave a BIG tip and ended up leaving one smaller than I wanted. So I will have to make it right! THe least I could do is give them an amazing review on Unilocal.But I will right my wrong!
Thanks again Cass House! You guys made an unforgettable night even more special.

Dined here based on my friend’s raving recommendation, and I overall enjoyed my meal but didn’t have the unbelievably-​tasty experience she did. ;)
Home runs included the AMAZING abalone fritters and the incredible crudite course with homegrown vegetables and I think a fresh ricotta. There’s one choice on the menu of «land or sea», and I went with the land — a chicken dish that was really, really flippin’ tasty. My favorite dessert include a light-​as-​air almond cake with panna cotta and a honeycomb-​like candy. Yum.
Would heartily return — wish they’d go back to a 5 or 6 course menu with more than one course with a choice. :)

My wife and I stayed here as part of our road trip for our honeymoon along hwy 1. The room we stayed at is amazing, short walk to the beach. The food is ah-​may-​zing. Although the fixed price menu is expensive per person, it’s totally worth it! It’s probably the main attraction in Cayucos!
Will be back again the next time we pass through Cayucos and when we can afford to stay or eat there.

Now this is a fancy place But they will never compare with a Jockos steak
Loved the wine pairings

New menu format: $ 85 for about ten courses (depending on how you count) ranging from bites to more substantial eats; you are offered a choice on only one of them (on the spring menu, Land or Sea is a choice of chicken or halibut).
The «Crudités» this year is one of the prettiest things I have ever been served in my life, and the «Curds and Whey» cauliflower «risotto» is deceptively simple and fantastic. I’ll upload some photos.
Still one of my absolute favorite restaurants in California.

4.5 stars.
6 course tasting and wine paring was amazing.
Great service as well.
Great for any special occasion.
Two down sides, the dining room was freezing.
Also, between 4^th course (main) and 5 th course (dessert), we waited so long.
Amazing restaurant, I would like to come back many many times.

I could not have been happier with The Cass House Inn and Restaurant. My stay there was hands down one of the best overnight experiences I have had.
The service is absolutely impeccable. The girl who was working the counter when my boyfriend and I arrived was not only extremely friendly but was very accommodating and made us feel at home immediately.
The room was homey and comfortable, the bed was amazing and it was stocked with anything and everything you could ever need… blowdryer amazing soaps and lotions, homemade local cookies, robes and so much more.
Although we were not able to have dinner there, I noticed the chef picking fresh herbs from their own garden out back to use in their dishes. AMAZING!!! The restaurant is beautiful and ambience looked fantastic! We were lucky enough to wake up to a complimentary gourmet breakfast. We were greeted in the morning by yet another extremely welcoming and warming women who showed us to some fresh made coffee, tea and served us our outstanding breakfast!!!
I love love love this place and will recommend it to anyone and everyone who is in the area. It is literally right down the street from all the Cayucos shopping and restaurants and you can not find anywhere around that will make you feel more at home!!!
Thank You to all from the Cass House for the wonderful experience and for ending our little vacation on a fantastic note!!!

Wow.
My boyfriend surprised me with a wknd trip down to the central coast and included in the surprise is dinner at the Cass House. Knowing how much I freaking love eating, he did his research and booked this gem. As we were walking towards the restaurant from our B&B next to the ocean, I had no expectations whatsoever of a restaurant in a little town like Cayucos. In fact, even as we were seated and was brought the menu, the name and description of the dishes didn’t really interest me. What probably brought my expectations even lower, was the fact that we were told it was their only menu (4-​course) because it’s restaurant month in the area and they’re serving cheaper price-​fixed menus. It was even weirder because it was a four-​course meal but there were 6 items on the menu. But man, once the food started coming in, I was floored!
We started with a butternut squash potage, which came in this tiny tiny bite-​sized portion that was similar to a amuse-​bouche. It was delicious though and a pairing of ham croquet (fried cubed ham in this case) really added to the otherwise standard concotion… we were just getting started.
Next we had chicken liver country pâté, which I believe was the first course appetizer. The pâté was pureed and it doesn’t have any of the grainy grassy flavour of what you would expect. It was paired with this delicious delicious garden salad, some of it’s vegetables were directly picked from their own garden. Even though I don’t normally eat half of the type of vegetables served, i ate it all. And whatever that was left of the purée we soaked our bread with it. My mouth is watering thinking about it.
Next came a mussel appetizer. The mussel was deshelled and steamed. Yes you read right, mussel with no plural… haha…it was a tiny dish that is basically one spoon/​mouthful. I can’t remember now what else was with it, because the champagn pairing was starting to get to me… but i remember the reduction with the mussel was fulll of the right seafood flavours without being fishy tasting.
Then the main course of braised beef shank with root vegetables. The beef was braised in a wood oven for over 10 hours and you can taste the smoky flavour infused in the melt in your mouth beef. Some of the root vegetables were picked from their in-​house organic garden as well. This was paired perfectly with a glass of syrah.
For dessert, it was a chestnut cake that was more savoury and not sweet at all, but it was paired with this amazingly thick and syrupy, overly sweet italian dessert wine that went perfectly together. Normally wines this sweet would give me a headache but with that chestnut cake, it was pretty heavenly.
We finished off with some coffee, dried fruits and nuts picked from the in-​house garden again. Every single course was a favour to your palate and each of the courses were perfectly fused together.
This restaurant is better than some of the michelin restaurants i’ve tried in Europe.
Service was phenomenal. The maitre d’ who’s been working there for years would personally come to our table and tell us about each of the courses and explain and answer any questions we had. My boyfriend and I were having some intense conversations at times, and the servers would notice it and wait until we were done.
This may be my favourite restaurant in the whole world. I can’t wait to go back.

Want a dreamy vacation? Come here!
We came for the weekend in early November and the weather was beautiful. Our room was cozy, nicely appointed (cookies) and had an amazing view of the ocean. Morning breakfast was simple and delish. Worth the high price tag.
We had dinner at the restaurant one evening and it was outstanding. Kinda weird saying goodnight to your waiter and then walking upstairs to jump in bed.
Nice location if looking to wine taste in paso robles. Just 25 minutes away are tons of wineries to choose from.
Warning: if you don’t like to be woke up by the smell of breakfst meats this spot is not for you. :)

Pre-​frix «live fire» dinner was a real winner from top to bottom. Compliments to the chef. Especially loved the faux muscle shell, a squid ink crisp. And for dessert a reconstructed apple pie. Poached apple baked when wrapped in a pie crust with apple ash and house made cream.
I’m hungry again. So glad we decided to stay here and partake in the dinner. What an awesome place all around

We had one of the best dinners we ever had. The offer a prix fix tasting menu that was whimsical and quite delicious. It was the most fun we had during dinner since we were at the Sooke Harbor House Inn on Vancouver Island.
The service was excellent and we enjoyed all the dishes. They may look small but, at the end, it was very satisfying. A very enjoyable dining experience.

Cass House Inn & Restaurant is a MUST meal on the central coast! OK, let me lead off with what could be negatives for some diners:
1. It’s a multi-​course fixed price menu. They recently re-​did the menu. There’s now two choices for entrées, beef or chicken. This could be a turn-​off for someone who desires just a simple specific meal.
2. It’s relatively expensive. Dinner is $ 72 and optional wine pairing is $ 38.
For someone who truly desires a special, special meal with impeccable service — this is the place! Oh my gosh, the quality is out of this world. Most of the vegetables are grown in their own gardens. Cass House also has a close relationship with local providers for fresh seafood, meats and other accompaniments. I was blown away by the knowledgeable staff. While our waiter was across the room, my friends and I were discussing the garden and had a question. A busboy was filling our water glasses, heard the question, and gave a very detailed answer not just on the garden but on vegetable slicing and presentation. The beer and wine menu is likewise top notch. One of our party who desires wheat beers was simply floored with an imported beer from Schneider Weisse. Also memorable was the waiter’s style and flourish in pouring the beer. Another plus is that being the central coast it is not necessary to «dress up». Nice jeans and a dress shirt is the normal style. In summary, a stylish, top quality meal in a welcoming historic inn.

If I could impersonate James Oseland of Saveur Magazine I would and it might sound lispy like this, «Cass House Inn I want to award you a galaxy of stars for an amazing job. You’ve managed to take us back into the past yet stay chic and modern. You look, smell and feel so delicious I just want to put on a silk robe and romance you all night.»
Superbowl Sunday might be the quietest time EVER in the seaside town of Cayucos. We had the Cass House Inn to ourselves and pretty much the rest of the town too.
We arrived late on Sunday afternoon in time for a little wine and cheese on the front porch and a stroll through the gardens. The sun was about to set and we were advised to cross the street to take it in from the pier. Magic!
Unfortunately the restaurant was closed this Sunday night but we were offered assistance from Grace to find an alternative dining arrangement. Having stayed in Cayucos before I figured we had this under control. We wound up enjoying the game with locals at Schooner’s.
The rooms are comfortably appointed and full of old world charm. We stayed in the downstairs master, perhaps the largest room in the inn. The remote controlled gas fireplace, flat screen TV and luxury linens make you feel like you are staying in a fine modern hotel but the furnishings and art remind you that Cass House is something much more. The historic photos throughout give you a glimpse into the history of the house and it’s namesake. Years of careful restoration and modernization make Cass House unique among the usual Bed and Breakfast.
Breakfast! The dining room was our and ours alone. There was something very Downton-​esque about having breakfast in this old house. China cups, silver service and egg soufflé. I feel bad I didn’t dress up. I can only imagine what the house would sound like when full. For us it was quiet and gentile, it’s the kind of quiet that makes you want to be on your best behavior and fake a British accent.
Everyone made us feel comfortable and welcomed. The staff was extremely attentive and kind. We really felt at home.
I can’t wait to visit again!

I was hoping to write a review separately on both the stay and the restaurant but sadly only one Cass House to review on. But trust me they both would have been HIGH ratings.
So upon booking our weekend away we were sad to hear they were fully booked in the main house but I was overjoyed that my boyfriend payed the extra for the beach house. We are fairly private people and a little scared to do an actual B&B and this was worth the extra cost. I do believe however if we stayed in the main house we would have still been amazed.
On to the Beach House it is a small maybe 700 sq ft house but oh so big while you are staying there all the amenities are included as far as plates, silverware, coffee maker and complimentary coffee and tea, dish washer and dish soap, washer and dryer and so so so much more. We were only there for a long weekend but please know this particular small house would be perfect for a family vacation for a week or more both in size and convenience. We just happened to get lucky to enjoy the beach house for a few days. So the walk to the beach is under a block and to walk the main strip is under a half a block the walk to the main house for wine and cheese is across the yard. ;)
The history of the Cass House is, it is one of the towns original founders home but over time was dilapidated and was in need of major repair and TLC. The new owners have put so much love, care and thought into the rebuilding of this home you can feel the love as soon as you set foot into the place. It is warm inviting and you can smell the aroma of good cooking in a nearby room and the soft aroma of the flowers in the yard. Greeted warmly from a soft smiling worker and shown shortly to your room with a quick tour of the house and grounds. You can’t help but notice an amazing garden which you are told if you eat at the main house most of fruits and veggies will be grown and cared for by the workers of the house.
So we reserved our dinner at the main house during our stay. When we show up for dinner it is a very small, quaint, quite and quite personal service. This is a beach town and our server looked a bit like a surfer dude but then he started to talk and we were blown away with his knowledge of the food in the house, the local places that they get, grow and raise their food and the amazing knowledge of wine both local and non local. This guy was highly knowledgeable in all these things seriously blew me away and I am not one to judge a book by its cover because you never know what is inside! The plating is unique and tries to include the local food factor into all of its plates. You will be told of were this was grown (whether in house or nearby) and how it was prepared. If you opt for a wine pairing listen to your guide as I would like to call him he/​she/​they will show you the way. Each dish was bursting with flavor and freshness. Highly worth the price, ambiance and wait for the amazing food you will be served. I will not include a description of my dinner because the food changes daily according to what is in season at the house and locally.
I highly recommend the Cass House for the Bed and Breakfast, the Beach House and the Restaurant. I was SOsoSO pleased with everything and everyone on my weekend away in a small quiet beach town that hasn’t changed much since about 1955. BTW you may have to contact them directly for the beach house because it is not advertised on the website.