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Savor Scout › Campuses › California › San Luis Obispo, CA › California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Restaurants near campus

Restaurants near California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

63 places to eat within a mile of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, closest first, including Red Radish and VG Cafe.

The 50 places to eat closest to Cal Poly

Closest first, out of 63 within a mile. Distances are straight-line from the campus, so a walk runs a little longer.

Right by campus · about a 5-minute walk (4)

  • Red Radish Cafeteria · 0.1 miles
    1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo
  • VG Cafe Coffee · 0.1 miles
    1 Grand Ave, Bldg 112, San Luis Obispo
  • Subway Deli · 0.1 miles
    1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo
  • Chick-fil-A · 0.1 miles
    1901 Marketplace Building 19, San Luis Obispo

A 10- to 20-minute walk · half a mile to a mile (46)

Listings from Overture Maps open data (September 2026), open places with a street address only. Hours and openings change, so check before you go. Want one picked for what you're craving instead? Ask Savor Scout near Cal Poly.

Can't decide between them? Say what you're craving and Savor Scout picks one near San Luis Obispo, CA.

The food scene around Cal Poly

63places to eat within 1 mile
62%independent, not chains
3coffee shops and cafés

Open listings put 63 places to eat within 1 mile of Cal Poly, 4 within a ten-minute walk (half a mile), and 241 within 3 miles. The most common: Mexican (8), pizza (5) and sandwiches (4). 8 are fast-food counters; the rest are sit-down restaurants, cafés, bakeries and takeaway spots.

Where to walk: the streets with the most places to eat within 1 mile are Foothill Blvd (21), Monterey St (9), Santa Rosa St (8) and Olive St (7).

By type of food — tap one for what to order and how to spot a good one:

Mexican 8 Pizza 5 Sandwiches 4 Coffee 3 Japanese 2 Barbecue 2 Bakery 2 Poke 2 American 2 Bar & grill 2

Popular cravings near Cal Poly, within 1 mile: Mexican food (8 places) and Asian food (5). Each guide covers what to order and how to tell a good kitchen from an average one.

Food guides for Cal Poly

Mexican Food near Cal Poly 8

Eating on a student budget near Cal Poly

Cheap and bad overlap much less than price filters suggest. Of the places listed nearby, 8 are fast-food counters: the cheapest default, rarely the cheapest good meal. The value is usually in lunch specials, counter service, short menus and dishes built on rice, noodles, bread or beans. Where to eat when you're broke covers what to look for, or search cheap eats near Cal Poly.

Need somewhere open right now? These listings do not carry live opening hours, and late at night a fair share of what is listed as open is not. The late-night guide covers how to check before you go, or search late-night food near Cal Poly and call ahead.

The campus

  • Location — San Luis Obispo, CA
  • Other names, current or former — Cal Poly
  • Setting — in a suburb
  • Size — 20,000 students or more
  • Type — Public four-year institution

Campus figures are from IPEDS, the US Department of Education's institutional survey. Size is reported as the survey's own bracket rather than an exact headcount, because that is what the public dataset gives and we would rather quote it than estimate.

Nearby cities

The nearest city of any real size is Santa Maria, CA, about 27 miles away, for the nights the options by campus run out.

Guides worth reading

What to eat during finals week Where to eat when you're broke Where to eat late at night Where to take visiting family and friends Eating out with a dietary restriction

Questions about eating near Cal Poly

What restaurants are near Cal Poly?
A few to start with, nearest first: Poke Chef (poke, 0.6 mi), Tacos De Acapulco (mexican, 0.6 mi), At Bites (vietnamese, 0.7 mi), Milestone Tavern (bar and grill, 0.8 mi) and Kona's Deli (sandwich shop, 0.8 mi). They are chosen local-first, then listed by distance; a starting point, not a ranking.
How many places to eat are near Cal Poly?
Open map listings put 63 places to eat within 1 mile, 4 of them within a ten-minute walk, and 241 within 3 miles. About 62% are independent rather than chains; 3 are coffee shops or cafés and 8 are fast-food counters.
Where is the food near Cal Poly?
The busiest streets are Foothill Blvd (21 places), Monterey St (9 places), Santa Rosa St (8 places) and Olive St (7 places).
What kind of food is near Cal Poly?
The most common types are Mexican (8), pizza (5), sandwiches (4) and coffee (3).

Nearby campuses

Comparing schools, or eating with friends across town? These are the closest campuses to Cal Poly.