jocko's steak house

my son michael took my wife clemencia and i to jocko's steakhouse and at first i wasn't too sure since i saw all the long tables that reminded me of some basquefoodi used to enjoy in bakersfield.(a good memory ) anyways,i ordered the filet mignon,my wife and son ordered the new york steak dinners. "we" have to say--this was the best  and greatest steak dinners we have had anywhere !!! wow !! awesome steaks. melted in our mouths.  we also had some wine which complimented our meals.the relish tray was very good as were the dinner salads. all in all--a 5 rating from us !! we are sure to return--very soon   gizgaz of lompoc california

while living in north dakota, i would dream about our yearly visit to see family and hit jocko's. for the entire 2,100 mile drive, it seemed for ever. the only bad thing was at the end of the meal, i knew it would be another year before i would get to enjoy another great steak. the absolute best place. thefoodis out of this world. i have recommended this place to everybody i came in contact with. i have told them that they don't want to miss jocko's when they are out in california. i frequent mainly high end restaurants, and jocko's is by far the best.

what a shame.  i have come to jocko's for 45+ years.  recently returning to the area for a visit, jocko's was on my must go to list.  grabbing high school friends, off we went.  i ordered what i had for decades, the small spencer steak, medium well.  one friend had the linguica and two others the large steak sandwich.  
when thefoodfinally arrived ( a good 45 minutes after ordering )  i could immediately see this steak looked far different then in years past.  never before had it have a sliver of fat and this was large, but not in a good way.  worst yet, the steak knife i had forgo before, was not only necessary this time out, but worthless as the steak was not only tough, but rare, very rare.  my friends linguica was the dimensions of a penny.  the two steak sandwiches were barely touched.  
service was not up to par with the high prices.  what a shame to wait such a long time to revisit a once local favorite, only to be disappointed and embarrassed to have insisted to the others to go there in the 1st place.  sorry jocko's, no one will be "follow me to jocko's" again.

filet mignon. a great cut of meat, could have used a little extra seasoning. are the leftovers cold the next day and it tasted even better!


-----30 jan, 2015-----

thefoodwas good, but we were way more impressed with the hitching post. we had reservations and were still there nearly 3 hours! the staff barely paid attention to us and the noise level is insane. the portions are huge though!

first time customer samiam. great tastingfood, well worth the wait , you get gratfoodfor a lot less money and nice and kind service. thank you .

santa maria style bbq. this is a great place to go for a "santa maria style" bbq'd steak dinner. your steak is bbq'd on oak on an open pit and served with.pinquito beans, all of this traditional. your sides besides pinquito beans include several choice like a baked potato, rice etc and the meal comes with a salad, desert and coffee. the desert is ice cream. they also serve a tray of pickles olives peppers onions and pickles and some really great bread. you say this seems like standard fare except there is nothing spartan about it and it's all good ,not dry and pasty.. you won't go home hungry. in fact i saw "most" every one and i mean every one going home with a portion of their meal in a styrofoam container. it was not because it wasn't good. there was just too much. the size of the steak was enormous and done exactly as ordered. it tasted liked i hoped. i hit a home run this time.....and this my third attempt. the other two times were good but not what i wanted and here is why.
jocko's does not fire up the the open pit until 4:30 during the week so if you come early don't expect steak to taste it's best. it will still be great just not what they can rally do. sunday they fire the pit up early....not sure about saturday..
i found the staff very polite and accommodating. i say that sincerely. there was no rudeness like i read from another, in fact quite the opposite. the place seems very popular and it is because of it'sfoodnot it's location or decor. but all that adds to it's draw.....even the bar. i will definitely go back for that steak again.......it was a winner and it was huge.....tender and tasty.
tony

first attempt didnt have a reservation, didn't get in. second time made reser ation and still waited for a bit. the place has not invested in nice tables and chairs. looks like a dump but look pass all that and prepare for an awesome meal. got the large spencer steak and it was wonderful. so muchfoodand good price. i loved it!

weird but good. was in town for work and everyone said follow the smoke to jacko's. had a 6:30 reservation that was not seated till 7:30. thefoodwas good but not great. not sure it was worth the wait but it was better than other choices in the area. was good price for what we got though. don't understand the fascination though with this place.

jocko's steaks. by far the best steak house on the central coast, if you want goodfoodgo here! if you want atmosphere go somewhere else! i highly recommend this - order a large spence steak and pork chops - each person gets a chop and a half a steak! still the best steaks for over 40 years!!!!!

this is by far the best steakhouse i've been to. expect to wait a hour or more, but it's definitely worth the wait. the portions are huge and thefoodis expertly seasoned. flavor crusted on the outside, buttery soft and juicy on the inside. one of my top picks.