The Unvegan

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Making a Splash Cafe

A splash of sunshine.
A splash of sunshine.

As we began our road trip, we had one rule for meals: No more than $10 per person. It was a relatively simple rule, but still frightening when considering how much that would cost for two people for three meals a day. With this in mind, a buddy of mine recommended Splash Cafe in San Luis Obispo (also known as SLO for the cool kids). He had heard great things about their clam chowder, so I was excited to get clammed up there.

So clammy and crabby in here.
So clammy and crabby in here.

But beforehand, I should probably confess that I had never eaten clam chowder before and wasn’t sure what I was getting into. The chowder came in a sourdough bread bowl despite the fact that we were still hundreds of miles from San Francisco, and there were also options for toppings. While bacon and cheese was one of them, the woman behind the counter recommended crab meat and we followed her instructions. Then, for good measure, I ordered grilled cheese with cheddar to ensure that I went all-out carby.

Grilled and cheesy.
Grilled and cheesy.

Well, as my first chowder, I have to say that Splash Cafe truly set the bar high. Each bite was incredibly delicious, whether it was filled with clam, crab or just chowdery bread. The bread itself was baked in-house and nothing short of stellar. The grilled cheese was delicious as well, although almost pedestrian when compared to the majesty of the chowder. Anyone looking for a fantastic meal on a budget while driving the Pacific Coast Highway would be wise to stop at Splash and get clammy.