It’s true what they say: Paso Robles is a town for foodies. Nestled on a quiet street in downtown Paso Robles sits the twinkling lights of Thomas Hill Organics, a fabulous farm-to-table restaurant featuring elevated California cuisine. The restaurant has been a staple of Paso Robles for fourteen years, though new owners bought the place in fall 2022 and our server told us he’s never worked with better people.

The Atmosphere

We sat down at our table next to the fireplace on Thomas Hill Organics’ cozy light-lit patio and didn’t roll out of there for over two hours. I noticed how gracious and enthusiastic the staff was towards every table on this bustling Thursday night. They were in no rush to hurry anyone long. It felt a lot like dining at in a friend’s gorgeous backyard.

Appetizers

A few appetizers to highlight: the burrata with two kinds of pear, blood orange, prosciutto, pomegranate arils, and arugula. This dish had a wonderful earthiness to it and I loved that it was served with crostini. The warm cauliflower salad was a surprise to me. I’m not much of a cauliflower person but I suppose that’s because I’ve never eaten at Thomas Hill Organics before! The salad was so fresh and healthy and I loved the citrus dressing.

Last but certainly not least: the mushroom toast. This is a must-order dish if they have it on the menu (which depends entirely on if they can score the fancy trifecta of mushrooms). The thick-cut bread is a sourdough made locally by Back Pork Bakery and was as soft as a cloud. I will dream about slathering the caramelized onion cream on every sandwich, crostini, and toast from now on. Absolutely delicious!

Main Dishes

The beef bolognese is incredibly light and tomato-forward with housemade pasta. The crispy salmon with parsnip purée sings with the additions of blackberries. The lamb is perfectly cooked and served with goat cheese and almond gremolata and a squash purée. (Loving all of these purées!) And the cassoulet with duck confit and white beans? Well I would never normally order that and I loved it.

I especially have to highlight the steak. It’s a Herculean feat to impress a Texan with steak but Thomas Hill Organics has done it. This is hands down one of the top 5 best steaks I’ve ever had in my life. The meat itself was such high quality and perfectly cooked but the steak sauce with garlic, shallot, and green peppercorns really gave it that wow factor.

Dessert

For dessert, we tried the olive oil cake (super moist), flourless chocolate cake (not too sweet with delightful cocoa nibs), and lemon curd. The lemon curd, served with a shortbread cookie, was my favorite of three. The zingy lemon flavor woke me up after that decadent meal!

Thomas Hill Organics is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner and is not to be missed on your next trip to Paso Robles. Book your table here. Read more about my girls trip to Paso Robles here. Watch the episode: