I tried a cozy SLO County bakery with ‘exceptional’ pizza. What I got for $25
A quaint bakery on the San Luis Obispo County coast crafts fresh croissants, cheesecakes, scones and bread four days a week.
On Monday evenings, it’s also crafting artisan pizzas.
Wayward Baking, 1001 Santa Ynez Ave. in Los Osos, specializes in sourdough loaves and laminated pastries made with seasonal, organic ingredients.
Los Osos resident Jill Bolster-White suggested I visit the local bakery and neighboring Montaña de Oro State Park for On a Budget, a monthly series where Tribune reporters try reader-suggested foods, drinks and activities around the area on a $25 budget.
“I think everything they make is exceptional, the staff is kind and patiently explains everything in the various baked items,” she wrote in an email. “Of course, Montaña de Oro State Park is exceptional as well!”
I’m always game to pair baked goods with an outdoor outing, so I was more than happy to see what all the hype was about.
Here’s what I got:
SLO County bakery hosts popular pizza night
Location: 1001 Santa Ynez Ave., Los Osos
I love pizza. Wood-fired, Neapolitan, Detroit-style, thin crust, deep dish, you name it. However, I had yet to try to any of Wayward Baking’s offerings.
I figured I would blow my budget on one of the bakery’s beautiful pizzas.
About 60 to 85 pizzas are available for pick-up from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday. To secure a pie, you can preorder online or walk in — although early slots tend to sell out quickly, according to owner Tim Veatch.
I set an alarm for noon on Saturday — when reservations open — and placed my order a few minutes after midday.
As of mid-October, Wayward Baking was offering four pizza options for pickup, including a classic margherita option and a pepperoni pizza with ricotta and rosemary.
Also available were a delicata squash pizza with black kale, sausage and asiago cheese, and a pie topped with shaved mushrooms, ricotta, garlic confit and thyme.
I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try garlic confit on pizza, so I nabbed the mushroom option.
My pizza cost $22 plus $1.60 tax, for a total of $23.60.
What Wayward Baking in Los Osos like?
I stopped by Wayward Baking at 5:30 p.m. on a recent Monday to pick up my pizza.
The small shop is homey with a farmhouse aesthetic and lots of wooden beams painted white.
I walked right up to the register and was greeted by a friendly employee. After telling her my last name and pickup time, I heard a baker in the back yell that my pizza had literally just been made.
In seconds, I was handed a warm cardboard pizza box containing my dinner.
My biggest regret was not having cash on hand for a tip. I thought I would be able to use my credit card, but the only option available was a big tip jar.
Lesson learned, and a recommendation to readers — bring cash to the Monday pizza night.
I spent some time walking around the bakery, gazing at the offerings in the glass cabinet, which included salads, sandwiches, a Basque cheesecake and chicken liver mousse.
There was local artwork for sale in the back, along with a towering heap of pizza boxes ready to be handed to the steady stream of patrons coming through the door.
The bakery has indoor and outdoor seating options, but I planned to eat my pizza while watching the sunset at the beach at Spooner’s Cove, about a 10-minute drive away in Montaña de Oro State Park.
Eating pizza at a SLO County beach
Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.
Dark rain clouds hung overhead as big dollops of rain began hitting my windshield as I pulled into the Spooner’s Cove parking lot. A storm was forecast to bring thunder, lightning and more than an inch of rain to the area.
I’d made my peace with the fact that there would be no stellar sunset that night. I was happy to at least have an ocean view from my car while chowing down on some slices.
My first bite of pizza was delicious. I tasted mushrooms packed with umami, garlic confit that was tender, sweet and almost buttery, and hints of thyme that added freshness to the savory slice.
The pizza also had a chewy, blistered sourdough crust that was perfectly baked.
The pizza was big enough for my partner and I to share, and I even a slice left over for lunch the next day.
After we ate, we took advantage of a brief break in the rain to meander around the sandy cove. It was blustery and chilly, but besides a few seagulls we had the whole scenic beach to ourselves.
We watched the light begin to fade above the crashing waves before rushing back to the car as the rain picked up again.
Is Wayward Baking affordable? See menu prices
For a pizza that fed two people, $22 was an extremely fair price. My pie was made with high-quality, local ingredients, so I was impressed I could still stay on budget and get a tasty dinner out of it.
By making pizzas, Veatch said he wants to provide residents with a good, cheap and easy meal on a Monday night.
“It’s a really nice ‘Hey I forgot to go shopping’ dinner,’ ” he told The Tribune. “It’s here for the community.”
On Mondays, Wayward Baking also offers an $11 organic garden salad that changes seasonally.
If you’re going for breakfast, the Los Osos bakery has several inexpensive pastries. You can get a cookie for $3.50, a seasonal scone or a morning bun for $4, and a chocolate croissant for $5.50.
Sandwiches range from $12 to $16, while coffee and espresso drinks cost $3 to $6.
What are open hours at Wayward Baking?
The bakery is open 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
Pizza pick-ups occur from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Monday.
Where should I go next?
Have any ideas on where I should visit next in SLO County on a budget?
Send me recommendations at hpoukish@thetribunenews.com or by filling out the form below.
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "I tried a cozy SLO County bakery with ‘exceptional’ pizza. What I got for $25."
