The Madonna Inn is a legendary California roadside kitsch landmark that opened in 1958. Alex Madonna built it himself, designing each of the 110 rooms in a different theme — there are cave rooms cut from natural rock, rooms decorated entirely in pink, a suite with a waterfall shower. The exterior is candy pink and white, and the overall effect is somewhere between fever dream and folk art installation.
The Gold Rush Steakhouse is the main restaurant: dim lighting, pink booths, a dance floor, and a wine list that leans local. It's not the most refined dining in SLO, but eating here is an experience in the way that a few places genuinely are, and the steaks are good. The coffee shop downstairs is more casual and does breakfast. The pink Champagne cake is the Madonna Inn's signature dessert and has a devoted following.
Even if you're not staying or eating, drive down to look at the grounds. The men's restroom off the lobby has a waterfall urinal that has been photographed more than most national monuments. This is that kind of place. The Madonna Inn is tacky, sincere, and entirely itself — which puts it ahead of a great many things.