Visit Cold Spring Tavern

Travel back 100 years in time and experience the real tavern!

Free to visit
More than 500 Miles from you
Local Selection: Exceptional experiences in your area that exceed expectations
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Description

Cold Spring Tavern is a former stagecoach stop dating back to 1886 that has been in the Ovington- Wilson family since 1941. It is located between Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez in the beautiful mountains on the San Marcos Pass off Highway 154. Here you can appreciate the true history of the old stagecoach days. They serve traditional American fare made with fresh local ingredients accompanied by the famous home-baked molasses bread. The dinners feature game inspired entrees, steaks, and ribs and are enjoyed by the glimmer of gas lanterns. Weekends at the Cold Spring Tavern are special. It starts with entertainment in the Log Cabin Bar on Friday evenings. Come and enjoy the great music of local bands, food, drink, and fresh air. It is a weekly tradition for many!

Perfect for

For two

For groups

For families with kids

For parents and grownups

Outdoorsy

Chill

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Location

5995 Stagecoach Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105

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4.7 ● Google reviews

Great rustic architecture and atmosphere. Came for lunch and the food was really good. Definitely worth ordering a few things off the menu. Service wasn’t the best.

The barbecue at this place is overhyped, and those who enjoy it probably haven't had better. If you've had barbecue from places like Texas, this doesn't come close. However, the fries and chili were very good. If you're going there for the barbecue, which I think that most people probably are, lower your expectations, it's not bad, but it's not great either. Oh I was also really excited for the onion rings, but they were too greasy. I don’t live too far but if you’re in LA thinking about making the trip out there I wouldn’t bother.

Tucked up in the mountains about 1 mile off of Highway 154 and about 20 minutes out of Santa Barbara sits Cold Spring Tavern. It’s an old stagecoach stop that’s been serving food and beverages since 1865. Our meal was a huge salad and tri-tip sandwiches, and it was delicious and filling. You can have a drink in the bar if you choose or eat out on the outdoor picnic tables. We were served by Grant, whose quick wit and attentive service added to a wonderful meal.

We visited Cold Spring Tavern 🍺, a hidden gem in Santa barbara that's been around since the 1800's. I ordered their famous Tri-tip sandwich and let me tell you , the meat was exquisite 👌 😌. And their butter onion rings are a must. Of course, an 805 was the cherry top of the cake. I was so curious to look around and employees were very friendly to show around and tell us some stories regarding this cabin . I went on a Monday so the close early, i heard the have live misic on the weekends. One thing you need to know is you have to be ready to look for parking and walk a bit 😅. I want to give a 👍 to our waiter Rohnda V. She made our visit so pleasant and answered all of questions.

Perhaps the best decision we made to re-route in search of a good lunch on our way to Solvang from Los Angeles. The bbq so good, perfection! The soup, the veggie burger. Perfect for sharing size too. The vibe and the ambiance is one with nature like when you are seated outside. Pretty busy for a Monday lunch, was surprised! A lot of cars parked both locals and tourists like us. We did not call to make a reservation but we were seated in 20 minutes. Leave the blue bird alone as they can be aggressive with your food.

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