Cold Spring Tavern

"When in Santa Barbara, always plan a drive through the San Marcos Pass. It’s one of three passages through the expansive Santa Ynez Mountains with a perfect stop to break up the drive at Cold Spring Tavern. It’s a former stagecoach stop that’s been serving food since 1865. Bikers and wine country aficionados dine at picnic tables and admire the vintage wagon wheels hanging from the walls. Order the beer-battered onion rings, tri-tip sandwich, wild game black bean chili, baby back pork ribs, or the buffalo burger." - Mona Holmes

"Cold Spring Tavern is a living Santa Barbara legend, pushed into the hillsides above the Central Coast city. Loaded with roadhouse favorites like grilled tri-tip and other steaks, piping-hot chili, and saucy ribs, this 130-plus-year-old getaway is still as popular with travelers as ever before. Expect live music and a mid-to-long wait on weekends." - Eater Staff, Mona Holmes

"Set in the Santa Ynez Mountains just above Santa Barbara, Cold Springs Tavern is an old cabin and former stagecoach stop that dates back to 1886. But the crowds don’t drive up here just because it's a living museum. Cold Springs also serves some of the best tri-tip on the Central Coast: thick juicy slices of medium-rare beef grilled over oak and seasoned with garlic and spices. During the week make a reservation for a full meal inside the restaurant, or show up on weekends for the big outdoor barbecue where families load up on tri-tip sandwiches slathered in barbecue sauce or house salsa while drinking beer, picnicking in the gardens, and enjoying whatever live bands happens to show up." - brant cox, garrett snyder

"In the mid-19th century, Cold Spring Tavern was known as the “Cold Spring Relay Station,” a stagecoach stop. At the time, anyone looking to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco had to take a stagecoach ride through San Marcos Pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Weary travelers would eat their meals at the tavern before re-boarding their stagecoach, which would’ve been replenished with new horses for their continued journey down the mountain. A century later, Cold Spring Tavern has not changed much. Blanketed by a forest of trees and a small creek that runs through the lot, the site consists of several buildings, including the original tavern that now serves as the restaurant and the Log Cabin Bar next to it. Besides the renowned tri-tip sandwich (so named because it incorporates a triangular cut of beef) that’s served with a house-made horseradish sauce, they also serve wild game such as venison, rabbit, and buffalo. Visitors can also see the old “Road Gang House” that is right behind the tavern. The Road Gang House was built by Chinese immigrants in 1868 for shelter as they paved the toll road through the San Marcos Pass. Another building near the restaurant was a bunkhouse for the stage drivers who would stop by to rest and to add or remove horses to their stagecoaches. The bunkhouse is now a gift shop. Located on Stagecoach Road along Highway 154, Cold Spring Tavern is the only stop in an area that consists of miles of trees and roads. Nonetheless, it becomes quite packed on the weekends with people enjoying tri-tip sandwiches or their wild game chili. It is quite the hidden gem, a place where weary drivers can visit to enjoy lunch, dinner, and the rustic view." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

"Set in the Santa Ynez Mountains just above Santa Barbara, Cold Springs Tavern is an old cabin and former stagecoach stop that dates back to 1886. But the crowds don’t drive up here just because it's a living museum. Cold Springs also serves some of the best tri-tip on the Central Coast: thick juicy slices of medium-rare beef grilled over oak and seasoned with garlic and spices. During the week make a reservation for a full meal inside the restaurant, or show up on weekends for the big outdoor barbecue where families load up on tri-tip sandwiches slathered in barbecue sauce or house salsa while drinking beer, picnicking in the gardens, and enjoying whatever live bands happens to show up." - Garrett Snyder