Vaquero Bar

We stopped in for a nightcap while passing through town per a recommendation from our hotel bartender. I absolutely LOVE this little town. This bar is super cool. Very small, but it has the feel of what I imagine a true "pub" is like. This seems to be the place where the locals go, especially those who work in the surrounding hotels and restaurants. Drink menu offers a nice selection of NA and adaptogen beverages. Now for the flip side... The smell of raw seafood was the first thing we noticed when we walked in on a Sunday night (10:30 p.m.), long after the kitchen closed. It was a little overwhelming at first. We left after one drink. Overall, this place is cool. I highly recommend.

This is such a great spot in Solvang. Bartenders are awesome and friendly. Drinks are always spot on, and the atmosphere is fun, lively and welcoming with a mix of locals and visitors. We visited during the LA fires like many and found our new favorite bar in Solvang. 🤘🏼 You had me with the albums spinning and black and white photo of Dolly 🔥

We came here for drinks at around 8pm because the rest of Solvang was closed. I did not get her name but the bartender on duty super bowl Sunday was great!!! Attentive, fast, accurate and pleasant!! Please reply with her name and give her a raise!!!

The Vaquero Bar in Solvang is a must-visit spot for anyone who enjoys excellent fish and chips and handcrafted, old-fashioned mixed drinks. Not only is the bar food delicious, but the bartenders are incredibly knowledgeable about their offerings and use fresh ingredients in everything they make. If you're looking for a high-quality drinking and bar food experience, the Vaquero Bar should definitely be on your list.

Just what Solvang needed. This place has it. Vaquero Bar is itself a great restaurant with small plates/tapas style with a lot of flair, from oysters, to fish crudo, prawns etc, etc. It's not like any bar food if I say so myself. Their cocktails are in the range of $12 to $16 but well worth it. I tried all of their old fashioneds, The Proper, The Silver Stallion (very tasty) and the Midnight Rider (with a punch) and repeated the la latest. They are all very good, wifey had the ring of fire which was strong but tasteful. Grab a seat at the bar and the have an all school vinyl player which you can go over their plentiful collection of vinyls and chose your own for the nights line up. Their cocktails are mixology type with local bar fleur, besides they close at 12 am. Nothing in Solvang opens this late. Everything closes right at 5 or 6 the latest. You must have to try this place, local beers on tap, awesome food and great service. You are in for an awesome party, everyone in there seems to know each other and you are welcome in to the party as if you were local. I'll be sure to stop by here anytime I'm anywhere near Solvang.

This is a unique spot in Solvang, a little hard to find. It's next door to the restaurant which is called Coast Range which is located at the same address. We came at night after bar hopping so if you don't see the sign if you see the restaurant you're in the right place. The online reviews sounded great, however I wish they would have mentioned how tiny it is. There's very little room for more than 10-12 people and on a weekend the bar was pretty full. The plus side is they are open until 12 am and they also serve food. We tried the potato pierogis which were very good. The food is on the pricey side but tasty. Not many selections that go with beer unless you're very hungry. The soup looks great but it's just a lot. The bartender was helpful and very friendly which was a plus. The drinks were every good. We tried a couple of their margaritas which I totally recommend. The only downside here aside from the fact that it was small is it seems like a locals bar. We're from out of town and it was packed, maybe because there aren't a lot of options but several people had dogs with them inside and there's just no room. We had to sit at the stools by the window off to the side. There's space outside as well but people were standing and chatting out there since there wasn't any more room inside. So its a chill place but small. If you need space and want to be able to talk and hang out with a group this might not be the place for you if it's crowded. But for a quick drink or perhaps when it's slower it seems like a very nice, cozy spot to grab a beer and maybe move on to your next location. It was conveniently located next to a liquor store and also Dominos in case you're super hungry. Thanks to the bartender who helped us even though it was super busy. The polite service was much appreciated

We loved the feel of this little bar and the music. That’s why I picked this spot as one of my stops for my 40th birthday celebration BUT I was honestly caught off guard by the rude bartender. She had the worst attitude. I started to feel like maybe she didn’t like serving “outsiders” cause she seemed to treat others a lot better than us. The tall brunette was super sweet and helpful but the other girl OMG, she just hates life. I wish I would have read the reviews beforehand because it seems like we were not the only ones who had a horrible experience. Drinks were great but that girl just killed the vibe. I did not tip her btw and I for sure will skip this spot next time I visit Solvang. If you’re not a local then skip this place. Save your business for the other bars.

Tiny bar that seems to act as a waiting room for the Coast Range restaurant next door. Bartenders were friendly. Very little seating, and it was a little frustrating that a couple of tables and bar seats were taken up by people not drinking which made it difficult for us to get an order in. There were only a few beers on tap, but a good representation of style so you should find something you will like. I had a M. Special American Lager which was light and crispy, refreshing after a day of wine tasting.

Stopped in for a cocktail on a Monday, early evening, with a friend. Gabby took care of us, and was fantastic. I ordered a filthy dirty martini, and she brought me a side of bribe just in case my drink wasn't dirty enough. We didn't order any food but what we saw on other people's tables looked great. Prices were as expected given it's a touristy location.

Five stars since it's one of my fav places on earth but the vibe was very different without Joey. Always love seeing our fav bartenders and servers Victor, Kelly, Kimber, and Gabby.

The only late-night cocktail lounge around! Really great, consistent drinks. Good service. Old-fashioned pub atmosphere. Fun locals after the other spots close. And the steak appetizer was so good I wished I had come for dinner!

Love this local bar bartenders are incredible. Would highly recommend this food and bar to anyone living in or visiting the valley

0 stars if I could, was there last night the older blonde lady with glasses is very passive aggressive and not welcoming at all, very dismissive. Also had other customers ask us if we had the same experience with her. She comes off very rude, they should practice the slogan.

Location and ambiance was promising. The guy behind the bar was extremely un-attentive. He had attitude for no reason though busy with every woman who walked in. We were a mature professional older group of people. He was very cliche. You will know him when you walk in. Wears shirt two sizes too small, ball cap to cover up his bald head, attitude if you threaten his in securities or his goal to score with the easiest target at the bar. Too bad, bar has potential.

The older blonde bartender was extremely rude. We stood there ready to order, and she completely ignored us, made eye contact and just kept chatting with other people like we didn't exist. We were clearly waiting, and she couldn't be bothered. Terrible attitude and customer service. Won't be coming back.

We went in for a drink at Vaquero Bar in Solvang and had a horrible experience. The bartender (older women with glasses) was extremely dismissive and rude toward us but was attentive and friendly with everyone else at the bar. We felt completely unwelcome. The service was unprofessional and made the whole experience uncomfortable. Definitely won't be coming back.

Great location with great drinks. The only thing that really took away from our experience was the bartender. He acted like he didn't want to be there. When we tried to make friendly conversation, his response came off as curt and annoyed -- totally took away from our overall experience.

Favorite spot in Solvang! We stayed in Solvang 2 nights and went to Vaquero both nights. What we loved most was the fact that they allow dogs. We sat inside, had drinks and martinis and found that they serve the same menu as Coast Range (related restaurants). We wanted to go to Coast Range but the available reservations didn't work for us (8:45pm being the earliest). So we ate at Vaquero and were even happier with the bar seating and bar service. Food is incredible. Drinks are perfection. Ambiance is great and we made friends at the bar. The walls had Dolly Parton on it, you can choose records for the bar to play and it was old time-y but with a modern, western twist. It is definitely a steakhouse bar. Can't wait to go back!

Vaquero Bar is part of the restaurant Coast Range which opened up within the last couple years. There is bar seating inside and there is also outdoor seating. Their cocktail menu is organized by category like sours/mules/collins or classic drinks like old fashioneds/negronis/martinis with three different types of drinks under each of those categories. My first drink was the proper old fashioned ($15) which was accurately pretty proper. My second drink was the old pal ($14) which is a negroni but with rye. When I was here, another customer asked if they could play some music from the records that they had against the wall which was cool. This was a cool cocktail bar serving good drinks in a town where beer and wine reign supreme.

Cute little quaint bar attached to the Coast Range Restaurant. There was only one bartender who made the best picante margaritas. She was really calm and didn't appear overwhelmed but I think they need to get her some help because it got pretty busy in there on a Saturday afternoon. My only issue was there were so many bees inside. No one seemed to be phased by them but me. I saw some people swatting them away but didn't really seemed bothered. I'm not sure if there was a hive right outside the window or what but I'm not cool with bees.

Five stars for the bartender, he made great drinks. Zero stars for the woman who apparently worked there and was sitting in the bar on her break and every other word out of her mouth was a vulgar swear word. Really? Customers don't want to hear that, clean up your act.

Amazing cocktails, great service, friendly atmosphere and open late! A must stop while in Solvang.

If you're in Solvang you have to stop here. Fantastic drinks, and real good alcohol. You can spin albums while you drink!

This is a unique spot in Solvang, a little hard to find. It's next door to the restaurant which is called Coast Range which is located at the same address. We came at night after bar hopping so if you don't see the sign if you see the restaurant you're in the right place. The online reviews sounded great, however I wish they would have mentioned how tiny it is. There's very little room for more than 10-12 people and on a weekend the bar was pretty full. The plus side is they are open until 12 am and they also serve food. We tried the potato pierogis which were very good. The food is on the pricey side but tasty. Not many selections that go with beer unless you're very hungry. The soup looks great but it's just a lot. The bartender was helpful and very friendly which was a plus. The drinks were every good. We tried a couple of their margaritas which I totally recommend. The only downside here aside from the fact that it was small is it seems like a locals bar. We're from out of town and it was packed, maybe because there aren't a lot of options but several people had dogs with them inside and there's just no room. We had to sit at the stools by the window off to the side. There's space outside as well but people were standing and chatting out there since there wasn't any more room inside. So its a chill place but small. If you need space and want to be able to talk and hang out with a group this might not be the place for you if it's crowded. But for a quick drink or perhaps when it's slower it seems like a very nice, cozy spot to grab a beer and maybe move on to your next location. It was conveniently located next to a liquor store and also Dominos in case you're super hungry. Thanks to the bartender who helped us even though it was super busy. The polite service was much appreciated!

We went this past weekend with our elderly family member. We were told the wait was about 5 minutes, perfectly fine. The host tells us where to sit and wait. I actually go out to the sidewalk to wait but my elderly family member sits down. Well out of nowhere this super rude and unprofessional idk who, that works there, comes out yelling at my family member that she's in the way and she needs to move. She was an older woman with glasses. Her tone was so out of pocket. My grandmother in law doesn't even speak English, she's here on a short trip and she just came out immediately annoyed and yelling. Safe to say after that we just left. Learn how to treat people and I would never ever dine here or give you all a single penny. So incredibly rude!

Food was as good. Had oysters, shrimp cocktail and lox bagel. My French 75 was delicious and I thought the windows to the street and stained glass wers so cute! They even have a record player and a collection of vinyl to play in the evenings. Victor took care of us and a great time was had!

Coolest spot in town; they have damn good drinks, great music (they have a whole selection of vinyls to choose from that you can request to play), great food, and incredible bartenders. You want a spicy margarita? Get the Picante, perfect mix of sour, spice, and you can taste the sting of the alcohol too. Gaby always comes in clutch with the kind yet slightly sassy personality, and she knows how to make drinks too. So if ever you come into the bar and she's serving you, expect a good experience that'll make you nostalgic once you leave town.

Vaquero Bar was listed as one of the best bars in America (2021) by Esquire. I don't use it as a checklist-there are a bunch of them in Ohio for some reason but if one is reasonably nearby I'll check it out; I did it for a bar on the 2020 list and it was a fun place I've come back to a few times. What I'm saying is I had some expectations going in for the bar. Vaquero Bar doesn't fit in Solvang. Solvang is a little faux-Danish town and you can easily walk around it in a day and *kitschy* would be the best word to describe it; they have a red clog that people put their kids in to take photos, it's that kind of place. So when I say that it doesn't fit in there I mean that in a positive way. The bar is black polished marble, and even though it was busy it didn't seem too packed, even managed to find a seat. I like that their menu is laid out by classic cocktails and expands with their own twists on it. I went with their Midnight Rider twist on their Old Fashioned, and it was not only a vat of cocktail, the walnut bitters and maple syrup spin on it made it pretty good. Now that I knew that could make a decent cocktail I decided to get something off menu and get a Paper Plane which came out beautifully and tasted as good as it looked. I'm pretty certain it's the only place in town where you can get a cocktail but it could hold its own anywhere.

We paid $62 for 2 drinks and a shrimp cocktail. Which would be fine if the shrimp cocktail wasn't absolutely filthy, uncleaned shrimp with a pathetic slice of lemon and the drinks were not served by a bartender who could not even be bothered to serve them to the right person or be personable in any way. Monica was the bartender and the main reason we canceled our dinner reservations after our experience. If she had been even the slightest bit friendly we might have stayed. My partners hands stunk after touching the browning shrimp, that is not a good sign.

Very cute little bar. Good location and food looked good all though we didn't try any. Just stopped for a quick drink.

This restaurant was recommended to our party by the staff at Sunstone winery. What a great recommendation it was! The customer service here was top notch! Our waitress was Jennifer who went above and beyond to accommodate us. Unfortunately I didn't catch the other gentleman's name that assisted Jennifer, but he was also helpful and very knowledgeable about the food. I ordered the vaquero burger, which was cooked perfectly! The beef is from a local ranch and my understanding is that it is pasture raised, grass fed and carrot fed. The steak fries were a little too salty for me, so if you don't like overly salty fries, then be sure to ask for unsalted if they offer it. The oysters were fresh and delicious! I'm not a huge raw oyster eater, but these were very enjoyable. My friend had the fish n chips which is locally caught Vermillion rock cod fish. Her first bite was so impressive and described as melt in your mouth delicious. I tried a piece of the cod and it was just as she described. I loved it. Overall a great recommendation by the staff at Sunstone. I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu.

Several girlfriends and I spent a recent weekend afternoon wine tasting, and then went looking for a fun place to hang out after dinner.  Vaquero turned out to be the perfect place! The bartenders are friendly, armed with ready smiles and great drink recommendations.  There's a good number of old-time vinyl records available to play on their turntable to provide tunes, and they've got some seriously killer donuts on hand for even the pickiest sweet tooth :-) Tip:  We ate dinner before arriving, but after I saw the fish and chips they serve here, I posted this tip so I'd remember to save room to try some next time - they look amazing, and smell even better :-)

Came over to celebrate a friends birthday, Gaby is so sweet and fun ! Asked for a shot of tequila and oh myyyy , it was smooth! , Thank you Gaby for good vibes and good conversations

Crazy that this bar is called the vaquero but I noticed that the bartenders have an attitude with the brown people.I ask the male bartender what beers do they serve.he said he couldn't hear me and threw the menu to me.the white people on back of me asked him what drinks do they have and of course he heard them and started blabbing the whole drink menu.if your brown I would not waste my time hear

Came in on a random Wednesday night wasn't expected to be greeted with great hospitality and great and atmosphere. I was seated and quickly grabbed a shot that Gaby recommend and it was great ! I couldn't recommend this lounge more, it has all the vibes.

Came here twice for memorial weekend. First visit around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Waitress was rude upon arrival. We ordered apps, meals and drinks. After she dropped off our food, she never came back to check on us and immediately brought the bill. Restaurant was slow but she was very attentive to the rest of the customers there. Food was great but service needs some work. Second visit: bar area One Waitress was kind and quick with service. Other waitress seems bothered by us sitting in the corner when her regulars came in.

Pretty pricey but it is one of a small list of restaurants opened past 8PM on a Tuesday in Solvang and I was grateful for that. Service was efficient. Everything tasted great. I ordered the ricotta cavatelli and the portion was really small for $39 but it was delicious! They gave us a limited menu when we sat but I saw a steak menu posted on the front behind the glass. Maybe it's depends on the time of day.

Drinks were ok but not proper- might as well give me a red solo cup. The male bartender with a beard and glasses, clearly didn't care for service very unpleasant and unprofessional. The female bartender was rude, made faces rather than refuse service, you know, be professional. She was also a bit tipsy so her language was also unpleasant. Ambiance was not too bad, mostly 30&older but customers and buzzers were better behaved than bartenders.

Decided to revisit this place and take my boyfriend as I had previously really enjoyed the cocktails. This time it was completely a disappointment. To begin with the bartender had an attitude when I asked her about the whiskey selection. She asked us if we liked our cocktail and we said it was OK and she didn't offer to give us another one. The cocktail was whiskey and not well balanced. Definitely not going again.

We were driving from Paso Robles to Los Angeles, through Vandenberg (we wanted to see a satellite launch). My husband, sister and I wanted to stretch our legs and grab something to eat. We stopped in Solvang and we're looking for something low key. Vaquero Bar was perfect. We were able to sit outside, ordered a few drinks (aMai Tai, Mojito and Vodka and soda), and had artichokes and fresh fruit. The artichokes had a herb butter and bread crumbs- they were wonderful. Not only did as the fruit ripe and sweet, it looked incredible. I highly recommend Vaquero Bar in Solvang.

Hidden gem in Solvang! Best cocktails! Service is great and the music super fun! The restaurants attached is pretty amazing too! Almost don't want to share to keep this hidden gem all to myself!

One of the few spots that's open late for a cocktail. Place is small but cozy. Good music and decent record collection. My wife and I went twice over the weekend. Kelly is the one who served us. Was nice at first but then looked annoyed. My wife asked her what party cocktail shots can they make (kamikaze, Irish car, jager bomb etc) and she responded with "tequila?" Maybe she didn't hear us right. Asked again and she responded with the same. Then when I asked what beers they have on tap, she says "oh you want a beer?" And brought me something I didn't ask for. Something was off with her. Oh well. We paid our tab and left. We came back the next night and to our luck she was bartending again. We had to stand as the bar area was full and no seating available. Not an issue and Kelly came up to ask us what we wanted. Music was loud so I kindly pointed to which beer I wanted on The menu and before I could even mouth the words she says "Don't point it to me, Say it to me". How in the heck would she know if I didn't have a speech impediment? Who says that to people, especially customers? And even after pointing and saying the name "Czech Please Pilsner" she brings me an IPA. Something is definitely off with Kelly for her to be treating customers this way. It is a shame to write this review because the establishment seems nice but she left a bad taste.

Highly recommend the spicy margarita. The atmosphere here was great. This was my first trip to Solvang and we happened to come twice on this trip. The bartender was hilarious and had us laughing the entire time. We will see definitely be back.

Had a wonderful time here! The drinks were great and the drama was very entertaining If you want some great drinks, help with drink recommendations, and knowledge on local bar drama go to Matt! He's funny and great at what he does. Thanks for the great evening Matt. I hope next time I'm in Solvang I get to say Hi!

The best place to be at for your birthday! What a gem! Loved this little spot with awesome inviting & fun locals, a turntable & great album selection, and awesome bartenders, thanks ladies! A great way to start the New Year and my bday. I was drawn in by the danish blue cheese stuffed olives and the Vaquero did not disappoint! A little bit dirty with (I believe) Castlevetrano stuffed , stopping at 2 was difficult...thank goodness this is the bar to Coast Range so I could have another w dinner! . (Sidenote: to whomever started the switch to Castlevetranos in the LA cocktail world, I love you!) Don't miss this gem but also leave any LA attitude at home, please. This mostly locals joint is best enjoyed by jumping in and joining the fun! I wish I could load the video my guy shot of the whole joint singing to me!

Really nice vibe in the bar area. The food was good and drinks were well prepared. The fillet was pretty good with the sides were wonderful.

I have frequented this nice little bar in solvang since the day it opened. At 1st they didn't start serving food they just did bar food and snacks and everybody became familiar with everyone and now it's the neighborhood wonderful and if you haven't been there shame on you. If you've been there once you'll be back a million more. You can eat at the bar but my favorite thing is to pop in after work for a cocktail & the made on the spot Maple Donut.. And I don't even like Maple..go fig

Monica was our bartender first time we tried this place. She customized a margarita and it was delish! My husband had the whiskey drinks on their menu and he was also impressed. We decided to come back again because of the delicious drinks. Second time I got the ramblin man, hesitant as it had champagne in it but wanted something new and sure enough it didn't disappoint! My husband had the midnight rider and enjoyed it. They have vinyls that you can play on their turntable and service was attentive and timely.

We went here once for a cocktail before grabbing dinner at a restaurant down the street. Tiny little bar but had a large tv that's be great for watching a game. It was pretty busy but not overly crowded. Bartenders were all female and weren't the friendliest but still nice and attentive with taking my order. The cocktail I had was tasty as well so I'd definitely try some of their others.

Left Solvang brewery before it closed (10:30) and my boyfriend and i decided to check out this place to grab a few cocktails. After grabbing our own menu off a dirty bar with empty glasses, we decided what drinks we wanted and stood around for maybe ten minutes. We finally decided to sit at the dirty bar, and watch three drunk people get served before us even though we were there before. Whatever, we're patient and both in the service industry. We tried to get someones attention to ask if we could order after a long time, and he said we can order only from the female bartender. I made eye contact with her probably three times, the dirty glasses at the bar in front of us were never cleaned, the other guy at the bar had his back to us the whole time until he decided to go text... oh and another man came behind the bar and poured himself a glass if wine to drink. We left at 10:53 and still had no acknowledgement or service. You do the math. Hard to justify giving this place a shot after seeing the crowd being wasted and putting their feet on the bar and being completely ignored while just wanting to support a local cocktail lounge if you can even call this that. Save yourself a walk. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Ok, so this place is quite interesting! The people watching is amazing in this place! They play music from the late 70s and 80s off of the actual records!! They have a real turntable folks!! Place makes some really good drinks as well. I am definitely going back here in the future!

Great bar! It's the old bar at The Touch, been completely redone in a much fancier style but just as comfy! The girls behind the bar are fun, friendly and hospitable. The drinks aren't cheap but they are plenty stiff. It's small but plenty of seats at the bar, and a couple intimate tables. They also have the doors open and you can mosey outside and sit right on the wall at the sidewalk. Great for people watching and slow traffic cruising by! A terrific new spot for us to enjoy. A+

The music was painfully loud and someone had a basset hound in there. His poor ears. WTH.

Don't appreciate the server at the bar and racism on 1/2/24 around 8PM. I came into the restaurant open mined and happy. The server was speaking about me to the people sitting next to me. This made my friend and I very uncomfortable, due to this, my friend and I left. We noticed the people who were caucasian were being treated better than those who were not. We live in 2024, people should be treated equally. I don't understand the reason why people get treated badly on the color skin they have. Will never come here again or recommend it.

Fun vibe, good music, great drinks. A gem in Solvang with fun staff and friendly regulars. Also, one of the most satisfying macaroni and cheese (on cheese) dishes I've ever had the pleasure of devouring!

Had the tomato peach salad... so good and balance flavors... savory, citrus, subtle tartness. We also had the fish and chips which was awesome as well... not oily just good throughout... highly recommend this place and we are coming back for sure... only drawback is the flies from outdoor seating but that goes with the territory and should not discourage anyone from coming here...

This is going to be expensive, but worth it. Assuming you want an above average snack and cocktail experience, you'll get your money's worth. Get some fries and a martini. Treat yourself. Live life.