About a 20-minute drive from Santa Barbara, Cold Spring Tavern up the winding San Marcos Pass was built in 1886 and originally functioned as a stagecoach stop. Not much has changed: the Western style is complete with wagon wheels and four fireplaces, and food and drink is still served in a rustic, lamp-lit setting. They host a barbecue each weekend (weather permitting) that regularly includes venison steak sandwiches, buffalo burgers, and venison sausage burgers, along with housemade mayo and potato salad. For dessert, meander around the property where the outbuildings such as the road gang house and Ojai jail reveal the history of Santa Barbara and the surrounding area.
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A Flavorful History
About a 20-minute drive from Santa Barbara, Cold Spring Tavern up the winding San Marcos Pass was built in 1886 and originally functioned as a stagecoach stop. Not much has changed: the Western style is complete with wagon wheels and four fireplaces, and food and drink is still served in a rustic, lamp-lit setting. They host a barbecue each weekend (weather permitting) that regularly includes venison steak sandwiches, buffalo burgers, and venison sausage burgers, along with housemade mayo and potato salad. For dessert, meander around the property where the outbuildings such as the road gang house and Ojai jail reveal the history of Santa Barbara and the surrounding area.
