Cold Spring Tavern Santa Barbara, CA

As we drove to Santa Barbara my friend, says he knows of this little place tucked way that he has always wanted to stop at, I agreed and as we got into Santa Barbara we got off the exit and went up state street to Hwy 154. It was a winding road and the marine layer was thick that day. Once we got to the summit of the hill, the sky’s clear and we found our turn onto Stagecoach Rd.  As we go down the hill we come up on these old buildings, very charming, but I had no idea that we were getting ready to have one of the best meals of the weekend.

 Here is some history:

Over one hundred twenty five years ago, dusty stagecoaches stopped here…The stop was known as “Cold Spring Relay station” they would stop here to change out teams of horses and allow travelers to rest at this stagecoach stop and enjoy one of the most delicious meals in the Olde West.

We walked around to see the history of the place and then we went in for some grub. I was listening to the other people around us talking about the tri-tip being so good and suggested to my friend that one of us get some of the tri tip to try it.  I started looking on the menu and noticed they had a quiche of the day, as our waitress comes over I asked what the selection of the day was and quickly made up my mind. My friend ordered the French Dip Sandwich, roasted tri tip on a French “au jus” and apple horseradish sauce. My selection, the quiche, which consisted of mushrooms, artichokes and broccoli, they both came with salad.

My quiche can we say fantastic! The crust was flaky and the right amount of butter and salt mixture, this type of crust is my favorite; it’s just the perfect balance. The quiche had great flavor, it was a really good choice and the piece I was given was a good portion.

The tri tip, was just the right amount of smoky flavor, tender and the French roll was fresh and soft, it was topped with apple horseradish, which brought all the flavors together. As you can see in one of the pictures the tri tip is being cooked on a BBQ grill right outside like you would do it at home.

The “Cold Spring Relay Stop” also houses a tavern (bar) and an old jail along with this great little restaurant. The inside of all of the places are still the old barn rafters and wagon wheel chandler’s, and oil lamps on all the tables, very charming. This stop really takes you back to the Olde Wild West.

If you’re ever in the Santa Barbara area you should drive the extra 10ish minutes up Hwy 154 to Stagecoach Rd, go left and follow it to this great spot! It will be worth the drive!!!

Cold Spring Tavern

595 Stagecoach Rd.

Santa Barbara, CA 93105

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