Tucked away on a winding, sycamore-forested stretch of road off Highway 154, the Cold Spring Tavern looks like it somehow transported to this century straight from the sepia-colored photographs of another time.
Established in 1886 and originally known as the Cold Spring Relay Station, the ivy-covered log cabin once thrived as a stagecoach stop for weary travelers through the San Marcos Pass, and today still holds much of its Old West charm intact.
“This was a halfway point between Santa Barbara and Los Olivos,” said manager Tana Pagaling. “They would stop here and change horses, and it turned into a restaurant in the 1940s.”
Typically a quiet haunt during weekdays, weekends are a different story; cars and motorcycles line Stagecoach Road as patrons stop to revel in the tavern’s hospitality and outdoor music.
“It’s a really popular place to be on Sundays,” Pagaling said. “We have fine dining inside, and on Sundays we do barbecue tri-tip sandwiches. There’s usually like 200 to 300 people here if it’s sunny.”
On weekends, visitors can also indulge in a home-style country breakfast of flapjacks, venison sausage, and country-fried steak. During lunchtime, the tavern serves classics like tri-tip sandwiches, chili, buffalo burgers, and pork baby-back ribs. The dinner menu features wild game: lamb, venison, rabbit, and duck. In the past, the restaurant has served up offerings such as wild pig, bear, lion, and even kangaroo.
With its roaring fireplace and antique table settings, the tavern provides a unique and intimate dining experience. The well-stocked country-style bar is loaded with plenty of local wines and beers; the Bloody Marys are a specialty.
Pagaling said the tavern owes its popularity to strong word of mouth and its rugged ambience.
“It’s an old cabin, so the restaurant is all lit by kerosene lanterns and candles,” she said. “It’s out in the middle of the woods, so it’s kind of rustic.”
Visiting the tavern’s wooded grounds is a history lesson in itself. Adjacent to the main cabin is the old Ojai jail, relocated from its former home, and the “Road Gang House,” which housed Chinese laborers who carved out the San Marcos Pass in 1868.
Currently owned and preserved by Joy Ovington Wilson and husband Wayne, who live out of state, the tavern’s environs have appeared in numerous movies, commercials, and television shows. It draws visitors from all over the world, including many Hollywood celebrities. Among them are actor Jeff Bridges, of The Big Lebowski and Tron: Legacy fame, who’s been known to frequent the watering hole, occasionally appearing with his country band to jam on a few classic tunes.
As for regular entertainment, the tavern’s outdoor creekside concert area, Blisshaven Garden, and the main cabin both play host to country, rock, and folk musical acts on Friday nights and weekends with no cover charge.
Located at 5995 Stagecoach Road, less than a mile from the historic Cold Spring Canyon Bridge, the tavern is open every daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 8:30 p.m. It’s also open Saturdays and Sundays for breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.
To make a reservation, call 967-0066, fax to 964-5995, or e-mail coldspringtavern@aol.com. For more information, visit coldspringtavern.com.
Highlights
• According to the latest figures from the California Economic Development Department, released on Nov. 18, the unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County rose slightly to 8.6 percent in October, up from a revised 8.5 percent in September.
The figure compares favorably with the year-ago estimate of 9.1 percent and the unadjusted unemployment rate of 11.2 percent for the entire state of California over the same period.
The occupations with the most job ads in the Santa Maria to Goleta area were receptionists and information clerks, followed by registered nurses and retail salespeople. The top employers with the most job ads for the area were Lockheed Martin, Catholic Healthcare West, and Raytheon.
For more information, visit edd.ca.gov.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Nov 23-30, 2011.