Cold Spring Tavern was established as a
stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
stop in 1865. Originally known as the "Cold Spring Relay Station", it was a horse changeover and meals break station. The tavern is located 20 minutes north of
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...
, in Cold Spring Canyon, which is about a mile off
Highway 154 along Stagecoach Road (in the
San Marcos Pass
San Marcos Pass (Chumash: ''Mistaxiwax'') is a mountain pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains in southern California.
It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass crosses the Santa Ynez through a southwestern portion of Los Padres National Forest, ...
area).
![Cold Spring Tavern](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Cold_Spring_Tavern.jpg)
The tavern serves steak, lamb,
venison
Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, in ...
,
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
, and
rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
.
Recognition
The tavern was chosen as the ''BEST place for a Romantic Getaway'' and The Santa Barbara Independent called it ''"pure MAGIC!"''
They have been noted as one of the few (if not only) restaurants serving bear.
In 2019 it was featured in a Santa Barbara episode of the
Cooking Channel
Cooking Channel is an American basic cable channel owned by Food Network, a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (69%) and Nexstar Media Group (31%). The channel is a spin-off of Food Network, broadcasting p ...
's ''
Man v. Food
''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big food" o ...
''.
See also
*
Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge
The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains links Santa Barbara, California with Santa Ynez, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154.
It is currently the highest arch bridge in the U.S. state of California ...
*
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valle ...
References
External links
Official site
Landmarks in California
Restaurants in California
Buildings and structures in Santa Barbara County, California
Restaurants established in 1865
Tourist attractions in Santa Barbara County, California
1865 establishments in California
{{SantaBarbaraCountyCA-geo-stub