Many have done the roadtrip from the Central Coast to Bakersfield via Hwy 166. And Cuyama Buckhorn…read moreis a favorite stop along that route. You can't miss the huge "Coffee" sign visible from the highway. We recently had to drive said route and decided to finally visit. And we were happy we did. Cuyama Buckhorn serves tasty American dishes from biscuits and gravy to burgers. It was lunch, so we had the burgers. Very good! We tried the apple pie as well and it was nice. We stopped by again on the way back home for some coffee. Good stuff. Not a fan of the matcha drink ( but too much milk) Great location for travelers, friendly service. Fun diner vibe. If you're traveling via the 166, definitely stop, have a coffee and a bite to eat.

Another great adventure driving out to New Cuyama to eat lunch at the Buckhorn Cafe. Last time we…read morewanted to stop here there was a field fire up ahead, so we drove back to San Luis Obispo through California Valley, a Wild West adventure on miles and miles of unpaved road, back through time to the Carrizo Plain national monument. The drive out was lovely, with lots of yellow broom blooming on the hills. We passed the Firefighter Monument that my husband tends that commemorates the firefighters killed in the Spanish Ranch fire, and checked out the growth of some oak trees around it. We pulled in for an early lunch at the Buckhorn and got a nice booth near a window. We were waited on immediately and provided water and a new menu with more of an emphasis on breakfast dishes. It was early lunch for us, and I ordered my favorite "Breakfast Salad," a Cobb salad, which has bacon and egg in it. My husband got the pulled pork sandwich, a specialty of the place. There was a delay getting the wine menu, and my first choice had run out, so I tried a white that was close to a Sauvignon Blanc from a local vineyard. I had spied some very authentic looking apple pie coming in, and we ordered a slice for desert. It came with a couple of scoops of creamy ice cream, and had a sure-enough baked through crust with juicy, cinnamony apples inside! On the way to the car, we noticed a local rancher "branding" the building, by pushing his heated up brand into the front wall of the restaurant where many other brands appeared. The paint smoked a bit, and when he was done, a spade appeared on the facade, "Spade Ranch," he told me, literally making his brand relevant to the cafe! We reveled in the beauty of the ride back, appreciated out step back in time into the history of this beautiful valley.

Unfortunately for us, Post Ranch Inn was one of our first stops on an eight-day coastal road trip…read more Unfortunate because they set a standard no other property or restaurant was going to match. I knew that going in. It was still starker than I expected. Start with the property. When that is the view off your deck, why go anywhere else? Stunning doesn't cover it. We hiked much of the grounds and every turn delivered something new. The kind of place that makes you slow down without even trying. Then the restaurant. Everything was perfect -- service, quality, execution. Much of the food sourced on property or from the surrounding community. My wife declared the salad the best she'd ever had. High praise for a salad. High praise, full stop. Special shout out to our server Yasmany and bartender Thomas -- both exceptional. What struck me most was how effortless the entire staff made it look. These are people who deal with guests from around the world, all arriving with high expectations of a high-end experience. And yet nothing felt forced. Nobody appeared to be trying to impress us. It was just perfect service, perfectly delivered. That's the rarest thing in hospitality. Highlight of the trip. Hands down. And I suspect, never to be repeated.

This review is for Sierra Mar restaurant at Post Ranch. Even if the food wasn't good ( it's…read moreFantastic) people would still take 20 minutes to "oooh and wow" the views of this special spectacular setting and wouldn't care. This is an incredible place. Can you tell I like it? Wine Spectator top Award, with prices to match but frankly , who cares? You're not going there to pinch pennies. Enjoy yourselves and experience everything about the property. We had lunch today with friends celebrating a birthday. If there is a better place on California's coast I don't know where it is-- started with some Chardonnay to get things going. A lovely Roar '21 Rosalia. Devine. We were offered two menu options-one a pre-fixe for $85. App, main, dessert. A really excellent choice given the choices of fresh seafood or meat options and beautiful salad options. Additionally they offered à la carte with similar options but just different enough to entice. Several folks opted for a CA salad and then had the fish of the day put on top --I went for a special burger with a home made brioche bun , amazing fries and a Caesar salad. Haven't had a burger like that in ages. I have menu pics and interior exterior pics displaying options. Easier than me playing Stanley Tucci... I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful and professional the service is at Sierra Mar. Apologies to our server ( lovely young lady with long dark hair and a smile that says, "what can I do for you?" Whose name we did not get---she and the gentleman who helped with the wine were outstanding.