I cannot say enough positive things about this establishment and their staff. What a class act…read moregroup of people, truly. My story is long and rather unfortunate, but the team at Olivera's helped make a bad situation a little more tolerable. Let me explain.
I was on a joy ride from San Diego, where I live, all the way up to San Francisco to visit a buddy of mine who I never got to see. I own a 2014 Mini Cooper S Convertible, and it was a beautiful day for a long drive up the coast with the top down. But while passing through the cute little city of Buellton, my car suffered a catastrophic engine failure. I initially thought the alternator died, but that wasn't the case. After inspection at Olivera's, it turned out to be much worse. They (correctly) determined the coolant was somehow pouring directly into the engine and mixing with the oil. The dipstick looked like it had been dipped into a milkshake. Not good.
But the car is secondary to the *actual* service I received from the staff at Olivera's. Cars can be fixed. This review is about hospitality. That said, I would fully trust these guys with my car. They've been doing this for many years and clearly know what they're talking about. All car owners worry about being lied to by their mechanic. At Olivera's, I do not see that ever being the case. These are genuinely nice people, and trust goes a long way here.
I arrived just shy of closing time on a Friday evening, around 4:40 p.m. Seeing me come off of a tow truck, they immediately broke the tension with, "So, how's YOUR day going?" It put a little smile on my face. I explained the situation and that I would likely be stuck in Buellton for the weekend while the car was repaired. They immediately offered suggestions on where to stay and where to eat. No pressure, no rushing since it was closing time, no macho car talk. They simply heard my story and felt my pain.
Bob, one of their mechanics, even offered me a ride to the Motel 6 down the road. That was Green Flag #1. I chose it based on their recommendation. Yes, it's a simple motel, but for my needs it was spot-on. They placed me in the least expensive and most centrally located place in town, with restaurants, parks, and a grocery store nearby, and still only about half a mile from the shop. That ended up being a huge deal because I would ultimately be stuck in Buellton for an entire week.
On Monday when they inspected the car, Emmet, the owner, invited me down to see the diagnosis in person. I could immediately see the concern in his eyes and from the mechanic working on the car. They knew the news was bad and delivered it with genuine empathy. They were incredibly gentle with me, which meant a lot.
Over the following days I had several phone calls with them and made a few visits to the shop. Each time felt more like visiting family than dealing with a repair shop. Mark, who has been there for years, was always great to chat with. Matt, the future owner, was a really good guy. Chu (I believe that's his name) was always supportive. None of them felt like "staff." This clearly felt like a family operation.
Emmet has been an unbelievable support through the entire experience. Even as we shook hands goodbye, he offered to keep my car safely parked in his lot while I figured out transportation back to San Diego. I am writing this review from San Diego while my car still sits in his lot in Buellton. It's unsettling being five hours away from a dead car, but I feel completely safe knowing that it's in their hands.
Let this review serve as a huge thank you to Olivera's, Emmet, and the entire staff. Everyone there was exceptional. And from watching other customers come in, it is clear that this is how they treat all people. They treat people like people, not numbers. It truly feels like a family.
If you are anywhere near Buellton, I would not take my car anywhere else.
EASY 5 stars from me. Not even a question.
